《Drifters》 Prologue Personal log of Dr. Viktor Blackwell October 10th, 2027 I should have never said ¡®yes¡¯ to Wolf¡¯s offer to buy my company. Easy for me to say now when I¡¯m not begging investors for cash. But if I had known his intentions regarding my idea, I would have immediately rejected his offer. Yesterday started just like a normal day. Dr. Patel and I were in the lab, analyzing phase shift differentials and cross-referencing quantum signatures from previous drift cycles. In three years, since we established the Drift, we have covered around 0.04% of the multiverse¡ªand it¡¯s only my rough estimate. No one knows how many universes are out there, and that¡¯s fine. Mapping the multiverse is an arduous task, and I always insisted that quality was more important than quantity. If we cover even ten percent of the multiverse by the end of the century (by ¡°we¡± I mean whoever will inherit my work), I still think it would be a success. Wolf had a different opinion. From day one since he bought my company, he was asking if there was a way to make things go faster. I always said no. What¡¯s the rush? We still do not know how to enter the multiverse, let alone traverse it. But the risks of doing it fast were far too big. The Drift isn¡¯t just a window¨Cit¡¯s a beacon, too. Only a fool would use it without encryption. We carefully masked every scan and every cycle, blending them into the natural background noise of the multiverse fabric to ensure no one would see us. Yes, we were mapping the multiverse. But we were also hiding from it. Strip the security layer out and you can ramp up detection tenfold, maybe even a hundredfold. But that would mean broadcasting our presence with every sweep. It¡¯s like shining a flashlight into the darkness. And no one¡ªnot me, not Patel¡ªknew what might look back. But Wolf didn¡¯t care about it. He showed up in the lab in the afternoon with Trenton, his right hand, and four men I had never seen before. Each one carrying a gun. ¡°Games are over,¡± he said, pushing me aside from the control panel. ¡°If you can¡¯t do what I need from you, I will do it myself.¡± Dr. Patel tried to stop him, but Trenton hit her in the stomach with his rifle butt, and she fell to the floor, gasping. ¡°You try to stop me, and the Colonel will kill you both,¡± Wolf said, not even looking in my direction. The man, so charming during all those meetings prior to the deal, turned into a maniac. One of his men grabbed me by the collar and pushed me on the floor, next to Dr. Pattel, who lied on her back, staring at the ceiling. She still couldn¡¯t take a breath and I could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She probably had the same regret as me about selling to Brandon Wolf. But I will never know what she was thinking¡ªtwo hours later she died from internal bleeding on the same floor of the lab we had built together. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°You¡¯re too slow, Viktor, too slow. What have you found, huh?¡± Wolf said, standing behind the control panel, stripping away layer after layer in our encryption. His eyes were fixed on the blue surface of the portal and, at this moment, he looked like a madman. I had never seen him so agitated as on that afternoon. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Brandon,¡± I said, trying to reason with him. ¡°We don¡¯t know what is out there. There are millions of worlds. What if you contact something evil?¡± But he just shook his head. ¡°That would be better than waiting.¡± Then he looked me in the eye and said, ¡°You¡¯re a coward, Viktor. Your view of progress is outdated. Real scientific revolution requires courage, my friend. Courage and sacrifice. You should be happy that you have me.¡± With that, he disabled the last encryption layer; then he typed several commands into the terminal to initiate the broad scan. The portal flickered as the Drift harmonics destabilized, starting an unshielded quantum sweep. The system¡¯s safeguards screamed warnings¡ªsignal obfuscation offline, broadcast amplification at maximum! But he just silenced the alarms and sat in the chair as if he was in a cinema theater waiting for the movie to start. ¡°You¡¯re gonna destroy us!¡± I shouted and crawled on my hands and knees towards Wolf. If I had to beg him to stop this madness, I would do it. His men, however, wouldn¡¯t let me approach him. A heavy blow landed on my head and everything went black. When I woke up, I lay on the floor next to Dr. Patel. Her face was white, and her eyes were wide open, as if she¡¯d seen a ghost. Only she saw nothing because she was already dead. I closed her eyes with my hand and looked around. I don¡¯t know for how long I was out, but there was no one in the room except for me and Wolf. Trenton and his men were gone and Wolf stood by the portal, his eyes closed, as if he was meditating. My head was throbbing with pain from the blow, and I was sure I had suffered a concussion. The room swam before my eyes as I tried to stay conscious. ¡°Brandon,¡± I said in a raspy voice, but Wolf didn¡¯t even move a muscle, as if he was in a trance. And then I heard it. Or, better yet, I felt it. There was someone else in the lab room. Not physically. But I could feel its presence. It¡¯s impossible to explain, but I swear it felt like someone was staring at me from the portal. And this someone tried to talk to me. This someone was so distant and yet so close that I could probably shake hands with it. It could see me and it could see through me. And it wasn¡¯t shy. I could feel it rummaging through my mind, searching for something, searching for clues. Clues to what? A sudden realization came to me. The thing, the mind from the other side, was looking for a very specific thing. It wanted to know our location. Through the pain and lightheadedness, I crawled to the control panel, pushed Wolf to the side, open the lid of the emergency breaker and pushed it. It worked by injecting a high-frequency quantum disruption pulse into the drift field, collapsing the resonance cascade¡ªwhich effectively burned the portal. Push the button once, and you have to start everything from scratch. I put it exactly for such situations and had never used it before. The portal whined and shut down. ¡°No!¡± Wolf screamed, realizing what I had done. He jumped to his feet and rushed to the panel, trying to undo the shutdown. But it was too late. The Drift was no longer there. I am still surprised that he didn¡¯t kill me. Perhaps he was so shocked by what I had done that he just let me go. Not looking back, I rushed out from the lab that I had been building for so many years. The work of my life fell victim to one crazy man. I don¡¯t know yet if there will be consequences. Maybe it¡ªwhatever it was¡ªdidn¡¯t have enough time to locate us in the multiverse. I want to think that not. But I have a feeling we¡¯ll find out soon. I just hope that no one gets hurt. One Chicago, IL Jack Haley pulled into the driveway of his house and turned off the engine. He hadn¡¯t been home for two weeks, and even under the glow of the street lamps, it was apparent that the lawn needed mowing. He sighed. Work was a real pain. Too many field trips, too little time with family. Eventually, something in their family would break, if it hadn¡¯t already. He locked his old Toyota truck and walked up the porch stairs. He¡¯d come home a day earlier than he¡¯d told Susan, thinking it would be a pleasant surprise. Things weren¡¯t great between them lately, and somehow, he thought this might cheer her up. But now, standing at the door to his own house, he suddenly knew he¡¯d been a fool. He should have just told her he was coming home early. Why these stupid games? He turned the knob and stepped into the house. The house was warm and smelled of aromatic candles. Susan¡¯s voice was coming from the living room. Shit. He definitely should have told her. She was likely hanging out with one of her female friends. ¡°Jack?!¡± Susan said, as he stepped into the living room. ¡°I thought you were coming tomorrow.¡± She was sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee in her hands. And Jack had been right¡ªshe wasn¡¯t alone. Only her visitor wasn¡¯t a female. ¡°We finished earlier than expected,¡± Jack said, his eyes shifting to Susan¡¯s guest. ¡°Tom? Didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± ¡°Hey, Jack,¡± Tom Brown said, rising from the chair. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Jack wasn¡¯t the jealous type, but it was odd to find another man in his house, especially on a day when he wasn¡¯t supposed to be home. ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± he said, walking to the fridge. ¡°You all right, man?¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good.¡± Tom nodded enthusiastically. He was still standing, as if unsure whether to sit back down or leave. ¡°Time flies, man.¡± Jack grabbed two beers from the fridge and wagged one in Tom¡¯s direction with a grin. ¡°You want something stronger than coffee?¡± ¡°Nah, man, I am going to bounce,¡± Tom said, glancing at Susan. He placed his coffee cup on the magazine table. ¡°I¡¯ve already overstayed my welcome.