The Gates: An Apocalyptic Novel Read online

  The Hatchet hugged the shore on its way down to the Coast Guard station, and during that time, it became clear that a great fear had fallen over the various towns and villages. People here were not under attack, but the country they loved was.

  Tosco had compiled a list of confirmed attack sites, and it made for grim reading: Jacksonville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Anaconda, Memphis, San Diego, Clearwater, Billings, Pittsburgh, Fresno, Atlanta, Omaha, Tulsa, Newport, Wichita, Seattle, Minneapolis, Honolulu, Riverside, Newark, Toledo, Irving, Richmond, Sacramento, San Jose, Norfolk, New York, Des Moines, Brownsville, Peoria, and Elgin. And the two that were likely the reason the residents of Cape Fear were so worried: Charlotte and Raleigh.

  There appeared to be no discernible pattern to the attack locations. Some states had relatively few gates, such as Illinois, where neither Chicago nor Springfield had been hit. The Prairie State’s biggest disaster site was Carbondale. California, on the other hand, was staging its own Armageddon with nearly every major city hit.

  Although every bone in his body begged him not to do it, Guy had allowed his men free access to the radio, telephones, and internet. All the services were spotty, but it had soon become clear that mankind was at war. Every radio and television station had devoted itself to news coverage, but none could seem to agree on what was happening, or what to do about it. The theory that had the most supporters was that the gates to Hell had opened up and demons now walked the Earth seeking to destroy humanity. The second most popular opinion was that aliens were responsible.

  It was difficult to draw any conclusions.

  The giant the Hatchet had encountered was no anomaly. There had been sightings of similar winged creatures all over the world—including one in London where Kyle and Alice were hopefully still alive. Guy prayed they were. The general assumption was that the giants were Angels of Death come to smite mankind, but that was adamantly hand-waved by the religious-right who would hear nothing of it.

  Guy hadn’t made up his mind about the truth, but he decided it would be best to refer to the enemy as demons from now on, for efficiency’s sake, if nothing else. If the men knew what they were fighting, they would be less afraid and more focused than if they were battling shadows and monsters. The fear on board the Hatchet was enough to incite desertion, and that was something that would need addressing soon. The crew could not be relied upon if their minds were set on leaving.

  “We’re coming up on the base now,” said Frank. “I radioed in, and they’re ready to receive us.”

  Guy blinked. “The Coast Guard is still functioning?”

  “There’s a skeleton crew apparently.”

  “Good, take us in.”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  The Hatchet pulled up alongside the deserted docks, and a grey-haired old man in a navy blue Coast Guard jumper met them. The weather was scorching, but he hadn’t seemed to have noticed. He saluted Guy as he appeared on deck and descended the gangway.

  “Retired Captain Lund,” the old man said. “Caretaker of the station here.”

  Guy shook his hand gladly. “Captain Granger. Thank you for receiving me, Captain Lund. How have you fared here?”

  “Not bad, considering. Nearest attack is Charlotte, but that doesn’t make it any less frightening for us here. Watching the news is like watching a horror movie. Command won’t return my calls, and I just got word we lost a third of our domestic Navy in Norfolk.”

  Guy sighed. “We were there. It was bad.”

  “Well, I’m glad someone made it at least. All the Coast Guard vessels headed there last night to support the military. Some were friends of mine.”

  “I’m sorry. Some ships got out, but more were lost.”

  The old man took a long breath and let it out loudly. “You need fuel, I hear? Well, since I have no ships, you can have all the fuel you want. Heading anywhere in particular?”

  “I have some ideas, but nothing set in stone yet. We’ll head wherever we can find that’s safe; unless we’re needed somewhere else. From what I saw at Norfolk though, there’s not a lot my crew can do but keep care of themselves.”

  “There’re a couple young guys back at base,” said Lund. “I’ll radio ‘em to come fuel you boys up in a jiffy. You wanna come inside a spell and have a cup of Joe?”

