Horror Sci-Fi Box Set: Three Novels

by Bryan Dunn

  * * * *

  Kylie stood at the front of the bus taking a head count as fifteen ninth grade students talked and laughed, all of them wound up and excited to be going on a field trip.

  Sitting behind the wheel, a middle-aged bus driver stared up at Kylie, admiring her pretty face.

  After Kylie checked off the last name on the list, confirming all were present and accounted for, she moved down the aisle, waving a hand through the air and saying, “All right. Quiet, everyone. Listen up.”

  Students at the front of the bus stopped talking and gave her their attention, but a boisterous group at the back continued laughing and yelling like she wasn’t there.

  Kylie clapped her hands together and in a loud voice said, “Okay, class. I need everyone’s attention.”

  The bus fell silent, except for three boys who were hitting each other, seeing who could take the hardest shot to the shoulder.

  Kylie stared at the unruly group for a silent beat, then put her fingers in her mouth and let go with a piercing whistle.

  Everyone jumped. All heads snapped toward Kylie, amazed she could whistle like that—amazed at how loud it was. The three clowns stopped horsing around, dropped into their seats, and looked at Kylie with newfound respect.

  “That’s better,” Kylie said, keeping her eyes on the back of the bus, daring anyone to start up again. “Okay, listen up. We’ll be meeting Ranger Horn at the Salt Springs Cavern State Preserve. He’ll be giving us important instructions about exploring inside a cave. I expect everyone to be polite and listen to what Ranger Horn has to say. Remember, it’s easy to get disoriented and lost in the dark, so stick together.” Kylie gave the group one last look and said, “Any questions?”

  A heavyset teen in the back raised his hand and said, “When do we get lunch?”

  Kylie shot him a deadpan look and in a flat voice said, “Lunchtime.” Then she wheeled around, went to the front of the bus, and, before she took her seat, she said, “It will take about twenty minutes to get to the cavern. Anyone have a good song to get this trip underway?”

  “Led Zep!” a student yelled.

  The driver started the bus, ground it into first gear, and as they rolled out of the parking lot, Kylie said, “I’ve got a song.” And as they rolled down the highway toward the state preserve, an enthusiastic version of “Deep in the Heart of Texas” filled the bus.

  Chapter 23

  Five miles up the road, six vultures wheeled above the coastal plain, their long, graceful wings slicing through the air as they circled down…and down…and down…

  Directly below the descending vultures, a deer lay on the ground. A mule deer. The same deer that Nick, Ray, and Willie had found earlier. Its brindle hide was plainly visible against the bleached, salty earth.

  But something was different. Something had changed. The deer seemed to have melted. It was as if all the bones in its body had been removed. What remained was a hideous puddle of fur, antlers, and four impossibly placed hooves.

  A shadow slipped across the deer. A swarm of flies started and swirled into the air. And a moment after that, a turkey vulture touched down next to the carcass. The vulture tucked in its wings, hopped forward, and landed on the deer. As it lowered its beak to pick at the deer’s flesh, it suddenly lofted into the air, startled by some unseen movement.

  The deer was still alive.

  A small lump at the center of the furry puddle rose and fell: the deer’s beating heart.

  A second vulture swooped down and landed on the deer’s body. It lowered its magenta-colored head, and as it began to feed, one of the deer’s eyes flopped open, protruding out of the socket like a malignant lump. The vulture craned over, dipped its head, and a second later, plucked the eye out and gobbled it down.

  * * * *

  Back at Salt Springs Hospital, Willie lay strapped to a stretcher, ready for the Life Flight ride to Houston’s Texas Medical Center .

  Emmett and Lucas stood next to the stretcher, staring down at Willie who, hour by hour, seemed to be losing his battle with the venom working its way through his system. Dr. Manus removed an IV bag from its stand and tucked it in next to Willie for safe transport to the helicopter.

  Lucas placed a hand on Willie’s shoulder and said, “You hang on, now. Goddammit, Willie, you hang on.”

  Emmett and Lucas exchanged looks, and then Emmett gave him a nod of gratitude and thanked Lucas for being there and for his support.

  Just then, they heard a sound rise from the stretcher. It sounded like “cauld.” Both of them snapped their heads toward Willie. Had he just spoken?

