The Extinction Series | Book 7 | Primordial Earth 7

by Higgins, Baileigh

  Dogs barked at the monsters that used to be their owners until they too died in a welter of howls. Wincing at the distressing sounds, she realized anything and everything that moved would fall victim to these things. Further up the street, shots rang out. Through her fence, she glimpsed a man herding his family into a car.

  Morgan knew she should move, but her limbs remained frozen to the spot until something caught her eye. One of the walking dead clawed at the palisades bordering her lawn. It rasped through a ruined throat and reached out a bloody hand as if in supplication. Behind it, two more had noticed and followed. I’m being surrounded!

  This thought galvanized Morgan into action, and she sprinted around the house to the backyard. Brian’s truck was the only realistic means of escape. She ran to it and reached for the handle, crying out in frustration when she realized it was locked.

  “Shit, where are the keys?” They hung on a board in the kitchen. “I can’t go back in there.”

  She had no choice, though. Maybe if she moved fast enough, she could grab them and get out while Brian still hammered on the front door. Luckily, the back door was unlocked owing to her clandestine smoking habits. She had snuck out for a quick cigarette that morning while he still slept.

  Before her nerves could fail, she rushed into the kitchen and ran to the board, searching for the keys. From the front of the house, she heard Brian’s growls pause before they resumed in heightened pitch as they headed her way.

  Morgan ran trembling fingertips over the keys, and heart hammered in her chest until she found the right ones. Grabbing them, she turned to run but fumbled her grip. They clattered to the floor.

  “Fuck,” she cried, scrambling around on all fours.

  The slap of Brian’s feet on the kitchen tiles caused her heart to stutter. She snatched up the keys and lunged outside. A brief glimpse of his pale, inhuman visage tore at her as she shut the door in his face. Morgan crumpled to her knees with a cry. “I can’t do this. I can’t.”

  She reached up and laid a hand on the wood. It shivered beneath her palm from the force of his blows. “Brian, please come back. What am I supposed to do now?”

  She was ready to give up and slumped down, but a voice from within nagged at her. Get up. Run.

  “I can’t,” she whispered.

  Do it. You can’t give up now. What about your family? Your friends?

  “Oh, my God. Mom. Dad.”

  Morgan bolted for the truck, barely noticing the gravel cutting into her bare feet. She pushed the remote button to unlock it and jumped in. After a deep breath, she turned the key in the ignition and shifted into gear.

  At the gate, a mob of infected had gathered. They clawed through the gaps with creepy yearning. She hesitated. They were people, after all, but they also blocked the exit. This left her no choice. She had to go through.

  “Here goes,” she said and pushed the remote button.

  The gate opened, and they flooded inside, swamping the car. They beat on the windows and climbed onto the hood, crawling over each other like insects. She shuddered in disgust as one licked the window next to her face, leaving a smear of bloody spittle behind. For once, she was grateful she’d never gotten to know her neighbors.

  When the gate was finally open, she floored the gas and roared through, biting her lower lip when she ran over a few of them. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

  A glance at the clock read twenty past eleven. She’d hidden in the shower for far too long. For all she knew, her parents, her sister, everyone she loved, could be one of those things. “I’m coming. Please be okay. I need you to be okay.”

  The trip through town gave her a clear view of the chaos breaking out everywhere. It was horrific. People tried to escape, loading possessions, kids, and pets into cars. Most didn’t make it. Infected swarmed through the neighborhoods and descended on the healthy with rabid hunger. They left the dead in their wake, only to have them rise minutes later to join the hunt. Screams rang through the air and confronted her at every turn.

  A young mother ran out of her house, dragging a little boy by the arm. She spotted Morgan and rushed out into the street. “Help us! Please, help!”

  Behind her, a man burst through the door and sprinted towards them. Morgan slammed on the brakes and leaned over to unlock the passenger door. “Get in. Hurry!”

