Human Extinction Level Loss (Book 1): Nicole's Odyssey

by McClimon, Philip A.

  She looked around at their faces. They were not getting what she was driving at.

  “Sam, tell them what they don’t want to hear,” she said.

  “We are going to have to let those things in here, but then…” Sam didn’t finish.

  “Then, we are going to have to herd them away, down into this circular corridor to give us enough time to get in our vehicles and get away,” Nicole said.

  Walt broke the long pregnant silence that followed. “That’s impossible, man. There’s no way we can control where that horde will go, not without them… chasing us,” Walt said, realization dawning on him.

  “Paul when we pulled in here you were pretty mad at us. You said something about getting them to move in all one direction. Care to tell us how you did that?” Nicole asked.

  Paul sighed and looked around the group. “The Dead, they don’t think. They don’t plan or debate their next move. They will move after what they think will feed their hunger until distracted by something else. It’s how we got them to move around the central hub, how I was able to give us a window of time, where I knew they would all be,” Paul said.

  Paul looked around and when nobody said anything, he continued. “The thing is… it’s crazy. Trevor and I figured the best way to get them where we wanted to go was to give them the scent and lead them, and the best way to give them the scent was… to use bait,” Paul let his words hang in the air.

  Walt stared at Paul. “What did you use for bait, man?” Walt asked.

  Paul looked at Walt. “Sometimes Trevor, sometimes me. One of us would get on a bike tied to the rear of the truck and get towed out in front of the smaller groups. It’s how we herded them from all over the city down to the central hub, got them moving in a circle,” Paul said.

  Walt stared in unbelief. “Where’s this Trevor, now, man?” Walt asked.

  Paul looked sorrowfully at the group. “Trevor didn’t make it…” Paul said.

  Walt shook his head. “No way, man! That is no kind of plan, Dude!” Walt said.

  “Well, we don’t have a truck or a bike in here anyway, so…” Sam said.

  Paul looked away. “We have the golf carts we use in the corridor…”

  Walt looked at Paul. “Okay, man, but how are you going to tow somebody, IF anybody would be crazy enough to do it, which I can guarantee nobody here is,” Walt said as he looked around the group.

  Jordan spoke up. “I have my skates, I could do it. I’m a great skater,” she said.

  “NO! NO! Don’t think for one second that I am allowing any of you to put my daughter at risk!” Paul shouted. He was beside himself with agitation. The group fell silent.

  Nicole let the group calm down. She knew what had to be done and Paul’s baiting technique was the best way to do it, but she couldn’t force the issue, they would have to come to the conclusion that there was no other option. The silence stretched for long seconds before Billy spoke up again.

  “I could do it.”

  All eyes turned to Billy. His eyes shifted nervously to each of those standing around him.

  “Jordan was teaching me to skate anyhow. With a little more practice…”

  Everyone looked at each other. Finally, Walt huffed.

  “I ain’t letting no kid, no offense Billy, risk their life for me in some crazy plan. I’ll do it. I’ll be zombie bait, man,” Walt said.

  Silence again fell heavy before Billy spoke again.

  “It won’t work if you do it, Walt. No offense, but those skates are kids skates. They won’t fit you,” Billy said.

  Walt looked at Billy and his face sunk. Nicole waited a few more seconds then closed the deal.

  “There are no good alternatives here, but this gives us our best shot. Besides, we aren’t going to just let Billy hang out there. We are going to stage shooters at three of the four access points around the circle. Paul, you will tow Billy behind the golf cart once we get them in. As you guys pass each of these points, forty yards out, we are going to drop the Dead out in front, keep them off you. The thing is, and I am talking to you, Paul and Billy, there’s going to be some dark sides of the moon on this. When you pass a shooter, there is going to be a stretch of corridor where you will be on your own, till you get to the next shooter. If you fall or they catch up at any of those points…”

  Paul nodded his head in understanding.

  “Now, for the shooters, Me, Sam, and Walt, we are going to be firing right over the heads of Paul and Billy. It’d be a damned shame if they survived the Dead but not our aim,” Nicole said.