  Then they heard it again. Willie said, “Cold.” His lips didn’t move, his voice a barely audible whisper.

  “Doctor!” Emmett called to Manus, who was seated at a computer updating Willie’s file. “Willie just spoke! Said he was cold.”

  “We need a blanket,” Lucas said. He took Willie’s hand, and as he went to give it a squeeze, it collapsed like an empty glove.

  “Jesus Christ!” Lucas yelled, releasing the shapeless lump that a moment ago had been his friend’s hand.

  “Oh Lord,” Emmett said, looking down in horror at Willie.

  Dr. Manus rushed over to Willie, and as he went to check for a pulse, they all watched in horror as Willie’s arm slipped off his chest and hung from the stretcher, dangling in the air like a wet sock.

  Staggered by the hideous sight, Emmett blurted out, “Jesus holy Lord.” Then he slumped over, and right before he crumpled to the floor, Lucas wrapped an arm around him, keeping him on his feet.

  Desperate to help, to do something for Willie, Dr. Manus loosened the strap across Willie’s chest. As he went to remove the tape that covered his eyes, an involuntary grunt escaped Willie’s mouth, and his ribcage collapsed like an invisible anvil had been dropped on it.

  Willie’s lips twitched. It looked like he was trying to speak. His jaw fell open, and a second after that, his skull collapsed, his face disappearing like the ground beneath a sinkhole.

  The tape covering his eyes floated away, and all that remained was a grotesque Halloween mask of melted flesh pooled in the hollow of his pillow.

  Before anyone had a chance to react, the remaining bones in Willie’s body collapsed, and he spilled to the floor in a quivering bog of human flesh.

  As Lucas went to turn Emmett away from the grisly sight, the door opened, and Nick, Slade, and Ray entered the room.

  “Holy God,” Ray said as the group froze in their steps when they got a look at Willie.

  “What the hell…” Slade said, staring at Willie, “what the hell happened?”

  “It looks like,” Ray said, hardly believing the words coming out of his mouth, “it looks like he melted.”

  Nick moved up to Willie and noticed something moving in the puddle of flesh. “Look.” Nick pointed at a contracting lump. “His heart. Willie’s heart. It’s still—”

  “Beating,” Ray said.

  “Do something,” Slade said, turning to Dr. Manus.

  “What?” Manus said, glancing from Willie to Slade. “What would you have me do? My God…the man is beyond help.”

  “Something. Anything.” Slade’s expression suddenly changed. The color drained from his face. His stomach rolled, and he clamped a hand over his mouth and bolted out of the room.

  Chapter 24

  Nick came out of the hospital looking for Slade and found him sitting on a bench by the sidewalk. He watched as Slade took a drink from a paper cup, then chased it with a drag on his e-cigarette.

  As Nick stepped up to the bench, Slade rose to his feet, tossed the paper cup in a trashcan, and said, “What did they do with him?”

  “He’s gone,” Nick said. “Willie’s heart stopped beating when we tried to move him.”

  Slade thought about that, about trying to move Willie. Jesus. He took another pull on his cigarette, looked at Nick and said, “Jesus…”

  “Emmett is making arrangements with Dr. Manus about what is to be done w
ith Willie. He’s already agreed to a full autopsy.”

  An autopsy. Shit, he hadn’t thought about that. “Listen, Walker, we can’t let Emmett Clayton leave the hospital until he’s signed a waiver. I want a statement from him releasing NASA of any liability for his son’s death.”

  “You’re kidding, right? The man just lost his—”

  “And I want a signed statement of non-disclosure. None of this goes public until I say so.”

  “Don’t you think you should back off for a moment, let the man mourn the loss of his son?”

  Slade took a contemplative pull on his cigarette and exhaled a line of vapor. Another quick puff, then he looked at Nick and said, “Okay, fine. Yes, you’re right, of course. But tomorrow, I’ll have documents ready for Mr. Clayton’s signature.”

  “Whatever you say,” Nick said, not hiding his contempt. Then he saw Ray come out of the hospital and waved him over.

  “Christ, Walker, what are we dealing with here?” Slade said.

  “I know what you know,” Nick said as Ray joined them. “Which, when you get right down to it, isn’t much. Maybe a zoologist or a toxicologist might have some insight.” Then he added, “But I have a bad feeling we’re about to find out.”

