The motley crew of would-be escapees neared the fence. Maggie searched above the white plant label. If Alice had done her bit, it should be cut. Within moments she found the cut and smiled. With a quick yank, the thin wires slithered out like eels from a sack. Once the wire had come loose, she managed to create a gap big enough for them to squeeze through.
“Hurry, kids. C’mon,” Maggie said, her voice as loud as she dared. She counted the children as they passed her, checking them off mentally.
“Are the monsters still out there?” Leela whimpered, her lip trembling.
A lump caught in Maggie’s throat. She knew she had to lie to this innocent little girl just so she could have a chance at saving her. Doubt crept in as she looked down at Leela.
“No, darli—”
Kaboom! The shockwave slammed into them, pushing Maggie, Becs and Leela against the fence. The LPG bottles had finally exploded. The heat that followed reminded her of that sandy hell-hole that was Iraq. The shattering of glass echoed, mixed with the panicked screams of the guards caught in the fireball.
Maggie grimaced. She hadn’t wanted to injure anyone, but those men had chosen their side.
“Go!”
A screaming figure ran towards her. She squinted into the sun and smoke and could just make out Alice.
“Go!” she cried again, urging them on.
Maggie looked at the fire and saw the skinny frame of Ian sprinting towards them, baton raised and dressing gown open, exposing his naked chest. Quickly, she hauled herself off the ground and pushed Becs and Leela through the gap before ducking through herself.
Alice bolted the last few metres as Maggie held open the fence.
“Thanks,” Alice panted, gasping for breath.
With a quick look towards the charging Ian, Maggie pulled out the parcel from her front. “Take the kids into the trees and put this on. Look for an access road. There should be a van.”
“What about you?”
Maggie met her eyes. “Ian and I have a date. Go! I’ll catch up.”
Alice grabbed Becs’s hand and guided the children deeper into the trees.
Maggie pursed her lips and watched as Ian ran the last few feet to the fence.
“C’mon, Ian. If you want me, come and get me.”
Maggie spun around and headed away from the kids. She wasn’t interested in his reply.
“I’m going to fucking kill you, you American bitch!” he screamed after her.
Maggie smiled to herself as she jogged through the trees, their fresh pine scents clearing her sinuses. That’s it, Ian. I need you angry. Anger clouds your mind.
— 14 —
The shell path crunched under his foot as Boss ran for the villa, Glock held ready. George sprinted ahead. Finally Boss reached the deck that wrapped around the 100-year-old house and glanced around, scanning the immediate area for Variants. Thankfully the vicinity remained clear. From the noise coming from down in the village, the battle was still raging, concentrated where most of the survivors were.
Boss hobbled the last few metres and climbed the stairs. The pain from his throbbing stump made him grimace. He should have been only fitting the prosthetic, not running around on it fighting monsters. But Boss was grateful just to be alive. He had seen some horrendous things since the Variant outbreak. Tonight simply added to the trauma.
As he entered the house, a flash of red caught his eye. Jack’s red-handled machete was leaning up against the wood box. He picked it up and strapped it to his thigh. Something told him he was going to need every weapon he could carry, even this rusty old thing.
Boss ran through the small galley-like kitchen, past dirty dishes stacked around the sink. George had reached the coat rack and was lifting down his small backpack. Next to the coat rack, Ben had installed a gun cage.
Boss clicked the release button and pushed open the wire-mesh door. He stared for a moment at the two shotguns and his AR-15, trying to decide whether to take all of them or just his rifle.
Ben’s voice echoed in his head. You can never have enough…
Boss sighed and shoved his shotgun into his pack before removing his AR-15.
He grabbed a magazine and clicked it in. Checking the safety, he slid it over his shoulder. Boss turned to George, the boy’s blue eyes watching him while he waited. Boss could tell he was afraid and he was doing his best not to show it. He knew how brave the kid was.
“Ready?” Boss said.
“Yeah.”
Boss scooped up a few more boxes of ammo and shoved them in his pack.
Never have enough, eh Ben?
