by David Meyer
“You’re still pretty populous from what I can tell.”
The trace of a grin creased Ross’ lips. “What can I say? I’m a slow learner.” Then he exhaled. His gaze turned toward the flames. “Don’t get me wrong. I thought long and hard about it. Ultimately, I decided it was better to stick together. They’re pretty much my family at this point. Plus, we’re kind of it, you know? The last people. We’re a dying resource and once we’re gone, we’re gone for good.”
Caplan nodded silently.
“So, how’d you end up in this hellhole?”
“It’s a long story.”
“And we’re stuck here until nighttime.”
“Fair enough.” So, Caplan told him everything. He described the Vallerio Forest and Savage Station. He discussed the beatings, the sleep-deprivation. He talked about Morgan, the clinic, and Lucy. And he revealed Corbotch’s plans for Stage Three.
Through it all, Ross listened quietly. He asked the occasional question, but offered no comment of his own. Afterward, he leaned back and lifted his gaze to the ceiling. “That’s quite a story.”
“Yes, it is.”
“So, what’s the next chapter?”
“Escape Boston, then head back to Savage Station.”
“To rescue Morgan?”
“Yes. But also because Savage is our best shot. At survival. At normal lives.”
“This is the part where I tell you I want to help.” Ross finished off his mug and set it on a side table. “And then you tell me you don’t want it.”
“You’re right. I don’t want it.” Caplan looked him square in the eye. “I need it.”
Chapter 44
Date: December 1, 2017, 6:47 p.m.; Location: Downtown, Boston, MA
“Hang on.” Mills’ legs started to sag. Reluctantly, she leaned on the wall for support. “Just … give me a second.”
Caplan paused next to the door. He adjusted the duffel bag, then gave her a quick once over. Her clothes were dry. Her lips were no longer blue. She was past the worst of it, but had yet to fully recover. “You sure you’re up for this?”
She nodded. “Just as long as I don’t have to drive.”
“That won’t be a problem.” He opened the door and peeked outside. The sun had set for the evening. Darkness, illuminated by firelight, slowly crept over the area. Turning his head to both sides, he caught glimpses of distant behemoths, wrapped up in dense fog and smoke.
“We’re late, aren’t we?”
“I prefer to call it, ‘making an entrance.’”
Smiling faintly, she released the wall and stood straight. “And we’re absolutely sure the infrasound weapon works?”
“Like a charm, according to Noel.”
“That’s good.” She took a few wobbly practice steps. “We’re lucky he tracked us down.”
“Tell me about it.” He turned his gaze to the opposite side of the street and zeroed in on a dark parking garage. “Are you ready?”
She nodded. Keeping low, they hurried outside and sprinted across the street. They ducked into the parking garage. Then they walked down a series of ramps to the bottom level.
A number of vehicles, surrounded by torches, were clustered in a corner. Caplan saw dented and soot-covered armored vehicles, complete with gun turrets. He also noticed other trucks and cars, plated with all kinds of makeshift armor. And of course, he caught sight of the old van, looking almost exactly like he’d left it.
Danter residents milled about the strange fleet of vehicles, looking anxious and nervous. Amongst the crowd, he spotted a bunch of familiar faces. But one stuck out above all the rest.
“Tricia.” Mills wrapped Elliott into a tight hug. “It’s so good to see you.”
Elliott, as might be expected, winced at the touch. But she smiled a bit as well. “You too.”
“Thanks for coming after us,” Caplan said.
“Of course.” Her face flushed bright pink. Turning away, she nodded at the woman behind her. “You know Sydney, right?”
“You could say that.” Caplan wrapped his childhood friend into a bear hug. She returned the hug in kind. “I hear you turned our little van into every behemoth’s worst nightmare.”
“It packs a wallop, alright,” Teo replied.
“I can’t wait to see it in action.” Turning on his heels, he studied the crowd. “So, what’s the plan?”
“Last I checked, Ross was still hemming and hawing over it. Don’t get me wrong. I love the guy. But he’s not exactly the decisive type.”
Caplan spotted Ross next to an armored car. The man’s attention was focused on a map spread out over the hood. Five people surrounded him, pointing and talking over one another.
