Afflicted

by Susanne Valenti

  The screaming was getting closer and it was so loud that I couldn't even hear our footsteps as they pounded the concrete. Lacey ran down the narrow passage between the houses and I shoved Reese after her as I turned to see who else was following.

  Our movement had snapped the remainder of our group out of their shock and they flooded past me as a crowd of around thirty screaming people erupted through the smoke on the street.

  Spencer was at the back of the group and he grabbed my hand as he passed, pulling me into the alley behind him. I stumbled after him, glancing back over my shoulder at the mayhem on the road.

  The screams elevated in pitch as a tremendous roar sounded above all the rest of the noise.

  Spencer dropped my hand in surprise and I froze halfway down the alley as I stared on in horror.

  A huge golden cougar leapt over the flaming wreckage of the cars and pounced on a man who was trying to escape. With one snap of its powerful jaws, the man’s screaming was cut off and blood sprayed in every direction.

  My blood froze in my veins, sealing me to the spot as I stared on at the creature as it feasted. My heart raced, slamming against my ribs in a frantic rhythm. I was watching someone get eaten and all I could do was stare on mutely. I couldn't believe my eyes, I was stuck in some nightmare but I wasn't going to wake up. All I could think about was my mom and dad and wonder if I would ever get to see them again.

  The cougar stilled and sniffed the air. It's head turned slowly, almost gracefully, as blood ran from its mouth and stained its golden fur. It was going to spot me.

  My heart leapt as I turned and ran. Everyone else was gone. I didn't know how long I'd stood transfixed in the alley but my friends had moved away leaving me room to sprint. My feet hit the concrete one after another so quickly that it barely felt like I touched the ground at all. I wasn't running, I was flying.

  Cold air whipped my hair back behind me as I heard the creature roar again. It was coming for me. But there was no way that I was letting it have me.

  At the end of the short alley I entered a small backyard. A low fence ringed it, separating it from another yard. My friends were clustered inside the house beyond the fence, holding the door wide as they stared over my head in silent horror.

  The cougar snarled as it closed the distance between us. I could feel its hot breath on the back of my neck. I leapt the fence in one bound, not pausing for a second as I flew across the next yard. Three stairs led up to a small deck before the open door.

  My friends were backing away from the door, retreating into the house as I closed in on the stairs.

  “Run Kaitlyn!” Lacey screamed as she held the door wide, refusing to abandon me.

  I didn't slow as I reached the steps and bounded up them. My muscles were alive with energy, and I threw myself at the doorway as saliva speckled my back.

  The cougar roared as I sailed over the threshold and Lacey slammed the door between us. I crashed to the ground and tumbled across the carpet as my breath was forced from my lungs. As I gasped for air, Ryan caught my hand and brushed my hair out of my face, checking that I was okay.

  The wooden door shuddered and splintered as the cougar battered it from outside.

  I'd landed in the middle of an open-plan living area and a small corridor led out of it to the front of the house. My friends all gazed down at me in relief for a few moments before the cougar’s continued attempts at entry drew their attention away again.

  “We need to keep moving,“ Rose said as she headed out of the room and wrenched open the front door. “It's clear out here!”

  Demi stepped over me and ran for the door before Ryan could pull me back up to my feet. Lacey’s arms closed around me in a bone-crushing hug for a moment then we ran after the others and left the house. I couldn't believe how close I'd just come to being eaten. If I hadn't found that extra reserve of strength I'd be cougar chow right now.

  Ryan slammed the front door behind us and we found ourselves on another street. There were cars lining the road, abandoned with doors wide open and no one inside them.

  The smoke from the street behind us swirled past in twisting ribbons of grey but it was no longer blocking our view. I'd lost my sense of direction in my desperation to escape and I didn't know where we should go.

  Rose led the way down the street, weaving between the abandoned cars. I ran after her, not knowing where we were going but not caring either. I just wanted to get away from here, somewhere where there was no smoke or blood or screaming. But a little voice in the back of my head kept asking, is there anywhere like that left?

  I sprinted along the street, twisting my way between the abandoned cars as I tried to catch up to Rose. I didn't know if she had a plan or even knew where she was leading us and I didn't want to end up running in the wrong direction.

  I put on a burst of energy as I spotted a clear section of road and caught up to her.

  “Rose?” I hissed as she turned to me. I didn't want to raise my voice in case something heard us. Or someone. I didn't even know what I was supposed to be afraid of anymore. Or if there was anything I should trust.

  “We have to get out of here,” she whispered as she took shelter behind a blue delivery van. Its doors were hanging open and I joined her behind one of them as I looked back for the rest of my friends. They were close behind us, hurrying between the abandoned vehicles with wide eyes and panicked expressions.

  “Where are you taking us?” I asked as Rose checked her cellphone.

  “Still nothing,” she swore. “It's like they planned this to make sure no one could call for help.”

  “I'm sure the police are on their way. Hell the army is probably coming too! The Monitor will have seen everything on CCTV even if no one managed to call it in. But until they get here we've gotta get to safety. Do you know where we're heading?” I asked again.

  “Me and Shilo used to work at a coffee shop down there.” She pointed ahead of us and shrugged. “I guess I was heading there for a start.”

