Drake and the Fliers

by Allison Maruska

  Drake stayed by the nets. How would Preston be able to leave the animals here?

  Preston and Sonar sat near the lake while the animals got drinks or ran around, unaware of their current predicament.

  After a few minutes, the two returned to the group. Preston scooped the beagle into his arms on the way and upon reaching the nets, sat on the grass and dumped the clothes and food from his backpack. He put the beagle into it.

  Sonar crouched down. “Phoenix, I don’t think–“

  “It’ll work.” The dog didn’t fit into the pack completely, so Preston zipped it to her neck with her head sticking out. He picked up the pack and moved it up and down.

  Drake laughed. She looked pretty cute in the bag, he had to admit.

  The beagle wiggled, and the zippers loosened. She jumped out and bumped Preston’s arm with her head.

  Preston grabbed the dog and held her. “I’m so sorry.” He kissed her head and placed her on the ground, put his items back into his pack, and stood. The dog stayed by his side.

  He pointed to the water. “Go! Get out of here!”

  She sat and stared up at him.

  “Dammit.” He took off his pants and shoved them into the bag. He shifted, grabbed the bag, and flew northwest, over the heads of everyone else in the group.

  Drake and the others stared at each other for a few seconds. Sonar shifted and followed Preston’s lead.

  “Come on. We gotta keep up.” Drake lifted off and hovered over the ground, searching for where Talon had dropped his bag.

  “Should we leave him alone? He’s pretty upset,” Talon said.

  Drake picked up his backpack. “No. We need to keep up with him. He can be upset, but he’s the one who knows about the solar ranches.” Drake flew in the same direction as Preston and Sonar. Talon and the others followed.

  The part of the group that stuck close to Scopes was slower to react but soon flew behind Drake’s group.

  Everyone now followed Preston.

  Chapter Eight

  Preston led the way for two hours before landing, something he wouldn’t have done had Scopes not caught up to him to say they needed a food break. Drake assumed if she hadn’t done that, Preston would have flown straight to their destination without stopping. When they took off again, Preston led the way most of the time, with Scopes pulling ahead occasionally. They never flew close to each other, and the way one pulled in front of the other reminded Drake of when he tried to force two magnets’ matching poles together.

  By late evening, they reached what they thought was central Oregon, based on the landscape and the amount of time that passed since they left Reno. The sun had set, and a late-autumn chill settled on them. The darkness would make finding a ranch impossible, so Preston led them to a field surrounded by forest where they could set up camp.

  While Drake collected sticks to use as kindling, Scopes shoved a tent into Preston’s arms. “You can set this up. I don’t think there’s any rope involved.”

  “What the hell is your problem?” Preston dropped the tent and glared down at her. “Isn’t it bad enough they’ll die there? Is that not enough suffering for you?”

  Scopes crouched, opened the bag, and removed the tent. “I assumed you’d be more interested in helping your own kind now.”

  Preston stomped to Sonar, who clicked on a headlamp as he prepared to help Screech collect firewood in the forest. “I’m coming with you.”

  “We don’t have any more headlamps–”

  “I don’t care.”

  The trio walked into the forest. Drake glanced at Scopes, who crouched and struggled to weave tent poles into the fabric.

  Brody approached her. “Want some help? This type of tent is tricky.”

  She crammed the end of the pole into the fabric’s corner, then scowled at him. “I can do it.”

  “It’s easier with two–”

  “I said I’ve got it!” She huffed and stood, attempting to get the crossed poles to stay upright.

  Brody shook his head as he walked away, making eye contact with Drake. He veered to meet him. “What’s her deal?”

  “I’m not sure.” Drake wandered away from the camp site and hopefully out of ear shot. “She could be mad that Phoenix challenged her back at the lake.”

  Brody ran his hand over his dirty-blond buzz cut. “It wasn’t much of a challenge.”

  “Those animals meant a lot to him.”

  “Can we go back for them, with a truck or something? Seth and I can help.”