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Jack asked, and shrugged. ¡°Well, more beer for me, I guess.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you off,¡± Susan said, standing up, but Tom raised his hands in protest. ¡°No, no! It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll find my way out. It was good to meet you, Susan. Jack.¡± He nodded at Jack before hurrying out of the room. Jack followed him with his eyes and took a sip of beer from the bottle. ¡°Funny guy.¡± ¡°Jack, please! If you want to have an argument, don¡¯t act like you¡¯re not bothered.¡± She jumped up from the sofa and marched into the kitchen, coffee cups in hand. ¡°Why should I care?¡± Jack followed her. ¡°He¡¯s just your old classmate, right? I mean, you used to date him in high school, but whatever!¡± Susan turned to him. ¡°I ran into Tom at the supermarket and invited him over for coffee. You have no reason to be jealous.¡± Jack stepped closer to her. ¡°I¡¯m not jealous. But¡±¡ªhe set the beer bottle on the counter and placed his hands on Susan¡¯s shoulders¡ª¡°it¡¯s weird seeing him in our house on the night I¡¯m away. Supposed to be away,¡± he corrected himself. ¡°Well, perhaps you should be home more often,¡± Susan said, and gently removed his hands from her shoulders. ¡°Is that what this is about? My job? I¡¯m a private contractor. I go where I¡¯m called.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard it so many times,¡± Susan said, shaking her head. ¡°Sometimes I feel you never left Atlas.¡± ¡°I left Atlas for this family.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not with your family!¡± She walked to the sink and started washing the cups. She was doing it to hide her tears. He knew that. He also realized it was better to leave her alone for now. They could talk later in bed¡ªor tomorrow morning. He sighed. If he was honest with himself, he had no reasons to be mad. Yes, he worked hard to keep them afloat, but this hard work was damaging their family. Maybe it was time for a simpler job. A zookeeper in Chicago or a landscape designer¡ªit didn¡¯t matter. Just a job that didn¡¯t take him across the country five days out of the week. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it later, all right?¡± No answer. Silence. Only the sound of running water from the tap. ¡°I¡¯ll go say hi to Lisa,¡± he said, leaving the kitchen. Susan didn¡¯t respond, but as he walked away, he could have sworn she glanced at him over her shoulder. Two Polaris-8 Research Station, Axelson Glacier, Northern Greenland The blizzard outside was getting worse. Albert Miller checked his cup and saw there was no coffee left. It didn¡¯t surprise him. This morning, he was the first to wake up in the entire station¡ªit was his turn to recalibrate the sensors outside. On top of that, he felt a little sore, like he was coming down with a bug, which only made his morning worse. ¡°Hey, Richardson,¡± he asked his partner. It was just him and Richardson in the control room this morning. ¡°You still got coffee in that pot?¡± He pointed to the coffeepot on Richardson¡¯s desk. ¡°Help yourself,¡± Richardson said, passing him the pot and turning back to his screen. Miller noticed pictures of the aurora borealis on his monitor. The photos looked fantastic. ¡°Did you take those?¡± Miller asked, sipping the warm coffee. He didn¡¯t feel like working. Here in the Arctic, nothing warmed you up better than a cup of coffee and a friendly chat. ¡°Yep, just last night. You didn¡¯t catch them, did you?¡± Miller leaned back in his chair. ¡°Nah, I had to get up early to recalibrate the sensors. Besides, I¡¯ve seen enough auroras in my life. You kind of get used to them, you know.¡± He glanced at his screen and nearly choked on his coffee. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Richardson asked. He didn¡¯t even turn his head. Miller slid closer to his desk, put the coffee cup down, and stared at his screen again. The seismic sensor he¡¯d recalibrated that morning was sending strange signals. ¡°Check this out. This signal from the sensor¡ªwhat on earth? It¡¯s like it¡¯s coming from¡­ right beneath the ice.¡± Richardson swiveled his chair over and shrugged. ¡°Yeah, looks weird. For all I know, it could be a glitch. Did you reset the baseline data?¡± Miller closed his eyes and groaned. ¡°Shit,¡± he cursed. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Well, here¡¯s your answer,¡± Richardson said with a pitying smile. ¡°Doesn¡¯t take long to fix, right?¡± ¡°No,¡± Miller replied, rising to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll go reset it now.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll make more coffee in the meantime.¡± ¡°Yes, please!¡± Miller said, leaving the control room. He headed toward the gear room, muttering curses under his breath. He couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d made such a rookie mistake¡ªnot resetting the baseline data was seismology 101. What the hell was he thinking? Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Must be the bug, he thought as he geared up and exited the station. Colds didn¡¯t happen often up here in the Arctic¡ªafter all, there were only six people in the station with no outside contact¡ªbut viruses had a way of doing their nasty work, even in these conditions. They made good people like Miller lose their focus. Miller descended the stairs and scanned his surroundings. The blizzard was getting worse, and theoretically, he should have stayed inside. But he couldn¡¯t leave things as they were. It was his mistake, and he had to fix it¡ªeven if it meant freezing his balls off twice in a single day. He pulled up his hood and started toward the sensor. The damn thing was located 300 feet south of the station, marked by a three-foot-tall pole. Miller marched forward, watching his footing and only occasionally glancing at the pole. He knew the more you stared at your destination, the longer it seemed to take to get there. In the Arctic, things didn¡¯t always work the way they did elsewhere. Miller stopped abruptly and strained his ears. He thought he¡¯d felt a strange trembling. Had he imagined it? Aside from the wind and the rustling of snow, it was eerily quiet. Shaking his head, he resumed his march. Maybe he needed a hot cup of tea, some honey, and a good sleep. With every step, the virus seemed to gain a stronger hold over him. Finally, the sensor came into view. Miller kneeled, picked it up, and brushed the snow off its surface. Strange. The readings looked normal, and the green LED on the side showed no malfunctions. He shrugged. Flipping the device over, he pressed the reset button on its reverse side. One¡­ two¡­ three¡­ four... On the count of five, the device beeped. He flipped it back over and checked the screen: Baseline data successfully reset. Good. Now the damn thing should work properly¡ªat least until the next recalibration. Miller rose, ready to head back to the station. Then he felt it again. A faint trembling, as if the ice beneath him was shifting. A thought struck him. What if the sensor hadn¡¯t been lying? What if those signals were real microquakes? He cursed under his breath. This was all Richardson¡¯s fault for throwing him off with that reset question. He should¡¯ve consulted someone more senior regarding the readings¡ªnot Richardson, this freaking wannabe-photographer. Now he was freezing his ass off in the middle of a blizzard. Miller cursed again and started back toward the station. The blizzard had already covered his footprints, but the station was visible ahead. As he trudged through the snow, he was thinking about what had just happened. Earthquakes in Greenland weren¡¯t rare, but they usually occurred near the coasts. Their station was nearly 200 miles inland. That left only two possibilities: either it was the movement of the glacial plate (which would be odd for this time of year), or¡­ it was something else they¡¯d never encountered before. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the ice beneath him trembled again¡ªmuch stronger this time. Miller lost his balance and fell flat on his stomach, hitting the ice beneath the snow and splitting his lip. Great. Just great. He spat blood onto the snow and lifted his eyes. The ice in front of him had cracked, revealing a gaping hole in the ground. That was definitely not normal. As he scrambled to his feet, something caught his attention¡ªa movement in his peripheral vision. Slowly, Miller turned his head and froze. Something was climbing out of the hole. Miller knew every animal native to the Arctic, but this¡­ this wasn¡¯t an animal. In fact, it didn¡¯t resemble anything natural at all. It looked like a monster from a horror film. The only difference was that this thing was real¡ªand it was moving toward him. Miller screamed. The blizzard swallowed his scream. Three When Jack entered his daughter¡¯s room, Lisa was sitting at her desk, doing homework. An open laptop, scattered pieces of paper, a cup of tea, and fancy headphones over her head¡ªin that light she could easily pass for a first-year college student working in a coffee shop. Thirteen years old wasn¡¯t a joke. ¡°Hey, sweetheart,¡± he said, gently closing the door behind him. ¡°Hi,¡± Lisa replied, barely glancing at him. From that angle, she reminded him of Susan. Same hair, same profile, the same tightly pursed lips she made when focused¡ªor when she was mad at him. ¡°I missed you,¡± Jack said, walking behind his daughter and placing his hands on her shoulders. ¡°You pissed Mom off,¡± Lisa said. She still didn¡¯t look at him. There was a time when she would jump into his arms the moment he entered the house, begging him to play hide-and-seek or some other game, and Jack would gladly oblige. But as she grew older, and Jack spent less and less time with her, the fun had dwindled. He couldn¡¯t even remember the last time they¡¯d done something together¡ªjust the two of them. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Jack sat on the edge of Lisa¡¯s bed to see her face. ¡°Listen, Lisa. I know you¡¯ve heard everything, but¡­¡± ¡°You missed my recital this week,¡± she interrupted, pointing to a guitar in the corner. ¡°Are you going to miss my birthday next week, too?¡± ¡°No, no way,¡± Jack said, moving closer to his daughter. He took her hand and kissed it. For the first time since he¡¯d entered the room, she looked at him. ¡°Look, whatever happens between Mom and me is temporary. I¡¯m going to make it up to both of you.¡± Lisa sighed. ¡°You promise?¡± ¡°I promise,¡± Jack said, kissing her hand again and smiling. ¡°So, what do you want for your birthday? Please don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a pony.¡± Lisa put on a mock-surprised expression. ¡°How did you know?¡± she asked and laughed. There were only a few things in life worth living for, and his daughter¡¯s laugh was one of them. It was the laugh you¡¯d expect to hear on every corner of heaven¡ªif heaven even had corners. Jack stood up. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t distract you anymore. Good night.¡± ¡°Night, Dad,¡± Lisa said, slipping her headphones back on. He kissed her on the top of her head and walked toward the door. Before closing it, he glanced back at her one more time. Lisa was typing something on her laptop, her head swaying rhythmically to the music. She was alone in her own world¡ªa world where, soon enough, neither he nor Susan would have access. And that was okay. But Jack wished, more than anything, that the moment would never come. He gently closed the door. Four International Seismological Center, Vienna The hum and beeping of the equipment in the monitoring room always put Felix Baumgartner in a meditative state. Not that it made him sleepy, but it felt as if the world outside the room ceased to exist and he was the only survivor¡ªtasked with monitoring readings from hundreds of thousands of earthquake sensors around the globe. The massive electronic world map on the wall before him, dotted with LED lights marking sensor locations, only heightened this impression. Even though Felix wasn¡¯t the last survivor, he was still doing an important job¡ªa very important job, in fact. There were roughly fifty to a hundred earthquakes per day worldwide, and it was critical to keep track of them. Most registered at a magnitude of 2.5 or below and were often imperceptible. But they were still earthquakes and needed to be accounted for. The work, however, was easier than one might think. There was no need to stare at the map without blinking¡ªnot for someone with Baumgartner¡¯s level of expertise. After ten years on the job, he knew exactly when to focus and when to relax. This morning was one of those quiet days, and Felix sat in his chair, sipping hot vanilla-apple tea and flipping through an old travel magazine he¡¯d grabbed from the center¡¯s library. A faint beep from the sound panel mounted on the world map caught his attention. Without haste, he finished reading the sentence and glanced at the map. The signal was coming from Northern Greenland. Baumgartner set the magazine down and checked his computer. His brow furrowed. Greenland wasn¡¯t immune to earthquakes, but it wasn¡¯t a hotspot either. Yes, earthquakes happened there, but they mostly clustered along the coast. This one was nearly 200 miles inland. There was also something else that was strange about the earthquake¡ªits frequency¡ªnearly 85 Hz. Far higher than typical earthquakes. Such high frequencies indicated a shallow quake, caused not by tectonic plate movement but by processes near the surface. In Greenland, this often meant ice quakes. And ice quakes didn¡¯t happen in winter. He considered calling O¡¯Brian, his colleague in Ireland, but thought better of it. Was the signal weird? Yeah, definitely. Was it too weird to call O¡¯Brian? No. Felix sighed, marked the event in the software, and leaned back in his chair. It was time to relax again. But even before he could read another sentence, the sound alarm chimed again. Then again. And again. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. And then¡ªall alarms were chiming at the same time. Felix slowly rose from his chair, staring at the map in disbelief. He¡¯d never seen anything like this in his life. The map lit up like a Christmas tree. Hundreds¡ªno, thousands¡ªof alerts poured in, an avalanche of earthquake notifications. New York, Bogot¨¢, Moscow, Berlin, Tokyo, Mumbai, even Vienna¡ªand countless smaller towns and villages. There wasn¡¯t a single lamp on the map that wasn¡¯t blinking. Felix pulled his chair closer to the computer, silenced the alarms, and began scrolling through the endless notifications. This had to be an error. What other explanation could there be? It was impossible for the Earth to be undergoing millions of¡­ He rubbed his eyes. Shallow earthquakes. They were all shallow earthquakes, just like the one in Greenland. He had to notify Hamilton, the station¡¯s director. He reached for the phone, but his hand froze in the air as he heard noises coming from the hallway. The center was a quiet place¡ªfootsteps, occasional laughter, maybe music, when somebody was throwing a retirement party. But screams? No. Baumgartner rose and walked toward the door. The noises grew louder¡ªrunning, shouting, crying. He hesitated. Should he open the door? Something told him he shouldn¡¯t. If it was a terrorist attack, he could lock himself in and wait it out. But what if there was a fire? Felix opened the door and stepped into the corridor. People were running, screaming, some even sobbing as they fled toward the exits. But there was no smoke, no flames, no armed assailants. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Felix muttered, scanning the chaos. In the crowd, he spotted Anderson, a senior scientist from the data analysis department. Anderson¡¯ face was red and his shirt clung to his overweight frame as he struggled to keep up with the others. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± Felix tried to grab him, but Anderson pushed him away, sending him into the wall. ¡°Get away from me!¡± Anderson shouted without even looking at Felix. Fucking moron, Felix thought, trying to remain calm. Why everyone was running? Should he run, too? And then he saw it, at the far end of the hallway. A creature burst through the corridor, its massive body barely clearing the walls. Its black, jagged scales glistened in the fluorescent lights, with each spike along its spine scraping against the ceiling, as it hunched on all fours, moving as a predator chasing its prey. Felix ran, but maybe it was too late. The creature was fast and was already looming over him. He could feel every muscle, every bone, every tendon of his body as he ran. He was even sure that he had torn some muscles. It didn¡¯t matter. He was running for his life. Behind him, he heard the guttural snarl and the clicking of the creature¡¯s claws against the tiled floor. He wanted to scream, but the scream got stuck somewhere down his throat. And then Felix turned his head and saw that the predator behind him lunged. It was the last thing he saw in his life. Five Jack lay on the couch in the living room, staring at the ceiling. He was tired after driving all day, but he still couldn¡¯t close his eyes. After the argument, Susan had asked him to sleep downstairs. Just one night. He hadn¡¯t resisted. What was the point? His marriage was falling apart before his eyes and fighting back would only shatter it faster. And Lord knew, he didn¡¯t want this family to break apart. Sixteen years. That¡¯s how long they¡¯d been together. Which, if he was honest with himself, was surprising, given that the first hints of trouble had been there from the very beginning. He was twenty-six, fresh out of a postgraduate program at Berkeley, and just starting at Atlas¡ªa part of the United Nations Environmental Protection organization¡ªwhich was actively recruiting young talent from top universities. It was his first actual mission: six weeks in the Amazon rainforest to monitor and document illegal deforestation. He was excited. Na?ve, but excited. It all sounded too good to be true, too much like something straight out of a movie: traveling the world, saving the planet, fighting bad guys. Maybe even meeting the girl. Susan was a last-minute addition to the team, substituting for the Atlas photographer who had fallen ill. ¡°I don¡¯t do expeditions,¡± she said, dragging a massive camera bag behind her as they boarded the plane to Manaus. ¡°Then why did you sign up?