Read Human Extinction Level Loss (Book 2): Substation (The Last Stand of Gary Sykes) for Free Online

”
    Beverly lunged for the door, but Reggie carefully but firmly pushed her back.  Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the door and pushed against Reggie’s restraint.
    “We have to let him out!  Open the door!” Beverly shouted. 
    Beverly looked up into his stony face.  Reggie could not meet her eyes and his gaze fell to the floor.
    “ Please!  Open the door!  Bever -”
    Gary’s words were cut short by the sound of hissing and feral groaning, fast heavy footfalls replaced his cry.
    Beverly cried at the sound of her name cut off so suddenly.  Reggie shut his eyes tight.  Beverly’s hands covered her mouth, stifling a scream that constricted in her throat.  Over by the door, Mack clenched his mouth tight and breathed in rasps through his nose, keeping a death grip on the doorknob.
    From inside the office there was a blood curdling scream and then something slammed against the door with a tremendous jolt.  The impact caught Mack by surprise and the door opened a quarter of an inch before Mack could force it closed.   Jason Johnson’s name plate flew off the door.  It bounced twice and slid to a stop face up across the floor. 
    Several seconds of heavy silence passed, everyone held their breath, too afraid to breath. 
    Several more seconds ticked away and then a voice sounded.
    “ I’m alright.  You can open the door ,” Gary said.
    There was a collective release of breath, then Beverly pushed passed Reggie and ran up to Mack, who stood, still blocking the door. A withering glare from Beverly melted his resolve and he stepped away.  Beverly fumbled for the knob and swung the door open wide.
    Gary, his face awash with shock and void of emotion, shuffled out.  In his right hand hung the crowbar, the straight end dragging on the ground and making an empty metallic sound. Beverly, Reggie, and Mack tracked him with their eyes as he dropped the crowbar on the couch in front of the fallen television and went toward his station.  Mack turned and looked into Johnson’s office.  On the floor, reaching out for the threshold, like an exhausted runner grasping for the finish line, was what was left of their boss.  Skull fragments lay midst ruined brain matter, his head caved in and smashed. Without saying a word, Mack closed the office door.
    Beverly moved over to Gary as Mack and Reggie talked together in hushed tones.  Beverly rubbed Gary’s back, trying to comfort him. Gary looked up at her and offered a weak smile.
    “I’ve got to go,” Beverly said.  “Are you going to be alright?”
    Gary nodded.  Beverly gripped his shoulder, then turned and gathered up her things and made for the door. She was almost there, when Reggie stepped in her way.
    “Hold on, Bev.  You can’t just run out there,” Reggie said.
    Beverly looked at Reggie, stupefied. 
    “The hell I can’t, Reggie!  Out of my way!” Beverly shouted at him.
    She went to move around Reggie, but he put his hands on her shoulders and stopped her.
    “We don’t know what’s out there— Well, we know what’s out there, but we don’t know how many.  No one leaves until we check it out,” Reggie said.
    Beverly looked indignant.  “So check it out, do what you want, but if you think I am just going to sit around here when my family—”
    Mack cut off Beverly’s words.  “Yeah, the thing is, Beverly, we need to know that none of us are going to turn and bite us in the ass,” Mack said from across the room.
    “Yeah, literally,” Reggie guffawed.
     “What the hell are you two talking about?” Beverly said
    Reggie and Mack exchanged looks.  “Well, Me and Mack aren’t bit, but when we came up from below, you were wrestling with the boss, and ol’ Gary was locked in a room with him.  So until we know that neither of you two pose a threat, we can’t have you… you know, loose,” Reggie said.
    Beverly was not believing what she was hearing.  “Now you listen to me, you knuckle-busters.  There is only one thing