by Maxey, Phil
The blood drained from Abbey’s face, and she felt nauseous. She felt like she should say something, but no words came to her. He continued.
“I’ll spare you the details, but when I found them, I knew he had killed them to make a point, and I knew it was my fault.” Tears rolled down Zach’s face but his expression was emotionless. “So I let them charge me, lock me up, it made no difference to me by that point, I had lost everything.” Zach went to say something else, but Abbey hugged him and his words became lost in her embrace.
CHAPTER TWENTY
A slim line of morning light emanated from the bottom of the metal shutter. Raj opened his heavy eyes and immediately stretched his neck, turning his head from left to right. It was probably the most uncomfortable nights sleep he had ever had, but trying to sleep in the driver’s seat of the sedan was still better than sleeping on the oil stained floor like most of the soldiers had to do. The candles had long since burned out but there was enough light for Raj to make out the workshop around him. The door to his left opened and Zach appeared holding a small road guide. Bass then appeared from the same door and started walking around the workshop quietly waking people up. Zach walked up to the sedan and looked at Raj and pointed to where he had just come from. Climbing out of the car as quietly as possible as to not wake up Michael who was sleeping in the backseat, Raj walked into the workshop next door followed by soldiers.
A number of boxes, some metal some wooden were arranged into a small circle, with a larger box stationed in the middle. Raj sat, along with Dr. Tanner. Cal, Fiona, Jacks and Jacob then appeared and sat, then Rob and Tyler. The soldiers filled in and stood against the walls, finally Bass and Zach sat on the remaining boxes. Zach opened the small book to the back, and opened up a large road map of Albuquerque setting it down on the box in the middle. Zach then looked around the group.
“Yesterday was a bad day. We lost a lot of good people.” Some of the soldiers shifted uncomfortably on their feet. Zach went to continue but was interrupted by a slim dark-haired soldier, who hesitantly stepped forward.
“Me and some of the other guys have been talking and we feel we should return to Camp Bravo.”
Bass immediately grew angry and went and stood in front of the soldier. “Private! You will shut the hell up, and when you do talk you say Sir!”
Zach put his hand on Bass shoulder. “Sergeant it’s okay, let him talk.” Bass stepped back. “What’s your name?”
“Jenkins, Sir, Ashton Jenkins.”
“Very well private, say your piece.”
The young man looked unsure of how to continue, being surprised that he was being allowed to talk. “We lost nearly half our company yesterday and a civilian, we lost another one of us the day before. Each day we move further towards Portland we lose more people… we just don’t feel it’s possible to rescue those people… Sir” Zach nodded as Jenkins talked.
“Where were you when the Cascade happened?”
“I was stationed at a base in Alabama, Sir.”
“And where were your parents?”
The young man looked away for a moment. “They were in San Diego. Sir.”
“And are they in Camp Bravo now?” Zach felt a tinge of regret using the young privates parents in this way, but he felt he had no choice.
“No. Sir.”
Zach then backed off and looked around the soldiers around him. “There are eighteen-hundred people right now fighting for their lives. Mothers, fathers, sons, brothers, sisters. Families and loved ones who if we don’t make it to Portland to help them will just be more casualties of this war.” The soldiers shifted uncomfortably again. “That’s what it is, it’s a war. And yes we as a species are on the ropes, but the only way we are going to win this war, is if we fight every single day to survive and help each other.” Zach looked down then back to the young faces around him. “I can’t tell you that none of you will die on the way to Portland, any of us might at any moment in this new world, but what matters is how you lived, and if you died for something.” Zach sat back down. “There’s a route that avoids the highway for a few miles and then rejoins it. We’re going to take that route today.”
“We don’t have enough vehicles?” questioned Dr. Tanner.
“I had a quick look outside before you all were awake, it looks like Robs bus is one piece, and the same for the Humvee. That will be enough. No more big convoy, we were too big of a target. We are going to just keep these two vehicles until we get to Portland.”
“And coming back?” said Fiona.
“We’ll figure something out when we’re in Portland. Everyone get their kit ready and grab something to eat, we move out in twenty.”
The soldiers briefly looked at each other, then filled back into the other workshop area.
“Rob, take Jacks, Gregg’s, Cal and Fiona and make sure your bus and the Humvee are ready to go, if you find any more fuel out there, fill them both up. Raj a word.” The rest of the remaining people got up and left to start on their own tasks, and Zach sat closer to Raj. “Yesterday, the creatures seemed more interested in attacking our vehicles than us, it was the same the day before, what’s the deal with that? In the desert you said it was the patterns on the side of the RV’s, but what was it here?”
“I think it was the heat, the cars and coaches were putting out a lot more infrared than we were, unless one of us was close to them, then we were attacked. These creatures react to changes in their environment, whether it be particular patterns or heat. I believe you have seen these E.L.F’s before?”
“Yeah, I think so, back in the prison in New Mexico, but nowhere near as many as yesterday.”
“That’s the largest grouping of them I’ve heard of, they seem to be procreating at an alarming rate. Once we get back within radio range it would be good to contact Bravo and pass on what we have seen.” Zach nodded and Raj got up and left the room. Zach looked at the closed door to the front office and then opened it. Abbey was awake and reading a spare parts auto manual, she put it down when he entered.