  Drake grinned. “It’s a good idea, but we don’t know where we left them. By the time we figure it out, the animals will have probably run off.” He spotted Seth splitting logs with a hatchet. “Did you and Seth know each other before the virus?” In the time since Drake met them, he hadn’t often seen the two apart. He guessed they’d been friends in their old lives and were lucky enough to have both survived the virus.

  “Nah. We bumped into each other after we started shifting. Literally.” He laughed, then made a motion with his hands like planes colliding, accompanied by a vocalized crashing sound.

  “Phoenix and I almost did the same thing.” Drake chuckled at the memory.

  As they walked back to the camp, Terry kneeled next to a fire pit, flicking a lighter at a pile of leaves he’d placed under a pyramid of sticks. The fuel ignited but quickly burned out. He eventually sat back and stared at the pile of non-burning material.

  Drake walked up next to him. “I can help, if you want.”

  “How? Were you a boy scout or something?”

  “No. Hold on a sec.” He ran into the forest, then came flying back to the group a minute later.

  Scopes hammered a stake into the ground, apparently victorious in the battle against the tent. “Let’s stay humans tonight, okay?”

  “Relax. This will only take a second. Add some of those bigger pieces of wood to the pile, and stand back.” Drake stood on all fours, directing Terry, who rushed to follow the instructions.

  Drake roared at the pit, and the fuel burst into flames.

  “Whoa!” Terry’s dark eyes reflected the fire. “How long you been able to do that?”

  Drake shrugged. “Not too long.” He returned to the trees, and on his way back to the group, Talon intercepted him.

  She grabbed his hand and pulled him away, far enough that the fire became a small glow.

  “I love watching you do that.” She clutched the front of his shirt with both hands, stood on her tiptoes, and planted her lips onto his. He moved his hands to her shoulders and when she opened her mouth slightly, he wrapped his arms around her.

  He wasn’t going to stop their kiss this time. When she finally pulled back, she smacked her lips. “You taste like burnt marshmallow.”

  He laughed. “That’s the weirdest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

  She pulled him in again, this time reaching up and freeing his hair from the ponytail.

  His mind went back to Denver, when the thugs broke his windows and the girl pulled out his hair tie. She had done it as a personal attack, a way to mock him.

  Talon did it in a playful manner, and in a way, his hair falling around their faces blocked them off from the world.

  So much had changed since Denver.

  Drake lifted her shirt and stroked her back, and his longing rushed to the front of his consciousness. He stopped their kiss, lowered her shirt, and wrapped her in his arms.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  He backed away enough to gaze into her eyes. “Yeah, it’s just…” He sighed, unable to tell her what he wanted. He’d kissed her for the first time two days ago, and they’d snuck off a few times since then, but they hadn’t come close to anything more intimate. With the group yards away and the cold giving him goose bumps, this wasn’t the time to broach the subject.

  She looked at the campsite. “Yeah. That wouldn’t be the best idea right now.”

  Adrenaline rushed through his body at her implication.

&nbs
p; She stepped away and grabbed his hand, slowly leading him to the fire.

  ****

  The next day, Preston led the group as they searched for a solar powered ranch. Drake tried to keep up with him, hoping to talk about what happened at the lake. Preston hadn’t been interested in talking to anyone since then, even Sonar. The friendly guy Drake had known seemed to have turned into an emotionless zombie.

  They flew for less than an hour before Preston descended near a house in the middle of an open field. Solar panels covered the roof. A stable stood nearby, and to Drake’s surprise, it sheltered a brown horse. The animal must have had access to the native grasses and a water source and was smart enough to return to the stable.

  Unless someone still lived at the house.

  Drake’s pulse quickened as he considered the unlikely possibility. Could this house be so remote the residents survived the virus? And if they had, would he and the others infect them?

  As they landed, those who cared for privacy spread out, hiding behind the house or stable or among the trees. Others, like Terry, didn’t care if anyone saw them naked and dressed in the front yard in a group.

  Once Preston returned to the house, he peered through the windows. “Oh my God.”