  “I wish I could,” said Guy, “but right now, I need to keep a tight leash on my crew. If I go wandering off inland, they might do the same.”

  “I understand, Captain. Let me know if I can make myself useful.”

  “You can count on it. Thank you, Captain Lund.”

  “You can call me Skip. Everyone else does.”

  “Thank you, Skip.”

  Frank came down the gangway. His expression was urgent, and in his hand, he held a cell phone—Guy’s cell phone. “You left it in the pilothouse,” he explained. “You will want to take this call.”

  There was a knot in Guy’s stomach, but he reached out and took the phone and placed it against his ear. “Hello?”

  “Dad, is that you?”

  “Kyle! Are you and Alice okay?”

  “Yeah, dad, we’re fine.”

  “Where are you? How did you get in touch with me?”

  “We’re with some soldiers in London. I gave them our address back home and they got a call to mom. She gave me your number and said I had to call you too.”

  Guy tried not to dwell on the fact that his son had not chosen to call of his own free will. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Kyle. I’ve been worried. Are they looking after you?”

  “Yeah. Things were pretty bad for a while, but then a couple of reporters found me and Alice hiding in a bus. They took us to an army camp in the park. The soldiers are going to put us in a helicopter and take us somewhere safe. I think they said it was some place named Kane Bridge.”

  Guy thanked God for the British Army. “I want to speak to one of the soldiers before you go.”

  “Yeah, okay. There’s one here with us now—Corporal Martin. He’s waiting outside the tent. He’ll give you the details of where we’re going.”

  “Good. You look after your sister, Kyle. No matter what, okay? Can I speak with her?”

  “Sure.”

  There was a pause, then Alice’s sweet little voice came down the line. “Daddy?”

  “Hi, princess. I’m so proud of you for staying safe.”

  “It was really scary, daddy. There were monsters, but Kyle looked after me.”

  “I’m proud of him too. The nice soldiers will look after you now until you get home to mommy. Do exactly as they tell you, okay, and keep close to your brother.”

  “Mommy says there are monsters at home, too.”

  “Mommy is safe,” Guy assured her. “You spoke to her earlier and so did I.”

  “Is Clark looking after her?”

  Guy cleared his throat. “Yes, honey. Clark is looking after her.”

  “When can me and Kyle go home?”

  “Soon, I promise.”

  “Will you come get us in your boat?”

  “Daddy can’t do that, honey. Daddy has a job to do.”

  “But the soldiers said that’s over now. Corporal Martin said that we have to fight. If you come and get us, you can teach me and Kyle how to fight. Please, come get me.”

  “What? No, Alice, I don’t want you to fight. What else did this Corporal Martin say?”

  “I heard him say we’re going to lose. That there are too many monsters.”

  “Let me speak to him.”

  “What?”

  “Honey, let me speak to Corporal Martin.”

  Alice sounded sad, like she knew she’d just caused trouble. “Okay, daddy. I’ll go and get him.”

  There was a clonking sound as Alice placed the receiver down, and then Guy could hear Kyle speaking, asking his sister what was wrong.

  Then there was the sound of gunfire.

  Guy shouted down the phone. “Alice? Kyle?”

  There was a man’s voice in the backgro
und. Guy could just about hear it. “Come on, kids. We have to get somewhere safe, right now. We’re under attack.”

  “But I was talking to my da—”

  The line went dead.

  The cell phone fell from Guy’s grasp and shattered at his feet. Frank caught him just as he was about to fall.

  “Guy, what is it?”

  “Alice and Kyle. They’re in danger. Something is attacking them.”

  Frank didn’t speak.

  Guy wrung his hands together and started pacing like a caged cat. “I should be with them, Frank. I should be protecting them. Damn it.”

  Frank looked him in the eye and held him steady. “You told the men we’re all just going to have to pray our families are okay. Kyle and Alice have survived so far. You have to hope they can make it through. They will make it, Guy. We all will.”

  Captain Lund’s boys arrived around the coast, piloting a fuel barge up alongside the Hatchet. The putt-putt of the engine echoed across the water.

