Read Online The Extinction Switch: Book three of the Kato's War series by Andrew C. Broderick - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Andrew C. Broderick
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backwards, knocking down people behind. The escalator stopped. The soldiers nearest to it ran upwards, towards the instigators, knocking more people flying. They were promptly handcuffed, and the stairway restarted so they could be transported to the top. Three gunshots echoed from the streets below in rapid succession. Elevator cars disgorged people who had descended through the pillar from the sky level, bearing as many possessions as they could carry. They flooded down the escalators and crammed onto the already packed level on which Antonio and the girls stood, waiting for subway cars to take them underground. The crowd pushed and shoved. Men growled. Women and children cried. A plastic bag split open, spilling its contents, mainly clothes, onto the ground. They were trampled underfoot.
“The voice of the devil is heard in our land!” shouted a bald man in white robes, five meters to their left, straining to be heard above the din. He held a brown Bible aloft in his right hand. It was embossed with a gold cross. “The End Times have come, just as the book of Revelation foretold! Repent now!”
“Let’s get back to the apartment while we still can!” Annabelle yelled. “This is crazy!” They turned back towards the subway doors and tried to push their way through, without success. They moved towards the entrance little by little as new cars arrived and passengers in front of them spilled in. It was then their turn to be crushed by the weight of people behind them. They were only halfway to the doors when Annabelle began to turn beet red. “Help!” she mouthed, wide-eyed at Antonio. The pressure on her chest was such that she couldn’t breathe. Antonio strained against the crush of bodies to make it a meter to his right.
Once there, he put one arm across Annabelle’s chest and one across her back, and slowly forced his arms apart, to relieve the pressure on her. She inhaled deeply. “Stand side-on!” he yelled into her ear. It’ll crush your ribcage less!”
Annabelle worked her way around ninety degrees, until she was facing him, her forehead covered with sweat. Her face was already regaining its normal color. “Thank you!” she yelled. Antonio savored this moment: an embrace, albeit forced by circumstances, with the girl he wanted badly. Being crushed by the crowd had its advantages. Twenty minutes later, they finally made it into a subway car just before the doors closed. Then it was black outside again, as it headed downwards, past the derelict shopping mall and the station that looked like it was full of zombies.
“Why are there people in there if it’s closed?” Kassandra said, to Annabelle, as she held onto a strap above her head. Two strangers’ hands also held the same strap.
“People are entering the city on foot through the train tunnels, to avoid gangs of bandits roaming the countryside,” a man next to her said.
A few minutes later, the subway car disgorged its passengers onto Rue Borchal. “Holy crap!” Kassandra said, exhaling hard, as they exited.
“Oh my God, that was unreal!” Antonio said. “I knew things were getting bad, but…”
“Let’s walk,” Annabelle said, in a serious tone. She looked at the others as they set off. “Society’s becoming unglued. It’s really not surprising when you think that everybody in the world’s been given six months to live.” Two police cars whooshed by, lights flashing. A few minutes later, they had worked their way around the ever growing number of tents on the sidewalk, and turned left onto Rue Delacort. People were now setting up homes on its sidewalks too. They were soon back to unit 11789. Knock, knock. Vivianne opened the door.
“It’s unbelievable!” Annabelle blurted to Vivianne, as soon as they were inside. “The place is tearing itself apart. It’s a war zone!”
David and Vivianne’s bedroom door opened, and David came out. “What’s going on?” They related what they had seen. David sighed and ran his
“The voice of the devil is heard in our land!” shouted a bald man in white robes, five meters to their left, straining to be heard above the din. He held a brown Bible aloft in his right hand. It was embossed with a gold cross. “The End Times have come, just as the book of Revelation foretold! Repent now!”
“Let’s get back to the apartment while we still can!” Annabelle yelled. “This is crazy!” They turned back towards the subway doors and tried to push their way through, without success. They moved towards the entrance little by little as new cars arrived and passengers in front of them spilled in. It was then their turn to be crushed by the weight of people behind them. They were only halfway to the doors when Annabelle began to turn beet red. “Help!” she mouthed, wide-eyed at Antonio. The pressure on her chest was such that she couldn’t breathe. Antonio strained against the crush of bodies to make it a meter to his right.
Once there, he put one arm across Annabelle’s chest and one across her back, and slowly forced his arms apart, to relieve the pressure on her. She inhaled deeply. “Stand side-on!” he yelled into her ear. It’ll crush your ribcage less!”
Annabelle worked her way around ninety degrees, until she was facing him, her forehead covered with sweat. Her face was already regaining its normal color. “Thank you!” she yelled. Antonio savored this moment: an embrace, albeit forced by circumstances, with the girl he wanted badly. Being crushed by the crowd had its advantages. Twenty minutes later, they finally made it into a subway car just before the doors closed. Then it was black outside again, as it headed downwards, past the derelict shopping mall and the station that looked like it was full of zombies.
“Why are there people in there if it’s closed?” Kassandra said, to Annabelle, as she held onto a strap above her head. Two strangers’ hands also held the same strap.
“People are entering the city on foot through the train tunnels, to avoid gangs of bandits roaming the countryside,” a man next to her said.
A few minutes later, the subway car disgorged its passengers onto Rue Borchal. “Holy crap!” Kassandra said, exhaling hard, as they exited.
“Oh my God, that was unreal!” Antonio said. “I knew things were getting bad, but…”
“Let’s walk,” Annabelle said, in a serious tone. She looked at the others as they set off. “Society’s becoming unglued. It’s really not surprising when you think that everybody in the world’s been given six months to live.” Two police cars whooshed by, lights flashing. A few minutes later, they had worked their way around the ever growing number of tents on the sidewalk, and turned left onto Rue Delacort. People were now setting up homes on its sidewalks too. They were soon back to unit 11789. Knock, knock. Vivianne opened the door.
“It’s unbelievable!” Annabelle blurted to Vivianne, as soon as they were inside. “The place is tearing itself apart. It’s a war zone!”
David and Vivianne’s bedroom door opened, and David came out. “What’s going on?” They related what they had seen. David sighed and ran his
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