They exchanged hugs before settling into silence again until Nadia noticed something. “Look over there.”
Cat looked where she pointed, and they both spotted a furtive figure moving from building to building. Whoever it was, stuck to the shadows and never revealed his or her face.
“Who’s that?” Cat asked.
“I’m not sure,” Nadia replied. She craned her neck and caught a brief glimpse of a hoodie with a number on the back and jeans when the person stepped into a ray of light shining between a gap in the buildings. Something twigged in her mind, but she couldn’t quite grasp the memory.
“Should we find out?” Cat asked, sounding worried.
“It’s probably nothing. Someone like us who can’t sleep either,” Nadia replied with all the reassurance she could muster.
She didn’t want to alarm Catherine who was still new to the camp and its people. The situation bothered her, though. What if it was the chicken killer? Rather leave it and tell Captain Breytenbach in the morning. Or Max.
“Yeah, maybe,” Cat replied, rubbing her arms. “You’ve got a nice setup here. Better than our place.”
“What was it like?”
“It was great at first. We had water pumped from the river, electricity from a solar system…we even watched DVD’s sometimes. There was a vegetable plot, we fished, and we could get all the supplies we wanted from the town.”
“I’m sensing a but here.”
Cat grinned. “But our luck ran out. The zombies became more and more active. They seemed drawn to our place in large groups and kept attacking. We were running out of ammo when you found us. The school bus was our ticket out, though I’m not sure where we would’ve ended up.”
“We didn’t see many zoms in town, though, Logan and I,” Nadia said. “The place seemed pretty peaceful except for the group that attacked Dee and Aiden, and the lot that showed up at the end.”
“That’s because we planned ahead. We drew a big bunch of them off the day before to let Dee and Aiden get the battery we needed.” Cat shook her head. “We’ve done it before, but they always seem to come back in even larger numbers.”
Nadia shivered. “The same thing is happening here. Dr. Lange says at a certain point, the zoms stop rotting. They become more resilient when they reach that stage and tougher too. Hungry, I guess, so they go looking for food.”
Cat nodded. “Makes sense. It also makes me wonder if any of us really stand a chance in all this.”
“I wonder that too, sometimes, but we’ve got to stay positive.”
“I know. I have to be strong, especially for little Juan and Tessa. Lucy and Kerry too.”
“You’re fond of them,” Nadia remarked.
“Yes. They’re family now.” She looked at Nadia. “We all are.”
Nadia smiled before getting to her feet. “Well, we’ve got a long day ahead, so let’s get to bed, shall we?”
Cat jumped upright. “Right behind you.”
“I might even let you beat me at knife practice,” Nadia teased as they made their way back to their room.
“In your dreams. I could take you on any day.”
“Yeah? We’ll have to see about that.”
Their good-natured teasing reminded Nadia of old times, and she climbed into bed with a smile on her face. Until she remembered the mystery person with the hoodie. She felt like she knew who it was, but the memory kept slipping away.
Sleep on it. Maybe you’ll remember in the morning, she thought before drifting off at last.
Chapter 13 - Max
Max drifted in and out of sleep, his mind caught in the twilight zone between dreams and wakefulness. Phantom figures loomed around him in the dark, faceless bodies that reached out to grab him. An unknown threat. Danger.
He turned to run, but they were gone. It grew lighter, and suddenly thick mist flowed around him like a cloud. Streamers of damp vapor plucked at his skin, and the voices of long dead people whispered around him. People he’d never thought to hear speak again. His father John, Morgan, Lilian, her children, all called out to him in despair. They wanted to tell him something. They needed to warn him.
He craned his neck, trying to discern the words, but they were like echoes in the deep. Distant and far off. “Wait, I can’t hear you. Don’t go.”
The voices whimpered and faded away, the mist retreating into darkness once more. He was alone again.
Unable to settle down, he rolled around, his body uneasy and restless. Kirstin muttered in her sleep and threw an arm around him, pinning him down. For a time, her tactic worked, and he drifted off again, only to jerk awake when a fist hammered on his door.