  Jordan raised her hand. “What do I get to do?” she asked.

  Paul’s face flushed but Nicole answered her question before Paul could shut her down.

  “You’re the skating expert here. Your job is to make Billy as good a skater as you, understand. Your dad is going to be towing him, so you have to make sure Billy knows what the heck to do.” Nicole smiled at Jordan who bounced and beamed with pride.

  Nicole looked around at the group making sure all were on board. She leaned over the plans and picked up a pencil.

  “The shooters will be at these access points, like I said. When Billy and Paul pass and you’ve dropped as many of the leaders as you can, hightail it back up the access to the office level, out onto the field and into the vehicles. Paul and Billy, when you come back around this last turn, there will be no shooter. It will do no good if the Dead see you go back up the ramp onto the field. That will just lead them back up there. So, just before you get to this last turn, you are going to have to floor it and get out of sight, so they don’t see you. Billy, this is important. Paul will have to go as fast as he can, and make a hard turn up that ramp. That means you can’t be strung out at the end of that rope or he’ll whip you right into that wall. When you come around that last turn, you need to start taking up the slack and jump in the back of that golf cart. You need to be on board when Paul goes up that ramp, okay?” Nicole said.

  Billy nodded at her.

  “Good man. Now, when they come around, if your theory holds, Paul, they should just keep right on the merry-go-round forever,” Nicole said.

  Paul nodded. Nicole threw down the pencil and stood straight up.

  “Okay, let's get down to the corridor and lay our marks.

  ☣

  Nicole stood in front of a section of wall in the circular corridor, and with a spray can of yellow caution paint wrote a large number “40” on the wall. She had done this at each of two other access points along the corridor to indicate to her, Walt, and Sam, when to shoot the leaders. Above each “40”, strung from the ceiling the width of the corridor were Twelve balloons. The “40” was for the shooters, but it would also let Billy and Paul know when to duck their heads. At the last turn before the field entrance she wrote “Go Fast” on the wall.

  “Here is where you must be out of sight of the horde enough to get to field level without the Dead following you up,” Nicole said.

  Billy was wearing Jordan’s pair of pink skates. Jordan stood next to Billy. Sam and Walt stood off to the side with their rifles slung.

  Nicole turned the group.

  “Okay, we train like we fight. Billy, Paul, go slow till you get the hang of it, increase your speed with your comfort level. Just know that now is the time to make mistakes not later. Walt, Sam, this is a live fire exercise. Keep your shots high and aim for the balloons. You have to know what it feels like to shoot down range in the direction of people you are trying to protect. Paul and Billy you need to know you have live rounds coming at you and trust the shooters, okay?” Nicole said.

  Everybody nodded.

  “Paul you won’t be starting off on that cart. You are going to have to open the doors then run to the cart, so that is where our practice will begin,” Nicole said.

  Paul held up his hand and interjected. “Actually, I can set the doors to open automatically, say a minute before.”

  Nicole nodded. “That’ll work, but you’ll still need to stand on the field
, the Dead will need something to chase,” she reminded Paul.

  Paul smiled and nodded but his heart wasn’t in it.

  “For now, I am the Dead and I am coming for you. Okay, let's get into positions and do this,” Nicole said.

  Paul stood by a control panel set in the wall at the end of the field entrance and looked at the timer. Nicole stood with her back to the Dead just outside the Polycarbonate doors. Paul called to her to let her know he had simulated opening the doors. Nicole took off in a dead run from the doors to the field. Paul emerged and waved his arms directing Nicole to come and get him. Nicole turned his way and hurled herself at him. Paul’s face flushed as he turned and ran down the field entrance and jumped aboard the golf cart. As Nicole bounded down the ramp, Paul pressed the pedal and sent the golf cart speeding away. He did a turn and came back. Nicole pursed her lips.

  “What’s the matter, that was pretty good, I thought,” Paul said.

  Nicole looked at the golf cart. “Pretty good without Billy tethered at the end. He’ll have to practice that,” Nicole said.