¡± he asked, helping her fit the bag into the overhead bin. ¡°Because I need money.¡± Although she hated almost everything about that trip, she never shied away from the work. Her photos captured the consequences of deforestation better than all of his data. ¡°You should join our team on a permanent basis,¡± he told her one evening in his tent as they were looking through the pictures she¡¯d taken during the day. ¡°Not going to happen,¡± she replied. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m a city girl.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you love nature?¡± She shrugged. ¡°If it¡¯s in my backyard, then sure.¡± They laughed. Three weeks in the jungle could either bring people closer or push them further apart. In their case, the three weeks had erased any barriers. He leaned over and kissed her. ¡°Careful,¡± she murmured against his lips. ¡°I¡¯m not signing up for more mosquito bites.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± he said and pulled her closer. One year later, they got married. Despite their differences, they got along well. Surprisingly well. No arguments, no jealousy, no tears. They were just a young couple with big dreams. She wanted to become a famous journalistic photographer, doing gigs for major news agencies. He was obsessed with the idea of saving the world, signing up for more remote and dangerous missions. Even his week-long absences couldn¡¯t drive a wedge between them¡ªespecially since Susan herself frequently traveled between states for commissions with local newspapers and websites. When they were both home, they simply enjoyed each other¡¯s company. The first crack in their marriage appeared three years later. Susan was in her last trimester of an (unplanned) pregnancy when Jack was assigned a short mission to the Maya Forest between Guatemala and Belize. His job was to help locals fight poachers targeting the jaguar population. Looking back, he knew he could have said no to Aria¡ªhis supervisor¡ªand asked for a job closer to home, maybe even in a neighboring state like Wisconsin or Indiana. But he was too young and ambitious. Besides, he knew that saying no would mean burying his career. So he said yes. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± Susan asked as Jack stuffed clothes into his bag. Her hand rested on her belly, gently caressing it, as if silently reassuring the baby that everything would be okay. She was due in six weeks. ¡°Two weeks, tops,¡± he said, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. ¡°Set up the camera traps, pack up, and we¡¯re out.¡± Two weeks turned into three. When Jack returned to the camp after spending nearly forty-eight hours deep in the jungle without mobile connection, he found hundreds of text messages from Susan, her mom, his mom, and even his neighbor. They all said the same thing¡ªSusan had gone into labor. It had happened the night he was out of network reach, three weeks early. The most recent messages were congratulations on becoming a father. He had a girl. It took him almost twelve hours to reach the international airport in Belize City and another twelve to get to Chicago. There were no direct flights to O¡¯Hare that day, so he had to fly with a layover in Houston. By the time he arrived at the hospital, Susan and their baby were already preparing for discharge. ¡°I want to call her Lisa,¡± Susan said, showing him the newborn. He kissed his wife, fighting back tears. He wasn¡¯t sure if they were tears of happiness or shame for having missed the birth of his baby girl. Susan said nothing, but he could feel something had shifted between them. The next crack appeared almost ten years later. Lisa was already in middle school, and Susan was trying to get her career back on track¡ªa career that had effectively ended when Lisa was born. Jack had been away so often that Susan had to assume the role of Lisa¡¯s primary caretaker, which meant she couldn¡¯t accept jobs that required travel or significant time commitments. Most good gigs did. So she was stuck photographing local festivals and taking the occasional portrait commissions¡ªfar from what she¡¯d dreamed of. He got an emergency assignment in Far East Russia to help contain a massive methane leak near Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the tallest active volcano in Eurasia. The assignment was a joint effort between the UN and Russian geologists, requiring a monumental operation to install a containment system and divert the leak back into the permafrost to prevent a major climate disaster. It would take weeks, possibly months. ¡°I¡¯ll have to decline the gig in Wisconsin, then,¡± Susan said, watching Jack pack his bags again. ¡°If I don¡¯t accept it, they won¡¯t offer me anything again. Can¡¯t Aria send someone else?¡± ¡°No, honey,¡± Jack said, kissing her. ¡°Can you ask your sister to babysit Lisa while you¡¯re on the gig?¡± Susan shook her head. ¡°Jack, it¡¯s a three-day event! I can¡¯t ask her that. She already watched Lisa last month. Please, if you can, stay home. Just this one time.¡± But he still went. He wasn¡¯t as young anymore, but he was still ambitious. He never forgave himself for leaving. While he was gone, Lisa got into a bike accident on her way home from school. She was rushed to emergency care with a broken leg and a concussion. Susan tried to reach him, but he was out of coverage all day. When Jack finally got the message, he took the first flight home. ¡°Did you save the planet, Jack?¡± Susan asked when he finally walked through the door. He didn¡¯t reply. What could he say? That he¡¯d spent weeks treading dirt, fighting mosquitoes, and learning Russian curses to save the planet¡ªbut failed to protect the most precious thing in his life? He just hugged Susan and didn¡¯t let go. One week later, he submitted his resignation to Aria. After leaving Atlas, he became a private contractor doing environmental audits for construction companies. Most jobs were in state, but occasionally he accepted out-of-state assignments, like the last one in Wyoming. In such cases, he¡¯d be gone for days, sometimes weeks. He knew it wasn¡¯t good for his family, but he also knew that without those jobs, they couldn¡¯t pay the bills, afford Lisa¡¯s private school, or save for her college. Susan knew that too. But somehow, this knowledge only pushed them further apart. So far apart that tonight he¡¯d found another man in their house. On the night Jack was supposed to be gone. He didn¡¯t think they had anything going on, but he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this might be the beginning of the catastrophe that had been brewing ever since he kissed Susan in that tent sixteen years ago. Six Jack sighed and rolled onto his other side. He doubted he would sleep tonight. Most likely, he¡¯d drift off for a couple of hours before sunrise. Which was fine. Years of expeditions had made him almost immune to sleep deprivation. Besides, he was off for the whole next week and would have plenty of time to catch up. He sat up on the sofa, grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV. He wasn¡¯t much of a TV person¡ªhe¡¯d never had the time or inclination for it. But now, alone in the living room of his own house, the silence felt suffocating. The screen flickered to life, jumping between channels as he pressed the remote. A late-night talk show on Channel 9, a cooking infomercial on ABC 7, highlights from a baseball game on ESPN, a nature documentary on PBS, and an old episode of Family Guy on Fox 32. He stopped switching channels. Maybe this was a bad idea. Nothing on TV made him want to keep watching, even for background noise. He was about to open YouTube to watch some podcast when the screen suddenly went black for a second, and a ¡°Breaking News¡± banner filled the screen. ¡°We¡¯re interrupting this program for breaking news,¡± the anchor said as the camera turned to the studio. The man looked tired and annoyed, unsurprising given the late hour. ¡°Reports of unprecedented seismic activity and unexplained phenomena are coming in from around the world.¡± The screen switched to shaky footage, a phone recording of something massive moving in the darkness. Jack leaned forward. The anchor¡¯s voice continued, now layered over the clip. ¡°In addition to seismic events, reports are emerging of sightings and even attacks by creatures described as, I quote one source, ¡®monsters.¡¯¡± The camera jostled as if the person filming was running. Jack couldn¡¯t make out much. Then the image came into focus: the silhouette of something large, glistening briefly in the streetlights before disappearing between the trees. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°This and other footage are going viral on social media. The authenticity of these videos cannot be verified at the moment; however, they are too numerous to be ignored¡ª¡± The anchor suddenly stopped, then resumed, his voice even less certain than before. ¡°Ahem, we¡¯ve just received an update. It seems the president of the United States has declared a state of national emergency. We don¡¯t have further details, but we are¡ª¡± As the anchor spoke, Jack¡¯s phone erupted with a loud, jarring buzz. He grabbed it and stared at the screen. EMERGENCY ALERT NATIONAL EMERGENCY ¨C STAY INDOORS This is an official message from the government. Remain calm. Prepare for evacuation. Further instructions will follow shortly. This is NOT A TEST. ¡°Mom? Dad?