Zander and I led the group, with Falisha, Riley, and Jake close behind. Micah trailed back about twenty feet, his head down, as he no doubt struggled with every step. Bella scouted ahead, trotting a half a block ahead of us with ears perked as she sniffed and snorted. Every once in a while, she’d puff her cheeks softly as we passed a house but, for the most part, she stayed quiet. The ache in my chest was a constant now, but the incessant barrage had created a sort of numbness that made it almost manageable.
The fire damage caused by the flare was similar to what we had found back in Fulton, but the smell was much worse— like burning meat and rotten fruit. Bella seemed to be breathing through her mouth in an effort to dodge the stench, but every once in a while she would sneeze and snort in frustration.
There was no rhyme or reason to the devastation. One block of homes had burned to ruin while the next remained virtually untouched. The wreckage still smoldered, as the last of the flames slowly died out. Empty cars and toppled bicycles littered the streets, with pods scattered in between.
Despite the chaotic carnage, it was clear that Morrison had at least received some sort of intervention effort. Some of the streets we had passed had been completely cordoned off. Many of the houses had been tagged, giant spray-painted numbers marred their front doors or dripped down the vinyl siding, itself. We passed a cute little blue ranch style house, with bright red shutters. The house was still standing and virtually unharmed, but there was a giant 0/4 spray-painted in red across the door of the attached garage. The next one had an X on the front door. The one after it said 1/5 across the giant picture window. Behind each of the marked homes, a thick black ribbon of smoke climbed high into the sky.
“What do the numbers mean?” Riley asked.
“Emergency census,” Zander said, pointing at the blue house. “That one there? Looks like they found zero survivors, four bodies. Next one down, with the X, that one was empty. Last one says, one survivor, five casualties.”
“Oh, my God,” Riley croaked, covering her mouth in horror. “That’s horrible. All those people?”
“That’s messed up,” Falisha agreed, hooking her arm through Riley’s.
“It looks like they didn’t even try to put any of these fires out,” Jake scowled, pointing at the thick black clouds in the sky. “There’s smoke everywhere.”
“I think those are pyres,” Zander said, squeezing my hand.
“You’re telling me that they are burning the bodies?” Jake squawked. “Seriously?”
“They can’t do that,” I said, horrified. “What about their families?”
“Three houses, ten people, one survivor,” Jake’s face drained of color. “Jesus Christ. You guys, ninety percent of these people died.”
“We have to keep moving,” Zander said, tugging me forward.
“Hang on,” I said, pulling back on his hand. “Let me check it out, first.”
He released his grip and I scrambled on top of a nearby car. The light had finally begun to fade. The blue haze that accompanied my night vision was a welcome reprieve from the harsh orange glow of the daytime sky. I steadied myself against the pain in my chest and set to balance atop the small blue sedan while my eyes adjusted.
“What is she doing,” Falisha said, sounding out of breath.
“Shhh,” I said.
The second the sun finally dipped past the horizon my eyes refocused themselves and I was able to see with perfect clarity. Unfortunately, what I saw was not encouraging. “Crap.”
“What’s up,” Zander said, his palm twitching absently toward the gun at his hip.
“Okay, so the entire block is pretty much crawling with soldiers,” I said, jumping down from the roof of the car. “They have it blocked off and there are armed guards posted at each end of the block. There’s only two guards at the far end of the street, though, so maybe it would be best to go at it from that way?”
“Damn it,” Zander muttered. “We need to get over there and find out what the hell is going on.”
“What we need is to be invisible,” Jake said, his eyes wide with fear.
“Okay, Harry Potter, whip out that invisibility cloak, and let’s go,” Falisha rolled her eyes and then rustled his hair playfully.
“How the hell are we supposed to sneak past a bunch of trained soldiers, you guys?” Jake slapped her hand away and shot her a dirty look.
“Actually, Jake has the right idea. Hold that thought,” I said as I spun on my heel and took off.
