The Sixth Extinction: America – Omnibus Edition (Books 5 – 8)

By Glen Johnson

(443 pages long. 110 chapters)

No Turning Back
A friend in Need
All Aboard
New Hope

Mankind is no longer at the top of the food chain.

The Sixth Extinction is an apocalyptic tale about a pandemic that sweeps the globe, decimating the human race, leaving humanity struggling to survive. Within three weeks, everything has changed. Social structure has collapsed as the government locks itself away with a select portion of its vast army in deep bunkers, leaving the civilians to their own fate and the infected that stalks the streets.

The remaining group narrowly escapes with their lives from a barn, as Stitt and his men attack them while they rest. They flee into the night, but are soon brought to a stop as their jeep and truck slam into a Chevy blocking the road. It is an ambush. There is a standoff. Whoever fires first will give their location away and will be a sitting target. With Jessica seriously hurt, and Bonnie losing her mind with grief, time is of the essence.

Out of the darkness emerge other uninfected humans. They come to the rescue, fighting like people possessed. They travel the river in an old fishing boat, looking for supplies and other survivors. Also, they are in possession of a secret that could save them all.

Meanwhile, Doctor Bachman has teamed up with two lab assistant survivors, Emma and Peter, and together they have concocted a plan to stop the creatures from reaching the surface and releasing new strains on a world that is still struggling to survive. They plan to reach the supercomputer in Zone 12, and reset a fail-safe device that should eradicate the creatures and the spores before they reach the surface. They just have to survive long enough to implement the plan.

The creatures are amassed in the warehouse behind the largest pod, with the black spores undulating across the ceiling, all eager to head out into the world of man and let loose new strains of the infection. Will they be stopped in time, or is this truly the end of mankind – will the sixth extinction run its deadly course and wipe mankind and every other species off the face of the planet?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Glen Johnson
• Release date: Jul 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311182371

