At some point, they found temporary shelter in a small town called Kroonstad. How they ended up there, he wasn’t sure. Mike had headed for the least populated area on the map, and they were now somewhere in the Free State, a province he knew little about.
Mike landed the chopper on the roof of an office block. Once they were sure it was clear, they ventured into the building itself. It proved empty of infected which Breytenbach was grateful for, but it also had nothing in the way of useful supplies.
Realizing that the children needed food and water, he looked at a shop across the road. It was small and manageable. Taking Ronnie and Lenka with him, he left Mike and Jonathan in charge of the kids. He was concerned about the doctor, though, who seemed catatonic.
“Jonathan,” he said. “Doc.” He snapped his fingers in front of Jonathan’s face but got no response.
“He’s in shock,” Ronnie said.
“Just watch him, Mike. Make sure he doesn’t do something stupid,” Breytenbach ordered.
They crossed the road, their eyes peeled for trouble. Breytenbach pushed open the grimy, glass door and eased inside. A waft of warm air filled with the smell of death hit his nostrils, carrying the warning of infected. They each brandished a knife, preferring it for close-quarter combat.
Deeper inside the shop, a figure lurched towards them from the gloom. Lenka dispatched it with a swift thrust. It was a tiny shop carrying a little of everything, none of it quality, but he wasn’t about to be picky. He filled a shopping bag with baby stuff and odds and ends.
Ronnie grabbed water and food while Lenka scrounged up a cheap pot, a packet of plastic forks and over-the-counter meds. As an afterthought, Breytenbach looked at the toy section. The selection was miserable, but he found a stuffed rabbit for the girl and a toy car for the boy.
Back on the roof, Sam’s hysterical wails greeted his ears. “What’s going on here?”
Mike jiggled her up and down. “I don’t know. She won’t shut up.”
It would have been comical if the situation wasn’t so dire. Sam’s scrunched-up face was the color of beetroot, and her screams carried across town, calling every infected within earshot. The other two kids were also crying, huddled into little balls on the concrete.
“For the love of God, must I do everything?” Breytenbach shot a glare at the useless doctor and hapless Mike, grabbing Samantha. “Ronnie, give the kids food and water. Try to calm them down.”
Breytenbach stripped off his jacket and lay Sam down. Undressing her, he changed her dirty nappy, smoothing bum cream over the rash that had developed. He cleaned her sticky body with the wipes and finished off with a sprinkling of baby powder.
Opening a jar of purity, he coaxed a spoonful into her mouth. Her rosebud lips sucked on the food, and her crying subsided to the occasional hiccup. “There. That should hold you.”
It was hot, with no sign of the rain that had plagued them at their previous camp, so he didn’t bother dressing her again. Instead, he rocked her gently, smiling when she burped. His team, meanwhile, watched him with various looks of amusement and glee. “What?”
“Never thought I’d see the day the Captain became a babysitter,” Lenka said.
“Yeah, you’re a real softy, Cap,” Mike laughed.
Ronnie had a smirk on his face, and Kirstin was smiling.
“Oh, shut up, all of you!” He ignored the lot of them as they snickered and grinned but secretly he was pleased. It lightened the grim atmosphere.
He frowned, however, when he spotted Jonathan huddled in the same spot, still clutching his leather bag. The man hadn’t moved a muscle since they landed over an hour ago. He opened a can of pears.
“Here, eat this.” He forced the food into Jonathan’s hands and pried the leather bag from his fingers. “It’s going to be okay, doc. We’ll be fine.”
Jonathan gave a jerky nod and lowered his eyes to the can. Lifting it up, he drank the juice and fished out a piece with his fingers. Breytenbach gave his shoulder a squeeze. At least, he’s doing something.
The kids had eaten and drunk, but both looked miserable. Hoping to cheer them up, he handed them each the candy bar and toy he’d scavenged. This rewarded him with faint smiles. After a moment the boy pushed his car around, making the appropriate vroom, vroom noises while the girl clutched the rabbit to her chest.
