Drifters: Worldbreak

As soon as they drove away, it started raining.

Ashland Avenue looked like a battlefield—overturned vehicles, dead bodies, shattered windows—the rain only intensifying the effect. Jack had seen something like this only once before, in South Sudan five years ago. A simple survey mission had turned into an escape through a war-torn land when the ceasefire between rebels and Sudanese defense forces snapped like a thread. He'd been lucky to get out then. Would they make it out now? He couldn't tell and, honestly, didn't have the luxury to spend time on empty what-ifs.

Focus on the road, he told himself, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

Once in a while, he'd see dark scorch marks on the road—probably from other creatures the army had fried. The streets of Chicago were now a battlefield, and he had to stay vigilant.

They were almost at the intersection with Belmont Avenue when the roar of jet engines overhead cut through the night. He looked up—the sky was pitch black, but faint flashes of light betrayed the jets streaking southward.

"Dad!" Lisa's scream snapped him back to reality.

He looked ahead and saw a man standing in the headlights, right in the middle of the street, his arms stretched forward as if trying to stop the car with sheer willpower. Jack slammed the brakes, but it was too late. The man struck the hood, his body folding in half as his head slammed into the windshield before being flung backward. He hit the pavement like a lifeless puppet.

"Oh my God," Susan's voice broke the silence, trembling with shock.

Jack was silent. Even if he wanted to say something, the words would probably not come out of his mouth. Did he kill the man?

He swallowed, stepped out of the car, and walked toward the body thrown away from the hit. Suddenly, his legs became heavy, making him struggle with each step.

The man lay lifeless, his left leg twisted at an unnatural angle. But his eyes were still open.

Jack dropped to his knees beside him. The man was gasping for air, his eyes frantically searching for something. His trembling hand tapped against Jack's jacket, as though he were drowning and searching for something to hold on to.

"What were you thinking, man?" Jack muttered, taking the man's hand in his own. "I am sorry."

The man gasped for air one last time and went still, his grip on Jack's hand loosening. Jack gently placed his hand down.

He had just killed a man—a man who didn't need to die like that.

The passenger door of the Toyota opened, and Lisa peeked her head out.

"Dad, is he dead?"

"Get back in the car, sweetheart!" Jack shouted. "And close the door!"

Lisa obeyed.

"You shouldn't see this," Jack added quietly.

He was about to stand when a scream echoed through the street.

Jack turned his head. To the left, a rectangular Whole Foods Market building stood with large glass windows on the ground level. The windows were only partially intact, shattered by what he assumed had been looters. Although the store had dimmed its lights for the night, Jack could still make out shadows moving inside. No—not just moving inside. Shadows were spilling out through the broken windows, dropping stolen goods on the pavement and scattering in all directions.

Behind them, a larger—much larger—shadow moved toward the windows, its jagged spikes silhouetted against the dim lights, ramming store shelves like a bulldozer.

The shadow grew larger until—boom!—the brick facade of the building erupted as the creature tore through it, sending a cloud of shattered glass and jagged brick shards into the air. The beast landed on the ground, sliding across the wet pavement and leaving deep scratch marks in its wake.

Jack froze, panting, not daring to move a muscle.

Now he could make out the creature's details. Its massive, armored body was covered in jagged, scale-like plates, glinting faintly under the dim streetlights. Spiked protrusions jutted from its shoulders and spine, each razor-sharp. The creature had long, clawed hands and muscular arms covered in smaller, but no less threatening, spikes.

If nature made tanks, this is what they would look like.

The monster seemed to sense Jack's gaze. Its hulking form shifted as it turned to face him. Slowly, the beast rose from its crouched, four-legged stance to its full, towering height.

Jack sprinted to his Toyota. With terrifying speed and precision, the creature dropped on its four and charged across at an angle aimed at cutting him off from the truck.

But it didn't know that Jack had been the fastest pair of legs in Berkley—at least in his class. In four powerful strides, he closed the gap, lunged into the driver's seat, and slammed the door shut behind him. He glanced through the window. The creature was quickly approaching their car from the left side, ready to ram them.

Lisa's scream from the back seat pierced the dense cabin air, making Jack's ears pop. He slammed the gas pedal to the floor. The wheels spun wildly on the slick asphalt, screeching before finally catching grip. The car lurched forward, barely in time, to evade the creature's claws, which slashed through the empty air. But the monster would not give up and charged after the truck.

Jack didn't let the gas pedal go. Tonight, he didn't have the luxury of following the speed limits. Toyota was picking up the speed—40...50... He checked the rearview mirror—the beast was on their tail, closing the gap with each stride.

