The Lazarus Contagion: An apocalyptic horror novel (Dying Breed Book 1)

by Jacob Rayne

  The light at the sides of the cart intensified again and began to pulse down the sides and bore of the barrel. It continued to grow in intensity as the man allowed it to charge.

  The man aimed carefully through the scope and pulled the trigger. After a second, the minigun barrel spun a little then the bolt of light flew from the tip of the weapon.

  Subject I darted diagonally forward and to his left. The bolt missed by a good few inches.

  The man at the controls dropped his aim a little.

  Subject I darted forwards, steam rising from the wound in his chest. His claws raised like a praying mantis, then came down fast.

  The gunman’s arms fell to the floor, blood jetting from his shoulder stumps.

  Subject I seemed to smile as he towered over the doomed man.

  The two other guards moved forwards, thrusting shock sticks at Subject I.

  One hit, jamming the shock stick into the hard skin on Subject I’s back. The air crackled with energy.

  Subject I let out a cry and lashed out with his tail, knocking the man against the tunnel wall.

  The armless man fell to his knees.

  Subject I turned and swung a claw, cutting him in half at the waist. More blood sluiced down onto the concrete floor.

  The second guard struggled with the laser, trying to turn it so it faced Subject I, but there seemed to be something jamming it.

  Subject I’s tail swung through the air.

  The guard ducked, feeling the wind of the strike over his head.

  Subject I’s tail bone hit the guard on the weapon stand.

  The guard lost his nerve and ran. Luckily for him the other guard had staggered to his feet and thrust the shock stick towards Subject I’s head, distracting the creature. Subject I stuck the swordlike appendage on his tail through the other man’s chest and lifted him into the air.

  Blood ran down from the wound, from Subject I’s tail and onto the floor below.

  Dark blood seeped down from behind the mouthpiece of the gas mask. The guard twitched on the end of the blade.

  When he stopped twitching Subject I threw him to the floor and set off after the other guard, moving slowly.

  He savoured the hunt.

  ‘Holy shit, that was a waste of time,’ Abbott said.

  ‘Really, that thing could kill it if it hit in the right place,’ Jeffries insisted.

  ‘We’ll never know now,’ Hammett said.

  ‘We might, if one of you were to go out there,’ Jeffries said.

  ‘No fucking way,’ Abbott said. ‘Why don’t you go and get it if you’re so keen?’

  ‘I can’t,’ Jeffries grinned. ‘If I die those things will be released.’

  ‘I think you’re full of shit.’

  ‘He’s right,’ Hammett said. ‘One of us has to go. We can’t risk him dying.’

  ‘For fuck’s sake.’

  ‘Listen to the Sergeant. One of you needs to get the laser. Or both of you really, it’s pretty heavy.’

  ‘The second we’re out of here you’ll lock the door behind us,’ Abbott said.

  ‘I won’t, I swear. You’d be doing me a huge favour. You’d be doing the world a huge favour.’

  ‘Bull-shit, you lying cocksucker. You’re coming out of here with us.’

  ‘Captain, we can’t risk him dying.’

  ‘I can’t risk you or me dying, so his fucking ray gun stays out there.’

  ‘There’s a chance it could work, Captain.’

  ‘Whose side are you on, Hammett?’

  ‘I hate to admit it, but he’s right. That contraption out there is the best chance we have of killing this thing.’

  ‘Ah, for fuck’s sake,’ Abbott booted a wooden crate, smashing a hole in the side.

  ‘Does that mean you’ll do it?’ Jeffries asked.

  Abbott lunged at him and grabbed him by the throat. He pressed the magnum into Jeffries’ temple so hard that it marked his skin.

  ‘If you betray us you’d better pray that thing out there gets to you before I do,’ Abbott hissed. ‘Do you understand me?’

  Jeffries nodded, his face pale, his eyes bulging.

  Abbott shoved him to the floor. ‘Let’s do this, Sergeant. I need to take a piss first though.’

  ‘Ready?’

  Hammett nodded. ‘I don’t need to remind you of Captain Abbott’s threat, do I?’

  Jeffries shook his head, his eyes still looking like they were about to pop out of his skull.

