Mass Extinction Event: The Complete Fourth Series (Days 54 to 61) (12 page)

“Where's Katie?” she asks weakly.

“She's -” Looking around, I realize that I can't see the little girl anywhere.

“Where is she?” Melissa shouts, pushing me out of the way as she struggles to her feet. “Katie!” she screams, clutching her shoulder. “Where are you!”

“Mommy!” a voice shouts from a little further off.

We both start running, even though we can hear more gunfire in the distance. After a moment, I spot the helicopters coming toward us again, and although I figure we're mostly hidden by the trees, I grab hold of Melissa and pull her down to the ground just as a fresh burst of gunfire breaks out. Holding her down, I wait until the shots are over before we get up and keep running.

“Everyone come this way!” Mark is shouting in the distance. “I know where we can hide!”

Spotting movement up ahead, I realize there are fifteen or twenty people still alive from the camp-site, and they're all racing between the trees, heading straight for the pit.

“Stop!” I shout, running past Melissa. “You have to stop! He's -”

Before I can finish, I see the first of the survivors falling over the edge of the pit and disappearing from view. Some of the stragglers try to stop in time, but most go tumbling over the edge and I watch in horror as Mark pushes the last of them. He takes a step back, before turning to me and grinning.

“You see?” he shouts. “It's a sign from God! He wants me to feed the disciples. It's their last supper!”

“Katie!” Melissa screams. “Where are you?”

“Mommy!” Katie shouts back, and suddenly I realize that her voice is coming from the pit.

“Where is she?” Melissa asks as she reaches me. “I can't see her anywhere!”

Without answering, I start running toward Mark, finally reaching him and knocking him to the ground. Landing on top of him, I realize he's laughing uncontrollably, and a moment later I hear the sound of screams coming from down in the pit. Scrambling to my feet, I race to the edge and look down just in time to see that the survivors from the camp are being attacked by the creatures. I stare for a moment, horrified by the sight of screaming, pleading people being torn apart, and for a few seconds I feel as if the world has completely stopped around me.

This is it.

It's over.

This is the horror at the end of the world.

“Where is she?” Melissa shouts suddenly, stopping next to me and shaking me out of my daze.

“Mommy!” Katie screams. “Help!”

Looking down into the pit, I see to my horror that Katie is in one of the corners, sobbing as she tries to curl into a ball and avoid being seen. So far, the creatures seem focused on the larger people, but they'll turn to Katie soon, unless...

“I'm coming!” Melissa shouts, racing to the rope ladder and tossing it down.

“No!” I tell her, pushing her away.

“I have to save her!”

“They'll kill you,” I continue. “I know what to do. Just stay here and -” Looking over at Mark, I see that he's already getting to his feet. “Make sure he doesn't go anywhere,” I add, handing the hunting knife back to her.

Climbing down the rope ladder, I slip when I'm about halfway and slam down hard into the mud. As I get to my feet, with screams ringing in my ear, I look around and watch in horror as the rest of the camp-site survivors are torn limb from limb. Dazed for a moment, I watch as one of the creatures, having been pushed away from a victim, spots me and starts lumbering in my direction.

“Down!” I shout, remembering the way Mark controlled them the other day. “Get down!”

The creature stops and stares at me for a moment, before slowly starting to sit in the mud.

As the screams continue all around me, I stick to the edge of the pit and make my way toward Katie, who's still sobbing in the far corner. Everywhere I look, I see human bodies being torn apart, and I recognize most of them from the days I spent at the camp; I even spot Bobby, reaching out to me for help before his head is ripped from his shoulders. After a moment, however, I spot two more of the creatures staggering straight toward me.

“Down!” I shout.

They both stop and obey, but hearing a sound over my shoulder, I turn just in time to see that the first creature is back on its feet and making its way toward me again.

“Down!” I yell.

The creature obeys, but the other two are already starting to get up again.

Realizing that the commands only work for a short time, I race over to Katie and scoop her up into my arms, before turning to see several creatures closing in all around us.

“Down!” I shout at the closest, before turning to the next. “Down! Get down!”

They start kneeling, but by the time the last of them is down, the first is already getting up again.

“Thomas!” a voice shouts.

Turning, I watch as two of the creatures tear the arms from a blood-soaked figure, while a third creature is already tearing at its torso. The figure is staring at me, and suddenly I realize that I recognize the wide, terrified eyes.

“Quinn,” I whisper.

I take a step forward, but before I can do anything I see her intestines being torn out, and although she's still staring at me, I know it's too late to save her. She opens her mouth, as if she's trying to say something, but finally her head drops as her guts spill out onto the mud. I freeze for a moment, unable to stop staring at the glistening meat as two of the creatures start tearing at it with their hands, forcing it into their mouths as fast as they can manage. After a moment, I spot movement and I realize that one of Quinn's hands is reaching up, almost as if she's still -

Suddenly feeling a sharp pain on my shoulder, I turn and find that one of the creatures has bitten into my flesh.

