For a moment, the world became eerily silent. Each of my footsteps echoed off the walls around me, and I could literally hear my feet squeak across the linoleum as I turned down each hallway.
As soon as I realized how quiet it was, that’s when the world around cracked and then boomed. A deafening blow rang through each hall, enough to drop me to my knees. I was disoriented for a moment as the lights above flickered, rubble fell, and the whole core of Avalon shook.
Reaching up to my ear, I pulled my hand back down to see blood smeared across my fingers. Something had popped. I had no time to think about whether it was permanent or not. Standing back up, trying to move forward, everything was ringing. Shaking my head, I steadied myself on the wall and got the second wind I needed to keep moving.
Turning the final corner, I nearly gasped as I approached the pitch-black hallway leading to my room. The lights were completely knocked out, creating the kind of dark your eyes don’t quite adjust to. The kind where you never see the dead coming up on you until it’s too late… and I could hear them, lurking out there in front of the door to my room.
Another boom, although much lighter, could be heard bouncing around the hallways. At that point, it was clear to me. Gordon’s men had blown the final hatch and had pulled it off. The halls would be flooded with their men in moments. I knew Kyle wouldn’t have a choice. He’d have to pull the switch.
Glancing down to his grandfather’s watch, I could see that I had less than three minutes left. Time is such a relative thing. Sitting in a cold office waiting for beer thirty would turn minutes into hours. Sprinting through a cold dark hallway and being chased down by Death himself would turn hours into seconds.
Three simple rotations around a ticking watch. That’s what I had left.
Ducking down against one wall, I slowed my breathing and silently slid the nine mil into my holster. Reaching to my front pocket, I pulled the strobe light out, finding the switch on the side with my thumb. It wasn’t fitted for the nine mil, and I couldn’t aim worth a shit in the dark. From this point out, it would have to be my hammer and me if this thing didn’t work.
Practically walking on my tiptoes to get as close as possible without being detected, I could hear the creatures ramming into the door to my quarters. I had no idea how many there were, but their maddening, rapid moans had me nearly shitting myself at the thought of there being more than I could handle.
Just ten or so yards away from where I thought they were, I cautiously slipped my thumb over the switch, knowing the flash would need to be right in their faces. No getting around having to be up close and personal. No sneaking by. This was to the death, theirs or mine, and no matter the odds, I was getting to my son.
Lifting the hammer high up over my shoulder, with the strobe held in front of my chest, I had just feet, maybe inches, before I’d find out if my confidence matched my ability. Sometimes confidence makes up for lack of ability. Sometimes, it gets you killed. At least, I had the element of surprise.
Then Murphy’s Law kicked in.
“Chhh, John, we’re getting ready to hit the gas. You have two minutes.” Mia’s voice came from the speaker on my shoulder.
Shit!
The Zs stopped moaning, going completely silent. I could feel their red eyes looking directly at me before they all at once shrieked loud enough for even my bloody ear to hear them. Footsteps came charging at me in the dark. Now or never, I thought.
Flipping the switch, the strobe shot out bright. With each flash, they charged forward, seemingly in slow motion like a flip book that you’d let slowly slip through your fingers. All ten Zs moving a snapshot closer with each burst of light. There were men and women, even a small child charging toward me.
Flash! Nine still charging toward me.
Flash! A few dropped to the ground.
Nearly upon me. I started to step back, tripped over some debris on the ground and hit the ground hard. Lying on my back, another series of strobes went off, shooting directly at the ceiling as the shadows of the monsters edged closer. Pointing it back down the hall, I continued to pull myself in reverse as fast as possible with my free arm while kicking my legs frantically.
Squeezed into a small corner, I nearly closed my eyes as a final series of strobes dropped the last of the dead, just inches from my feet. Taking a deep breath in, I mashed the switch on the gun light to regular flashlight and looked down the hall. All of the Zs had dropped to the ground, violently convulsing.
I leaped to my feet.
With my hammer still drawn, I zigzagged around the twisting bodies. Hitting the door with my hammer, I screamed out, “It’s John, the Zs are down. Open up!” It didn’t matter if Gordon’s men heard me. Less than a single rotation left on the watch.
No answer. The fleeting thought that the creatures I’d just flashed were the very people I’d come to save passed through my mind. Not accepting that fate, I pounded the metal head of the hammer against the door once more.
“Open up!”
Footsteps were echoing down the hallways in the distance. Banging on each door as they methodically moved through Avalon, Gordon’s men were filling our home.
Standing at full attention, I stopped breathing before a creak came from the door. Letting out the breath, the door cracked open, exposing Claire’s fearful, yet beautiful eyes.
“Come on, no time!”
Pushing the door in all the way, I reached out to Deanna and pulled Tyler to my chest. Grabbing Claire’s hand, we started running down the hallway with Deanna and Olivia in tow. The cafeteria was just around the corner. Glancing down, I squeezed Claire’s hand as I realized the watch had passed the seven-minute mark.
A few more knocks in the distance, then I heard a gunshot, a man scream… then another series of gunshots. They’d found someone else hiding in their room.
“Come on, keep moving!” I nearly yelled.
Turning the corner, I peered down the hallway. The door to the cafeteria was closing automatically. The gas would be released in just moments.
“Go go go!”
Hearing me, Richards frantically tried to stop the door through the sliver that still remained open. However, it was too late, it was shutting and there was no override switch. We put on a last burst of speed.
Dropping the strobe light to the ground, I instinctively lifted my left hand forward into the crack of the door just before it shut. It would have to take my arm with it, but I wasn’t going to let it shut without Tyler in there. No telling how this gas would affect his lungs. I wasn’t going to chance it. Not for anything… not even my hand.
Coming to a grinding stop, the door halted its inexorable movement. I could hear the metal on metal sound of gears turning. My hand was being crushed, I was sure of it, but couldn’t feel a thing.
“Come on, get that thing open!” I could hear Richards yelling from inside.
A number of men were wedging their guns into the crack, edging it back open.
Just as it started to budge, a swishing sound started in the air above us.
“The gas, come on, get that thing open!” Richards yelled out.
Prying the door open just enough to squeeze through, I slid Tyler and Olivia through first.
The rest of us dove in, with Richards and the group forcing it tight and locking it before I’d even hit the ground. My heart beating out of my chest, I winced at the thought of looking to my hand. I was sure I was in shock.
Holding it out in front of me, I opened my eyes.
Everything was fine… except my wedding ring, which was slightly bent sideways.
Chapter 32
The truest test of any man is his ability to protect his family.