  ‘How do we turn that thing?’ Abbott said. ‘The guy had a shitload of trouble with it.’

  ‘There’s a red lever underneath the left side. Pull it up and the platform will swivel round.’

  ‘Right,’ Hammett said.

  ‘Prop this door open somehow,’ Abbott said to Jeffries. ‘Ain’t no fucking way I’m leaving you alone in there.’

  Jeffries carried over a heavy crate. ‘You ready?’ he said.

  ‘Yeah,’ both soldiers replied.

  ‘If smoke starts coming out of the side coolers it means the device is unstable,’ Jeffries said. ‘If that happens get your asses back in here as soon as you can because she’s probably about to blow.’

  ‘Great,’ Abbott said. ‘Just fucking great. This little ray gun better do what it’s supposed to. It ain’t done jackshit yet.’

  Jeffries wedged the box against the door to keep it open.

  ‘I mean it, Jeffries, don’t give me another reason to hurt you,’ Abbott said, fixing him with a cold glare.

  ‘I won’t,’ Jeffries said.

  Abbott poked his head out and saw there was no sign of Subject I. He moved slowly, like a mouse coming out of a burrow. When he saw how close the cart was he gained confidence and moved quicker.

  As soon as both he and Hammett were out of the shelter they heard a bloodcurdling scream from further down the tunnel.

  Hammett raced to the cart and searched for the red lever. He found it after a moment’s panic and pulled it up. It was stiff but yielded after a hard tug.

  Abbott reached the cart and leant against it, his damaged ankle picking a bad time to make its presence felt.

  Hammett struggled to turn the gun, which was even heavier than it looked.

  Abbott joined in, pulling with short, violent movements.

  The platform groaned in protest, but started to turn. Both men were straining to move it, but they eventually got it to face up the tunnel.

  They were just in time as they heard a cry that sent ice-water flooding through their veins.

  Subject I crawled along the ceiling, blood dripping from his mouth and scythe-like claws.

  As the circle of mutants drew ever closer, Duggan’s hands grew clammy around the butt of his shotgun. He felt utter dread at the sight of the ominous creeps approaching them, but took heart from the fact that he couldn’t be the only one.

  The mutants stopped about six feet from the line of cops, who watched without advancing.

  The moment balanced on a knife edge.

  Then the first mutant hurled himself at the row of riot shields.

  His head collided hard, leaving a smear of blood as his nose burst against the hard plastic.

  Duggan led by example and moved forwards, firing his shotgun into the exposed bulge at the back of the man’s head.

  When the head became a ragged, bloody wound, he ducked and jammed the Taser into the exposed part of the creature.

  The smell was sickening, the sound the creature made even worse. Man and creature alike twitched.

  While Duggan held the Taser down a mutant bounced off his back, almost knocking him over.

  Emboldened by his display, the cops surrounded him, using their shields to protect him while he held the Taser in place.

  The man stopped twitching. The creature did a few seconds later. The humans let out a cry of victory.

  ‘It’s that fucking easy,’ Duggan bellowed.

  But he had spoken too soon.

  The mutants hurled themselves at the shields, kn
ocking the stunned cops back.

  ‘Man, that’s one ugly fucker,’ Abbott said, viewing the creature up close through the scope on the rudimentary plasma cannon.

  He moved the barrel along with the creature, waiting for the charge to intensify. It sounded like the flash on an enormous disposable camera.

  ‘Fuck it,’ he muttered, pulling the trigger.

  Nothing happened for a moment, then light stung the eyes of both soldiers.

  The blast hit Subject I high on the right side, blowing off his arm and one of his legs.

  Dark blood gouted from the wounds.

  ‘That’s the way,’ Jeffries shouted.

  Abbott sighted again. He fired at the screeching head of the creature, but it dropped from the ceiling and ran at them.

  Rubble rained down as the blast slammed into the ceiling.

  Subject I’s tail swung, slamming into Hammett’s stomach and taking him off his feet.

  He landed hard against the side of the cart, gasping for air. Clear pinkish fluid dripped from the tank on the side of the cart.