  “Is it defendable?” I asked. “Will we be able to make ourselves safe there?”

  “Yeah. There's a staff room out the back that's pretty secure. Only one door to the outside and no windows. We could hole up in there while we make a plan to get to the forest.”

  Before I could respond, a strange noise pierced the sky and froze me to the spot. Another high pitched howl sounded again from somewhere behind us and I stared into the gloom surrounding us as my heart pounded.

  “Is it me or did that sound like…” it sounded so crazy I couldn't quite bring myself to say it but Rose knew what I'd meant.

  “Wolves,” she breathed.

  A howl sounded in front of us again and I dared a glance around the side of the van. A canine shape ran across the road ahead of us with its nose to the ground.

  “Get in the van,” I said as I ducked back out of sight. “Quickly.”

  I jumped up into the delivery van and beckoned everyone else to join me

  Rose didn't need telling twice and Ryan jumped in beside her a moment later. As the others piled in, I scrambled backwards between the boxes stacked around us.

  Ella was the last to climb in and she cried out as she fell to the floor, scrambling away from the doors. Reese grabbed the door and slammed it as an excited yapping closed in on us.

  We all froze in the silence and darkness, listening for any more signs of the wolves.

  I squinted around, trying to make out the features of my friends who I knew surrounded me. I couldn't see anything. I could barely hear a sound either. It was as if everyone in the van was holding their breath. And maybe we were.

  Sniffing started at the rear doors. Something big was inhaling and exhaling quickly as it tried to find us.

  I wanted to scream so I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep the silence. Everyone recoiled towards the back of the van and someone knocked a stack of boxes over. The muffled crash was quickly followed by an excited howl from right outside.

  Someone grabbed
my hand in the darkness but I couldn't tell who.

  The wolves started scratching at the rear doors, excited to have located some prey.

  I pulled my cellphone from my pocket and used the light to illuminate the small space. There was no way to get through to the cab of the van.

  We were trapped.

  Chapter Twenty

  Lincoln

  Kai’s words still rang in my head as I gunned it down the highway, heading for Orville. ‘Acceptable losses to contain the contamination. Collateral damage.’ No one was going to help them; they were being cut off. I had to find Katy before it was too late.

  The bright morning had dulled into a gloomy afternoon. Grey clouds rolled in, covering the sun and making it seem almost as if night had fallen early.

  Most of the traffic on the highway was going the other way; fleeing the chaos rather than racing towards it. Adrenaline started to build in my veins, preparing me for what I was racing towards. I'd been in combat zones more than once, but I doubted anything I'd done before would prepare me for what I was heading in to.

  The satphone started ringing from the seat beside me. I let it ring out. It rang again and I cursed as I answered, putting it on speaker.

  “What now?” I'd lost patience with my team. They should have told me about the plans to abandon Orville and the surrounding area sooner. I could have done more to help Katy. I could have been there already,

  “Stop driving!” Kai yelled. I could hear Santos and Hawker shouting in the background too. The chaos almost made me obey him but I couldn't risk wasting any time.

  “I have to help them,” I growled. “I know you don't understand but that doesn't mean-“

  “Just listen to us and stop the damn truck!” Hawker shouted over me.

  My foot eased off the accelerator at her tone. I'd never heard Hawker raise her voice like that, let alone at one of her superiors.

  I was almost at the bridge which led to Orville across the river. There was no other crossing for miles apart from a few footbridges which the locals used when hiking in the forest. Smoke billowed above the town in the distance.

  “Why?” I demanded as the truck started to slow.

  “Because-“

  A jet tore across the sky above me, the sound building steadily as it roared overhead. I craned my neck as it took a sudden turn and fired two missiles.

  I slammed my foot on the brake as the bridge exploded ahead of me in a huge fireball.

  The brakes squealed as the wheels locked up and I was thrown into my seatbelt. I yanked on the steering wheel, sending the back wheels skidding out to the right as I careered towards the empty space where the bridge used to be.

  The truck came to a halt a few meters from the edge and the jet ripped through the sky overhead as it raced away again.

  I fumbled with my seatbelt and shoved the door open as I staggered out of my truck.

  I stared at the sagging metal supports and moved towards the edge until I was looking down at the raging river below. It swirled and churned under the weight of the lumps of concrete it had just consumed.

  My mind whirled and raced as I tried to figure out what had happened. Two words sprang to mind. ‘Collateral Damage.’

  There was no other road which crossed the river for miles. It would take me hours to drive around, presuming the other bridges were even still standing.

  I lurched away from the edge and marched back to my truck, flinging the door shut behind me as I climbed in. I grabbed the satphone from the passenger seat and glared at it angrily.

  “What the hell was that?” I demanded.

  “Holy shit where did you go?” Kai yelled.

  “We thought you were dead!” Santos added angrily.

  “I nearly was,” I spat. “So why don't you explain to me why the bridge has just been blown out of existence?”

  “We did tell you, they're trying to contain the contamination. They can't risk it getting into the cities and the decision was made to isolate areas which have been worst affected. Sorry Walsh; your friends are gone.” Kai’s voice softened with understanding like Katy and Reese were already dead.