He shot upright with a gasp, sucking oxygen into his lungs while blinking the fog from his brain. “What the hell?”
Kirstin, however, came awake with the sudden awareness of an old soldier, going from a deep slumber to complete alertness within seconds. She was up before him, slipping her jeans over her hips before running to open the door.
“Yes?” she asked, her tones clipped and businesslike.
It was Ronnie. “Come quick. There’s a fire.”
“Where?”
“The common room,” he shouted before disappearing into the darkness.
Max gaped at the empty doorway, snapping out of it only when Kirstin barked at him. “Max, the storerooms. Hurry.”
“Shit, no!” he cried as realization set in. The building that housed the kitchen and dining room also contained the storerooms. If they lost that, they were screwed. They might last a few days, at best. No more.
He jumped out of bed and pulled on his clothes with frantic haste, his heart banging in his chest. Kirstin was dressed before him in jeans, boots, and a vest. She slung her belt around her hips, arming herself with a knife and revolver.
“I’m going,” she said before darting out of the door, her hair streaming behind her like a white flag.
“Kirstin, wait,” Max shouted, jumping from one foot to the other to pull on his boots. But she was gone already, and he was left scrambling to catch up. For the first time, he noticed the tang of smoke in the air, and his heart sank. If he could smell it all the way here, that meant it was bad. “Not the storerooms. Please, God, not our food.”
When he was finally dressed, he ran outside, pausing for a brief second to orient himself. He needn’t have bothered. The direction of the fire was obvious, and the sky was lit with a fierce orange glow that could likely be seen for miles around.
People streamed toward it, and he fell in beside Lisa who sprinted past at that moment. Neither of them spoke, exchanging only a single glance that said all that needed to be said.
When they reached the site, Max stumbled to a halt, his worst fears realized. The fire had engulfed the entire structure, and crackling flames reached up into the sky with long fingers.
The winter cold gave way to searing heat, and thick plumes of smoke billowed throughout the clearing, stinging his eyes and nostrils. He sucked in a breath and immediately regretted it, his lungs burning as he inhaled the acrid fumes.
A long line of people was already there, passing buckets of water from one to the other as they were filled in the ablution blocks. To no avail. The fire was too fierce and burned too hot.
In an instant, Max knew it was a lost cause. The only thing they could do now was to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading elsewhere. He ran toward the line of people near the front closest to the fire.
“Wait! Stop! It’s too late, you’re wasting your time!” He waved his hands like a crazy person as he yelled to get their attention. Several sets of wide eyes turned his way. “Wet the closest buildings. Stop it from spreading.”
A few caught on, most notably his mother Julianne who took over, directing the bucket chain towards the nearest bungalow and wetting its walls and roof instead. Max himself stormed into a nearby dorm room and ripped a sheet from the bed, putting it under the tap in the en-suite bathroom.
With the soaking sheet in his arms, he ran outside and
began smothering the smaller fires that had started up on the lawn from shooting sparks. Lisa saw what he was doing and joined him. Soon, about half of the camp was copying him, setting out small blazes while the other half worked to save nearby buildings.
A loud boom rocked the ground they stood on, knocking several people off their feet. Another and another followed as the gas bottles in the kitchen exploded. Windows shattered, pieces of rock shot in all directions, and fiery debris rained down on the frightened people.
Max flung himself at Lisa who was the nearest, tackling her to the ground. “Take cover!”
Screams filled the air, and Max winced when a jagged piece of hot brick slammed into his leg. His calf muscle contracted with pain, and hot liquid filled his trouser leg.
There was no time for crying, though. The explosions started numerous fires in other locations, and Max scrambled to his feet. He hobbled toward the nearest blaze, dragging his wet sheet behind him.
“You okay?” he asked Lisa when she followed suit.
“I’m fine,” she answered, lashing at the embers with a wet jacket.
