The Decaying World Saga (Book 1): Tribes of Decay

by Garza, Michael W.

Rowan slammed into them and nearly knocked them over. He wrapped his arms around the pair and hoisted them off the ground. Mia kissed his face, for a moment forgetting the utter chaos raging all around them. It wasn’t until Rowan set them down that the reality of their situation came rushing back.

  “We have to help them,” she said.

  Rowan was slow to respond. His focus was on the blood on her side. Mia had to turn him around before he would react. The tribesmen were overrunning the soldiers, but a new issue came to light. The first of the zombies from the containment area had reached the top of the stairs behind the conflict.

  “Garret’s out there,” Rowan said. “He’s stuck with Himu.”

  Mia had no idea who Himu was, but an explosion of recognition filled Jonah’s face.

  “He’ll know how to set it off,” Jonah exclaimed, he held up the access card. “This is his.”

  It took a second for Mia to realize what he was saying.

  “The defense system,” she said to herself. “He’ll know how to set it off.”

  Rowan looked from her to Jonah.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I…” Mia stopped. “I’ll tell you later.”

  The fight had moved out into the corridor and the addition of the walking dead put both the members of the tribe and the soldiers in a mad frenzy. The result was a strange truce with all of the living attacking the dead as they continued to flow out from the top of the stairs. Mia took advantage of the confusion and reached the last row of crates before the corridor. A quick look confirmed that the next wave of the tribe’s people was running across the storage area and another group was already moving behind them.

  Mia recognized the confusion on Rowan’s face. He looked like he wanted to lead her to safety, but he wasn’t sure of his direction. She trusted that the boy she’d known all her life had enough faith in her to find his place. “Trust me,” she said and he nodded. “We’re going to need Himu and we have to reach the main security station before the compound is overrun.” She pressed a finger on his chin and lifted his head to keep him from focusing on the blood on her shirt. “It only grazed me.” Her assurance was enough to refocus him. “Get Himu and Garret.”

  Rowan ran across the corridor while Mia waited for Agnes to catch up. The old woman took her time crossing the distance. A welt on her forehead hinted at a fall. She was on shaky legs and Jonah had to grab her to keep her from swaying.

  “Don’t wait for me,” she said.

  Mia hesitated before deciding that they couldn’t wait to see if Agnes was going to make it. Instead, she crouched down and edged toward the corner of the final create in the row. The corridor was in total pandemonium. The mass of combatants was growing, pushing farther into the main passage, down into the staircase on the opposite side and back into the storage area. Mia gave her last instruction to Jonah then started toward the fray.

  “Keep her moving.”

  Jonah was nodding his confirmation when Mia stepped out into the open. She held her gun out with both hands, imitating what she’d seen from the soldiers. They were two steps from the corridor when she had to put her weapon to use. Mia fired twice, landing one hit to the chest. The zombie stumbled and fell back then began to pick itself up off the ground, displaying a foul face, soiled with the blood of a fresh victim.

  Mia didn’t hesitate, rushing the creature as it attempted to steady itself. She pressed the barrel of her gun against the side of its head and pulled the trigger. The gunshot was lost in the sounds of the surrounding battle, but the result was no less impressive. Chunks of skull and brain matter washed across the crowd followed by a crimson mist.

  Mia moved past the corpse before the body hit the ground. She found Rowan running toward her around the side of the battle. They met at the far end of the passage with everyone in tow. Mia couldn’t hide the shock of her first close glimpse of Garret. She was compelled to lean in and hug him before he got a word out.

  “It’s not as bad as it looks,” he lied then managed a chuckle before breaking into a coughing fit.

  “This is Himu?” she asked as she shifted her attention. Rowan nodded. “Do you know anything about the compounds defense system?”

  He didn’t respond at first. His eyes slowly narrowed.

  “I’m only an assistant.”

  Mia didn’t have time to play a game with him. She pressed her gun up into his gut with enough force to lift him off the ground. He fell to his knees and glared up at her.

  “Oh, that defense system.”

  Mia continued, holding up his access card.