A plan formed in his mind. He looked down at George. “We’re going to go to those caves, to the lake you found. Okay, buddy?”
George nodded back at him.
“Jack and Dee will come for us, G-man,” Boss said, grasping George’s shoulder. He wasn’t sure if he said this more to himself than George. In truth, he was doubtful. Even if the Renegades had been alerted, would they get here in time? They were over 100 kilometres north. Boss clenched his fists. No. He had to keep George safe. Haere had given them a chance. He needed to honour that and get George away from danger. Away from the madness down in the bay.
A screech blared out, and a couple more answered, closer. Boss threw open the door and stepped out onto the deck, keeping George behind him. He had hoped to escape detection, at least for long enough to hide.
Three Variants bounded up the path, shrieking. They spotted the humans and paused, sniffing the air. Their yellow eyes stared.
Slowly, Boss unslung his rifle and sighted the lead Variant, trying to get a bead. With a savage cry it leapt towards them. It zigged and zagged, leaping left and right.
Boss took a punt at where it would go next and squeezed the trigger. Watching over the sight, he saw the bullet enter its sucker mouth. Big chunks of gunk flew out as it crumpled into a ball of flesh and bones. Boss spun to his left, letting off a couple of bursts just like Ben had shown him. He aimed for the centre mass and took down another one. The third Variant screeched and leapt onto the roof of the covered verandah, its claws scraping the corrugated iron. The metal moaned as the Variant dug its claws in, the sound reminding Boss of a ship rubbing against the poles of the jetty. Boss desperately watched as it walked across, making dents in the thin metal. With a hideous howl, the Variant bounded off the roof, hooked its claws into the gutter and swung over the edge of the verandah, flinging itself at Boss. Its legs slammed into him, launching Boss off his feet and smashing him against the cladding. The sharp weatherboard edges dug into his back.
The breath wheezed out of his bruised chest and sparks of orange light danced in his vision. The Variant straddled him, its powerful legs pinning him down. Claws dug into his remaining leg, while others grasped his shoulders. George screamed at it. It turned its head and shrieked at George. Boss used the distraction to pull the machete free and swing it, yelling with frustration. He drove the sharpened edge deep into the Variant’s neck. The beast cried out in anguish and yanked the blade free. It leant back, howling, holding its claws to the gushing wound, trying to stem the flow of black blood pouring out.
Boss scrambled free and stood up. He pulled his Glock from his holster and looked into the monster’s eyes. The reptilian slits stared back at him, its nictitating membrane flicking. Boss raised the gun and pointed it at the Variant’s head. The creature that was once a human grasped his leg. Recognition grazed across its eyes. Boss felt a fleeting moment of sorrow for the monster as he squeezed the trigger, ending its nightmare.
Without looking back, he grabbed George and scrambled up the bank, heading into the bush. Branches scratched his exposed arms.
Once he was far enough away, Boss looked down on the once-idyllic bay. Flashes from muzzle fire sparked out like a fireworks display gone wrong. The luxury yacht tied up at the jetty was still burning, throwing out plumes of thick white smoke. The huge flames licked the wooden jetty, threatening to consume it. Boss’s eyes darted left and right,
catching glimpses of fighting all over the bay. Soldiers ran, turning and firing. Variants bounded and chased after them, tearing apart those fleeing. The bulk of the Variant infestation had crowded around the old hotel and the bunker behind. Sergeant Haere had rallied the troops to protect those inside. A steady stream of monsters threw themselves at the thousands of bullets spewing into them. Boss shook his head, the sounds of the battle rattling around in his mind. So much death, so many lives ended. The Variants would kill until no one was left. Until humanity was but a memento etched in stone.
Boss shrugged his shoulders and hauled himself up the clay bank, ducking under the scraggy manuka. He breathed in deep, savouring the trees’ oily scent. George was scrambling through the leaf litter up ahead, disturbing pebbles and little rocks that hit and bounced off Boss as he followed. The pain in his stump was becoming unbearable. He was desperate for the painkillers in his pack, but the ever-closer screeches forced him to push the pain aside. Instead, he pulled on the leather straps, tightening the prosthetic.
