The Survival Chronicles (Book 3): Mercy Fall

by Nally, Fergal F.

  Without warning the air in front of the horde erupted in a wall of flame incinerating the front ranks, the fire spread backwards through the massed horde jumping from body to body.

  Napalm or phosphorous? Jesus, it’s like the Vietnam war movies—

  The ground changed beneath her feet, Mercy looked down. They were crossing a small service road. Mercy’s breath faltered, Sam had vanished. She crossed the road and went down the far slope, wasteland extended to the fence in the distance. She stopped.

  Where’s he gone?

  A pebble landed beside her right foot, she whirled around and stared back at the road. Sam emerged from tangled undergrowth and waved at her.

  Sam, where did you appear from?

  Mercy glanced back towards the burning horde, then crouching, ran over to Sam. He was kneeling beside a concealed culvert which disappeared under the road. She looked into the opening and saw a sleeping mat, tins of food and bottled water. Thick wire mesh camouflaged with greenery lay to one side of the opening.

  “Clever, clever Sam,” Mercy said smiling.

  Chapter 4 White Rabbit

  Mercy climbed into the culvert after Sam pulling the wire mesh after her to hide the opening. The culvert was cool and dark in contrast to the warmth and brightness outside. She slumped against the concrete wall and closed her eyes. After a while she blinked and looked at Sam, he was fiddling with a set of wire cutters.

  Mercy frowned. “That’s how we’re gonna get in? Strange, I thought they would’ve had electric fences what with all the hydro from the mountains but I guess that was back in the day. So, they’re relying on fire to beat the tropes back—” Mercy paused and leant forwards, “What’s that you got there?” she pointed at a set of goggles in the corner. “Night vision… game on Sam. So I take it we’re going in at night?”

  Sam continued working on the wire cutters. Mercy checked her Beretta, drank water from Sam’s stash and lay against the wall, dozing. She woke later, Sam was gone. Daylight had faded. She checked her watch; 6 pm. She was not unduly concerned by Sam’s absence, he knew what he was doing. It would make sense to reconnoitre the fence for a suitable place to break in.

  Mercy explored the rest of the culvert’s supplies, in addition to the tinned food and bottled water she found a torch and a map of Colorado Springs. The map showed a detailed inset of the town centre. Sam had made notes alongside various buildings, others were crossed out.

  A record of his scavenging trips—

  Sam was organised. Mercy thought back to the size of the horde she had seen at the fence earlier, she had been shocked at the numbers of tropes and skinnies. If not for the flames they would have pushed the fence down.

  The fence was obviously maintained by a garrison within the airbase and the base was still operational. Mercy’s thoughts turned to the NSA and Colonel Randel back in Halifax, she now knew he was not top of the command structure. There were others above him, that much was clear, her extraction had been planned to the last detail. Two Chinooks committed to the operation, a rare enough sight these days, and with god knows how many refuelling stops across the country to bring her to Colorado Springs. But why Colorado Springs?

  Mercy drew a blank and sighed. She examined the map, Sam would get her into Peterson Airforce Base, she would make her way across the base and out the other side to the city. She would cut across the city and reach the highway on the other side, she could spy on the NSA, find out where their base was and be one step closer to finding Flynn and the others.

  A distant noise broke the spell, a helicopter, it became louder, a Chinook. Were they searching for her? She held her breath as the Chinook passed overhead and into the distance. Her hand went to her neck, then to the scar between her shoulder blades. She was glad they had been able to remove all the GPS tracking chips back at Porters Lake. She thought of Leo and Jude and their deaths, she thought of Vince, Rights and Crimson and their deaths. They had died to get her to this culvert, to this place just outside Colorado Springs.

  Mercy blinked, Sam could have been tagged prior to his escape. But he had escaped and survived for god knows how long in that abandoned tanker in the minefield. No, he was clever, he would have found and removed his tracking chip. She tried to suppress a lingering doubt that the NSA knew his exact location. No, they would have recaptured him, he was clean.

