by R. Brewer
"Isaiah, it's me. All clear here." Jodie sat on a bench sawn from a large log and set the radio down next to her. She felt weary in a way that seemed insurmountable. How many people would have to die before this nightmare was over? She wanted to surrender, to give in to the idea of failure. Trying to regain her composure, Jodie instead started to feel a tugging from the back of her mind, a pull to retreat, to wrap herself in a ball, walled away from everyone and everything. The urge to let herself go to that place was so overwhelming, it scared her.
For a moment, she wondered if she could convince Gypsum to spare some lives if she traded her own. Yet, she knew that wasn’t possible because Gypsum couldn’t be trusted. If she was going to save her friends, she’d need to set her emotions aside again.
She stood and shook her head, trying to throw off the thoughts. Isaiah's voice called to her from somewhere in the distance and she looked up to see him standing in front of her, reaching out to grab her arm.
"Are you okay, Jodie?" Isaiah asked.
"Yeah," she lied as she sat back down on the log. "Please ask my dad to take Noah and Hunter for a walk. They shouldn't go in there."
Isaiah looked at Jodie, his eyes searching her face. He nodded, walked over to the SUV and talked to Jodie's dad and Noah for a brief moment, then returned and sat next to her.
"There are supplies in there, I take it?" Isaiah said.
"Yeah. Let's go load up and get out of here," Jodie said, noticing the look of concern building on Isaiah's face. "Don't worry. I haven't cracked up yet."
"Good to know,” he said, reaching over and squeezing her hand. “Let's go see what we can find."
About twenty minutes later, the SUV was loaded with all the gear and food they could carry. Isaiah detached a spare gas tank from a jeep sitting in back of the old house. Once it was loose, he shook it. "We've got about three quarters of a tank and maybe four or five gallons in this jug. We'll have to scavenge if we don't want to walk."
"Okay, let's hit the road," Jodie said.
She watched her father helping Noah pack up Hunter's bowl and food. Their relationship seemed so easy. She felt herself wondering what her life would have been like if her parents hadn't abandoned her as a child. Jodie knew her father had stayed away from her for years to protect her from finding out what Gypsum had planned for the planet. But, in the end, nothing worked out the way her father intended. She wasn't protected from seeing her best friend lying dead on the floor. She wasn't shielded from knowing her mother was a mass murderer. And, none of them were safe now.
Knowing she wouldn't sleep, she took the keys from Isaiah. "I'll take it for awhile. Why don't you see if you can get some rest?"
"You're sure?" Isaiah said, his expression a mixture of concern and relief.
"Yeah. You know I'm wired," Jodie said, thinking she might never get a good night's sleep again. "If I see anything worth stopping for, I'll let you know."
Once they were on their way, Jodie turned the radio on. Static greeted her. She pushed buttons, finding someone had left a CD in the slot. She pushed the eject button and read the name of the band. “Anybody know them?”
"I do. They're really cool," Noah said.
Jodie glanced at him in the rearview mirror, seeing his face brighten just a bit. A little music might take their minds off of the events of the day. Jodie pushed the CD in. "If you say they're cool, they must be. Let's give it a whirl."
They'd ushered Hunter to the far back, into the cargo area. Isaiah sat in the back seat, with Noah next to him, eating snacks they’d procured from the outfitter’s store. Noah laughed, watching Hunter attempting to chew through some especially tough beef jerky. Her father dozed off in the front seat and, for a while, no one talked. Jodie was glad to let the music occupy her thoughts.
Her father woke as they made the transition from forest road to pavement. He yawned loudly as he brought out the map. "Okay, my dear. Shall we map our journey?"
Jodie laughed. His formality, although seeming so out of place, still fit him so well. "Yes, Dad. Remember, not too much pavement, okay?"
* * *
As they traveled, Jodie noticed the world looked dark everywhere. Power plants and portions of the power grid had been destroyed during the earthquakes, resulting in spotty surges of electricity to outlying areas. Much of what they’d seen in California and Nevada flickered on and off at night like a defective light bulb. A sustained glow emanated from fires in the more populated areas. The first few hours, Jodie jumped as the shock waves from explosions came at them, one after another, the result of built-up natural gas from ruptured underground lines pouring into abandoned houses and businesses. It seemed as if the whole world was on fire, at times.
A few hours before dawn, they pulled under the cover of the trees, taking care to shield the vehicles with camouflage tarps they'd taken from the outfitters' store. They cooked their meals for the day under the cover of darkness, careful to extinguish their campfire before dawn so that the smoke wouldn't reveal their location. They rested during the day and planned the route to minimize fuel consumption.