  Guy wiped the tears from his eyes and straightened up. “Get the men to refuel, Chief Petty, and then assemble everybody on launch deck—the civilians too. I have something to say.”

  Frank nodded. “Aye, aye, Captain.”

  ***

  The Hatchet’s crew assembled alongside the civilian refugees on the launch deck, awaiting an address from the Captain. Captain Lund and his boys were also present as Guy had requested them.

  Guy stood on top of the ship’s main gun emplacement so he was high enough to see the far edges of the crowd. The Hatchet wasn’t a huge ship, and the massed gathering made it seem cramped. The civilians looked nauseous and afraid, unused to the sea and even less used to the fighting.

  “Thank you for gathering,” Guy began. “Some of you have served with me for a long time, some of you not so long, some of you are only catching a ride. Regardless of your position on this ship, we have all survived a terrible tragedy together, and for that, we are brothers and sisters—bonded through adversity and strengthened by courage. I am proud to captain this crew. Things are bad, we all know it. The Navy is in disarray—if it even exists at all—and reports are that the Army are faring little better. Things as we know them have fallen apart, and there is nothing I can do to fix that. All civilians are now free to go, and I hope that Captain Lund will assist you in whatever way he can. New York is no longer safe, but there are still areas yet to be attacked. Cape Fear is one of those areas, so I suggest that you remain here for the time being.

  “I also offer release to my crew. Many of you still have time left to serve, but I have come to realise that a man must protect his family first, his country second. In fact, by doing the first, we often serve the second; so go, if you must, and find your families. There will be no repercussions, you have my word. Humanity is at war, and none of us can escape the days ahead, but I will hold no one on board my ship if they do not wish to be here. I, myself, will be crossing the Atlantic to find my own family. Some may call it desertion, but I see no Coast Guard left to desert. Some may call me a traitor, but I would rather betray my country than my children. What I am is a father, and that is how I intend to proceed.”

  There was a collective gasp from those who understood the magnitude of what he was suggesting. The Atlantic was a big ocean to cross in a ship not made for comfort.

  Guy gave the crowd no time to settle and continued earnestly. “The Hatchet is just about fit to do the journey with a full tank of fuel, and it’s the right time of year, so I’m going to London to find my children. I’ll pilot the ship alone if I have to, but if anyone wishes to join me, I will welcome their company, not as enlisted men, but as volunteers. Once I have my children, I will return to my duty and do what I can to help my country.”

  “I’ve always fancied seeing Wembley Stadium,” said Frank. “You think it’ll still be there?”

  Guy looked at his oldest friend warmly. “Only one way to find out.”

  “I’ll join you, Captain,” said Lieutenant Tosco. His eyes were red and swollen, showing he’d been crying. “I just found out my wife is dead. If I can help you save your kids, then I’ll sail to England with you. Alice and Kyle are Americans. They need our help.”

  Tosco had been the last person Guy had expected to join him, but he was more than thankful to have his second-in-command along for the ride. “Thank you, Lieutenant Tosco. I’d be glad to have you.”

  More hands went up as more and more enlisted men volunteered. Almost half the civilians remained as well. The final voice in the crowd was Captain Lund’s. “I’d like to come too, if that’s okay, Captain Granger?”

  “Don’t you want to run things here, Skip? The voyage will be long and uncomfortable.”

  “Don’t consider things are going to be too dandy wherever I go. If I’m to risk my life, I’d rather risk it where I belong: At sea. I’ll be leaving good boys behind—they’ll take care of your civilians, but I want to join your crew, sir. One last adventure for a silly old man. I’ll pull my weight, you can be mighty sure of it.”

  “I have no doubt. Welcome aboard, Skip.” Guy looked for more volunteers, but none remained. About a third of the crew had opted to leave, but with the additional civilians, the Hatchet would end up being over-manned. They’d need to resupply before setting off, but that was a problem to be addressed later. For now, Guy just wanted to bask in the feeling of solidarity between him and his fellow sailors. He had truly expected to be making the journey across the Atlantic on his own. Even now, life could surprise him.