  So who else was involved in the big picture? Mercy cast her mind back to what Roberts had told her in Montauk. Cobalt Biotech had infiltrated the US Government to the highest level, even the Secretary of State and the Vice President were in on it but they had died in the cull despite their precautions. So, there had to be a residual command structure. Where better to hide than away from the big cities, holed up in the Rocky Mountains? There would be natural resources here; hydro power, clean water, an air base.

  So who is it? Who’s pressing the buttons? Who’s given the order to find me and bring me half way across the country?

  Mercy had no answers. She shrugged and examined the map in more detail, her eyes drifted away from Colorado Springs and moved to the names of the mountains on its western flank: Pikes Peak, Ormes Peak, Almagre Mountain, Mount Rosa, Mount Manitou, Cheyenne Mountain. Her eyes hovered over Cheyenne Mountain, the name was familiar. Where had she seen it before? The memory stayed just out of reach, she frowned, there was something about the name, but it remained a phantom. She sighed and put the map down.

  A noise came from outside, Mercy froze, pulled the Beretta out and clicked the safety off. A shadow crossed the wire mesh, she held her breath, the wire moved and she relaxed as she recognised Sam’s legs. He scrambled in to the culvert and flopped against the wall his forehead glistening with sweat. He took a long drink of water, he looked exhausted. He locked eyes with Mercy and grinned holding up a thumb.

  Mercy smiled, “You’ve done it? You’ve found a way in?”

  Sam nodded, pointed to his watch and held up three fingers.

  “Three hours?” Mercy asked.

  Sam jerked his head in acknowledgement, slumped back against the wall and closed his eyes.

  “Game on,” Mercy whispered her eyes glittering in the gloom.

  Mercy looked at her watch; 8:15 pm. She was about to wake Sam when his body jerked and he opened his eyes, his face contorted and his lip curled. He stared at her, disorientated, hands clenched across his chest.

  “Hey, easy Sam. It’s OK you’re with me, Mercy. Remember? We’re lying low for the moment, we’re going to break through the fence tonight. I’m going to find my friends. You’ve found a way—”

  Mercy kept her voice calm. Sam’s eyes focused and he stilled, after a while he relaxed and his breathing slowed.

  Jesus those bastards really worked a number on you—

  Mercy gave him time. Sam regained his composure and looked around the culvert. He started to prepare the things they would need. Mercy had the night vision goggles and he took the wire cutters. He produced a back pack and filled it with food and water. They were ready. Sam was preoccupied, he went to the wire mesh and listened for a few minutes before moving it. They crawled out and replaced the mesh. Sam continued on all fours his head swivelling from side to side sniffing the air.

  He’s like an animal, Mercy thought. Then again, I guess that’s all we are at the end of the day—

  Mercy looked over to where the horde had been earlier, the area was deserted. A dozen or so desiccated and charred bodies were all that remained, clinging to the outer fence. The wind came from the south so they were spared the stench of death.

  The horde had moved on. Mercy looked around wishing she had radar. She was supposedly invisible to tropes but Sam would not have the same protection. They continued, half crouching through the brush and reached the fence twenty minutes later. Mercy looked back, doubtful she would find her way back to the culvert in the gathering darkness. There was only one way and that was forwards.

  Sam stopped short of the fence and tilted his head, listening. He picked up a stick and flicked
it at the fence. Nothing. His shoulders relaxed, he produced the wire cutters and started working on the fence. Mercy spotted a sign on the chain link a few feet away, she crept towards it and was able to make out its message: DANGER OF DEATH: ELECTRIFIED FENCE. A picture of an electric bolt running through a prone body hammered the warning home.

  Just as well there’s not enough electricity—

  Sam looked up from his work, his eyes gleaming. He had cut a hole in the wire, large enough to crawl through, he looked pleased. Mercy gave him the thumbs up. They scrambled through and repeated the process for the second and third fences. As they broke through the final fence floodlights snapped on a mile away, seconds later gunfire and flames erupted in the distance.

  Shit, must be the horde—

  Mercy swore and pulled herself through the final hole. She rested for a moment with Sam and they watched as three vehicles, lights blazing, sped across the base towards the floodlights and flames.

