“All right listen up.” David’s indistinguishable voice bellowed from underneath the helmet. “We need to get out to the relay tower and clear the area. A herd of zombies have surrounded the workers and they need supplies. Your mission is to wipe the area clean of any undead.” David reached back and pressed a button next to the door.
“Jason, this will give you the chance to learn how to use that suit of yours before we head to Grand Falls.” Tracy’s voice lifted Jason’s spirit. He couldn’t believe that they would be heading out together. If everything fell into place, they could find a way to escape together. Everything seemed to be falling into place. His only concern was how the other seven soldiers would react if Jason tried anything. They all seemed loyal and obedient.
“Don’t fuck it up.” David mocked Jason.
“I wouldn’t worry about it. I survived long enough out there without one of these suits.” Jason replied. “I think I can handle myself just fine.”
“That’s why I persuaded them to let you join us.” Tracy surprised Jason. It was disturbing to hear her use the word us. Jason didn’t know what she had gone through since Fox Island, but he still didn’t want to consider her a member of Pharmakon even though he experienced firsthand the benefits.
“I won’t let you down, love.” Jason responded methodically. The sound of laughter erupted from a few of the soldiers but that didn’t bother him as much as the fact that Tracy didn’t respond. She swiftly turned around to face David and exchanged words with him. Jason could feel the anger rise up inside of him. This was all too much now. He was quickly losing his patience, but Davids threat was enough to keep Jason quite.
The door opened and revealed a bright blue sky as vast as the ocean. The yellow sun shimmered brilliantly overhead. There wasn’t a cloud as far as the eye could see. A considerable amount of snow had fallen since Jason was taken underground. A giant bald eagle sprang from a tree branch, sending a cascading fall of snow down the tree. The immense forest was littered with snow covered-trees with a scattering of green branches poking out. The beautiful tranquility took Jason away from the decaying world that he had left behind and let him believe that humanity had a chance. A shoveled path cleared the way towards a giant snowmobile that had been built to transport large groups of people. The driver and passenger seats were enclosed in a round glass dome that had bright silver bars holding everything together. A large cargo cab rested behind the dome that was enclosed by solid steel. Tiny windows lined the sides. Situated at the top of the hold was a small, round enclosure with a giant machine gun mounted on a swivel. The large track reminded Jason of a tank and the front tires were wrapped in chains.
“Everybody hop on board. We don’t want to waste too much time.” David ordered. The soldiers fell into line and marched towards the back of the cargo hold. Jason tried to catch up to Tracy, discovering that she had already climbed into the driver’s seat of the giant snow machine. Jason had to jog to keep pace with the soldiers and he found the suit heavy, his legs quickly tiring out.
“How the hell do you guys move so fast in these things.” Jason asked the only man who hadn’t boarded the vehicle.
“You’ll get used to it. And once you do, you’ll be glad you have it.” The soldier climbed into the back, looking down at Jason once he reached the top. “These suits will crumble a zombie’s teeth.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:
THROUGH THE SNOW
Hank sat at the kitchen table eating a bowl of chicken noodle soup, clanging his spoon of the side of the bowl. Broth ran down his chin and soaked into his beard making a tangled mess of it. Hank hardly spoke a word since he buried Sasha and when he did, it was only to Eric. They spoke about Warrant Smith’s plan to attack Grand Falls and about Hanks plan to head to St. John’s. Hank didn’t want anything to do with Grand Falls and refused to participate. Eric had persuaded him to take Dana with him to St. John’s, but she was uneasy travelling alone with him. She didn’t want to leave this cabin, even though Eric told her that the Pelley’s would soon be back, which meant they couldn’t stay here. If everything in Grand Falls went as planned they could come back, but until then they would head towards St. John’s.