Glen Johnson

Glen Johnson was born in Devon, England in 1973. He is the author of 55 fiction and non-fiction books. In August 2014, he gave away all his belongings and bought a backpack and he started travelling around Southeast Asia. While he travels, he helps charitable organizations, writing and releasing books about their foundations, leaving them with all the royalties. His first charity book is called Soi Dog: The Story Behind Asia’s Largest Animal Welfare Shelter and it’s available in ebook and paperback worldwide. He has also started to release a series of books about his travel adventures as they unfold, and Living the Dream: Part One – Khaosan Road, Thailand, and Part Two – Krabi, Thailand is available from all good ebook retailers. He also loves to travel and has spent over eleven years living and travelling around the world – so far, he has explored forty-three different countries. At present, he lives in Bangkok, Thailand, but he has also lived in Mexico, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, and Singapore. He is also the lead writer on the development team for a new computer game called The Seed (2018), from the creators of the award-winning S.T.A.L.K.E.R Misery mod.Why not add Glen as a friend on Facebook. From his author’s page, you can keep up to date with all his new releases and when his kindle books are free on Amazon. He checks it daily, so pop on and say hello. Don’t be shy, he’s friendly and accepts friend requests.www.facebook.com/GlenJohnsonAuthorwww.facebook.com/RedSkullPublishing and all good ebook retailers.Glen has published 174 books worldwide (via two publishing companies he owns). 55 are his own work; the other 119 are modern-classic-fiction books that can be found on all good eBook and paperback retailers.Books Released by Sinuous Mind Books, and Coming Soon –Books released under his real name Glen JohnsonNON-FICTION BOOKS –CHARITY BOOKS (with Gary Johnson)Soi Dog – The Story Behind Asia’s Largest Animal Welfare Shelter (2015)BEES Elephants Sanctuary: A Haven for Old and Retired Elephants (Coming Soon)TRAVEL BOOKS (with Gary Johnson)Living the Dream 1 – Khaosan Road – Thailand (2015)Living the Dream 2 – Krabi – Thailand (2019)Living the Dream 3 – Penang – Malaysia (Coming Soon)FICTION BOOKS –APOCALYPTIC/DYSTOPIAN/HORRORTHE SIXTH EXTINCTION SERIES (A #1 Best Seller on Amazon UK Horror Short Stories)The Sixth Extinction 1 – Outbreak (2013)The Sixth Extinction 2 – Ruin (2013)The Sixth Extinction 3 – Infested (2013)The Sixth Extinction 4 – The Ark (2013)The Sixth Extinction 1-4 – Omnibus Edition (2013)THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: THE FIRST THREE WEEKS SERIES (A #1 Best Seller on Amazon UK Horror Short stories)The Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks 1 – Noah’s Story (2013)The Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks 2 – Red’s Story (2013)The Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks 3 – Betty and Lennie’s Story (2013)The Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks 4 – Doctor Lazaro’s Story (2013)The First Three Weeks 1-4 – Omnibus Edition (2013)THE SIXTH EXTINCTION & THE FIRST THREE WEEKS SERIES OMNIBUS (A #1 Best Seller on Amazon UK Horror Short stories)The Sixth Extinction & The First Three Weeks 1-8 – Omnibus Edition (2013)The Sixth Extinction & The First Three Weeks & The Sixth Extinction America 1-12 – Omnibus Edition (2014)The Sixth Extinction & The First Three Weeks & The First Three Weeks The Squads Stories & The Sixth Extinction America & The Seven Seeds of the Gods 1-23 – Omnibus Edition (2017)THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: THE FIRST THREE WEEKS – THE SQUADThe Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks – The Squad – Echo’s Story (2014)The Sixth Extinction Series: The First Three Weeks – The Squad – Coco’s Story (2014)THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: AMERICA SERIES (A #1 Best Seller on Amazon UK Horror Short stories)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part One: The Black Spores (2014)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Two: False Hope (2014)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Three: The Pods (2014)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Four: The Long Road (2014)The Sixth Extinction: America – 1-4 Omnibus Edition (2014)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Five: No Turning Back (2015)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Six: A Friend in Need (2015)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Seven: All Aboard (2015)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Eight: New Hope (2015)The Sixth Extinction: America – 1-8 Omnibus Edition (2015)The Sixth Extinction: America – 1-20 Omnibus Edition (2016)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Nine: Keep Running (2016)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Ten: Don’t Look Back (2016)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Eleven: Resurrection (2016)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Twelve: Alliance (2018)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Thirteen: Abandon (2019)The Sixth Extinction: America – Part Fourteen: Burn (Coming Soon)THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: BOOK EXTRASThe Sixth Extinction: The Seven Seeds of the Gods. Book One – Ancient Egypt (2016)The Sixth Extinction: The Seven Seeds of the Gods. Book Two – Ancient Mayan (Coming Soon)The Sixth Extinction: One Year On (England) (Coming Soon)The Sixth Extinction: Clarkson’s Discovery (Coming Soon)THE ENDLESS SERIESEndless: Part One – Sorrow (2019)Endless: Part Two – Fear (Coming Soon)Endless: Part Three - Anger (Coming Soon)THE EVENT SERIESThe Event: Part One – The Last Hope (2019)The Event: Part Two – Crashing Down (Coming Soon)THE HUMAN NATURE SERIES (A #1 Best Seller on Amazon UK Horror Short Stories)Lamb Chops and Chainsaws – Vol.1 (2012)Lobsters and Landmines – Vol.2 (2012)French Fries and Flamethrowers – Vol.3 (2014)The Human Nature Series 1-3 – Omnibus Edition (2014)Backpacks and Body Bags – Vol.4 (Coming Soon)THE EXTREME HUMAN NATURE SERIES (Extreme Horror Short Stories)Condoms and Cabbages (2015)GHOST (Short Stories)Sea of Trees (2017)Child Angels (2018)Tall Ghosts (2020)The Lost Cat (2023)HORROR (Short Stories)Quarantine (2020)Laugh Out Loud (2021)Secrets and Lies (2021)Blood Lotus (With Hathairat Phuekhiran – 2023)HORRORThe Watchers (2014)THE WAR OF THE GOD’S SERIESWar of the Gods 1 – The Devil’s Tarots (2012)War of the Gods 2 – Lilith’s Revenge (Coming Soon)THE SEVEN WORLDS SERIES (with Gary Johnson)The Gateway – World One (2014)The Keystone – World Two (2015)Even Jewel – World Three (2017)The Sleeping Gods – World Four (Coming Soon)The Turquoise Abyss – World Five (Coming Soon)Oceans of Fire – World Six (Coming Soon)Journeys End – World Seven (Coming Soon)THE SPELL OF BINDING SERIESThe Spell of Binding – Part One (2012)The Spell of Binding – Part Two (Coming Soon)THE PARKINGDOM SERIESParkingdom – Book One (2012)Parkingdom – Book Two (Coming Soon)OTHER BOOKSTales from the Lake Vol.2. Short Story: Prime Cuts (A mixed horror anthology with 18 other writers – published by Crystal Lake Publishing. 2016)Books released under the pseudonym J.G. NewtonEROTIC PLEASURES SERIES (#1 Best Seller on Amazon USA and UK Erotic/Suspense)Guilty Pleasures: Erotic Pleasures Series (2014)Dirty Pleasures: Erotic Pleasures Series (2014)Secret Pleasures: Erotic Pleasures Series (2014)Kinky Pleasures: Erotic Pleasures Series (2014)Erotic Pleasures Series 1-4 – Omnibus Edition (2014)EROTIC MONSTERS SERIES (#1 Best Seller on Amazon USA and UK Erotic/Suspense/Horror/Humorous)Frankenstein’s Monster: Erotic Monsters Series (2014)Dracula’s Lover: Erotic Monsters Series (2014)Mummy’s Desire: Erotic Monsters Series (Coming Soon)Werewolf’s Lust: Erotic Monsters Series (Coming Soon)COMPUTER GAMETHE SEEDGlen Johnson is on the development team as the lead writer (eight writers) for a new computer game series called The Seed. The Seed is a story-driven post-apocalyptic video game set in Eastern Europe in 2026. It’s a single-player 2D interactive novel, deeply rooted in HEXACO psychology – it showcases the gravity of choice. It’s by the same team that created the award-winning game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Misery mod.The Seed: Act 1 (2018)The Seed: Act 2 (Coming Soon)The Seed: Act 3 (Coming Soon)If you need to get hold of Glen Johnson, email him on: [e-mail]

