Mass Extinction Event: The Complete Fourth Series (Days 54 to 61) (11 page)

“What about those people at Lake Erie?” I ask. “If you're certain they're not a threat, will you consider letting them come to join us here?”

“It's a possibility.”

“Eighty-one people isn't a lot,” I continue. “We need more, don't we?”

“We do. In time.”

“So those people -”

“It's a matter for the council to consider,” he adds, putting an arm around me and pulling me close before kissing the top of my head. “Don't worry, honey. The team should be getting there any minute, and they'll be able to make a proper assessment. If there's any way of helping them or eventually bringing them here to join us, of course we'll consider it. You trust me, don't you?”

“Of course, but -”

“Then stop worrying about every little thing,” he continues, “and focus on getting better. You've been through so much already, but now you can finally start to relax.”

Thomas

“We have to get her out of here,” Melissa says, struggling to get free from the ropes that are holding her against the tree. “I don't care about anything else, but we have to get Katie out of here!”

“It's okay,” I whisper, still working on my own ropes. “I don't think they'll hurt her.”

“But you can't be sure of that,” she replies, clearly panicking. “God, the sun's really getting low now. What do you think they're going to do when they come back?”

“I don't want to think about it,” I mutter, pulling on the ropes around my waist. “Quinn, are you having any luck?” Hearing no response, I look around and see that Quinn seems to be almost catatonic; instead of trying to get free from the ropes, she's simply staring down at the ground, as if she's already dead. “Quinn!” I shout. “What the hell are you doing? Hey, snap out of it!”

Her face twitches slightly, and she seems to be muttering something under her breath, but as far as I can tell she seems to have given up.

“I think one of your ropes is slightly loose,” I continue, spotting a knot behind her back that seems to be coming undone. “Quinn, if you pull on it, it should open up and then you can untie the rest of us!” I wait for her to reply, but she seems completely catatonic. “Quinn! For God's sake -”

“One of them's coming,” Melissa says suddenly.

Turning, I spot a figure making its way toward us through the forest, and I feel a shiver of anger as I realize that Luke is on his way over. There's a grin on his face, as if Christmas has come early, and he's humming a song I remember from the old days. As he gets closer, he stops next to Quinn and grabs her chin, tilting her expressionless face up.

“Cheer up,” he tells her. “Won't be long now.”

“Leave her alone,” I say firmly.

“Come on,” he continues, leaning closer to her face, “you're bringing the mood down. Everyone else looks like they've still got some fight in their eyes, but you're just blank.” He leans even closer, until his face is almost pressed against hers. “You're making me feel bad.”

“I can make you feel good,” Melissa says suddenly.

He turns and smiles at her.

“I
can
,” she continues, with a hint of fear in her voice. “I don't know, maybe if I give you something, you could give me something in return?”

“And what's that?” he asks. “Let the four of you go?”

“Not the four of us,” she replies, glancing briefly at me before looking at him again. “Just my daughter and me. If we could slip out of these ropes and run, people'd think it was an accident. I mean, you're not the one who tied
our
ropes, so you wouldn't get the blame.” She pauses. “You tied the ropes on the other two. The one behind Quinn's back is coming loose already.”

“It is?” Checking, he grabs the knot and pulls it tight.

“See?” Melissa adds. “Come on, anything you want...”

He smiles, and it's clear that he's tempted.

“I'm sorry,” Melissa continues, turning to me. “I have to do anything I can to get Katie out of here.”

“What kind of stuff are you suggesting?” Luke asks, making his way over to her and looking down at her waist. “Why would I need to untie you? Your mouth's free, isn't it?”

“It's a good deal,” she replies. Her voice is trembling, and I can tell she's terrified.

“I don't want an audience,” he says, glancing at me.

“So let's go a little further away;” she continues. “I'm not an idiot, I'm offering you a fair deal. How long before the others come to kill us?”

“Half an hour or so.” He pauses for a moment, clearly trying to decide whether to take her up on the offer. Finally, he takes a hunting knife from his belt. “You try anything, and you and your kid'll both get this in the fucking face, you understand? I will split you open!”