After thirty minutes of climbing, they reached a clearing and Boss looked around, searching for the white crushed-shell paths that ringed the island. Screeches chased them up the hill, getting louder with every passing moment.
“Where’s that cave?” Boss said, trying to get his bearings.
“On the big hill.” George gestured. Above them soared the island’s tallest peak. Up past the treeline was craggy volcanic rock. Now that Boss could see the rocks, he remembered.
“Keep going, don’t look down,” he whispered.
George pulled himself up the slope, his little hands grabbing onto whatever roots he could find. Up they climbed, away from the terrifying noises of the battle below, away from the sights of limbs being torn off, of intestines sloshing onto the ground. Away from the Variants sinking their sucker mouths into flesh, tearing off chunks of muscle. Boss hated to run; he felt like he was betraying all those fighting down in the bay. But he and George were running away to save themselves.
The lactic acid burned in his tired leg, and it felt like jelly as they finally reached the path they were searching for. If they stuck to this route, they should reach the cave within minutes.
“This way,” George said, tugging on his arm.
“Go.”
A crashing sound of branches snapping behind them rang out. Boss pivoted, his rifle raised, searching for a target. A blur of black and white burst from the undergrowth. Max! And there was someone dashing after him.
Boss slid his finger off the trigger guard, ready to put a bullet into the figure. But his eyes went wide as he saw blonde hair.
“Beth! I nearly shot you.”
Beth dusted some white shells off her pants and top. “We need to go. They’re not far behind me.”
“Here, take this,” Boss said, handing her his rifle.
“Thanks, what about you?”
“Say hello to my boomstick,” Boss grinned, pulling free his shotgun.
“Idiot.” Beth smiled and flicked her eyes to George. “Hey kiddo.”
Boss sighed inwardly. He would find a girl he liked in the apocalypse. He looked over to George who was hugging Max.
Boss rubbed the dog’s head. “Aye, Boy.” Seeing the dog calmed him somewhat. He could still hear the sounds of the battle down in the village and the shrieks of the Variants, but the simple act of petting Max calmed his banging heart.
Max snarled, teeth bared. Boss frowned and turned.
Beth grabbed Boss’s arm, yanking him away. “Go! They’re coming!”
Screeches and howls followed her warning.
Boss cursed. He was tired, stressed and angry. He could feel the fury building in his gut. Angry at those monsters that had caused this nightmare, angry at the collaborators helping the new apex predators. But most of all, angry at himself for not being able to do more. Losing half his left leg had scarred him mentally just as much as physically, maybe more so. He felt useless, not whole. A piece of him was missing physically, and a piece was missing on the inside. Without Dee here to help centre him, he struggled. She had a way of calming him. Jack had told him it was Dee’s greatest latent quality: she could calm you with a smile, assure you with a simple touch or look. He’d said some people have that gift, as though a calming aura emanated from them. Boss smiled to himself. He looked ahead to Beth and George running. He was going to get them to safety or die trying.
A screech jolted him back to reality. He stopped. Spinning on his good leg, he searched for the source. A couple more screeches sounded out, this time from above. Boss glanced up. Several pairs of reptilian eyes flashed back as figures scrambled down the rocky face of the volcano. Beth was a little ahead of them by a few metres.
“Run!” he warned.
She glanced up and saw the creatures. Two of the Variants leapt down in front of her. She raised the rifle and fired a couple of shots, hitting each of the beasts in the torso. They dropped to all fours and let out horrifying screeches. Beth turned, horror plastered on her face. Her lips trembled as she looked first back at Boss, then out to sea. Boss watched, stunned, as she took a few steps back and then sprinted off the cliff, her body vanishing from view.
“NO! Beth!”
He stared at the point where Beth had vanished. A swirl of conflicting emotions flashed through his mind. Why had she done that?
George yelled something at him, but all the noise around him became a blur. His emotions were threatening to overtake him and render him useless. He screamed, squeezed the trigger and pumped the shotgun again and again, unloading into the gathering knot of Variants. He hit a few, dropping them.
