Emergence by AJ Sikes

Author:AJ Sikes [Sikes, AJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Post-Apocalyptic | Horror | Infected
Publisher: Great Wave Ink Publishing
Published: 2019-02-26T05:00:00+00:00

— 17 —

Upper East Side, Manhattan

With the two new firefighters, a man and a woman, safely inside, Rex helped Meg ratchet the shutters closed. Every creak and groan of the metal door was like an explosion in Meg’s ears. The firefighters they’d just welcomed told them to close the door as quietly as possible.

“They’re attracted to noise. Or sounds of any kind really,” the woman had said the instant she was inside. Her partner took the mask off while she introduced them. Her name was Rachel Beal. She was a few inches over Meg’s 5’ 8” frame and from her high, broad shoulders, Meg figured the woman was an athlete. Her dark skin and feline features made Meg think of her cat, Biggins.

She let the memory go and shook Rachel’s hand.

Rachel’s partner was almost a carbon copy of Rex, except his name was Jason Weekes and his hair was blond instead of red.

“Jason, Rachel,” Meg said. “Welcome to our little corner of hell.”

They both nodded their thanks before Jason filled everyone in on the situation outside.

“The Army and Marines are pulling back to Manhattan Island. They’re supposed to blow the bridges—”

“What?” Rex shouted. “They can’t do that. My folks are down in Brooklyn.”

“If your families… If any of your families are in the city, they’re probably safe. The military’s been really good about evacuating affected areas.”

Meg wondered if Jason’s definition of really good matched hers. How many husbands and neighbors did the military think it was okay to lose before they downgraded really good to not so hot? Or just plain shitty?

“You’ve seen this?” Meg asked, feeling the burn of anger and frustration finally boiling over. “The evacuations, I mean. Because I have. I was evacuated from my home. They had to kill my husband first, though. He’d become a monster and killed a cop, and our neighbor and his wife. He would have killed me next if they hadn’t shot him.”

Neither Jason nor Rachel had anything to say. They, and everyone else, just stared back at Meg as she felt the hot tears flowing down her cheeks. Finally, Abeer stepped forward from the group.

“I am sorry for your husband,” Abeer said. “My husband’s name was Abdallah. The soldiers had to shoot him. I miss him.”

Meg nodded and wiped her tears. “Thank you, Abeer.”

“I don’t mean to ignore anyone’s suffering,” Rachel said. “But we have to secure this place. The front door is wide open, and those lockers aren’t going to hold them for more than a minute at best. I’ve seen them fight and move. They can climb—”

“I know!” Meg shouted and then put a hand over her mouth, remembering the monsters were attracted to sounds. She pulled in a sob, dropped her hand, and bowed her head. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Distant gunfire echoed through the city outside. It sounded like a popcorn maker out of control at first, but Meg quickly realized what it was.

“That’s the Army,” one of the survivors said. “It has to be. They’ll save us.

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