The Berne Apocalypse (Book 1): Jacob's Odyssey

by Russ Melrose

  Raj got out of the car smiling as if we were on some kind of fun outing. He looked ridiculous in his new getup, but no one was laughing or giggling today. Raj had spindly legs and the shorts swamped his skinny thighs. He had used the braided belt to tighten his new shorts and the belt's tongue hung halfway down his thigh. He was wearing the Def Lepard t-shirt and the Jazz cap and seemed pleased with his new ensemble.

  Sarah was quiet and serious. She wore the same shorts and tie-dye shirt as yesterday. She had a yellow baseball cap with St. Mark's stenciled on it in midnight blue. Becky hovered near her mother and kept looking all around her as if she were on a foreign planet. Her eyes were big and she nervously scratched at her upper arm. I couldn't quite tell if she was frightened or excited or both.

  They all seemed to become aware of the sounds of the infected at the same time. They suddenly stiffened and their eyes grew wide. The ever-persistent moans wafted through the still air like the low whining drone of a distant airplane's motor. I suppose I had become used to it. The sounds bounced off the cement walls of the underpass. The moans were louder than normal, but I attributed it to the sound chamber effect of the underpass.

  Sarah and Raj looked around in every direction trying to determine where the sounds might be coming from. But it was a fool's errand. I'd learned that lesson early on. The sounds of the infected came from virtually every direction and they never seemed to stop.

  Sarah and Raj turned their attention to the jumble of cars that packed the freeway entrance and the Wasatch Boulevard intersection. Even though I'd told them about it, it must have been eerie for them to see it first hand. As luck would have it, there was little stench here. It seemed most of the motorists had escaped. The cars weren't as tightly packed here as they had been on 39th South. While they were mostly bumper to bumper, there appeared to be space between the lanes of cars. A number of car doors had been left wide open as they had apparently abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot.

  Raj and Sarah were mesmerized by the scene, Becky too. I had to wave my hand in front of them to get their attention. Then I pointed to the backpacks. They silently slipped them on and looked to me. Even Sarah seemed to be looking to me for guidance. They may have been a bit disoriented by what they were hearing and seeing, but they knew what to expect. I'd told them the previous night that we'd use the stranded cars as camouflage as we made our way to Wasatch Boulevard and beyond into the neighborhoods.

  I motioned for them to stay put while I went to scout things out. I left my backpack but took the binoculars. I needed to find a route through the cars and I wanted to check out the Olympus Hills Shopping Center area on 39th South and Wasatch. 39th South was less than a block and a half away, and I was apprehensive about how many infected might have been drawn to the mall area because of last night's gunshots and the loud car crash.

  The moment I stepped outside the cement canopy of the underpass, I could hear their moans clearly. And even though their moans were the soft, mumbling moans you heard when there was no prey in sight, they were like a thunderous murmuring.

  The sounds came from the shopping mall area. I took a deep breath and ignored the panicky feeling rising within me. I needed to stay focused and not let the sounds get to me. As long as they didn't hear us or see us, we'd be fine.

  I studied the on-ramp for a minute to make sure there weren't any infected there, and it was clear. As I suspected, a number of cars had tried to use the freeway entrance as an exit. There was just one lane at the base of the freeway entrance all the way up the on-ramp to the freeway with walls on both sides. About two-thirds of the way up, several cars had stubbornly met head-on and were wedged together.

  At the foot of the on-ramp were three lines of vehicles trying to cram their way into the single lane ramp. The three lines of cars funneled orderly into two lanes till they ran into the cars trying to use the ramp as an exit. At that point there was nowhere to go.

  In the nearest lane at the base of the on-ramp, a black Honda Civic had both doors opened in the front. Boxes of food were packed on the back seat along with a large cooler. A stale smell of rotted food emanated from the boxes, but it wasn't too bad. If the doors had been closed, it would have been unbearable.

  I crawled through the front seats and got out on the passenger side. There was a clear path between the two lanes of cars. There were a few opened doors and I had to work my way around them. I knew I'd need to get close to the intersection to have a clear view of the Olympus Hills Shopping Center.

