by Maxey, Phil
He ran ten yards to the truck’s cab as others with arms full of items sprinted from their vehicles and climbed aboard the train. “What’s going on? We need to go.”
“He wants to drive south,” said Esther. “But he knows it’s best to stick together.”
“You sure that’s for the best?”
Sanchez looked up at the gleaming silver of the truck. “She’s not Bertha, but I feel more comfortable in this than I do on that train.”
Esther threw her arms up. “Fine, lets get going then.”
Landon nodded to them both. “You’ll probably beat us there. Let us know what you find.”
Sanchez pulled open the driver’s door, Esther going around the other side. “Will do.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
1: 32 p.m. Northern outskirts of Galveston.
Jess let her legs dangle off the side of the open door of the boxcar as woods full of mostly leafless trees sitting amongst damp grass and patches of muddy water, slid by. She was sure she could smell salt in the air, even though they were still too far from the ocean. They had reached the sixth day and had survived, but the seventh… Either way, regardless of what they found in the coastal resort the nightmare which began a week before would end on this day, and Josh, Sam and Landon would be safe…
She pictured Landon leaning back in a chair on a deck of a beach house, while Sam listened to music on headphones and Josh ran around the sand, frequently jumping in the surf. Even though the scene forced a smile to her face, she pushed it from her mind. She needed to focus. Soon Rackham and his creations would be bearing down on the small coastal town, and everyone would be fighting to live another day, including her family. There was also the reason why they were allowed to make this journey. She had no doubt Rackham could have ended their hope at any moment, certainly in Dallas, and the flying creature Sam and Scott saw just confirmed what she already guessed. That they were being constantly watched. The old scientist had eyes everywhere, even in the sky. Obviously arriving in Galveston was part of a greater plan. She just wished she knew what it was. But that was okay. Rackham wasn’t the only one with plans.
The concrete of a highway became visible through gaps in the tops of the trees as the railway line rose slightly and with it, industrial buildings and parking lots.
A crackle came from her radio, followed by Scott’s voice. “This is a message to everyone on this train. We’ve made contact with military forces in—” A cheer came from the other boxcars. “— Galveston and they are sending some people to the station to meet us.”
Jess held the radio to her lips as the cheers became claps and the din of conversation was loud enough to be heard above the locomotive’s engine. “Scott? Have you told them what’s coming? Have you told them about me? Over.”
“Yes and yes. They said they are looking forward to meeting you. Over.”
She felt an arm on her shoulder and she looked up to Landon who awkwardly sat beside her, pulling her into an embrace. “We’re going to get him back. We’ve got help now.”
She nodded but her response belied her fear. They pulled apart and watched the forests be replaced with lawns and warehouses, then eventually as the tracks almost converged with the highway, to marshland.
The train and its boxcars hurried across a narrow bridge which ran alongside a pipeline and across a stretch of sea, an eight-lane road. All the doors were now open, the occupants of each car absorbing the fresh sea air and looking at a large expanse of blue-green water they were crossing.
The train started to slow, jolting everyone towards the front of the boxcar.
Confusion started to grow across Landon’s face, but before he could voice his concern, Jess’s radio came to life once again.
“There are vehicles on the track. Look military. Over.”
“Thought we would travel further into the city,” said Sam.
“Me too,” said Jess, leaning out to be able to see along the track. “There’s a humvee on the track and a few near it. Soldiers are waiting.”
The train slowed to a halt, being clear of the bridge and Jess, Landon and Sam jumped down, joining Scott, Owen and some others as they approached the three soldiers near the track.
“We were kinda hoping to stop further in the city,” said Owen to the first soldier, a stout thirty something guy with short dark hair.
“Are you Owen Brayford?”
“I am. And those you see with me are the survivors from Newgrove as well as some—”
“And who is Jessica Keller?”
Hearing her name mentioned struck Jess as odd, but she walked forward regardless. “I’m Jess Keller. You—”
The two soldiers behind raised their semi-auto rifles at her, causing five similar weapons to be raised at them, including Scotts. “What’s this about, sergeant?!” shouted Scott.
The sergeant’s expression remained calm. “We are here to take Mrs. Keller into custody. She has a lot of things to answer for Chief.”
Landon walked in front of his wife, despite her attempt to stop him. “You’re not taking her anywhere!”
The soldiers’ rifles waved between those pointing similar back at them.
The sergeant raised his radio slowly to his mouth. “General. We got a problem.”
*****
1: 51 p.m. Galveston.
The train moved slowly along the track, following the vehicles that were equally moving the same way. The standoff was ended when whoever was on the other end of the sergeant’s radio gave assurances that they just needed information from Jess and that everyone would be welcome at the forward headquarters, which evidently was the island’s main hospital. The train slowed once again as they came to a halt in a docks area, filled with military vehicles. Tanks and trucks lined up in rows sitting amongst an occasional palm tree.