  “Hey, what about Kylie?” Ray said. “She teaches science.”

  Nick rolled his eyes. “Somehow I don’t think something like this is covered in high school biology.”

  “Who’s Kylie?” Slade asked, suddenly very interested. “Don’t tell me she knows about—”

  “Don’t worry,” Nick said, cutting him off. “She hasn’t been told. She doesn’t know anything about this.”

  “Good,” Slade said with a nod of his head.

  “Speaking of which,” Nick said, giving Slade a direct look, “what did you get from Houston?”

  “Houston…” Slade said, his lips tightening. Nick watched as a sheepish look swept across his face. He could tell the bastard hadn’t made the call. “I haven’t contacted them yet.”

  “What? Why the hell not?”

  “Let me explain—”

  “What’s there to explain?”

  “What was I supposed to tell them, Walker? ‘We found something in a lunar rock, and we have no idea what it is. Oh, and by the way, it escaped. But come on down and we’ll show you the hole it made in the lab.’”

  Nick grabbed Slade’s shoulders, spun him so they were eye to eye, and said, “You tell them everything. You tell them now, goddammit.”

  Slade jerked back, twisting free of Nick’s grip. “You take it easy, mister.” He smoothed a hand over his hair, then held his hands up and said, “Okay. We’ve got something more to tell now. The teeth, and—”

  “A dead man,” Nick said, giving Slade an accusatory look.

  “Yes. Thank you. I’m aware of that,” Slade said, looking away, breaking eye contact with Nick. “Let’s see what we discover in the cavern, then I’ll call first thing—”

  “No,” Nick said, his face taut. “You call now. Houston needs to know now.” Then he added, “If you don’t, I will.”

  “Fine.” Slade threw up his arms. “Fine, I’ll call now. I’ll tell them what happened. I’ll tell them what we know.”

  There was an awkward silence. Nick took a breath, relaxing just a bit. “After you explain what happened to Willie Clayton, tell them that the creature came from a Spur Crater sample.”

  “What did you just say?

  “I said that the creature came from a Spur Crater sample.”

  “But…but that’s impossible,” Slade said. “All Spur Crater samples were—”

  “Recalled. I know.”

  “Why wasn’t I told about this?”

  “In all the excitement, I guess I forgot to mention it.”

  Ray stepped forward and held up a hand for permission to speak. “Actually, the scans indicated it was a Spur Crater sample.”

  Slade turned to Ray. “Well, no one pointed that out to me.” Then he added, “Is there anything else I should know?”

  Nick shook his head. “No.” And then he said, “Tell Houston they better conduct an emergency recall of all lunar samples over three kilos. Just to be safe.”

  Nick dug into a pocket, pulled out his cell phone, and offered it to Slade. “Here, make the call. No more excuses.”

  Slade waved it away. He reached into his coat and brought out his own cell. “I’ll use mine.” Slade started walking in the direction of the parking lot. “I’ll make the call from the car…in private.”

  As they watched him go, Ray said, “Do you trust him? Think he’ll make the call?”

  “Like I said, if he doesn’t, I will.” Nick turned on his phone and began scrolling through his contacts.

  “Now?” Ray said, watching him search for a number. “You’re going to call them now?”

  “No. I’m calling Kylie.”

  Ray grinned, gave Nick a knowing look. “So you do think she might be able to help.”

  “No, I’m not going to say anything about this. Slade’s head might explode.” Nick dialed a number and pressed the phone against his ear. As it began to ring, he gave Ray an impish grin and said, “I just want to hear her voice.”

  Ray shook his head, dug his phone out of a rear pocket, moved to the bench, and said, “Maybe I’ll text my ex-girlfriend. See if she’s still dating the guy she dumped me for.”

  Nick waited, and then a woman with a friendly southern accent said, “Salt Springs High School, how may I help you?”

  “This is Nick Walker, I’m returning a call from Kylie Sinclair.” That was a lie. But he figured there’d be fewer questions that way.

  “Miss Sinclair…” There was a pause, and then the receptionist continued, “Oh yes, Miss Sinclair isn’t available. She and a group of science students have gone on a field trip to Salt Springs Cavern State Preserve.”

  “What?” Nick said, trying to process what he’d just heard. “That can’t be. Are you sure about that? Are you sure it was Salt Springs Cavern?”

