White Sands (6 page)
Authors: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Tags: #Fiction & Literature, #Sci Fi & Fantasy, #Science Fiction, #Adventure
“But Dad,” Jeff protested.
“I love you both very much,” Michael said, pulling the boys close and embracing them in one final hug. “Don’t wait for me!” he yelled, pushing them toward the building.
“Dad, no!” Jeff cried, taking several steps backward. David released a frantic scream, tears raining down his face.
Pushing himself off the ground, Michael grabbed his pulse rifle and limped after the boys. He knew they weren’t going to go willingly. Risking a glance over his shoulder, he saw the Spiders scampering across the sand. Their joints clicked like hungry teeth.
They’re so fast.
When he got to the front of the rusted-out building, Michael fired off a shot at the padlock. The door creaked open. “Get in,” he said, gesturing with his pistol into the darkness.
“You’re coming with, aren’t you?” Jeff choked.
“Yes, I’ll be right behind you,” he lied. “Now go!”
He watched Jeff pull a flashlight out of the pack and usher his younger brother forward. Jeff turned when the two were halfway down the stairs and, for a single second, Michael locked eyes with him. And then he shut the door behind the boys.
In one swift movement, Michael aimed his pulse rifle at the door hardware and fired. With any luck the destroyed lock and warped metal would seal them in.
He turned to face the monsters. The Spiders had already surrounded him, their claws whooshing through the air. Michael closed his eyes.
CHAPTER 10
TWO DAYS LATER
J
EFF
sat huddled inside the tiny storeroom next to David. They held each other in the darkness, trying to keep their breathing low. The clicking of claws echoed against the concrete as the aliens searched for prey through the hallways. The monsters were getting closer.
Jeff and David had stumbled upon the storage closet within the first few hours after their father had left them. The room had ended up being a goldmine, with a stack of bottled water, a box of MREs, and even a drain they could use as a toilet.
Over the last two days Jeff had plenty of time to think. In fact, it was all he had done. And he’d just come up with a plan. A plan to avenge their dad’s death. A plan to kill those things.
Jeff glanced over at David. His pale face was mostly covered in dirt, except for the streaks where tears had run down his cheeks. “We’re going to be okay,” Jeff said reassuringly. He hugged his little brother and then stood. He paced over to the two rifles their dad had given them.
“Come here,” Jeff said. He grabbed the hunting rifle and checked the safety. Just like his dad had taught him.
“This one is yours,” Jeff said. “I’ll take the assault rifle.”
David looked up at him from the ground. He hadn’t spoken much in the past two days. Jeff knew the boy was beginning to slip away. He needed to find a way to reengage him. He had to if they wanted to
survive. They needed to become a team. There was no other option.
“Come on, bud,” Jeff insisted.
David slowly pushed himself off the concrete floor and walked over to Jeff.
“Do you know how we can honor dad?” Jeff asked.
The younger boy shook his head.
“We can honor him by killing those things. But we have to do it together. We have to be a team.”
David’s gaze locked with his older brother’s. There was a spark in the younger boy’s eyes, something Jeff hadn’t seen since before the invasion.
Jeff smiled. “You ready to play a new game?”
David narrowed his eyebrows. “What kind of game?”
“The kind of game where we get to kill monsters.”
After several seconds of consideration, David nodded and reached for the rifle. “I’m ready,” he said pausing. “And I’m going to win.”
“You always win,” Jeff said, grinning.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicholas Sansbury Smith is the author of several post-apocalyptic books and short stories. He worked for the State of Iowa for nearly ten years before switching careers to focus on his one true passion—writing. When he isn’t daydreaming about the apocalypse he’s likely racing in triathlons around the Midwest. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa with his family and several rescued animals. For more information, visit him a
NicholasSansbury.com
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
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First Simon451 ebook edition October 2014
Author photograph by Anne Elizabeth Photography
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ISBN 978-1-4767-8898-2
