Sabrina gasped and pointed a shaking finger to an area beneath the trees. “Look, oh my gosh, what are those things?”
“Hell fire,” Grace said, “Is that what the creatures have become?”
“It looks like they’ve grown an exoskeleton,” John said.
“They look sort of like scorpions but much, much bigger,” Sabrina said.
The creatures’ arms and legs had evolved. The arms now had pincers tipped with long, blood-crusted talons where the hands used to be. Another pair of legs had grown out of their sides giving them six limbs. They skittered across the campus, sometimes running over each other, their movements so rapid it was nearly impossible to keep track of them. Their necks had thickened and lengthened, allowing them to swivel their heads nearly 360 degrees.
John pointed to the creatures swarming Rogers’ truck. “Well, at least now we know they’ll go into the sun for food.”
“I never liked Rogers but even he doesn’t deserve this,” Megan said.
The creatures climbed over the sides and top of the truck. Several stopped and looked through the windows. One raised its head and sniffed the air.
Rogers pushed the door open and staggered out. The monsters gathered around him, several of them actually running their talons over his body before they scurried back to the trees. Rogers shook his head and stumbled away.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” John said. “Why didn’t they attack him?”
“I don’t know but look where they went.” Luke pointed to the trees. “They’re all around us.”
Grace stood up. “We need to move supplies into several rooms just in case he, or they, get in here.”
Luke stood at the end of a table. “We’ve all seen the footage of what happened today with Bruce Rogers. I believe there’s only one conclusion we can reach—he’s collaborating with the monsters in some way.”
“I agree but I wonder where Hilda Baker is now? She was at his cottage the night of the attack,” Sherry said
“She spent every night at his cottage,” Sabrina said.
“She’s probably dead,” Megan said.
“I agree. I doubt if he would’ve protected her,” Luke said. “First order of business, what rooms are we going to stock with food and water?”
“I say the security room for sure,” Stephan said. “And, Grace’s office.”
“Agreed,” Luke said. “Any other suggestions?”
“The dorms and the armory,” Sherry said.
Megan picked up a pen and began writing. “We need to move other things as well. Mattresses, blankets, clothes, flashlights and medical supplies.”
“If we decide they might get into this level, then we’ll fight our way to Grace’s car and get out of here. Mark and I will plan two evacuation routes along with destinations,” Luke said.
Damien pushed his chair back from the table. “Okay, we have a plan. Let’s get busy.”
Three hours later they’d moved supplies into four areas of the shelter—the upper kitchen, Grace’s office, the storage room and Security.”
In the dining area, Grace set out a platter of sandwiches and a large bowl of salad.
Once they settled at one of the tables, Luke said, “We’re going to spend the next three days gathering intel, practicing advancing, clearing rooms, and fields of fire.”
“I’m too old for this and these boots are killing my feet,” Grace said with wink.
Sherry laughed. “But, Grace, they’re so fashionable, and I have to say those cammies make you look twenty years younger.”
Grace laughed. “That would make me eleven and too young to be in the military”
Luke laughed. “Then, speaking as your commanding officer, it’s past your bed time.”
Grace clapped her hands and stood up. “Thank, goodness. When I’m awake all I think about is sleeping.” She smiled. “When chow is over if you’re not on security duty then get some rack time.”
Luke chuckled. “You’re picking up our lingo, Grace.”
“Oo-rah,” she yelled and walked out of the room.
“Grace, wake up,” Megan said.
Grace put her arm over her eyes and squinted, protecting her eyes from the beam of Megan’s flashlight. “What time is it?”
“Oh three hundred, but that doesn’t matter. I was fiddling with my phone and I found a text from Maggie Fisher’s cell phone that she sent the night of the attack.”
Blinking to clear her eyes, she asked, “Jefferson Mitchell’s girlfriend? I thought she was with him when the creatures attacked.”
“She was,” Megan said.
Confused, Grace sat up on the side of the bunk and ran her fingers through her short blond hair. “What does she say?”
“Actually, its from Jefferson. He typed that he’s hiding in the attic and he demands that we help him.”
“Did he say if anyone else was with him?” Grace asked.
“No.”
“Have you told Luke and John?”
“Not yet. I wanted to tell you first and have you go with me to tell them.”
Sherry sat up. “If you two are trying to be quiet, you suck at it.”
Megan turned to her. “I just found an old text from Maggie’s cell phone.”
“I heard you the first time,” Sherry said. “Let me see it.” Megan handed her the phone. She read the text. “Thank goodness you didn’t see this before. Jefferson can’t be trusted.”
“A text wouldn’t go through now, anyway. The towers are all down,” Megan said.
Sherry threw back the covers. “Let’s go talk to Luke and John.”
“We might as well get dressed,” Grace said. “By the time we discuss this it will be time to get up anyway.” She pulled off her gown and slipped into her clothes then placed the M9 in a holster Grumbling, she headed for the door with Megan and Sherry a few steps behind her.
Luke was already standing in the door watching them approach.
“Megan and Sherry, you’re going to spend part of today learning how to move quietly,” he said, then asked, “What’s up?”
“We’ve got a problem,” Grace said. “Show him, Megan.”
Megan held out her phone. Luke took it and read the text. “Holy crap! Do you think he’s still alive?”
“Hopefully not,” Sherry said. “If anyone deserved to die that night it’s Jefferson. He harassed the others into staying with him and then it looks like he saved himself.”
“The electricity went out ten days ago. How have they stayed warm? What have they been eating and drinking?” John asked.
“I don’t buy it,” Luke said. “Jefferson wouldn’t save anyone but himself.”
Sherry nodded. “Too bad we can’t see the dorm from here. The attic has dormer windows, we might be able to see into it with binoculars.”
Grace glanced at her then stared at the computer and snapped her fingers. “There is a way to see if we can figure out how to use it.”
“What do you mean?” Luke asked.
“There’s a program on the computer that shows every inch of the campus including every hallway and room. Mr. Manning told me Mr. Edgar had it installed and to be careful what I did on campus. I don’t know how to find it on the computer.”
Luke pointed to John. “Get Mark.”
John left and Megan followed him.
“Why Mark?” Grace asked.
Luke smiled. “He can hack just about any system. If anyone can find it and get into it, he can.”
Megan returned, dragging two chairs behind her. “Have a seat, Grace.”
“Thanks, Megan.” Grace yawned and sank into the chair while wondering how military people survived without sleep. Her eyelids were drifting down when John returned with Mark and all the other cadets including Sabrina. They dragged chairs along with them.
Mark sat down at the computer and began typing while the others arranged their chairs around the perimeter of the room.