Dana looked out the window and watched as the vikings tended to their horses. Some of the men cleared out a shed so that the horses would have shelter through the night. The shed was filled with expensive toys. A red quad had been pulled out first, the giant tires unable to find any traction in the deep snow. They had to get the horses to help haul the quad out of the way. They slid a pair of Sea-Doo’s over the snow and far out of the way. The steaks of red, yellow and orange paint stood out against the snow, the white bottom blended in, making it look like the two machines had been broken in half. The stacked piles of tools up along the side of the shed and made enough room to bring the horses inside, tethering the magnificent animals inside to a large metal workbench.
Hank stood up and walked outside, not taking the time to pull his jacket on before he barged through the door. “Don’t worry about it. He’ll get over Sasha soon enough,” Eric said, as he tried to get comfortable on the couch.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea for me to go alone with Hank?” Dana wasn’t sure that he could be trusted in his state of mind. “He has become unhinged.”
“Hank isn’t unhinged. He’s just upset. You’re worrying about this way too much.” Eric didn’t seem bothered by Hanks recent attitude. “You can trust Hank.”
“How can you be so sure?” Dana didn’t agree with Eric, but she didn’t want to start a fight. He had been acting differently since he got back. Eric nodded his head without saying a word. “How can you be so sure?”
“I know what he’s going through and this world changes how things affect you.” Eric was getting sleepy, his words heavy. “You move on faster or you don’t get to keep going anymore.”
“What are you talking about?” Dana didn’t like Eric’s cryptic tone.
“You only have a small window to grieve. If you don’t push through it as fast as you can, you will end up getting yourself killed.” Eric paused. “Or someone you love will pay the price for you.”
“So you went through this when I got shot.” Dana hadn’t stopped to think about how it had affected Eric. She thought he had been acting out of fear of losing her.
“I acted rashly to protect you and I’d do it again.” Eric took a long pause. “Dad died in Grand Falls. Warrant Smith watched someone gun him down in cold blood.”
“Oh my god. Are you okay?” Dana reached out for Eric and gave him a tight squeeze. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. They were filled with grief and anger. “Is this why you’re heading out on this stupid plan? You want revenge?”
“I want to protect you. Once the Highway Hangmen and the Pelley’s have been dealt with, I believe we will all be much safer.” Eric nuzzled into Dana’s neck giving her a soft, warm kiss. “The Republic of Newfoundland will take care of us for the rest of our lives once I help them out. We can come back here and build our lives here.”
Dana didn’t know what to think about this dangerous plan. She hated that Eric was doing this, but she knew there was no talking him out of this. “Isn’t there another way? We can go with Hank to St. John’s.”
“We can’t hide from everyone forever. Eventually the dead or the living will find us, and when they do we will be glad that we are part of the republic.” Eric ran his hand through Dana’s hair, his fingers catching in the tangled knots. “I won’t be alone.”
Dana pulled back and looked Eric straight in the eyes. “I want to know exactly what you will be doing.” Eric paused for a moment, Dana didn’t know if he was trying to think of a lie or if he was worried about telling her the truth. “Please, Eric, maybe I could help.”
“There’s no way you’re helping me with this.”
“I know I won’t be physically there, maybe I could help in some other way. Just tell me whats going on.” Dana knew she wasn’t going with Eric, but maybe she co
uld persuade Hank to bring her thereafter. If she knew the plan maybe she could do something about it.
“I’m going to Gander with the vikings. We are going to lure the giant east coast herd to Grand Falls. We will let the Highway Hangman waste their ammo on the corpses and if the dead overwhelm them we can just leave and deal with the herd after.” Eric was telling the truth, Dana could hear it in his voice.
“That’s insane. It might actually work.” Dana was impressed by the plan. “How many zombies are gathered in Gander?”
“The military say it’s over one-hundred-thousand.” Eric laid down, putting his head on the arm of the chesterfield. “That should wipe the cartels ammo supply out. And if we catch them by surprise, we will take most of them out in the process.”
“I’m sure you will catch them by surprise.” Dana laughed at the notion.