  “Can you set it off with this?”

  Himu caught his breath and his face hardened. He shook his head as he spoke.

  “We’ll all die,” he said matter-of-factly.

  Rowan’s stare slid from Himu’s face to Mia’s. He didn’t say anything, but she could see the concern in his eyes. Mia pulled on Himu’s arm and forced him to stand.

  “If you have a better idea, give it up now.” Himu managed a few unintelligible utterances before she pushed him forward. “I didn’t think so.”

  The group moved as fast as Garret’s slowing steps would allow. Agnes kept close to Mia guiding them on their ascent through a number of staircases to the highest levels of the hive. The alarm was silent although the red lights continued to flash in every room and down every passage. The sounds of combat followed them; the shrieking echoes reminding everyone of the price others were paying in the hope that Mia could bring it all to an end.

  A new round of firing forced them into the first in a series of small storage units. Mia stopped at an open door motioning everyone inside. Rowan paused across from her, watching a growing number of soldiers file in from the far end of the hall. The makeup of the grated floor and riveted walls hinted at the mechanical rooms lying ahead.

  “We won’t get down there in one piece,” he said.

  Mia was quietly thinking the same thing. The interior elevator Agnes set as their goal was now hopelessly out of reach. Mia didn’t want to admit it, but she was out of ideas. A quick scan of the storage unit offered little relief.

  “We’re going to get trapped if we stay here,” Rowan said. “We need to find another way out.”

  He headed for the doorway connecting to the adjacent unit. Jonah was already positioned at the side of the opening, Himu down beside him, with Garret doing his best to provide over watch. Mia took one last look at the advancing soldiers out in the hall before slipping into the storage unit and sliding the door shut behind her. Rowan reappeared a moment later with renewed hope in his voice.

  “I think I got something.”

  He led them through a pair of adjoining units, each growing increasingly tighter. An assortment of goods and supplies lined the walls up to the ceiling. A shoulder-width walkway was all that remained by the time they reached the third and final chamber. Light shined in from an opening in the sidewall, revealing the gargantuan cavity dotted with platforms all the way down to the tribal prison on the bottom level. Rowan was first to step out into the open and his expression told Mia what awaited.

  They all stood on a wide platform overlooking the seemingly endless drop down into the center of the immense cavern. The chamber rose up several levels above them. Mia scanned the countless platforms, some close to their position, and others on the opposite side of the chamber. Jonah’s voice cut through the dilemma.

  “There’s no stairs,” he said, leaning out from the railing. “There’s no way up or down.” The boy was of course correct; while stairs connected a number of the platforms, some several levels at a time, theirs was barren. “Great,” he muttered to himself then shoved Himu for good measure.

  Mia ignored her brother’s dismay, her eyes on the platform two levels above. Unlike the platform they’d found, the one above them was connected to several more by ascending stairs. Her mouth started moving before her mind caught up with it.

  “Rowan, lean up against the wall.” Rowan scrunched his face
as Mia slid her gun into her belt then pushed on him. “Face me.”

  She had one leg up on the railing and a hand on the top of his head before the others figured out what she was doing. Everyone moved at once when a gunshot instinctively forced them to the ground. Mia’s foot slipped as Rowan stepped away from the wall and he latched on to her waist a moment before she flipped over the side of the railing. A second shot sounded before anyone figured out where the blasts were coming from.

  Mia heard a scream before she knew Himu was hit. Rowan snatched the gun from her waist and spun around to face the opening to the storage unit. He pulled the trigger as a soldier popped through the doorway. The gun went off three times before the platform went silent. The soldier fell back, his chest covered in blood. Rowan pulled the trigger again, but nothing happened.

  “Are you hurt?”

  Mia patted herself across the chest for assurance. The pain in her side was familiar. She shook her head before she found the words. A groan from Himu told another story.

  “He’s hit.”

  “I hate you people,” Himu declared as he dabbed at the blood streaming from his hand. “I can’t move my fingers.”

