The Ark Series (Book 3): The Ark of Alliance

by Kotrous, Scott

  But for how long, no one knows.

  Once the last of the soldiers are pulled off working on the fence, and only the one soldier is left, Simon knows this is the chance they’ve been waiting for. He goes over to where Jason and Dave are working and crouches down next to them.

  “It’s go time . . . just continue to work on the fence, but be ready.”

  Jason stops what he’s doing. “Wait, what?”

  Simon moves next to the fence and tries to block himself from the soldier’s view, and then very discreetly slices his arm on the concertina wire, sending blood running down his arm.

  He yells out in pain. “Ah, mother fucker! I sliced my arm open. Fuck!” He walks toward the soldier clutching his arm, while Jason and Dave pretend to be struggling with the fence.

  “Oh, man, you gotta help me. I really fucked myself up!” He continues to walk toward the soldier, who starts to back up and then unslings his rifle.

  “Stand down, sir. Take a step back and I’ll get you some help.” He puts up his hand while holding his rifle with the other.

  The soldier looks around and then turns to motion to someone to come over. Just as he fully turns, Simon lunges at the soldier and does a football-style tackle around his waist, slamming him to the ground. The soldier struggles, but Simon manages to hold him down just long enough for Jason and Dave to run over and help. They eventually wrestle his rifle away from him and take his handgun as well, before tying his hands behind his back.

  Simon looks up and sees multiple soldiers running toward them. “We gotta go! We gotta go now! Grab anything you can off him and let’s move out.”

  Both Jason and Dave remove as much gear off the soldier as they can and then look up to see what Simon sees. They turn back to see Simon already working on the fence, followed by him lifting a small section. He pulls the fence back as far as it will go and both Jason and Dave quickly crawl through the opening. Simon immediately turns toward the opening but then hears a rather close range crack of a gunshot, followed by something hitting his thigh that sends a searing pain through his body. He lets go of the fence and collapses to the ground, grabbing his leg. He hears Jason and Dave right behind him, attempting to pull him through the fence, but Simon doesn’t budge.

  He slides the rifle under the fence and then grabs his leg with both hands. “Get the fuck outta here, both of you!”

  “We’re not leaving you behind, Simon, so suck it up and move your ass!” Jason tries to pull the fence back, but Simon won’t let him.

  “I’m not asking, I’m telling you. Get the fuck outta here! You’re my son’s only chance now. Find a way to get inside this place and warn him that the military is after him. I have a bullet lodged in my leg so I wouldn’t make it far anyway. So go, dammit!”

  Right when Jason picks the rifle up off the ground, shots ring out in their direction. He ducks down and motions to Dave to get moving, then turns back to Simon. “I won’t let you down, Simon; you have my word . . . I’ll find Pete and protect him the best I can as long as he’s still breathing. You have my word.”

  “I know you’ll find him. Now get the fuck outta here before we both get shot and then no one can help him. Now go!”

  Jason reaches through the fence and places his hand on Simon’s shoulder. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for my family. We’ll meet again, friend.” He doesn’t wait for a response before turning and running as bullets fly overhead.

  Simon slides over just enough to block the opening he created in the fence. Moments later, multiple soldiers move in with rifles trained on him.

  “Face down on the ground, now! Hands behind your back!”

  “I’m injured and can’t move.” Simon puts up his hands and is greeted with a rifle butt to the head and then lights out.

  Chapter 3

  Kate rushes into the control room, desperately searching for Adam. She asks around, but doesn’t get a clear answer. Seconds later, Adam comes walking up with little concern in his eyes, she notices. “Adam, what’s going on? Is my husband outside?!”

  Adam waves his hands up and down in a very patronizing manner. “Just calm down, Kate. Everything’s under control.”

  “Calm down? You’re seriously telling me to calm down! How dare you? Now tell me what’s going on, or else.”

  Adam just shakes his head, grabs her by the waist, and escorts her toward his office. She immediately hesitates, not appreciating the way he’s treating her.

  “Take your fucking hands off of me right now, Adam, before my foot meets your testicles. Now, tell me what’s going on right now.”

  “Just—in my office . . . please!” He removes his hands from her waist and motions toward his office.

  She looks at him with fire in her eyes, but then relaxes and walks into his office. “Okay, Adam. Now can you please explain what’s going on?”

  Adam sits at his desk and motions to the chair for her to sit. He waits for a second but Kate doesn’t move and just stands there with her arms crossed, looking like she’s about to follow through with her threat.

  “All we know so far is that we think the military used some kind of EMP on us. It wiped out most of our electronics that weren’t protected by a Faraday cage, which is only on our core systems that keep this place running.”

  “I could care less. Where’s John?”

  “We’re not exactly sure, Kate, to be completely honest. They were able to get inside the gates, but with the military right behind them and with both parties in a pretty heavy firefight. We lost contact shortly after and have been frantically trying to get everything back online ever since. We expect to hear from him soon, so just try to relax and rest assured that we’re doing everything we can to get to him. Bad news is, until we get our systems up and running again, this place will remain in total lockdown, so we have no way of getting them inside even if we wanted to.”