“I’m not entirely convinced that the plan is going to work exactly as the warrant has it drawn up. A herd that size has got to smell terrible and the noise will certainly draw attention.” Eric furrowed his brow. “The soldiers will be waiting for the cartel in the forest outside of town if they decide to retreat. The big problem is the military doesn’t have the firepower to compete with the cartel. They are vastly outnumbered and their supply of ammo is laughable.”
“You’re not helping me feel any better.” Dana tried to laugh but an odd sound caught in her throat. “You are supposed to convince me that the plan will work.” Eric looked into Dana’s eyes, holding her gaze in his. “I know we will be victorious but I just don’t know the price that we will have to pay. It may be much more than we are expecting.”
“Once you bring the herd to Grand Falls you’re finished with the fight, right?” Dana didn’t want Eric caught in the middle of a war zone.
“That’s the plan.” Eric’s spit the words out fast. Dana could tell he was lying about something.
“Is that Warrant Smiths plan or yours?” A tear welled up in the corner of her eye. Eric remained silent, refusing to answer. “Eric what the hell is wrong with you? You don’t have to be a part of the gunfight.”
“I do. Mom is in Grand Falls somewhere. I need to get her out. Our child needs to meet one of his grandparents.” Eric wiped the tear away from her cheek.
“He needs his father.” Dana stood up and stomped her feet on the floor as she rushed up the stairs. She ran down the hallway and slammed the bedroom door shut behind her. Eric’s footsteps slowly approached. He rapped his fingers off the door. “Go away.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Dana, I promise.” Eric opened the door and stood in the opening. “I’m not leaving you alone.”
Dana threw a pillow at him. He caught it just before it hit his chest. He fluffed the pillow and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge. Eric rubbed Dana’s stomach gently, leaving his hand over her belly button. “You have to promise me you’ll come find me in St. John’s when all of this is over.”
Eric paused for a moment before answering. “Of course. What would you expect me to do?”
“I just need to hear you say it.”
“I promise.” Eric laid down next to Dana.
It all looked the same underneath the fallen snow. Eric wasn’t sure how the vikings could be so sure they were headed in the right direction, but they were adamant. “The sun will guide us.” Hank repeated the same reasoning that they had given him. Eric hated not knowing where they were. They had followed the power lines for hours until they reached Badger, then they made a detour to avoid the townsfolk around Grand Falls.
The trees were rapidly getting more dense and extremely hard to navigate on horseback, but without them they would never be able to walk the incredible distance they needed to cover. “When are we going to stop?” Dana asked as she wrapped her arms around Eric’s waist.
“Is everything okay?” Eric was concerned that the baby would be in danger on this extended trip. It would take days for her to make it to St. John’s with Hank. Eric trusted that Hank could keep her safe. The real trouble was that this trip was going to be hard on their unborn child.
“I’m just sore from sitting on the horse.” Dana complained.
“It’s not much farther now.” Hank must have overheard them talking. The riders had gotten closer since the trail had become more narrow. “The army should just be ahead. I can see the old hotel on the horizon and they will be in the woods just before it.”
The sun was beginning to go down, casting the clouds in a golden hue. “I don’t mean to complain, but I’m not used to being on a horse.” Dana tried to explain herself. “I miss my old car.”
Eric shuddered as a stiff breeze ripped through the trees, sending snow swirling all around them. He pulled back on the reins, not wanting to bump into Hank who was just ahead of him. “I’m not sure we can stop for very long here.” Once the wind died down, Eric let his horse follow Hanks.
“Why not?” Dana whined.
“Where would we stay? We need to find shelter on the other side of Grand Falls before the sunlight is gone completely.” Eric didn’t want her spending the night outside.
“Where do you think the soldiers are staying?” Hank interrupted. “I’m sure they have shelters set up.”
“We could use the rest and I’m sure they can keep us safe.” Dana pleaded.