Book preview

Part One – Outbreak

(Set in England)

and also

THE SIXTH EXTINCTION

THE FIRST THREE WEEKS SERIES

(Set in England)

and

THE SQUADS FIRST THREE WEEKS SERIES

Echo’s Story

(Set in England)

Prologue

A mass extinction, or scientifically named The Sixth Extinction, is also referred to as the Holocene Extinction – the Holocene epoch is a period of time from present to around 10,000 BCE – where a large number of extinctions span numerous plants and animals, including birds, amphibians, arthropods, and mammals.

Four hundred biologists were interviewed in 1998 by New York’s American Museum of Natural History. Seventy percent believe that the world is in the grip of a human-caused mass extinction. They believe that if left unchecked twenty percent of all living things could become extinct by 2028. One famous biologist, E. O Wilson believes that if humans continue to destroy the biosphere, then half of all species on the planet will be extinct within one hundred years.

Almost nine hundred extinctions have been recorded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources since the 1500s. However, that is just a drop in the ocean, according to the scientific species-area theory; it estimates that one hundred and forty thousand species are becoming extinct every year.

The main reason for the hundreds of thousands of extinctions, which is speeding the sixth extinction along, is due to one mammal – the homosapien. Without intervention, the human race will cause the next mass extinction.

However, it would seem that Mother Nature has a way of making sure that one species does not overpopulate and dominate her planet at the expense of everything else. Viruses and plagues are her way of culling and controlling.

Part Five – No Turning Back

1

Bonnie, and the others

Outside the container on the road

Just outside New York City

The truck sat motionless on the road. There was no movement. Everyone was holding their breath. The first person to fire would give their location away, and the flare from their barrel would be a target, like a lit up Christmas tree.

The darkness was almost complete. Even though she couldn’t see a thing, Bonnie moved through the night as if she was aware of everything. Her anger heightened her senses. Adrenaline pumped through her body like electricity.

A gun hasn’t been fired in a couple of minutes, which seemed to stretch into hours. The tension in the air was almost static.

Bonnie dropped down and moved away from the back of the metal container and headed to the side of the road. The air was much cooler outside the stuffy metal box.

The soldiers who had ambushed them ignored the sound of the chain dropping to the ground, possibly presuming it was a ploy to get them to fire their weapons.

Bonnie sidestepped the thick chain.