“Another good speech, maybe you should run for office one day.” Zach wasn’t sure if she was joking.
“I’ll just settle on a nice home, a car I can work on and a garden I can drink a beer in.”
“There seems to be something missing from that picture,” said Abbey who then quickly regretted saying it. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean… so we’re back on the road, soon?”
“Yes, I’ve found a route out of the city and back to the north highway, with only two vehicles maybe we can move faster, make up some lost time.”
“How’s Michael?”
“Last I looked, sleeping like a baby.”
After a short time, they had moved their supplies into the bus, and were ready to leave. Bass, Dr. Tanner, Raj, Jacks, Michael and the other soldiers were on the bus, together with Rob and Tyler. Jacob, Fiona and Cal were in the back of the Humvee with Cal on the main gun. Abbey and Zach were in the front.
Zach looked out at the overcast day and wondered what the day would bring, he then fired up the Humvee. The planned route out of the city took them down side roads, until eventually they joined highway twenty-five. They made quick progress and were soon driving past snow-covered fields when Brads voice burst from Zach’s radio.
“This is Brad checking in from Roswell, you out there Zach? Over.”
Zach quickly clicked on the radio. “We’re here Brad, good to hear you, we were attacked yesterday, lost all but two vehicles, and fifteen people, including a lot of our fighting force. Over.”
There was a silence before Brad replied. “I’m sorry to hear that Zach, where are you now?”
“North of Albuquerque, we’re making good progress but we lost a day in getting to Portland. Over.”
The radio went quiet again.
“Okay, Zach. Is there anything I can do from this end?”
“Get a message to Portland telling them about the delay, and…I need to pass on to you the names of the deceased so you can in
form Camp Bravo. Over.”
“No problem. How are your supplies looking? Over.”
“We got enough, we’ll find more if we have to. Over.”
Zach and Bass then gave Brad the information about the dead soldiers and their location.
Tyler had not left Rob’s side since yesterday. They did not talk about what happened to Earl, they did not need too, it kept playing on a constant loop in their minds. Tyler could feel all the people in the bus behind him and hated it. He would hear a noise and have to stop himself from turning around expecting to see Earl sitting there grinning. Eventually he gave up and walked to the back of the bus, sitting behind Dr. Tanner and Raj who were discussing something to do with molecules.
Rob looked at the road ahead of them. He could feel his mind wanting to escape his skull and had to shake his head to refocus on his driving. It was not the time or the place to think about what had happened the day before.
Cal and Fiona took turns on manning the Humvee’s gun as red and blue mountains moved closer and further away from them. At one small town they passed through a fast food sign hang loosely from its pole and Fiona remarked how she never thought she would miss a hamburger. After a while having driven through mountains of snow covered forests the landscape around them flattened out again and returned to desert. Zach clicked on the radio.
“This is Captain Felton, from Camp Bravo. Anyone out there? Over.”
Abbey stirred in her sleep next to him.
Cal leaned forward between the seats. “How far are we from the first staging post?”
“Not far, maybe forty minutes, we should be within their radio range.”
The road they were on descended and soon they were driving over a small bridge and into the city of Rockwall. Zach had been continuously trying to reach their contact on the radio but there was no reply.
“Rob, let’s keep driving on this road, and head towards those multistory buildings a few klicks ahead of us. Over.”
After a few moments they were alongside a sandy colored building. Zach pulled in to the main entrance of San Moore’s hospital.
“So now what?” said Fiona.
“No idea, our contact isn’t making contact, and this looks as good a place as any to hold up. Line of sight must be pretty good on the roof up there, maybe we can see signs of life in the city. Cal you feeling up to taking a look in here with me?” Cal nodded and they both left the Humvee and walked up the slope to the hospitals emergency entrance. An ambulance sat with its front wheel up the curb and rear doors open. Blood streaks painted the inside.
“Let’s just find the stairs and get to the roof,” said Zach as he and Cal climbed through the broken glass doors and into main lobby. Piles of clothes and black plastic bags languished amongst chairs and tables. A large paper sign hung from a single nail above the check-in counter. Zach walked over to it and held it up. “Register here for evacuation.” A smaller sign with specs of blood on it above two plastic looking doors mentioned the roof.
“This way,” said Zach and they both moved into the stairwell, the sound of their boots echoing around the walls. Zach held up his hand and they both listened for any response above them but none came. Moving swiftly they climbed the five stories until they came to the last set of double doors. As they opened them the smell of death mixed with winter buffeted their faces. They walked slowly out onto the roof, being careful to avoid the corpses which lay on the ground, slowly decaying into something unrecognizable.
“I’m going to try over there near that wall, see if I can get a reply on the radio, have a look out over the city, see if you can see any obvious signs of them.” Zach walked to a wall close by. Cal stood frozen, he tried to look away from the remains of people around him but he couldn’t stop imagining their final days up on this roof, waiting for a rescue that never came. His mind then switched to Portland and the people there and he felt dizzy. What if this is what is waiting for us in Portland, more death? What if…Zach shouted in his direction and held up a hand as if to ask what he was doing. Cal started walking towards the far wall.
