Ian snapped sideways, then back as another fist flew by. “Calm down!” he barked. Not wanting the fight to escalate, he dropped the Sten gun, planted his hands against Carlson’s chest and shoved him back. “We don’t have time for this!”

  “This is your fault!” Carlson roared. “You set off the damned alarm!”

  “The alarm?” Ian snapped back, “The whole thing was a set-up from the start!”

  “Shut up!”

  “A set-up?” Liana questioned, throwing herself between them. “What do you mean?”

  His eyes flicked between Liana and Carlson, muscles already clenching. “They were doing experiments on people.” Ian stated, trying to keep his tone in check. “They wanted to use us as lab rats.”

  “Oh piss off.” Carlson scoffed, “Just more conspiracy bullshit with the Nyúlfur!”

  “Nyúlfur?” Liana uttered, voice going cold as her head snapped back towards Carlson, “You never told us that was a bloody Nyúlfur there!”

  Carlson merely waved an arm dismissingly at her with a shake of his head.

  Ian’s muscles twitched as he stepped forward, “I’m not a fucking liar Carlson!” he barked, jabbing a finger right back at him. “I saw the labs. I heard how they were going to ‘change’ things. I saw the bodies too! But right now, we don’t have time for this! They could still be after us, the Ferals are breathing down our necks and w-“

  Something ripped free in his chest, twisting and churning up his insides, his word transformed into a cry as his legs crumpled. He snapped out a hand, feeling it burn as it scraped across the ground.

  But it was a footnote against that thing inside, biting into chest, sucking the breath out of him.

  Just as swiftly though, the pain vanished. Another mass had tightened around his shoulder, but he didn’t need to glance around. Closing his eyes, he couldn’t stop himself from taking that shaky breath in. Thanks Liana…

  “Alright mates, can we get out of here now?”

  Ian glanced over his shoulder to see Jack stumbling over towards them with Jeb slung over his shoulder by a limp arm.

  Something boomed, and the ground shuddered beneath them. He managed to lift his head. Carlson was still standing there. His eyes flicked towards anything that seemed to move. But as they drifted down towards him, all Ian could do was stare at him with narrowed eyes. We need to go. Now.

  That seemed to be the final straw.

  Carlson stiffened, “To hell with it.” He uttered, snapping round towards the others, “Get this thing ready to go!” But as the scavengers sprang into action, he held a hand up, bringing one to a halt as he cast a cool look at the injured Jeb. “Is he…”

  “No.” Jack declared, “He’s not.”

  He flicked a thumb over his shoulder, “Get him on.”

  As the scavenger sprinted over and hefted Jeb off Jack’s shoulder, Ian grunted as he pushed himself back up to his feet. Damn scientists… still, we can get out of her-

  “Boss!”

  He swivelled round to find a young scavenger sprinting over from the stairwell, face caked with dirt. “We’ve got Ferals…” she panted.

  “How many?” Jack questioned.

  She shook her head, “Lots of them… they got Angela and Mitch… but they… the Ferals… they’re only a few blocks off!”

  “Carl.” Someone else leaning into view,, “I’m going to need a few minutes to get the loco moving, even with the kid helping.”

  Ian felt a weight shift off him, At least Coop is-

  The messenger glared at the source, “We don’t have a few minutes!”

  “God damn it!” Carlson hissed, tossing his arms up into the air. At the lost lives, the train, the Ferals or just everything, Ian couldn’t tell.

  Ian cast a glance up towards the collapsed bridge, ending abruptly just above the rails.

  An idea began to form, “There’s no other way in, right? Besides the station?”

  “Unless the Ferals want to try smashing through the walls, no.” Carlson spat, “Why?”

  Ian pointed towards the bridge, keeping his gaze fixed on the leader, “If we’re lucky, they’ll move right past us. If not, that corridor is the perfect chokepoint.”

  “Saves having to fight them on open ground.” Jack observed.

  The Brumie leader’s head snapped between the two, enough that Ian could already imagine the gears protesting in his mind. “Fine.” He spat jabbing a finger at Ian and Jack, “You two are with me! Everyone else, get on and get ready to go!”

  He swivelled round, the figure leaning out of the locomotive tossing a shotgun down at him. “Don’t leave without us.” He warned, wagging a single finger.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  “Just make sure we get some backup.”

  Liana, taking hold of the barrel of the rifle, held it towards Jack, “Looks like you’ll be needing this.”

  Jack grinned, taking the rifle back, “Keep an eye on Jeb, will you?”

  “I will… just don’t get yourselves killed.” She gazed back at Ian, “Both of you.”

  Ian tilted his head at her, “Still the plan.”

  Trying not to let a flicker of doubt return, Ian joined the others as they sprinted back towards the stairwell and back up into the darkness of the tunnel. Carlson parked himself at the junction corner and Ian pressed himself against the wall whilst Jack took up the rear. Little more than a handful of seconds later, another gunman slipped in behind him, an old wooden hunting rifle clutched in her grasp.

  Now we wait. Ian thought, an uncomfortable gloom hanging over them, Let’s hope they don’t notice.

  He nearly cursed to himself, clamping down on his tongue. I’m just asking for it.

  It didn’t take long for the sound of glass shattering to echo back down the corridor along with the occasional gunshot.

  And the chattering. The incomprehensible chattering.

  And finally, the odd scream.

  He tried to block it out. But every time he inched closer to succeeding, another sound, louder than before jarred him back. So Ian took it in, a silent promise not to forget what happened here. To make sure it didn’t happen again.

  As the guns fell silent, and the chatter began to rumble non-stop in Ian’s ears, Carlson tilted his head past the corner. A second passed, and he peeled back. “Two of them, in the terminal.” He whispered.

