Outage 5: The Change (15 page)

We should've run to a house
, she thought.
 

But there hadn't been time. And the doors and windows would've been equally ineffective. She kept still as the gunshots continued.
 

Animal footsteps paraded by the window. Gunshots accompanied screams. Kelsey couldn't recall the last time she had prayed, but she did so now, reciting words in her head that she hadn't spoken in years. Metal groaned right outside her window; the driver's side mirror sounded like it'd been ripped off. Something pounded on the side of the car. A bullet pierced the back of the vehicle, inciting panicked cries from the occupants. Kelsey kept praying as she looked from window to window.

Something ran over the vehicle. Kelsey followed the noise, icy shivers running up her arms. She heard the snarl of something on the trunk, followed by a gun blast. A beast thudded from the vehicle to the ground.
 

Looking in the backseat, she saw Joseph clutching his knife, Lana on his lap. Maria hugged Emily; the other women squeezed between them, whimpering.

We're all right. We're all right.

The windshield shattered. Suddenly Kelsey was face to face with a snarling creature, cold wind gushing into the vehicle, glass raining down on her lap and legs. She screamed as she fought the thing off with the rifle, hitting it with the headstock. Her blows were without aim. Claws sliced into her. Or was it glass? She could no longer tell. The beast was a suffocating aura, drowning everything else out. It lunged through the broken windshield, plucking her out. The screams of her companions were indicators that she was about to die. She wriggled and wriggled, as if she might find refuge, even though the beast was already lifting her from the seat. She pictured the man she'd seen disemboweled in the field, screaming as the creature feasted on his innards.
 

No! It can't end like this!

Kelsey struck the beast in the face with the rifle. It howled. And suddenly it was falling sideways, letting her go. It bounced from the hood and onto the snow, snarling as another beast fell on top of it, slicing with its claws. Tom? She had no time to analyze it. Through the broken windshield, she saw the front of one of the Humvees. A soldier was screaming at them to move.

One of the vehicles had pulled alongside them.

"We have to go!" she shouted to the others.

Breaking through her fear, she swung the door open and stepped out into the wind, ushering the others. The road was littered with bodies of beasts and men. Several soldiers lay freshly fallen in the snow. The soldiers waved and screamed.
 

"Come on!" she yelled.

She tugged the back door, leading Joseph, Maria, and Emily out of the car. Lana's high-pitched cry filled the night. The world was a chaotic mix of blood and gore. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the beast that had been ripped from the hood, rolling in between two houses with the other.

And then they were piling into the vehicle, men with fatigues grabbing them and pulling them inside. The snarl of creatures was replaced by barking orders and men making plans. The Humvee kicked up snow as it peeled away.

The Humvee growled as it gained traction, taking them away from the scene. The other vehicles fell in line around it—one in front and one behind. Kelsey and the others fought for room, inhaling the smells of grease and men's sweat. Looking out the window, she saw the fallen bodies of beasts and men. The fire and the commotion had drawn the remainder of the creatures. Most were dead. The ones that weren't were writhing in their death throes. Kelsey could only speculate that Tom's information had made it to others. The bullets had worked.

They drove past the ruined houses and neighborhoods—streets that had taken much longer to navigate on foot—in a fraction of the time. The soldiers spoke in phrases she didn't understand. Several times, she looked next to her, confirming her companions were all there. Her fear was that one of her companions would disappear, even though she knew they'd made it.

Driving in the Humvee reminded her of the trip in the fire truck. Back then she'd wanted to believe it was over. Mike and Officer Flannery had promised her they'd seen the worst of it. And now they were dead. She promised herself she wouldn't relax until the storm was over.

They plowed through a road filled with carcasses and blood. The brays of the creatures had died off, leaving Kelsey to watch the bodies of the dead, wondering how things would ever return to normal.

"I'm Sgt. Greenwood," the man in the passenger's seat told them. He had a weather-beaten face and a moustache.
 

Sgt. Greenwood appeared as rattled as the survivors, despite Kelsey's guess that he'd been in service for a while. The driver was Pvt. Erickson.

Kelsey introduced herself and the others. Halfway through, she realized she didn't know the names of the other women they'd picked up.
 

"I'm Jane, and this is Olivia," one of them said.

Lana's crying had subsided, seguing to a complacent coo. Kelsey smiled. Joseph and Maria kept her occupied.

"Are there any more of you?" Sgt. Greenwood asked.

"Yes," Kelsey said. "But not here."

"In the bunker?"

Kelsey was confused for a moment before she remembered Mike's broadcast. "You heard us on the radio?"

"Yes. Communication was terrible, as you can imagine. But we managed to catch enough of the address to get us here."

"The fire did the rest," Kelsey surmised.

"What happened to the fireman we were talking to?"

