The Scourge Box Set [Books 1-6]

by Maxey, Phil

The baby started screaming again.

  Keller looked at the toddler wrapped in a blanket and then at the woman. “You really need to keep that thing quiet.”

  She nodded and started rocking back and forth. The baby responded by changing its screams to low murmurs.

  The man looked at Amos who was holding the side of his head. “W… what’s wrong with him?”

  Joel looked over his shoulder. “What you reading?”

  In Amos’s mind was a scene of military vehicles, soldiers in black uniforms and Alkrons. Some types of which he had not encountered before. He jumped from consciousness to consciousness grabbing what the persons eyes were witnessing then moving onto the next. All was going fine until he was standing in the middle of a desert.

  He could feel the heat from above and from the sand below. Then he realized he was riding on a creature. Some form of animal he had never seen before. He would have guessed an elephant, except it was covered in scales. He turned. Thousands of vamps were following him. In his shock, he overbalanced and fell…

  “Amos!” shouted Joel a few inches from his face.

  Amos looked at him, blinked then looked at his surroundings. “Okay, that was weird.”

  “What happened?” said Dalton, now more interested in what was happening inside than outside.

  Amos reached for the wall, then leaned against it. His mind briefly kept the desert scene, then it started to fade. So instead he focused on what was happening at the school. He took a deep breath. “I’m fine. Just a lot of minds. I reckon they got a few hundred soldiers. Lots of vehicles. Few APCs, few tanks. They also got about twenty-five Alkrons. Few hybrids and wolves amongst them. Also some others I’ve not come across before.”

  Joel looked at the two near the window. “Any sign they heard the baby or know we’re here?”

  Keller shook his head. “Nothing’s moving this way.”

  Joel nodded to himself then looked at his radio. “Good. We’ll stay here for a few more hours, then an hour before sundown head back.”

  He then looked at the man who was still hovering with his back pressed up against the woman behind. Joel held his hand out. “I’m Joel Garret.”

  *****

  The hours rolled by with Amos stripping what information he could from the open minds just a few miles away. Thankfully he never came across another like himself or had a strange vision of deserts and monsters, and as it neared 5 p.m. he had filled his entire notebook with names, places, and the occasional scribble.

  He handed it to Joel whose smile grew the more he flicked through the pages. He placed his hand on Amos’s shoulder. “This is what we need. Now we get the hell out of here.”

  Joel realized the man whose apartment they were inside, and who was named Darren Atwood, was standing behind him in the hallway. He slowly turned, fearing what he was about to be asked.

  “Take us with you… please!” said Darren.

  Joel felt the eyes on him from the living room. He looked down, trying to think of a way to get them back out of the town without being seen. A screaming baby in a confined space is one thing, but outside? The sound would carry for a hundred yards, and that wasn’t taking into account the hybrids that could hear much further.

  He looked up at the desperate man. Joel’s mouth opened but no words came from it, so he closed it again.

  “There’s no way we can take them with us!” said Keller, moving away from the window. “We’ll have a hundred soldiers on top of us within minutes!”

  Darren’s wife, Joanne, appeared, standing in the doorway to a bedroom. “I can put my baby inside something, it will muffle the sound. I swear there will be no noise.”

  “If you leave us here, they will find us. It’s just luck they haven’t already,” said Darren.

  Joel sighed then looked at the parents. “Find something to put the child in. But do it quick we need to leave.”

  Keller turned away in frustration while the man and woman quickly set about searching for something suitable to quieten their baby’s noise.

  “It’s my call. I’ll take responsibility,” said Joel. He looked at Amos and Dalton, both remaining silent.

  Soon the parents reappeared. The woman holding a navy blue holdall with a secure looking handle. The top part was open and Joel could just about see the baby wrapped up inside. He wasn’t sure if it would completely mask the sounds if the baby started to scream, but it was better than nothing and he reckoned they could still move quickly with it. Both parents also had backpacks across both shoulders.

  Joel looked at both. “We’re going to be moving quickly, in an easterly direction. Keep as close as you can to buildings and away from the sidewalks. If you hear anyone or a vehicle coming, just do your best to hide. You got that?”

  They both nodded.

  Joel looked back at the others. “Keller, you’re on point, Dalton, cover our rear. Amos, if you—”

  “Yup, I’ll let you know.”

  Joel pulled open the front door, and they all walked out onto the landing. The sun, now low above the horizon, bathed the walls with an orange hue, and they all quickly made their way to the ground floor and then without hesitation, outside. Joel and Dalton could hear slight baby noises coming from the mother's bag, but nothing that would register to a human.

  The road to the west stretched out before them. Joel could swear it was twice as long as before and the sky above it was a few shades darker than the rest.

  They set out at a good pace. He kept looking back to see where the three humans were, and they were keeping up.

  Good. We got this.

  The two-story house they previously emerged from beckoned a few hundred yards off. They kept scurrying along, moving through the long grass when they had to.

  Joel increased his pace to the home. He wanted to make it to the path at the side. Stopping at the alleyway door, he looked back.

