Ferine Apocalypse (Novella): 4 Hours by John F. Leonard Page B
Authors: John F. Leonard
Tags: Zombies
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focus on the mission. Deal with the here and now and deal with whatever followed when it presented itself.
“Look Sonny, I’m not happy about leaving her with that crackpot lunatic. Weird Wayne is off the fucking scale in my opinion. But what am I gonna do? We can’t bring her with us. Putting it bluntly, she’s a liability.”
Pearcey didn’t have time for this conversation.
Not there, standing in the open with the clock ticking and threat lurking in the lengthening shadows.
“When this is over, I’ll try and get him some counselling. How about that? If I can find a psychiatrist without fangs and claws. Right now we have to attend to the matter in hand. Let’s worry about your daughter before we start fretting over somebody else’s.”
He glanced at Sonny and detected anger in his eyes, in the set of his jaw.
“I’m sorry man, I don’t mean to be an arsehole. But we don’t have the time apart from anything else. I don’t intend being stranded out here at night and if you haven’t noticed, there isn’t much sun left in the sky. But let’s forget about night time creeping up on us, if that bastard drives off while we’re having a cuppa in your flat, we’re fucked. Hunting round for another motor is the last thing I want at this point.”
The objection remained on Gallagher’s face but he nodded and didn’t speak.
Pearcey was grateful for that at least.
<><><>
They approached Lancaster Court at a cautious jog.
Pearcey wanted to move more slowly, but compromised at a steady trot.
He knew the creatures were sensitive to sound.
He was more or less convinced that they were alerted by motion as well. So gradual movement seemed the best option. Less potential for noise and less likely to create a visual signal.
He was pretty sure that it was a sound theory.
From what he’d seen in this brief spell in the field and from what he recalled from the presentation in the CIMC shelter.
The now blissful shelter, back across the river, buried beneath well-known streets. A place he detested and never expected to spend any time longer than the occasional orientation visit in the course of his work. Now it was a safe haven.
Sanctuary from a world that was determined to kill him.
And none of it mattered.
He and Gallagher were on the stopwatch. He could theorise as much as he wanted, but the choices were limited by circumstance.
Sometimes every choice was a bad choice.
<><><>
They skirted the bodies and avoided the glass. When they saw it. Sometimes it was easy to miss in the weirding light.
Pearcey felt like his nerves were stretching.
Tight and ready to snap.
Halfway across the grass, he became aware of a change in the light. The sun was dropping, but it wasn’t that. There was an orange glow rising above the houses that surrounded the block of apartments.
The fire they’d left behind was coming their way. Catching them up like the car that just won’t quit.
Pearcey didn’t know how that affected things.
It wouldn’t be good.
There was no way that it would be good. That was for sure.
None of this had been good and he didn’t see any reason to think that it would change.
Plenty of things were changing, but his luck didn’t appear to be one of them.
<><><>
Gallagher guided them to a door at the rear of the block.
A coded lock that he opened at the second attempt. His fingers nervous, hitting the wrong buttons.
A small, gloom filled space that felt more industrial than domestic.
A concrete staircase. Leading up into more gloom.
Emergency lights that were nearly no light at all.
The power had failed.
Of course it had. The world was drowning in a sea of flame and claws, why would there be electricity.
Maybe it was for the best. Whatever they did here was best kept between them. Better it be done in darkness.
Gallagher took the lead. His turf, he knew the way.
<><><>
The creature seemed to fall on them.
They were a little way past the first landing.
Pearcey was dimly aware of
“Look Sonny, I’m not happy about leaving her with that crackpot lunatic. Weird Wayne is off the fucking scale in my opinion. But what am I gonna do? We can’t bring her with us. Putting it bluntly, she’s a liability.”
Pearcey didn’t have time for this conversation.
Not there, standing in the open with the clock ticking and threat lurking in the lengthening shadows.
“When this is over, I’ll try and get him some counselling. How about that? If I can find a psychiatrist without fangs and claws. Right now we have to attend to the matter in hand. Let’s worry about your daughter before we start fretting over somebody else’s.”
He glanced at Sonny and detected anger in his eyes, in the set of his jaw.
“I’m sorry man, I don’t mean to be an arsehole. But we don’t have the time apart from anything else. I don’t intend being stranded out here at night and if you haven’t noticed, there isn’t much sun left in the sky. But let’s forget about night time creeping up on us, if that bastard drives off while we’re having a cuppa in your flat, we’re fucked. Hunting round for another motor is the last thing I want at this point.”
The objection remained on Gallagher’s face but he nodded and didn’t speak.
Pearcey was grateful for that at least.
<><><>
They approached Lancaster Court at a cautious jog.
Pearcey wanted to move more slowly, but compromised at a steady trot.
He knew the creatures were sensitive to sound.
He was more or less convinced that they were alerted by motion as well. So gradual movement seemed the best option. Less potential for noise and less likely to create a visual signal.
He was pretty sure that it was a sound theory.
From what he’d seen in this brief spell in the field and from what he recalled from the presentation in the CIMC shelter.
The now blissful shelter, back across the river, buried beneath well-known streets. A place he detested and never expected to spend any time longer than the occasional orientation visit in the course of his work. Now it was a safe haven.
Sanctuary from a world that was determined to kill him.
And none of it mattered.
He and Gallagher were on the stopwatch. He could theorise as much as he wanted, but the choices were limited by circumstance.
Sometimes every choice was a bad choice.
<><><>
They skirted the bodies and avoided the glass. When they saw it. Sometimes it was easy to miss in the weirding light.
Pearcey felt like his nerves were stretching.
Tight and ready to snap.
Halfway across the grass, he became aware of a change in the light. The sun was dropping, but it wasn’t that. There was an orange glow rising above the houses that surrounded the block of apartments.
The fire they’d left behind was coming their way. Catching them up like the car that just won’t quit.
Pearcey didn’t know how that affected things.
It wouldn’t be good.
There was no way that it would be good. That was for sure.
None of this had been good and he didn’t see any reason to think that it would change.
Plenty of things were changing, but his luck didn’t appear to be one of them.
<><><>
Gallagher guided them to a door at the rear of the block.
A coded lock that he opened at the second attempt. His fingers nervous, hitting the wrong buttons.
A small, gloom filled space that felt more industrial than domestic.
A concrete staircase. Leading up into more gloom.
Emergency lights that were nearly no light at all.
The power had failed.
Of course it had. The world was drowning in a sea of flame and claws, why would there be electricity.
Maybe it was for the best. Whatever they did here was best kept between them. Better it be done in darkness.
Gallagher took the lead. His turf, he knew the way.
<><><>
The creature seemed to fall on them.
They were a little way past the first landing.
Pearcey was dimly aware of
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