  Well at least we’ve got a diversion—

  The flames grew in intensity, shouting and automatic weapons fire filled the night. Sam seemed entranced, his eyes wide at the muzzle flashes and tongues of fire dancing on the perimeter.

  Mercy shook him gently. “Hey Sam it’s OK, you’ve done enough for me. Thanks for getting me this far, you’re a hero.” She attempted a smile, “Listen, I’ve got this now, you get out of here, get back to your tanker, back to safety—”

  Sam tore his eyes away from the flames and lights. He shook his head, his eyes blinking. He pointed to his chest then pointed to Mercy. Mercy stared at him then looked away.

  This is what I was afraid of, shit. Why do I always seem to attract new people? They always get killed or captured—

  Mercy blinked considering her options but she knew she could not refuse Sam. He had no one, she had come into his world and opened a door, a door that could not be shut. She had offered him human contact and understanding, a common ground in all the madness. He was not about to give that up. She felt herself relenting and smiled, nodding.

  “Yeah, of course you can stick with me. It’ll be dangerous, but I guess you know that. Besides, you probably know stuff I don’t, so two heads are better than one,” Mercy shrugged. Sam smiled then crawled forwards and paused, he stood and started running at a crouch.

  OK, let’s do this, it looks as if he knows where he’s going—

  Mercy picked herself up and followed Sam. They crossed rough, weed infested ground and came to a runway. Mercy looked left, it disappeared into the darkness. They pushed on reaching the remains of a fence on the far side of the runway. Most of it had been removed.

  Probably taken to reinforce the perimeter fence—

  They skirted more wasteland and came to a residential area. Sam stopped and waited, listening, on the edge of the development. The houses were in darkness, most boarded up. Sam skirted the homes and took a dirt track running behind the estate. Mercy followed peering into the back yards as they went. Everything was overgrown and looked unused. Swimming pools lay empty, gardens were wild thickets, a dog barked in the distance. Mercy noted the wind direction.

  The remains of a golf course with club house and car park stretched out on their left. Sam kept to the side of the road in amongst the trees. A road sign read: GLASGOW AVENUE. They continued to a T-junction and stopped, the sound of gunfire and a helicopter rose in the distance, the tropes were keeping the NSA busy.

  How much of the base have they been able to keep secure?

  Sam darted across the junction, Mercy followed and they continued up Glasgow Avenue coming to another intersection. This time Sam stopped short and crouched behind an abandoned van. Mercy followed suit and a moment later lights moved along the road approaching their position. A Humvee, with roof mounted 50 calibre machine gun passed, a soldier shone a mini search light in wide arcs from the roof. Mercy held her breath as the Humvee passed.

  A routine patrol, they’re not looking for us, at least not here, not now—

  Mercy’s relief was palpable. Sam watched the street for a while, once he was satisfied he stood up and they were off again. They came to another crossing, he turned right. Out of habit Mercy tried to memorise their route, she spotted a sign: SUFFOLK STREET. A fighter plane mounted on a concrete platform sat at the next junction. They were joining a much larger and more exposed road, her discomfort increased and she slowed her pace, dropping slightly behind Sam. She watched the car parks and buildings on either side, noting hiding places, escape routes.

  Always keep your eye on the exit—

  Sam froze in the middle of the road and looked up. He ran to Mercy, grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stand of trees alongside a carpark. He pointed at a row of dumpsters in one corner. She understood and ran with him across the tarmac, they reached the dumpsters, Sam pulled the lid up of the first one they came to. Mercy climbed in holding the lid open for Sam. He scrambled in behind her and lowered the lid leaving a crack to peer through.

  Seconds passed, Mercy’s heart hammered. A minute later a light appeared hovering over a row of parked cars. The light moved up and down the row, searching. Mercy watched and listened. As the light reached the end of the row she saw the insect like drone, loaded with cameras.

  They’ve got drones, maybe thermal imaging—

  Had they been seen? Mercy held her breath her eyes following the drone as it came towards them.

