by Maxey, Phil
“This is the southern Utah station, good to hear you Captain, I will be waiting at the highway turn off at exit twenty-seven. Over.” Zach acknowledged, although a part of him wanted to return to sleep. He looked to his left and almost the entire bus behind him were sleeping, apart from Raj who was writing.
Rob and Zach counted the exit signs down until they came up to exit twenty-seven. About a hundred yards further on parked up was a 4x4 pickup with a broad looking man with short-cropped blonde hair standing next to it. Rob stopped the bus and Zach jumped out. After a brief introduction, they followed the man for another fifteen minutes on a side road until they came to a fire station. To the side was a large parking lot with a grimy looking fire truck parked up. Rob parked the bus next to it. As soon as the bus stopped people started to open their eyes from their sleep. A small light bobbed up and down and moved to the bus door, which Zach opened.
“We should get inside as quickly as we can.” The blonde-haired man said. Zach acknowledged and walked the length of the bus persuading people to get their things and leave the bus. After a short time they had all left the bus and were standing in a candlelit high ceilinged room inside the fire station. The space was packed with boxes and crates, neatly piled on top of each other.
“It’s good to see everyone, we heard about what happened in Albuquerque so we weren’t sure if the mission was still on. My names Brett Orton, and I used to be the station chief at this station, when things went to shit, this seemed as good as place as any to try and survive so I brought my family here.”
“You’re just here with your family?” said Fiona.
“Sure am ma’am. My wife and child are upstairs sleeping, but you’ll meet them in the morn. Down the corridor behind me is a large dorm room where you can get some sleep, and over there on the long table there’s some food. It’s not the healthiest kind but it’s something.”
“We appreciate it,” said Zach, everyone started moving towards the food.
“This might sound a dumb thing to ask but do you have any hot water?” said Abbey.
Brett smiled. “Not dumb at all, hot water kinda reminds me of how life used to be, we have a solar water heater, I think there’s probably some hot water left in the tank, if you want a quick shower, I’ll show you the way.” Brett then led her down the corridor, up some stairs and to a small bathroom which had a bath and shower. “There are towels in the cupboard there,” Abbey looked excited. “Yeah it’s the small things that make the difference, eh.” He said while closing the door. He then returned to the others in the vehicle maintenance bay.
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it, if you need anything, just knock on my bedroom door upstairs. We will talk in the morning.” Brett went to walk away when Zach stopped him.
“Has there been any E.L.F in this area?”
“Not for a few days. The main ones we get around here are the large flying creatures, I don’t know what they’re called, we see them circling high above, luckily they don’t seem to know we’re here.” Brett then left by the small corridor.
“I know you’re tired, but any chance of working out what our supplies are looking like?” Zach said to Abbey who was sitting on a crate eating some chips.
“No problem,” said Fiona, getting to her feet.
“How’s everyone looking?” said Zach to Dr. Tanner who was sipping some water out of a plastic cup.
“All things considered, surprisingly good, it doesn’t look like Michael’s internal wounds have reopened. But he’s not the one I’m worried about…” Zach looked at her questioningly. “There’s something wrong with Cal.”
“He looks okay?”
“Not his wounds, they’re healing. It’s how he’s behaving, he seems distracted easily, I don’t think he’s getting much sleep.”
“None of us are getting much sleep, doctor.”
“It’s more than just lack of sleep…” She looked unsure about how to frame the next sentence. “I looked at all of your records before we left Bravo. Most of you were put away for good reason.”
“We’re not the same people we were when we were put away.”
“I hope so for all of our sakes, the general took a big risk putting you in charge.”
Zach looked at her directly. “You’re worried that me or some of my friends are going to go crazy, that this whole situation is going to be too much pressure?” Tanner returned Zach’s question with a questioning look of her own. “Just try and make sure we’re physically okay, leave the head stuff alone.” Zach then grabbed a bag of chips and followed Fiona outside.
Fiona was on the bus, looking at the boxes with a small torch when Zach appeared behind making her jump.
“Zach, Jesus, you do realize I know how to kill a man with a few blows right.” By the end of her sentence Fiona realized Zach was not in the mood for jokes. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing, how’s the supplies?”
“We got a few days of water, food and ammo. Good thing some extra M4’s were packed but if you hadn’t noticed mine went into that dam with the Humvee.”
“Cal lost his as well.”
“Okay, I’ll get one of these to him when we go back in.”
“How is Cal to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Does he seem the same as before?”
“Before what?”
Zach then paused to try and better phrase his thinking. “I mean, do you think he’s still together, that he’s still…”
“You’re asking me if he’s losing his shit?” Zach nodded.
Fiona turned back to looking at the boxes to hide her face. “I think he’s doing the same as all of us, bit short on sleep, but he’s coping.”
Zach nodded satisfied with the answer and they both continued counting what supplies they had left. As the night rolled on, everyone found a bed or a spot to sleep. Zach and Abbey grabbed some sheets and found a space in one of the side rooms. The candle they had was burning down but Zach was too tired to light another. They both lay on a few blankets and under some more, exhausted but their minds did not want to let go.