"Dad, faster! It's going to catch us!" Lisa shouted. She was standing on her knees, watching the creature through the rear window. She could pass for a kid kneeling on a train seat, watching the scenery rush past, except she wasn't watching a peaceful landscape, but a monster closing in on them.

"I am trying!" Jack shouted back, not taking his eyes off the road. He'd already killed one man, and he wasn't planning on killing anybody else. The car engine was roaring at its limit, pulling the car faster and faster down the debris-strewn street. But the creature wouldn't let go. Jack could see its face in the rearview mirror. It was going to get them.

He scanned the area—they were approaching the crossing of Ashland and Wrightwood Avenues. He already could see the silhouette of the Wrightwood park ahead on the left side of the road.

"Lisa, get back in your seat and buckle up!"

"Dad, I am watching it! It's right behind us!" Lisa tried to protest, still clutching the back seat. "I'm holding tight!"

"Buckle up! Now!" Jack snapped back and Lisa, realizing he was not joking, quickly got back in her seat and buckled up.

"Jack, what are you going to do?" Susan asked, her voice trembling. She had barely said a word since they ran over that man.

"Hold on to something!" yelled Jack, leaving Susan's question without reply—they didn't have time for explanations. "We're going for a slide!"

He slammed the brakes briefly to shift the car's weight forward. The tires squealed against the wet pavement as he yanked the wheel hard to the left, sending the car into a drift.

The back tires slid out. The creature lunged, its claws slashing through empty air as the car swung around the corner.

In the rearview mirror, Jack saw the creature stumble, unable to follow the car and crash into the cars parked on the corner. They flung in the air as toys.

Jack stomped on the gas. The wheel caught grip, and the car shot down the narrow street, away from the beast. In the mirror, he saw the creature stand on its four and lurch after them in powerful strides. They stole some time in this fight, but the creature was still catching up.

The car veered out onto the main street and in its headlights, Jack saw a steep ramp leading to an enclosed parking structure. The yellow clearance bar over the entrance read in bold letters:

CLEARANCE 7'2'' ONLY NO TRUCKS ALLOWED

Jack adjusted the steering wheel slightly, directing the car towards the ramp.

"Jack!" Susan's voice rang out from behind. "What are you doing?!"

"A stunt!" Jack shouted, and then barked, "Hold on!" The car shot through the frame, narrowly missing the concrete block listing the parking rules. It hit the ramp with a thud, the truck's dampers absorbing the impact. Behind them, the creature barreled forward, obliterating the frame and the concrete block as if they were nothing.

They were just ten feet from the main entrance to the garage when the creature lept into the air in a desperate attempt to latch onto the truck bed. But the car slip through the entrance and the beast smashed into the heavy concrete frame of the building.

Jack slammed on the brakes and turned his head back, panting heavily. The creature was at the entrance, trying to squeeze in, but it was too big to fit, its long spikes catching on the edges and holding it back. With a roar, it smashed its bulk against the concrete again and again, but the frame held firm—too much concrete even for a monster like that.

After a few futile attempts, the creature paused and thrust its head into the garage. Its roar echoed through the space, a roar of rage and frustration. Then, with one last snarl, it withdrew, disappearing into the night.

Jack took his breath. His hands were shaking, still gripping the steering wheel. After a few moments, he finally regained control over his body, let go of the steering wheel, and turned back.

"You guys all right?"

"Yeah," Lisa replied, her voice flat. Not a single tear. Jack could tell she was in shock. He figured the tears would come later, when the adrenaline wore off—but then again, maybe he underestimated just how strong his daughter really was.

He shifted his gaze to Susan. She sat with her face buried in her hands, her shoulders trembling as she let out silent sobs.

"Hey, honey," Jack stretched his arm and put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "It's all right. I'll get us to the country house, I promise."

Susan finally looked at Jack. Her eyes, normally gray, turned bright blue every time she cried.

"We almost died there, Jack," she said, wiping tears away. "I am scared. Please, let's just wait here for help."

Jack sighed. "I am scared too. But I promise, no help is coming our way. We have to make it to the highway."

"What if we encounter more creatures out there?" Susan shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

"Then we escape it," Jack said in a calm voice. Lord knew he didn't want to go out there, but they had to. The longer they waited, the worse the traffic on the highway would be, and they'd never make it outside the city.

"Besides," Jack added, tapping on the steering wheel, "you've got a stunt driver behind the wheel."

This helped a bit—Susan smiled through tears.

"Yeah, I'll give you that. I didn't know you could drive so well," Susan said, wiping the last of her tears from her face. She leaned back in her seat and looked at Jack. "Get us out of here."