He beat the burning patch of grass into submission, his breath rasping in and out of his lungs. Sweat ran down his skin in rivulets and stung his eyes. His arms and shoulders ached with the effort of swinging the sheet, while a stitch had taken up residence in his ribs.
His lower leg was on fire, and blood pooled in his boot, but he gritted his teeth against the pain and carried on. With dogged determination, he forced his body to continue beyond the point of exhaustion.
Hannah appeared through the swirling smoke and grabbed his arm. “Max, help me, please.”
He stumbled after her until they reached a body lying prone on the ground. It was Erica, her face pale and streaked with blood. She was unconscious, her eyes shut. Hannah pointed at the injured woman. “Help me get her to the infirmary. She needs help.”
Max nodded and leaned down to collect Erica in his arms. She was a dead weight, her arms, and legs lolling like those of a rag doll. He managed to lift her off the ground with Hannah’s assistance and made his way to the clinic where a harassed Jonathan greeted him.
Several people crowded the tiny infirmary, each sporting various injuries from the blast, though none appeared to be too dangerous, at least.
Jonathan shone a light into Erica’s eyes, watching the pupils contract. “What happened to her?”
“Head injury,” Hannah replied, shoving Max out of the way.
Together, they set about treating Erica, and Max got the hint he was no longer needed. As he turned to leave, a hand gripped his sleeve. He turned around and looked into the eyes of Dr. Lange. “Yes, Doctor?”
“You’re injured,” Dr. Lange said.
“It’s okay, it’s nothing serious,” Max said.
“You’re bleeding all over the floor. Sit down and let me have a look.” Dr. Lange pushed Max onto the nearest bed, and he flopped down as the resistance leached from his muscles
He glanced down at his leg and blanched. A sudden wave of dizziness swept over him as he took in the blood soaking through his denim pants and dripping onto the floor.
Dr. Lange worked fast, cutting the material away with a pair of scissors before examining the wound. “It’s deep. You’ll need stitches, but you’ll live.”
Max leaned back on his arms and closed his eyes while the scientist cleaned and closed up the jagged V-shaped cut. “What a way to wake up to a new day.”
“I hear you,” Lange replied, slapping a bandage on the leg and handing over a bottle of pills. “Antibiotics to prevent infection. Finish the course.”
“Okay, Dr. Lange. Thanks,” Max said, as he hobbled away on the sore leg.
Outside it was chaos, and the fire still raged, but even as he watched, Joseph trundled past in the excavator, the growl of the engine adding to the general noise. He ran after it, wondering what the man’s plan was.
When they reached the common room, he watched in amazement as Joseph scooped up a load of earth and dumped it on the fire, effectively smothering it bit by bit.
“Yes! Good thinking, man,” Max cried, cheering Joseph on.
It took a long time and a lot of maneuvering, but eventually, the flames were down to a smolder. Breytenbach and a few others showed up with portable fire extinguishers fetched from vehicles and bungalows.
“Thanks, Captain,” Max said when Breytenbach handed him one. “Let’s get this under control.”
“About time too,” Breytenbach said with a growl.
Working as one unit, Max and the rest covered the burning structure in the thick white foam, sighing with relief when the last flame winked out of existence. Embers still glowed amidst the wreckage, and smoke plumed into the sky, but the battle was over.
Dawn had arrived, and Max turned in a slow circle to view the men, women, and children around him. Every soot-streaked face was exhausted. Every set of shoulders was slumped with a mixture of relief and despair. Relief that it was over; despair that all their supplies had been destroyed.
Our time is up, he realized. My hand’s been forced.
With a sigh, Max raised his hand and waved around him. “Everyone, over here, please. Gather around.”
The people shuffled closer, their expressions blank for the most part. He knew what they were experiencing. The numbness that would soon give way to panic-inducing worry. He needed to catch them now, talk them down before they snapped.
