Demon Ember (Resurrection Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  As soon as everyone was in and the buildings cleared, men with guns jumped onto the backs of the trucks, and the engines started again.

  Four

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “The stadium for now. We’re trying to establish communications to set up an evacuation.”

  When we arrived a few minutes later, we left the trucks. The uniformed men corralled our group from the university toward the stadium. As we jostled forward with the flow of the crowd, Kristin lifted up on her toes, searching for Dawn. Behind us, the vehicles pulled away.

  “Come on, we’ll find her inside,” I said.

  Together, we moved toward Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, our temporary shelter. We followed the herd of people to Gate 14, and the sound of our footsteps almost drowned out the distant shots and howls.

  More military people with guns guarded the doors we entered. Inside the entrance, it was chaos, stifling hot and humid with the hysteric and shell-shocked people milling about. Some called out for friends, but most stumbled around looking lost.

  Kristin tugged my hand, weaving us through the crush of bodies. The entry was filled with even more students and residents and so were the ramps and halls leading from it. People weren’t spreading out or even thinking of the fact that the vehicles had left again, which meant there would be more people coming.

  Kristin wedged through two people, pulling me. My sweaty hand started to slip.

  “Hold on,” I called out, but she kept going. I tugged her hand, stopping her. She looked back to me, her eyes wide and wild.

  “We have to find Dawn,” she said.

  “Breathe. We’re not going to find anyone in this mess. Look around.”

  Kristin took a deep breath and held it before she slowly released it. I did the same while struggling to think what we needed to do next. The frantic look in her eyes drained a little, and the stuttering of my heartbeat slowed.

  “I’m okay,” she said.

  “Let’s see if we can find someone who might be able to tell us what’s going to happen next.”

  Kristin and I pushed toward some of the uniformed men inside the building.

  “Can you tell us what’s going on?” I asked the first one who made eye contact with me.

  “Sorry, ma’am. At this point, all we know is that a State of Emergency was declared. Water bottles are being handed out at different concession stands. Our focus is rounding up civilians until we’re told something else.” He turned away from us to direct a family with a missing child.

  Kristin and I moved back and roamed through the hallways, making our way to the rear of the stadium where it was a little less crowded. The gates we passed were either guarded by more military personnel or blockaded with benches and trash cans. The sight of all the men and women dressed in fatigues made it feel safe. Were Mom, Dad, and Ryan safe? I worried my bottom lip and followed Kristin, until the conversation of a group we passed caught my attention.

  “Oklahoma City isn’t that far. I say we drive there,” a guy with a buzz cut said, piquing my interest. I tugged Kristin’s hand and stopped walking.

  “Who the hell knows what’s out there, Josh,” the only girl in their group said.

  “Fuck this. We can’t just sit around and wait,” Josh said.

  The two other men nodded, one of them pulling his shirt up to reveal the handle of a gun.

  “We’ll be fine,” he said.

  “Kevin,” the girl said, yanking his shirt down. She fisted her hands and glared at each of them.

  Kristin tried to pull me away.

  “Hang on.” If they were going to Oklahoma City—

  A scream rent the air, breaking the tense silence between the friends. We all turned toward the source of the sound. A moment later, shots echoed further down the corridor. People started pushing our direction in their panic to get away from whatever was happening.

  I glanced at the small group near us. The girl’s eyes were wide. With grim, determined expressions, the trio of men moved toward the blockaded emergency exit.

  I gripped Kristin’s arms and forced her to look at me.

  “Let’s leave with those guys.”

  Kristin shook her head as the crowd began to swarm toward us. Shouts rang out behind them.

  “Run!”

  “The infected broke through!”

  “The army will take care of us,” Kristin said.

  “The infected have already gotten in.”

  “And they are shooting them. If you go out there, you’ll die.”

  Further down the hall, more screams and shots echoed. The panicking mass of people rushed toward us. Staying here wasn’t any safer than leaving.

  “To the field,” someone yelled.

  I hugged Kristin quickly.

