BooksBarbecue
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

With his gloved hand, Hubbard tried to defend against the roaches eating at his right-hand fingers. He could not manage. He flung his hands upward in a frantic gesture of despair, while gripping the camera fiercely. Another rope fell before him. He could use only his left hand, but his plight lent it power. His grip held his weight as the men above started to pull him slowly out of the pit.

Halfway out, Hubbard felt himself slipping. Involuntarily, he made a grab for the rope with his right hand. All it did was smear the strand with his blood, making it more slippery. He felt himself going down. His left hand was unable to clutch firmly. In a moment, he would be dropping back into the brain mass. He would be half-­buried in it, helpless, and the attack roaches could gnaw his vulnerable wrist under his suit. One opening was all they needed. It was his turn to be annihilated by the brood he had been battling!

But strong hands were reaching down and grabbing Hubbard under the shoulders. He was yanked to the surface. Sprawled on the ground, he tried not to cry out with the agony of his lacerated hand. He dared not look at the damage to his fingers. The sheriff was pouring antiseptic directly on still-­chewing roaches.

Firemen lifted Hubbard to the seat of the fire truck. Elizabeth helped them get his helmet off. She quickly opened a first aid kit to bandage his lacerated hand, and found with infinite relief that the injury was not as severe as it had seemed. The exhaust gas had evidently weakened the jaw muscles of even the monster insects. Otherwise, their bites would have been deeper and more massive.

Hubbard saw Elizabeth expertly tightening a tourniquet above his wrist. Through his pain, he noticed with new respect that the woman was dealing with his raw wounds without the slightest flinching, and her touch was soft and comforting.

Bonnie Taylor was nearby, watching the two in a terrible, suppressed anguish. The sight of Peter Hubbard’s blood smearing the ground brought back the butchery of Craig Soaras. In her mind’s eye, she again saw Craig fall amid the roaches, saw the killers tearing away at the lips she had wanted. Death had kissed them first, death out of this evil cavern where men, themselves looking like robot creatures in their masks and rubber suits, were now pouring gasoline down on the roach pile.