It was dark inside the Vault. Panels were missing from the walls. Glass and broken containers littered the floor.
Nancy and Krish used their phone torches to light the way. Between them, Pete kept ready with the RipSaw.
“You smell that?” Pete whispered.
It was a sweet smell. Like freshly cut grass and overripe fruit.
“Oh no,” Krish said. He shone his torch at a plant in the darkness ahead of them. Its creepers swayed slowly. The main stem was bent over, the flower wrapped around something large. It made wet sucking noises that turned Krish’s blood to ice.
Pete lifted the RipSaw and stepped forward, but Nancy stopped him.
“It’s ignoring us,” she whispered. “Let’s just get what we need and go.”
Halfway along the length of the vault, they came to the row of huge, metal containers. All of them were dented and broken. Some had their hatch doors ripped off. Others looked as if plants had burst out of the mesh at the top and dragged themselves away.
“That’s what we need,” Nancy said, pointing her torch at the front of the nearest container.
Hanging from the hook was a RipSaw. There was another lying on the floor, close by.
*
Back outside, they told Doctor Valentine they would send help as soon as they could. Then they made their way back to where they had left their bikes.
“Keep your eyes open,” Pete said. “Those things are fast and strong. Maybe that’s why they called them ‘Raptors’. Like in Jurassic Park. Didn’t you say they could cross animals and plants together, Nance? Maybe they put dinosaur DNA into them.”
“There is no dinosaur DNA,” Nancy said. “Right, Krish?”
“I don’t think so,” Krish said nervously. He put his arm through the sling hanging from the RipSaw and climbed onto his bike.
“Well, they definitely put something nasty into those plants,” Pete said.
They headed away from Hilltop and back onto North Road. But as they rounded the bend leading towards Crooked Oak, Pete squeezed his brakes and screeched to a halt.
Nancy almost ran into the back of him, swerving away at the last moment.
“Blimey!” Nancy said. “What’s wrong?”
Pete pointed into the field to their right. “Look.”
In the faint dawn light they could just make out three shapes shambling across the field towards the hedge at the bottom of the hill.
And through the hedge, car headlights twinkled like stars on a cloudy night.
Pete, Nancy and Krish all knew what was on the other side of that hedge: Crooked Oak Academy.
“They’re heading for school,” Nancy whispered, horrified. “And it’s drop-off time.”
“Come on,” Pete said. He climbed off his bike and let it fall into the grass at the side of the road. “There are only three of them. We can take them.” Pete revved the RipSaw and headed into the field.
“Wait!” Krish shouted. “We should go and warn everyone.”
Pete stopped and looked back at Krish. “And say what exactly?” he asked. “Watch out, everyone – killer plants are coming? The plants will reach school before anyone believes us.”
“He’s got a point, Krish,” said Nancy.
“But those things are dangerous,” Krish insisted. “They overran the people in the Vault, and they were soldiers.”
“They took them by surprise,” Pete said. “But we’re prepared. We have to do this now. Before it’s too late. Krish, your sister could be down there!”
Krish and Nancy looked at each other, trying to decide what was best. Should they try to fight or try to warn everyone?
“Tell you what,” Pete said, frustrated. “You go and warn everyone. I’ll deal with the plants.”
With that, he strode out into the field. A few
moments later came the hum of the RipSaw, then a high-pitched whine as the RipSaw began to cut.
But Nancy could see that Pete had made a mistake. As soon as he attacked the nearest plant, the others noticed the commotion and turned to move towards him. That was when Nancy realised there weren’t just three plants. There were at least six of them bunched together. But they were separating now, and Nancy knew there was no way Pete could handle them all on his own.
She jumped off her bike and let it crash to the ground. She gripped the RipSaw tight and took two steps towards the field. Krish began shouting desperately behind her.
“Nancy!” he screamed. “They’re everywhere!”