Cascade Box Set [Books 1-8]

by Maxey, Phil

  Bass stood up, and shook the hand of the strangers next to him. “Thank you.”

  One of them, a man in his sixties, wearing a plaid checkered jacket and winter hat stepped forward and shook Bass’s hand. “I’m Brandon…” before he could finish, Zach did for him.

  “Burford?”

  The man looked surprised. “We know each other?”

  Zach held out his hand. “I’m Captain Zach Felton. Brad told me about a couple that had a preppers shop in the Oregon area, but I thought that was hundreds of miles from here.”

  Brandon’s face lit up as he shook Zach’s hand. “You know Brad? That old coot still alive? That will make Alyssa’s day.” A voice came from a radio in Brandon’s pocket. “Excuse me,” he then stepped away and exchanged some words to the person on the radio and came back. “Best we get back to the fort, once the sun drops behind that mountain, all kinds of critters will come out.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Brandon and his group, created a makeshift rope bridge across the slope, and also dug out a more level path. After thirty or so minutes everyone from the white truck was carefully taken over the slope and placed into waiting vans provided by Brandon. The bus, even though heavily damaged on one side was still running fine. They drove a few miles up the winding highway until what Brandon described as the ‘fort’ came into view. Even in the gloom it was an impressive sight. Looking like a nineteenth century frontier outpost, a row of spiked chiseled logs stretched for a few hundred yards north and south, with the southern end overlapping the highway. Each of the wooden pillars was three-quarters the height of the surrounding trees, and at each corner was a watchtower.

  Brandon sat alongside Zach as they approached the thirty-foot high wooden gate. “We haven’t lit them yet, but on each tower and a few intervals between, we light torches, we don’t have much in the way of electricity so we can’t waste any on external lighting!”

  The heavy looking gate swung inwards, revealing a snow-covered road which veered to the left around a small brick built building.

  Brandon waved at the two men whose job it was to open and close the gate. “This is our first line of defense. Took over a hundred people, three months while being attacked to build it around our community. We lost good people making it happen. It’s still not finished. The next step is to build a moat or at least a ditch around the outside of it. The whole thing was Hectors idea, but you’ll meet him later.”

  “How many are you?” said Abbey from the back of the Humvee.

  “Four hundred and seventy-one souls.”

  “That’s a lot of people.”

  “The number has gone up and down over the past few months, but that’s how many there are as of right now.”

  Abbey spoke up again. “Why didn’t you go to one of the camps?”

  Brandon looked over his shoulder to Abbey and smiled. “Not our style, young lady.”

  Driving past a plain two-story building, they pulled up in front of a large building of at least four floors, with a high front entrance. Icicles hung from its slopping roof and windowsills, and some of the wooden paneling was broken and splinted exposing the brickwork underneath.

  Standing under the entrance canopy next to a brick pillar were a number of people, the first of which was a middle-aged woman, with white pony-tailed hair. Brandon directed Zach to pull up near them. Once they stopped Brandon got out and was immediately hugged by the woman.

  He smiled. “Okay, I’m fine, stop fussing,” he then turned to Zach and Abbey who had joined them. “This is my wife Alyssa.”

  “We would have gotten to you sooner but we had no idea you were stuck at the landslide,” said Alyssa.

  “You saved our lives, so I would say you got there in time,” said Zach with a smile. He then watched the vans with the sick people keep on going up the road, passing some two-story homes and then out of sight. Rob had parked up behind the Humvee and the children started to get off, with Mary corralling them together.

  Brandon noticed Zach watching the vans. “We have a medical center in town, we will do what we can for your people, but our medical supplies are limited.”

  “We have some medical supplies in the boxes you salvaged for us, take what you need.”

  Alyssa turned slightly in the direction of the entrance door. “There’s hot food waiting for everyone.”

  They all moved into a large, high-ceilinged lobby, with boarded up windows that were framed by a variety of colored tinsel. Occupied chairs and tables sat on one side, while boxes and racks of supplies sat on the other. At the far end a small staircase ran up to a landing, and to the left of that a roaring fire, which warmed the group as soon as they entered. On the fire sat a large pot, with liquid bubbling and steam rising from it. Along the left wall ran cupboards and a counter with baskets of bread and bottles of water on it. A natural Christmas tree covered in ornaments stood proudly a safe distance from the fire.

  Alyssa stood in front of the children, who looked at her like they were about to hear from their principle. “There’s some bread for you to eat over there, share one between a few of you, and the same for the bottled water. Sit near the fire if you’re cold.”

  The children’s expressions relaxed and they moved eagerly to get their piece of food and then some warmth.

  “This was an Inn before the Cascade, now it serves the same kind of purpose. People who are new, stay here first,” said Brandon to Zach.

  “We understand.”

  Brandon then turned enthusiastically to Alyssa. “They are friends of Brad’s!”

  “Brad Crenshaw?”

  “Yup”

  “Well, I… well I’m not surprised he survived, he was always one step ahead of all of us when it came to the spooky stuff! Anyway, please everyone, follow me and I will take you to your rooms.”