Squatting down on his haunches, Breytenbach opened up a can of meatballs and ate them one by one. He looked at his hands, weathered and worn from years of rough work. They were shaking. Johan…Mannuru…I’m sorry.
After finishing his meal, he grabbed a bottle of water and patrolled the rooftop, trying to clear his head. He had no idea what to do or where to go next. He was lost. To think that only yesterday he was responsible for three-thousand souls. Now they were down to nine.
“Captain!” Mike called, waving him over.
“What is it?”
“I raised someone on the radio, Sir. Other survivors.”
“Where?” Breytenbach asked, a small flower of hope blooming in his chest.
“About sixty kilometers from here, Sir. Not far at all. Their leader’s name is Max. He wants to speak to you.”
Mike handed him the radio.
“This is Captain Breytenbach. Out.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Captain. I’m Max. I hear you are in need of assistance. Out,” a steady voice replied.
Breytenbach let out a deep breath. “We are. Our camp was overrun. Can you help us? Out.”
“We can. We have a secure base, and if your intentions are good, you’re welcome to join us. I’ve already given your pilot directions to the rendezvous point. Out.”
“We aren’t going directly to your camp? We have children and a baby with us. Out.”
“No offense, Captain, but I don’t know you, and I’ve learned not everybody can be trusted. Out.”
“Fair enough. I will let you know when we reach the rendezvous. Out.” Breytenbach replied. His respect for Max had increased by this point. At least, he knew better than to let just anybody into his camp.
“All right. You heard him. Get in the chopper.”
“Do you think we can trust them, Captain?” Kirstin asked.
“I don’t know, but with two kids and a baby, we need to find someplace safe. Fast. We don’t have a choice.”
“All right.” She turned and hustled the two kids into the chopper, strapping them in. Breytenbach scooped up the sleeping Samantha and held her close during lift-off. Thanks to the medicine she slept throughout, not waking once.
After a while, he leaned back and closed his eyes. He was exhausted. Hell, they all were. His muscles relaxed, and his mind eased. Just like that, he nodded off. Mere minutes later, the sound of a grinding noise followed by a blaring alarm woke him with a start.
“What the…” Black smoke billowed out of the chopper. He coughed from the fumes of burning oil. We’re crashing.
“Everybody hold on, we’re going down!” Mike cried. He fought with the steering, trying to land them safely. Somehow, he gained control for a moment and took them further down.
If anybody can do this, Mike can. He could fly a sardine can if he had to.
A second grinding shriek reverberated through the air. They hung, suspended as if by a puppeteer’s strings, then plummeted. Breytenbach’s stomach clenched. He clutched Samantha to his chest, trying to shield her from the worst. The force of the crash slammed him forward. The kids screamed through the sound of shattering glass.
The seatbelt slammed into his sternum, and a deep rumble vibrated up and down his spine. Pain shot through his skull. The chopper was still moving, sliding across the ground before it came to an abrupt stop. Smoke and dust obscured his vision. In the distance, he heard Mike scream at everyone. “Get out! Get out now!”
Breytenbach fumbled with his seatbelt, unclipping it with numb fingers. Crawling through the wreckage with Sam clutched to his chest, he made it out. Hands lifted him to his feet. Lenka’s soot-stained face peered
down at him.
Shaking his head to clear the ringing, he looked down at Sam. She was awake, screaming but unharmed. A miracle. He looked around. Jonathan was unconscious, and blood trickled down his face. Ronnie dragged him further from the crash while Kirstin and Mike each carried a child.
“We need to get away, Captain. It might catch fire and explode.” The urgency in Mike’s tone brought Breytenbach back to his senses. He thrust Samantha into Lenka’s arms.
“Go,” he ordered, stumbling back to the crash.
“Captain, no!”
The smell of burning oil hung heavy in the air, searing his eyes and lungs. He ignored it and searched the wreckage until he found his backpack. Slinging it over his shoulder, he stumbled back. A muffled thump sounded. He was flung forward, ears ringing as he plowed into the ground.
“Captain.” Ronnie and Lenka hoisted him up, dragging him further away for the raging inferno the Puma had become.
