Strain of Resistance (Book 1) (18 page)

He knows I agree with him. I'm not about to risk anymore of the people I care about. But still, it tears at me, what we are about to do. And what if Sam
is
here?

"But what if, Luke? What if they can be saved? What if what happened to the hybrids at St. Joseph's really was caused by the docs' meddling?"

His troubled brown eyes stare into mine. "Then if there truly is a God, may he have mercy on our souls for what we are about to do. Now let's get the hell out of here before Kingsley decides not to wait for us any longer. I think our five minutes are up."

We join the others back on the road. They watch our approach warily. Kingsley has the detonator ready in his hand and he raises an eyebrow at Luke. Luke glances over at me, almost if asking permission. I nod at him. I'm ready. It's time to get this over and done with.

"Do it," Luke says softly and Kingsley plunges the detonator.

After everything we had been through these past few days, seeing the building collapse is totally anti-climactic. Following the initial explosion, the building simply just collapses in on itself, over in a matter of seconds. Its destruction is so serene and incidental. Like it shouldn't even be this easy.

I keep looking nervously over my shoulder, waiting for that other shoe to drop. But it doesn't. No leeches come barreling out of the trees, looking for a meal. No hybrids leap at us from the shadows, aiming to rip our heads of. There's just a sense of...finality. And if Sam is one of the infected in there...then I guess this is my last goodbye. It's time to let him go. Until we meet again.

No one utters a word as we watch the mushroom cloud of dust start to dissipate into the air. There simply are no words for what we’ve done, I guess. I just hope to God we made the right call. But the longer we watch, apprehension starts growing in my chest. The injury on my back where the hybrid had sliced me open, it itches like crazy, the thought itching at my brain just as bad.

I reach for Luke's hand, needing his touch right now. His reassurance. He looks down at our clasped hands in surprise, then back up at my face. His surprise quickly turns to puzzlement, furrowing his brow. His eyes silently asking, 'What's wrong?"

"What if there are more?" I whisper.

EPILOGUE

The
quarry warehouse sat alone and abandoned in its valley of dirt and sand. No footsteps mar the earth around the squat building, a testament to it having been forgotten about. No one had been in the old quarry, or entered this building for quite some time.

Inside, shadows danced and played with the dust motes that floated lazily in the feeble rays of the setting sun, filtering through the barred windows. A fine layer of dust covered the warehouse floor, disturbed only by tiny prints of the odd vermin that dared to wander through looking for a hopeful tidbit.

One such critter scampered through now, running in and out of the pillars of white that dotted the floor like chessboard pieces; silently waiting for some master to move them about.

It paused at the base of one pillar, its nose raised in the air, sniffing daintily. It had made this place its home for the past little while. It had felt safe enough. But tonight...something seemed different.

The pillar shifted slightly and the mouse stilled. Wary but not afraid, its beady little eyes traveled up and stared curiously. It watched as the cocoon like structure shifted again causing dust to fall noiselessly around it. The next cocoon shifted. And then the next. A shimmer seemed to encapsulate the whole building, like an unseen wave of electricity had swept over its inhabitants.

Arms erupted from the mesh covering, causing the little critter to finally squeak in panic as it scampered away. Its brain, too undeveloped to understand the birthing happening around it, did instinctively know that to stay in the open would mean certain death.

Its tiny, furry body squeezed underneath the door and scampered into the night leaving the warehouse behind.  

The warehouse came alive with movement. Arms flailed at the sticky substance, ripping and tearing it away from the bodies underneath. Humans arose from the pods, re-emerging back into a world they had already been born into years ago. No cries or screams accompanied this birth, however. It all occurred in complete and utter silence.

One re-born toppled from its covering and landed in the dust on its knees. Shaky hands tore at its chest, leaving a deep groove of crimson across the entwined hearts tattooed just above the left breast. Smokey gray eyes opened in panic and its parched throat, weakened from years of disuse, struggled to form the one word screaming loudly in its head.

"Bixby."

***

Thank
you for reading. Please consider leaving a review on the online retailer where you purchased this book.

Other works by Michelle Bryan

Awaken (New Bloods Trilogy Book 1)

           Ascension (New Bloods Trilogy Book 2)

            Grand Escape (Strain of Resistance Prequel)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Biography

Michelle Bryan lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband, son and two crazy felines. Besides her family her other passions in life consist of chocolate, coffee and writing. When she’s not busy being a chocolate store manager or spending the day at her computer, she can be found with her nose stuck in any sort of apocalypse book. Please visit her on Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon or follow her on Twitter @michellebry101. She would love to hear from her readers, so feel free to leave comments or ask questions.