D Maxwell - Resistance - An Extinction Cycle Novella

“No need for that now or ever hopefully.” Grace opened a box and held out a water bottle. “There’s food in here as well.”

Luke placed his weapons on a table and the others did the same then pulled out chairs and passed the box around.

Grace sat down and rested against the back of the chair. “We were concerned that one of you might have been exposed to the infection so we prepared this room for all of us. We’re quarantined for forty-eight hours.”

“We’ve laid out mattresses and made them up. Females over there. Males over there.” Luke pointed to two corners of the room. “There are spare clothes and bathing supplies in the bathrooms and enough food and water for two days. Although there’s more in the kitchen.”

Without warning Grace began shaking. She fell forward, resting her head on her arms on the table.

“Grace!” Luke yelled and started to get up to help her.

She held up a hand. “It’s just the adrenaline wearing off.” She tried to laugh but couldn’t. “And, total and complete terror.”

The cadets smiled. Sabrina giggled, and the others began laughing, at first softly, then muffling the sound as tears ran down their cheeks. After several minutes they stopped and one by one slumped back in their chairs.

“Holy crap, I’ve never been so scared in my entire life,” Damien said, and laughed again.

“Hell, I can’t believe we’re still alive,” Stephan said. “What the hell are those things?”

Neal shook his head. “I was so scared I think I need to change my pants.”

“Did anyone else notice how hard they are to kill?” Sabrina asked.

Mark nodded. “I swear I emptied an entire magazine into one and it kept charging me.”

Sabrina sat forward. “They were all around us. Where did they all come from?”

Grace sat up. “We have a lot to tell you about what’s going on but the first thing to remember is that these things are contagious.” There would be time enough tomorrow to tell them what they’d decided had happened. After watching the news they’d decided that an enemy of the United States had attacked with a biological weapon. The knowledge that anyone could do such a thing enraged all of them, and personally Grace hoped the infection had reached whoever had done this and destroyed them as well.

Luke stood up. “We did great today. We accomplished our mission and we’ve earned some rack time. This building is secure and everyone knows the locations of the bathrooms. We’ll have two people on guard at all times in case someone turns. We all know what has to be done. I know I don’t want to be one of those things. I’d rather be put out of my misery. Now, if something, or someone, tries to get in Security will notify us and we will maintain a silent presence.”

Grace set her empty water bottle down. “It may be only oh seven hundred but I’m exhausted and I’m going to take a nap. Wake me if anything happens.”

Forty hours later, Grace led all six of the cadets onto the elevator and pressed the down button.

The moment she opened the doors, Megan and Sherry ran forward and hugged everyone. “We’ve missed you all so much.” She stepped back then waved at the three newcomers. “Hi, Sabrina. Hi, Stephan. Hi, Damien. We fixed sandwiches, salad and chocolate pudding. It’s in the dining area this way.”

They followed her and she pointed to the buffet. “I have to get back to security but I’ll see all of you in the morning.”

“I’ll cover security. You stay and visit,” Neal said.

“I’ve slept all day so I’ll join you and we’ll keep watch until oh four hundred,” Sherry said. She and Neil grabbed some food and bottles of juice and left.

Megan sat down. “I can’t believe you all made it.” She smiled even though tears ran down her face. “It was so scary watching you and not being able to help.”

Luke sat down next to her and hugged her. “You did help by being our security line.”

They ate and visited for thirty minutes then Megan began cleaning up the buffet and putting the leftovers in the fridge.

“Thank you, Megan,” Grace said.

Luke climbed to his feet. “I’m going to talk to John and Sherry first.”

“You know where the sleeping dorms and the shower rooms are located. The linens are in the lockers next to each bunk. There’s also a cupboard stocked with the Academy sweats, socks, slippers and deck shoes in the utility room between the two dorms.”

“Thank goodness,” Sabrina said. “We didn’t have time to grab anything before we ran.”

“Sherry and I already have bunks, and so does John,” Megan looked at Grace and Sabrina. “I’ll help you make up your bunks if you like.”.

Grace smiled at the young teen. She was always willing to pitch in. “I’m going to turn off all the lights in the shelter but I’ll leave a nightlight on in the galley and shower rooms. Tomorrow I’ll make sure everyone has a flashlight.”

Forty minutes later, Grace adjusted the temperature of a shower and stepped beneath the steamy spray. Standing there, head down, she sent a silent prayer of thanks for Mr. Manning.

May 3, 2015

GRACE AND SABRINA were on duty watching the cameras when one of the creatures crashed through the branches of a tree to the ground. It lay there, writhing. Its body jerked and spasmed as blood flowed from its eyes and ears. It opened its mouth and blood spewed from its puckered lips as it howled. It appeared to be dying a tortured death and it made her sad. It had once been a human, someone’s child. The thought brought tears to her eyes. Another creature fell, followed by another and another, until the entire area she could see was covered by dying creatures.

The first creature stopped moving, but the others continued to suffer until one by one they lay still, the surrounding snow stained with blood that was more black than red. Seeing, and realizing, how many of them had surrounded the building frightened Grace, and she gave thanks once again for Mr. Manning’s planning.

“Sabrina, go get the others.”

Sabrina nodded, but didn’t move. Grace looked at her and saw tears running down her cheeks. She hugged her, patting her shoulder. “It’s horrifying, I know, but at least now they’re at peace.” She felt Sabrina draw in several deep breathes as she tried to regain control. Finally, she nodded and moved back.

“I’ll get them,” she said and left the room.

Several minutes later the cadets gathered around the monitors, pointing out creature after creature.

“Gross,” Sherry said. “Look at all the infected gore.”

“What’s killing them?” Megan asked.

Grace shrugged. “I don’t know. They just started falling from the trees and dying.”

“Damn, that means they’ve been there all along and we didn’t know it,” Luke said.

Grace nodded. “I wish we had audio. Maybe we’ve missed the sounds of planes flying over us. From now on we need to watch the views of the sky that we have on the cameras.”

Stephan turned on the television and flipped through the channels getting static on all stations. “No broadcasting. Not even civil defense.”

Luke scanned through the radio frequencies and was about to give up when he picked up a station that faded in and out.

“It sounds military.” Mark moved closer, taking a knee by the radio.

The room grew quiet as they listened and tried to make out the words.

Luke handed a paper and pen to Sabrina. “Log these words—depletion. Survived. Evolving. Dangerous. Longer contagious. Countryside. Variants.” The signal faded again and this time he couldn’t get it back. “Damn it. That’s it.” He looked at Sabrina. “Read the words back one at a time.”