When darkness came once more, they would have to head into town, sure to be a dangerous place during the daylight. Their gas reserves were running low and the need to refuel defined their path for the time being. If Gypsum was waiting anywhere, it was sure to be near gas stations. Jodie knew they would need to be very careful.
Back on the road at night, Jodie drove slowly to avoid the torn asphalt. Many of the vacation homes they passed were abandoned, not because of damage, but because their occupants were dead now, buried in an undersea tomb that was once San Francisco. Or, perhaps they had been evacuated by Gypsum. Whatever the reason for the lack of people, Jodie found it unnerving. She could tell the quiet was getting to her father as well.
"It's strange, driving into darkness like this, isn't it, Dad?" Jodie said.
"Yes, but better than being spotted by a satellite," her father said, glancing up at the star-filled sky. “You know, I really don't think Gypsum's out here. Why would they waste the energy? They know we're coming to them."
Jodie mulled over her thoughts for a moment, wondering whether or not to tell her father what she was thinking. She decided to get it off her chest. "Dad, I have to say something that’s been on my mind for a while now.” She hesitated, seeing the look on his face showing anxiety. “Why didn't you tell me about Mom? And Gypsum? Why keep that a secret when I could've helped you?" Jodie could feel her mouth getting drier with each word, feeling like she literally had to spit out the last few syllables. She heard her father let out a long sigh.
"I didn't want you to know what your mother had become. I wanted you to have the memories I have of her as a younger, happy woman. She loved you so much when you were a child. She loved me, too, I know she did. But, she changed so abruptly, I had no idea who she was anymore. It was like something evil consumed her. I can't explain it, Jodie, but I didn't want you to know. I realize now that I didn't handle anything the way I should've, but I didn't know what to do. I thought I was protecting you."
Jodie noticed her father's voice changing from sad to bitter.
"Gypsum was so big and so connected," her father said, his hands now balled into fists. "I had no idea what they were doing until your mother told me, one night. I could tell she was scared. I got the feeling she wanted out, but was afraid."
"Why didn't you help her get out?" Jodie said, finding herself unable to do anything other than place blame.
"I tried. For years. Finally, she left me and cut me out of her life. For some reason, Gypsum kept me on as a consultant and I was able to move rather freely through their network. I never understood why she allowed that. I still don't."
"Dad, you don't think she really wanted to sabotage their plan, do you?" Jodie asked. She wanted to believe there was more to the story, more of a reason to compel her mother to become part of such a heinous plan.
"I did at first. She changed so much . . . became, I don’t know, harden
ed or something, toward the end that I didn't get the sense she cared about anything." Her father's voice quavered. "I'm sorry. You're right. I should have told you. Maybe you could've saved her, too."
Jodie glanced over at her father, seeing his jaw clenched. She remembered her mother’s last moments, the gun in her father's hand going off, the blood spraying from her mother’s chest, and her father’s despondency. She realized he had still loved her mother when he’d ended her life. As she let that realization into her mind, Jodie’s bitterness over the past gradually softened into a deep sadness. “What a waste,” she muttered.
“What’s that?” her father asked.
“I said, what a waste. She threw away her life and yours and the lives of all those people she held captive underground. I don’t blame you, Dad. I’m sorry I made it seem that way. I realize you had horrible decisions to make.”
Her father rubbed his eyes. “Thank you for saying that,” he said, shifting his gaze out the passenger window.
“I’m so happy you’re with us. I hope you know that. I’ve missed you for a long, long time,” Jodie said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. “Let’s make the best of what we have now, okay?”
“You bet we will. Let’s get this done,” her father said, continuing to keep his face hidden from her view.
"I'm hoping the cabin is still in one piece. I realized how much I love that place when I went back there. It would be nice if you'd come and stay . . . once we get done with all this, that is."
“I'd like that," her father said, quickly wiping his eyes. "Remember that old sailboat of yours?”
“Yeah. Of course I do. Whatever happened to it?” Sailing with her father was one of her favorite memories from her early childhood.
“I still have it. I had it restored. It’s ready to go whenever you are.”
“You had it restored?” Jodie was starting to realize the depth of her father’s feelings for her.
“Yeah. It’s a classic now. But, then again, I guess maybe I'm a classic, too," he said.