  I moved as quickly as I could and made sure to keep myself below the window level of the cars.

  All the cars coming from the intersection were headed west toward the freeway entrance as if Upland were a one-way street. Several cars in the intersection had smashed into one another trying to squeeze their way into the three lanes leading to the freeway entrance. It was a mess. Cars were backed up a block or more in each direction from the intersection, all trying to funnel onto Upland Drive and the freeway.

  Going through the intersection wasn't an option. The cars were crammed too close together. The easiest route for us would be to walk to the north around the backed up cars on Wasatch and then come back on the other side of the street to Upland where we could head up into the neighborhoods. There appeared to be enough open car doors in the two lanes to my left to get us through.

  I stopped two cars from the intersection. I lifted the binoculars up to my eyes and raised myself just above the level of the door to get a view of the intersection at 39th and Wasatch. I couldn't believe what I saw. On the other side of the intersection at 39th South, Wasatch Boulevard was teeming with the infected. They stumbled awkwardly around the tangle of cars and bumped into one another. There were hundreds of them. And maybe a lot more since I couldn't see the main parking lot that served Dan's and the other businesses there. My view was blocked by the buildings located on the corner of the intersection. For all I knew, there could be a thousand or more infected in the main parking lot.

  I couldn't help but wonder what I'd gotten them into. I'd never seen this many infected in one place at the same time, and I thought it might be best if we turned back. It wasn't too late. We could go back to Sarah's and I could find them enough food to last a while.

  Then something out of place caught my eye—a slight incongruity. Amidst the crush of smashed up cars and the flurry of movements at the mall, an angular figure stood perfectly still in the middle of the intersection. He stared up 39th South as it rose up the mountainside and snaked to the right. He was taller than most of them. And while the other infected milled about mindlessly, the Swimmer appeared to be lost in his thoughts.

  He must have thought the gunshots at the shopping center last night had come from me. It was the explanation that made the most sense. Since he'd heard the gunshots at the Josephsons' home earlier in the evening, he probably tied the two shootings together and linked them to me. I had no doubt the Swimmer had cognitive abilities. But to what degree I wasn't sure.

  Did he imagine I had been in the car that crashed last night? Did he think I'd escaped? Whatever he was thinking, he suddenly seemed to make up his mind and he headed up through the intersection toward the neighborhoods. Above Wasatch, 39th South became Jupiter Drive. He maneuvered around the cars in the intersection, his movements smooth and athletic. Once he was clear of the cars and had reached the side of the street, he began to lengthen his strides and move with a purpose. A handful of the infected began to follow him up the hill.

  I hustled back to the underpass feeling edgy. The three of them were kneeling down, huddled near the back bumper of Raj's car waiting for me. Before I reached them, I could see the infected we'd spotted earlier had made their way onto Upland Drive. They trundled toward the underpass, maybe twenty of them. One of them was a half block in front of the others. A runner. He ran like an old man whose balance and coordination had left him long ago. Still, he was two blocks away and closing. The others were spread out randomly across the street, and more of them
were spilling onto Upland Drive. Too many of them. Going back to the cozy confines of Sarah's house was no longer an option.

  Everything was happening at an accelerated pace, and even though we were out in the open, I was beginning to feel claustrophobic. My mouth was dry and I could literally feel the blood draining from my face. But it wasn't from the infected closing in on us or the Swimmer heading up into the East Bench that was rattling my nerves. Certainly they played a part, but what really had me unnerved was knowing I was responsible for the three of them, responsible for their safety. And now we were cut off from a possible return to Sarah's.

  I was afraid of making the wrong call and getting them killed. I had to settle myself down. They were waiting on me. I looked back at the intersection as if I were mulling over our options, and I grabbed my backpack off the ground and slipped quickly into it. I could feel the heft of the gun in my backpack and it gave me some comfort.

  I took a breath and exhaled through a reed thin slit in my lips and almost whistled. I rubbed my chin thoughtfully as if I were thinking things out, but I really just needed a moment to collect myself.