  The look on Kate’s face instantly turns from anger to fear and worry. She drops her arms and begins pacing back and forth. “Oh my God . . . oh my God.” She tries not to panic or start to cry, but she just can’t hold back the tears. She stops pacing and puts her hand to her head, then pulls it down her face. “This is not good. This is not good at all, Adam. What can we do? How can we get them in here?”

  “Kate, we’re doing everything we can to get this place up and running again, I assure you. But it’s going to take some time. If John’s smart, which I know he is, then he and everyone else will get to town and take refuge there. The houses will have plenty of supplies, and they can hole up there for a while, if need be.”

  “What’s a while? How long do you think this will take?”

  “I don’t know, Kate. It could take days, or possibly even weeks.”

  “Weeks! Weeks, Adam! Are you telling me that he and everyone with him have to last weeks out there with fucking military shooting at them? Is that what you’re telling me, Adam?!”

  “I just don’t know, Kate! I’m looking at worse case scenarios. We still don’t exactly know the extent of the damage, or which systems need to be back online to disengage full lockdown. It’s just the way this place was designed. It’s built to protect those inside from any and all outside threats. In a way, it kind of has a mind of its own, as it won’t let us do certain things unless certain systems are functioning properly. So, like I said, we just don’t know what all needs to be done to get this place up and running again. But you have my word, you’ll be first to know as soon as I do. And we’ll do everything we can and will be working ‘round the clock to get both our people and your husband back here safe and sound.” He gets up and starts to move toward Kate.

  She takes a step back and looks at him with flaring nostrils and flinty eyes. “So now John isn’t one of your people. Is that what it’s come to, Adam? Has he gotten in the way of you and me, Adam? Is that what’s going on here?!”

  “No, that’s not what I meant. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

  “Good, because we will never be together,
Adam. Even if John was dead, I would never be with you. Just get my fucking husband and my niece and everyone else back here safely, Adam, or there will be hell to pay.” She starts to walk out, but then stops. “And don’t forget who built this place and made it possible for us to have survived this long . . . try not to forget that next time you let your dick cloud your judgment.” She storms out of the office and slams the door behind her.

  Chapter 4

  John follows Peter through the wet, heavy snow as he falls behind with each and every step. He thinks they’re getting close to some houses, but he still can’t see any, even with the moonlight glistening on the snow creating a bluish glow.

  He stops for a moment and looks behind, noticing the group has trailed off and that many have fallen behind the pace. He wants to wait, and of course knows Peter will get there first anyway, so he decides to stop.

  Maggie and Kelly are close behind him and both confirm that the group is moving along safely.

  After a water break and a quick chat with the group, they continue on through the loosely packed snow.

  John falls again, but this time all the way to his side, and his exhaustion takes over. Maggie asks if he’s okay, but John is unable to answer because of being so out of breath. He finally gets control of his breathing, followed by a nod and a thumbs up.

  Maggie and Kelly help him up just as Peter comes running up, spraying snow on everyone. “I’ve spotted a structure just up the hill. I’m going to double back and help the others.” He doesn’t wait for a response before going back to plowing his way through the snow.

  They continue on and soon come upon a cluster of houses still covered in feet of snow. A sense of relief overcomes John, which motivates him to high-step it to the drift-covered patio that wraps around the house.

  He ignores the cramp in his gut and the overwhelming urge to puke when he raises his hands in the air for Maggie, Kelly, and Jen to high-five, followed by a bunch of painful looking smiles. “F’ yeah, guys!” He slumps over and puts his hands on his legs while wavering back and forth. He points to the front door, but then quickly returns his hand to his leg. “Can someone check to see if it’s unlocked?”

  Maggie races up the steps and turns the door handle. She pushes on the door but it doesn’t budge. She asks for Kelly’s help and they both put a shoulder into it and hear a cracking sound, followed by the door flying open that almost takes them with it. They return to the top of the porch and gives a thumbs up while smiling.

  John drops his head and whispers to himself “oh, thank God” before standing straight up. He walks over and sits on one of the steps. “Give me a minute or two before I head back to help the others.” He points with his thumb behind him. “Every house has food, supplies and a fireplace with wood out back, so one of you gather supplies while the other works on getting a fire going. Sound good?”

  They quickly respond and then run into the house before John takes a deep breath and punches his legs a few times. Then he stands up and starts moving down the hill, and it doesn’t take long before he runs into a small group. He makes sure they’re okay before telling them that the house is just ahead.

  He continues on and eventually meets up with Peter, who is helping the rest of the pack who look like they are struggling just to put one foot in front of the other. The crew members who stayed behind, and who have been taking turns carrying the sick and wounded, are obviously exhausted. John grabs one of the stretchers and asks how the girls have been. He’s relieved to hear they’ve all remained unconscious the entire time from the medication and seem to all be in stable condition. They take a short break while John tells them about the house just ahead, and that the girls have gone ahead in an attempt to hopefully get a fire going and look for supplies. The news seems to lift everyone’s spirits, and they are soon on their way again.

