Savage Mist Read online

  Savage Mist

  By Jason Bennett Merchant III

  Book cover Photography by

  Chancellor Merchant

  Endless Reflection Photography

  www.endlessreflectionphotos.com

  www.Facebook.com/SavageMistNovel/

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  The Watcher

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Witness of Chaos

  Trapped

  Chapter 4

  Invaders

  Chapter 5

  Landfall

  Chapter 6

  Reunited

  Chapter 7

  What Now?

  Chapter 8

  Captured

  Chapter 9

  The Chinese

  Revelation

  Chapter 10

  Impossible

  Chapter 11

  No woman left behind

  Chapter 12

  Connection

  Chapter 13

  Infected

  The Anomaly

  Chapter 14

  The Subjects

  Family

  The freeway

  Chapter 15

  War

  The plan

  Chapter 16

  Together again

  Chapter 17

  Refugees

  Contact

  About the author

  Chapter 1

  “...in other news, new leads led the police to a suspect in a 13-year-old murder case. The man by the name Jeff Sanders, was shot and killed by police this morning after a physical altercation turned deadly between himself and the officer. Jeff is accused of causing an accident that resulted in the deaths of a married couple, Karen and Jonathan Michaels, on highway 12 in 2003.

  Police believed the suspect stepped out onto the road, causing the driver, Jonathan Michaels, to swerve and crash into a utility pole. The driver died on impact, but the passenger, Karen Michaels survived. The suspect is then believed to have dragged her from the vehicle and beat her to death before fleeing the scene. The couple left behind a 7-year-old daughter.”

  Xavier Williams picked up the remote and turned off the television. He grabbed his keys and phone off the table and headed toward the door. He was preparing to do on this Saturday afternoon what most people do when the sun comes out in the northwest, enjoy the weather. A 65-degree day is considered “decent” for most, however, in Seattle Washington, shorts, tank tops, skirts, and sundresses flood the streets. Not wanting to be bothered with driving and traffic, Xavier decided to take the metro bus as he usually does on his day off. While some may have horror stories of their time as passengers, Xavier found it quite relaxing and liberating. He used the time to read mystery fiction novels or current events via the local news app on his cellphone.

  Xavier rented a condo in the upper Queen Anne area. It was very convenient with a good amount of small shops, restaurants and a grocery store within walking distance. Utilizing these amenities became all too familiar, repetitive and quite honestly, boring. He figured a nice bus trip into the heart of downtown Seattle should break the monotony and add interest to his weekend plans.

  Xavier was a 35-year-old Army veteran with absolutely none of the physical or behavioral traits you’d expect of a vet. His hair was in long black dreadlocks that hung to his shoulder blades and were streaked with gray, giving away his fading youth. At 5’11, 205 pounds he wasn’t as thin as he once was, but he wasn’t obese either. Although, it was obvious he caved to his dietary sins more often than not, he wore his weight well, and loose-fitting clothes that concealed his growing potbelly, for now anyway.

  Lacking the confident and overbearing attitude one would come to expect of an Army non-commissioned officer, the only way you would ever know Xavier spent 8 years in the service with 4 combat tours would be if he sat you down and briefed you as if you were on a need to know basis and knowledge of his military experience was mission essential. Quite honestly, Xavier never spoke of his time in the service. This could be attributed partly to his mediocre performance as a soldier, and partly to his unwillingness to accept combat as a proud accomplishment in his life. By no means was Xavier a pacifist, but after 3 tours in Iraq and one to Afghanistan, he still to this day did not understand the purpose of the war. As a signal soldier, he installed line of sight radio equipment as well as secure phone and data lines. Much of his time was spent monitoring his equipment. While there were many close calls and encounters with the enemy, Xavier was not kicking in doors and or taking part in dramatic fire fights. He was definitely proud of his service yet, somehow at the time of his discharge, he was left feeling unfulfilled.