  “Get some rest, sailors,” he commanded. “We leave bright and early. Until then, think about your decision, and enjoy the land beneath your feet while you can. England awaits us.”

  ~MINA MAGAR~

  Hyde Park, London

  Mina had been sitting on the moonlit grass listening to her father’s angry voicemails when the first shot fired. It came from the edge of camp, over by Marble Arch, and when she looked up, she saw soldiers hastily gathering up their weapons and running to offer support. David had been sitting under a nearby floodlight, working through his notes and chatting to Carol on the phone. He came over now in a hurry. “Did you see what they’re firing at?”

  Mina got up and wiped grass off her butt. “It’s too dark to see. The creatures must be attacking again.”

  David hissed, “Let’s hope those soldiers know what they’re doing.”

  The gunfire increased, lighting up the darkness like a celebration. Radios squawked everywhere as soldiers communicated with one another urgently. Explosions joined the mix and gave Hyde Park its greatest ever fireworks show.

  “It’s bad,” said Mina. “The whole camp is getting involved.”

  Corporal Martin appeared from one of the nearby tents with Alice and Kyle hurrying behind him. “You need to take the children,” he ordered. “I need to get over there.”

  Mina gathered the frightened children to her side, but didn’t want to let the soldier rush off. “They’re attacking again, aren’t they? How many?”

  Corporal Martin looked at her gravely. “Just one.”

  “One? I don’t understand.”

  As if to address her confusion, a beastly roar echoed across Hyde Park, and something huge charged towards the camp. The giant scooped up a black taxi and launched it at the assembled soldiers, scattering them into cover. They spread out, pumping magazines full of ammunition into the creature and hitting it several times with grenades.

  Nothing slowed the giant down.

  A jeep skidded to a halt in front of it. When the soldier in the back manning a huge machine gun pulled the trigger, it sounded like a volcano erupting. The onslaught of automatic fire was enough to send the giant reeling, but it quickly recovered, dragged an elm tree out of the ground, and launched it at the jeep. The vehicle bucked, rolled, and ended up on its roof. The soldier who had been manning the machine gun fell awkwardly and snapped his neck.

  David shot Corporal Martin an accusing look. “Your men are dying.”

/>   “Which is why I need to go help them.”

  Mina grabbed the soldier’s arm. “No, you’ll die. Your weapons aren’t working on that thing.”

  “Uh, guys?” Kyle got their attention and pointed to the other side of the park. “There’s something else coming.”

  Screams filled Hyde Park as an army of charred creatures arrived from a dozen side streets and fell upon the camp. Soldiers began to fall, clutching torn open stomachs and mangled throats. Meanwhile, the giant continued its devastating march, crushing all in its path.

  “The battle is lost,” said David. “We need to get out of here.”

  Alice cried. Kyle put his arm around her, but looked close to tears himself. Mina smiled at the boy and tried to let him know it would be alright—even though it wouldn’t be.

  In the centre of the park, two choppers started up their rotors, each one loaded full of refugees. The army of creatures made for them, but was held back by the last smatterings of resistance. If those soldiers didn’t hold their ground, the civilians would be sitting ducks.

  Corporal Martin grabbed his rifle and prepared to head off.

  Mina grabbed his arm. “You’re not seriously going to go fight, are you?”

  “No,” he said. “We’re getting the hell out of here. Come on.”

  They raced after him as he took them across the playing fields towards the centre of camp. It was closer to the danger, but Mina understood the soldier’s motives. The vehicles were all parked in the centre of Hyde Park, and reaching one was their only means of escape.

  “Is that the thing you saw earlier, Mina?” David asked her as they sprinted towards the motor pool.

  “I only saw it for a moment, but yes, that’s definitely it.”

  “It has wings like an angel,” Alice said.

  “It’s not an angel,” said Kyle. “It’s a monster.”

  “A demon,” Mina stated, as sure of it as ever.