  As if on cue, Billy wobbled past, unsteady on the skates. Jordan held his hand and gave him pointers. Further down the corridor the pop of rifles and balloons could be heard, as Walt and Sam target practiced.

  Twenty-Three

  Nicole watched Billy and Jordan roll down the corridor. Jordan moved gracefully, in slow swaying motions. She gave pointers to Billy, who seemed to be using all his concentration just to stay upright. Nicole smiled at the scene of the two adolescents side by side. It was almost idyllic, two young people moving around the edges of what could be first loves, the one you always remembered, no matter how many others came along. She watched Billy struggle to keep balance on the skates as Jordan offered words of encouragement. Billy had his arms stuck out, looking like an albatross trying to take off.

  In an expression of her desire to help Billy, Jordan reached out and grabbed Billy’s hand. Billy looked over at Jordan quickly, a mixture of fear and pleasure on his face. He stared at Jordan’s hand in his. This sent a brick through his plate glass concentration and his legs went out from under him. Billy came down hard on his butt. Nicole had to turn away from laughing out loud at the scene. When she looked back she saw that Billy was letting Jordan grab his arm and help him up. The two smiled at each other. Nicole smiled as she watched Jordan brush a lock of dark hair out of her face, waiting for Billy to regain his footing. The two turned and moved off down the corridor, Billy holding Jordan’s hand, this time without falling.

  When they disappeared around the curve, Nicole turned back the opposite direction. She almost ran into Paul.

  “Have you seen Jordan?” Paul said.

  “She’s down the corridor, helping Billy,” Nicole said.

  “I don’t want her alone with that boy. I told her to keep in sight,” Paul said.

  He started after Jordan, but Nicole gently stopped him. “Hey, Paul. I would never dream to tell you how to raise your daughter, but they’re just skating. Something that our survival depends on right now, okay? If Jordan can’t teach Billy to skate like we need, it could put us all in jeopardy,” Nicole said.

  Paul stared down the corridor and looked like he was ready to bolt. Finally, he looked up at Nicole.

  “Besides, Billy looks scared to death, I don’t think Jordan’s virtue is in any danger,” Nicole said.

  Paul looked back down the corridor and finally relaxed and turned away.

  “Can you show me the routes through the offices down to field level? Me, Walt, and Sam are going to have to run them fast, and to do that we are going to have to practice,” Nicole said.

  Paul nodded and led Nicole back down the corridor.

  Sam stood in the doorway, his foot placed to keep the door ajar. He held his rifle steady, the red laser dot rested on one of the balloons hanging from the ceiling. He waited. His radio blared to life on his hip.

  “Okay, Sam, Walt. You know the drill. When I say when, you guys take off through those doors and get out to the vehicles as fast as you can. We’ll rotate out, two shooting, one timing. The winner of the round gets to sit in the chair holding the watch,” Nicole said.

  Sam tightened the grip on his rifle, his body like a coiled spring waiting for release. Down the corridor, Sam heard Walt begin firing. Taking it as his cue, Sam started taking out the balloons. Several seconds passed then he heard Nicole’s voice over the radio.

  “Go!” she said.

  Sam turned and shoved his way through the door. Two flights of steps brought him into a carpeted hallway lined with doors. He ran down the hallway and slammed through a door on the far right. This led to a large office space with cubicles placed about the room. Sam bobbed and weaved through them like a rat in a maze before punching through a door on the far end. This brought him into a radio broadcast booth with a door to the mid-deck seating level. Sam pushed through that and ran down five sections of seats to field level.

  As he hit the field, he noticed Walt running up to Nicole in a huff. Walt was catching his breath as Sam approached. Nicole clicked the stop watch.

  “Not bad, guys. Minute forty for you, Walt, one fifty for you Sam. Beaten by an old man, you should be proud, Sam,” she said.

  Sam scrunched up his face and tried to catch his breath to respond, but Walt beat him to it.

  “Old Man?! What do you mean old-?” Nicole turned and winked at Walt.

  “Ahhh, I get it, man,” Walt said.

  Nicole handed him the watch and turned to Sam.