“The veldt is catching fire. We need to get out of here,” Ronnie said.
Breytenbach looked around. Crimson flames, fueled by the crash, licked at the dry Acacia thorn trees, brush, and grass that surrounded them.
This place hasn’t seen rain in a while, he realized. Fear coiled in his gut. He’d seen enough bushfires in his day to know the dangers.
“This way,” Mike cried. “There’s a dry riverbed. We might find water.”
“Right. Everybody follow Mike.” Breytenbach ordered. “Mike, are you armed?”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Lead the way and watch for infected. They’ll be drawn from miles to the crash.”
“Will do, Captain.”
“Lenka. Can you carry Jonathan?”
Lenka hoisted the unconscious doctor to his left shoulder, holding his knife in his right hand. “Ready, Captain.”
“Kirstin, you take the girl. Ronnie, you carry the boy. I’ll take Samantha.” During this brief time, the flames had spread, burning higher and hotter with each second. “Let’s go.”
The group stumbled off with Breytenbach taking the rear. Warm blood trickled from his left ear, and more ran down his right arm, dripping from his fingers.
Burst eardrum and who knows what else, he surmised. There was no time to stop, though. The infected would come, drawn to the crash. We’d better not be here when they arrive.
Chapter 24 - Max
Max handed the receiver back to Sean, excitement coiling in the pit of his stomach. They’d made contact with their first survivors, and it was all thanks to Sean. He beamed at the shy, young man. “You did it. You really did it.”
A computer programmer in his previous life, Sean also knew a lot about broadcasting equipment and had set up a radio room. He fiddled with the various knobs, blinking every few seconds, a nervous tic Max had come to recognize. “I’m just glad I could help.”
“I need to make arrangements for the rendezvous,” Max said. “Call me if anything happens.”
He left the cramped space and walked the short corridor to the common room. On the way, he strode past another small office. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Meghan and Anne, doing sums under the tutelage of Michelle. A bright girl, Michelle loved kids and had volunteered to teach them. She shared that duty with Rosa. It was the ideal solution and kept the kids out of trouble.
It was lunchtime, and Max expected to find the cafeteria packed. To his surprise, it was a slow afternoon. Even Logan was missing. He did spot Ben, however, sitting in the corner. On the spur of the moment, he decided to ask him to join the team. The older man was slowly recovering from the loss of Jacques and Armand, but it was still early days. Maybe some action and the prospect of other survivors would raise his spirits.
“Hey, Ben. We’ve raised a group of survivors on the radio. If they check out, we’re bringing them in. Would you like to join us?”
Ben stared at his plate, chewing with care before swallowing. “Can they be trusted?”
Doubt underlined every word. Max knew it was because of what had happened to Jacques. While Armand’s death was a tragic loss caused by the infected, Jacques was different. He died because of the evil of man. “I don’t know yet. That’s why I want you by my side.”
Ben considered this. “Fine, I’ll go.”
“Thanks. Meet me in the parking lot in twenty minutes.” Max stepped outside and headed for the walls, looking for Logan.
The place had changed in the time they’d lived there. So much so in fact that it didn’t even look the same. A thick, stone wall about ten feet high encircled the buildings.
There were plans in place to make it even higher, with a walkway and guard towers at strategic points. Max knew this was essential to both their survival and their sense of security.
At least Joseph knew a lot about construction and had taken over the reins. Max was more than happy to leave it in his capable hands. Which was why he wouldn’t be taking Joseph on this trip. That and the fact that Tumi was expecting again. The once shy, tearful woman had blossomed overnight with the news. She and Erica spent a lot of time together as new moms-to-be.
A quick jog around the walls proved fruitless, so he decided to go to the bungalows instead. There wasn’t much in the way of grass anymore. Most of it had been trampled. He dodged a landmine courtesy of Buzz and made a mental note to get Peter and Thembiso on clean-up duty. “They wanted to keep the dog.”
We should get walkways laid out in case it rains, or we’ll all be slogging through rivers of mud. It will help with the dust. Maybe put in some concrete or paving. A park for the kids would be nice too.