¡± He heard Lisa¡¯s voice. Jack slapped the alarm on his phone and rushed upstairs. Lisa stood in the doorway of her room, her phone blaring the same alarm. ¡°Hey, honey, you okay?¡± Jack asked, striding toward her. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Let me,¡± Jack said, taking the phone from her hands and silencing the alarm. The door to their bedroom creaked open, and Susan stepped into the hallway. ¡°Did you see this alert? What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Something¡¯s happening around the world. They showed these creatures on TV¡ª¡± He didn¡¯t finish, as the house trembled violently. He felt the floor slipping away beneath his feet. Lisa and Susan screamed. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the trembling stopped, leaving an eerie silence behind. Jack¡¯s ears picked up faint noises from outside¡ªemergency sirens wailing in the distance, mingled with scattered screams. Then, a deafening explosion tore through the night. It was close¡ªmaybe too close. The walls rattled with the shockwave, and moments later, the sharp sound of glass shattering echoed from downstairs, followed by more screams outside. ¡°You guys okay?¡± Jack asked, quickly brushing his hands over Lisa and Susan to check if either was hurt. ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± Susan said, her voice shaking. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re leaving. Put on some clothes¡ªI¡¯ll get the car ready!¡± Jack shouted, running downstairs. ¡°But they said they¡¯d evacuate us!¡± Susan called after him. Jack stopped and turned to face her. She stood at the top of the stairs, her nightgown rising and falling with her uneven breaths. Fear was etched on her face. Lisa clung to her waist, as if trying to hide in the folds of her gown. From where he stood, they both looked so distant and vulnerable that Jack felt an overwhelming urge to run back upstairs, hold them close, and promise everything would be okay. But he didn¡¯t have time for that. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here and wait,¡± he said. ¡°They say that to prevent panic and looting. Are you sure they¡¯ll arrive on time?¡± Susan shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Can you trust me on this one? One last time?¡± He wanted to say more, but there was no need. Susan nodded. Despite everything that had happened between them, she still trusted him. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll go pack.¡± ¡°No packing,¡± Jack said. ¡°Just put on something warm.¡± She nodded again, and they both disappeared into the hallway. Jack turned and strode toward his study behind the kitchen, not failing to notice the shattered glass on the floor. He rushed to his Fort Knox Maverick safe in the corner of the room and dialed the combination. He opened the door and took out his Glock 19, two boxes of 9mm rounds, and a bugout bag from the safe. He had never thought he¡¯d need to use the contents of the safe, but whatever was happening around the world had just come to their neighborhood, and Jack wasn¡¯t going to sit there and wait. He knew he was taking a risk by moving his family, but he doubted their house provided enough security. He rushed back to the main door and peeked through the sidelight. The street was filled with people gathering around the house on the opposite side of the street, now engulfed in flames. Its front was completely destroyed, and pieces of glass, brick, and furniture were scattered across the lawn. Apparently, that was where the explosion had happened. Jack wasn¡¯t sure if anyone lived there. The last he remembered, the house was for rent. He hoped it had been empty tonight. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Jack grabbed his jacket from the hanger, slid the pistol behind his jeans, and went outside. He marched to his car, tossed the bugout bag into the truck bed, then climbed into the driver¡¯s seat and started the car. ¡°Jack!¡± Susan and Lisa ran down the porch, both wearing light jackets. ¡°We¡¯re¡ª¡± She didn¡¯t finish, her words cut off as she saw the neighbors¡¯ house. ¡°Oh my God, the house!¡± she gasped, covering her mouth. ¡°A family just moved in a week ago! Jack, we have to do something!¡± He walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. ¡°We can¡¯t do anything. If anybody was inside, they¡¯re probably dead. Now, we have to move.¡± He opened the rear door of the truck and helped Susan and Lisa climb in. The street was drowning in chaos. He could hear sirens wailing in the distance from every direction. People dashed down the road, some barely dressed. A helicopter roared overhead, its spotlight frantically scanning the streets as if searching for something. Jack walked around the car, got behind the wheel, and buckled up. Then he looked over his shoulder. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Susan. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°The country house.¡± He put the car into drive and slowly pulled onto the street. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jack admitted, shaking his head. ¡°But if what they showed on TV is true, cities will be dangerous places soon.¡± ¡°Dad, you¡¯re freaking me out,¡± Lisa said. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°There were attacks on cities around the world.¡± ¡°Attacks? By who?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t even describe it¡­ They look like monsters. I know it sounds crazy, but¡ª¡± Lisa didn¡¯t let him finish. ¡°I found it! It¡¯s already on TikTok. Check it out, Mom.¡± Jack couldn¡¯t see what Lisa was showing Susan on her phone, but he heard the audio. Every clip was filled with the sounds of screaming, destruction, and nasty growls. None of it was pleasant. ¡°Please turn it off, Lisa. I can¡¯t look at it,¡± Susan said, and Lisa put the phone away. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is happening. Is it real?¡± Jack swayed his head to the side. ¡°Look around, Susan. Does this look like it¡¯s not real?¡± They were driving down Western Avenue, and the street resembled a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie¡ªburning cars, people running frantically, and helicopters flying overhead. On the side streets, Jack caught glimpses of looters ransacking local shops. He was so focused on his surroundings that he almost missed the police roadblock ahead. The headlights illuminated a police officer waving his arms to signal him to stop. Jack rolled down the window. ¡°Officer, I need to get to I-90. What¡¯s wrong?¡± The officer approached and pointed ahead. ¡°This road is blocked! The bridge is damaged. If you want to hit the expressway, you¡¯ll have to take a roundabout via¡ª¡± The roar of fighter jets tore through the air, drowning out the rest of the officer¡¯s words. Jack instinctively looked up, scanning the night sky, but the jets were nowhere to be seen. Still, he could swear they¡¯d just streaked south, heading toward downtown Chicago. A shout from the corner redirected the officer¡¯s attention. ¡°Hey! Over there!¡± someone called, pointing toward a phone store across the street. A group of looters had smashed through the glass, pulling display phones and accessories out onto the street. One man, wearing a medical mask, carried a flat-screen TV through the broken window. The officer cursed under his breath and started toward the store. Jack rolled the window up, silencing the chaos outside, and turned left onto Irving Park. He gripped the wheel tighter. If they wanted to get out of town before the interstate became a grid locked nightmare, they had to make it to I-90 as soon as possible. What if Damen or Ashland are blocked, too? He chased the thought away. Don¡¯t overthink it. The only thing he could do was keep moving. He¡¯d find a way out. They barely made it a hundred feet before the deafening roar of engines erupted behind them. Jack glanced in his rearview mirror and saw headlights slicing through the chilly night air. A military convoy stormed past, heading toward the eastern part of the city. Three Humvees led the charge, with a soldier perched in the turret of the lead vehicle. Two tan MRAPs followed, along with a troop transport truck whose canvas flapped in the wind, revealing rows of grim-faced soldiers clutching rifles. If this wasn¡¯t the apocalypse, Jack didn¡¯t know what was. The entrance to Damen Avenue was obstructed by two vehicles that had collided head-on. ¡°We¡¯ll try this street,¡± Jack said, turning right onto Lincoln and then onto Wolcott Avenue. Susan and Lisa were sitting close to each other, holding hands. Lisa pressed her face into her mother¡¯s shoulder, and Susan was caressing her head. