Werewolf Suspense (Book 4): Outage 4 (The Reckoning) by T.W. Piperbrook Read Free Book Online Page A

detergent, and saw several commercial machines lining the wall. Large, gray bins spanned the length of the floor. A dim light flickered from somewhere in the back, providing just enough detail to see his surroundings.
    The source of the noise was here. It was human.
    Tom called out again, cringing at the sound of his voice. He needed to find whoever was here, wherever they were. The person let out a winded gurgle. It took him another second to determine where the noise originated.
    It was coming from the laundry bins.  
    Gripping his axe tight, Tom poked his head into each of the industrial laundry bins until he found what he was looking for. A heavyset woman was sprawled on top of a pile of clothing, her blood soaking the towels and sheets. Her neck was cranked at an irregular angle; her arms hung limp at her sides. Her stomach had been sliced open. It appeared she'd managed to topple into the bin before bleeding out, perhaps seeking a last place of refuge.
    "I'll get you out of here," he promised her.
    The woman's blonde hair was plastered over her face. Her sallow, listless eyes rolled to meet his. She gave him a small, but encouraging, nod.  
    "There are nurses upstairs," he reassured her. "They can help you."
    He convinced himself she had a chance.
    If he could get her help . If he could find Silas…
    Staring at the woman's blood-drenched wound, Tom grabbed one of the towels and tamped it. He was hardly trained in medical procedures, but he had to do something.
    "Can you hold this to your stomach?" he asked her.
    He guided her hands over the wound. To his surprise, the woman was able to press down. Tom tested the weight of the bin, realizing he could roll it. Still holding his axe, he maneuvered around the other bins and toward the door.  
    He listened for beasts.  
    The elevator was a few corridors away. If he could get her inside it, he'd leave her and find Silas. He'd bring them both to the third floor. He'd get them to safety. Just a moment ago, he'd been certain the floor was empty. The woman must've been overlooked by the police officers that'd searched the floor earlier.
    Wheeling the bin into the hallway, Tom gained momentum, cruising over the blood-drenched linoleum. If he could save one or two people, maybe he could forgive himself for not saving Lorena.
    It was an equation that didn't add up, but one he told himself as he jogged down the hallway, pushing the bin and the injured woman, searching for Silas. He kept his eyes peeled to the doorways, calling out for the boy. The need for quiet had been usurped by the need for urgent help. He spotted the elevator in the distance.  
    The doors were closed.  
    Please let the car be here . In his desperation to get to Silas, Tom hadn't blocked the sensors. What if someone—a frightened survivor, or Abraham—had called the elevator upstairs? Without access to it, Tom would be forced to find some other way to get the injured woman upstairs. He doubted he could carry her, given the distance and seriousness of her injury. He rolled the bin to a stop, saying a silent prayer as he jabbed the button. To his relief, the elevator doors cranked open. The car hadn't moved.
    Crouched inside the elevator, a knife clutched to his chest, was Silas.

Chapter Eleven

    Abraham grabbed hold of Sally and Katherine as snarls continued from the hallway. He gripped the screwdriver. They listened in terrified silence as the beasts rampaged the hall. Screams and growls permeated the air. Objects battered walls. Hearing the noise was almost as bad as seeing the violence—it meant that Abraham couldn't help the other survivors, and even more terrifying, that he, his wife, and Katherine were next.  
    He met Sally's panic-stricken eyes. He didn't need forty years of marriage to read the meaning behind her stare. If they remained quiet, maybe the creatures would leave them alone. Maybe they would have a chance at survival.  
    His gaze wandered across the room to the chair propped