Read Online Mutation (Twenty-Five Percent Book 1) by Nerys Wheatley - Free Book Online
Authors: Nerys Wheatley
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far corner and came to an abrupt halt.
The tarmac came to an end at a kerb and pavement. Thirty feet away lay the main car park. In between was a courtyard flanked on one side by the police station building and on the other by a brick wall. It was filled with flowerbeds and trees, metal benches and planters. Several very large, concrete planters. It looked like a picturesque tank trap.
“Those are new,” Alex said. The truth was he hadn’t been out here for over a month. He was now regretting not wanting to get more fresh air.
Micah was craning his neck to peer behind them. “I’m seriously beginning to doubt your ability to get us out of here.”
“You could have gone for the Honda.” Alex studied the maze of benches and flowerpots on steroids. “I think I can get us through there.” He pointed to a chrysanthemum-filled space between two huge, square planters.
“I don’t know,” Micah said, frowning. “It looks a bit tight to me.”
“Do you have any better ideas?”
He sighed loudly. “Not now we’re stuck here, no.”
Engaging first gear, Alex carefully mounted the kerb, manoeuvred around a rowan, and lined the car up to go through the gap. He felt a sudden pang of guilt at having to destroy the chrysanthemums. They were very pretty, in shades of blue and red and purple.
“Are you going to sit and stare at the flowers all day,” Micah said, “or are you going to make any attempt to stop us from becoming a meal?”
Alex almost had to shake his head. People were dying around him and he was worried about flowers. He eased the car forward, crushing the flowerbed beneath the front tyres. Metal scraped against concrete on his side. He adjusted to the left, but it didn’t help.
“Alex...”
“I know, I’ve got it.”
“No, they’re coming.”
Alex glanced in his rear view mirror to see what looked like a wall of eaters round the corner twenty feet behind them. He edged the car forward. Metal squealed and crunched as the car wedged between the heavy square planters.
“Alex...”
“I’m trying.”
“We need to go...”
“I said I’m trying .” He eased down on the accelerator. The car didn’t move.
A series of thuds sounded on the back of the car.
“Floor it!” Micah shouted. “Now!”
The mirror showed a sea of eaters slamming against the back of the car.
Alex jammed his foot on the pedal. The engine roared, the wheels spinning in the dirt of the flowerbed. The sides of the car groaned and buckled as the doors strained against the concrete. The car began to rock as the eaters ploughed into it, their fingers squeaking across the glass of the rear window. More eaters appeared ahead of them.
We’re not going to make it, Alex thought.
And then one of the planters shifted, just an inch. The car jerked and then leaped forwards. Alex struggled to get it under control as they bounced several inches off the courtyard onto the tarmac and barrelled into two eaters ahead of them. One flew across the bonnet into the windscreen. Micah yelped and threw his arms across his face as the glass spiderwebbed in front of him. For one panicked moment, Alex thought the car might fall apart.
They careened around the front of the building. Only a smattering of eaters were left in the car park and he managed to mostly avoid them, just clipping one with a wing mirror on the way past. He took the turn out of the car park at speed, tyres squealing, and floored the accelerator down the street.
7
“Stop the car,” Micah said.
“What? Why?”
“I said stop the bloody CAR!”
Alex pulled to the side of the road and turned off the engine. Micah scrambled out of his door and leaned his hands on the bonnet, breathing heavily. Alex had to use some force to get his own door open. The outside of the car was crushed and mangled, the paint scraped away.
Micah straightened and jabbed his finger at
The tarmac came to an end at a kerb and pavement. Thirty feet away lay the main car park. In between was a courtyard flanked on one side by the police station building and on the other by a brick wall. It was filled with flowerbeds and trees, metal benches and planters. Several very large, concrete planters. It looked like a picturesque tank trap.
“Those are new,” Alex said. The truth was he hadn’t been out here for over a month. He was now regretting not wanting to get more fresh air.
Micah was craning his neck to peer behind them. “I’m seriously beginning to doubt your ability to get us out of here.”
“You could have gone for the Honda.” Alex studied the maze of benches and flowerpots on steroids. “I think I can get us through there.” He pointed to a chrysanthemum-filled space between two huge, square planters.
“I don’t know,” Micah said, frowning. “It looks a bit tight to me.”
“Do you have any better ideas?”
He sighed loudly. “Not now we’re stuck here, no.”
Engaging first gear, Alex carefully mounted the kerb, manoeuvred around a rowan, and lined the car up to go through the gap. He felt a sudden pang of guilt at having to destroy the chrysanthemums. They were very pretty, in shades of blue and red and purple.
“Are you going to sit and stare at the flowers all day,” Micah said, “or are you going to make any attempt to stop us from becoming a meal?”
Alex almost had to shake his head. People were dying around him and he was worried about flowers. He eased the car forward, crushing the flowerbed beneath the front tyres. Metal scraped against concrete on his side. He adjusted to the left, but it didn’t help.
“Alex...”
“I know, I’ve got it.”
“No, they’re coming.”
Alex glanced in his rear view mirror to see what looked like a wall of eaters round the corner twenty feet behind them. He edged the car forward. Metal squealed and crunched as the car wedged between the heavy square planters.
“Alex...”
“I’m trying.”
“We need to go...”
“I said I’m trying .” He eased down on the accelerator. The car didn’t move.
A series of thuds sounded on the back of the car.
“Floor it!” Micah shouted. “Now!”
The mirror showed a sea of eaters slamming against the back of the car.
Alex jammed his foot on the pedal. The engine roared, the wheels spinning in the dirt of the flowerbed. The sides of the car groaned and buckled as the doors strained against the concrete. The car began to rock as the eaters ploughed into it, their fingers squeaking across the glass of the rear window. More eaters appeared ahead of them.
We’re not going to make it, Alex thought.
And then one of the planters shifted, just an inch. The car jerked and then leaped forwards. Alex struggled to get it under control as they bounced several inches off the courtyard onto the tarmac and barrelled into two eaters ahead of them. One flew across the bonnet into the windscreen. Micah yelped and threw his arms across his face as the glass spiderwebbed in front of him. For one panicked moment, Alex thought the car might fall apart.
They careened around the front of the building. Only a smattering of eaters were left in the car park and he managed to mostly avoid them, just clipping one with a wing mirror on the way past. He took the turn out of the car park at speed, tyres squealing, and floored the accelerator down the street.
7
“Stop the car,” Micah said.
“What? Why?”
“I said stop the bloody CAR!”
Alex pulled to the side of the road and turned off the engine. Micah scrambled out of his door and leaned his hands on the bonnet, breathing heavily. Alex had to use some force to get his own door open. The outside of the car was crushed and mangled, the paint scraped away.
Micah straightened and jabbed his finger at
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