“Down!” I shout, pulling away and almost falling, but the creature obeys. Shocked, I carry Katie back over to the rope ladder and lift her up. “You have to climb,” I tell her, while checking over my shoulder and seeing that two more creatures are already coming toward us. “Katie, you have to climb up!”

I wait for her to go, but she's staring in shock at the horrific scene.

Realizing that fear is paralyzing her, I lift her onto my shoulders and start climbing. Despite the extra weight, I'm able to haul us up the side of the pit and finally, with every nerve in my body screaming, I scramble over the top and drop to the ground.

“Katie!” Melissa shouts, rushing over and grabbing her daughter, wrapping her in a hug. “Oh God, are you okay?”

With the sound of screams still ringing out from the pit, I get to my feet and see that Mark is at the edge, staring down at the unfolding scene with wide-eyed amazement, as if he's actually enjoying it all.

“I think the helicopters are gone,” Melissa says as she continues to hug Katie. “Why did they shoot at us? Why would they do something like that?”

“I don't know,” I reply, suddenly feeling strangely calm as I get to my feet and stagger toward Mark. My shoulder hurts, but I'm barely aware of the pain as I get closer and stand behind him, filled with anger.

“Isn't it beautiful?” he says, turning to me. “I was cultivating two armies, one at the camp-site and one here in the pit. I knew I'd have to choose between them eventually, but I think God sent those helicopters to show me the true path. Now my disciples are fed and ready for the next stage.”

“You're insane,” I tell him, still trying to catch my breath.

“I see they got you too,” he says, looking at my shoulder. “It's beautiful, isn't it? This is the future of life, Thomas. There's no going back to how things used to be.”

“No,” I reply, stepping toward him, “there isn't.”

“With my -”

Grabbing his head, I slam my knee into his face, smashing his teeth. He lets out a gurgled cry, but I've already done enough damage. Turning him around, I push him over the edge and watch as he crashes down into the pit. He gets to his feet and starts shouting at the approaching creatures, trying to get them to obey his commands, but all he can manage is a few rasps and gurgles, and it's not enough: the creatures swamp him, and I turn away as I hear him starting to scream.

Melissa and Katie are a few meters away, staring at me.

“Quinn?” Melissa says after a moment.

I shake my head.

She pulls Katie closer, holding her tight.

As screams continue to rise from the pit, I take a few steps forward before dropping down to my hands and knees. The pain in my shoulder is getting stronger, as if some invisible force is still biting down into my flesh.

Elizabeth

“No, that's fine,” my father says, sitting on the edge of my bed as he talks to someone on his radio. “Thank you for letting me know. I think we can be happy with the outcome here.”

I wait as he flicks the radio off, but he seems lost in thought for a moment. The room is mostly dark now, with the only light coming from a small light on the table.

“What was that?” I ask.

I wait for an answer.

“Dad? What was that about? It sounded important.”

He turns to me, and for a moment there's a strange, haunted look in his eyes.

“It was nothing,” he says finally. “Just a report from the helicopters that I sent out a few hours ago to check on the people at Lake Erie.”

“Did they find them?”

Another pause. “There was nothing
to
find,” he says finally. “Not really. All they saw were a few of those creatures, so they gunned them down and now they're on their way back.”

“Creatures?” I reply. “I thought... I mean, I spoke to that Thomas guy just a few days ago.”

“Perhaps he was one of them,” he points out, “or perhaps they were overwhelmed recently. Either way, there was no-one out there who could be saved. I'm sorry, Lizzie, we did our best.” Sighing, he gets to his feet. “It's late, and today has been very tiring. We both need some rest.”

“I really thought...” I pause for a moment, thinking back to that conversation with Thomas.

“It's okay,” he continues. “We're safe here in Boston. Things have worked out for the best.” He heads to the door, but he seems more tired than before, as if he's weighed down by something.

“If they'd been there,” I say after a moment, “and if they'd been healthy and okay, would you have allowed them to come and join us in Boston?”

“They weren't healthy and okay,” he replies, opening the door.

“But if they had been...” I pause, wondering whether I really want to know the answer. “Would you have let them come?”

He stares at me. “Of course I would, honey,” he replies finally. “Of course.”

As he leaves the room and pulls the door shut, I turn and look out the window. I can just about make out the next building, with moonlight shining against its edges, but after a moment an uncomfortable feeling settles in my chest. The truth is, I'm not sure I believe my father. If the people at Lake Erie
had
been okay, I'm not convinced he would have wanted them to come to Boston. I take a deep breath, before telling myself that I'm probably wrong. After all, he's not some kind of monster. He's a kind man, and he just wants to do what's best for all of us.

Day 57

(Mass Extinction Event 4.4)

Thomas

“This is going to hurt,” I tell her, as I sit next to Melissa and examine the wound in her shoulder. “I don't even know if -”

“Just get it out,” she replies, clearly tense. “Please.”

Staring into the wound, I can just about make out part of the bullet. I've spent the past few minutes removing some of the dirt, and now that the first light of morning has arrived, I figure it's time to get the bullet out all the way.

“Do you want something to bite down on?” I ask. “Like in the movies?”