  Xavier walked at a brisk pace out of his condo complex and around the corner to the bus stop. The wait was brief, just a few minutes and around the corner appeared a sixty-foot-long awfully colored green and yellow articulated bus. The way the sunlight bounced off the glass and its exterior, you wouldn’t even notice the chipped and faded paint of the aging coach. The bus squealed along the curb, just before the bus stop sign, and right in front of Xavier. He stepped up onto the bus and was greeted by the upbeat driver,

  “Hello sir”

  Xavier responded, “How’s it going?”

  “Beautiful day to abuse some sick leave”

  Xavier laughed “And yet, here you are.”

  The driver leaned toward Xavier and a smile tilted his wildly untamed white mustache, “only way to get outta yard work with the old lady.”

  Xavier smiled, paid his fare and began walking toward the rear of the bus in search of a seat. Making his way past the elderly and disabled seating, he spotted a seat near the rear of the bus on the driver side. Xavier settled in for the 15-minute ride.

  The bus let out a loud hiss from the air tank as the driver let off the brake pedal. The bus lurched forward down the hill and they proceeded to the next stop. A group of 10 to 15 people were waiting to board at the next stop: an elderly couple who looked to be on vacation in the city, a black woman who appeared to be with her son, maybe 10 years old. She wore blue jeans, a yellow blouse and short curly hair, she was gorgeous. A young teenage boy also got on the bus, equipped with all the necessary tools to sustain a life alone in the world he created in his head. A smartphone, and oversized headphones that seemed to plug his entire body directly into his electronic device. He also had a red Michael Jordan backpack, black Michael Jordan sneakers and a black hooded sweater with the hood covering his entire head. He looked like a cross between the Unabomber and a pro-basketball player just stepping off the tour bus. Not wanting to spend the trip standing or bouncing off other standing passengers, the teenager sat in the seat next to Xavier. There wasn’t much room which is why most didn’t bother sitting there. The teen had to sit with just a portion of his butt on the seat, hardly a bother for a young male.

  As the bus pulled to an intersection down the street, traffic was at a complete standstill. Unusual for this area on a weekend, everyone became curious of the reason. The cross traffic was at a complete halt and blocking perpendicular traffic. Knowing it might be a while before the bus got moving again, Xavier decided to read the news on his phone. He was in no hurry, as he had no obligations for the day. Xavier took particular notice to an article on the breakdown in relations between China, Russia, and the United States. It had been the hot topic for every single news outlet for weeks. Numerous close calls and minor skirmishes in the South China sea had led many to speculate looming war, perhaps even a prelude to World War 3. Rumors like this are nothing new, Xavier thought. Any rational person knows that these three superpowers will do whatever it takes to avoid war with one another, for economic sake. This is just the media
doing what is does best, spreading fear.

  “You know, our president ought to be ashamed of himself.” the voice came from a passenger in the seat behind him. He was a tall white man with white hair tied back in a ponytail, a white mustache with pointed ends and a scruffy white beard. His skin was red and almost leathery, and his teeth stained brown from either coffee or tobacco. The man wore a white polo shirt tucked into khaki cargo pants and brown suede shoes. If Xavier could take a crack at guessing his name, he’d guess “Bob”. With enough confidence to get him elected into office, he’d guess “Bob.”

  “Name’s Jake.”

  The man said with a smile and extended hand.

  “Xavier.”

  He turned and awkwardly extended his arm to meet for a handshake.

  “So, Xavier, what do you think? You think there’s war in our future?”

  Xavier wasn’t one to engage in a lot conversation with strangers, however Jake had the type of imperious demeanor that left one unwilling to deny him the interaction he demanded.

  “I don’t think so, there’s too much to lose on all fronts, I see a more diplomatic end.”

  Jake, already coming off a bit snide, crossed his arms, leaned back and asked.

  “Then why did China move so many naval vessels from the South China sea to participate in a joint training exercise with Russia just off the west coast of our great nation?”