She nods eagerly.

Making his way around the tree, he cuts the rope, freeing her.

“We'll make it a quick one,” he continues, grabbing her by the shoulder and spinning her around until her back is against him, and then reaching around to squeeze her chest. “I'm only letting you and the kid go if you make it good, though.”

A weak, scared smiles crosses her face. “Sorry Thomas,” she says, as Luke continues to grope her body. “I have to do this for Katie.”

“I understand,” I tell her. “Do whatever you -”

Suddenly she slams her elbow into Luke's face and knocks him back against the tree, before grabbing his arm and cracking his wrist over her knee, causing him to cry out as he drops the knife. Putting one hand over his mouth to keep him from screaming, she grabs the knife and flashes it across his neck so fast that I barely even see the flesh being cut, but blood immediately starts spraying from the wound and she turns his struggling body around until he's on the other side of the tree, where Katie can't see him. He tries to get free, but she's surprisingly strong and she holds him firmly for a couple of minutes, until finally he stops struggling and she eases his body down onto the forest floor.

She checks his neck for a pulse, before taking a step back.

“I did it,” she says, her voice shaking with fear. “I killed him, I really did it...”

“Get us out of here,” I reply, struggling with the ropes that are holding me against the tree. “Melissa, we have to move!”

I wait for her to come and help, but she's staring at her trembling, blood-covered hands.

“Melissa!” I shout. “Help us!”

Looking over at me, she seems too shocked for a moment, but finally she starts to come around. Rushing away from me, she cuts the rope from around Katie and then scoops her sobbing daughter into her arms, wiping blood on the back of her dress in the process. As she holds her tight, she glances over at me, and I can tell that she's not sure whether or not she should cut me free.

“The truck,” I remind her. “I can get us all to the truck.”

Carrying Katie over to me, she uses the knife to cut the rope. As soon as I'm free, I take the knife and go to cut Quinn loose, although she still seems almost comatose, as if she's surrendered already.

“Mommy,” Katie sobs, “did you hurt that man?”

“No,” she replies, “he's just sleeping. “Mommy learned some karate at school and used it to make him go to sleep, that's all.”

“Quinn, we have to move,” I hiss, pulling Quinn away from the tree. She takes a couple of stumbling steps forward, but I'm forced to catch her when I realize that she's about to collapse. “Quinn, this isn't the time! We have to get to the truck!”

“We're all going to die,” she whispers, her voice trembling with fear. “There's no point running. They'll just catch us.”

“I'm not giving up yet,” I tell her. “None of us are giving up.”

“We have to get going,” Melissa says. “There'll be more of them soon.”

“Quinn, come on,” I continue, grabbing her hand and trying to pull her after me. “Quinn, I can't carry you!”

“We have to
go
!” Melissa says again. “Thomas, please!”

“I can't leave her,” I reply. “I -”

Before I can finish, I realize I can hear a strange sound in the distance. Looking over my shoulder, back in the direction of the camp, I pause for a moment, listening to the repetitive, thumping sound that seems to be coming closer and closer until, finally, I spot something flashing across the sky, seemingly close to the campsite.

“Is that -” Melissa starts to say.

“It can't be,” I whisper.

“It is,” she continues, sounding hopeful. “It's a helicopter!”

“We're saved!” Quinn shouts, suddenly pushing past me and racing between the trees.

“It must be the government,” Melissa says, taking a few steps forward. “Thomas, they've finally come to help us!”

“We don't know it's them,” I reply cautiously.

“Whoever it is, they have to be better than Mark.”

“Maybe, but -”

“And it's better than going in your truck,” she adds. “Thomas, we have to at least go and see. They probably have food, and information, and they can tell us where to go to get proper help!”

I watch for a moment as Quinn disappears into the distance. I'm so used to being cautious these days, I think I've forgotten what it's like to actually have a little hope.

“Come on,” Melissa continues, starting to carry Katie through the trees, heading for the camp-site and the sound of the helicopters. “We have to find out what's going on. If it's really the government, that means Mark's not in charge anymore. We can tell them what he's been doing. Everything's going to be okay!”

