Human Nature (Book 4): Human Nature IV by Borthwick, Finlay (13 ebook reader .txt) 📕

to bleed as a second wave of blood suddenly gushed out of his still-impaled wound. “If you find those survivors,” he slurred his words as blood and bile built up in his throat, “They may be able to help you rid London of the bandit threat once and for all.” He looked Rajan sternly in the eyes for his final words, “Save this city, my friend. Save it…”

Having been caught up in what Garry was telling him, Rajan had neglected to notice the fact that Garry was now bleeding out again. “Shit! Garry! Hold on!” He proclaimed in a sudden burst of panic before rising to his feet and putting his jacket back on.

‘CRASH!’

A nearby building was struck by lightning; brick and plaster flung off of it as the high voltage chipped away the corner of the rooftop…

The rain continued to pour down through the large gap in the hall ceiling, which was growing larger as the downpour peeled the roofing away.

None of the survivors had moved from the spot which they were just moments after the helicopter blade had come plunging down; the headless corpse of its’ victim remained lying there on the ground as well.

“It’s getting bigger.” Rob noted the growing hole in the ceiling. “We need to leave, right now.”

“You wanna tempt fate and run across the hall? Be my guest.” Michelle sarcastically offered. “Where are you even gonna run to? It’s no safer out there in the open, remember.”

Rob shrugged, “I don’t know! The only thing I know right now is that I don’t want my bloody head to be cut clean off!”

Michelle sighed, “That was a one-in-a-million thing, Rob.”

“And yet still, it happened.” He reminded her.

Then, redirecting everybody’s attention, the double doors came flying open; Rajan marched through them. He was completely soaked from head to toe, his hair was wavy and ruining, and there were large tears in his clothes.

“Rajan!” Rob proclaimed jovially. As he motioned to get up and run over to his friend, he backed down again, not willing to ‘tempt fate,’ as Michelle had worded it.

There was a glum look on Rajan’s face. Whatever had just happened to him, it was still taking its’ toll. As such, he had not even noticed the gigantic helicopter blade that was sticking out of the floor.

“Looks like he’s seen better days.” Maylene fruitlessly commented.

“Leave it, May.” Rob mumbled to her in defence of his friend.

Rajan, still with his glum expression, continued to take a long and solemn stride towards his comrades.

“Did you find him?” Michelle asked, recalling Rajan’s reasoning for not coming inside in the first place.

Just like Garry had done, Rajan idly nodded. “I found him.” He revealed.

“Well, where is he?” Michelle further queried as she looked past Rajan in a daze; there was nobody behind him.

“Dead.” Rajan heartlessly announced…

Chapter 9: The Eye Of The Storm

From one of the rooms on the ground floor of the hotel, Gwen and Annabelle looked out of the window in complete awe; never had they seen such a fierce, yet strangely beautiful, hurricane.

Elliot was also in the room. However, he was lying down peacefully on the king-size mattress. After all, there would be very little point in a blind man standing at a window.

Gwen turned on her walkie-talkie, purely out of curiosity, “Anyone there? It’s Gwen. Can anyone hear me?”

The response was nothing but static.

“Look at that.” Gwen mumbled to Annabelle, “The interference has taken our communications right out.”

Whilst in any other circumstance the lack of communication would have been quite a concern, in this situation, Gwen and Annabelle were simply content enough to be able to enjoy the full extent of British weather once more.

“We never had anything like this in Czechia, did we?” Elliot aptly commented.

Cora and Mac were taking refuge in a decaying semi-detached house. Like Gwen and Annabelle, they too were staring outside at the torrential rain.

“Remember we had something like this back in Ireland?” Mac commented.

“Not quite.” Cora gestured towards a loose vehicle tyre being carried down the street outside by the raging breeze. “Never got caught up in a storm that could move objects that heavy.”

“Hmm. Fair point, actually.” Mac admitted.

There was a loud rumble of thunder in the menacing dark sky above.

“When I was a kid, I’d cry myself to sleep if there was a thunderstorm during the night.” Cora revealed; despite having known Mac for almost half-a-decade now, he knew very little about her, as did the rest of Cora’s group.

“Oh, really?” Mac wanted to know more about Cora’s past, and thought there was no better opportunity to do so than the during the situation which they were currently in. “Were you afraid of the dark as well?”

Cora gently laughed, “The dark? No. Just freak storms. Actually, I loved the dark!” She proclaimed with enthusiasm. “I always used to be so fascinated by the idea of a big scary monster hiding in the corner of my room.”

Mac raised a curious eyebrow at her, “That’s a little odd, don’t you think? Most children would be the total opposite.”

“Oh yeah, without a doubt!”

A brief silence came between the two.

“You’ve never told us much about your past.” Mac decided to say it for how it was, rather than beat around the bush. “Was there something that—I don’t know—Maybe made you not wanna talk about it?”

She shook her head casually, “Not particularly. I just don’t think there was ever really a right time to do so.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Mac understood where she was coming from. “But still, it’s always nice to try and get to know the strangers around you a little better, don’t you think?”

“Maybe, but not always.” Cora responded cryptically. “The person who you were before, and the person who you are now—For some people, they’re