Free Reapers Mist: Third in the Reaper Trilogy by Justin Gowland by Justin Gowland Page B

you’re there, wake the fuck up!” said a male voice.
    The corner office swam into focus with the voice coming from the radio in my hand “Walker, Walker! Mate are you there?”
    I said. “Yeah, I’m here.”
    “Thank god. We’re about three streets away. What does it look like?”
     
    Chapter Ten
     
    Looking through the windows the rain was coming down in heavy sheets. The dark clouds were giving the street outside the window an early twilight. I couldn’t see any movement out there. The rain had cut the distance to around ten meters. 
    “Can’t see anything past ten meters here any good where you are?”
    “It’s the same here. We’ll put the high beams on when we are coming down the street.”
    “How did looking for fuel, go?” I asked.
    There was a crackle from the radio as a flash of lightening danced across the sky.
    “We got a bowser it’s nearly three quarters full. We ran into some Reapers, but everyone is ok. How did it go on your end?” Rees said.
    “It went great had a run in with some Reapers as well. I think the storm is affecting them somehow. I’ll tell you about it when you pick me up. I am in an office unit about half way down the street. I’ll make my way to the main doors and wait to see the lights.”
    “Ok, we’ll see you soon.” And the radio went quiet.
    Standing up I pulled my rucksack on and looked out the window. The rain hadn’t let up in and the flashes of lightning told me that the storm was not passing quickly. Lifting my rifle from the desk, I walked over to the office door. Opening the door slightly I looked into the open office.
    Every now and again the lightning flashed in a stark flash of white light. Shadows moved on the walls and my mind started to play tricks on me.
    That last vision had shown me that the Reapers were not a massive army, but a fluid pool of enemies. This might have sounded good on the face of things, but if they kept renewing their pool with the uninfected. Then it would be possible that we would never be rid of them. I didn’t know if it was just the Queen which passed on the infection or if all the Reapers had the ability.
    Entering the stairwell, I moved down to the ground floor and looked out on the reception area. Nothing had changed since I entered the office unit. Moving to the front door I crouched down and looked outside. I could see the sky slowly getting lighter. The rain had started to ease and the flashes of lightning and claps of thunder started to get farther apart. If what my dad had told me the further apart they got then farther away the storm was. I looked down the street and saw reflections of light off of the buildings.
    After a short while the shape of the Land Rover came round the corner. It moved in and out of the stall and wrecked cars. Steadily moving up the street toward me I leaned out of the doorway and using my rifle scope I had a look at the street. Seeing nothing but shadows and glistening puddles of water, I thought I would chance running down the street to meet them. Leaving the safety of the office unit I ran along the pavement and out on to the road. I must have gone about thirty meters when I heard the keening and the pattering of feet behind me. Looking over my shoulder ten Reapers seemed to detach themselves from the shadows of alleyways and darkened houses.
    Committed to running I sped up and pushed myself into getting to the Land Rover. Rees must have been watching out as well because the loud roar of the Land Rover engine echoed off the buildings and businesses as whoever pushed on the accelerator.  I was about twenty meters from the Land Rover when the front dipped and the screech of brakes stood out over the keening of the Reapers.
    I doubled my efforts to get closer to the safety of the Land Rover and the extra weapons of those inside. The loud crack of the SA80 shocked me into looking up. Rees was leaning over the bonnet and firing aimed shots past me toward the crowd of Reapers coming up behind