“This is where I found Mia.”
“When?” Asher whispered.
“During our escape,” he said. “Garret was with me and we came from down there.” He pointed at the stairs. “Mia and Jonah were leading the tribes in a fight with the compound’s solders in the storage area on the other side of this blockage.” He motioned at the blocked entrance across from the stairs.
“Who’s Garret?” Bale asked.
“He was a part of the Cheyenne Tribe,” Rowan said. “He helped me find Jonah and Mia.”
“What happened to him,” Bree asked.
Rowan shook his head. “He didn’t make it out of here.”
The answer was enough to quell the curiosity. Rowan motioned at the stairs again.
“Is that where you two came from?”
Bree nodded.
“And the room with the cages, it’s at the end of the hallway at the bottom of the stairs?”
She nodded again.
Rowan knew the place all too well. It was the last time he saw Dr. Olric and the undead boy they called the nexus. If there were people still loyal to Canaan’s former commission, Rowan was pretty sure he knew what they were looking for. The nexus was a prize like no other. Dr. Olric and his people believed the undead boy was the key to finding a cure for the infection. The real problem for Rowan was that there was no other way out of the passage at the bottom of the stairs.
“Let’s take a look.”
The sound of the dead grew with every step, echoing up the stairs from the floor below. A putrid odor greeted them in a burst that nearly knocked them over. Rowan slowed, coming to a stop mid-way between the floors. The death groans washed over the living in a constant wave. Rowan knew what they would have to do in order to get into the room at the end of the passage, but it took several moments to set his mind to it and face the others.
“We’re going to have to draw them out.”
10
“And then what?”
Walker’s question brought the ongoing debate to a halt. Hive three’s representative had a way of injecting himself into a conversation at the perfect time. Mia felt his approach was too calculated to be sincere. He always waited until he had the upper hand.
“Once we scout out the safest way into Cheyenne,” he continued, “and we ensure the gardens can be fortified, then what?”
The question had already been raised a number of times, but something about his insistence made it feel like he was smarter than everyone else was. The full tribal council had gathered early. The gossip of Rowan and Asher’s descent put everyone in a frenzy. The weight of it pressed down on Mia enough to make the simplest tasks feel impossible.
The scream for help echoing up out of the gorge shook her to the core. The gunshots that trailed the screams made it even worse. Neither of the sounds affected her as much as the silence that followed. Sara stood by her looking over the side of the gorge as the sun rose in the sky. The men and women providing over watch for the site had to persuade her they would come find her if anything changed before she would report back to the tribal council.
Mia kept one eye on the conference room entrance at all times. The entire situation was emotionally draining. She’d had little sleep over the past few days and exhaustion was tugging at the edges of her mind. She wasn’t sure how she was going to keep it all up for much longer.
“We don’t need to leave.”
Walker’s assertion pertained to the people of the safe sector in hive three. Their standalone power provided them ample protection. They could close themselves off permanently. The horde of undead and their infected leaders could wipe out everyone else. The constant reminder annoyed Mia, today more so than ever before. She wasn’t certain if it was the exhaustion setting in, but she decided it was time to get something off her chest.
“And then what?”
Her contemptuous query was enough to wipe the self-assured grin off Walker’s face.
“Pardon me?” he asked.
Mia stood up from her chair. “You lock yourselves away,” she said. “And the dead feast on all of us until they’re fat and happy.” Mia felt Sara tap on her leg, but she was too far out there to pull back now. “Will your food last forever?” She continued before Walker could come up with a response. “Will your power last forever?”
Her last question was a particularly curious one. Asher had told her what he knew about the power supply designed for the safe sector. She didn’t pretend to fully comprehend the details, but she did understand that the smaller generators were never meant to sustain the sector indefinitely. They were meant for emergency shutdowns with reliance on reconnection to the compound’s main power source.
“That’s not what…All I meant was...”
Mia couldn’t stop herself from grinning at his lack of response.
“What we need to do,” she said, speaking over him, “is to create the safest path forward that we can for the entire tribe.”
Mia motioned to Sara and then sat down as the elder woman stood. Sara started in on the plan they’d discussed in detail as they stared down into the gorge waiting for any sign of life.
“We can gather a team to secure the way down to the generators,” Sara said. “We’ll send as many soldiers as we can spare to make the way as safe as possible. There are a number of engineers that can start right away once the way is clear.”
“And what about the trek to Cheyenne?” Hinnick asked.
Mia was surprised the boisterous council member had managed to keep quiet for as long as he had.
“We’ll send out Marcus’ team today,” Mia said as Sara retook her seat. “There’s no reason we can’t do both actions at the same time as long as we have enough volunteers.”
Walker gave in for the moment although he added a long sigh before speaking up. “Then let’s go ahead and vote on it.”
Mia excused herself and headed for the door. Her abrupt escape was out of character, but she felt that she had to get a breath of fresh air or she might collapse. The ending of the debate told her the path forward would be approved and that was good enough. She would no doubt be asked to participate in selecting the teams for both pieces of the plan. Her growling stomach and blurring vision said she would need something to eat in order to get her strength back.
