Afflicted

Sniffing started at the rear doors. Something big was inhaling and exhaling quickly as it tried to find us.

I wanted to scream so I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep the silence. Everyone recoiled towards the back of the van and someone knocked a stack of boxes over. The muffled crash was quickly followed by an excited howl from right outside.

Someone grabbed

my hand in the darkness but I couldn't tell who.

The wolves started scratching at the rear doors, excited to have located some prey.

I pulled my cellphone from my pocket and used the light to illuminate the small space. There was no way to get through to the cab of the van.

We were trapped.

Chapter Twenty

Lincoln

Kai’s words still rang in my head as I gunned it down the highway, heading for Orville. ‘Acceptable losses to contain the contamination. Collateral damage.’ No one was going to help them; they were being cut off. I had to find Katy before it was too late.

The bright morning had dulled into a gloomy afternoon. Grey clouds rolled in, covering the sun and making it seem almost as if night had fallen early.

Most of the traffic on the highway was going the other way; fleeing the chaos rather than racing towards it. Adrenaline started to build in my veins, preparing me for what I was racing towards. I'd been in combat zones more than once, but I doubted anything I'd done before would prepare me for what I was heading in to.

The satphone started ringing from the seat beside me. I let it ring out. It rang again and I cursed as I answered, putting it on speaker.

“What now?” I'd lost patience with my team. They should have told me about the plans to abandon Orville and the surrounding area sooner. I could have done more to help Katy. I could have been there already,

“Stop driving!” Kai yelled. I could hear Santos and Hawker shouting in the background too. The chaos almost made me obey him but I couldn't risk wasting any time.

“I have to help them,” I growled. “I know you don't understand but that doesn't mean-“

“Just listen to us and stop the damn truck!” Hawker shouted over me.

My foot eased off the accelerator at her tone. I'd never heard Hawker raise her voice like that, let alone at one of her superiors.

I was almost at the bridge which led to Orville across the river. There was no other crossing for miles apart from a few footbridges which the locals used when hiking in the forest. Smoke billowed above the town in the distance.

“Why?” I demanded as the truck started to slow.

“Because-“

A jet tore across the sky above me, the sound building steadily as it roared overhead. I craned my neck as it took a sudden turn and fired two missiles.

I slammed my foot on the brake as the bridge exploded ahead of me in a huge fireball.

The brakes squealed as the wheels locked up and I was thrown into my seatbelt. I yanked on the steering wheel, sending the back wheels skidding out to the right as I careered towards the empty space where the bridge used to be.

The truck came to a halt a few meters from the edge and the jet ripped through the sky overhead as it raced away again.

I fumbled with my seatbelt and shoved the door open as I staggered out of my truck.

I stared at the sagging metal supports and moved towards the edge until I was looking down at the raging river below. It swirled and churned under the weight of the lumps of concrete it had just consumed.

My mind whirled and raced as I tried to figure out what had happened. Two words sprang to mind. ‘Collateral Damage.’

There was no other road which crossed the river for miles. It would take me hours to drive around, presuming the other bridges were even still standing.

I lurched away from the edge and marched back to my truck, flinging the door shut behind me as I climbed in. I grabbed the satphone from the passenger seat and glared at it angrily.