Landon leaned in closer to his wife. “If this turns bad—” she looked at him. “We get the hell out of here.” Before she could reply the people started jumping down onto the gravel and concrete, so she nodded and with her pack over one shoulder, did the same. Landon and Sam in tow. This time there were many more soldiers waiting and as Scott and the others approached they fanned out, forming two lines on each side of the forty something people that had traveled south. It was obvious to Jess that there would be no ‘getting the hell out’ no matter how bad things got, and even if they could, she wasn’t sure she wanted to. They had reached the ocean, there was nowhere else to run.
The same sergeant as before was standing as people filed past, waiting for her to move near. “Mrs. Keller. Mr. Keller.” He looked more directly at Jess. “Would you come with me? General Rogers would like to talk to you.”
Landon started to protest, but Jess held her hand up. “My husband needs urgent medical help on his hand. Can you see to it he gets it?”
“Of course, ma’am. The large building you see behind us, is the island’s main hospital. There is a team of doctors waiting to help everyone who needs treatment.”
She turned to Landon and her daughter. “Go with the others. I’ll be fine.”
Sam tightened her brow at the sergeant, then looked at her mother. “I want to go with you.”
“Stay with your father. I’m sure I’ll be back with you soon.”
The girl frowned, but nodded.
The sergeant took a step back, opening his hand to lead the way towards the waiting humvee. “Ma’am.”
The drive to the hospital’s main entrance was in silence. She got out to a crystal clear blue sky and the palm trees swaying in the light wind, and was marched through the glass doors to where men and women in uniform hurried in all directions, some talking on radios, others tapping away on computers on desks which were stacked against each other in the main lobby.
Civilization, thought Jess. She hadn’t realized how much she missed it.
After ascending three flights of stairs, she was soon standing outside double doors to an office and with a knock, a gruff voice invited her and the sergeant inside. A larg
e room with a view of three sides of the island, and the harbor beyond was modestly filled with a plain desk, chairs, some plants and a few bookshelves.
“Leave us,” said the portly, balding middle-aged man wearing fatigues to the sergeant, who promptly did. He looked at the desk picking up a gold metal plaque. “This office belonged to a doctor L. Mayer, VP of patient care.” He looked more directly at Jess who was still standing. “And now it’s mine. General Franklin Rogers of the United States Marine core.”
“I’m—”
“I know all about you Mrs. Keller. Please sit.” He went to do the same in the comfy looking leather seat when he noticed she wasn’t moving, instead she placed her pack on the floor and leaned forward, placing both hands on the front edge of the desk.
“The creatures are coming. They are controlled by—”
“Arthur Rackham. I know.”
She looked surprised, standing up. “How do you know?”
He nodded towards the chair. This time she sat. “Because he works for us… well… did. This whole shit show is our fault. And the day will come when there will have to be a reckoning. We obviously did not plan for how things turned out. That was Rackham’s own twist on things. But the program initiated decades ago and then brought back to life by some of my compatriots and Lucas Winters, that was all us.” He sighed. “Luckily for us his little plan had only six days of life in it, but it would appear he has found a way to extend that. And my question to you Mrs. Keller. Is how?”
Flashes of her child floating inside a huge glass vial flashed into her mind, causing her eye to twitch. She slid a hand over her face. “I’m tired, General. And soon you and your soldiers will be fighting for your lives. I don’t know how Rackham has done what he has done. I don’t know how any of this—”
“But his work was based on your father’s and yours.”
Anger was bubbling within her. “And I had no idea my work was going to be used like this. He’s coming here because you are the last resistance to his plans. You know that, right?”
Rogers rocked back slightly in his chair. “We’re well aware of that. We want him to come. Thousands of those things are on the way here.”
“Thousands? No, there are just a few hundred, but they are stronger than what came before. We fought with them in Dallas.”
He nodded. “I had reports of something going down in Dallas, but didn’t know it was your people.” He opened a drawer, pulling out a computer tablet, tapped the screen a few times then turned it around laying it flat on the desk. “That’s a heat map of southern Texas. It’s real time.”
Jess picked up the metal device and with an intake of breath observed the red blur which covered hundreds of miles, just north of where they were. She looked up at the man opposite her. “What are you doing about this? Why are you not preparing?”
“We wanted Rackham to come to us and bring his friends. That way we don’t have to spend the next six months finding these bastards ourselves. They come here, we take them out. Nice, clean and simple. Then we get on with rebuilding this nation.”
The red appeared to be increasing across the map on the screen. “But…”
“And I want you to be part of the process, Mrs. Keller.”
She looked at him. “I don’t understand.”
“There’s a lot to explain. But right now, you’re right we have to—”
An explosion of gunfire came from somewhere outside the glass windows far below, and the door to the office burst open.
“Sir, the creatures are inside the parameter!”
Rogers stood. “How the hell did that happen?”
“We don’t know, sir, but some of them appear to be our own people…”
Confusion flowed across the general’s face then evaporated. “The tech guys told me the virus had gone! What does Hayes say about it?”
“I don’t know. It’s just happened sir.”
“I want a full containment on the newcomers.”