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, I promise,¡± Jack said and turned his eyes back to the road. Wolcott was a narrow street and looked better compared to others, but even here, he saw people frantically running around in panic or stuffing the trunks of their cars with suitcases and bags. An idiot in a white Civic sped away from a parking spot, almost running into their car. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± Jack shouted to the driver through the window. The driver didn¡¯t respond but flipped Jack off and disappeared. Jack cursed and kept driving. The streets were full of idiots, and the apocalypse only made things worse. He didn¡¯t want to think about the chaos they¡¯d face on the expressway once everyone in and around Chicago realized no one was coming to rescue them. Suddenly, something caught his attention. He slowed down, staring into the darkness ahead. Something was moving down the street. The first thing he saw was a car. The same car that had almost hit them a minute earlier. It was uncertainly moving in reverse, as if the driver didn¡¯t know where to go. ¡°No way,¡± Jack muttered, shaking his head. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Help!¡± a desperate voice shouted from outside, followed by frantic tapping on Jack¡¯s window. The sound made him flinch. Lisa let out a short, piercing scream. A man stood there, his chest heaving as if he¡¯d just sprinted for his life. ¡°Please, let me in!¡± the man cried, pounding on the window. ¡°Please!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Lisa called from the back seat. The man kept pounding, begging them to let him in. ¡°Go away,¡± Jack said, articulating every word, hoping the man could read his lips. ¡°Get. Away. From. My. Car!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Lisa called again, drawing Jack¡¯s attention. He looked at her in the rearview mirror. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, sweetheart¡ª¡± She didn¡¯t let him finish. ¡°There!¡± Lisa shouted, pointing at the road ahead. Jack followed her finger. ¡°Shit!¡± he cursed. The driver of the white Civic was now barreling backward at full speed. Jack jerked the steering wheel as far left as he could and slammed the gas, clearing the Civic at the last moment. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d hit the man pounding on the window, but the guy was nowhere to be seen. And then Jack saw it. At the far end of the street, something massive was moving. The headlights couldn¡¯t reach that far, so he couldn¡¯t make out its shape. But the parked cars were suddenly flung into the air, one after another, as if an invisible bulldozer was plowing through them¡ªand it was heading straight for them. ¡°Jack!¡± Susan screamed. He threw the car into reverse and slammed the pedal to the floor. They sped backward, Jack glancing between the rearview mirror and the road ahead. Then he finally saw it¡ªthe creature. The same creature he had seen on TV. It stormed down the street, ramming cars, sending them flying like toys, stomping on people, slashing some in half with its sharp claws. He¡¯d never seen anything like it¡ªmaybe only in the movies. Susan and Lisa screamed in the back seat as they watched it coming toward them. Jack wanted to scream, too, but he was too focused on driving. His hands gripped the wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. How far can you go in reverse? he thought, checking the rearview mirror and praying they wouldn¡¯t crash into another car. The creature was closing the gap with terrifying speed. It was just one leap away now. Jack could see its face¡ªblack and leathery, with flaring nostrils, sharp teeth in its maw, and red, intelligent eyes locked onto the car, as if it were the only thing that mattered. Suddenly, a light from above bathed the street. Jack glanced up. A helicopter hovered fifty feet above, its spotlight fixed on the creature. The beast slowed, disoriented by the light. Tilting slightly, the helicopter revealed an open gun door with a soldier behind a mounted machine gun, aimed directly at the creature. The gun roared to life, spitting bullets like lightning bolts. The beast howled as the bullets hit it. Some ricocheted off its thick, armored skin, but others struck vulnerable spots. The creature roared and thrashed wildly, trying to escape the relentless fire. Only there was no escape. The soldier kept firing until, finally, the creature collapsed onto the pavement. Its massive body hit the ground with a thud, leaving cracks in the asphalt. Silence fell for a moment, broken only by the hum of the helicopter¡¯s engine. And then it happened. The creature¡¯s body glowed, as if a volcano were erupting from within. Light radiated through the bullet holes and cracks in its skin, turning the night into day. Jack covered his eyes. The glow reached its peak¡ªand then the creature exploded into fire, leaving nothing behind but a charred burn mark on the pavement. The helicopter ascended higher and disappeared into the night sky. Jack stared at the spot where the creature had lain just moments ago. ¡°What the hell?¡± he muttered. His vision was still dotted with white circles from the explosion. He wasn¡¯t sure what had just happened. Had the military detonated the creature, or had it self-destructed? ¡°Did it just blow up?¡± Susan asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Jack replied, shifting gears back into drive. ¡°Either way, we have to move.¡± He hit the gas. The car lurched forward as they returned to Irving. He figured they¡¯d have to stick to wider roads where they¡¯d have more room to maneuver if something happened. The chaos on the streets grew worse with every turn. It looked like a nightmare¡ªpolice cars, ambulances, and fire trucks everywhere. And people. People running in all directions¡ªsome screaming, some crying, some looting, others bleeding, and too many lying motionless on the pavement. Jack wondered if this was how the world would be from now on. Perhaps. Things could get even worse. Much worse. And he wasn¡¯t sure they were ready for it. He had the gun, but it would be useless against the creatures. Killing these monsters required more than a 9mm Glock. But it still gave him some comfort. Apart from monsters, there were bad people, and they¡¯d see more of them-he was sure of that. The worst of times always brought the worst people to the surface. And he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use his gun to stop them. Seven As soon as they drove away, it started raining. Ashland Avenue looked like a battlefield¡ªoverturned vehicles, dead bodies, shattered windows¡ªthe rain only intensifying the effect. Jack had seen something like this only once before, in South Sudan five years ago. A simple survey mission had turned into an escape through a war-torn land when the ceasefire between rebels and Sudanese defense forces snapped like a thread. He''d been lucky to get out then. Would they make it out now? He couldn''t tell and, honestly, didn''t have the luxury to spend time on empty what-ifs. Focus on the road, he told himself, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. Once in a while, he''d see dark scorch marks on the road¡ªprobably from other creatures the army had fried. The streets of Chicago were now a battlefield, and he had to stay vigilant. They were almost at the intersection with Belmont Avenue when the roar of jet engines overhead cut through the night. He looked up¡ªthe sky was pitch black, but faint flashes of light betrayed the jets streaking southward. "Dad!" Lisa''s scream snapped him back to reality. He looked ahead and saw a man standing in the headlights, right in the middle of the street, his arms stretched forward as if trying to stop the car with sheer willpower. Jack slammed the brakes, but it was too late. The man struck the hood, his body folding in half as his head slammed into the windshield before being flung backward. He hit the pavement like a lifeless puppet. "Oh my God," Susan''s voice broke the silence, trembling with shock. Jack was silent. Even if he wanted to say something, the words would probably not come out of his mouth. Did he kill the man? He swallowed, stepped out of the car, and walked toward the body thrown away from the hit. Suddenly, his legs became heavy, making him struggle with each step. The man lay lifeless, his left leg twisted at an unnatural angle. But his eyes were still open. Jack dropped to his knees beside him. The man was gasping for air, his eyes frantically searching for something. His trembling hand tapped against Jack''s jacket, as though he were drowning and searching for something to hold on to. "What were you thinking, man?" Jack muttered, taking the man''s hand in his own. "I am sorry." The man gasped for air one last time and went still, his grip on Jack''s hand loosening. Jack gently placed his hand down. He had just killed a man¡ªa man who didn''t need to die like that. The passenger door of the Toyota opened, and Lisa peeked her head out. "Dad, is he dead?" "Get back in the car, sweetheart!" Jack shouted. "And close the door!" Lisa obeyed. "You shouldn''t see this," Jack added quietly. He was about to stand when a scream echoed through the street. Jack turned his head. To the left, a rectangular Whole Foods Market building stood with large glass windows on the ground level. The windows were only partially intact, shattered by what he assumed had been looters. Although the store had dimmed its lights for the night, Jack could still make out shadows moving inside. No¡ªnot just moving inside. Shadows were spilling out through the broken windows, dropping stolen goods on the pavement and scattering in all directions. Behind them, a larger¡ªmuch larger¡ªshadow moved toward the windows, its jagged spikes silhouetted against the dim lights, ramming store shelves like a bulldozer. The shadow grew larger until¡ªboom!