Zander yelled after me, no doubt cursing at my back as I ran across the lawns to the house marked with the big red X. I jumping over a shattered birdhouse, climbed through the ashen flowerbed, and leaped onto the front porch. The front door was ajar, so I nudged at it with my foot, and cautiously peeked my head inside.
“Hello?” I cautiously slid past the door, knife in hand, and found myself in a wide-open living space. “Is anybody here?”
Silence.
“Come on, guys,” I said, waving them over.
“Never do that again,” Zander scowled at me, as cleared flowerbed in one bound.
He waited by my side as the rest of the group piled in. Micah slid in last, avoiding eye contact as he shuffled past me. Zander and I stepped through behind him, and I and closed the door behind us as best I could. It had apparently been kicked in at some point. Shattered pieces of the doorjamb were scattered across the floor and the latch no longer seemed to function. Groans of relief echoed between the empty walls as everyone slid their packs off and let them fall to the floor.
“We should leave our stuff here,” I said, absently rubbing at my chest, as I bent to dig for my water. “We need to be able to move quickly and quietly. The packs are far too heavy.”
“What if we can’t come back for them?” Jake asked, taking a big swallow from his bottle. “We need this stuff, Liv.”
“We won’t be needing any of that stuff if we get caught,” Zander said, peeking out between the slats of the blinds. “Guys, I hate to be a buzz-kill, but if the soldiers are burning bodies and taking hostages, I can pretty much guarantee you they’ll shoot first and ask questions later.”
“He’s right,” I said. “And besides, they already checked this house, right, so they should have no reason to come back here.”
“True,” Jake said, though he didn’t sound entirely convinced.
“Look, this could—will be dangerous,” I said, looking each of them in the eye. “Anyone that wants to stay behind is welcome to. No judgments. No questions asked.”
“No way,” Falisha and Riley said, nearly in unison.
“Nice try Liv, but either we all go or none of us do,” Jake said, and even Micah nodded his ascent.
Bella hopped up and down, bouncing from her front leg, to her back legs, her tail whipping back and forth excitedly. She snorted and simpered, nudging at my leg with her nose.
“No, Bella-girl,” I said, dropping to the floor to rustle the fur on her neck. “I need you to sit this one out, baby. It’s too dangerous and I promised Gunther I would protect you.”
She cocked her head to the side and whimpered in response. She planted her front paw on my leg, licked my face, and draped her long neck over my shoulder. I returned the hug, burying my face in her sleek coat as I scratched her behind the ears. I continued patting her, whispering what a good girl she was, as I gently slid one of the ratchet straps under her collar.
Riley dug a big bowl out of the kitchen cabinet and dumped a bottle of water into it. She placed it within reach as I tied the other end of the strap to the corner post of the kitchen’s center island. Bella looked up at me, whimpering softly as she lowered her haunches to the floor.
“I’m sorry, Bells, but it’s the only way to keep you safe,” I said, sliding my hand under her chin so our eyes met. “We’ll come back for you, girl. That’s a promise.”
She dodged my stare and lowered the rest of her body to the cool tile floor, pouting silently, as the rest of us hustled about. Zander pulled t
he couch a couple feet away from the wall. We hid our packs behind it so they could not be seen if someone were to look through the window. Falisha and Jake searched the house and returned a few minutes later with a pile of dark clothing.
“It ain’t pretty, but it was all we could find,” he said, dropping the clothes into a heap on the floor.
“It’ll do,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Find something that fits and slip it on over your clothes. I know it’s a little hot for layers, but if we can’t get back here for our gear, I’d rather not be stuck wearing black when the sun comes up. We can ditch the dark clothes when we’re done. Agreed?”
There were nods all around, as we dug through the pile of half-baked camouflage. Hoodies, tops, and dress pants flew through the air, tossed aside by one, to be chosen by another. Minutes later, we were all geared up and ready to head out.
“Okay, I don’t mean to be overly critical, but we look like color blind, homeless ninjas,” Jake said, scoping out each of our new ensembles.