  “I can double check, but I’m positive that’s where Kylie—Miss Sinclair—said they were going.”

  “Jesus…” Nick said, then asked, “Do you have any way of reaching her?”

  “No, not really.”

  “How about a cell phone? Do you have a mobile number for Miss Sinclair?”

  “Oh, well, I’d have to look that up,” the receptionist said. “If you give me your number, I can—” Nick jammed his phone in his pocket, not waiting for the receptionist to finish.

  “Ray,” Nick bolted over to Ray, who was sitting on a bench talking on his phone. “Ray, we’ve got to go.”

  Ray looked up at Nick, ignored him, and continued talking.

  Impatient, Nick grabbed the cell phone out of Ray’s hand, held it to his face, and blurted, “He’ll call you back.” Nick ended the call, then looked at Ray and said, “Kylie and a group of students have gone to Salt Springs Cavern.”

  Ray stood, retrieved his phone from Nick, and said, “Luckily, that was my ex-girlfriend on the phone.”

  “Ray, did you hear what I said?”

  “Yeah. Kylie and her class have gone to the Salt Springs Cavern State Preserve. Why?”

  “They’re taking a tour.”

  “Oh shit…”

  “Right.”

  “You get Lucas and meet us at the cavern.”

  Ray stared at Nick, not moving, thinking about what he’d just heard.

  “Go!” Nick said, and then he bolted towards the hospital parking lot.

  Chapter 25

  Nick hauled open the Land Cruiser’s door, climbed in, and looked over at Slade, who was busy scrolling through his iPhone.

  “Well? Did you make the call?”

  “Yeah,” Slade said, glancing from his phone to Nick. “I talked to Gunnerson. Told him everything. He told me to stand by. Said he was going to have someone get right back to me.”

  “We’ve got some more bad news,” Nick said, sliding the key in the ignition. “A g
roup of students from Salt Springs High School have gone—”

  Slade’s cell rang. Slade put a hand up to stop Nick, clamped the phone to his ear, and said, “Yes?”

  A man’s voice asked, “Is this Director Mark Slade?”

  “Yes.”

  “This is Lieutenant Colonel Kemp with the Pentagon.”

  Slade said, “Thank you for calling, sir.” Then he gave Nick a quick look and said, “Colonel, Nick Walker, head of the geology department, is here with me. I’d like to put you on speakerphone, if that’s all right?”

  “Yes, fine. Speakerphone would be fine.”

  Slade held the phone up. Nick leaned forward and said, “Good morning, Colonel.”

  “Good morning, Mr. Walker.” Then the colonel said, “Director Slade, I just had a very interesting conversation with NASA Director Gunnerson. He told me about your find.”

  “Did he tell you about Willie Clayton?” Slade asked.

  “Yes. Everything.”

  “Sir, the good news is we’ve tracked the creature to the cave,” Slade said, already going into spin mode.

  “Listen to me,” the colonel said, an ominous tone in his voice. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with. You have no idea how deadly this thing is.” Then he added, “I can assure you, this isn’t some cuddly alien from E.T.”

  Slade gave Nick a raised eyebrow look and said, “Wait a minute…Colonel, are you saying that you know what this thing is? That you’ve seen one before?”

  After a long pause, the colonel said, “Have you heard of the Genesis Rock?”

  “The Genesis Rock?” Slade glanced at Nick, searching for some help. It was obvious Slade hadn’t heard of it, or if he had, he’d forgotten what it was.

  “Yes, Colonel,” Nick said, bailing Slade out. “Apollo 15. Dave Scott. He retrieved the Genesis Rock from Spur Crater.”

  “Right,” the colonel acknowledged. “In 2007, a geologist working at the Rainier Mesa Nuclear Test Site discovered an egg-shaped pod in a similar Spur Crater sample. It was collected from the same site as the Genesis Rock. Had the same whitish coloring, dated to the same age, everything. A day after the pod was discovered, it hatched, and an alien life form escaped into the surrounding desert. Two days later, it turned up in one of the facility’s vertical test wells. At the time, fifteen men were working in that tunnel. Ten of those men died a horrible death at the hands of the creature. An engineer working in the tunnel detonated a low yield nuclear device, killing himself, the remaining men, and the creature. The test well was sealed for good.”