The clouds blocked out the moonlight. It started to rain. She could hear it pattering against the metal roof of the container. The sound gave her a sense of how far she had traveled. Within only a minute the pattering turned into a torrential downpour. The smell of wet loam and grass filled her lungs. She missed the smell of normality. As of late she only smelt fetid, stale air, and death. She had become accustomed to the smell of a dead body.

Anger boiled through Bonnie like a supernova. The loss of her brother had ignited something deep inside her. He was all she had left. He was always there to protect her, even from their own father. Now he was gone, taken by the foul creatures that ravished the world – the new dominate species that would wipe humanity away. Mankind’s time is over.

She couldn’t do anything about the infected, but she could help with the soldiers by attacking them. In a roundabout way, it was because of them Juan was dead. Their interfering and cruelty had caused them to lose many of their numbers – Juan, Phyllis, Abigail, Cody, and soon Jessica. They had a lot to answer for, and she was in the mindset to dish out some hurt. It wouldn’t bring her brother, and the others back, but by god, it would make her feel a lot better, and be damned to whatever happened to her. What was the point of living anyway. Life would be empty and pointless without her brother, and she reasoned, if she left to join him now, maybe whatever happened next, they could accomplish together. The saying ‘Live together, die alone’ rang through her mind. She didn’t want to go out like Cody – selfishly. She wanted to join Juan, but in doing so she could help the others out in the process.

Her bare feet moved along the dark asphalt of the road, as rain danced up off the surface, and ran down her slender ankles. It also ran down her face and into her mouth and eyes. She started shaking. She didn’t care. It will soon be over. She didn’t remember taking her shoes off. The road was cold and hard on her tender feet. She shivered, but she didn’t know if it was from the cold or from the adrenalin pumping through her.

Bonnie’s hand reached for the concealed knife. It was one she stole from the dead body of the soldier who tried to rape her. She hid it away, so she never had to worry or fear she would be forced to do something against her will again. She was small and weak, but the knife gave her comfort. It felt reassuring to hold the handle.

Too many times in her life she felt like the victim. Too many times she felt helpless. It was time to turn the tables. Time to step up, and standup for herself. Time to be the one dishing out the pain, rather than being on the receiving end for a change. The tables had turned.

She gripped the knife so hard her knuckles turned white. It would come in useful now. Her last act in this sick, cruel world. Soon, due to the infection there would be no one left anyway, just the undead creeping over the landscape until they pitched forward and turned to dust. If she left now maybe she could get into heaven before it filled up. She reasoned the soldiers were evil. It was a kindness taking one of their souls. She would be rewarded for her service. She knew Frank would agree with her.

She had left Frank leaning over the body of Jessica, muttering a pray for her departed soul. The crash into the object on the road had finished her off. She had lost a lot of blood. The crash twisted the metal in her leg, ripping her festering wound, splintering the bone further as they were all slammed around against the metal walls.

The rain poured down making her look like she crawled from the ocean. Her hair was plastered against her pale face. She could taste the ozone in the air, as if lightning was about to crack open the ground beneath her feet.

In a flash of sheet lightning, the road lit up. She could see a man directly ahead. He was concentrating on the direction of the jeep. He stared down the barrel of the machinegun, oblivious to her mere meters away, stood like a vengeful statue.

She guessed there must be men attacking them due to the crash and gunfire. The lightning had confirmed her theory.

The sky resorted back to darkness. The image was burned into Bonnie’s mind. Every ounce of her strength was concentrated on the man who was intent on killing them all. All her sadness, loss, loneliness, and most importantly, anger rose inside her bubbling to the surface. She raised the knife and ran the remainder of the distance as she muttered, I love you, Juan. Wait for me, I’m on my way.

2

Doctor Bachman, Peter, and Emma

The main science block

The underground bunker

Quirauk Mountain, Pennsylvania

Bachman led the way. He held the axe with both hands, ready to swing it at a moments notice. Blood and gore filled the rooms and hallways. Chunks of hair with brown bile and shit gathered in fetid pools. Long streaks were smeared through the carnage. He was glad of the gasmask that saved him from the worst of the smell. However, the bottom of the one-piece Nomex jumpsuit, above his rubber boots was soaked through with browny-red sludge. His feet squelched through the pools of rancid body fluids.