  “Run, be safe,” I said.

  Kristin released me and took off down the hall, away from the mob. I ran over to the group of four trying to clear the exit. The third man struggled with moving one of the heavy trashcans. I helped drag it to the side while Josh and Kevin pulled the last remaining bench from the doorway. Josh pushed the door and it opened a quarter of the way, partially blocked by something from the outside.

  “Stay close,” Josh shouted before he ran out.

  The screams grew deafening before Kevin then the girl hurriedly squeezed out. The third guy pushed me forward as the first wave of the crowd shoved to escape through the open doorway.

  I ran after the others. Cool night air brushed my sweaty skin. My heart pounded. I knew what could be out in the dark. However, the waning moon was high, giving us enough light to navigate through the mostly deserted parking lot.

  Josh and Kevin were already over halfway to the closest vehicle. The girl had fallen well behind. Panic and running shoes had me gaining on her until something moved to our right. When I looked, I saw nothing but shadows.

  The girl ran hard toward Josh and Kevin, who were now at the closest truck to us. Out of the corner of my eye, a shadow blurred into something more, and it darted straight for the girl.

  I called out a warning too late and skidded to a halt as a hound knocked her down. Its growls froze the blood in my veins. The hound’s back arched as it bit down on her shoulder. My breath caught in my throat at her bloodcurdling scream.

  One of the guys grabbed my arm and yanked me toward the truck. I couldn’t take my eyes off the large, demon dog hunched over the girl. Her screams stopped by the time we reached the vehicle. Gasping breaths strangled my lungs. The guy shoved me into the backseat of the cab.

  While Josh struggled to hotwire the truck, I looked out the windshield toward the building as other hounds ran into the mass of panicked people trying to escape. The hounds weren’t the only thing chasing fleeing survivors. Infected people, ones who ran with an odd gait, attacked, too.

  The engine finally roared to life, causing the hound, who’d killed the girl, to look up. Its red gaze locked with mine, and its lips peeled back to reveal bloodied teeth.

  Military men came around the corner of the building and opened fire on the beasts and infected people. The first hound pivoted and snarled at its attackers. Blood flew with the impact of several bullets into its hide. Instead of fleeing, it charged toward the military men. They continued to shoot, and it kept running.

  The truck reversed then jerked around before moving forward. We raced out of the warzone. People ran past. Some scared. Some with cloudy eyes. Then, it all fell behind us.

  It’s the dogs, Ryan had texted earlier. Stay away from the infected.

  Was this really the damn zombie apocalypse? When I’d said we needed less people, I hadn’t meant this.

  “Breathe.” The guy sitting next to me grabbed my hand and held it tightly.

  I focused on each in and out breath, willing my shaking to stop. The driver swore softly as we sped through town. Once we were on the eerily vacant expressway, he glanced back at me.

  “Who are you?”

  “Mya.”

  “I’m Russ,�
�� the man gave my hand another squeeze. “That’s Josh and Kevin.”

  “I’m sorry about your friend.”

  “Thanks,” Kevin said.

  No one spoke after that. Instead, we watched the roads.

  Cars with shattered windshields were abandoned on the shoulders, and several of the infected staggered along the blacktop. When we sped past, they would run after us for a bit before they gave up. The fact that they kept up for even small bursts of time worried me, and I shivered as their dead gazes followed us down the road.

  Once, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of shadow running on the side of the road, and I caught a glimpse of glowing eyes. Blood red. Like the girl’s blood that had stained the beast’s teeth. Another shiver ran down my spine.

  The men were tense in their seats as we drove around more abandoned cars on the expressway.

  “We are going to have to stop for gas,” Josh said from the front. “It’s almost empty.”

  Kevin spotted a gas station near the next exit, not quite halfway to Oklahoma City. Josh took the ramp and pulled into the empty parking lot. The lights flickered inside the building, but I saw no other movement.

  “Kevin’s got a piece, and I have mine. Mya? I’m guessing you don’t have anything on you.” Josh looked at me in the mirror again.