  Alyssa then led the group to the small landing, as Zach went to follow, Brandon leaned closer to him.

  “We should probably talk. Get some rest, and then I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  Zach nodded, and followed the rest to the landing and then up some stairs and then onto another landing.

  Alyssa and the group stood in a candlelit corridor. Abstract paintings of sun bathed wheat fields and historical scenes covered the walls. “A few of the rooms are taken, but most are empty, so find yourself somewhere. You can go up another floor as well if you want.”

  The kids went to run off, when Mary called them back. “No, no we stick together,” she then looked at Alyssa. “Is there a large room with a few large beds?”

  Alyssa smiled. “We have a large family room on the floor above, it’s the last door in the corridor.”

  Mary thanked her, and led the children up the stairs, Irene carefully followed.

  Zach and Abbey walked into the closest room, while everyone else flowed into the others. Abbey threw her backpack on the bed, while Zach took off his helmet and dropped that and the backpack on the floor.

  Abbey sat on the double bed. “Considering it’s the end of the world, this is a pretty nice room.”

  Zach walked over to the window, and looked out the front of the building towards the wooden wall protecting them. As he did, the torches Brandon mentioned were lit and he felt like he had been transported into a Saturday morning TV show, about the early settlers. His mind then threw images at him of the certain death he was facing just an hour earlier. He slid his hand over his face trying to wipe away the scene and sighed.

  He then realized Abbey was standing directly behind him. “I’m fine. Just, things got hairy for a moment there,” he paused and then started laughing. Abbey wasn’t sure what he was laughing at for a moment, and then started giggling. He then turned and kissed her in one movement, but quickly pulled back, scrunching his face up. “I keep thinking it’s a lot more healed than it is.”

  Abbey looked concerned, and gently touched his eye. “It’s a lot better than it was. And you can see out of it now.”

  He sat heavily on the bed. “Yeah, all thin
gs considered, I’ll take a bruised eye. Did the children see what happened to the soldier, outside of the bus?”

  “I can’t be a hundred-percent sure, but Mary did her best to keep them looking the other way.”

  “Good,” he paused then continued. “Once, this shit show settles down, they are going to be who has to take things forward. The less traumatized they are, the better.”

  “They also need to know what they are facing.”

  “I don’t think there’s anyone, kids or adults who doesn’t know that by now.”

  Zach smiled, and held out his arm. Abbey came and sat next to him.

  Fiona followed Cal into a room with two single unmade beds. He leaned his rifle against a small bedside unit, his backpack on the floor and sat zombie like on the bed. He then laid back, staring upwards at the ceiling.

  Fiona dropped her stuff and did the same on the other bed, all the while keeping an eye on him. “That was a close one back there.”

  “They always are.”

  Fiona turned on her side to face him. “How you doing?”

  “What you mean?”

  “For a moment there, when the truck was at the point of tipping, I thought you wasn’t going to jump out.”

  “I’m here aren’t I.”

  “Cal, I know there’s something going on with you, you haven’t been the same since those crazy fucks, back at the base.”

  Cal turned over, facing away from her. “I just need to get some sleep.”

  Sam stood looking out the partially boarded up window, onto the snow and rocks that formed the area at the back of the Inn. “There’s another wall. These folks have been busy.”

  Isaiah leaned back on the single bed. “What’s that?”

  “They built another tree wall out the back here, must be another line of defense… smart.”

  “I just want to know where their food is, I’m mighty hungry. You stick one of those six-legged furry freaks in front of me right now? I’ll eat it.”

  “And here’s me thinking the world had turned vegan.”

  Sam sat on the other bed, and inspected his prosthetic leg.

  Isaiah looked across. “Any damage?”

  “It’s a bit scuffed up, but nope, you?”

  Isaiah held up his prosthetic hand. “Still capable of giving you the finger.”

  Sam smiled. “All is right with the world.”

  Michael rolled painfully on his side. He rolled his t-shirt up and inspected the pink-red three-inch serrated line. It was still painful, but now it was a dull ache rather than a tearing sensation when he moved. A woman with her kid was talking in a foreign language to each other in a hushed tone, just a few feet away in a single bed. At first he thought he had gotten the short straw ending up in this room with them, but after a while, the sound of happiness, even in whispers and unrecognizable words, was something that made him feel good inside. Her name was Hanna and seemed a nice enough girl. As he lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling and vertical striped wallpaper, he tried not to think about the last few days. He also tried not to think about Cal. The man he escaped with, was not the man in the room a few doors along.

  *****

  Zach lay looking at the flickering light that was emanating from under the room’s door. Abbey was asleep next to him. They had talked for a while about where they were and the need to find out more about their hosts before her eyes got heavy and she relaxed into the pillow next to him. He couldn’t sleep though. He had almost told her about Tinley, and his wish to stop him from getting to Austin, but if he did it meant she would be brought into what he might have to do, and she needed to stay out of it. The hordes of creatures that came almost too close just a few hours earlier flashed through his mind again, together with the fear. Not the fear of death, but the fear that he wouldn’t be able to exact revenge on who was responsible for his family’s death.