  The round nearly cut his hand in two. Jonah ripped one of his sleeves off and tried to rap the material around the wound.

  “They’re coming,” Agnes said, pointing back at the storage unit.

  Mia slid forward on her hands and knees. She picked up the fallen soldier’s rifle and shoved it through the open doorway. She pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. Agnes leaned over her and tugged on a lever along the side of the weapon. The moment the lever engaged, the rifle fired. The end of the barrel rose up as it went off in quick succession. Agnes roared in Mia’s ear.

  “Stop.” She pulled the rifle away from her. “This is all we have to keep them from rushing in here.”

  Mia understood. They would only have one shot at this and it had to be now. Rowan was in tune with her, sliding back in place against the wall.

  “You first, get up on my shoulders,” he said. “Jonah can climb up next, using us as a ladder. Once he reaches the next platform, he’s strong enough to pull you up. We’ll go one at a time after that.”

  She was standing in front of him before she realized there was a problem.

  “How are you going to get up?” She cut him off before he could muster up a speech on sacrifice. “We’ll use the bags.”

  Jonah pulled at the large sacks of grain closest to the door. “We can tie them together,” he said, finishing her thought. He ripped the top off one and dumped the contents down through the grated platform.

  They emptied out a dozen in a short time. Agnes held still at her position near the door, refusing to give it up to Rowan. Mia tied the ends of the bags together as they were emptied, producing a length of material long enough to reach down from the higher platform. She secured one end of the newly constructed rope around Jonah’s waist then started for the railing. She had one foot up on the edge before she realized Rowan hadn’t moved.

  Garret had his back against one of the railing posts. Blood covered his chin, running from his mouth down onto his chest. Jonah knelt down next to him with Rowan on the opposite side. Jonah stole a glance over his shoulder at his sister before hiding his emotions.

  “It’s over,” Garret said. “I can’t move my legs.” He had a sudden spastic shake and Jonah grabbed him to keep him from falling over. “It burns.”

  Jonah slid his hand in his pocket and a flash of excitement came over him. “I have this.” He held up the syringe holding the mixture of Rowan’s blood and Dr. Olric’s concoction. “This will help him, right?” he asked Himu.

  He shook his head.

  “There’s no telling what it would do to him.”

  “But you said—”

  Himu cut him off.

  “It showed antibodies, that’s all.” He corrected himself. “Granted, it was more antibodies than I’ve ever seen, but that doesn’t mean…”

  Garret held his hand out. “Give it to me.” His face cleared as Jonah handed him the syringe. “It can’t hurt.” He slipped the cap off the needle with his teeth, thrust it into his leg and pressed down on the plunger until it was empty. He focused on Agnes. “Give me the gun.” He forced his eyes open as wide as his face would allow and spoke up to no one in particular. “Now get out of here while you can. I don’t know how long I can hold this off.”

  Agnes handed him the rifle, but no one else moved.

  “Go.”

  The shout caused Jonah to jump. Rowan squeezed Garret on the shoulder, but didn’t say goodbye. He pulled Mia with him as she tried to get Garret’s attention.

  “Let him go,” he said.

  Mia nodded, but it took another shove to get her moving again. Rowan was in place, his back against the wall and his hands cupped at his waist. He had to bark out orders to get Jonah to move.

  “Get ready, you’re next.”

  Mia slipped her foot into his hands and steadied herself. Rowan lifted and she pressed her hands against the wall as she rose up. Mia stepped onto his shoulders then gathered her balance before motioning for Jonah to go. Agnes glanced up from the doorway to follow Jonah as he began his climb when the sound of footsteps brought her full attention back to the entrance. She knew their time had run out.

  “They’re coming in.”

  Jonah grabbed Mia’s legs as he put one foot on the railing and the other in Rowan’s hands. The boy’s grip tightened around her ankles at the sound of Agnes’ alarm. He was up in front of Mia in one quick move, grabbing at her shoulders. Jonah had one knee in place when the shooting started. He wobbled at the sound of the first shot and the tremor was enough to pull Mia away from the wall.