  The woman ran towards her, feet slapping on the tar road as she closed the distance. The child cried, his mother half-carrying and half-dragging him. Morgan stared at the unfolding scene, and her heart sank when she realized the truth. “They’re not going to make it.”

  The infected man reached them and latched onto the boy first, ripping him out of his mother’s hands.

  “No,” the woman cried, stumbling to a halt. “He’s your son.”

  He ignored her and buried his face in the boy’s neck. Blood, bright red and arterial, spurted through the air. The woman screamed, her desperate wails stabbing into Morgan’s heart.

  She wanted to close her eyes, wanted to look away, but couldn’t. Instead, she watched as the woman grappled with the man that used to be her husband, fighting for the life of her child. It was no use.

  Like a rag doll, the boy was tossed aside to bleed out on the asphalt. His eyes glazed over in death while his mother was savaged beside him.

  The spell broke, and at last, Morgan looked away. She leaned over and locked the passenger door, the click loud in her ears. With an iron grip on the wheel, she steered the truck around the family and drove away. The entire time, she whispered, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” until the words were branded into her psyche. That was the last stop she made.

  Morgan headed for the suburb where her parents lived. It lay on the edge of town. If they were lucky, the infection hadn’t reached there yet. As she drove, the streets became quieter, and her hope grew apace. A hope dashed once she reached her destination.

  A knot of a dozen infected crawled on the front lawn of a neighbor’s house. They were feeding. As the group shifted, a bloody arm flopped out. Morgan swallowed as a flood of bile pushed up her throat. She recognized the next-door neighbors, the Robertson’s, in the pack. Mrs. Robertson still wore a robe with curlers in her hair which prompted a hysterical laugh from Morgan, one she quickly swallowed.

  There was no time for weakness now. Not with her parents and little sister waiting, possibly alive. It was a hope she couldn’t let go of just yet. Morgan stared at the infected and tried to come up with a plan. There was no way she could run past them. Barefoot and unarmed, they’d pull her down and rip her to shreds. However, she sat inside a solid mass of driven metal.

  She rammed into the front runners with a crunch. Bodies bounced off the hood while others disappeared beneath the wheels. The truck plowed through them effortlessly, up onto the lawn into the knot. She shifted into reverse and rolled back, clipping a straggler to the left, then she repeated the whole procedure again, and again.

  It was sickening, but a small part of her felt pride at overcoming such an obstacle. The rest of her was horrified at the slaughter of innocents, no matter how dangerous they might be.

  Afterward, she sat, staring at the carnage. It brought to mind a medieval battlefield with torn and crushed body parts strewn about. A few still tried to move despite their gruesome injuries. That single horrific detail confirmed one crucial fact—they were neither sick nor crazy. They were dead. Zombies.

  Morgan reversed into the driveway with the nose pointed towards the gate for a quick escape. She unlocked the doors and left the keys in the ignition. Behind the seats, she found a tire iron.

  With one last look around, she slid out of the truck and closed the door with a soft click. She felt vulnerable, standing there in the open air while imagining what those things could do to her exposed flesh.

  With a deep breath, Morgan gripped the tire iron and walked up the driveway. She ignored the few broken corpses that groaned as she passed. They were no threat to her anymore.

 
; The concrete felt cold and rough beneath her feet, grounding her in the present. She tested the front door and found it locked. With a muttered curse, she walked around to the back. Her nerves jangled. She kept hearing sinister sounds behind her, and only the thought of her family kept her going.

  Morgan turned a corner and screamed as she spotted the remains of her parents’ domestic worker. The woman was barely recognizable. Bloodstained bandages covered her arms, but the cause of death was apparent: A gunshot to the head.

  Hope for her family’s safety faded as she stepped around the body. The back door stood open, and she inched forward to peer inside the kitchen. Her eyes flew to puddles of blood on the floor. The drops formed a trail into the hallway and bedrooms.

  She crossed the kitchen and dared a peek into the hall, then the living and dining rooms. Nothing. It was empty. No signs of a struggle. No sign of her family, either.