Eric could see paths forged in the frozen tundra just ahead. The snow was trampled down by heavy foot traffic. “We will see when we get there.” Eric kept looking for any other signs of activity ahead, he was unable to find a single one. They kept pushing further into the woods, moving slower now because the trees and shrubs were making it extremely difficult for the horses to find footing. The top of the hotel disappeared behind the tall trees and giant shadows swept over the forest floor. Tuffs of grass and larger tree stumps poked out from beneath the snow, the branches above sheltering the forest floor from the heavy snowfall.
Snow fell from the branches as one of the soldiers climbed out from a giant trench. The hole was camouflaged so well that it appeared he was emerging from beneath the frozen crust. “Stop where you are.” The young man barked out.
“We are with the Republic of Newfoundland.” Hank answered.
“I didn’t ask who you were.” The soldier lowered his weapon but kept his eyes locked on the intruders. “You best leave your horses outside the camp.”
“Why would we leave them out here?” Hank had taken charge of the situation and Eric was glad to let him take the lead. The soldiers didn’t seem to happy about the outsiders appearance and Eric wasn’t in the mood to navigate through their games. Eric had experienced a similar attitude from his instructors during his early days in the police academy. Eric knew that no matter what they said or how they acted towards the soldiers, they would be considered outsiders until they proved their worth to the them.
“They could fall into one of the many traps we’ve dug.” The soldier slung his rifle behind his back and approached the animals cautiously. “I wouldn’t want them to get hurt. You guys on the other hand.” He let out an uncomfortable chuckle. A few other people joined in the awkward attempt at a joke as his fellow soldiers began to emerge from their foxholes. Hank leapt down from his saddle with ease and led the stallion off to the side, tethering her reins to a tree. He calmly stroked the beast’s mane and rubbed her body as he spoke soothingly to his horse.
Eric kept an eye out for Warrant Smith, but he was disappointed that he couldn’t find him anywhere. He wondered if something had happened to him. “Where is Warrant Smith? I thought he was going to be here?”
“He hasn’t made it back yet. We expect him tomorrow morning just before sunrise.” An older soldier said as he treaded through the crystalline snowfall. His moustache was covered in frozen ice, making it difficult to pick out the colour. His green knitted hat was pulled down over his head and rested just above the tiny wire frames of his glasses. “You must be the policeman.” His voice was hoarse but stern. His dark blue eyes seemed to be studying the group even as he n
avigated over the fallen branches and past the fox holes.
Eric laughed, not sure how to respond. “I guess that would be me.”
The man walked with a sense of authority. His posture made him look much larger than he actually was. Once he got closer Eric could see that his jacket hung loosely off his already small frame. His cheek bones were drawn out on his face and his eyes were sunk deep in their sockets, making it looked like he had recently lost a large amount of weight. “You’re late.”
“I didn’t realize what time it was.” Eric couldn’t tell if this man was serious or trying to put on an act.
“We expected you hours ago.” He turned towards one of the soldiers and without saying a word the young woman darted off to carry out some errand. “You won’t have much time to get any rest before you head out.”
“I wasn’t planning on getting much anyway,” Eric said, as he climbed off his horse. He held out his hand and helped Dana down from the saddle.
“Thanks.” Dana held back a tired yawn. Eric tried to get his horse to move next to Hank’s, but the animal wasn’t responding to Eric’s efforts. Eric could feel the blood flush to his face. He was getting frustrated with his horse quickly. Hank noticed Eric struggling and without a word, took the reins from Eric.
The young woman returned with a green canteen. “You must be thirsty.” She held out the canteen to Eric.
“What’s in this?” Eric asked.
“Water.”
Eric handed the canteen to Dana and let her take a long drink. She tried to pass it back to Eric, but he motioned for her to hand it to Hank first. Eric noticed that the older man wore a rank that he didn’t recognize, it looked extremely important. It was hard to pick out because the outline of the rank was in green thread. It looked like a building with a flag surrounded by wings and stars. Hank took the canteen and took several short sips before giving the canteen back to Eric, turning his attention back to Eric’s stallion.
Zombies On The Rock (Book 3): The Republic of Newfoundland Page 15