All these people. All the lives ended prematurely. So much death and violence.

He waded through the remains of people who were just doing their jobs.

Emma and Peter followed closely behind. Emma held a metal chair leg in one hand, while Peter carried a medium sized fire extinguisher.

They all made better progress without the bulky hazmat suits. They felt liberated.

As they moved through the building they kept looking out the windows, as the pods gathered the remains of the humans into groups that were led away towards the large elevator. The vast swirling cloud of spores up near the towering, arched ceiling was growing bigger with each passing minute, as more lines of black clouds trailed from broken windows to join it. From a distance it looked like a swarm of black insects – a biblical plague brought to life.

After everything he witnessed, there was no doubt in his mind these creatures were sentient. The spores could have raced off ahead, but they waited. Also, the pods wouldn’t be herding everything to the large industrial lift if they didn’t know how, or were confident they could operate it.

Bachman removed the radio from the outside of his suit, and carried it in his pocket – it may come in useful if there was anyone left alive outside. As of yet he hadn’t had time to try and reach anyone. The first chance he got he would hand it over to Peter to see if he could raise someone. He wasn’t very hopeful, if Peter could get through to the army barracks outside, he would have already done so, or at least tried. It was a localized device made for simply communicating between departments.

As they reached a new door, without knowing what the room or corridor held waiting, they would have to slow down. So far all they found was death and destruction. Everything was painted in hues of reds and browns. From the body parts remaining and the mess that covered the floor, walls, and ceiling, it was hard to tell how many had been killed. They were yet to find another living soul.

Bachman realized that if they did somehow survive getting to Zone 12, and also killing the creatures, while managing to lock themselves away inside the bunker, they would be left with the remains splattered everywhere.

One thing at a time, he reasoned. Blood and body parts are the least of our worries. He couldn’t help his analytical mind, when he was nervous it started kicking out random problems, to distract him.

Their destination was one zone away in Zone 12. They hoped they would be able to use Mary, the bunkers supercomputer to readjust the Furnace, and destroy the creatures and spores before they reached the surface. The only problem with the scenario is, they had no idea how to accomplish their objective. They would have to wait until they reached the computers main control room and then work it out from there. First, they had to reach it without being spotted and turned into one of the horrific zombie-like creatures.

Bachman stopped suddenly and knelt behind an upturned desk. Emma was quickly by his side. Peter was all elbows and knees as he awkwardly hustled up besides them.

What is it? Peter asked through the mask, which made him sound distant.

Shhhh! Emma reprimanded without turning to him, just giving him a hushing wave of her slim hand. Peter annoyed her. It was obvious, this moment called for silence – they just rushed to crouch down behind a desk, why did he think they would do that if there wasn’t a problem?

In the distance, coming through a blood stained doorway that hung on one hinge, was a pod that was leading the remains of some humans, which had tentacles lashing about, and insect-like legs clicking on the tiled floor, as they followed closely behind, filling up one end of the room directly ahead.

3

Captain Stitt

On the side of the road

Just outside New York City

Stitt’s cold, wet face was pushed up against the side of his weapon, as he concentrated down the barrel. He was waiting for just one muzzle flare and he could finish what he started with the ambush truck.

He had heard the chain drop, which he presumed was from the back of the container. If they thought a simple trick like that would get him to open fire they were mistaken. He would wait for hours if necessary.

He had served two tours in Afghanistan, and on one assignment, when his group had been pinned down, he lay in the same location for three days. Mere minutes or hours was a walk in the park.

He was intrigued as to why anyone would climb from the safety the back of the container held. What good would walking around in the dark accomplish? Surely they weren’t suicidal. He knew what weapons they stole when they made their escape. So he knew they had automatic machineguns and hand guns. He presumed the people up in the trucks cab and in the jeep would be carrying the weapons. Why give someone locked away in the container a weapon?

Then the scream pierced the air.

Jackson was hollering in pain, which soon turned to a wet gurgle. A flash of gunfire came from his location, lighting up the bushes around him, as if there had been a lightning strike.

Jackson was locked in what looked like a lovers embrace. A figure held onto him as they moved from side to side. Then darkness filled back in. Silence followed.

Shit! There’s someone sneaking around. They got Jackson.