  Morgan swallowed, her mouth dry, and moved onward. The silence was eerie. A subtle threat hung in the air. She quailed at the thought of being confronted by the sight of her parents turned into monsters, or even worse, her baby sister.

  The passage promised terror with sticky patches of smeared blood that led past Meghan’s bedroom. Inside, everything was just as she remembered. The stuffed animals on the bed and posters of ponies on the walls made her heart flutter. “Please, God. Let her be okay.”

  After that came the spare bedroom and the hallway bathroom. Both were closed, and she crept past on silent feet. The main bedroom beckoned—a yawning gateway to a mysterious horror. With a growing sense of dread, she moved through the doorway.

  Morgan stopped abruptly, one hand flying to her mouth. On the bed lay her father, stretched out on his back. He was torn up, and she guessed he was attacked. Blood pooled beneath his body and stained the duvet cover.

  She stared, unable to utter a word. First her husband and now her father. How many more people would she lose today? Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, and her knees threatened to buckle. Why? Why did this happen?

  A part of her remained alert, though, and after a moment, she dragged a hand across her eyes. No more tears. She needed to find her mother and Meghan. Before it was too late.

  Morgan was about to leave when the smallest of sounds echoed from behind her. The hair on the back of her neck rose. She whirled around, swinging up the tire iron.

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  Glossary

  Primordial Earth (Book - 7) – Glossary

  Glossary terms are listed in alphabetical order and without reference to their locations within the book.

  Generally speaking, physical location references are not listed in the Glossary.

  Measurements are provided in both metric and US/Imperial units.

  Achelousaurus - is a genus of centrosaurine ceratopsid dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period. The generic name means “Achelous lizard”, in reference to the Greek deity Achelous. It walked on all fours, had a short tail and a large head with a hooked beak. It had a bony neck-frill at the rear of the skull, which sported a pair of long spikes, which curved towards the outside. Estimated size 6 m (20 ft) long with a weight of 3 tons. (Wikipedia)

  Alamosaurus – A genus of sauropod dinosaurs containing just one species that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Specimens suggest they could measure up to 30 meters (98 feet) in length and weigh as much as 79 metric tons (88 tons). For comparison, the largest living land animal in the present day is the African elephant, which can weigh up to 6.3 metric tons (7 tons). (Wikipedia.)

  Albertosaurus – A genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Specimens suggest they could measure up to 10 meters (33 feet) in length and weigh as much as 2.5 metric tons (2.8 tons). (Wikipedia.)

  Ankylosaurus – A genus of armored dinosaurs that lived at the very end of the Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Specimens suggest they could measure up to 10.6 meters (35 feet) in length and weigh as much as 5.9 metric tons (6.5 tons). (Wikipedia.)

  Ballistae – Plural form of the ballista, an ancient weapon that hurled large stones, javelins, or bolts. The weapon dates back to the 4th century BC in Greece. (Wikipedia.)

  Bambiraptor – A carnivorous dinosaur that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) The estimated size for an adult would measure 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) in length and weigh 5 kilograms (11 pounds). (Wikipedia.)

  Brachylophosaurus – A genus of hadrosaur dinosaurs that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Estimates suggest that an adult could measure at least 9 to 11 meters (29 to 36 feet) in length and weigh as much as 7 metric tons (7.7 tons). (Wikipedia.)

  Carnotaurus - was a lightly built, bipedal predator, measuring 7.5 to 9 m (24.6 to 29.5 ft) in length and weighing at least 1.35 metric tons (1.33 long tons; 1.49 short tons). As a theropod, Carnotaurus was highly specialized and distinctive. It had thick horns above the eyes, a feature unseen in all other carnivorous dinosaurs, and a very deep skull sitting on a muscular neck. (See Cretaceous.) (Wikipedia.)