  Xavier face becomes puzzled.

  “I wasn’t aware that was taking place, sounds a bit satire.”

  “Nothing satire about it brother. There’s been a lot of funny behavior on their part, I wouldn’t rule out much.”

  Jake turns his attention to the teen sitting next to Xavier,

  “Wouldn’t happen to be listening to anything informative on those sub-woofers you got on your head huh? Ha!” he said sarcastically as he turned to Xavier.

  Not wanting to embarrass Jake, Xavier smiled but held back a fake laugh so as not to draw attention from the teen who hadn’t been aware of the conversation. For a split-second, Xavier envied the teen, perhaps if he had invested in a pair of the oversized headphones he would not have had to endure Jake’s paranoia and conspiracy theories.

  The traffic had finally cleared, and the bus made its way into downtown Seattle. The city was beautiful to say the least. The streets were immaculate compared to a lot of big cities and the atmosphere in the heart of downtown was always welcoming and bustling during the day. This remained true even on the gray and damp days Seattle became known for. Xavier prepared to pull the stop signal cord to get off at Pine street near the famous Pike Place Market. On a day like today, it would be full of beautiful people browsing and shopping just as Xavier had planned to do. Anxious to get off the crowded bus, he pulled the cord and tapped the teen on the shoulder to let him know he needed to get by. Then, his attention was shifted to a noise not heard every day in the city.

  Two explosions were heard in the distance followed by the sound of what Xavier immediately recognized as fighter jets. There was confusion and fear on the bus and everyone leaned to the closest window trying to get a glimpse of what had taken place. Jake, with a perturbed look on his face, peeks out the window in a futile attempt to investigate the skies beyond the skyscrapers.

  “Well that ain’t sound good at all brother.” he said with thin veiled concern.

  Just then, an explosion rocked the street blocks ahead of the bus. People could be seen hitting the ground and fleeing for their lives. The passengers on the bus gasped in pure horror and shock at what they’d just witnessed. Not wanting to be confined to the bus and unable to flee, people began to demand for the doors be opened to allow them to exit. The bus driver complied and set the parking brake on the bus. Anyone who wasn’t in the immediate blast zone was frozen in shock and all traffic had come to a complete standstill. As Xavier got up to exit the bus, he noticed the teen staring out the front of the bus with a look of disbelief.

  “You alright man?” Xavier lightly touched the teens shoulder. The teen flinched, looked at Xavier, and then nodded. He then raised from his seat and hesitantly made his way to the door. Xavier stepped off the bus and began to make his way towards the site of the explosion for a better look, and maybe to provide help. As he got about a half block from the bus, he began to notice how little damage there was to the buildings and cars on the street. The only noticeable damage were blown out windows, he decided not to go any further.

  People had stopped running and sirens could be heard as emergency crews rushed to the scene. Xavier watched from a distance as not to be in the way of any help that arrived.

  “Were we just attacked?” said Jake.

  He had followed Xavier off the bus to get a better look.

  “I mean, those were bombs brother, and they came right off them damn fighter jets.”

  That was the moment it became clear to Xavier that he didn’t want to be anywhere near the area.

  Xavier began to move in the opposite direction of the blast zone, back towards the bus. As he turned to head north, he saw people running towards him from about 3 blocks away. Xavier stopped to figure out his next move, that’s when he heard about 4 or 5 pops that sounded like gunshots from the blast zone he was just observing. Jake turned to look at the scene

  “Someone just got shot,” he said.

  “This place isn’t safe.”

  The shots were followed by screams and massive gunfire that erupted from the scene. As the crowds from the north and south ends converged on each other, the people near the bus began panicking and searching for safe harbor. Xavier and Jake noticed the teen from the bus sprint into the office skyscraper that the bus had parked in front of, the black woman followed, nearly dragging her son with her. Most of the other passengers had dispersed immediately once the driver opened the doors on the bus. Xavier and Jake ran and followed them into the building hoping to avoid being trampled by the two approaching crowds.

