Read Thirteen Roses Book Three: Beyond: A Paranormal Zombie Saga for Free Online Page B

jumped up them, craving the light that came from within, but paused outside the doorway.  
    Bayleigh took Krystal’s arm before she could enter. ‘Hold on, let me just check.’
    She went past and peered through the doorway. After a minute, she waved a hand and they crept in, heading straight to one side into the shadows. The pews were normal size and there was room for about ten rows before the altar. Behind the altar was a machine the size of a car and Krystal stared open-mouthed. It was about the coolest thing she’d ever seen.  
    Bayleigh muttered something about staying close but there was nobody here, so Krystal set off down one side of the church, keeping to the shadows and keeping quiet. She sneaked around behind the altar and looked closer at the machine. Bayleigh’s voice hissed through the church.  
    ‘Krystal, be careful.’
    She was nice, but the paranoia was becoming a drag. She waved a hand to indicate no evil soldiers had killed her yet and knelt beside the machine. Fans whirred and lights blinked on and off. It looked sort of like a bunch of vending machines held together with tiny scaffolding. But the scaffolding was wrapped in hundreds of wires that ran between the machines.  
    Ed joined her and they crept slowly around the machine. There were plenty of lights but no buttons of any sort, which was a shame. This was almost certainly owned by the soldiers and the chance to screw with them would be amazing. They got most of the way round before they found the instruction manual.  
    It hung on a thin chain from one of the steel rods and she and Ed exchanged a grin before she picked it up and had a look.  
    She got as far as the title.  

    ‘Pheromones enhancer and blending systems
    Instruction and maintenance manual.

    Property of MOD.’

    Then Bayleigh arrived, huffing and puffing. ‘What is it?’
    Krystal waved the manual at her. ‘Something to do with pheromones. Didn’t Luke say that’s what the safety devices ran on?’
    Bayleigh nodded and dropped to her knees behind them. They began to read the manual and had just got past the safety instructions when they heard the voice.
    ‘I don’t expect to be bothered, not unless it is absolutely essential.’  
    He sounded very posh and very annoyed.  
    ‘I know, master and I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have come if we didn’t deem it worthy of your attention. But Etienne was determined you should know.’
    ‘Well, go on then, what is it?’
    ‘One of the test subjects, your honour, was impregnated.’
    ‘Impregnated? By whom?’
    ‘Actually, it’s by what. It was a demon.’
    ‘A demon?’
    ‘Yes, your honour.’
    ‘I see. This does rate my attention, well done.’
    The voices were coming from below their feet and Krystal glanced around as they grew louder. There were a series of metal grates down the centre of the church and she saw light travelling along beneath them, heading for the exit. The voice sounded again.  
    ‘We have some unwanted visitors in here. Let me deal with them and I’ll come straight up after.’
    Krystal gasped and realised how loud her voice was in the silence of the church. Bayleigh gripped her arm and waved at the front door. They started running down the aisle but took only a few steps when the grate nearest the front door exploded from the floor. A dark black cloud emerged and billowed out to fill the space.  

Luke

    Luke led them around the back of the tent. It was quieter here. The soldiers were far too busy trying to hunt the child to worry about the two of them. They reached the corner of the canvas and spotted another, smaller tent near the front of the church.  
    They dashed past it, reached the wall and the shadow that lay upon it, and crept towards the door. No one stood guard. Back in the gloom of the church, Luke saw the soldiers formed into a semi-circle and closing slowly in on something. He couldn’t see the child but it didn’t stand much of a chance. Not against guns. Az was tough but