Fast by Shane M Brown Page B

school?’
                Vanessa shook her head, hanging up the receiver. ‘No, he had a class excursion to the rec reserve. He would have been there.’
                ‘The rec reserve is on the west side, right? So he had to cross the habitation level to get to the evac center.’ Coleman remembered the carnage of people moving across the pedestrian loop. Was David in that?
                ‘Yes. They would have cut across the northern section of the loop then past the cinema and the big eatery to reach the tunnel entrance. What is it like up there? Is anybody hurt?’
                The Marines all swapped glances, but they waited for Coleman to answer.
                ‘Yeah, Vanessa. Lots of people are hurt. Lots are dead. Hundreds, maybe. We walked into a full-scale massacre. I didn’t see David.’
                Vanessa’s mouth gaped open, speechless.
                ‘That’s because he made it,’ said King quietly. ‘He’s in the evac center.’
                ‘How do you figure? asked Coleman.
                ‘She just said he would have come through the north section of the loop,’ King explained. ‘We were just there, and there wasn’t a single body. Everything was still intact. The creatures were drawn to our skirmish in the south. Anyone passing through the north would have had a pretty clear run.’
                Forest was nodding his head. ‘That’s right. And Harrison and Sullivan were herding everyone through there. No way they left kids behind. Not an option.’
                They’re right,’ said Coleman, sorry he wasn’t clear-headed enough to have seen it himself. We might have saved his life without me even realizing it. Trying to help those people probably helped David reach safety.
                Vanessa still looked unsure. ‘This Harrison, would he have left anyone behind in the panic?’
                All four Marines shook their heads emphatically.
                Coleman knew Harrison well. ‘Never. Harrison wouldn’t leave anyone. He’s got David. I’m sure of it.’
                Vanessa slumped against the wall. ‘Thank God for that. David’s very competitive, like his father. He would have tried to be first to reach the evac center. So what now? Tell me what’s going on here.’
                Coleman quickly assessed their surroundings. They were in the outer security antechamber of the corridor that provided access to the research level. There were three exits: the elevator behind Coleman, the fire stairs on his right beside Vanessa, and the huge containment door across the room. The containment door had sealed shut. It looked impenetrable.
                He hadn’t forgotten about the creature that almost caught Marlin in the stairwell just two levels up. It could be heading down the stairs this very second, ready to burst into the antechamber. He made two quick hand-gestures. King turned his rifle to cover the elevator while Marlin and Forest took defensive positions covering the stairwell door.
                ‘Vanessa, move away from that fire door.’ Coleman waved his rifle towards the dead creature. ‘There’s one still in there probably.’
                Vanessa pushed herself away from the wall and crossed to the dead creature. ‘I sent the elevator to the basement. The fire extinguisher should distract those things a few minutes.’
                She squatted beside the messy remains. Coleman joined her. This was the first time he’d seen a creature up close and not moving. Lying on its side, it looked as big as a horse.
                ‘So what is it?’ tested Coleman. ‘Where’d they all come from? An experiment?’
                Vanessa shook her head. ‘I’ve never seen these things before. They’re no legitimate part of any