  I shook my head. I hadn’t planned on the apocalypse.

  “Stay in the truck, then. Russ, you guard the back, I’ll pump and watch my side. Kevin, you watch the front and the other side. Watch everything, Mya. Yell if you see anything.”

  In the silence after Josh cut the engine, we all waited, watching and listening to see if it was safe for the guys to climb out. Skeletal trees hugged the back of the building. Nothing moved but a few dead leaves in the wind. The whole place felt creepy.

  It took a couple of minutes before Josh opened his door and the other two followed, getting out one by one. I rolled down the back passenger window an inch so I could hear them. Kevin’s boots crunched on the loose gravel, interrupting the only other sound…the quiet hum of the overhead lights.

  I watched Josh open the gas cap and remove the nozzle. He swore and fumbled for his wallet. A beep echoed in the air when he prepaid, and the gas began to flow into the tank.

  Russ moved to the end of the truck. I twisted in my seat and stared into the darkness surrounding the gas station. The shadows from the light of the building and the moon casted an eerie half-light. As I stared, the light seemed to bend around a certain spot. I leaned closer to the window and blinked, trying to see better. However, the spot had vanished.

  Another gust of wind made the loose leaves on the ground rustle. The branches crackled together, and goosebumps prickled over my skin. I rubbed my arms. The fine hairs on the back of my neck rose.

  The truck bounced ever so slightly, and I glanced out the windshield. Kevin stood not far away, staring into the dark. I looked at Josh and rubbed my hands over my jeans, trying to dry the clamminess.

  Josh lifted his head. His expression went from impatient to worried as he focused on the back of the truck.

  “Russ?” he called.

  I turned in my seat again and stared at the back of the truck. The bed was empty.

  I scooted over on the bench seat, close to where Josh stood.

  “Where did he go?” I asked.

  “I don’t know.” Josh’s eyes were wild, and he kept glancing around as he continued to pump gas.

  “Something ain’t right,” he said.

  A bitter retort rose, but I swallowed it. Now wasn’t the time to piss off the guy with the gun.

  “Guys,” Kevin said.

  With his back to us, he stared out into the darkness near the road. I strained to see what he did, but saw nothing.

  From the corner of my eye, something moved. I looked to the left and caught a dark blur rushing forward. I cried out. Kevin spun toward the incoming shadow.

  One second he was standing, the next a blur of something lifted him in the air. I blinked at the sharp cracking sound, and squeaked when Kevin flew at the truck. He landed on the hood, making the truck rock. His neck lay twisted at an odd angle. My hand covered my mouth as I held in the scream lodged in my throat.

  Something rattled against the truck. I glanced right, at Josh, as he frantically jerked the pump from the tank then moved toward the hood.

  “Kevin?” Josh halted when he realized his friend was dead. He tugged his gun from the waistband of his jeans and held onto it with both hands as he looked around.

  “What did that?” he asked.

  I had no answer.

  The light dimmed as something shattered outside. Glass hit the cab with soft pings. Josh looked at me through the window. A moment later, the remaining light went out.

  There was a quiet sound behind the truck, like claws on blacktop. I jumped and twisted around in my seat thinking of the man outside of my dorm room. He’d been the first to die, then the guy’s friend. It was happening again, and I would be next. My breaths came in heavy pants, and I frantically searched the darkness, struggling to find the thing that would kill me.

  Something moved just in front of the truck. I caught a glimpse of grey skin and thick limbs.

  Josh pulled the trigger, and the noise made me flinch. The shadow kept moving. Josh shot again.

  Bam.

  Bam.

  Bam.

  Click.

  The shadow leapt into the air toward the truck, and Josh let out a shocked grunt-scream.

  The metal above me bent inward as the creature landed on top of the cab. I squealed and crouched lower in my seat, unable to take my eyes from Josh. His eyes rounded as he stared up at whatever had landed on the roof of the truck. I could barely breathe past the fear squeezing my chest.