  The others were now running, not jogging, for they saw what he could. At the other end of the long road, the setting sun was glinting off a moving vehicle.

  They all ran past him into the path alongside the building. Joel stopped Dalton as he went to move past. “Did they see you?”

  “No idea.”

  Joel swore then locked the gate to the rear of the property. The others were already halfway across the garden heading towards the bottom gate to the woods beyond.

  The sound of an engine increased as Joel went to follow, but he stopped on hearing the vehicle do the same.

  As the others ran out into the trees, Dalton looked back. Joel waved him away. He moved through and closed the gate.

  Joel ran through his options. They must have seen something otherwise they wouldn’t have just stopped. If he killed those approaching the house, more would be sent out. Perhaps even searching the hills a few miles off. He could try and lead them away, but they might realize he wasn’t your basic vamp and you could get the same result. There was only one solution.

  He quickly pulled his military jacket off, wrapped his M4 and sidearm in it, and dropped it softly down the other side of the garden fence. He then quickly ran inside to the kitchen, pulled all the cupboard doors open making sure to make noise, and when he found human food, pulled the metal ring from the top of the tin of pear halves in syrup.

  When the two soldiers eventually made it to the back of the house and peered inside, all they saw was a starving human eating a can of fruit.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Marina, Jess, and Jasper walked up the steps to the old courthouse. The stone steps and pillars were now a shade of muddy pink as the sun hovered low on the horizon. They walked into the shadows and then into the impressive marble lobby, which was lit by what appeared to be gas lamps.

  Galloway and a woman Marina had not seen before both stood near the dark wooden counter which a soldier was sitting behind.

  Marina, with the others following, walked to the general. “Well, we’re all here.”

  The general went to speak when Jess took a step closer to
her and looked up. “Are you a good or bad vamp?”

  Galloway produced a smile, slightly bending down. “Good most of the time, but bad to those who have been bad. How’s that for an answer?”

  Jess smiled.

  The general referred to the woman next to her. She was dressed like a CEO with a pencil skirt, white shirt, and her long dark hair in a ponytail. “This is Amanda Groves. She’s a psychologist, and our expert on the otherhumans, as we are calling ourselves.”

  Amanda offered Marina her hand which she shook. She then offered her hand to Jasper who, despite his sunglasses covering a third of his face, expressed a look of surprise. He looked at Jess, who nodded then shook her hand as well.

  “Okay, I’m going to leave you all to it,” said the General and disappeared into a dimly lit corridor.

  “If you would all follow me, we can sit in my office,” said Groves.

  As they moved behind the woman, Marina noticed Jasper moving closer. A few hours earlier she had sat him and Jess down and explained how Jasper could help everyone if he could give them some information on where his father might be. But she also said it was completely his choice.

  Soon they were seated on a comfortable sofa while the psychologist sat opposite in a chair. She noticed Jasper was staring at a particularly bright plastic sports car toy. “You like cars?” She leaned down, picked it up and offered it to him. He took it, smiling and turning it over in his hands.

  “I’m not sure what your mother has told you about why I wanted to talk with you, but I need your help in finding someone.”

  Jasper nodded while still looking at the shiny plastic toy.

  “I’ve not spoken with someone with your abilities before, so I don’t know how it works. Is it easy or hard for you to find someone?”

  Jasper shrugged his shoulder.

  “It helps if he has something that used to belong to the person,” said Jess.

  “Umm, well we don’t really have—”

  “You want to locate Copeland?” interrupted Marina.

  “Yes.”

  “Then you should know that Jasper is his son…”

  The psychologist's eyes widened. “What?”

  Marina took a deep breath. “It was not appropriate to mention anything before now, but the point I’m making is I don’t think Jasper needs anything to help him locate his… father… I think he just can.”

  Groves switched her attention to the boy, still obviously surprised by the news. “Is that true, Jasper? You know where Daniel Copeland is now?”

  Jasper nodded again.

  A piece of hair had come loose on Grove’s forehead, and she flicked it back to the top of her head. Marina could hear her heartbeat pounding and smell the sweat which was building across her skin.

  Groves got to her feet. “Umm… Please excuse me, but I need to step out for a few minutes.”

  The door closed and Marina was sure she heard it lock. She presumed that was to stop anyone else from stumbling upon them.

  Jess jumped down from the sofa and picked up a soft green dinosaur.

  “That’s not a dragon,” smiled Marina.

  Jess tutted. “I know that.”

  The sound of boots entered Marina’s ears.

  The door opened again and Groves stood in the gap.

  Marina sensed there were others just outside. She got to her feet. “What’s going on?”

  Jess and Jasper had both froze and looked between Marina and Groves near the door.

  The psychologist walked towards Jasper. “Come with me—”

  Marina gave her a swift push, making her fall back against the door. “I said, what’s going on?”

  Two soldiers ran inside. Before Marina’s eyes had a chance to turn black or her hands become clawed, she heard the faint whistle of darts split the air and puncture her skin.

  As she tried to fight the tranquilizer flowing through her blood, she watched the soldiers pick up a kid each and leave.