¡ªthe brick facade of the building erupted as the creature tore through it, sending a cloud of shattered glass and jagged brick shards into the air. The beast landed on the ground, sliding across the wet pavement and leaving deep scratch marks in its wake. Jack froze, panting, not daring to move a muscle. Now he could make out the creature''s details. Its massive, armored body was covered in jagged, scale-like plates, glinting faintly under the dim streetlights. Spiked protrusions jutted from its shoulders and spine, each razor-sharp. The creature had long, clawed hands and muscular arms covered in smaller, but no less threatening, spikes. If nature made tanks, this is what they would look like. Stolen novel; please report. The monster seemed to sense Jack''s gaze. Its hulking form shifted as it turned to face him. Slowly, the beast rose from its crouched, four-legged stance to its full, towering height. Jack sprinted to his Toyota. With terrifying speed and precision, the creature dropped on its four and charged across at an angle aimed at cutting him off from the truck. But it didn''t know that Jack had been the fastest pair of legs in Berkley¡ªat least in his class. In four powerful strides, he closed the gap, lunged into the driver''s seat, and slammed the door shut behind him. He glanced through the window. The creature was quickly approaching their car from the left side, ready to ram them. Lisa''s scream from the back seat pierced the dense cabin air, making Jack''s ears pop. He slammed the gas pedal to the floor. The wheels spun wildly on the slick asphalt, screeching before finally catching grip. The car lurched forward, barely in time, to evade the creature''s claws, which slashed through the empty air. But the monster would not give up and charged after the truck. Jack didn''t let the gas pedal go. Tonight, he didn''t have the luxury of following the speed limits. Toyota was picking up the speed¡ª40...50... He checked the rearview mirror¡ªthe beast was on their tail, closing the gap with each stride. "Dad, faster! It''s going to catch us!" Lisa shouted. She was standing on her knees, watching the creature through the rear window. She could pass for a kid kneeling on a train seat, watching the scenery rush past, except she wasn''t watching a peaceful landscape, but a monster closing in on them. "I am trying!" Jack shouted back, not taking his eyes off the road. He''d already killed one man, and he wasn''t planning on killing anybody else. The car engine was roaring at its limit, pulling the car faster and faster down the debris-strewn street. But the creature wouldn''t let go. Jack could see its face in the rearview mirror. It was going to get them. He scanned the area¡ªthey were approaching the crossing of Ashland and Wrightwood Avenues. He already could see the silhouette of the Wrightwood park ahead on the left side of the road. "Lisa, get back in your seat and buckle up!" "Dad, I am watching it! It''s right behind us!" Lisa tried to protest, still clutching the back seat. "I''m holding tight!" "Buckle up! Now!" Jack snapped back and Lisa, realizing he was not joking, quickly got back in her seat and buckled up. "Jack, what are you going to do?" Susan asked, her voice trembling. She had barely said a word since they ran over that man. "Hold on to something!" yelled Jack, leaving Susan''s question without reply¡ªthey didn''t have time for explanations. "We''re going for a slide!" He slammed the brakes briefly to shift the car''s weight forward. The tires squealed against the wet pavement as he yanked the wheel hard to the left, sending the car into a drift. The back tires slid out. The creature lunged, its claws slashing through empty air as the car swung around the corner. In the rearview mirror, Jack saw the creature stumble, unable to follow the car and crash into the cars parked on the corner. They flung in the air as toys. Jack stomped on the gas. The wheel caught grip, and the car shot down the narrow street, away from the beast. In the mirror, he saw the creature stand on its four and lurch after them in powerful strides. They stole some time in this fight, but the creature was still catching up. The car veered out onto the main street and in its headlights, Jack saw a steep ramp leading to an enclosed parking structure. The yellow clearance bar over the entrance read in bold letters: CLEARANCE 7''2'''' ONLY NO TRUCKS ALLOWED Jack adjusted the steering wheel slightly, directing the car towards the ramp. "Jack!" Susan''s voice rang out from behind. "What are you doing?!" "A stunt!" Jack shouted, and then barked, "Hold on!" The car shot through the frame, narrowly missing the concrete block listing the parking rules. It hit the ramp with a thud, the truck''s dampers absorbing the impact. Behind them, the creature barreled forward, obliterating the frame and the concrete block as if they were nothing. They were just ten feet from the main entrance to the garage when the creature lept into the air in a desperate attempt to latch onto the truck bed. But the car slip through the entrance and the beast smashed into the heavy concrete frame of the building. Jack slammed on the brakes and turned his head back, panting heavily. The creature was at the entrance, trying to squeeze in, but it was too big to fit, its long spikes catching on the edges and holding it back. With a roar, it smashed its bulk against the concrete again and again, but the frame held firm¡ªtoo much concrete even for a monster like that. After a few futile attempts, the creature paused and thrust its head into the garage. Its roar echoed through the space, a roar of rage and frustration. Then, with one last snarl, it withdrew, disappearing into the night. Jack took his breath. His hands were shaking, still gripping the steering wheel. After a few moments, he finally regained control over his body, let go of the steering wheel, and turned back. "You guys all right?" "Yeah," Lisa replied, her voice flat. Not a single tear. Jack could tell she was in shock. He figured the tears would come later, when the adrenaline wore off¡ªbut then again, maybe he underestimated just how strong his daughter really was. He shifted his gaze to Susan. She sat with her face buried in her hands, her shoulders trembling as she let out silent sobs. "Hey, honey," Jack stretched his arm and put his hand on his wife''s shoulder. "It''s all right. I''ll get us to the country house, I promise." Susan finally looked at Jack. Her eyes, normally gray, turned bright blue every time she cried. "We almost died there, Jack," she said, wiping tears away. "I am scared. Please, let''s just wait here for help." Jack sighed. "I am scared too. But I promise, no help is coming our way. We have to make it to the highway." "What if we encounter more creatures out there?" Susan shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Then we escape it," Jack said in a calm voice. Lord knew he didn''t want to go out there, but they had to. The longer they waited, the worse the traffic on the highway would be, and they''d never make it outside the city. "Besides," Jack added, tapping on the steering wheel, "you''ve got a stunt driver behind the wheel." This helped a bit¡ªSusan smiled through tears. "Yeah, I''ll give you that. I didn''t know you could drive so well," Susan said, wiping the last of her tears from her face. She leaned back in her seat and looked at Jack. "Get us out of here." Eight By the time they got to the country house, the sky had already brightened with the first morning light. The ride over I-90 and I-94 had turned out to be better that he''d expected. Most people had decided not to risk the chaos and stayed home, waiting for evacuation. The traffic on the highway was about the same as on any ordinary day. The only difference was military vehicles rumbling past now and then and a couple of nasty accidents on the road with totaled and tipped over cars. Jack hadn''t stopped for any of them. Stopping even for a short time was too risky. He promised Susan he''d bring them out of this chaos and he was going to keep his word. From time to time, he saw helicopters and fighter jets dashing through the sky in different directions and saw flashes of distant explosions. The country was at war and Jack wanted to get away as far away from it as possible. At least, for the time being. He knew that the country house in Stenesville wouldn''t provide them a long-term shelter, but it could serve a good starting point before the situation got clear and they decided what to do next. He drove the car behind the house, turning off the engine as soon as the trees hid them. Even in the countryside, it was better to stay