Extinct by Ike Hamill Read Free Book Online Page A

but couldn’t see what they were ducking from.

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    The only finished room in their basement was the laundry room. Haddie Norton put her boys down there on an inflatable bed. Robby stayed upstairs in the kitchen with the adults. Sam closed all the blinds and even moved the rocking chair so they could close the door to the living room. The lantern burned so low that a candle would have given off more light.
    When Sam and Robby had burst through the back door, Sam immediately called out orders. Sarah and Haddie didn’t raise any questions—they heard the urgency in his voice. After securing the house the best they could, they wanted to know the details. Sam insisted Robby join the conversation, even though Sarah pushed for him to go downstairs with the other boys.
    They sat at the small kitchen table.
    Sam took a deep breath and lowered his shoulders. “Paulie’s gone,” he said.
    “Where?” asked Sarah.
    Sam raised his eyebrows. A look of surprise dawned on her face, but Sam repeated anyway—“He’s gone.”
    “Oh no," Haddie said. Everyone knew Haddie loved tragedies, and especially seemed to enjoy the misfortune of others, but she made a good show of looking shocked and saddened.
    “What happened, Sam?” asked Sarah. She touched her husband’s hand.
    “I can’t say for sure," Sam said. “It’s beyond my understanding or experience. That’s the best way I can put it.”
    Robby rubbed the cut on his throat. His mom slapped a bandage on it before he had his coat all the way off.
    “By the time I turned around," Sam said, “the only thing I could see of him was his hand holding on to Robby’s hood. I tried to grab his hand, but I only got the glove.”
    “He didn’t make a sound,” Robby said.
    “What about the rest of him?” asked Sarah.
    “I couldn’t see him," Sam said. “Just his hand. It wasn’t even very dark, or snowing very hard, I can’t explain it. It’s beyond my understanding.”
    “I didn’t hear anything either,” Robby said. “Except the wind.”
    “That’s true. It was completely silent," Sam said.
    “Should we go look for him?” asked Sarah.
    “It’s not safe," Sam said. “I think something was stalking us. You could feel it on the back of your neck, and Robby saw something on top of the cottage.”
    “We can’t go out there," Haddie said. “It’s not safe.”  
    Sarah didn’t acknowledge Haddie’s comment with even a glance. Instead, she addressed her husband again. "So what do you figure we do?”
    “I think we pack up the Jeep, wait until morning, and then head for the docks," Sam said.  
    “Wouldn’t it be safer to hole up here?” asked Sarah. She glanced around their kitchen, as if she’d misplaced something important.
    “I don’t think so," Sam said. “For one, if there’s something here taking people, I don’t think we could hole up good enough to stave it off. Second, if this is a local problem, our best chance is to try to get away from it. Irwin Dyer’s place was empty—it’s like he just decided to wander off. I don’t know what got him, but I don’t think being inside helped protect him at all.”
    “I’d just as soon get to my husband," Haddie said. “He’ll know what to do.”
    “What boat will we take?” asked Sarah.  
    “We’ll take Carl’s old boat," Sam said. “He’s always said I can use it any time, and I think he’ll understand. It will take a few of us to handle that thing properly. She’s a beast. Brandon’s got some experience, doesn’t he?” Sam asked Haddie. “He can help get us launched and landed?”
    “Certainly," Haddie said.
    Robby kept his face still, but inside he flinched because his father immediately thought of Brandon. Boating terrified Robby—not because he thought he would drown, but because he got so sick every time they went on the water. They’d tried every remedy, from drugs to ginseng root, but nothing could stop Robby from vomiting if he even set foot