CATHARSIS 2066 by McGoings David

Author:McGoings, David
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Published: 2022-12-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 29

Fair Warning

Location: Washington, DC, Helix 09

Date: January 2066

“S

low down and catch your breath…breathe, that’s it.” Cooper tried to calm Amelia, but her panic attack had already asserted itself.

“S-sir…we saw something. It-it was big…tall, at least seven feet.”

Cooper held up a hand. He noticed that the rest of the team was silent and now listening in on their conversation in the middle of the common room. If she continues, he thought, it may start panic among the rest of the residents.

“Not here…” he whispered. He glanced over at Rex, who was still catching his breath just in front of the bunker’s hatch that led into the tunnel system and he gave him a slight nod. “Follow me.”

He helped Amelia to her feet and took her backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. He led them to his office behind the armory and Rex shut the door behind them, setting down his gear.

“Here. Sit and get your shit together.” Cooper slid a chair out in front of his desk and motioned for Amelia to sit.

Rex took a seat on a stool next to the door and lit a cigarette.

“Cooper…they’re here. We saw something,” Amelia said between breaths.

“Okay, I understand that. Describe it to me, spare no detail,” Cooper said.

“Sir, it was tall, pale…and, quite frankly, alien.”

Cooper rubbed his beard, glancing at Amelia, then Rex. “Rex, can you confirm?” Rex gave a slow nod and blew out a plume of smoke but said nothing. “Okay, tall, pale… alien. Go on, what else?” Cooper leaned in, gripping the edge of his desk he now sat on.

“It was huffing what looked like steam. I think it was at least. When it saw us, it ran. Its face…” she paused. “I couldn’t make out its face, but it was definitely not human. It was humanoid in form, only taller.”

Rex walked over to Cooper’s desk and picked up a glass ashtray and tapped his cigarette. “Sir, it was big. Quite frankly I’m relieved it ran. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Shit…” Cooper muttered, now pacing the space in front of his desk. “If we can’t navigate those tunnels freely, it cuts off our supply chain to the other bunkers. How certain are you that this thing wasn’t just some—”

“I’m certain, Coop—it wasn’t human. Not a chance,” Rex said while he read the label on the back of a bottle of Jack Daniels. He collected three small glasses from a shelf and clanked them down on the desk. “We’re in over our head’s here, Coop.” Rex poured some of the brown liquid into the glasses and slid one over to Amelia. “You deserve a drink. You held it together nicely out there. Drink, it’ll calm your nerves a bit.”

She stared at the glass and picked it up. Her hand trembled on its way to her mouth, and she winced as it went down. “We have to warn the guys at Siphon. They’re headed here soon,” she said with a frown. “I left a radio with Derrick and Thomas, but reception is a bit hit or miss down there,” she added.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.