out of sight. The sudden silence fell heavily. Susan stirred, lifting her head from the headrest, looking around, confused. She and Lisa had drifted off asleep not long after they''d hit the highway. "We arrived," she said in a raspy voice. "Yeah," Jack looked back at her. The headrest had left creases across the right side of her face. "How did you sleep?" "I don''t remember how I drifted off, so, I guess, well," she paused and then asked, "How was the driving?" Jack shrugged. "Not bad. It was quiet." He didn''t tell her about the accidents and fighter jets¡ªshe''d had enough scare during the night. Jack shifted his gaze to Lisa. "Just look at her," he said. The kid must have unbuckled herself, because now she lay curled in her seat like a cat, resting her little head on Susan''s hips. The nightmare they''d endured the previous night left a deep shadow on her face. "I''ll take her. Open the back door, would you?" he passed Susan the keychain from his pocket and stepped out of the car. He opened the door on Lisa''s side and carefully took her in his arms. He couldn''t remember when was the last time he had to carry her like that¡ªperhaps, years ago¡ªbut it felt natural, as if fathers were born to do exactly that. As he started walking toward the house, Lisa stirred and opened her eyes. "Dad?" she rubbed her eyes. "What are you doing?" "Hush. Sleep." She dangled her legs. "Dad, I''m okay. Put me down." Jack put her down on the gravel. "Let''s go. It''s cold outside." They walked toward the porch at the back of the house. In these early hours, the house looked lonely. It had belonged to his parents, and as a kid, Jack had spent summers here, playing in the fields with their dog and fishing by the lake. Even during his college years, he''d come here for semester breaks to help his father fix the roof or remodel the toolshed, which had probably been built in the 1960s and could collapse at any moment. After his parents passed away eight years ago, the house had become Jack''s responsibility but had stood empty for most of the year. They would visit during the summer, but these trips were short. He still hadn''t found time to fix the shed, which by now was so fragile a strong wind could knock it over. He glanced at the shed, which looked even more forlorn than the house, and promised himself that if they survived this hell, he''d fix it and renovate the house. After all, it was his family legacy, and he had a duty to take care of it¡ªa responsibility he''d conveniently avoided for the past eight years. The kitchen smelled of old wood and dampness. When they stepped inside, Susan was already boiling water and wiping the dust off the countertops with a rag. Her face lit up with a warm smile when she saw Lisa on her feet. "Hey, darling. How do you feel?" Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Lisa stretched her arms above her head, yawning, and said, "Tired." Susan nodded. "I bet. I am going to make some breakfast," she said, rummaging through the cupboards. "You guys want coffee?" "Yes!" Lisa and Jack replied in unison. The long night had finally caught up with Jack¡ªhis eyelids were heavy. He was going to catch up some sleep later, just not yet. The house was damp and cold¡ªOctobers in Michigan were still warm, but nights could chill you down to the bone. He went outside, picked up five pieces of logwood from the woodshed, and lit a fire in the living room. The warmth and cracking from the fireplace filled the room with comfort. For a moment, he felt as if it was just a normal visit to the country house, and after breakfast, they would go for a walk in the woods or relax by the lake. Lisa would skip stones, Susan would read a book, and he''d just sit there watching them. "Coffee is ready." Susan passed him a cup of steaming black coffee. "Thanks." Jack took a sip. The taste of coffee warmed him up, chasing away the fatigue left by the night. Lisa also took a sip from her cup, but winced. "Can I get some cream or milk in my coffee?" "I am afraid, no, sweetheart," Susan said. "You don''t like it?" Lisa shook her head. "It''s bitter." "That''s what real coffee tastes like," Jack said, taking another sip. "You''re too used to Starbucks." They sat at the dining table, silence hanging in the air for a moment. "So, what now?" Susan asked. She sat on the chair, one leg tucked neatly beneath her. The morning sun peaking through the window caressed her face, making her squint when she looked at him. "We wait. Can''t tell for how long, but at least before we get a clearer picture. Have you checked our supplies?" "Yeah," Susan nodded. "We''ve got plenty of canned food and water in the cellar. So we won''t starve to death." "I guess not," Jack agreed and then asked: "You guys still have your phones? I want to check the news, but I think I lost mine on the way here." Susan tapped her pockets and shook her head. "I probably left it home. We were leaving so quickly." "I got mine," Lisa said, pulling her iPhone from the pocket of her hoodie. "But I don''t have any signal here," she added with a frustrated expression and tossed the phone onto the table, as if blaming it for inconvenience. "That''s weird," Jack said, checking Lisa''s phone. The mobile network icon indeed had no bars on it. He furrowed his eyebrows. He''d experienced no issues with the mobile connection at the house. "They must have jammed the signal," he said, passing the phone back to Lisa. "But why?" He shrugged. "To prevent misinformation? I don''t know. Could also be that the nearest tower is damaged, hence, no connection." "Can we use that to get the news?" Lisa asked, pointing her finger somewhere behind his back. He looked over his shoulder. Behind him, on a mantlepiece, was an old analogue radio. "Hey!" he stretched his arm and picked up the device. It was probably there since the 60s, when the house was built, but he''d always just thought of it as furniture. "I have totally forgotten," Jack said, rotating the radio in his hands. It felt heavy and sturdy¡ªsolid enough to knock out one of those creatures, if it came to it. "How did you know what it was?" he asked Lisa. "TikTok," Lisa replied, as if he was asking something obvious. "Right," he said. "Could have not asked. I wonder if this thing works." He pulled out the power cord from the back of the radio and plugged it into the nearest socket. The radio cracked to life, filling the room with faint hissing. Jack adjusted the radio''s search dial, and a man''s official-sounding voice instantly replaced the static. "...remain calm. Repeat, this is an emergency broadcast. The country is under attack from unknown entities. Citizens are advised to remain indoors until further instructions. Avoid contact with the hostile creatures. The evacuation plan will be carried out in stages. Until then, do not leave your home and remain calm. Repeat, this is an emergency..." Jack skipped to the next station, but it broadcasted the same message. He cut off the radio and put it back on the mantlepiece. "Same stuff everywhere. They''ve probably been running it all night. Seems they don''t really have a plan." Susan shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Perhaps we should''ve stayed in Chicago." "What makes you say that?" She shrugged. "I don''t know. If they evacuate our neighborhood, they''d, at least, find us home. Here? Nobody knows about us. We''re on our own. What happens when we run out of food and water?" Jack reached over the table and took her hand in his own. "The keyword here is ''if''," he said, stroking Susan''s hand gently. "We don''t know the scale and how much time it''ll take them to evacuate people. And¡ªevacuate where? This," he pointed somewhere outside the window, "seems to happen all around the country, if not the world." Susan took her hand back and sighed. "I am scared. At least there, we had other people around us. Here, I feel like the world has disappeared, and we''re the last survivors." Jack didn''t reply. What could he say? She could be right¡ªthe world might have already disappeared and they could have been the last survivors¡ªfiguratively speaking. However, he also understood that remote and natural settings were ideal for surviving the end of the world. "How about we stay low a couple of days and then work out our plan? What do you say?" Jack said, leaning back in his chair. He was feeling the fatigue of the night knocking him out. "Okay," Susan said, standing up and starting cleaning the table. "Let''s do as you say." Despite the fire''s warmth, Jack detected a sudden coldness in her tone. They had had a hell of a night and Susan''s worries were well justified. Was he a hundred percent sure it was a right decision to come here? Hell, no. But he trusted his instincts enough to follow them, and so far, they''d never let him down. He only hoped they wouldn''t let him down this time. Because, now, things were a little¡ªjust a little¡ªdifferent and, if he was wrong, they''d all end up dead... His eyes were closing on their own. The adrenaline had no longer kept him awake. Without a word, he stood up from the table, strode to the couch in the living room and crashed on it. He was fast asleep even before his head touched the pillow.