  “You ready to go again, Sam, or do we need to get you some oxygen?” Nicole said.

  Sam smiled sarcastically at Nicole, as if to say, “very funny.” Nicole looked at both of them.

  “I’ll go next with Sam, Walt, you time us. We are going to keep practicing until we do it like machines. I want us as far under a minute as we can get,” Nicole said.

  Walt sat in the lounge chair and reset the watch. As Nicole made her way to her position in the corridor, she stopped next to Paul who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the golf cart.

  “How’s it coming Paul,” she asked. Paul looked at her.

  “Yeah, I think I got it. I mean what’s to do, right? Run down here, hit the gas, and off I go,” he said.

  Nicole looked away, then back to him. “The thing is Paul, you’re working under ideal conditions right now. The added weight of Billy on the back is not there, you don’t have a horde of hungry Dead chasing you, so your heart rate and adrenaline aren’t slamming through your chest… what I’m saying is right now you are going on your mind, but when it goes down, your mind can and will fail you. My dad used to tell his recruits that in any physical turmoil, the mind will quit long before your body will. You’ve got to be able to perform on auto pilot, understand? You only are going to be able to do that through repetition. You have to go slow to go fast, you know, if you’re getting tired, take your body through the motions of what you have to do at a slower pace, build memory into your body.

  Paul nodded, “go slow to go fast, huh… your dad tell you that, too,” Paul asked.

  Nicole smiled. “No, Chuck Norris, I think in one of his moto books. Chuck Norris wouldn’t stop and neither should you, yeah? Be like Chuck,” Nicole said and slapped him on the arm.

  Paul smiled. “Be like Chuck, got it,” he said.

  Nicole smiled and went to her position. Paul got off the cart and went to his starting point at the top of the field entrance.

  “Chuck Norris wouldn’t be running from the Dead, though. The Dead would be running from Chuck Norris,” Paul said, chuckling to himself.

  For the rest of the day, everybody continued to focus on the tasks and skills they would need when the time came. By the time night fell, they were all exhausted. As they gathered in the cafeteria for dinner, their movements more closely resembled the Dead outside than living, breathing human beings. Everyone foraged for something to fill their stomachs that didn’t require too much work to prepare, and slumped down at
one of the long tables. Nicole approached the table last and surveyed the group.

  “Listen, guys…” she started and everyone looked to her. Nicole looked into their upturned faces as they waited for her to continue.

  “I, uh… I’m not any kind of leader, never wanted to be. That’s my father… I’m just a girl trying to get somewhere… but I wanted to say, I am really proud of you guys, of all of us today. So… I guess that’s it…” she said as she sat down and prepared to eat.

  Jordan looked around at the group. “Well, I think Nicole is a baddass!” she said.

  “Hey, watch the language, young lady!” Paul admonished but could not hide the smile creeping across his face.

  “Sorry dad, but she is,” Jordan said.

  Everyone laughed as Nicole turned a bright shade of red before smiling in spite of herself. Everyone was silent for several minutes as they devoured their food. Paul looked up at the group.

  “Hey, you know what would be good after today? The hot-tubs in the training room, huh?” he said.

  Without speaking, all their faces revealed that they thought this was an excellent idea.

  “We can watch a movie in there, too,” Jordan said.

  “Ooh, Die Hard 3, the one with Samuel Jackson,” Paul said.

  Jordan looked at him crossly. “No, Dad. We watched your movie last time. This time we should watch Twilight,” she said.

  Paul made a face but was too tired to mount a protest. He sighed and Jordan smiled over her victory.

  Later, as everyone donned shorts and tee shirts found in the laundry room, they sat in the individual jetted tubs spaced around the room and let the water massage away their aches. On the big screen at the end of the room, a girl kissed a sparkly vampire, but everybody except Jordan was too tired to care. Nicole rested her head on the back edge of the stainless tub. It was a good day, but there was still much to do and she knew it. She tried to think about what they needed to work on tomorrow, but her tired body wouldn’t let her as the drone of the jets lulled her into a peaceful rest.