  The jabbering in the air seemed to question otherwise. A chorus of barks, yips and that twisted cheer.

  It had only been about two, maybe three minutes. And already the Horde was practically on top of them.

  We just need a few more minutes. Just a few and that train can get us out.

  Carlson began to lean out again, this time only sticking the top of his head out. But then he snapped back, biting his lip. “What?” Ian mouthed, hefting up the SMG.

  He didn’t respond at first, eyes flicking back to the corner, barrels of the shotgun locked onto it.

  Nothing came.

  Carlson relaxed, glancing over to them. “One of them looked down here.” He whispered. “I don’t think it- “

  Something howled. A deep, joyous howl that screeched through his ears. The gunman had one hand pressed against an ear, with the rifle half tucked underarm.

  Seconds later, it faded away. It left the station in total silence.

  Total silence.

  The chatter was gone too.

  Then a quieter howl started, then another. And soon a whole new chorus. A chorus signalling fresh prey.

  Ian checked over the rifle, fingers seemingly paler than usual until it dawned on him that his grip was like a vice. As the chorus changed tune to the sound of inhuman drums, he flicked the safety off as Carlson snapped a head round the corner again.

  “Fucking hell!” he barked, springing into the corridor. Ian didn’t spend a heartbeat to ready himself, leaping alongside Carlson. The click of rifles confirmed Jack and the gunman were ready.

  The lobby was gone. A mass of bodies filled the entrance, Ferals of every shape and size stood in ranks, albeit without the barest sense of organisation as some tried to step forward, only to get yanked back by their fellows. Some looked freshly turned, their fur only a light fuzz and only their legs bent back. The majority however were older, with pulsing lumps, thick fur and twisted skulls and limbs.

  It was all but pointless to count them.

  The drumming intensified as the Ferals snarled, ready to lunge for them. Damn it, how many more are there!?

  But the drumming only got louder.

  Out of the blue, the lights began to flicker weakly on and off. In the white light, messy, twisted shapes flashed across the ground. That’s not a trick of the light!

  Ian flicked his gun’s torch on.

  The Feral screamed as it snapped jagged teeth at him. Orange flame erupted from the Sten as Ian ducked, allowing the gargling Feral fly over him and land with a crunch. Spinning round, he sprayed another burst into it’s spasming form. “They’re ri-“

  The shotgun boomed, agonised screams rising as the lights stabilised. Swing himself back round front, he fired into the materialised pack. Bullets and pellets battered the beasts, screeching as they hit the deck. The chorus was shattered as frenzied screams and howls pierced the air, and behind the advance party, the main body charged forward.

  The gun clicked, instinct taking over as he yanked the empty mag out and rammed the second in as the slower weapons continued to fire. The next set of Ferals leapt over the twisted bodies of their comrades, but they didn’t have the luxury of surprise, running headlong into gunfire, rounds punching clean through them. In a corridor so tight, there was not a way in hell for the Ferals to swarm them in one fell swoop.

  As he reloaded again, a third wave began to charge. Only for a single, larger freak to yank some of its brethren back. Even through the flash of weapons fire, he could just make out a second grabbing hold of its own.

  Another burst of fire, more bodies hitting the deck, and two weapons clicked.

  The two larger beasts let go, and the underlings were released. Screaming as they charged.

  Damn it, they’re starting to get organised! He realised, slamming another magazine in. Chokepoint or not they only had so many bullets! They’re adjusting the waves to try and catch us in a reload!

  “When’s that train moving!?” he roared, pumping bullets into another Feral’s face.

  “They should be ready by now!” Carlson barked back, firing a blast and sidestepping as a bloodied corpse flew past him. “Fuck!”

  “We need to buy them more time!” Jack shouted, cycling another round and firing into the horde.

  Ian’s gun clicked again. Only a dull crack rang out at his side.

  Only one gun was firing.

  Fuck!

  The Ferals screamed and cheered, ready to come down upon them with a fresh wave.

  Then came a proper howl, screaming through the Horde like a bulldozer and down their human ears. Ian cried out, one hand automatically grasping an ear. It was a deep, sharp howl that echoed in such a way it must have been trying to tear their eardrums out. Eying the corridor with squinted eyes, he watched as the Ferals halted at the edge of the corridor, squealing as they clutched what was left of their old ears or the new.

  Abruptly, it ended and as his ears rang like bells, he inserted the final magazine in with a click. He took aim.

  But the Ferals didn’t move. Some were still whining, shaking their heads like half-confused dogs. But the others snarled and growled down the corridor. Even the rabid chatter that had dominated the soundscape had simmered down into a low murmur.

  “What… are they doing?” Jack questioned with a pant.

  “Being fucking thick.” Carlson growled, raising his shotgun.

  “No wait!” Ian said, placing a hand on the barrel, “You don’t want to piss them off now.”

  Carlson cursed to himself, but Ian knew that he had a point. Any extra reprieve could only be one in their favour, surely. Besides, we don’t need them running down with us on our last mags. His finger twitched, thirty-two rounds. He reckoned he could probably drain that magazine in ten seconds, probably less.

  Not worth taking that chance when we can just sit here.

  The Ferals were now twisting around and Ian tried to peer through the horde, to see what was getting their attention.

  But he could hear the thuds, dull and almost out of earshot. But it was clear all the same, something was coming.

  The mutated monsters yelped and barked, and a new figure barged into view.

  Ian’s heart missed a beat, his mind drifting back to that distant image from the store. That shape that dropped from the building that was watching, spying on them… Was it the same one? No, surely not… no.

  Yes.

  It had to be the Alpha.