Excusing himself, he walked to the armored car. By that time, the conversation had turned heated and Ross looked like he wanted a place to hide.
He glanced around at the gathered faces. He saw Mike Tuffel, owner of Danter Hardware. George Pylor, Danter’s most renowned hunter. His wife, Dr. Sandy Pylor. Luann Cordell, Head Librarian at Danter Library. And of course, Connie Aquila, wilderness guide extraordinaire.
“Hey, everyone,” Caplan said.
George and Tuffel offered him hearty handshakes. Cordell offered him a limp, icy one. Dr. Sandy and Aquila, meanwhile, gave him warm hugs.
“I need to talk to Noel,” Caplan said. “Alone.”
“Sure thing.” George glanced at Ross. “Let us know when you’re done and we’ll iron this out.”
“Of course.” Ross waited for them to file away. Then he lowered his voice. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. So, what’s the plan?”
“We were just trying to figure that out. We could retrace our steps, but there are a lot of behemoths that way. Of course, behemoths are everywhere, right? So, maybe I’m just overthinking it. Or maybe I’m not and it’s better to head north along the quickest route. But what if—?”
“How were the roads on the way in here?”
“Not the greatest.”
“But they were drivable?”
“Well, sure.”
“Then that’s our route.”
Chapter 45
Date: December 1, 2017, 9:32 p.m.; Location: Downtown, Boston, MA
“Hey everyone, this is Mike.” Tuffel’s voice, tense and clipped, screeched out of the radio’s speakers. “We’ve got a behemoth at Washington Street, right where State turns into Court.”
After fleeing Roberts and her soldiers, the Danter Colony had come across a number of abandoned vehicles, military or otherwise. They’d fixed some up and left others behind. In the process, they’d located a number of old CB radios. Teo had installed these radios in their vehicles and added amplifiers to boot. It was a far cry from the networks of the old world. But it did the trick.
Caplan, situated in the van’s driver’s seat, waited for Ross’ response. “It looks like we’ve lost Noel.”
“Maybe,” Mills said. “Or maybe he’s waiting for you.”
He exhaled through his nostrils. Was he the leader of this group now? He didn’t want that. But he grabbed up the CB radio anyway. “What kind of behemoth, Mike?”
“An ox. A real nasty-looking one, too.”
“Can we go around it?”
“That’s a negative. The streets are ravaged. Only way forward is through this thing.”
“Hang on.” Shielding the radio, he glanced over his shoulder. The audio equipment had been anchored to the rear of the cargo space. A large speaker, added by Teo, faced outward. “Are you ready?”
She studied the equipment, then offered him a nod.
He glanced at Mills. “Landscape?”
She consulted a detailed map, marked up by Ross and his cohorts. “Ross’ route goes past a few side roads. Then we take Broad to State Street. That’ll put us about two hundred and fifty yards east of the behemoth.”
“From what I can tell, the weapon really starts to hurt them at one hundred yards,” Teo added.
“We need two locations,
” Caplan said. “One for the initial attack and one for the trap.”
“Congress Street is probably our best bet for the trap.” She showed him the map. “It’s about eighty yards away from the behemoth. Group One can set up on the south end of the intersection. As for the initial attack, we can launch it from Kilby Street.”
“Sounds good.” After much debate, Ross and his five advisors had settled on a pretty simple strategy to bypass a behemoth. Caplan saw no reason to change that now. “Listen up everyone,” he said into the radio. “We’re going to blast this sucker with the infrasound weapon at the corner of Kilby and State. Group One, I need you one street west of Kilby, on the south side of Congress. Move out.”
Caplan handed the radio to Mills. Using the map, she directed him past the side streets. They drove onto Broad Street, then turned left onto State Street.
“Wow.” Mills’ gaze drifted upward. “That’s a big behemoth.”
Big was an understatement. The road twisted a bit, but Caplan still caught glimpses of the ox behemoth. It stood over forty feet tall, making it considerably larger than Dire.