  ‘Oh no, you’ve damaged the coolant tank,’ Jeffries said.

  ‘What’s that mean?’ Abbott shouted over the din of the charging laser and Subject I’s screams of rage.

  ‘It’s going to become unstable.’

  The drips of liquid became a gush, pooling around Hammett’s backside as he tried to gather the strength to stand.

  Subject I’s claw came across, carving a deep furrow down Abbott’s left cheek. Abbott let out a cry of rage as he felt hot blood running down his face.

  Smoke started to pour from the damaged coolant tank.

  ‘Get out of there,’ Jeffries cried.

  Abbott ignored him and let the charge build. He fired the magnum into the scorched wound on Subject I’s left side. The creature roared and staggered back.

  Abbott grabbed Hammett under the arms and started dragging him towards the doorway. Subject I seemed to gather his senses, dragging himself along the floor on his damaged limbs.

  They weren’t going to make it in time.

  Smoke gushed from the cart now. It made a horrible high-pitched sound as the light built to a blinding intensity.

  Jeffries appeared from the doorway and helped Abbott drag Hammett back into the shelter. Abbott kicked the crate from the doorway and pressed the button so the door slammed shut.

  The cart started to shake.

  Subject I let out a roar when he noticed his enemies had escaped.

  He turned from the smoking, jittering cart and flew off down the tunnel.

  Abbott was the only one watching the monitor when the laser cart exploded.

  Thin strands of light pushed out from the cart, growing in size and intensity until the weapon disappeared in a blast of light and flying shrapnel.

  He saw that the blast just caught the back end of Subject I, but that the creature survived the blast and was still making its exit.

  Then the force of the blast tore the camera from the wall and knocked Abbott to the floor.

  Another muffled whump went off, shaking the room. The heavy construction held, and the three men were unharmed apart from their shock and awe.

  Their ears still rang for a few minutes after the blast had faded.

  When tinnitus receded they heard rocks falling in the corridor. A quick glance at one of the other cameras revealed that the ceiling had fallen in, blocking off one side of the tunnel.

  ‘Everyone ok?’ Jeffries asked.

  ‘Fuckin a ok,’ Abbott said.

  ‘Yeah, still feeling that blow,’ Hammett said. ‘Feels like my guts are trying to crawl out of my back.’

  ‘Was a hell of a shot,’ Abbott said. He stood, a little unsteady, and lit a cigar. He turned to Jeffries. ‘Hey, thanks for what you did out there. You didn’t have to do that. I appreciate it.’

  ‘Me too,’ Hammett said.

  ‘It’s the least I could do.’

  ‘You’re still not off the hook yet, boy. Not by a long shot,’ Abbott said. ‘But you’re heading in the right direction.’

  ‘Did the blast take out Subject I?’ Hammett asked.

  ‘No. Just got the tail end of the creepy fucker. It still managed to fly out of here in pretty much one piece.’

  ‘Shit,’ Jeffries said. ‘I thought the blast would have nailed it.’

  ‘I did too,’ Hammett said.

  ‘That ray gun wasn’t so bad,’ Abbott said. ‘Took one of its arms off at least. Better than anything else has done so far.’

  ‘Right,’ Jeffries grinned. ‘I’m glad cos I didn’t think it was going to do much, to be honest with you.’

  ‘You ain’t been honest with anyone in a long time,’ Abbott said.

  Neither Hammett nor Jeffries could tell whether this was a playful jab or not.

  ‘Is there another laser?’ Hammett said.

  Jeffries winced. ‘There are newer models being made but they’re at least a few weeks from even being at the test stage.’

  ‘Ah shit,’ Abbott shouted.

  ‘At least there’s technology available to combat it,’ Hammett said.

  ‘Son, there ain’t gonna be much left of this world in a few weeks.’

  Duggan dropped one of the mutants with a baton strike to the jaw. When it hit the floor, the skin on the back of its head cleaved open, exposing the creature clamped to its skull.

  A few of the men grimaced.

  ‘Get used to it,’ Duggan said.

  One of the cops stepped in and stuck his Taser on the base of the mutant’s skull.

