Nightstalkers: The Extinction Event Anthology by Jasper T. Scott

Author:Jasper T. Scott
Format: epub

Chapter Eleven

After about fifteen minutes of flying over the seemingly endless, overgrown wastes of San Antonio’s moldering suburbs, the helicopter reached the Bexar Safe Zone. High walls of corrugated metal sheets guarded the perimeter of what used to be downtown San Antonio. Ramshackle wooden guard towers were erected on the roofs of nearby buildings, and ramparts ran along the walls with Rangers pacing along their length.

Like most safe zones, Bexar was built around the old core of the city to take full advantage of high rises for their defensibility. Stalkers could tunnel under a safe zone’s walls, or find a way into its sewers, but the stairwells of apartments and office buildings were easily barricaded to protect their inhabitants at night. Far more easily, anyway, than the windows and doors of old wooden homes.

The helicopter set down in a relatively empty parking lot between the mayor’s office and city hall.

As the steady thumping of the rotors died down to a whistling whine of fading engine noise, Major Hunter ripped off his headset and stood up. “Let’s go.”

Adam removed his headset and grabbed Bowser’s rope leash before handing it to Crystal. He followed the major out with her and Connor right behind him. Carla, Sophie, and Emily came next, with the latter two still noticeably distraught over Owen’s death. A pair of Rangers were the last ones out, keeping wary guard from the rear.

Adam squinted against the glare of mid-afternoon sun as he followed Major Hunter across the sun-dappled asphalt to a simple two-story building with a restaurant on the corner. The side that contained the mayor’s office was guarded by a pair of Rangers in combat fatigues. The guards adjusted their stances and their rifle barrels drifted up as Adam and the others approached, but at the sight of the major they appeared to relax.

One of the men saluted and came to attention as Major Hunter stopped before him. “Sir!” he said.

“At ease,” Hunter replied, returning the salute. “We’re here to see Mayor Ellis.”

“He’s in his office, sir.”

“Good.”

The guards pulled the doors open, and Major Hunter led the way in. Bowser lifted his leg against a tree on the sidewalk, leaving a steaming puddle of piss in their wake. Adam lingered, waiting for him to finish.

“Hey, you can’t take that animal in here,” one of the Rangers warned.

Adam scowled but nodded to Crystal. “Tie him to that tree.”

She looked horrified.

Bowser regarded him with drooping jowls, then started panting relentlessly.

“He needs water. And food,” Crystal objected.

“So do we,” Sophie growled.

The second Ranger softened. “I can give him some water from my canteen, but he’s gotta stay out here.”

“We can stay with him,” Connor offered as Crystal cupped her hands and the Ranger poured water into them for Bowser to drink.

“Fine,” Adam sighed. He turned and hurried through the open doors to meet the major inside a familiar-looking office space.

The building was well-lit with a handful of glaring overhead light fixtures that added to the muted glow from the curtained windows. Eight

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