Falisha snorted, as she looked down at her own outfit— a black satin robe, over navy blue pajama bottoms.
“H’yah,” she said, faking a roundhouse kick to Jake’s side.
Riley giggled and did a little twirl. Her sparkly, black cardigan flowed behind her like a cape shimmering in an arc over her olive green sweats. The pants far too big, but she had fashioned a belt from the cord off the living room drapes. The burgundy tassel slapped against her stomach as she completed her pirouette and sent the rest of us into a fit of nervous laughter. A few minutes later, the giggles subsided and the anxiety returned as we gathered near the broken front door.
“Okay, everyone listen up,” Zander said calmly, “We need to circle around to avoid the larger check-point. Let’s cut over a block and head down on the next street over. Stay close, stay out of sight, and stay quiet.”
“Right,” Jake nodded. “Invisible.”
“And remember,” I said, raising my voice. “If we get separated, get your asses to the old vet clinic and wait.”
Micah was silent, staring down at his shoes, as the rest of the group chimed their assent. The edges of the black tendrils had begun to creep past the neck of his ratty t-shirt. I wasn’t sure how much longer he had, but it was clear to me he was in a lot of pain. His skin had taken on a sickly sheen, which further highlighted the gaunt angles of his sunken face. His thinning hair lay limp against his head, despite his attempt to hide it beneath a ball cap.
“Now or never,” I said. I gave Bella one last pat, willing her to stay quiet and out of sight. “Let’s go.”
One by one we filed out of the front door of the abandoned house. Leaving behind our three-legged friend and the last of our supplies was far from ideal but it was our only real option at this point. We followed Zander’s lead, crouching low to the ground as we snuck out across the empty street. We cut through backyards, winding around swing-sets and fallen bicycles, until we reached the next street over. From there, we stuck to the outlines of the houses, lurking in their shadows, as we edged our way down the street to the far end of the block. Once there, we gathered beneath a semi-collapsed carport to catch our breath and re-group.
“Liv, you should take the lead,” Zander whispered. “As much as it kills me, it’s the only option that makes sense. You can see farther and better than any of us.”
I held my finger to my lips and crept around the corner of the structure to look down the block toward the end of Zander’s street. The same two guards I had seen earlier stood near the barricades. One of them leaned casually against the wooden frame, smoking a cigarette. The other sat nearby on the curb and appeared to be lacing his boots. I snapped my fingers and locked eyes with Zander. I held up two fingers and nodded, then waved them to follow me as I crept closer to the checkpoint.
A large utility van was parked about fifty-foot away from where the soldiers stood. I motioned for everyone to stay put, then hit the ground and crept over to it. Fine gravel dust and small rocks crackled beneath the thick soles of my boots as I inched my way across the road. It sounded like cannon fire in the stark silence of the night. I took a deep breath, willing the soldiers not to hear, and didn’t release it until I was safely behind the hulking mass of the rusted out van. Zander balanced on the balls of his feet, watching my every move as I slowly rose to peek up over the hood.
The smoking soldier leaned over, offering his partner a hand up. As soon as his back was turned, I waved Zander over. He moved with graceful efficiency and reached me quickly enough that Riley was able to follow before the soldiers were, once again, facing our direction. I held my hands up, halting Jake in his tracks. His foot skidded on the dry ground, but Falisha caught him before he could fall and dragged him back into the shadows.
“Shit,” I whispered, trying to slow my heartbeat.
Riley tugged on my sleeve, drawing my attention away from Jake’s shaking form. In her other hand, she held a large rock. She pointed it at where the soldiers stood and then gestured into the shadows where our friends were waiting. Then she held up three fingers. I moved to the end of the van gesturing with both hands, for all of them to run when I say go, then turned back to Riley. She began her silent count…one…two…three.
On three, she hauled back and threw the rock over the heads of the guards. It clanked against the side of the house behind them and struck a few tree branches on its way to the ground.
“What the hell was that?” said Smokey, his shoulders stiff and alert.