  “They're blocking all cellphone activity right?” I asked as I tried to formulate a plan.

  “Yes. Civilian cellphones will remain out of action until the situation has been dealt with. We don't have any set timeframe on that yet. Did you want to say goodbye?” Hawker asked gently. I guessed they must have had me on speaker too.

  “But you can still access location data right?” I asked, ignoring her stupid question.

  There was a pause and I felt my lip curling back with irritation.

  “Technically…” Hawker replied. “But it's not like you can get across the river. All major crossings have been destroyed-“

  “What about the minor ones? A few miles north of here the river splits and narrows. There are old footbridges which I used to cross when I was a kid.”

  “As far as I know they haven't been destroyed,” Hawker said with a sigh. She knew what I was getting at and she knew she wouldn't be able to talk me out of it either. “Yet,” she added, her tone laced with warning.

  “I know you grew up with these kids Walsh but are you sure they're worth risking your life for?” Santos asked.

  “I gave their mother my word. And even if I hadn't, I'd still go,” I said as I started my truck up again and turned it back the way I'd come.

  “Walsh-” Kai began.

  “Just get me access to her location,” I cut him off. “I'll send you her cell number now.”

  I hung up on them before they could keep trying to convince me to change my mind and forwarded Katy’s cellphone number to Hawker. She should make quick work of it and I expected to be able to track Katy’s location by the time I got back to the house.

  I hated wasting time retracing my steps but if I was going to have to head out on foot then I'd need more kit.

  Chapter Twenty One

  Kaitlyn

  “We have to get out of here,” Ella said. Tears ran down her face steadily but it didn't seem like she'd noticed.

  The wolves had given up on trying to break into the van but we could still hear them howling close by.

  “We’re going to die aren't we?” Kristen muttered, twisting a lock of her flaming red hair between her fingers.

  I turned away from their despair and held my cellphone up to illuminate the wall, hoping to find a hidden entrance to the cab. I wasn't giving up just yet. There was a small grille above my head and I quickly slid it open.

  I stood on my tiptoes to peer through to the cab. The driver’s door was wide open and I could just make out the glimmer of keys hanging from the ignition.

  “I can see the keys,” I hissed. “If we can get to the front of the van we might be able to drive it out of here.”

  “There are two problems with that,” Reese said irritably. “Firstly, to even get to the cab someone would have to go out there and outrun the wolves. And secondly, even if we could do that, the road is blocked. There are cars everywhere, there's no way we can drive this thing out of here.”

  “We don't have to drive it out of here, just far enough to get away from the wolves,” I replied.

  “Okay, so what about the fact that none of us know how to drive?” he asked “As you pointed out earlier.”

  “I can drive,” Rose said. “I never bought a car after passing my test but…”

  “Get out there then,” Demi said.

  “Just like that? You want me to go out there with the wolves unarmed?” Rose asked disbelievingly.

  “I'll come with you,” I said. “And help distract them.” I wasn't sure what made me say it but it was my plan after all. If I wasn't willing to go through with it then how could I ask someone else to?”

  “I'll come too,” Spencer said. “There's three seats in the front and we've got a better chance as a group. We can watch each other’s backs.”

  “We should look through these boxes for anything you could use as a
weapon,” Lacey suggested.

  “Okay.” I grabbed the nearest box and ripped it open to find a set of baby spoons and bowls. I quickly discarded it and grabbed the next as everyone else followed suit. The van was filled with the sounds of cardboard tearing and cursing as no one found anything useful.

  “I've got a rolling pin,” Tara said excitedly. My heart sank a little at the thought of fighting off a wolf with a rolling pin but I flashed an encouraging smile anyway.

  “That's great,” I said, ignoring the false tone to my voice. “Anyone else found anything useful?”

  There was some mumbling about books and gardening gloves before everyone went back to opening boxes.

  “Kitchen knives!” Jason said excitedly. I dropped my box and lifted my phone to get a look at them. As he pulled them loose of the box I realised that instead of the big chopping knives I'd been expecting, he was holding a set of small steak knives.

  “I was kinda hoping for a meat cleaver,” Spencer joked as he held his hand out for the pack of knives. “But I guess these bad boys will have to do.”

  I appreciated his show of bravado. If we pretended not to be afraid for long enough maybe we really wouldn't be. And if jumping out of a van to take on a load of wolves wasn't brave then I wasn't sure what was. Or maybe it wasn't brave, just stupid.

  “There's some bottles of beer here,” Lacey said. “Maybe we could throw them out of the van to cause a distraction so you can run for it?”

  “Can you just hurry up already?” Demi asked. “I'm getting sick of being crushed in this van.” She sank down to the floor and stopped opening boxes as she checked her cellphone.

  Rose raised an eyebrow at me before turning to Demi. “If you wanna get out so bad then you could volunteer to run for the cab,” she said icily.

  “You have to know your strengths - Kaitlyn and Spencer are faster than me and you're the only one who can drive so…” Demi went back to her cellphone while the rest of us made short work of the rest of the boxes. There wasn't anything else of much use so Spencer started to rip the plastic packaging off of the steak knives.