  As they entered the lobby of the skyscraper, the black woman asked,

  “What are they running from?”

  The answer would soon be clear as just then, the crowds met and clashed just outside the window of the lobby. It was immediate chaos; people hit the ground as soon as the crowds collided, and screams filled the street. The bus blocked the view of most of the activity, but people could be seen on the sidewalk just in front of the lobby window. With all the chaos in the street and sidewalk, Xavier managed to lock in on one woman in particular. An older white lady, maybe in her late 40’s or early 50’s. She caught Xavier’s eye because she wore a bright orange dress with a design similar to the dresses worn by women in the 50’s and 60’s. It had short sleeves that exposed the arms but otherwise not revealing at all and extended below the knees loosely like a vintage swing dance dress. That was all the detail Xavier could ascertain before her skull was bashed in by a possessed man with a metal pipe.

  Her blood splattered across the pavement and the window of the lobby. Her body immediately became lifeless and she collapsed onto the sidewalk. The man, filled with an unquenchable thirst for bloodshed and violence, pounced on the woman's lifeless body and struck her head repeatedly with the pipe. Her skull opened, and her head became increasingly disfigured and unrecognizable as human. A lake of blood began to form on the sidewalk and flowed toward the edge of the curb near the bus.

  The on-duty security officer for the building was the first of all the horrified onlookers in the lobby to break free of the fear driven trance and ac, he hurried to the door in what appeared to be a futile attempt to aid the woman in the orange dress. It was impossible that he hadn’t noticed it was far too late for saving her life. Xavier assumed he had to be acting out of empathy in an attempt to end the violence that he couldn’t bear to watch anymore. Xavier followed, the man seemed too enraged to be subdued alone, and the guard would need help.

  Bursting through the double glass doors, the security guard disregarded all his surroundings and headed straight for the killer and the woman. The cra
zed man had just ceased his assault on the woman, the guard leaped forward and spear tackled the man. They both tumble a few feet down the sidewalk, the security guard landed mid sidewalk, the killer, a few feet farther, his head striking the rear wheel of the bus. The killer rose to his feet instantly, completely unaffected by the blitz attack of the guard. The security officer stood up and prepared himself for a fight, before Xavier could even a step toward the two to help, the killer lunged at the guard with inhuman speed and struck him with a wild and powerful upward hook. The killer hit with so much power that the guard who weighed at least 180 pounds, was launched through the air and backwards several feet, landing unconscious no more than 3 feet from Xavier.

  Stricken with fear, now realizing this wasn’t just a simple angry man, Xavier glanced for the first time since the woman in the orange dress caught his eye into the chaotic scene on the street. Bodies lie everywhere, people were fighting for their lives while savage killers beat them bloody. This wasn’t just a brawl in the street, people were being brutally massacred by crazed men and women, some with just their bare hands. Screams echoed off the buildings as people ran for their lives only to be caught and beaten to death mercilessly by people who possessed superhuman strength and endless endurance.

  Xavier turned back to the man who was picking up the pipe he used on the woman and began toward the lifeless guard. The killer’s skin was pale, he was drenched in sweat, his pupils enormously dilated and his breathing was heavy, abnormally heavy. Blood covered his blue flannel button up, neck, face, and clenched fist. He didn’t make a sound, He didn’t look at anything but his prey. He didn’t appear to possess a soul or any compassion, he just clinched the metal pipe and rushed the guard. His speed was so surprising that Xavier could only flinch as a response, the man was on top of the guard and pummeling his head before he had a chance to react. Xavier moved to pull the man off the guard, but just as he did, another man appeared from around the rear of the bus. He bore the same possessed, enraged characteristics as the first man: Sweat, heavy breathing, dilated pupils, pale skin, and an intense focus, only this time, Xavier was the prey.