Now it was Jess’s turn to stand. “This isn’t our fault!”
“Sergeant, take Mrs. Keller and place her in quarantine with the others.” The sergeant strode forward, grabbing Jess’s arm as she plucked her pack from the floor. As she protested her innocence while being pulled from the room, she glimpsed Rogers pulling a phone from his pocket, talking anxiously to someone on the other end of the line.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
2: 42 p.m. Ten miles from Galveston.
Josh’s eyes were heavy. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept, but it had been over a day. And despite the frequent sight of horror just yards from the car, his mind wanted to shut down and slip into a fantasy world where there were no monsters and life was as before. He looked to his left at the old, haggard man as woods and grassy banks moved past outside. Arlo’s eyes were closed. Perhaps he was sleeping. That was good. Maybe the monsters would take him while he was dreaming nice things.
He didn’t know why the man that called himself Rackham, and the driver Finn, kept Arlo alive. Josh could see no reason for it. But then Rackham sounded intelligent, like his mother. He probably had a plan, just like he probably had a plan for Josh and Josh hated that. Like it was all a big game, and he was a piece on a board being used by the players.
He looked back to the flat beige landscape which was now filling with single-story buildings, mostly warehouses from what Josh could make out. He had no idea where they were, or where they were going, but he felt like their destination was close.
“Good news—” Rackham’s comment jolted through Josh, but Arlo remained still. “— You will soon be able to see your mother!”
Josh continued looking out the window at the highway and the creatures galloping alongside. He wasn’t going to take the bait.
“Does that not please you?”
Josh frowned, trying not to meet Rackham’s eyes in the rear mirror. The thing that had got into the car back in Denver was now transformed into a distinguished looking man, wearing a black suit, black shirt and black tie. His hair was mostly black with streaks of white. He reminded Josh of some of the movie stars from the really old films. He was in contrast to the man next to him, Finn, who looked rugged. Josh thought he looked like a wrestler. “I know you’re playing a game with me,” said Josh, looking at the road which now also had a railway line running alongside it.
“Game? What game would I be playing? I simply want you to return to your mother. That is where we are taking you, and we will be there soon.”
“What will you do with Arlo?”
“I haven’t decided yet. It might be useful for him to continue to breathe.”
“I won’t play your game if you hurt him, or my mother…”
“Well, that will be up to him, but I’m sure Jess will be pleased to see you.”
Silence returned to the car as a seagull sailed peacefully overhead.
*****
3: 29 p.m. Galveston.
Jess looked across the faces of those sat inside the large conference room hall. A space still too small due to the thirty something people and two animals within it. Some stood against walls, others sat on the edge of the table or on chairs but each shuddered as muffled booms and cracks of automatic weapons reverberated through the double doors.
“I don’t understand how the creatures got here so quick!” said Owen. “We were at least an hour ahead of them!”
The same fact had been troubling Jess.
“Maybe some of the flying ones are causing them problems,” said Andy.
“They should be able to take care of it,” said Scott.
“Don’t sound like they’re taking care of it,” said Tracey.
Jess had her arm around Sam, while Landon sat close. He held his right hand inside his jacket, keeping it hidden, but she was sure she could smell the infection anyway. His examination only lasted a few moments before soldiers arrived and with the others who had wounds was hurried away to the room they were now in.
“Well, we can’t stay in h
ere!” said Owen.
Scott got up and walked to the doors, placed his palm on the handle and tried to open it, but it remained firmly closed. “Locked from the outside.”
Helen sat between Toby and Agatha, a doll held to her chest. “Are the monsters coming?” she said to Brad, who was holding both of the dog’s leashes. He initially resisted meeting her gaze then looked down to her with a smile. “The soldiers are going to make them go away. We’ll be safe in here.” As he looked up and away his expression changed and he caught Jess looking at him.
A screech echoed outside, making everyone flinch.
“That sounded real close!” said Floyd.
Scott knocked on the door. “Hey, what’s going on out there? We can help!” The continuous muffled pops and screams were the only response. “Hello? Soldier, you out there?”
Vance, Floyd and Andy walked to the door.
“I think its time we looked for ourselves,” said Vance. “On three. One, two, three!”
Three shoulders barged the wood panels, instantly breaking the lock and flinging the doors open. The sounds of battle were no longer subdued and were from every direction and the four men moved into the corridor.
“We need weapons,” said Andy.
“Vance, Floyd, come with me,” said Scott. “We’ll find what we can and get back here.” He looked into the room at the terrified faces of the Newgrove townsfolk. “Everyone stay here. We’ll be back.”
Andy moved back into the room and started to close the doors when Jess pulled her hand from around her daughter’s shoulder. “Hey, wait!” She shouted towards the corridor, the three men halting their progress.
“What?” said Landon. “We need to stay here, wait for Scott to return.”
She looked between him and Sam. “I’m going to go and see if I can find the general.”
Sam stood. “I’ll go with you.”
“No. I need you to stay with your father.”