“The good news is that we are over halfway to Portland, the bad news… well everything else is bad news,” said Zach in a hushed tone.
“We’re alive, it’s not all bad news.”
“And if we had argued against going on this mission, those soldiers and Rob’s brother would still be alive.” Zach’s words came out uncontrolled and raw. Sensing Abbey’s reaction he sighed. “I know trying was the right thing… I guess I was arrogant, we made it all the way to the camp with basically nothing, so when we had the all the vehicles, weapons and soldiers it seemed we were winning, that we were taking the world back. Even with all the attacks in the camp, you quickly forget what it’s like out here, that the human race is always one step behind.”
Abbey rolled over to face him, and put her hand on his arm. “Right now the best thing we can do for the human race is sleep.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Zach could sense something and opened his eyes.
Brett was leaning against the doorframe. “When you’re ready, we need to talk.” Zach nodded, as Brett left.
He lay there, not really wanting to move but knowing he had too. He turned and looked at Abbey. He hadn’t realized that she had turned the key ring he got her into a necklace and it now rested on her shoulder. Getting up slowly so as to not wake her, he put his clothes on and left the room. Momentarily he was unsure of which way to go, but the smell of coffee drew him up the stairs. At the top, a short corridor led to a good sized room with an en-suite kitchen. On one side were a few sofas and other chairs. In the middle were some children’s toys and a coffee table. Following the sound of talking he walked to the kitchen.
“Morning, this is my wife Nora,” said Brett.
“The world may have ended but we still have coffee!” said Nora “Would you like some?”
“Yes ma’am,” said Zach still trying to wake up.
“Ca
n you keep Owen and Alexa in their rooms while we talk?” said Brett towards his wife who nodded. Nora handed Zach his coffee and Brett and he sat in the living room.
“So you guys lost a lot of your supplies?” said Brett.
“And people, yes.”
“There’s a military base about twenty miles northeast of here, that when my family and I drove past it, looked pretty much undamaged…” Zach nodded, unsure of how to react. “I could do with some of that hardware for here, if you were going up that way.”
“I think our route takes us northwest, we’re heading towards Nevada, but I’ll have to check the map, what kind of equipment did you see there?”
“Humvees, light personal carriers, think I even saw a few choppers. I’m interested in their armory, I could do with some of those M4’s you are all packing, there’s no way I could make the run alone though.”
“You can’t just walk onto a military base and help yourself to weapons, it doesn’t work like that, and… every time we have taken a detour it’s not worked out well. It’s pretty bad out there and you seem to be doing fine here.”
Brett started to look frustrated. “I got no protection, if we get attacked by even a few of those things, all I got is a Glock and a few boxes of ammo, that’s not going to be enough.” Zach looked unsure. “Look I’m not asking for any of your weapons or for whatever government there is left in that camp of yours to help us out here, I’m just asking for your help to get me to that base, then I’ll get back myself.”
Zach looked at him. “And what if you don’t come back? Who’s going to look after your wife and family then?”
Brett looked away momentarily. “We have discussed it, we feel we have no choice.”
Zach went to say something else, when a door opened in the corridor and a young boy of around seven ran into the living room, stopping when he realized he’s stumbled into a grownup conversation.
“Owen you should be in your room,” said Brett.
“I just want my power car toy.”
Zach looked down to the assorted plastic toys around the coffee table and spotted the bright red sports car with an over-sized engine, and the words “POWER CAR” emblazoned on the side and picked it up. Smiling he handed it to the little boy. “This the one?” The little boy nodded and ran back from where he came. Fiona and Bass walked into the room.
“Pretty sure I smell coffee,” said Bass. Zach gave a concerned smile.
“In the kitchen, help yourself,” said Brett.
Others appeared and soon the living room was filled with people enjoying coffee and home made scones. Zach let Bass know he needed to talk and they both ended up in the large downstairs room alone.
“Brett tells me there’s a military base about twenty miles northeast of here.”
“Camp Helot, I know of it, it was a testing ground, why?”
“He also says he drove past on his way here when it all kicked off and he says it was mostly undamaged, Humvees, LPC’s and other equipment.”
“It’s a good few miles out of our way, we need to head northeast. There will be other bases we go near.”
“He also say’s he needs the weapons there, to survive here.”
Bass looked pensive. “I dunno sir, maybe we should just keep on the planned route, every time we detour...and we are almost back on schedule.”
“It’s just an hour of our time, if we see anything that don’t look right, we just give up and keep on going, I checked the map we can go east at Dove City, that will take us back to our original route. But if we do make it there, maybe we can pick up some hardware that might make a difference next time we’re attacked, and you can count on it that we will be attacked again.”
“Does he know if the route is clear between here and there?”
“He seems to think so. But I noticed looking at the map the highway passes a reservoir.”
Bass took a thoughtful breath. “We could do with a hummer. Okay. I’m going to tell my people that’s where we were always going.”
“Agreed.”