"He's dead," she told them. "Officer Flannery and Mike were killed by some men that tried to get to us earlier. But there are two children in the bunker: Katherine and Silas."

"Are they injured?"

"No," Kelsey said, praying that was the case. "Is there more help coming?"

Sgt. Greenwood was silent for a moment. "Our resources are spread out right now. There're other soldiers in the surrounding towns, but as of now, we're it."

Kelsey hugged her jacket, battling off the steeping cold. "What are our plans now?"

"I'm not sure. We've lost contact with the others. Our initial plan was to get a handle on this thing. Now our goal is to survive." Sgt. Greenwood's face was grave.

Kelsey nodded. Looking into the sky, thinking about the final night, she said, "We should get to the bunker. We'll be safe there until morning."

She expected Sgt. Greenwood to argue. She was surprised when he agreed. "That's a damn good idea, Kelsey."

The moon was full as they pulled onto Mike's street. The fire truck was silent and lifeless, keeping vigil for an owner who would never return. Since escaping the gory scene, Kelsey and the others hadn't seen any sign of the beasts. Her hope was that they'd all been killed, though she didn't trust it enough to stay in the open.

Rather than parking in the road, the Humvees drove directly over the snow-covered yard until they'd reached the small shed. The bodies of Mike and Officer Flannery weren't in sight. Kelsey had pulled them to the back. If she hadn't been in a rush to get to the other survivors, she might've buried them.

She would, when this was over.
 

The soldiers disembarked, training their weapons across the yard. When they'd determined it was safe to exit, they led Kelsey and the others out of the vehicle. The walk felt surreal. Kelsey's legs were stiff and sore from running. She felt like she might collapse. The only thing keeping her going was the thought of Katherine and Silas.

They entered the shed and gathered around the entrance.

"Do you think they'll open up?" Sgt. Greenwood asked.

"I hope so." Kelsey swallowed. Mike's words came back to her as she crouched by the door and raised her hand. She rapped four times.
 

A long pause gave her the sinking feeling that something might be wrong.

A rustle from the other side of the entrance made her heart leap.

"It's Kelsey!" she called, though she doubted they could hear her.

The click of a lock and the crack of a door gave her another dose of relief. Kelsey couldn't stop her eyes from welling up when Katherine's head popped into view. She hugged the little girl, tears rolling down her face as she located Silas.

The bunker was more crowded than before. What were once five survivors were now fifteen. Despite the cramped conditions, the place felt strangely empty. The deaths of Mike and Officer Flannery were so sudden Kelsey hadn't had a chance to process them.
 

She hadn't processed Tom's, either.
 

Was he still alive? She hadn't been able to verify what had happened to him. She tried to convince herself he was still fighting, and that when this was over, she'd find him. But that hope, like so many others, was slim. Her eyes welled up as she thought of the words Tom had spoken the night before.
 

"One more night and you'll be through it."

She just wished he'd made it, too.

Tom struggled to stand. The sky was a perfect canvas, broadcasting the light of the moon. Without the other beasts underneath it, it was radiant, beautiful. He gazed at the ground, taking in the remnants of The Great Storm.
 

The bodies of his brethren were everywhere. What were once savage creatures were now pale, naked bodies. Several bore teeth marks from where he'd finished them off. He waded through the carnage, his body aching from various wounds. Blood dripped from his nose and side. Despite the violence, he was still standing.
 

He didn't know for how much longer.
 

Hours ago, he'd watched the Humvees pull away.
 
Watching them go had given him a grim sense of satisfaction. With the night almost over, he was hopeful the survivors would find safety.
 

The primal urges—fiercely strong at the start of the evening—had faded. Whether it was the waning hours of night or his lack of strength, he wasn't sure, but his legs buckled as he walked. The body he'd learned to control was failing him. On top of that, one of the soldier's bullets had struck him in the side. Even if the other wounds healed, that one wouldn't.

He fought for purpose as he walked through the snow. The appearance of a silhouette in the road forced him to a halt. Unlike the prone bodies around him, this one was standing.
 

Tom sniffed the air. He cocked his head. Despite the weariness in his body, his instincts were sharp. It was another beast. The creature advanced with a thin cry, carrying its small, wounded frame across the snow. Tom had seen this beast before.

Jeffrey.

Tom waded through the snow. He needed to help the boy. He wasn't sure how, but he'd find a way. Jeffrey's leg was clearly still injured; he limped as he dragged it through the snow. He must've followed the others, forcing himself through the pain. His instinct to feed was greater than the concern for his welfare.
 

Or was it something else?

Jeffrey snarled as he walked faster. In an instant, Tom understood. Seeing Tom had incited his anger. Tom had killed his mother, had killed Jason. He was coming for revenge.