  The mutant screamed and grabbed at the cop’s legs, pulling him to the floor. The mutant pulled himself along until he was on top of the cop, snarling and spitting.

  The cop brought his hands up, but the mutant managed to shove his head through, his jaws snapping at the cop’s face.

  He tore off a section of cheek before Duggan pulled him off the cop, stood on his back and applied the Taser to his head.

  This time it was enough to kill the creature and its host.

  The cop next to Duggan fell, two mutants on his back. Huge sections of his face and neck had been bitten off and were spraying blood down onto his uniform.

  He screamed, writhing uselessly on the floor as blood poured down to plaster his uniform to his chest.

  Duggan fired the shotgun at the mutants, but before he could apply the Taser something hard hit him on the back of the head. As he hit the ground he spun and looked up.

  A mutant stood over him, a rock raised above its head.

  The mutant slammed the rock against his skull, making the world distort.

  He lifted the rock again and held it overhead, ready to bash Duggan’s brains in.

  Duggan was too disoriented to move.

  There didn’t seem to be anything he could do.

  The rock came closer, in blurred slow motion thanks to his addled mind.

  Suddenly the mutant pitched forward, like a felled tree. The rock flew from his hands and landed next to Duggan’s head.

  Mark stood over the fallen creature, one of the shock sticks in his hands.

  He grinned as he jammed the shock stick into the back of the mutant’s head until it fell still.

  Duggan staggered to his feet.

  Dozens of mutants crawled across the urban decay towards them.

  Flames glowed in the surrounding buildings.

  The cops had taken a few casualties, but most of them were still fighting fit.

  They’d need to be, judging by the numbers crawling out of the ruined city.

  ‘We’ve got to get after that thing,’ Abbott said, ‘finish it off while it’s still weak.’

  ‘I wouldn’t exactly call it weak,’ Jeffries said.

  ‘No, but it’s injured,’ Hammett said.

  ‘There’s a chopper in the facility somewhere. Any of you guys know how to fly one?’

  Both soldiers shook their heads, although they both knew.

  They wanted Jeffries with them,
to see the full scale of the destruction he’d unwittingly let loose.

  ‘Looks like I’m going to have to fly you then,’ Jeffries sighed. ‘You’d best take good care of me. Remember what’s at stake.’

  ‘Yeah, we remember,’ Abbott said. ‘Now get your skinny ass to the chopper.’

  Sniper shots rang out from the building above Duggan and Mark’s position.

  Fresh wounds appeared on the chests and faces of some of the mutants, but they maintained their inexorable onward march.

  One young cop was visibly pale, sweating and terrified.

  ‘I can’t face those things,’ he sobbed.

  ‘You can,’ Duggan said. ‘You have to.’

  The kid took one look at the advancing horde and turned and ran.

  A few hundred yards from the group of cops, he fell over a chunk of rubble.

  The mutants were on him in seconds; biting, clawing, tearing. His screams cut through the air, serving as a grim reminder to the price of failure.

  A few people came out of the tower blocks.

  Some had guns, others swords and knives.

  One man held a fire axe in his trembling hands.

  ‘I’m Hank and I’ve come to help,’ the axe man said.

  ‘Good to have you,’ Duggan smiled.

  As if to show he was made of sterner stuff than the young cop, Hank charged at the mutants, bellowing.

  His axe swing took off the top of a mutant’s head, showering him in dark blood.

  He let out a cry of rage as the mutant fell, then bent and pulled a vicious-looking knife from beneath his plaid shirt.

  He sawed at the creature’s exposed wings until it came free. A look of triumph lit his features as he held the dying creature aloft.

  ‘That’s the fucking way,’ Duggan shouted.

  As one unit, the cops ran at the mutants, swinging batons and shock sticks, firing shotguns and rifles.

  Hank took the head off a second mutant then chopped the head in half, before a cop Tasered the lurking creature.

  Slowly, the tide began to turn humanity’s way.

  Right up until a black figure with a skull for a face and an arm that looked like the reaper’s scythe flew overhead, grabbing one of the cops and dropping him from twenty feet in the air.

  As the cop splattered like a bug on a windshield, the creature set down among its kin and let out a piercing shriek.