“We'll check it out,” I reply, following her, “but we still have to be careful.”

As we make our way between the trees, I start to realize that there's more than one helicopter up ahead. By the time we reach one of the clearings, I can see three distinct shapes in the distance, and they seem to be hovering above the camp-site. I'd prefer it if they landed, and there's no way I want to let Mark know that we've escaped, not until we're certain that troops are on the ground. Still, Melissa is getting further and further ahead, and I can tell that she thinks we're being saved. I just wish I could shake this sense of doubt in my gut, this feeling that something still isn't quite right.

“Hold up!” I shout. “Don't go rushing in there!”

“It's okay,” Melissa replies, smiling through her tears as she looks back at me. “There's nothing -” She stops suddenly, still holding Katie in her arms, as we listen to the sound of the helicopters getting further away. “Are they leaving?” she asks incredulously. “They can't be leaving!”

Before I can reply, she starts running, as if desperation has taken over.

“Wait!” I shout as I hurry after her, determined to make sure that she at least doesn't run straight into the open and give our position away. As we get to the edge of the tree-line, however, Melissa stops up ahead, and by the time I reach her I can see that a few hundred meters away, down at the campsite, everyone is looking up at the sky as the three helicopters slowly disappear into the distance.

“Where are they going?” Melissa asks, clearly shocked. “They can't just leave us again.”

“They're not,” I reply, watching as the helicopters turn and seem to hold position for a moment. A few seconds later, they suddenly speed up and start coming back toward us, while coming down a little lower in the sky. It's a formation I remember from one of the video games I used to play with my brother.

Melissa takes a step forward.

“Wait,” I say firmly, grabbing her arm.

“They're going to help us,” she says, still holding Katie in her arms.

“No they're not,” I reply, starting to feel fear in my chest as the helicopters get closer to the camp-site. “We have to run.”

“Why?”

“Just run,” I tell her. “Don't let them see that -”

Suddenly the sound of gunfire fills the air, as the helicopters swoop low over the site. Each firing from two machine guns, they mow down several of the campers, while causing the rest to start screaming and running. As the helicopters pass, they start swinging around, as if they're getting ready to attack again.

“Why are they doing that?” Melissa asks, taking a step back.

“I don't know,” I reply, “but we have to get out of here.”

“Why aren't they helping us?” she shouts. “What's wrong with them?”

As the rest of the campers clamber over the dead and race for the forest, I spot Mark over by the eastern point, frantically shouting for everyone to follow him. With the helicopters coming close again, screaming survivors start racing between the trees, with Mark and Bobby in the lead. Seconds later the helicopters open fire again, cutting down the stragglers and firing until the trees force them to pull up.

“Seriously,” I tell Melissa, pulling on her arm, “we have to get out of here! We have to get to the truck!”

“Over here!” Mark shouts in the distance. “This way! You'll all be safe if you follow me! The disciples are waiting for us!”

“What's he doing?” I whisper, as the helicopters swing around to attack again. After a moment, I realize: “He's herding them toward the pit. What the hell's wrong with him?”

“Mommy,” Katie whimpers, “I'm scared.”

“It's going to be okay,” Melissa replies, setting her down for a moment as she tries to wipe away some of the blood. “Mommy's not going to -”

“They're coming for us!” I shout, as the helicopters swoop in our direction.

The three of us turn and start running back through the forest, as we hear gunfire coming up behind us. As shots ricochet off the trees, I lose track of Melissa and Katie for a moment and finally I throw myself down onto the forest floor as I hear the roar of the helicopters passing above us. I close my eyes and listen to the last of the shots, before realizing that by some miracle I managed not to get hit. As soon as I'm certain the helicopters have completed their pass, I haul myself up and look around for the others, only to see that Melissa is motionless on the ground and Katie is nowhere to be seen.

“Hey!” I shout, rushing over and dropping to my knees next to Melissa. Grabbing her arm, I roll her onto her back and immediately see that there's a wound on her shoulder. “It's okay,” I tell her, “you're going to be fine.”