Read Online The Gates: An Apocalyptic Novel by Iain Rob Wright - Free Book Online

can.”
    “Monsters.”
    Guy leaned forward to hear more. “Monsters?”
    “Yeah, and I don’t mean figuratively. That black
stone in the park opened a big, glowing gate and something came through. A
monster, twenty feet tall with wings.”
    Guy cleared his throat. “Did you say, wings ?”
    “Yeah, but they were all burned up and useless.
Just bones, really, but you can tell they used to be wings.”
    “You’re saying that Manhattan was attacked by a
giant monster? Like, Godzilla or something?”
    Nobody in the room laughed. There had been too
much bloodshed. The kid telling the story was deadly serious, and because of
that they were able to stay focused on what he was saying—as ludicrous as it
sounded. “I know it sounds crazy,” the kid admitted, “but it’s the God’s
honest. That black stone opened some kind of gate, and the Devil came through.
It’s Lucifer, dude. The end of the world, and we’re all screwed.”
    Guy exchanged a glance with Frank that told him
they were both thinking the same thing. The kid was suffering with shock. Nothing
could be gained by further questioning. “Okay, Simon,” said Guy. “One of my men
will take you back outside for treatment. We’ll get you back on land someplace
safe as soon as we can.”
    Simon nodded and stood up, but before he allowed
himself to be led away, he turned back to Guy. “I haven’t told you everything. After
the Devil came through, there was an army.”
    Guy folded his arms and gave the kid his
attention. “Tell me about the army.”
    “Men, like you and me, dude, but all burned up, like
they just stepped out of a fire. They came right out of the gate in a big group
and started attacking everyone. I was working at an office on 65 th Street—sixteenth floor. I saw it all.”
    “Why did you leave?”
    The kid looked sad. “Because my girlfriend works
at the zoo. I wanted to get to her. I… I still don’t know if she’s okay.”
    Guy put his hand on Simon’s shoulder. “Give your
girlfriend’s details to one of my men, and we’ll see what we can do.”
    “Thanks, dude—uh, Captain.”
    “You can call me Guy.”
    Simon nodded, then allowed himself to be led away
like a child.
    “What do you make of the kid?” Frank asked Guy.
    “I have no idea.”
    “It must be shock,” Tosco added. “Unless we’re to
believe that the Devil has come to New York.”
    Guy actually chuckled at that, but then felt bad
for doing so. “Whatever the truth, we can assume it started in Central Park and
spread from there. Perhaps that stone they found this morning really is to
blame. It seems too much of a coincidence to be otherwise.”
    Frank groaned. “Then what of all the other stones
they discovered? Is this happening everywhere?”
    Tosco covered his mouth and gasped. “You’re right!
I need to call my wife. The men need to check on their families.”
    Guy shot him down immediately, even though part of
him was desperate to agree. Guy had two kids and an ex-wife, and would love
nothing more than to speak to them right now, but he had a duty as well. That duty
was the reason Alice and Kyle barely spoke to him anymore. He hoped, one day,
his children would respect him for his dedication to his job. “Lieutenant, our
only priority is the harbour. We can help these people , but we can’t
help our families—we can only pray that they are safe.”
    Tosco looked to argue, but glanced at Frank and seemed
to think better of it. “Okay, I’ll go check on the progress of Rapid 1 and 2.
They should be heading back with more civilians.”
    At that moment, the radio squawked.
    “Rapid 1 to Hatchet. Over.”
     Guy grabbed the intercom. “Captain Granger.
Over.”
    “We’re under attack. Repeat: we’re under attack.
Help. Hello. Over. Help. Over.” The voice on the line was frantic and
struggling to maintain radio protocol. Never a good sign.
    “Who is attacking you, Rapid 1? Over.”
    “You can smell their flesh on fire, even in the