“This is Captain Felton from Camp Bravo, come in Over.” Zach held the radio above his head sliding the aerial up and down.
“This is Ranger station one, we hear you loud and clear Captain Felton, we have been waiting for you, what is your location? Over.”
“Hi! Yes, we’re at the big hospital in town. Over.”
“Keep heading west and you’ll see a water tower, we’re meet you there. Over.” Zach waved Cal over and they both descended the stairs as quickly as they came up.
“Bass, we made contact, we are going to meet them at a water tower west of here. Over”
“Good to hear. Sir.” The sound of the relieved inhabitants of the bus could be heard behind his response. The journey to the water tower was just a matter of minutes. Two pickups one with police markings on the side were waiting at the bottom of the tower. As they pulled up in front, a stocky built man in his fifties with graying black hair got out of the first pickup. Zach got out and walked towards him.
“I’m Jim Nez,” said Jim, holding out his hand which Zach took. “We expected you yesterday, you had problems?”
“Yeah, we lost people in Albuquerque and most of our vehicles. I’m Zach, this is Sergeant Bass. We were told that you would have some supplies for us and we could have shelter here for the night?”
“We have both of those things,” Jim said with a smile. “This is my son James.” A slimmer younger version of Jim stepped forward and shook Zach and Bass’s hand. “Okay, let’s get ya’ll back to the station and get you some food!” Jim and James got back into their vehicles. After a short drive up onto the hills outside of the city, they came to a junction. Turning onto a dusty road, passed a large steel tower covered in satellite dishes and other antennae they drove a few hundred yards and stopped. Off to the side a large box shaped building stood, with an entrance for vehicles and a small door to its right. Further along were a series of boarded up windows. Tangled pieces of rusted machinery ran along the outside of the building acting as a barricade, with a gate near the road. A man with a wooly hat and scarf on opened the gate, and the vehicles drove past and then into the main building through the large shutter.
The inside of the building was like a mini village, with tents and sectioned off areas. One woman was drying some washing, while another under a small covering was stirring food in big pots. High above them, lanterns swayed hanging from the ceiling which added to the light provided by candles. They all got out of their vehicles.
“How many people are living here?” said Zach.
“Including my family, thirty-seven, it’s a bit of a squeeze but we manage,” said Jim smiling. “This is my wife Jen, she takes care of feeding everyone.” A woman in her late forties wiped her hands on a towel and stepped forward shaking hands with Zach and a few others.
“I’ve made some pots of stew, hope you all like it!” said Jen. Everyone smiled.
“Your people can leave their bags here, over there we have arranged some tables and chairs for you all to eat on. When you want to rest we have made up beds next to the tables,” said Jim.
Everyone but Zach, took their bags off their shoulders or from the vehicles and dropped them to the floor, then headed off to the waiting chairs and tables.
“I noticed a radio tower at the junction, is that how you’re communicating?” said Zach.
“Sure is, it used to belong to the company that was housed in this building, we, well my son has managed to keep it up and running. He’s always been into gadgets.” James smiled awkwardly.
“I’ll need to let Camp Bravo know we have arrived.”
“My son can get on that for you right now,” said Jim. James disappeared off into a small walled room at the back of the vehicle area. “Shall we eat?” Zach and Jim sat down at a large wooden table made up of roughly cut planks. In the middle were two large steaming pots of stew. Zach and Jim took some of the stew and started eating.
“My family and I had a place up on the hills few miles from here, when the first attack came we held out as long as we could, but a lot around here were killed. Me and some of my neighbors new about this building and thought it would be a good place to make a stand, so we all relocated to here. Eventually it just made sense to stay here, so we rounded up who we could and now we have been getting by day by day for about six months.”
“I noticed the markings on your pickup, you were a cop?”
“I was the sheriff around here.” Jacob paused as he was taking a spoonful of stew then continued.
“Jacob was a sheriff in southern New Mexico, weren’t you Jacob?” said Abbey.
Jacob smiled. “Sure was.”
“Which town? I did some of my training in southern New Mexico.”
“Baldo.”
“Ah right, don’t know the town. How long were you on the job?”
“Twenty years.”
“You must have started pretty late!”
“Well twenty years in Baldo, I was stationed elsewhere before then.”
“I see, well good to have a fellow cop here,” Jim paused unsure how to approach the next subject. “So you’re going to bring the people from Portland across the country to the camp near Austin?” The low murmurs of conversation that were taking place up and down the table stopped, and Zach could feel an unwelcome pressure on how he answered.
“We are.”
“Eighteen hundred people?”
“Yes.”
“And you have already lost all but two of your vehicles and half your men?”
Zach could feel frustration building inside him. “Yes.”
“That’s some task.” Silence hung in the air along with the fumes from the stew. Jim then continued. “We will do what we can to help.”
Zach smiled. “That’s appreciated.” Small pockets of conversation started up again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The inside of the building was surprisingly warm. Most of the group were laying on the bedding, talking or reading books from the small library the inhabitants had created. Zach was standing with James in the radio room, surrounded by wires, tools and ham radio equipment that stretched from floor to ceiling.