  Chapter 5 The Other Side

  Shit, that thing’s coming right for us—

  Mercy clenched her jaw and aimed the Beretta at the drone through the gap in the dumpster’s lid. The drone’s lights illuminated a large area. Mercy tensed, her finger hovered over the trigger. The drone stopped short of the dumpsters and hung suspended in the air. A bead of sweat trickled down Mercy’s back, Sam did not move. The lid was open just enough to keep an eye on the drone, its camera moved taking in the dumpsters. A scratching sound came from outside, a weight landed on the lid followed by a series of vibrations. Mercy cursed but kept her nerve and held the lid slightly open. She saw movement and a flash of fur as an animal jumped from the lid to the tarmac below. Two smaller flashes of reddish fur followed. Mercy glimpsed the animals as they ran under the drone.

  Foxes, a mother, two cubs—

  The drone’s cameras followed the foxes then lost interest. It hovered a moment longer then rose, disappearing over the treeline. Mercy let her breath out and slumped back into the dumpster relief washing over her. They waited a good ten minutes before venturing out. Mercy went first and made sure the area was clear. They left the carpark and headed down Stewart Avenue in the dark. Two hundred yards later they saw lights at an intersection. Mercy slowed and withdrew to the road side, they crept forwards to see concrete walls extending either side of a fortified roadblock.

  “So this is the base perimeter? Outside that wall is trope territory?” Mercy asked Sam.

  Sam nodded, his face expressionless.

  “So how do we get through this perimeter? Do you have any ideas?”

  Sam smiled and tugged at her sleeve. Mercy followed him as he ducked left pushing through waist high grass and scrubland. The silhouette of another fighter plane was visible against the lights at the road block. Voices and the hum of a generator carried on the breeze, The air was thick with diesel fumes. They neared the concrete wall through a stand of cottonwood trees. The wall was constructed from interlocking prefabricated concrete sections. Sam continued along the wall for another fifty yards, they came to a dead ash tree leaning towards the wall, its roots visible.

  Tree’s scorched, looks like a lightning strike—

  Sam put his hand into a recess under the roots and produced a plastic bag. He pulled out a rope and slung it around his shoulders. He began climbing and a few minutes later had reached the lower branches, he waited for Mercy then continued to the higher branches one of which overhung the wall.

  Sam tied the rope to the overhanging branch and waved Mercy forwards. The ground below was clear and he released the rope
. He signalled for Mercy to use the rope, she checked the Beretta was secure and began climbing down. A few seconds later she was standing on South Peterson Boulevard. Sam dropped beside her, he moved away from the wall and gave the rope a sharp tug, his knot gave way releasing the rope.

  “Smart kid,” Mercy muttered.

  Sam was coiling the rope when engines roared at the intersection. They ducked down beside the wall and watched as a convoy of NSA trucks passed from the base through the fortified gate. The convoy continued west along Stewart Avenue vanishing from sight a minute later.

  Shit, I wonder if Flynn and the others are in those trucks—

  Mercy took a deep breath.

  It is what it is, deal with it. If there’s one convoy there’ll be others, I just need a good vantage point, see where they’re headed.

  Mercy sighed and turned, Sam was hiding the rope under an old tyre. She looked around, the street was littered with burnt out vehicles and charred bones.

  Jesus, those are craters in the road, they must’ve used mortars—

  Mercy looked at her watch, 12:30 am. They still had plenty of time to cover as much ground as possible.

  Mercy’s hopes rose.

  Can we get to the city centre? Maybe if we’re lucky but now we’re on trope time—

  The next two hours were spent finding a way through a series of carparks and around large building complexes. Mercy was glad Sam was with her, he seemed to know the way and her compass confirmed they were heading west. Eventually the road came to a dead end at a moonlit creek. Sam found a suitable crossing point.

  Sam went first using a piece of wood to steady himself as he waded across. Mercy waited until he was on the other side. She followed slowly, watching her footing. She concentrated on the water ahead and did not notice the bubbles on her left until it was too late. A shape lunged at her from the water. Mercy fell back with a splash into waist deep water, her head vanishing beneath the surface. Her hands reached behind to break her fall and hit the rocky creek bed. She pushed herself up, her head broke the surface, she gasped a lungful of air and saw what had made her fall.