She stepped out into the main hall and was met by a figure moving toward her from the shadows. Her heart leapt up to her throat. In her hazy state, she reached for her sword and discovered she’d left it near her things beneath her cot. A frail light came to life beneath a familiar plump face.
“It’s me,” Gabriel said.
“Please don’t do that,” Mia said, placing her hand over her thumping heart.
“Sorry, I wanted to hear what the council planned to do.”
Mia nodded and found her smile. “Walk with me.”
The fear in the young boy’s eyes remained even when he returned the smile. “You were in there for a long time,” he said.
“Those meeting are never quick,” she admitted. “Most of tribe’s issues are very complicated.”
“What did they decided about Jonah and the rest of the knights?”
The choice of words caused her smile to widen. Mia was instantly reminded of when Jonah confided in her the name chosen for the group’s moniker. She shook her head despite herself. It took her a moment to realize that Gabriel hadn’t actually heard any of the council’s debate.
“We didn’t talk about it.”
“Wait, what?” Gabriel stopped. “Why not?”
Mia urged him to keep walking. “You have to understand the council’s purpose,” she tried to explain, finding herself drawn back to the sober reality of Sara’s advice. “The council must do what’s best for the entire tribe.”
Gabriel’s stunned expression spoke volumes. “Don’t they care?” he managed to get out. “Don’t you care?”
The apparent agony in his words nearly brought Mia to tears. She’d held up her mask of strength for the counci
l, but the facade was quickly fading. Mia took a deep breath.
“Of course I do,” she said. “It’s the most important thing to me right now. Nearly everyone I love is down in that hive.”
Gabriel nodded and then kept his stare on the floor. They made a final turn and the volume of chatter increased throughout the passage. The main hall was alive with movement as people streamed in and out of the numerous doorways. Mia felt the urge to stop. She took Gabriel’s hand and made him look at her.
“Don’t give up hope,” she said and he nodded again. “Rowan and Asher are down there, and they won’t come back empty handed.”
♦
Sweat streamed down Rowan’s face. The heat intensified with every step as he worked his way down the stairs between the floors. He persuaded Asher, Bree, and Bale to wait at the top of the staircase. Bree forced him to verbally acknowledge her objection to his plan before she would let him go. The girl’s tenacity was an undeniable quality, unmatched by the boys that followed her around.
The dead were close. Rowan couldn’t hear anything above the constant chorus of moans. His view of the hallway at the end of the stairs instantly jogged his memory. He was positive this was the place he last saw Dr. Olric and the undead boy they called the nexus.
Rowan headed toward the end of the hall, now moving at a snail’s pace. His heartbeat competed with the undead wails, thumping in his ears. A hidden glow highlighted the wide opening ahead and provided the first glimpse of the cages lining the sprawling area. A shadow moved across the light and Rowan froze.
He had to force himself to move again. Rowan edged along the outer wall until the first sign of the dead came into view. The cages were full, an extensive line of cells crammed with decaying zombies. The light emitted from somewhere beyond the front line of cells, filling the walls with horrific shadows.
The first of the dead laid eyes on him and the wailing rose with grisly desire. The erratic movements focused Rowan’s attention. He strained to see through the dark shadows but knew for sure what he’d found. The cages did not hold the dead alone. The infected pushed up against the bars the moment they discovered his presence, their eyes burning a hole in him. Their growls pierced the moans of the dead as they lashed wildly, willing to rip themselves apart to try to get their hands on him.
Rowan swallowed his fear and stepped through the opening. He was midway around the chamber when he found the living. The central row split the cages that covered the entire area, dropping down several feet below the rest of the floor. The view was not what Rowan remembered.
Several figures were hard at work removing the last of the equipment that used to line the central row. The entire scene struck Rowan at once and the reality came to him a moment later. The dead and infected in the cages weren’t put there for the sake of safety. These people, Dr. Olric and the commission’s people, he guessed, were planning to open the cages when their work was through. Rowan guessed they were at least partly responsible for the pack that tried to get into the rest of the hives through the breach.
All of the growing theories rushing through his mind came to a halt as his eyes settled on two small figures. They were on the ground, their hands bound behind their back, sacks over their heads. Rowan knew at once who they were. He also knew there was no way he could get to Jonah or Tate without getting himself or them killed in the process. His deliberations came to a sudden stop when something pressed up against the back of his head.
“Don’t move or I’ll put a hole in you.”
The voice was cold and calculated, and Rowan thought he was as good as dead. He waited for a slight release on the pressure against his head before making his move. Rowan spun around as fast as his momentum would allow, dipping his head and bringing his elbow up at the same time. The gun went off inches from his face, and the blast sent a shockwave through his ears that nearly brought him to his knees.
