Untitled (27 page)

       
"Do not forget that I want them alive," C
happell reminded those he travelled within. "Br
ing them to me and the rewards will out surpass those you
have dreamed of whilst locked away."

       Harrison stepped out into the sun first, glad to feel the warmth on his face, a small taste of what was right in the world. As Megan and the others joined him he turned to Kaci, reaching out and taking her hand and dragging her onwards, towards the awaiting helicopter.

       "Promise me that she starts first time, every time," Harrison rasped between breaths.

       "Never failed me," Kaci replied and then added, "Yet."

       Megan ran alongside Peter, her breathing calm and controlled whilst his was ragged and harsh. Despite the heat of the day and the exertion she showed no sign of perspiring, as if her years of training had been in readiness for this very moment.

       She glanced over her shoulder, expecting the creatures to have followed them into the clearing. It surprised her to discover that her assumption was unfounded.

       The creatures had reached the edge of the woodland but instead of charging onwards they had come to a halt before leaving the tree line, some of them dropping to the ground and crouching low on the border of where shade met sun. The others remained in the branches, jumping from tree to tree and snarling in a mix of anger and excitement.

       "What are they doing?" Megan yelled, slowing to a stop.

       Peter kept running, uninterested in anything other than the preservation of his own being. He had no wish to end up like Hewitt or Green.

       Harrison pushed Kaci towards the chopper. "Get her started and be ready to go." He then spun around to face Megan.

       "They've stopped again." Megan was pointing at them moving around within the foliage.

       Harrison passed Peter, yelling at him to get in the chopper, the sound of its engine coming to life an added incentive. He stormed up to Megan and reached out, grasping her by the shoulder and spinning her round to face him.

       "What the hell are you playing at?" he growled. "This isn't the time to start studying the wildlife." Harrison was forced to raise his voice to be heard above the helicopter.

       "I think they're playing with us," Megan yelled.

       "Playing?" Harrison snapped, his face turning red. "People are dead and you think they're playing." He grabbed Megan by the wrist and began dragging her towards the chopper.

* * *

"What are you doing?" C
happell shouted at the Slavis. "T
hey can not be
allowed to leave. You must stop them."
He saw the helicopter through a kaleidoscope of colours.

       He couldn't allow them to get away. He needed Megan here. She was the answer, the final piece of the puzzle. If he didn't have Megan nothing else mattered. Her importance out shadowed even that of the Ministry.

       
"Stop them!"

* * *

       Harrison and Megan ducked their heads as they approached the helicopter, the wind off the turning blades an unspoken threat of the damage they could do.

       Kaci waved at them from the pilots seat her mouth moving in warning but the words were drowned out.

       Harrison pushed Megan in front of him, pausing only briefly to glance back over his shoulder. What he saw made his skin crawl. The creatures had left the sanctuary of the trees and were tearing across the clearing towards them. The fastest of them – those with all their limbs intact – sped ahead from the rest, some of them carrying the less fortunate in their arms. Those left behind still came, dragging themselves along on the ground with twisted arms.

       "Shit!" Harrison couldn't even hear is own voice as he pulled open the chopper door and climbed in.

       Kaci didn't wait for him to strap himself in, flicking the last few switches and preparing for take off. Harrison fumbled with the straps, panic threatening to take him. He didn't want to but he looked out at the creatures, quickly wishing he hadn't.

       The first wave had almost reached them and Harrison discovered the true reason for them carrying those with missing limbs. It had nothing to do with kinship or loyalty to the pack.

       The creatures slid to a halt beyond the reach of the helicopter blades and lifted the disabled above their heads. Harrison tried to warn Kaci but it was too late, before the words could leave his mouth the creatures launched their siblings at the chopper.

       A dozen torsos hit the high speed rotor blades at the same time, distorted flesh, bone and muscle liquidised and thrown downwards amongst a torrent of clotted, congealing blood.

       "Shit," Kaci cursed as the chopper shook from the attack, the engine and rotor complaining at the onslaught of body parts. "They're gonna tear her apart."

       Harrison could still make out the creatures through the gruel that covered the windows, but only just. It was enough to let him see them preparing for a second salvo.

       "Brace yourself," Harrison warned, witnessing the oncoming barrage of arms, legs and heads. "This is gonna be rough."

       Kaci killed the engine in the feeble hope it would lessen the damage, but the rotor had already reached full speed, slowing down wasn't an immediate option. The load of body parts hit the already weakened rotor blades, the unpredicted shear tension causing one of the blades to shatter.

       "Fuck!" Kaci snapped as the rotor was thrown out of balance, tossing the helicopter onto its side.

       Harrison couldn't make out who screamed the loudest, but he suspected it was Peter. Not that it mattered, as all the screaming was obliterated by the crunching of the remaining blades tearing at the ground as the chopper titled. Harrison was deafened by the sound of rotor collapsing, rending metal like amplified nails down a chalk board.

* * *

       The sensation of pain seared through Chappell as he experienced the death of those he travelled within. He felt the shrapnel of shattered rotor blades tearing through flesh that didn't belong to him, breaking bones that he had no claim to. It was like facing the apocalypse and losing.

       Chappell screamed, tasting dead blood that had coursed through a strangers body. As the pain reached its crescendo Chappell allowed oblivion to take him, welcoming the salvation of unconsciousness.

Megan attempted to open her eyes, fighting against a headache that

threatened to crack open her skull. Upon the first try the pain flared, flashes of searing light flickering throughout her blurred vision. She closed them again and took three deep breaths before endeavouring to do so a second time.

       It was dark inside the helicopter, only the dim glow of the fading day seeping through the thick curtain of liquid flesh clinging to the windows. Megan looked around, the thumping in her head displeased with the movement.

       She assessed the situation as best she could, quickly realising that the helicopter was at an angle, leaning heavily to the right. Luckily she'd strapped herself in and that simple action had saved her from major injury.

       Peter hadn't been so lucky, he was sprawled out across the right door.

       "Peter?" she whispered.

       "Megan?" Peter groaned her name. "Are you alright?" He opened his eyes and turned his head to face her.

       "Not really," she replied. "You?"

"I'm not sure." Peter coughed. "I think I've broke something." The