  About twenty minutes later they arrive at the house, with the smell of burning wood in the air. John and Peter hand the stretchers back to a couple crew members and then walk ahead to the front door, which they slowly open and announce themselves as they walk in. They are greeted with a girl’s voice yelling back, followed by Maggie turning the corner with a smile on her face and hugs for both John and Peter.

  “Did everyone make it? How are Kristie and the rest of the girls? Are they conscious?”

  Peter rushes back outside to help everyone else, while John drops his gear and begins to take off his jacket. “They seem fine . . . I see you got a fire going. Any luck finding supplies?”

  Maggie looks relieved. “We did! This place is full of nonperishable food. We’ve been warming some soup over the fire that should be ready soon. And we have plenty of water. Unfortunately, there’s no power in the house, but we did find some candles.”

  John smiles and starts to say something when Peter enters the house holding one side of a stretcher. Maggie moves around John and goes to Kristie’s side. She doesn’t stop the guys to check on her because she can see the long train of exhausted people trailing out the door. She instructs them to get everyone into the living room, where the fire and supplies are.

  Everyone eventually gets into the den, where water and warm soup is handed out to everyone, including Dusty the dog. The medical crew doesn’t take anything until they get the four girls situated with saline drips. Maggie and Jen help out where they can, but then focus their attention on Nate, who almost seems to be in a rather limited, functional catatonic state. The crew says he hasn’t said a word the entire time, and made it almost impossible to allow anyone else to help carry Kristie, only allowing someone else to carry her for short periods of time.

  Maggie gets right next to Nate, who’s sitting next to Kristie holding her hand and wiping her face with a towel. “Nate . . . Nate. Are you alright? We’re all a little concerned about you. Can you talk to us so we can get an idea of your condition? We need to know if you need medical attention.”

  He doesn’t say a word and just sits there holding Kristie’s hand. Maggie sits back and shakes her head. “Nate, you’re really starting to scare me, and you need to say something. Kristie is going to be okay. You know that, right? We’re safe for now and soon we’ll be in the Ark. Will you please just talk to me?”

  He drops his head just as tears fall from his face. “She’s gonna die, Maggie. We’re all goin’ to die. Can’t you see that?” More tears pour from his face that he tries to hide.

  Tears well up in Maggie’s eyes and all she can do is put her hand on the back of his neck and pull him gently toward her. She lays her head on his shoulder and wraps her arms around him. “No one else is going to die, Nate. We’re safe now. We’re within a few hundred yards of the safest place on earth, where Kristie can get the medical attention she needs.” She lifts her head off his shoulder and looks at him. “But you need to be strong right now for her, Nate; she needs you to be strong for her. She needs her boyfriend to help get her through this.”

  He slightly shakes his head while continuing to stare at Kristie. “I don’t think I can, Maggie. I don’t think I’ve got it in me. I just can’t do it anymore. I’ve got nothing left.”

  “Yes, you do, Nate, and you know how I know? Because you don’t have a choice. She needs you, Nate. We all need you.”

  All of a sudden, Kristie lets out a low sounding moan, and the entire room focuses its attention on her. She moves ever so slightly and then lets out another moan.

  Nate instantly lights up. “Kristie, baby . . . talk to me. Are you alright!?”

  She moves again, slowly opens one eye ever so slightly, and says in a shallow, groggy voice, “Nate—is that you?”

  “I’m here, baby. I’m here.” His lower lip quivers as tears stream down his face.

  Maggie reaches over and lays her hand on her arm. “We’re all here, Kris. You’re safe. You’re safe.” She bites her upper lip and then looks at Nate and forces a smile past the tears and sorrowful look. “She’s okay, Nate; we got our Kristie back.”

  Nate smiles, but continues to cry w
hile his entire body visibly trembles. “I love you so much, baby . . . I’ll never leave your side . . . Do you hear me? I’ll never leave you.”

  Kristie closes her one eye and appears to pass out again, but then says, “I know you won’t, Nate. I know.”

  Nate smiles and then extends his body over hers and gently kisses her on the lips and then forehead. He sits back and looks over at Maggie, who’s trying her best not to cry and keep a smile up. He turns and hugs her. “Thank you, Maggie. Thank you so much. You saved her life.”

  They hug for a few seconds and then un-embrace. Maggie looks right into Nate’s eyes and wipes some tears from his cheek. “I wasn’t the only one who saved her life. You have Kelly, Peter, and, of course, her two little angels, Mia and Steph, to thank as well. If it wasn’t for them . . . well, I don’t know what would have happened.”

  Nate turns around to see both Kelly and Peter standing right behind him. He reaches out his arms and pulls both of them toward him. “She’s absolutely right. I owe you guys my life as well. Thank you so much. I am forever grateful.” He looks over at Mia and Steph and smiles. “You two get in here.”

  They all hug and are eventually joined by Maggie and Jen. The group hugs for a while and then backs away from each other. Peter doesn’t say a word, just nods his head, but Kelly speaks up. “You don’t owe us anything. We’re just grateful you took us in and that we could help in any way possible. We’re all in this together and know you would do the same for us. Right, Pete?” She looks over at Peter.