  Groves rubbed her back, sneering at Marina, then left, slamming the door closed.

  Marina grabbed at the air in front of her and then fell forwards onto the sofa.

  *****

  Carla’s expression of anger was obvious even in the gloom of the kitchen. “How did he let himself get captured!” she said to Keller and Dalton. The rest of the soldiers were keeping watch from the rooms at the front of the property.

  Keller leaned back on the counter top.

  “He did it to save us,” said Dalton.

  “We were close to being spotted. His only option was to—”

  Carla threw her arms up in the air. “Why can I hear a baby!”

  The sound of creaking boards came from outside the rear of the house. Carla walked outside.

  Darren and Joanne were seated on garden chairs. Joanne holding her baby close to her chest.

  “Hello…” said Darren.

  Carla moved back inside. “Who are they?” she said to anyone who would answer.

  Keller shook his head. “That was all Joel.”

  “We found them in one of the apartments. If we left them behind they could have been found… killed,” said Amos, standing next to Kizzy.

  “Maybe they would have talked,” said Dalton. “It was the right thing bringing them back.”

  “How are we meant to look after a baby?” said Carla.

  As if waking from a dream, Kizzy let go of Amos’s hand. “Baby? I love babies!” she ran outside.

  “I got all this,” said Amos, handing Carla the notebook.

  She flicked on her flashlight and examined the pages, turning at least four before looking up at him. “You did good… but, we can’t leave Joel down there.”

  “How are we going to get him out?” said Keller. “He sacrificed himself for the mission. I respect that. But trying to rescue him would be suicide. And we need to get that book back to base.”

  Silence fell across the room.

  “I… think I can get him out,” said Amos.

  Keller scoffed. “You?”

  “How you going to get him out without being seen? Unless invisibility is another of your abilities!” said Carla.

  Dalton stood silent.

  “Well, I think maybe I can do something like that…”

  Keller frowned. Carla just looked confused.

  “If I can jump in someone’s head quickly enough before they know I’m around, then maybe I can make them forget they saw me.”

  “You done that be—”

  Carla realized she was talking to thin air. She flicked her head left and right trying to see if he had just moved into one of the many shadows inside the kitchen or dining area. She looked at Keller. “Where’d he go?”

  “Where did who go?”

  “The kid!”

  “I’m here…”

  She looked back and her mouth fell open.

  “So it works then,” said Dalton.

  “Wait… do that again,” said Carla. This time she focused all her attention on the young man. Again, he was gone.

  She shook her head and he reappeared as she was observing the same space he was just standing in.

  “Okay, maybe you can get him out. But you can’t go alone. Keller, Kizzy—”

  Kizzy was standing in the doorway. Her figure just a silhouette against the evening sky. “I’m not leaving Amos to go down there again alone.”

  Amos walked to her, holding her hand. “Joel let himself get caught so we could all get away. And that includes the family outside.”

  Kizzy looked away.

  “I need you to help get the notebook and the people back to the camp.” She looked into his eyes and he smiled. “Don’t worry, I got this.”

  “Right, so Keller, Kizzy you go back with the others. Get back to the river, take a boat back to the town, find the vehicles and get the hell back to Jankle.”

  Keller looked unsure what to do.

  “Leave now,” said Carla, driving home the urgency.

  He nodded and walked to the
other room to collect his pack and the other soldiers.

  By the time the sun had completely left the sky, Carla, Amos, and Dalton were alone in the house.

  “Right. Let’s get our shit. Leave what you absolutely don’t need. I want to get down there. Find him, grab him, then get out by any means necessary. Which might not be the way we got here. If we find a vehicle we take it.” She looked at Amos. “You sure you can do the witchy thing on different people quickly enough? Because if any of them remember we’re there, we’ll have a problem on our hands.”

  He nodded. “I can do this.” It was a lie, but right now he knew they needed to hear it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Joel sat in the back of the army truck, his hands and feet tied with rope. Those who bound him had no idea he could break the binds instantly, but he was constantly surrounded by soldiers, and sometimes the occasional Alkron. So far there had been no chance to slip away.

  Despite his fatigue, the fact that it was now night gave his limbs energy. His senses too were heightened and he listened to the conversations that were happening just outside.

  “Three hundred miles I gotta take one guy! One!” said a man.

  Joel’s hope grew. He was sure to have one chance to disappear into the night without them even realizing he was gone.

  “Yeah, I guess the corporation don’t really care about saving on fuel,” said a second man.

  “I say just feed him to them now. I mean, why not? They’re hungry, and they got this—”

  Joel sensed a third person had come close, making the first man stop talking.

  “Change of plans—” The sound of paper being unwrapped came to Joel’s ears. “Mathews says you’re to take him to this address,” said a third voice.

  “Oh… so maybe they do want to eat him then,” the first man chuckled. Then came the sound of the cabin doors opening and closing, quickly followed by the engine starting.

  Joel waited for the truck to pull out of the lot where it was parked and onto the street. He then went to snap the rope around his wrists but stopped.

  If they deliver me to some vamps, they will think I’m dead. I can probably circle back around to the house.