  I jolted when something jumped from the top and landed in front of Josh. It rose from a partial crouch to its full height. A man. Impossibly huge. His biceps were as big as my head, but…he wasn’t human. His grey skin, and pointed ears that poked out from the long black hair he had pulled into a twisted ponytail hanging down his back, made him very not human.

  Josh's face paled further.

  “Wh-what…?” he breathed.

  The thing reached out, gripped Josh’s neck with one hand, and twisted. Josh’s face went slack, and the thing released its hold. Josh fell limply out of sight.

  I looked at Kevin, who lay draped over the hood, then frantically scrambled across the seat, getting as far away as I could from the thing that had killed everyone else.

  It heard me and slowly turned around.

  Five

  Green eyes with reptilian pupils stared at me through the window.

  I couldn’t breathe. My heart thundered in my ears. I was going to die. I thought of my family and hoped they wouldn’t suffer the same fate.

  The creature leaned toward the glass. His gaze shifted from my head to my body then back up again. Though I shook uncontrollably, I couldn’t look away from his eyes. The black vertical slit of his pupils interrupted the otherwise solid bright green of the rest of his eyes.

  Finally, he pulled back from the window to study the glass separating us. Specifically, the one inch gap at the top.

  Shit. The leather squeaked under me as I shifted in my seat.

  His gaze snapped to mine again. His complete stillness motivated me. He was the hunter. I was the prey. I needed to get my ass moving. Sitting there waiting to die wasn’t an option.

  I glanced over the front seat at the wires hanging below the dash. A simple connection. I could do it. Start the truck and drive off before that thing figured out the flimsy piece of glass separating us posed no problem.

  When I looked back at the window, the creature had vanished. I didn’t hesitate. I climbed over the seat and grabbed for the wires. A shock zapped through me, and I yelped. But I didn’t stop trying. The engine turned over once then started.

  Something thumped on the hood, making the truck bounce slightly. I flinched and looked up, expecting to
see the creature. Instead, Kevin’s body slowly slid away from the windshield and over the edge. For a horror-filled moment, I could only think about how I would need to drive over him to get away.

  Movement next to my window made me jump, and I turned my head. Yellow-green eyes met mine. I froze, afraid to move. My heart felt like it wanted to pound its way out of my chest. He watched me as I watched him. His focus made me very aware that I needed to do something soon. My shaking was only getting worse. If I continued to hesitate, I’d end up dead like the rest.

  My knees still pressed against the seat, my feet nowhere near the pedals. I grabbed the wheel and started to swing my legs to the side. He slammed his open hand against the window. The glass splintered and folded in toward me. He reached in, his hand wrapped around my left arm.

  I yelped and pulled back, no longer caring about lunging for the pedals. He reached in with his other hand, grabbed me under the right armpit, and dragged me forward. The steering wheel slipped from my grasp. I tried for it once more but missed as he yanked my upper body out the window. I reared back, flailing. His hold under my right arm slipped, and I struggled to pull myself back in. He reached for me again, missed my arm, and grabbed my boob.

  He jerked his hand back, and I froze, staring at him with wide-eyes as I hung out the window, pinned in place by his other hand. He reached forward with his free hand, and I put my arm up, trying to protect my neck.

  His palm covered my right boob, and he gave it another tentative squeeze. I lowered my arm in shock and watched him pull back once more. His gaze zeroed in on my left side.

  “Hell no,” I said, renewing my struggles.

  As if his first attempt to remove me had just been a test, he plucked me out of the truck and set me on my feet in front of him. He kept his right hand firmly anchored around my upper arm as he lifted his other hand.

  My chest heaved with each panicked breath. When his hand got close to my boob, I swatted it away.

  He grunted, lowered his hand to his side, and studied me. When his gaze dropped to my jeans, a new panic surged forth. I pulled hard, willing to yank off my own arm to get away from him. He backed me against the truck, limiting my struggles, and proceeded to pat down the front of my jeans.