“I was waiting for the right time to bring this up. In fact, I’d hoped that in the end, it wouldn’t be necessary at all and we could stay here in this…our home, forever. However, things have changed.” Max sighed. “I never thought I’d say this, but we have to leave.”
A nervous titter passed through the assembled crowd, and looks were exchanged at his words. Max raised his hands, and an uneasy silence fell as he continued. “I know this isn’t what you want. I know you’re scared, but this fire has destroyed all chance we’ve got of living here now. We now have no food, no clothes, no bedding, gas, or tools. No supplies at all.”
“Can’t we raid for more, Max?” Elise asked. “I mean, this is our home. We don’t want to leave.”
Max shook his head. “We’d never be able to find enough in time. Not while we also have to face our failing defenses.”
“Failing?” Sean asked. “Since when have our defenses been failing?”
“Ever since the fight with Ke Tau. During the struggle, part of our infrastructure was damaged, as you already know. We haven’t been able to repair it to its previous state. Not while we’re running low on building materials.” Max lifted his hands, palms facing up. “Add to that the increased pressure put on us by the influx of the undead and a shortage of hands, and we’re facing an impossible situation.”
“Where will we go? How will we do it? It’s not like we can just pack up and leave?” Dave protested.
“What about the wounded?” Hannah asked.
“And us?” added Liz, the new lady with all the kids.
“I understand your concerns, but we have no choice. None at all. It’s either move somewhere else or stay and die,” Max said with slow deliberation.
“For the record, I have already told Max that my town will be happy to take you all in. We’ll welcome you with open arms. There’s strength in numbers, and never has mankind needed that strength more than now.” All eyes turned to Martin who’d stepped forward to speak.
“Is it safe?” Julianne asked, hugging Sam to her chest while one hand rested on Meghan’s head. “Will my children be safe?”
“Yes. They will be safe,” Martin answered with utter calm.
A commotion broke out as each person considered the implications of such a course of action, and Max let it carry on for a while before cutting in again.
“We will, of course, plan the evacuation carefully to minimize all risk. The sick and injured will also be taken care of. You need have no fear of that.”
More questions were shouted out, and Max did h
is best to answer, but for the most part, the meeting was over. People had already given in, far more easily than he’d have thought possible too. All thanks to the fire.
After a time, the people dispersed, either taking up their shifts on the wall or at the moat. Whatever the damage might be inside the camp, the zombies were still a problem that had to be dealt with, and Lisa made sure they knew that. “The infected will be drawn to the fire, Max. Even more than before.”
“I know. Do the best you can, Lisa.”
“I always do.”
Michelle and Nombali herded the children away to be washed and dressed, while Elise went from room to room looking for food to feed the people. “It might not be much, but I have to give people something to eat for breakfast.”
“Thanks, Elise. You’re an angel.”
“Oh, please. We’re all human, Max, and we all make mistakes,” she replied.
Max studied her, noting the deep lines around her face. “Do you still feel guilty about that boy? Kabelo?”
She shrugged. “I realize now that his actions weren’t my responsibility, but I should’ve been less trusting. Less easy to dupe.”
“Elise, it’s your loving nature that makes you such a wonderful person. Don’t be a fool and let go of that just because of one bad incident,” Max said, squeezing her shoulder.
She offered him a warm smile. “You always know what to say. It’s what makes you such a good leader.”
“Glad I can return the favor. You’ve made me feel better on tons of occasions.”
Elise walked away, her tread a little bit lighter, and Max made a mental note to spend more time with her. Though his various duties kept him busy, he needed to make space for the people in his life. That included his family and Kirstin too. Life was short, and anything could happen as evidenced by this sudden fire.
Ronnie walked up to him and volunteered to take his team out on a quick supply run. “I know of a few places nearby that might still have something. Enough to last a few days, at least.”
“Thanks, Ronnie. Whatever you find, deliver it to Elise or my mother. I’ll allocate new space for supplies while you’re gone.”
Children of the Apocalypse: Mega Boxed Set Page 83
