Chapter Thirteen

Newbay, the once beautiful town with its own lake making the townspeople live happily and peacefully within their fishing community. The large pharmacy company Biotech came in and created a large factory using the lake's water to power it using an experimental hydro powering system.

With this new factory the town expanded and introduced a whole new type of business to Newbay, this included some mysterious people in suits disappearing into the factory and never seen again for months at a time.

Only about ten hours ago a fire broke out from an unknown source, and while the townspeople fought against the fire something happened to cause chaos to break out within an hour.

Monsters appeared and wrecked havoc throughout the town, polluting the air and water spreading the infection through the townspeople until a small group of survivors made out a distress call calling the Thunderbirds.

The cure now discovered and inside one of the infected International Rescue members while another was going through something but what was still left to find out.

More monsters were now appearing throughout their hide out and things were getting closer to the end of Newbay, it was time for their escape.

Biotech wants their breakout covered up without it reaching the press; come daybreak and the beautiful town of Newbay would be gone.

In four hours, the town and everything that stood there would be gone forever.

�Don�t shoot! Human!� The familiar voice called through the open doorway alerting the young men in the reception area.

�Show yourself!� John called keeping still but watched the plants move around him, especially after the narrow escape of the now roasted ivy monster.

�Johnny?� A younger voice asked and came out of the doorway, looking tired and pale.

�Scott? You look awful� John said with a tired smile before casting one last look around the room, especially at the rustling above them as the vines continued to try and attack the sprinklers above them.

�Save the welcomes and explanations until we�re inside, we�ve only got four hours to get out of the town before its destroyed� Graham reminded them, surprised in how the whole area had changed in the time they had gone.

There were scorch marks in different areas of the floor and blistering marks on the thin walls of the room where they had previously taken shelter. The giant vines leaked out from somewhere behind them to twist around each other up on the ceiling, attacking the thin but tough metallic pipes that was the building�s sprinkler system.

�Right, inside� we�ll explain everything in there I think we�ve found a way out of here� John said nodding over to the door, �Gordon, watch our backs� He suggested to his youngest brother nodding at the ceiling slightly.

Gordon nodded and smiled tiredly at his two older brothers as he covered their backs with the flame thrower, in case of anything else decided to try and attack them as they doubled back on themselves into the room.

�Is that it?� Scott asked frowning at his blonde haired brother.

�That�s it, I can�t explain it Scott but I do know that the cure isn�t going to help me now� I don�t have an explanation for you but I do know that we can get out of here through the janitor�s closet� John said with a soft sigh ignoring the slight green tinge in his brother�s cheeks.

�At least you�re safe Scott that matters right?� Gordon suggested as he handed one pack over to Virgil while Jill and Graham listened to their conversation packing themselves.

�I guess it does, but the anti-virus is trying to knock me out Gordo� its pure adrenaline that�s keeping me up at the moment� Scott replied with a tired sigh and got back up onto his feet stretching slightly.

�But you�re still infected John, you should try the anti-virus� Virgil said with a soft groan as he got back up onto his feet and looked around the room, seeing where John and Gordon had pushed all available furniture to the side where the wall had started melting by what he could only guess was acid.

John shook his head and walked over to the janitor�s closet to continue work in lifting the cover off from the sewer entrance, one that he discovered would take them directly below the multi-story car park, directly below their thunderbird craft.

�Let�s just leave him at the moment Virg, I don�t know what�s going on in his head but I�m sure it�s nothing good� Gordon suggested glancing back at Scott, who nodded in agreement.

�But what about that man we saw down in the laboratories? It was pure luck that we stopped him but I don�t think he�s dead� Virgil said softly remembering the tall grey man in the dark brown trench coat.

�I don�t know what to say about him Virg, Graham� what do you think?� Scott asked the oldest survivor.

�I don�t know what to say Scott, except it took a lot to put him down�� Graham replied before sighing deeply, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes looking over at John, who was using what ever tool; he put his hand on to pry the cover off.

�Let�s just worry about getting out of here first, and then worry about whatever he is� He added looking at Jill then down at the little boy, Joey.

�Ugh! It stinks down here!� Gordon muttered as he joined Scott, Jill and Joey in the sewer as Virgil started climbing down the ladder followed closely by Graham with John bringing up the rear.

�Well it is the sewer Gordy and I have smelt worse after one of your pranks� Scott remarked earning a small laugh from his brother.

Virgil soon joined them and shook his head a little, �Wow, what is that?� He asked screwing his nose up at the smell of the sewer, digging his torch out and switched it on adding more light to the darkened tunnel.

Gordon grinned, �I think its Scott but I can�t be too sure� He replied ducking as Scott tried to take a painful swing at the top of his head.

�Well we�re almost out of here, so that must be why the tension is breaking� Graham said with a grin, as he walked away from the ladder followed by a short splash signalling them that John had jumped down.

�We better get moving, the sprinklers broke while I was in there sealing our exit� John said listening to their conversation before looking both ways of the tunnel, but saw nothing but darkness.

�Well they�re determined� Gordon muttered the happy feeling ebbed away at this new bit of news.

�We better go then� Graham ordered holding his shotgun close while Scott and Virgil led the way with their torches.

All that could be heard as they walked along the tunnel was the sound of the small group�s footsteps through the inch high water that filled the sewer.

The torchlight bounced off the green slimy pipe walls, they all remained on edge even though they knew that it wouldn�t be too long before they would be up in the air inside the rescue machines known as the Thunderbirds, flying away from the world of survival horror.

This thought was a comforting silence amongst the International Rescue team and the three survivors of Newbay�s community.

That was until�

�Get down!� John yelled from the rear of the group, pushing Gordon down making a domino effect knocking everyone down into the dirty water as the whole tunnel shook in a roaring explosion with loose stone flying out in different places.

�What the hell was that?� Scott yelled as the tunnel stopped shaking letting them get back up onto their feet.

�I don�t know but we better hurry, I don�t like the sound of this� John said pushing Gordon up onto his feet and ahead of him, before he turned back to look deeper into the tunnel.

His ears was buzzing loudly as if something was down in the tunnel from where they came, he frowned in recognizing the buzzing before Scott and the others had appeared but knew it wasn�t them now.

�Johnny, what�s going on?� Virgil asked joining his brother.

�Think your friend found us, but I don�t know how�� John broke away to silence before looking at his brother. Fear reflecting in his blue eyes.

�We better run, we got to get back to the birds� Scott suggested pulling at Gordon�s sleeve, turning to look at Graham who nodded and went ahead of them running down the tunnel.

�Johnny?� Gordon asked softly.

John shook the fear from his eyes replacing it with determination, �We�ve got to get out of here now� He said looking at Virgil, who nodded and took off after the survivors.

�Let�s go� Scott said making sure John would follow them before running along the tunnel, Gordon keeping close behind him.

What has happened to me John thought silently as he heard the buzz dull down as they ran along the tunnel, meeting up with Gordon and Scott easily thanks to his long legs.

To be continued