  If I were alone, I knew I would have been okay. I would have still been nervous, but I would have figured out what to do and I would have done it. Alone, I could have moved faster and without being noticed. But I wasn't alone, and they were counting on me. I had put them in harm's way out of a selfish notion that helping them might in some way help to alleviate the guilt I felt over Alex.

  The infected man out ahead of the pack was nearing Skyline High now, getting closer by the moment. I had to come up with a plan. If I could come up with a plan for myself, I could come up with a plan for the four of us. I just needed to think clearly and logically.

  I suspected it was no accident that Sarah had gathered them by the back of the car where Raj and Becky couldn't see the infected coming. Sarah knew they were coming. Raj and Becky had their backs to the trunk of the car with Sarah facing them. They had no clue what was happening and that was for the best. Sarah looked up at me with dark, steady eyes.

  And then it dawned on me that there was no real decision to be made here, going forward was the only option. I steadied myself and knelt down next to Sarah. The one thing I knew for sure was that if we could get up into the neighborhoods, we'd be in good shape. We could disappear into someone's backyard. And I reminded myself that neither the infected coming up from Upland Drive nor the infected at Olympus Hills could catch us. We could always run if we had to. Thinking logically helped calm me down. The only possible problem would be if they managed to corner us or pin us down, and I wouldn't let that happen. As for the Swimmer, if he happened to find us, I would use the gun. I knew he would kill us if I didn't.

  I motioned for the three of them to come closer. Our faces were only inches apart. I knew I had to break my no talking rule. Raj's face was intense and focused, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Becky was still wide-eyed as if she were witnessing something surreal and spooky. Sarah was steely and focused, and she kept her attention on Becky, reassuring her with the same steady look she'd given me a few moments earlier.

  I spoke to them at a measured pace. "We have to move quickly and quietly," I told them. I spoke in a gossamer-thin whisper. "We have to be quiet because there's a group of them at the shopping mall. And we can't let them see us, so we have to make sure to bend down below the window level of the cars. We have to stay low. Okay?"

  I looked at each of them and waited for them to signal me that they understood. They all nodded. "Good. We'll crawl through the front seats of the black Honda over there." And I turned and pointed the car out to them. "Once we're through the car, there'll be a couple more cars we'll have to crawl through. Then we'll walk north on Wasatch about a block and cross the street there. Then we'll come back to Upland on the other side of the intersection. Do not look toward the mall." I paused for a moment and gave Raj and Becky a stern look. "If you try to look at them, they'll have a chance to see you," I told them. "The most important thing is to follow me and move quickly. And keep your eyes to the front at all times."

  I opened the small pouch of my backpack and took out a baggie with two nose clips. I handed one to Becky and she gave me a strange look. I smiled at her. "The car over there is a little smelly, Becky," I told her, making a face. "And we'll be crawling through a couple other cars. So use the nose clips till we get through the cars. Then you can take them off."

  She shrugged and put them on. I offered the other pair to Sarah and Raj, but they declined.

  "Raj, you follow me. Stay close and make sure to keep down. Becky, you'll follow Raj. And your mom will be right behind you. Everyone clear?" They all nodded again. "All right then," I told them. "Let's go."

  They followed me to the Honda. I went through first. Raj moved through easily, Becky too. Sarah eased her way through and then we headed up the two lanes of cars as quickly as possible. I kept looking back to make sure everyone was low enough to avoid being seen. Raj's eyes were wide as could be. I assumed he was reacting to the intensity of the moans coming from the mall area. They easily drowned out the moans coming from the infected on Upland.

  Halfway to the intersection, we crawled through a dusty Ford Focus. We needed to get through one more car in the next lane to get to the side of the road. From there, it would be easy. It would be clear to the intersection, then we'd take a left down Wasatch Boulevard till we came to the end of the backed up lines of cars.