Bass passed around the story that going to Camp Helot was a stop off they were always going to make, while the soldiers were eating and drinking and no one questioned it. After a short time Zach sat in the passenger’s seat next to Brett with Cal and Fiona seated behind. Raj, Tyler, Jacob and a few soldiers stayed behind, but everyone else was on the bus. They were refueled with extra tanks, food and water onboard as well. Brett’s family flanked by a few soldiers, waved to him from the side entrance in the morning sun, as he led the two vehicles out and back onto the road.
“What was it like here when the Cascade happened, did you know beforehand?” said Zach.
“Most folks had no idea what was happening until the sirens started going off and saw those creatures with their own eyes, but by then it was too late. When it first happened around here I was on a day off when I got a call that animals were attacking people in the city and I was called in… on the way to the station I see these crazy looking insects each one as big as a dog, there were a pack of them and they were attacking cars on the freeway. I managed to avoid them, and I turn on the radio and there were these reports coming in from all over the country, I arrived at the station and I was the only one there. I tried contacting some of my crew, but could only get one…” Brett paused as he turned onto the highway then continued. “A good friend of mine called Isaac, me and him went way back, anyway I got him on the phone, and he was like ‘You gotta get back to your family, these crazy animals are everywhere’ and he’s trying to help out around his home, but it’s a losing battle. So I went right back home, and we stayed there for a few days, watching the news on the TV, until that went off, then the electricity and there were no cops around, it all just went to shit real quick. After a few weeks I thought we were better off at the station, so we packed up and headed there. Been there ever since. What about you? I bet you must have seen crazy stuff fighting these things.”
“Yeah, it’s not been easy.” Zach forced a smile as he glanced at Brett.
As they approached the area with the reservoir Zach decided not to mention anything to Brett, luckily there were no sign of any E.L.F’s and a few minutes later they could see the military base to the west. A few rows of supply trucks painted sandy yellow were in front of a row of Humvees. Behind them a row of light personnel carriers.
Cal looked down the scope of his M4. “Can’t see any sign of life, creatures or people, I do see lots of supplies though, on crates, looks like they were going to be shipped out.”
Before they left, Bass had run over a plan with his soldiers to get in and out of the base as quickly as they could, leaving with only what they needed. Spending as little time there as possible was the key. They slowly turned into the small road which ran up to the front gate and immediately had to drive around a dark green supply truck which was parked half on and half off the right lane. Its driver’s door was open and a dark stain sat on the concrete slabs like a permanent shadow.
“Well that’s a piece of luck,” said Fiona as they drove up to the gatehouse with the gate open. “Looks like they put it up for that truck, but never had the chance to close it again…”
Driving into the base, a large sign with directions to different parts of the base sat off the road, the top of it crumpled.
“We’re going to head to those supply crates, see what we can find. Over,” said Bass, as the bus drove off to the left.
“Sounds good, we’re going to head to the main building see if we can find the keys to any of these vehicles. Over.” Brett stayed on the road they were on driving past nondescript single-story buildings until they stopped outside a four story building with a sign outside that said “Helot central office.”
“Stay close, stay together, if we do split up, it will be Brett and me, Fiona and Cal. Stay on the radio and if we lose contact for some reason, be back here in thirty.” Everyone agreed and left the truck, walking up the steps to the glass front doors. Inside a small lobby with a
desk sat, with a picture of the president on the wall behind. A large potted plant lay in the corner brown and dying, while two corridors ran on both sides and stairs went up on the left. Zach pointed for Fiona and Cal to explore the corridors while he and Brett started to climb the stairs. Soon they were on the first floor, which was a long corridor with numerous doors. Zach sighed. This is going to take forever. Brett walked forward and opened the first door, Zach went to stop him but he was already walking into the office. Zach followed in behind.
“I’m not even sure what we’re looking for,” said Brett.
“Just any kind of locker, or anything, which tells us where the keys to the vehicles might….” A clatter came from somewhere outside the room. They both froze and looked at each other and then the open door behind them. Zach held his hand up to Brett, then peered out into the hallway, there was nothing there.
“Stay here, keep looking, I’m going to see what it was,” said Zach quietly. He walked out into the corridor with his gun raised. The sound seemed to come from his right. He walked slowly down the corridor until he came to doors at the end that had “Computer Lab” printed on them. Peering through the small glass windows in the doors he could see desks, and computers, but also empty tins of food including one on the floor up against the leg of a chair. Pushing the right door open with the tip of his gun, he slowly walked through when he sensed something to his right and then came blackness.
“Zach you there?” Brett peered into the corridor hoping to see Zach, but there was no one there. After having a quick look through files Brett gave up looking, he never thought he would find anything anyway, but the military guy seemed to know what he was doing so he looked anyway. Now, standing alone in the white painted corridor he realized how much safer he felt having the army guys with him. You were never safe running into a burning building but there was always his crew, they had each other’s backs, literally. After the Cascade it was every man or woman for themselves, which is why he needed the weapons. He wished he had his Glock, but he had left it with Nora as he always did when he left them. If one of those things is in here I’m fucked he thought to himself as he walked towards the double doors at the end of the corridor.