The drone of a quad bike interrupted his thoughts, and he was relieved to see Logan driving with Morgan perched behind him. They dragged a small trailer with a Springbok carcass on top. Drops of blood beaded on its fur, congealing around a neat bullet hole behind the shoulder blade.
“What’s up, Max?” Logan pulled to a stop and switched off the ignition.
“Can you two meet me at the gate? We’ve located a group of survivors.”
“Okay, but let me deliver this to Elise first.” Logan gestured to the buck.
“You went hunting?”
“Yeah, we’re running low on meat, and Elise wants to do something special tonight.” Logan shrugged. “Don’t ask me why.”
“Nice shot.”
“Thanks,” Logan replied. “Wind was in my favor.”
Max mentally filed away the issue of the game reserve for the next meeting. It was protected by a sturdy fence, but he felt they needed to do more to safeguard the wildlife.
Morgan slid off the bike and flashed Max a cheeky grin. “Well, you know me. I’m in.” She leaned down and planted a kiss on Logan’s cheek. “I’ll get our gear together.”
“Try to find Angie as well, will you?” Max asked.
“Sure, no problem.” She jogged off with a wave, ponytail swaying behind her.
Shaking his head, Max headed back. He had to admit he’d never seen his sister so happy in all his life. Even Logan was more relaxed. Less broody. All of which made Max happy for them but also a touch jealous.
Entering the common room, he cleared his throat. Not everybody was there but enough that the message would spread. In the expectant hush that followed, Max announced, “You should all know that we got into contact with a group of survivors.”
An excited buzz filled the room.
“Survivors? Are they friendly?” Dave asked.
“Looks like it.”
“Are you bringing them here?”
“If they check out, yes. They appear to be in need of assistance, and they’ve got kids with them. A baby too.”
“A baby? When are you leaving?” Julianne asked.
“We’re on our way there now.”
“We’ll make sure everything’s ready for their arrival,” Julianne assured him.
“Thanks, that would be great.”
He readied to leave, but Sean appeared at his elbow, pulling him aside. “We’ve got a problem. Th
e chopper crashed.”
“What? Where? Are they still alive?” Max’s heart sunk at the news.
“The pilot radioed in an approximate location as they went down and then nothing. I don’t know if anyone’s still alive.”
“Right. That changes things. Hannah, can you come with us, please? Bring a first aid kit. They might need medical attention, and you’re the closest we’ve got to a doctor. Sean, you’re with me.”
Hannah jumped up to get her things, while Max and Sean hurried outside. Logan, Angie, Ben, and Morgan were already there, waiting for them. Hannah joined them soon after that, and they split into two groups with Max and Sean taking the lead.
It wasn’t hard to find the crash site. A column of black smoke rose amidst a haze of charcoal gray. The veldt was on fire, and orange flames licked the horizon. Max canvassed the tar road until he found a dirt track leading closer.
“We better hoof it from here. We can’t risk the Nyalas,” Max ordered.
Everybody disembarked, and they set off across the blackened ground. The fire had swept through, radiating out from the crash site. With its dry underbrush and thorn trees, the veldt had provided an excellent feast for the inferno. It had burned hot and fast, leaving behind a circle of blasted vegetation. The smoke irritated his eyes, but with the brush gone, visibility had improved. “At least, we’ll be able to see the zombies coming.”
A few minutes later, they found the crashed chopper. Max was surprised to see it was a military helicopter. A Puma to be exact—or a burnt-out shell of one. What was even more surprising, was that it was empty. “They survived the crash.”
“How do we find them?” Morgan asked.
Max was stumped. He turned around in all directions. “They probably had to get away from the fire and any infected drawn by the noise.”
“Speak of the devil,” Logan said.
Infected were making their way towards the crash site, hampered by the terrain. In a comical move, one of them face-planted onto the ground when it tripped over a bush. They did not look funny, though. The fire had burned away their skin, sloughing the flesh from the bone in places.
Children of the Apocalypse: Mega Boxed Set Page 23