  He pushed the images from his mind and instead stilled his thoughts. He was never one for meditation, but he found himself doing exactly that without realizing it. Hopefully the sick they left the camp with would now get the attention they needed and some of them at least would have a chance of living. He had no idea how much there was to this ‘fort’ but Brandon seemed like he had things organized and that hopefully counted for something in this new world.

  Sitting up, he put his boots, shirt and jacket on, and headed back down to the lobby. It was empty apart from Bass, who was toasting a bread roll on the fire.

  “Why does it always taste better toasted?” Bass said.

  “It’s like a caramelization reaction, or something, I dunno, my son told…” Zach smiled. “Me, years back.”

  “Never knew you had a son?”

  “Yeah.”

  Bass sensed Zach’s reluctance to talk anymore about his child and decided to change the subject. “I thought we were goners, back there.”

  “It wasn’t looking good before the chopper arrived. Did you see what kind it was?”

  “Looked like an old Huey, real Nam type, with a mini-gun.”

  “Be interesting to see what else they got here.”

  Zach sat down. “The vets stepped up. I think we got ourselves some fighters there.”

  Bass smiled. “You better believe it.”

  They both sat for a moment enjoying the fire and a partial feeling of normality. A pickup pulled up outside and Brandon appeared with flakes of snow still sticking to hit winter hat.

  He pulled off his gloves. “Got room near that fire?”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Zach stood waiting for Brandon outside the Inn. The sun was just beginning to illuminate the mist that meant you couldn’t see more than a hundred yards, and was accompanied with a silence that led credence to the idea that world had ended. The night before, he, Bass and Brandon sat and talked for hours. They learned that Brandon and Alyssa had been running their prepper shop in another part of Oregon for twenty years and had been ready for the ‘Crunch’ as Brandon called the Cascade, long before it actually took place. But even they weren’t prepared for the C.C’s or crazy critters as he called them, and they soon realized that their B.O.L. or bug out location wasn’t going to enable them any kind of protection from an onslaught. ‘We always figured it would be humans we would have to defend against, not man-sized bat’s and spider things as big as a car!’ They had vacationed a few years earlier in this location near Mt. Hood and thought it would be a good spot to try and make a stand. They also realized that they weren’t going to make it alone. ‘Preppers tend to be more about doing their own thing, but as we traveled to here we picked up other survivors. We wouldn’t have made it without all of us working together.” The smaller internal wall went up first, which protected a number of homes and important buildings, and then soon after the external wall was added which expanded the area to include the Inn and highway.

  Zach had relayed his own story of how he and the others left New Mexico and eventually made it to the camp near Austin. And then what had happened over the previous week in getting to the Portland camp. Zach wondered how Brandon would take the fact that some of the group that had arrived were previously in a military jail, but he hadn’t flinched when learning of the information. The fact that they knew Brad seemed to count for a lot. Afterwards he had talked a little with Fiona, who he found at the end of the corridor upstairs, staring out into night, watching the snow fall. They agreed that they would stay here for a day or two before heading back out.

  Brandon told Zach he would show him around the fort today, and to be outside at sun up. As he waited in the icy morning cold, he paced back and forth, trying not to think about Tinley’s journey to the other camp, and that while he was here, there was nothing he could do to stop it. The sound of crushed snow and ice came from the right, and Brandon’s pickup drove slowly down the road and into the parking lot of the Inn.

  Brandon pushed open the pickup’s door. “The heaters on.” Zach jumped in. “You slept?”

  “I did,” he lied.

 
; Brandon drove them back the way he came to the inner gate. This one was smaller than the external, standing only twenty-feet high, but still looked substantial.

  Zach noticed some claw marks in the wood. “How often do you get attacked?”

  “It varies, but it’s slowed down recently. Nowadays, maybe a few times a week, that’s down from a few times a day months back.”

  “You did well to survive.”

  Brandon smiled. “Well they don’t call us survivalists for nothing.”

  They drove past rows of two-story homes, all with boarded up windows. Brandon noticed Zach looking at them. “We quickly learned that having glass windows wasn’t much of a defense, so we boarded them all up. We’re slowly converting them to open up, but right now there’s not much light in these homes.”

  “How often do you go on supply runs?”

  “Once a month. Mostly to get medical supplies. Everything else we can take care of. We have fresh running water from the creek. For fuel we burn wood, obviously we have a ready supply of that.”

  “What about food?”

  “We have a few warehouses full of food, and we will be planting crops in the spring. We also have another source.”

  Zach looked at Brandon, unsure of what he meant.

  “That’s the first place I’m going to show you.”

  They drove past some stores, and then pulled down a small side street, stopping outside a single story plain looking building with no windows and just one door.

  As they got out of the truck, a man came out of the building and walked up to Brandon. “Got at least a few weeks worth in there.”

  Brandon turned to Zach. “This is Tyrone, our head chef, he’s in charge of making sure there’s enough food to go round.”