  Clidastes – A genus of large carnivorous marine lizards called mosasaurs. An average size specimen could measure 2 to 4 meters (6.5 to 13 feet). A large one could be 6 meters (19.6 feet). It existed in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) (Wikipedia.)

  Cretaceous – The Cretaceous period is defined as beginning 145 million years ago (mya) and lasting until approximately 66 mya. (Wikipedia.)

  Dryptosaurus - Pronunciation: drip-toe-SORE-us, Name meaning: ‘tearing lizard’ Dryptosaurus is a genus of tyrannosauroid that lived approximately 67 million years ago during the latter part of the Cretaceous period in what is now New Jersey. Dryptosaurus was a large, bipedal, ground-dwelling carnivore that could grow up to 7.5 m long. Estimated Mass: 1 500 kg (See Cretaceous) (Wikipedia)

  Gorgosaurus - GOR-gə-SOR-əs; meaning “dreadful lizard”) is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period (Campanian), between about 76.6 and 75.1 million years ago. (See Cretaceous) Like most known tyrannosaurids, Gorgosaurus was a bipedal predator weighing more than two metric tons as an adult; dozens of large, sharp teeth lined its jaws, while its two-fingered forelimbs were comparatively small. (See Cretaceous) (Wikipedia)

  Kalama city - Kalama is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. General J.W. Sprague of the Northern Pacific Railroad named the town in 1871 for the Indian word calama, meaning pretty maiden. It’s situated on the mouth of the Kalama river which flows into the Columbia. (Wikipedia)

  Lambeosaurus – A genus of hadrosaurid herbivore dinosaurs that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous) These dinosaurs had duckbills and could feed on trees as high as 4 meters (13 feet). (Wikipedia.)

  mya – an acronym for “million years ago,” also “m.y.a,” used in astronomy, geology, and paleontology. (Wikipedia)

  Nyctosaurus – A genus of nyctosaurid pterodactyloid pterosaur that lived in the late Cretaceous period. An adult could have a wingspan of 2 meters (6.5 feet). Compared to terrestrial dinosaurs, Nyctosaurus were small-bodied and weighed less than 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds). (See Cretaceous.) (Wikipedia.)

  Prime City - A settlement of survivors that formed around the former Prime hotel, owned and run by the self-proclaimed Senator Douglas. He used the Watch to patrol the walls and keep the people in line.

  Parasaurolophus - Pronounced
pa-ra-saw-ROL-off-us. A genus of ornithopod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of what is now North America, about 76.5–73 million years ago. Its name means “near crested lizard.” (See Cretaceous) Length: 11.0m Weight: 3500kg (Wikipedia)

  Parksosaurus - A genus of hypsilophodont ornithopod dinosaur from the early Maastrichtian-age Upper Cretaceous. A small, bipedal, herbivorous dinosaur. (See Cretaceous) Length: 2,5 m (Estimated) Height: 100 cm Mass: 45 kg (Estimated) (Wikipedia)

  Pteranodon (genus Pteranodon), flying reptile (pterosaur) found as fossils in North American deposits dating from about 90 million to 100 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period. (See Cretaceous) Pteranodon had a wingspan of 7 meters (23 feet) or more, and its toothless jaws were very long and pelican-like. (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica)

  Pterosaur – Pronounced “tero saur.” Science considers pterosaurs to be flying lizards that are distinct from dinosaurs. There are many different species. Pterosaurs existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous period. (See Triassic.) (See Cretaceous.) (Wikipedia.)

  Shanghai Tunnels, Portland, Oregon - also known as the Old Portland Underground, is a group of passages mainly underneath the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood. The tunnels connected the basements of many hotels and taverns to the waterfront of the Willamette River. There is documentation in the newspapers of the 19th century of tunnels and secret passages underground. Organized crime was the center of many of these stories. However, many of the more colorful stories claimed for the underground are controversial. Historians have stated that although the tunnels exist and the practice of shanghaiing was sometimes practiced in Portland, as elsewhere, there is no evidence that the tunnels were used for this.