  The cars were more tightly packed together between the last two lanes. There were only about twenty inches between the cars, barely enough room to squeeze by. Raj had the most trouble. He was skinny as could be, but he had wide shoulders. He had to angle his shoulders to get by the cars. I decided we would take the first car that had open doors. It was a blue pearl Subaru Impreza, filthy and dusty like the rest of them. I carefully pushed the door as close to closed as possible so we could all get past the door. The car door didn't make a peep. Once we were past, Sarah opened the door as far as she could. There wasn't much more than a foot of clearance. We had to slide sideways through the narrow opening. Sarah went through first and we handed her the backpacks. Then she helped Becky get through and Raj followed. I went through last.

  Everyone seemed happy to be through the last car. I hustled toward the intersection and waved my hand for them to follow. After a few moments, I turned to make sure they were staying low. Raj nodded. I glanced past him but couldn't see the runner. Upland rose sharply once we'd gone past the underpass and my view was blocked. But I wasn't too worried. I knew he'd likely have trouble maneuvering his way past all the cars, and we'd been making good time.

  We made our way to the intersection and turned left on Wasatch. Becky took the nose clips off and slipped them in her pocket. We walked up the side of the road, keeping low and keeping close to the cars for cover. Ahead of us, Wasatch Boulevard stretched out toward the light at 33rd South. I was never too concerned about there being infected in this area. There were mostly businesses here.

  I could feel the sun baking my arms and knew the others would be feeling it too. Per my instructions, they all wore caps and sun block. I checked my watch and it was ten to eleven. The air conditioning units would likely be switching on soon if they hadn't already come on.

  I was hoping once we got up into the East Bench neighborhoods, we'd travel a couple blocks before settling in somewhere. If we could do that, it would leave about eight blocks to get to 45th South and Wasatch. I figured we could get there in a day or two.

  We crossed Wasatch after we passed the end of the backed up cars, then headed back toward the intersection. We were only a block away now. We kept our heads down and walked quickly, hugging as close to the cars as we could. I was beginning to feel confident everything would work out okay. When I looked back to check on them, Raj flashed his trademark smile and nodded. He was adjusting nicely. Sarah and Becky seemed to be doing well too. They seemed much more relaxed than when we first started.

  Halfwa
y to the intersection, I thought I heard a rasping sound close by. I knew it wasn't the infected man from Upland. This was too close to be him. The hair on my arms stood up and I froze in my tracks. It could have just been my imagination. It was hard to distinguish local noises from the persistent drone of moans coming from the mall area. I glanced in every direction but saw nothing. Just in case, I reached back and grabbed the bat's handle and listened more intently.

  Then I heard a frightened groan behind me. I turned and drew the bat from my backpack, my senses on fire. A slender dirty-gray arm had emerged from under a car. It had blackish cord-like veins and its bony hand had found Raj's ankle. Becky screamed and her high-pitched wail split the air. Sarah grabbed Becky and pulled her back. Raj groaned hysterically, and he leaned back, desperately trying to pull his foot from the hand's grasp, but he fell backwards instead and landed hard on his butt. A second thin arm and a man's scraggly head emerged from under the vehicle. He made a sickening liquidy rasping sound like a death rattle. He dragged himself with determined resolve toward Raj, ignoring the rest of us. I brought the bat down as hard as I could with an ax-like swing on the infected man's wrist. The bone cracked with a clear distinct sound as if it were made of porcelain. But he didn't let go. He moved with a fierce urgency toward Raj's leg, dragging himself forward with his free forearm. He was no more than a foot away now, his eyes wild with excitement. Raj wailed and tried to shake his foot free. I hesitated for a moment, then brought the bat down with everything I had on the man's head. I didn't hold anything back. And then he stopped and it was over.

  Raj was in shock, murmuring incoherently to himself, staring at the infected man's hand and fingers that were still wrapped around his new mini-crew socks. He meekly tried to tug his foot away from the dead, infected man's grip but to no avail. The mumbling moans from the mall area had turned into a crescendo of excitement in the few seconds it took for everything to unfold. I took a breath and tried to think. Sarah held Becky tight against her body.