He halted alongside Tuffel’s scout vehicle at the corner of Kilby Street. He could see the behemoth more clearly now. He saw its horns, its ferocious teeth. Its powerful legs, its heavy hooves. The creature was awe-inspiring, even for a behemoth.
A powerful wind blew embers across the street. Snowflakes and smoke swirled around the behemoth’s hooves, trailed up its body, and gathered around its massive head. The ox snorted gently, puffing air through its gigantic nostrils. Smoke and snow swirled away.
He eyed the neighboring buildings. An old brick building, probably some kind of landmark, lay in ruins. Other buildings sagged at the seams, looking ready to fall at any moment. If that happened, no amount of fancy maneuvering would save them.
Mills pointed at the windshield. “We’ve got company.”
A small surveillance drone hovered one hundred feet in the air. It looked exactly like the one that had spotted them back in Maine. James is watching us, Caplan realized.
Four armored cars—Group One—slipped past the van. Dirt, grime, and rust covered the battered vehicles. Weaving through a maze of smashed crates, uprooted asphalt, and rusted bicycles, they drove to Congress Street. Then they hung a left and vanished behind a medium-sized building.
Two more armored cars—Group Two—pulled up, one on either side of the van. Ross’ voice came pouring out over the radio. “We’ve got eyes on a drone.”
“We see it, too,” Caplan replied.
“I’m a pretty good shot. Want me to take it out?”
They couldn’t let the drone follow them. But they didn’t have to destroy it at that exact second either. “Not yet. James wants a show. Let’s give him one.”
“Sounds good.”
In the rearview mirror, Caplan saw the rest of the caravan. Toland sat in one of the vehicles, jawing at local busybody, Dana Vallon.
For years, Vallon had prowled the streets of Danter, seeking to extinguish any and all signs of fun. She’d even sought out Caplan’s parents on a few occasions, reporting him for such indiscretions as chewing with his mouth open, loitering in Danter Square, and uttering so-called curse words such as the dreaded “crap.”
I’m glad I’m not riding in that car, he thought. Give me the behemoth any day!
He turned to the rest of the caravan. Each vehicle sported makeshift armor, like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie. It wasn’t going to stop any behemoths. But hey, at least it looked snazzy.
He shifted his gaze back to the ox behemoth. The plan was to lure it to Congress Street and knock it off-balance with gunfire. Then they’d hit it with the infrasound weapon, driving it north. The caravan would cross the intersection. After that, rinse and repeat until they exited Boston.
“Everyone in position?” Caplan asked.
“Group One is ready to go,” George replied.
“Same with Group Two,” Ross added.
Caplan directed the van forward and spun the wheel. The vehicle turned in a half circle so the cargo doors faced the behemoth. “Power up the infrasound weapon,” he called out.
Teo flicked a few switches. “Powered.”
“Open the doors.”
Elliott unlatched the doors and pushed them open. “Open,” she said.
“The infrasound weapon is locked and loaded,” Caplan said into the radio. “Let’s get this party started. Group Two, open fire.”
Turrets shifted into place on either side of the van. Gunfire rang out. Streaking across the sky, it crashed into the ox behemoth’s tough hide. Twisting their guns, the shooters stitched the creature’s enormous legs.
Quivers ran through the behemoth’s enormous body. Shifting its gaze, it looked straight at the caravan.
“It spotted us,” Caplan said into the radio. “Group One, fire at first sight.”
The creature’s hooves scraped the pavement, leaving long marks in their wake. When it reached Congress Street, Group One opened fire from the south. Gunfire spat at the behemoth, striking its legs and belly. It bellowed. But this bellow was soft, hesitant. Like it wasn’t quite sure what to do next.
“Activate infrasound,” he called out.
“Infrasound activated.” Teo paused to check a screen. “The frequency looks good and we’ve got a nice, strong signal.”
Muscles tensed, Caplan stared out the rear doors. Although he’d heard about the infrasound weapon, he still found it hard to believe. The behemoth was simply gigantic. It was hard to imagine anything—especially an invisible force like sound—hurting it in the least bit.
The ox behemoth snorted through its nostrils. It didn’t come any closer. But it didn’t retreat either.
“Man the speaker,” he said.
