Nicholas Smith - Extinction Horizon

“We have work to do, Kate. You have work to do. There are still monsters out there.”

“I know,” Kate replied. “That’s why I need to get out of here. I need to get back to my lab.” Shaking in her restraints, Kate let her frustration show. “I’m fine. You can let me out of here now .”

Jensen shuffled to Beckham’s left side. “I’m sorry, Dr. Lovato, but you know better than anyone we have protocol to follow.”

“Screw protocol. I’m fine.”

Shaking his head, Jensen stepped away from the glass. “I’ll send a technician to check on you in an hour.”

He put a hand on Beckham’s shoulder and whispered something Kate couldn’t hear. Then the two officers were gone, their heavy footfalls fading down the hallway.

Beckham remained. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

She smiled. It was the picture of his mom.

“I’m going to put this right here,” Beckham said. Reaching down, he set the image on the windowsill. “Now you have your own guardian angel. You’re going to be okay,” he said. “When you get better, we’ll face this thing together.” He turned and looked down the hallway. “They’re taking the kid into surgery. I need to go.”

Kate nodded. “Wait,” she said. “Thank you, Reed.”

“No, thank you. For giving me the strength to get through my last mission,” he said, pointing at the picture. Then he rushed away, leaving Kate alone.

She stared at the image, thoughts drifting through her worried mind. She remembered Michael’s final words. “In order to kill a monster, you will have to create one.”

The Variants were those monsters now. The future wasn’t set, but Kate knew they were entering a new phase of human evolution. There were two versions of the human species now. The Variants would hunt the human survivors down to every corner of the earth. There would be no time to grieve, no time to rest. As long as they were out there, she had a job to do. She had to stop them before Michael’s theory came true.

She hadn’t believed him when he said that this could be the extinction event, or maybe she hadn’t wanted to believe him. But after two weeks of watching life hemorrhage around the globe, she realized that extinction of the human race wasn’t just a possibility, it was on the horizon.

Thank you for reading Extinction Horizon . I hope you enjoyed it. If you would take a few minutes to leave a review I would be very grateful. The success of a book isn’t just measured by sales—it’s measured by the quality and quantity of the reviews. Reviews don’t just help others decide whether to spend their quality time and money on a book, as an author—they help me improve my work. I take reader feedback very seriously, as it helps me put out better and more enjoyable books. If you do write an Amazon review, please email me at greatwaveink@gmail.comand I will add you to a list of advance readers for Book II, Extinction Edge . You will receive a free early e-copy in return for an honest review on Amazon. It’s the least I can do to thank you for reading my work.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith is the author of several post-apocalyptic books and short stories. He worked for the State of Iowa for nearly 10 years before switching careers to focus on his one true passion—writing. When he isn’t daydreaming about the apocalypse he’s likely racing in triathlons around the Midwest. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa with his family and several rescued animals.

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Copyright 2014 by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

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Solar Storms (An Orbs Prequel)

White Sands (An Orbs Prequel)

Red Sands (An Orbs Prequel)

Orbs

Orbs II: Stranded

Orbs III: Redemption

Extinction Horizon

Extinction Edge (March/2015)

Extinction Age (Fall/2015)

The Biomass Revolution

Squad 19: A Short Story

A Royal Knight: A Short Story

Copyright November 2014 by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

All Rights Reserved

Cover Design by Creative Paramita

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Edited by Aaron Sikes

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events locales or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.