  “Hold still,” Jonah cried. “I can’t hold on.” He threw his hands forward as Mia’s arms shot out on either side, trying to grab a hold of the wall.

  “Get up there,” she said.

  Jonah kept climbing as the shooting intensified. Garret fired a burst of rounds into the storage unit and the notification kept the soldiers from rushing the platform. The exchange was enough to get Agnes to move away from the opening. She wrapped her arms over her head and pressed in close to Rowan.

  Mia felt Jonah get his feet set and the pressure built on her shoulders as he stood straight up. She looked up between his legs and discovered that he was at least a foot short from the bottom of the platform above them. He pressed up onto his tiptoes and the move sent a shot of pain down her back. The result was obvious before he admitted it.

  “I can’t reach it.”

  “Keep trying,” she said. “There’s no going back.”

  He started to respond, but stopped before the words got out. Instead, he took a long look at the underside of the grated platform. Mia tried to think of words of encouragement, but he cut her off.

  “Hold on,” he said. “This is probably going to hurt.”

  Mia didn’t know what to expect, but she put the pieces together when he bent his legs. Jonah’s backside tapped her on top of the head before he sprang upward with enough force to fling Mia off the wall. She felt Rowan move beneath her, his grip tightening like a vice around her ankles. Rowan took three steps toward the railing before he had enough leverage to lean back. The result sent both him and Mia slamming into the wall. Mia smacked the back of her head against the concrete with enough force to daze her. She looked up through blurry eyes to find her brother dangling from the underside of the platform above them.

  “Let me down,” she said. Rowan complied and she was standing beside Agnes a moment later, all three looking up at Jonah. “Be careful.” She recognized the ridiculousness of her statement the moment she said it.

  Jonah held still, his eyes running along the bottom of the platform until finally he began to sway. He kept the motion going until he reached out and grabbed another handhold. He slid his fingers between the grates as he went, moving hand over hand. He was near the edge of the platform when Garret confirmed the linger
ing concern in the back of everyone’s mind.

  “I think they’re coming again.”

  No one had time to respond before a burst of rounds erupted from the darkened interior of the storage unit. Mia pressed herself against the railing, but her vantage point only provided a vague outline of several figures popping out from behind the remaining supply crates. It took her a moment to realize that Garret wasn’t firing back. She found him slumped over on his side, his eyes still open, but struggling to line up the barrel of his rifle on the doorway. Rowan took a step toward him when Mia reached out and pulled him back. His head snapped around as bullets whizzed by his face.

  “Keep going,” Garret said between clenched teeth. He jerked his arms forward and pulled the rifle up, firing into the unit.

  Mia looked up in time to see Jonah pull himself over the railing of the platform above. The crudely concocted rope dangled down over the cavernous drop as he tied it off to the corner post. He looked down at them and flashed thumbs up before turning his attention on the opening adjacent to the platform. Rowan didn’t waste any time, snatching the rope and handing it to Mia.

  “Climb.”

  Mia grabbed the end of the rope and started up. The firing continued all around her and she was sure she’d be shot at any moment. She never looked down, keeping her eyes focused on her brother who’d repositioned himself at the railing. Jonah grabbed her hand when she was within reach and together they got her up and over.

  Agnes and Himu started to climb before Mia reached the top. The siblings watched helplessly through the grates as the gunfire intensified. A soldier rushed out from the doorway with his weapon aimed directly at Rowan. Mia’s heart stopped beating until the soldier took a round in the neck and fell forward, but the relief was short lived. A burst of rounds lit up the storage unit behind him, several hitting Garret.

  Rowan grabbed the fallen soldier’s weapon, slung it over his shoulder and leapt over the railing, grabbing the rope midair. His momentum swung the rope far out beyond the platform, nearly flinging Agnes and Himu off in the process. Himu’s terrified shriek rose above the gunfire. Jonah and Mia were able to grab a hold of Agnes before her grip failed, but Himu was left to finish the climb on his own. Rowan was eye level with the platform a moment later, his fear rushing the adrenaline through his veins.