Elliott sat down behind the speaker. “Speaker manned.”
He backed the van across the icy road, angling it gently toward the north. Meanwhile, Elliott swiveled the speaker, keeping it aimed directly at the target.
A strange look came over the behemoth’s face. Twisting its body, it backpedaled to the north. The ground roiled as its hooves crashed onto the six lanes making up Congress Street.
Caplan blinked, shocked to the core. Was this really happening? Was the behemoth really retreating?
Still angling the wheel, he backed the van to the edge of the intersection. Group One and Group Two, no longer spitting gunfire, slid to its sides.
Meanwhile, the ox behemoth continued to withdraw. One hoof stomped down on the ruins of a small building. Another one sent a garbage truck skittering across the pavement.
It kept backing up, distancing itself some two hundred yards from the infrasound weapon. Bellowing with fury, it focused its lava-orange eyes on the van. Then it turned around. And walked away.
“And stay out,” Ross shouted over the radio.
Elliott snickered. Teo guffawed. Their laughter was contagious and Mills began to chortle. Caplan emitted a deep breath and soon found himself laughing as well.
Wiping her eyes, Mills glanced at the sky. “Well, I’d say we gave him a pretty good show.”
“No doubt.” Caplan laid eyes on the drone, still hovering overhead. Confidence and defiance surged within his heart. But caution reared its head as well. “Hey, Noel,” he said into the radio. “I think the show’s over, don’t you?”
“I sure do.” One of Group Two’s turrets turned skyward. Gunfire rattled. The drone exploded in mid-air. “Connection terminated.”
Chapter 46
Date: December 2, 2017, 3:55 a.m.; Location: Longfellow Bridge, Boston, MA
“I know I’ve said this already but I still can’t believe how well that infrasound weapon works.” Caplan glanced in the rearview mirror. “What do we need to make more of them?”
“A miracle,” Teo replied.
He frowned. “Why is that?”
“This is hyper-specialized ornithology equipment. Even in the old world, you couldn’t just pick it up at your loc
al electronics store. You would’ve had to special-order it.”
He’d spent the last few hours envisioning the caravan’s vehicles, all armed with sonic weaponry. Abruptly, those visions began to melt before his eyes.
“It’s Mike again.” Tuffel’s voice screeched out of the radio’s speakers. “We’ve got a behemoth just off the bridge at the corner of Third and Broadway.”
Caplan grabbed hold of the radio. “What kind is it?”
“Another ox. Similar but different to that other one from a few hours back.”
“Different how?”
“It’s a little shorter. The coat is a bit shaggier. Just cosmetic stuff, really.”
Caplan directed the van through a web of car wrecks occupying Longfellow Bridge. Squinting into darkness, he saw a few shadowy buildings but no behemoth. He wasn’t worried though. They’d driven away plenty of behemoths since leaving the parking garage. What was one more?
He yawned. He’d driven for several hours with no breaks, all by moon- and starlight. It had been a tense, exhausting trip. Fortunately, it was coming to an end. They’d left Boston and were about to drive into neighboring Cambridge. The behemoths, which were everywhere just a little while ago, were now few and far between.
“Can we bypass it?”
“That’s a negative,” Tuffel replied. “Main Street is drivable, but only for a hundred yards or so.”
“Then I guess it’s time for another round of Break the Behemoth.” He muted the radio and glanced at Mills. “Where’s the best place to lay our trap?”
“Right here.” She showed him the map. “The geography works in our favor for once. We don’t even need the guns. We can just sneak onto the drivable portion of Main and launch our sonic attack from the south. That should drive it northeast onto Third Street.”
“Sounds good.” He glanced over his shoulder. Elliott held a toolbox in her lap. Teo, screwdriver in hand, knelt before the audio equipment. “Ready for another round?”
“Yes,” Teo replied. “But once we’re clear, I need to do a little maintenance work.”
“I think we can arrange that.” He unmuted the radio and lifted it to his mouth. “Group One, we don’t need you this time. Pull up after we drive off the bridge and protect the caravan. Group Two, follow our lead. We’re going to leave Broadway and circle around to the behemoth’s left.”
