Read Online Sullivan Saga 3: Sullivan's Watch by Michael K. Rose - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael K. Rose
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so much, Mister….?”
“Rick Sullivan. This is Jeff Ives. He’s a Bureau agent.”
“Oh, thank god!”
“Now listen, Bill. We have a ship on the next street. Is there any building with a landing pad near your apartment?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Then we’re going to have to land on the street. We’ll be making a lot of noise, and it might draw the attention of the creatures, so when and if things start happening, I’m going to need you to do exactly what I tell you, okay?”
“I understand.”
BILL COLE POINTED at a building on the satellite image of the city. “That’s my building.”
Sullivan gently lifted the ship off the landing pad and turned it. As the freighter moved along, just above the tops of the buildings, he brought the feed from the dorsal camera up on the display and watched for any sign on the aliens.
After a few minutes, Sullivan brought the ship to a stop and hovered over the apartment building Bill had pointed out to him. In the street in front of the building, several bodies could be seen.
Bill covered his mouth with his hand. “Oh, god….”
“Relax, Bill. If your family was inside when all this happened, it’s not likely they would have left the apartment.”
“But what if they weren’t? What if they went out to lunch or to the park or….”
Sullivan put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Bill, listen. I need you to not talk, not think, and just pay attention to me. When we land, I need you to hold it together.”
Bill nodded.
Sullivan turned his attention back to the controls, and the ship descended to street level. He landed it with the side hatch facing the door of Bill’s apartment building.
“We have company,” Ives said, pointing at one of the monitors. “Half a dozen approaching from the rear.”
“I see them. Bill, sit down.”
Sullivan raised the freighter a few inches off the ground and threw it into reverse. From the aft-facing camera, they could see the creatures trying to dive out of the way of the ship, but most of them weren’t quick enough.
Sullivan reversed direction and returned the ship to its position in front of the building. He glanced back at the monitor. Four of the creatures were on the ground, either writhing or still. The other two were loping toward the ship.
“Let’s clean up,” Sullivan said. He powered down the ship and rushed to the side hatch, Ives right behind him.
Sullivan opened the hatch and brought his energy pistol up as the first creature reached the ship. The blast from the gun cleaved a hole in its right hip, severing its leg. It continued crawling toward him, but another shot to its head stopped it.
“Where’s the other one?” asked Ives.
A scraping sound on the top of the ship answered his question. Ives looked up as the creature dropped on him. He had just enough time to bring his arms up to shield his face and chest from the thing’s teeth and claws.
Sullivan leapt back as Ives fell toward him, flailing wildly to get the creature off. Sullivan kicked it in the head, causing it to rise up and face him, then fired, hitting it square in the chest.
Ives writhed on the ground, cursing. Blood was seeping from his shoulder. “It opened the same damned wound!”
“Relax, Jeff. I’m going to give you something for the pain then get you patched up, okay? But first I need to get you back into the ship. It’s not safe out here.”
Ives nodded, and Sullivan put his hands under the injured man’s armpits. He dragged him back aboard the freighter and slammed the hatch shut.
Bill was standing in doorway of the cockpit. “My god… is there anything I can do?”
“Yes. Just stay in there and watch the monitors. Let me know if you see any more of those things.” Sullivan unstrapped the medical kit from the wall. “It’s okay, Jeff. You’ll be patched up again in a minute.”
12
KATE ALEXANDER SAT in the empty room. They had planned to have her father’s study transferred from
“Rick Sullivan. This is Jeff Ives. He’s a Bureau agent.”
“Oh, thank god!”
“Now listen, Bill. We have a ship on the next street. Is there any building with a landing pad near your apartment?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Then we’re going to have to land on the street. We’ll be making a lot of noise, and it might draw the attention of the creatures, so when and if things start happening, I’m going to need you to do exactly what I tell you, okay?”
“I understand.”
BILL COLE POINTED at a building on the satellite image of the city. “That’s my building.”
Sullivan gently lifted the ship off the landing pad and turned it. As the freighter moved along, just above the tops of the buildings, he brought the feed from the dorsal camera up on the display and watched for any sign on the aliens.
After a few minutes, Sullivan brought the ship to a stop and hovered over the apartment building Bill had pointed out to him. In the street in front of the building, several bodies could be seen.
Bill covered his mouth with his hand. “Oh, god….”
“Relax, Bill. If your family was inside when all this happened, it’s not likely they would have left the apartment.”
“But what if they weren’t? What if they went out to lunch or to the park or….”
Sullivan put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Bill, listen. I need you to not talk, not think, and just pay attention to me. When we land, I need you to hold it together.”
Bill nodded.
Sullivan turned his attention back to the controls, and the ship descended to street level. He landed it with the side hatch facing the door of Bill’s apartment building.
“We have company,” Ives said, pointing at one of the monitors. “Half a dozen approaching from the rear.”
“I see them. Bill, sit down.”
Sullivan raised the freighter a few inches off the ground and threw it into reverse. From the aft-facing camera, they could see the creatures trying to dive out of the way of the ship, but most of them weren’t quick enough.
Sullivan reversed direction and returned the ship to its position in front of the building. He glanced back at the monitor. Four of the creatures were on the ground, either writhing or still. The other two were loping toward the ship.
“Let’s clean up,” Sullivan said. He powered down the ship and rushed to the side hatch, Ives right behind him.
Sullivan opened the hatch and brought his energy pistol up as the first creature reached the ship. The blast from the gun cleaved a hole in its right hip, severing its leg. It continued crawling toward him, but another shot to its head stopped it.
“Where’s the other one?” asked Ives.
A scraping sound on the top of the ship answered his question. Ives looked up as the creature dropped on him. He had just enough time to bring his arms up to shield his face and chest from the thing’s teeth and claws.
Sullivan leapt back as Ives fell toward him, flailing wildly to get the creature off. Sullivan kicked it in the head, causing it to rise up and face him, then fired, hitting it square in the chest.
Ives writhed on the ground, cursing. Blood was seeping from his shoulder. “It opened the same damned wound!”
“Relax, Jeff. I’m going to give you something for the pain then get you patched up, okay? But first I need to get you back into the ship. It’s not safe out here.”
Ives nodded, and Sullivan put his hands under the injured man’s armpits. He dragged him back aboard the freighter and slammed the hatch shut.
Bill was standing in doorway of the cockpit. “My god… is there anything I can do?”
“Yes. Just stay in there and watch the monitors. Let me know if you see any more of those things.” Sullivan unstrapped the medical kit from the wall. “It’s okay, Jeff. You’ll be patched up again in a minute.”
12
KATE ALEXANDER SAT in the empty room. They had planned to have her father’s study transferred from
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