  “What?” Drake met him and looked inside. Instead of a person, as he started to expect, the last thing Preston needed to see lay on the floor next to a couch: a dead dog.

  Preston tried the knob, then kicked the door three times before it broke open. A foul stench wafted over them. Drake covered his nose and mouth with his hand.

  Covering his nose with his shirt collar, Preston entered the house. No one followed him at first, but Drake eventually lifted his shirt over his nose and held his breath.

  Preston kneeled near the dog, which looked like a collie, but he didn’t touch it. “Will you go find a blanket or a sheet we can use to wrap her?”

  Gladly. Drake walked towards another room but froze before he reached the doorway.

  What if the smell didn’t come from the dog? Someone had left a truck parked outside – did that mean they died here? If so, that would have happened in the bedroom.

  Drake let out the breath he held and took another shallow one. Standing in the hallway, he peeked into the room.

  It matched the cover of one of those country house magazines – neat, rustic, and free of bodies.

  He sighed, grabbed the folded quilt from the end of the bed, and returned to Preston and the dog.

  Preston laid the quilt over the animal, wrapped the sides around her, and picked her up. He grimaced and walked to the front door. “I don’t think the smell is coming from her.”

  Talon, Scopes, and a few others joined Drake in the house. Drake explored the kitchen, starting with the light switch. The overhead light came on, but no one celebrated; they were covering their faces with their hands or shirts.

  “Is the smell worse in here?” Drake asked.

  “Seems like it to me.” Scopes walked to the fridge and opened the door, which was already slightly ajar. “Augh!” She turned away and bolted through the group to the front door.

  That couldn’t be good.

  No one else moved, so Drake did. He held another breath and opened the fridge.

  It held a mess of rotten food, exploded milk containers, and insect larvae. A grub slowly crawled up a juice carton. Drake instinctively exhaled at the shock, and when he inhaled again, he turned to the sink and retched.

  “Let’s go,” Talon said as Drake leaned over the sink. He didn’t appreciate that she’d seen him get sick and turned on the faucet to rinse away the mess. As soon as he felt able to move, he followed them outside.

  The group sat in the grass next to a long driveway where the pickup truck was parked. Apparently unaffected by looting or vandalism, it looked drivable. Brody and Seth walked around it, scanning the interior. Seth climbed inside and popped the hood.

  Preston had carried the dog to a faraway tree. Sonar walked towards him, holding a shovel.

  “The house has power. What’s up with the fridge?” Screech asked.

  “The door was open a little,” Scopes said. “Maybe the dog managed that when it was left alone. I think it would stop eating the food after it started rotting. The fridge would be running constantly to keep a cold temperature. It probably wore out.”

  The truck engine roared to life, and Seth cheered. He hopped into the back while Brody drove down the long driveway and into the street, where he headed west.

  Drake watched the truck disappear. “Where are they going?”

  Scopes shrugged. “We’ll need that truck to get the fridge out of the house.”

  “Should we stay here? Maybe we can find another place to go,” Talon said.

  Scopes picked at the grass. “The house has power and water. We just need to get rid of that fridge and find a replacement.”

  Terry, who Drake thought had been asleep, sat up. “If the truck works, I bet the cars in whatever city is closest to here work too. Anyone know what direction that would be?”

  Drake stood. “West, I think. Preston – Phoenix – probably knows.”

  “Hey, Phoenix!” Terry hollered. “Which way to the nearest city?”

  Preston stopped shoveling and leaned on the handle. “It’s . . . hold on a sec. Let me finish.”

  Scopes huffed. “Like that dog is going anywhere.”

  Drake glared at her. “You want to leave it out? I don’t.” He faced Terry. “I’ll come with you.”

  “That’s all right. I’ll catch up with those guys. We can find a fridge and bring it back.” Terry stripped, shifted, and took off.

  Scopes stood and put her hands on her hips. “Well, that’s great. Terry could have helped us move the gross fridge. What are we gonna do with it?”