Rowan felt the back of his arm smack into the gun as he finished his uncoordinated turn. The result of the spin left him face to face with a man trying to bring the weapon up for another shot. Rowan wrapped his arm over the gunman’s hands and squeezed and then brought his knee up directly between his legs. The impact dropped the gunman with one strike, but he refused to let go of the gun. The weapon fired again, this time sending a searing pain through Rowan’s side.
Rowan took a step back and then kicked his leg out before the gunman could regain his bearings. Rowan’s boot caught him across the jaw and snapped his head back. The weapon hit the floor a second before the back of the gunman’s head. Rowan picked the gun up and readied his own. Both barrels leveled off at a flood of commotion now centered on the opening in the escape tunnel at the far end of the central row.
Rowan expected to find a number of soldiers dashing toward him with weapons at the ready. Instead, he discovered most of the figures already within the tunnel entrance and the remaining moving toward it. The boys were gone. Rowan made it down a single step before he realized what the unwelcomed guests had done to cover their tracks. In a cruel twist of fate, the intruders had employed the same tactic Rowan used to make his escape a few months ago.
The dead poured out of the cages in a tidal wave of decomposing flesh. Rowan raced toward the chamber’s entrance as the first of the infected broke through the undead pack. He reached the hall, counting at least half a dozen infected chasing after him. The moment he hit the hallway he discovered a trio of personal lights not far from the entrance at the bottom of the staircase.
“You were supposed to wait up at the top,” he yelled.
Asher, Bree, and Bale didn’t appear to need encouragement. They spun around and sprinted up the stairs long before Rowan reached the first step. The howls of the trailing pack of infected filled the passageway with sheer terror. Rowan called out directions before he reached the top of the staircase.
“Get us back to the platform.”
His mind couldn’t process all of the difficulties that lay ahead. He switched over to survival mode and for him there was no hope in standing their ground. Rowan hit the top step and turned, reaching full speed in a few long strides. He caught a fleeting sight of Bale before the brawny boy slipped around another turn. Rowan nearly smashed into him when he reached the bend and found all three of them waiting on him.
“We can’t outrun them,” Asher exclaimed.
“We’re not going to wait here and find out,” Rowan said and then stepped around them and located their entry point through a hole in the ceiling. “Get your butt up there,” he said to Bree and then motioned to Bale. “And you next.”
Bree didn’t question him. Bale paused long enough to peek back around the corner before moving himself in position to help her. The boy jumped up and grabbed a handhold when she was through the opening. The volume of the wailing dead and baying infected told them that their time was nearly up.
“Go ahead and…”
Rowan’s directions trailed off as he turned to find Asher already dangling from the ceiling. Bale and Bree grabbed his arms and pulled. Rowan stood under the opening, gauging the jump when the first of the infected rounded the corner. Rowan launched himself as the rest of the pack pushed in after the first.
Rowan felt his grip go as the infected grabbed his feet. Bale caught him by the wrist a split second after his fingers slipped off the edge of the opening. Asher lunged out for him, nearly tumbling down through the gap in the process. Rowan felt one of the creatures biting on his boots, and he kicked wildly to try to get away. He screamed up at Asher and Bale as they braced themselves and yanked on his arms. The pull broke Rowan free and flung him up through the opening. He flipped in the air and landed on his back on the floor above.
“That will buy us some time,” Asher said, extending his hand.
Rowan grabbed him and popped up on his feet. The room spun around him for a moment. He gathered himself long enough to find the nearest exit. He motioned for Bree to move and took one last look down at the growing crowd in the room below before run
ning out after her.
Bree’s skills were on full display as she led them back to the debris-laden hall where Rowan and Asher initially found them. The sounds told them when the infected managed to get up through the breach and their determination was singularly focused. Asher was first through the crawl space among the rubble followed quickly by the others. They stood at the open elevator doors looking up at the darkness above.
“We’re going to have to climb,” Rowan said.
Bale leaned out and grabbed the rope. He was ascending before Rowan got out a warning.
“We were followed,” Rowan said. “Be ready for anything when you reach the open door.”
Bale grunted a response before Asher started up after him. Bree steadied herself at the edge of the elevator shaft. Rowan waited for Asher’s legs to clear the rope before tapping her on the shoulder. She didn’t jump, instead turning to look at him.
“We’re going to leave them?”
“They were already gone,” he explained. “They took them into that tunnel.”
She grabbed his arm. “Then why aren’t we going after them?”
Rowan looked at her youthful face and was struck by the worry in her eyes. It took him a moment to realize the concern was not for herself, but for the friends they left behind. The rising sound of the dead forced him to glance down the hallway before focusing on her again. He nodded and acknowledged her concern.
“If they wanted to kill them, they’d be dead already,” he said and the intensity of his statement caused her to pull away from him. “I’ll go after them,” he continued. “I won’t let them vanish, but I can’t risk all of our lives for the sake of theirs.”
Bree crossed her arms, ignoring the sheer force of the echoes of the dead and infected as they closed in.
“Don’t I get a say in this?” she asked.
The Decaying World Saga Box Set [Prequel #1-#2 & Books #1-#2] Page 77