“I'll bite down on your neck if you don't hurry up,” she replies, stroking the top of Katie's head. “Sorry, I didn't mean that, just... Please get on with it.”

“If you need to scream -”

“I won't scream,” she replies. “Don't worry, you won't have to hear that.”

Realizing that she's trying to be strong for Katie, I look into the wound again and realize that there's no point delaying things any further. Taking a deep breath, I start to slip the end of the tweezers into the wet, bloody mess and finally I manage to grip the side of the bullet. Glancing at Melissa's face, I can see that she's holding her breath and forcing herself not to cry out, even though the pain must be extreme.

“Nearly there,” I whisper.

I start pulling on the bullet, trying to wiggle it loose.

After a moment, Melissa lets out a gasp, but she quickly holds it in again.

“Do you want me to -”

“Just do it!” she hisses, before holding her breath again. She's sweating now, but she clearly doesn't want to scare Katie by screaming.

Figuring that I need to do this quickly, I adjust the tweezers' grip on the bullet and finally I slide it out, only to find that all I've managed to extract is a fragment.

“I think I -”

Before I can finish, she gets to her feet and rushes away. Shocked, I watch as she races between the trees and then drops to her knees, clamping her hands over her mouth and rocking back and forth, as if she's still trying to let the pain out without screaming. It's a horrific sight, and after a moment I realize I can hear the faintest of moans, despite the fact that she's covering her mouth.

Slowly, Katie turns to look at her.

“Hey,” I say, turning her face back so that she can't see. “Everything's okay.”

She stares at the bloodied bullet fragment, and it's clear from the look in her eyes that she's reliving everything she saw last night in the pit. I can't even begin to imagine how she's ever going to understand, and although I want to help her, I don't know where to start. After a moment, I hear Melissa coming back over, and she quickly sits down and starts hugging Katie again.

“Are you -” I start to ask.

“I'm fine,” she says firmly, kissing the top of Katie's head.

“But if -”

“I'm fine,” she says again. “Stop asking.”

“I didn't get all of it.”

“The rest can wait. We'll find a doctor eventually.”

“Where?”

“I don't know. Somewhere.”

I open my mouth to argue with her, but finally I realize that this isn't the right moment. Tossing the bullet fragment away, I look back between the trees. The scene seems strangely peaceful now, but I know that just a few hundred meters further off, that pit is still there, with the creatures alive at the bottom. I've been thinking all night that I should go and finish them off, but I'm not sure I can face seeing them again, especially with all the bones that must be down there. I figure they'll die within a few days anyway, now that they haven't got Mark to look after them.

“How's
your
shoulder?” Melissa asks.

“Fine.”

“Did you get bitten?”

I look at the wound at the top of my left arm, and it's clear that the creature's teeth got all the way through to the bone. I keep feeling flashes of pain, but I guess there's no point worrying about it just yet.

“I'm okay,” I tell her, getting to my feet. “We need to get moving.”

“Do you think those helicopters will be back?”

“I doubt it. They probably figure they got most of us and the rest'll die off in the forest.”

“Where did they come from?” she asks, standing up and looking back toward the next clearing. “They must have come from the government, right? But why would the government want to kill us?”

“I have no idea.”

“We should stick close to the lake,” she continues. “As long as we have a source of water and the chance to fish, we can survive.”

“We should get moving,” I tell her.

“And go where?”

“Just drive. We'll find somewhere.”

“Or we'll run out of gas in the middle of some abandoned road, with no water and no chance of food.” She pauses. “Or we'll run into more people like Mark.”

“What do we do if we stay by the lake?” I ask, turning to her.

“We just... live,” she replies. “Instead of heading off and trying to find someone to help us, we work on surviving. I think we can do it, and the truth is...” She looks up at the sky for a moment. “Even if we find other survivors, they might not be very helpful. I have to think about Katie. I have to protect her.”

“Sure, but -”

“You don't have to stay with us, though,” she continues. “I mean, I understand if you need to get going, but... I feel like we're not going to find anywhere that's much better. Sure, Mark was a psychopath, but that doesn't mean this was the wrong place to be. If you need to move on, I get it and you shouldn't feel bad. Katie and I can survive here on our own.”

“No, you -”

“We
can
,” she says firmly. “Do you really think I'm some kind of idiot who can't handle herself?”

“Hell, no,” I reply. Pausing for a moment, I imagine how it would feel to drive off into the distance and leave them behind, and I realize that even though I have this strong urge to get moving, I can't just abandon them. Not yet, anyway. “I'll stay,” I tell her finally. “At least for now.”

“Are you sure? If it's just because you feel sorry for us -”

“It's not,” I continue. “You're right, there's no point just aimlessly driving off and hoping to get lucky. If I
do
leave eventually, I need to have some kind of plan.”

“Then...” She pauses. “I can't deny I'm glad you're sticking around. Even if it's not permanent, we need to find somewhere to set up. I want to get away from this part of the lake, though.” She turns and looks toward the pit in the distance. “I want to get Katie to a place where maybe she won't remember what she saw.”

“I'll help,” I tell her, “but first there's something else I have to do.”