  Drake walked towards the stable. “Let’s drag it into a field. I’ll find some rope. I don’t want to risk the thing accidentally opening.”

  ****

  As Drake wiggled the fridge out of its space to tie the rope around it, an engine sounded through the window. He ran outside as Brody pulled the truck in front of the house.

  Brody tossed the keys to Drake. “Terry said you guys need this to get rid of the gross one. I’m going back to the city with the other guys.”

  “Did they find something?”

  “Nope. Haven’t even got there yet.”

  After Brody left, Drake, Preston, and a few others lifted the fridge into the back of the truck. Though the doors were closed, the stench made the job nearly impossible. Drake remembered to take a breath when he got dizzy.

  Scopes claimed the driver’s seat while the fliers followed. She headed east for several miles before turning south on a dirt road for another several miles.

  Drake lifted to fly next to Preston. “Is she worried this thing will crawl back to the ranch?”

  Preston laughed.

  When she finally stopped, Drake, Preston, and Miguel grabbed the ropes.

  Preston looked at Miguel. “Drake and I have this. He could probably do it on his own.”

  Miguel glanced from Preston to Drake, then back to Preston. “You sure? It’s easier with more muscle.”

  “Yeah, we got it.”

  Miguel shrugged and flew to the others who’d tagged along.

  Drake likely could move it by himself, but why dismiss eager help? It would be easier with three of them.

  Preston grabbed the rope at the bottom of the appliance while Drake took the one at the top. They lifted the fridge straight up.

  Preston tilted his head to the left. “That way.”

  Scopes backed away as they approached. The weight pulled on the rope, but they only had to carry it a few feet. Drake had a good grip on it.

  Until Preston dropped his side, and the rope slipped from Drake’s grasp.

  The fridge crashed to the ground and the door flew open, spattering Scopes with the liquefied contents.

  A collective gasp came from the small group of fliers.

  �
��What the hell? It got in my mouth!” She spat, then stood with her arms in front of her. Speckles of goo covered her whole front, including her face. “You couldn’t carry it five feet?”

  Preston opened and closed his claw. “Oops.”

  “I guess you did need my help,” Miguel said.

  A slight chuckle came from Preston’s direction. His face held a smirk.

  He did that on purpose.

  Drake closed his mouth when he realized his jaw was hanging open.

  Talon flew to them. “Scopes, are you–”

  “I’m fine.” With her eyes squeezed shut, took off her top and wiped her face with the inside of it, threw it on the ground, and with just her bra covering her top half, climbed back into the truck. She slammed it into gear and spun the tires on the dirt as she sped off.

  Drake turned to Preston as the fliers followed the truck. “Are you two even now?”

  “We’ll see.”

  ****

  Drake sat with Talon on the front porch, keeping watch for those who flew to the city. The sun had set an hour earlier.

  Talon took Drake’s hand. “The city must be far away.”

  Drake squeezed her hand. “I guess. Preston thinks they’ll hit Salem or Eugene, depending on which way they drift.”

  “Where is he?”

  “In the stable.” Preston hadn’t dared go into the house since they returned, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Scopes locked herself in a bedroom and didn’t even come out for dinner.

  Talon put her head on Drake’s shoulder. “Scopes is pissed.”

  “Do you think she’ll try to kick Preston out of the group?”

  “I’m not sure she has the power to do that. But she could make him miserable until he leaves on his own.”

  That was true. Preston wouldn’t stick around if Scopes antagonized him at every turn.

  Talon sat up straight and pointed ahead. “Look.”

  Drake stared into the darkness. A small light appeared in the distance, steadily growing larger. As it neared, a squealing engine pierced the air.

  “That doesn’t sound like a truck.” Drake released Talon’s hand and stood, taking slow steps down the driveway.

  The squeal lowered in pitch as it reached the driveway, and a sedan with a broken headlight pulled up to Drake. Terry hopped out the passenger door before Seth had completely stopped the car. “Come on. I need your help.” He opened the back door.