“Hell if I know,” answered Shoe-laces, staring off into the darkness as he raised his gun to his shoulder. “Go check it out. I’ll hold post.”
“You afraid of the dark, Fletcher?” laughed the smoker, tossing his cigarette toward him. “Ain’t nothing in them shadows gonna hurt you, Fletch, what with your natural camouflage, and all.”
“Fuck off, Banks,” said Fletcher, shaking his head. “Just go.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said, bowing.
Banks slipped his cap back on, shouldered his gun, and headed off into the shadows. Fletcher turned, staring after Banks as he disappeared into the darkness. I quickly waved everyone else over. Micah had just barely made it past the end of the van when Banks emerged from the shadows, grinning like an idiot.
“Wasn’t anything there, bro,” Banks said, shaking his head. “Probably just one of the guys tossing shit around at the James place. Nothing to worry about.”
Zander bristled at the mention of his last name, his fists clenching tightly at his sides. I crawled toward the front of the van, positioning myself next to him and lay my hand on his shoulder. I motioned for everyone to stay down and be quiet as we listened in on the soldier’s conversation.
“This is stupid,” Fletcher said, pacing back and forth in front of the barricade. “How the hell did I get stuck on babysitting duty with you?”
“How can you say that Fletch?” Banks said, holding his hand over his heart. “I thought we had something special.”
“Man, shut the fuck up,” Fletcher said, shooting him a look over his shoulder. “Here we are, in the middle of the goddamn apocalypse and we are stuck playing shadow puppets while everyone else is out there doing something real.”
“Nah, man, this is real. We are running checkpoint while they sweep James’ house, man. That’s kinda huge. I mean, I heard this guy was E99, Fletcher,” Banks said, leaning back against the wooden blockade as he lit another cigarette. “Those guys are straight up, bad-ass.”
“No way, those guys are solid. It’s, like, impossible to make E99 without being a damn psychological robot,” Fletcher said, tapping his temple and not sounding convinced. “Why would we need to sweep, if the guy made the cut?”
“Dunno man. Lincoln says the dude went bat-shit crazy after his last stint in the sandbox,” Banks shrugged, puffing out a long chain of smoke. “I bet you they find some wicked crazy stuff in the guy’s place, though. Supposedly he used to be in charge of some serious X-files kind of shit.”
/> “Yeah, or he was just plain nuts, and they ain’t gonna find jack,” Fletcher snapped. “I should be up at MCH, working relief and containment, not sitting here watching you chain smoke yourself to an early grave. I’m the best E1 we got, and yet, here I sit, doing crowd control in a goddamn graveyard.”
“It’s not that bad,” Banks said.
“Man, ain’t nobody even here,” Fletcher screamed, throwing his hands over his head.
“Everyone is busy either being dead or wishing they were,” Banks said, kicking at the loose gravel at his feet.
“Whatever man, we should all be at the hospital,” Fletcher said, absently checking the sights on his gun. “That’s where they really need us.”
“You don’t want nothing to do with that shit, I promise you,” Banks said, his face suddenly serious.
“What are you talking about?” Fletcher said, dropping his gun back to his hip.
Banks pushed himself away from the barricade and looked over his shoulder as he walked to Fletcher. He lowered his voice to a near whisper before he spoke again.
“I don’t know what you think is going on up there, but it sure as hell ain’t a rescue mission,” Banks muttered, shaking his head. “Them assholes with the CDC ain’t trying to help any of those people. They just needed to find a couple gammas to use as lab-rats. And, hey, what better place to do that than a damn hospital, right? The rest of them are getting tossed into these so-called quarantine zones until they can be dealt with.”
“Bullshit,” Fletcher scoffed.
“It’s true, man,” Banks said. “I heard Metz on sinc-gars earlier. Suits said they ain’t taking any chances with exposure. They told him there’s is no cure for the Gamma Virus, and since there’s no way to know for sure if someone is infected—”
“They can’t do that,” Fletcher said, though even he didn’t look like he believed it.
Killshot (Icarus Series Book 1) Page 34