In his haste to exit the town that was crawling with the infected, and start chasing the people who had ruined his dream, he didn’t pick up any infrared night goggles.

Had they? Did one of them have a set on, and were stealthily moving around in the darkness, hunting us?

Jackson was silent.

Dead?

Maybe they cut his throat from behind, or gutted him like a pig?

The image was just a flash. He wasn’t sure what he saw.

Stitt was suddenly aware of every sound around him. The sound of the rain hammering against the metal of the vehicles, and through the foliage, and pattering against the road.

He was alone. In one way or another – mainly through pure luck – they had systematically cut down all his men.

The odds were stacked against him. He was angry, not stupid. If he fled, he would fight another day.

You’re time will come, and I will be there waiting, he muttered. Slowly, without making a sound, he backed off into the wet undergrowth.

4

Terrance, Lindell, Troy, Alex, and the others

In the truck and jeep

Just outside New York City

Terrance stood behind the powerful machinegun. His ears strained to separate the sound of the rain from everything else. It was hard, due to the rain pinging off the metal of the jeep, and echoing along the top of the large container – a constant droning sound.

His hands were numb with the cold, as the rain washed down over his body. He dared not remove them, even to wipe the water from his eyes.

There couldn’t be that many of Stitt’s men left. If the truck was the only transport they had, they could possibly fit eight or so grown men in. However, he knew some men lay dead back at the farmhouse and in the field. They could be facing as many as six or so, or as little as two or three. He was sure that during the gunfire he had only counted two barrel flares.

Would Stitt be stupid enough to attack us with just one other man on his side? Then again, he didn’t seem like the most stable person.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, there was a scream.

What sort of trick is this? was Terrance’s first thought.

Then a gun went off, lighting up an area across the road in the bushes.

It looked like two people were dancing in the pouring rain.

He didn’t fire because he was confused.

Is it a trick, a ploy to get us to fire in reply?

Silence followed, with just the sound of the torrential rain and the dull crack and rumble of thunder in the distance.

With what felt like hours later, Terrance could hear someone crying softly.

Shit!

It sounded like a female.

He heard the chain rattle at the back of the container, but he hoped it wasn’t due to someone trying to get out, but rather someone inside making sure it was secure.

Terrance strained his hearing. He decided it was definitely someone crying. It was also in the same location the two people seemed to be fighting only moments before.

It could be a trap?

Could one of the others have climbed out of the container? That was just stupid. Why would there?

The crying became louder, followed by loud sobs.

I’m so sorry Juan. Please forgive me, the voice said through the darkness.

Terrance climbed over the side of the truck and jumped to the ground.

That was Bonnie’s voice. What has she done?

The fear from the soldier’s was replaced with worry for the teenage girl that had just lost her brother.

For fuck sake, I hope she didn’t do something stupid?

There had been no gunfire from the location on the other side of the road. He hoped that due to the commotion they had fled, and were not there waiting for someone to give their location way.

He had no choice. If Bonnie was injured he had to help her – he didn’t think about it, he just moved into action.

Lindell must of realized what Terrance was doing, because he climbed into the back of the jeep and took up guard behind the powerful machinegun.

Fuck it! Lindell muttered. He wasn’t going to have his brother running around as a target. He flicked a switch. A powerful searchlight flashed on towards the other side of the road.

Lindell quickly scanned the bushes where the other gun flare originated. His finger twitching on the cold trigger.

No bullets peppered the side of the jeep.

Either the person was hiding or gone.

Confident no one was going to take a shot at him he swung the light around towards the direction Terrance ran.

He could see his brothers hunched form in the hammering rain, as he cradled the limp, fragile body of Bonnie in his arms.

5

Doctor Bachman, Peter, and Emma

The main science block

The underground bunker

Quirauk Mountain, Pennsylvania

"Jesus, there’s so many of them," Peter muttered.

Emma put a hand on Peter’s leg and gave it a hard squeeze, digging her nails right in. She hoped he would understand the meaning – Shut the fuck up, you are going to get us killed!

The end of the large room was filling up with the creatures. The pod was to one side, as if waiting for them all to catch up before continuing. It hustled around, touching a tentacle here, a severed spinal cord there, and tapping a armored leg. It herded them into a tighter group.

Bachman looked around. There was no other exit, apart from the one they entered through. The creatures would