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Back The Nest Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. Copyright page
  3. Introduction by Will Errickson
  4. Acknowledgements
  5. TREMORS
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. SUSPICIONS
  13. 1
  14. 2
  15. 3
  16. 4
  17. 5
  18. DREAD
  19. 1
  20. 2
  21. 3
  22. 4
  23. 5
  24. 6
  25. WITNESS
  26. 1
  27. 2
  28. 3
  29. ALERT
  30. 1
  31. 2
  32. 3
  33. 4
  34. 5
  35. ENCOUNTER
  36. 1
  37. 2
  38. 3
  39. 4
  40. 5
  41. 6
  42. HAVOC
  43. 1
  44. 2
  45. 3
  46. 4
  47. 5
  48. 6
  49. SEARCH
  50. 1
  51. 2
  52. 3
  53. 4
  54. 5
  55. CLASH
  56. 1
  57. 2
  58. 3
  59. 4
  60. 5
  61. 6
  62. 7
  63. COUNTERATTACK
  64. 1
  65. 2
  66. 3
  67. 4
  68. 5
  69. 6
  70. 7
  71. VICTORY
  72. 1
  73. 2
  74. 3
  75. 4
  76. 5
  77. 6
  78. 7
  79. 8
  80. 9
  81. EPILOGUE
  82. About the Author

The word “piranha” ribboned through Tarbell’s brain like a red-­hot wire. Clearly, these people had been taken by surprise, had been absolutely helpless, unable to defend themselves in any way . . .

So this was the vicious, the inconceivable, explanation of the island’s mysterious disappearances! This was the meaning of Stephen’s reluctance, his questioning about roaches eating leather belts, clothing, and the rest!

The sheriff was seeing it for himself now, understanding the fate of the missing Tintons, of Hildie, of her girls—and, by God, of those men off the ferry! This is what would have happened to himself, Dorset, and Homer if they had not escaped the insect army chasing them when they had the rabbit trap.

Bile was in the man’s mouth, but this was no time to be sick. The sheriff clearly heard the clicking of the roaches’ hard mandibles and teeth, the hissing of their tumbling battle to get at the human flesh. Above all, he heard the grinding of what he had been unable to believe when the scientists had described it—how insects like these roaches could eat into bone, chew through it, saw it and cleave it and splinter it. Could grind it into powder that they lapped up.

He was watching it happen! He wiped the blood that was dribbling into his own eyes. He batted a roach away from his face. He ground into reverse and shot the police car around, spraying gravel on two wheels.

The Laidlaws were beyond help, that was tragically plain. Before the demons got at him, he had to get to the lighthouse with his terrible discovery. The unspeakable theories of the Harvard scientists were proving correct! Yarkie Island might have to call in the Coast Guard, the National Guard, the whole damn United States Army to stamp out—to try to stamp out—the invasion of the murdering roaches.

HAVOC

HAVOC

1

ONE

Peter Hubbard was bent over a microscope when Elizabeth Carr came out of the kitchen into the laboratory. With the lunch things tidied up, Bonnie had gone to lie down for a rest. The Yarkie men were all off on their assignments. The expected storm was in higher gear, rattling the windows now, nearing full strength. The woman could see the driven sea beating at the shore outside. The waves had become threatening breakers, and the gale was whirling sand and leaves all around the creaking lighthouse. Sand was gritty on the floor in every room, sifting in through the cracks everywhere. But there was no rain yet.

Elizabeth asked, “Where’s Wanda?”

Hubbard spoke without taking his eyes from the instrument. “She’s phoning Chatham, trying to reach Craig­. We need some special supplies.” He explained no more. The harsh crescendo of the wind brought his head up. The building was machine-­gunned with shells and stones whipped by the storm. He asked anxiously, “Can Craig get back in this weather?”