Werewolf Suspense (Book 4): Outage 4 (The Reckoning) by T.W. Piperbrook Page A

lashed out, spearing the side of the bin. The bin rolled. Tom let it go. He looked over as Silas frantically pressed the button.  
    The elevator hummed.
    The doors whooshed closed.  
    Suddenly the motor was churning and the elevator was rising, carrying them away from the blood-ridden floor. Silas clung to Tom's legs, sobbing. Tom held the boy close as he listened to the pulse of the elevator, thanking God for their good luck.

    When Silas had settled down, Tom asked, "Are you all right?"
    Silas looked up at him with wide, shameful eyes. "I didn't mean to come down here. I made a mistake."
    "It's all right," Tom said, hugging the boy. Any scolding the boy deserved was overshadowed by what they'd both been through.
    Without prompting, Silas continued to explain. "I wanted a snack from the machine, but everyone was busy. I saw the policeman going in the elevator. I thought it'd be okay."
    "I understand. Did you try to go back upstairs?"
    "I did, but the elevator was gone already."
    Tom nodded. He and Abraham must've called the elevator shortly after Silas got off. None of the details mattered. What mattered was that Silas was safe.
    Tom watched the orange display on top of the elevator. In the panic of the moment, Silas had accidentally hit the button for the second floor. They'd be making a stop before they reached third.  
    Watching the numbers change, Tom asked, "Where'd you get the knife?"
    Silas looked up at him, his blue eyes clouded with fear. "I found it on the floor when I was hiding in that room like you told me. Then I heard all that noise. I got scared and ran back to the elevator."
    "That was smart." Silas's instincts had probably saved his life. If he'd been roaming the halls, the beasts would've found him.  
    "I miss my mommy and daddy," Silas whimpered.
    Tom studied him for a moment. "It'll be all right, Silas."
    The ding of the elevator interrupted his thoughts.  
    "Stay quiet," Tom hissed. He pushed Silas behind him, raising his axe as the elevator ground to a halt. The doors creaked open.  
    Tom envisioned the same scene from the ground floor: the beast hovering next to the laundry bin, feasting on the dead woman. The prospect was logistically impossible. But that didn't stop his thoughts from running.
    He felt awful about the woman. He'd probably never had a chance at saving her.
    Tom swallowed his guilt as the elevator doors revealed the dark hallway in front of them. The only lights were from the elevator car. In the dim glow, he saw mangled body parts, pieces of hospital equipment.  
    Waiting for the doors to close, Tom recalled the dead police officers outside. Were their weapons still in the snow? The thought of retrieving them was tempting.  
    If he could make another stop on the first floor, race to the lobby…
    Looking at Silas's frail form in the elevator car, he decided against it. If something happened to him, Silas would be left alone. Tom couldn't risk leaving him. It was too dangerous. The beasts had already invaded the building.
    He just hoped they hadn't made it to the third floor.

Chapter Thirteen

    Abraham stared across the hospital room at the gaping, broken-down doorway. Footsteps and screams punctuated the air. A door slammed shut from the end of the hall, cutting off a stream of frightened voices. Abraham watched a woman in a hospital gown dart down the hallway. She briefly met his eyes as she ran. There was no sign of the nurses. The third floor had become a free-for-all of fleeing, terrified survivors, left to fend for themselves.  
    And Abraham, Sally, and Katherine were in the same predicament.
    Abraham crossed the room, intending to peer out into the hallway. Sally gave him a look of warning.
    "I need to see if Tom and Silas are out there. Then I'll shut the door."
    Sally nodded, but the expression of dread remained on her face. Abraham reached the threshold, his eyes cutting over the dead man at the door, holding back his sickness. The remainder of the hallway was