In The End Box Set | Books 1-3 Stevens, GJ (story books to read TXT) 📖

know if it would make him stay. I didn’t know if he’d try and take the boy with him. I stayed quiet.

“I thought he was better than this,” I said, to no one in particular.

Cassie's hand reached out, resting on my shoulder. She was warm, for now. We needed her strength, needed what she had left.

I handed her the last handgun, pulled open the door and stepped out, not watching Lane as I strode into the corridor whilst keeping to the side, even though the blood had dried hard.

I heard noises echoing. There was life in the building still, but I didn't know if it was their second time around.

86

The sting of antiseptic was all but gone from the air, replaced with the breath of decay and burning plastic clawing at my throat. The hum of fluorescent tubes had gone, too, leaving just my long shadow stepping before me as I approached the first door.

Like the others I'd seen on my first visit, it was tall and white with a porthole at head-height, but rather than seeing to the other side, all I could make out were dark shadows passing behind the white paper blocking my view.

I knew from my last visit what would have become of the people who'd been on the other side.

The cold stung my hand as I twisted the metal handle, slow and calm. After the smallest of pushes, I let go, relieved as it held firm.

Trainers squeaking on the tiled floor, my shadow grew taller as I headed further down the corridor. Glancing down, I watched as the trail of blood thinned, but the gruesome slick remained my companion with each step.

I searched for any sign of life, death, too, but the doctor's office was the first place I wanted to find; the only place I guessed would be a hideout.

If someone had survived, had held out for the miracle boy, I wanted it to be the place where I would find them.

Along each side of the corridor I counted five doors, before a sharp turn to the right.

A noise came from outside. Was it a call from the people I'd left behind? Or one of those creatures we had no effective defence against?

Whatever had made the noise I knew it wouldn't be smart to stay apart from my friends for long without Lane there for protection.

The next few doors were closed and with no portholes I pushed my ear to the cold wood and listened. I heard vibration through the building; heard movement reverberating along the wall, on the floor above perhaps, but nothing I could pinpoint to the other side.

I turned the handle, regretting I'd left the handgun behind as I did, but time was of the essence as I thought of Andrew's speedy decline, knowing Cassie, too, would look worse with each moment.

The door opened to darkness and when nothing lashed out or pounced towards me screaming, I stepped to the side and let it open its full arc.

The meagre light reaching this far down the corridor was enough to make out the store of medical equipment. Unfolding a wheelchair, I pulled it out of the room and let the door swing closed, cursing as it slapped hard against its frame.

I ran back, pushing the chair at my front.

Cassie hadn't changed; Andrew was no worse, but no better. Shadow’s wound wasn’t bleeding out like the others.

I drew an optimist breath; maybe dogs weren’t affected by the disease. They’d be the new rulers of the world when humans were extinct.

I shook off the thought. The weight of the rifle felt good in my hands as I grabbed it from the passenger seat.

Along with pulling the torch from the pack, I shouldered the rucksack and made sure Cassie held the handgun out as she slid out to the road.

Andrew woke as I lifted, but slumped to the side as I let him down into the chair. He woke again as I placed Shadow on his lap, his hand reaching to take a long stroke of his back.

Movement caught my eye as scanned our surroundings, but I turned away from the figure, instead looking to the space where the second Land Rover had sat.

I swapped a glance with Cassie. She shrugged, her face full of empathy. I'd wanted to understand; instead, I did what I did best and pushed the pain down, burying it inside.

I turned back to where I'd seen the movement, to two soldiers walking in a line, their backs hunched over, their camouflage soaked dark in different patterns.

I'd made the right decision and pushed the chair through into the corridor, the wheels squeaking against the floor. I paused just beyond the entrance but pushed on as I abandoned clearing the bodies and pulling closed the doors.

Without voice or command, we fell into a natural formation. Cassie followed at the back, glancing everywhere we'd walked while I went ahead. Ellie pushed the chair whilst the old lady shepherded the kids. As I watched her form them in a group, her face almost as clear as mine, she showed no sign she'd witnessed the death of her husband; the death of her old life.

The floor was alive with tall shadows, except when caught by the swing of the thin torch, as was the wall at our front as we walked its length, listening at each door for a pause and trying each handle before moving on.

I was looking for a sign; some way of knowing if there was anyone left living. It wasn't easy to spot until I turned the corner.

I peered around, slow at first, watching the trail of blood end at a door. The words 'Safe Harbour' ran in bold marker on the long wooden panel but smeared over with blood, as if someone had tried to wipe the