George grabbed his leg, getting his attention. He pointed at a path to the right. Boss could see the cave entrance. He took a deep breath and let it out through gritted teeth. Shoving George ahead, he whistled for Max. The dog growled and barked at the beasts. He whistled again. Max obeyed and they sprinted for the cave, the howls of the man-hunting monsters chasing them. As they reached the entrance, Boss pulled the red-handled machete from his belt and jammed the blade into the clay bank adjacent to the cave. On they ran, fleeing into the darkening maw.
— 15 —
Jack ran down the wide, muddy track. Once it had been a mining road, back in the days when men shifted tonnes of earth and rock to get a few precious ounces of gold. As he jogged, he looked out at the vista. The sun was beginning its climb up from the horizon, spreading its life-giving glow to the world. Jack snorted. A very nearly dead world.
The valley cut through the landscape, intersected by the river gorge. He scanned the tree line ahead, searching for the dull metal of the zip-line tower. The steady thump of boots behind him comforted him, knowing the other Renegades shared his fears. He still thought it was crazy they had been ordered to collect this scientist. Out of all of them, Ben was the only real soldier. The Joneses were privates barely out of boot camp. He and Dee were still learning. Hoping to help. Now here he was, running from these eternally hungry beasts.
Thinking of Dee, Jack glanced back and smiled. She was covered in sweat from their flight through the underground lab. She smiled back before scanning around, searching the trees for the beasts. The howls of the Variants were getting closer as Jack leapt over a creek, its muddy water gushing over the track and down into the valley.
After twenty minutes Jack spotted the metal tower he was searching for. A ladder clung to the side, and five metres above the ground sat a small platform. Hooked up, attached to the tower, were two metal cradles similar to the ones rescue choppers use to ferry injured people off cliff faces.
Jack spun around. Raising his rifle, he covered the other Renegades as they made up the last few metres to his position. He caught the pungent smell of sweat mixed with the peaty smells of the forest. It didn’t matter who you were, the fear was the same.
Ben called out his instructions. “Dee, take Yokoyama across to the first platform and keep going. Eric, you pull the cradles back and then go with Tony. Jack and I will fol
low last.”
Jack nodded and turned to help Dee and Katherine up the first few steps.
Screeches rang out and Dee bounded up the ladder, pushing Katherine ahead. Jack pivoted, scanning the track and bush, waiting to catch sight of those yellow eyes. Eyes that haunted him. Eyes that meant death and loss. He kept his finger on the trigger guard, waiting. He heard the whirring of the zip-line and risked a look to see Dee racing across with Katherine.
“Multiple targets!” yelled Tony.
Jack looked down the track, searching for a target. A dozen Variants were sprinting up the muddy old road, water, leaves and soil spraying out behind them in an arc, like water behind a speeding motorboat. Jack flicked off his safety and aimed for the nearest charging hound of hell. He hit it in the shoulder sending it sprawling face-first into the mud. A few Variants behind tripped over it. Jack would’ve laughed if it wasn’t for the charging pack behind. He went into battle mode, aiming, firing. Just trying to take them down. His ears were ringing with the proximity of the other Renegades’ gunshots. A couple of the Variants broke away from the pack, sprinting around the sides to flank them.
“Flanking! Take them down!” Jack yelled.
Eric spun to his side and tried to get a fix, but the Variant was too quick. With a terrifying howl, it leapt the last couple of metres, smashing into Eric who managed to get his rifle up to protect his neck. Tony screamed and shot it in the chest. The Variant swatted at the bullet as if a wasp was stinging it. Tony ran forwards. Pulling out his knife, he stabbed it in the head. The knife stuck fast. The Variant reached up and swatted Tony aside.
Eric used the distraction and kicked the beast off him.
The Variant thudded down next to Tony, who was scrambling up. It grabbed his arm, latched its sucker onto Tony’s bicep and tore off part of the muscle. Tony screamed and desperately tried to pull away, but the Variant held fast and pulled him closer.
Jack put the last charging Variant down with a shot to the neck.
Extinction New Zealand Box Set | Books 1-3 Page 26