Jodie watched a smile creep across his face. "We've all gotten older," she said. "As soon as we’re done here, sailing will be first on my list of things to do.” Jodie felt a sudden sadness tugging at her, knowing they might not live through their next encounter with Gypsum. She knew her father must have the same feeling.
“That sounds great,” he said.
Chapter 5
Mei woke to a loud noise. She didn’t know where she was or why her head hurt so bad. All she knew was that she was scared. Her eyes begged to stay closed, but she forced them open ever so slightly. Nick lay on the floor next to her, his battered and bloody head in Christy’s lap. Bonnie and Fester cringed against the wall behind them.
“Okay, everybody out,” a man's voice called from the back of the truck.
Mei watched from the floor as Christy helped Nick stand up. She could see that the truck was backed up to a loading dock inside of a garage. Bonnie and Fester stood behind Christy, holding onto each other. Once Nick was standing on his own, Christy bent down and shook Mei’s shoulder. “Come on, honey. We need to get up.”
Mei knew what Christy meant, but her body would not comply. She let her eyes close completely again, comforted by the darkness. Moments later, she felt her body being lifted and carried. She couldn’t bring herself to move, no matter how hard she tried and wished she knew what was happening to her. The noise of a bell sounded and the force of the elevator slightly lifted her body, making her feel like they were going down very fast. She remembered Gypsum and the underground installation and realized they were probably going to be locked up again, but she didn’t care.
“Please, she needs a doctor. She’s hurt bad. Can’t you see that?” a woman said.
It took a moment for Mei to realize the voice must be Christy’s. She wanted to thank her, but couldn’t. A kind of numbness had gripped her face and was creeping down her spine. Mei realized she couldn’t feel anything in her hands or legs anymore. It was as if her mind had abandoned her body.
She thought of her friend Leah, who was in so much pain when she died. Mei wanted to let go and join her, but a fuzzy picture appeared in her mind. Gradually, it came into focus. Jodie’s face. Jodie’s voice calling to her. Telling her not to give up. Pleading with her not to leave. The bell sounded again and Mei heard the elevator doors open. They moved into a hallway and walked to a room, where whoever was carrying her laid her on the floor.
“Take them to the med room,” a man said. She recognized the voice and felt her jaws clench. It was David Martin.
Mei forced her eyes open and looked upward, seeing Nick's face the color of a red ball of fire as he lunged toward David Martin. Mei could tell Nick was intent on doing the man serious harm. She let her mind formulate a thought based on the deep hatred she felt for all the Gypsum people. Whatever horrible things Nick didn't inflict upon this man, she would finish when she got the chance. She promised herself, if she were to come to an end, she would end David Martin's life first. Before she allowed herself to die, she'd make him suffer as much as she was right now.
Christy lunged forward and was about to join in on the attack on David when Nick was shoved to the ground by the Gypsum guards.
"Try that again, and I won't hesitate," the guard said, holding an automatic weapon against the side of Nick's head.
"Get them to medical. All of them," David Martin shouted at the guards. "Get a gurney for that woman."
The guards made no attempt to comply. For a moment, Mei thought they might all be killed.
"I said now," David Martin said. "Or do you all want your names taken off the next transport list?"
One of the guards left the room momentarily, returning with a gurney. They approached her and slid her onto a backboard. Mei could see David staring at her. She thought she saw something in his expression she hadn't noticed before. Something showing remorse, some little bit of hope. It faded as he turned on his heels and walked out of the room.
"Come on, Nick. Let's go and see if they can fix you up before you get into more trouble," Christy said. She reached down and pushed the barrel of the gun pointed at Nick to the side. "He said, go to medical. We can't very well do that with that thing pointed at his head, can we?"
The Gypsum guard slowly lowered his rifle. "That's okay. We'll have time later. Don't you worry," he said, his mouth opening slightly while he leered at Christy.
Nick struggled to his feet as the Gypsum guard reached out and slowly stroked the side of Christy's face.
Christy narrowed her eyes at him, her lips pulling back into a grimace. "You know, if we're ever left alone, I'll do things to you that you've never dreamed of," Christy said. "Even in your worst nightmares." She turned and held Nick back. "Don't worry about him. Let's go. Mei needs help right now."
* * *
Chuck Wending walked down the hallway toward the noise he'd heard earlier and kicked an overturned wastebasket, flattening it against the wall. He was frustrated and angry. Very, very angry. Frustrated that he hadn’t been there to protect Bob and because he had no idea where Jodie was. Angry because of what Gypsum tried to do to all of them, angry because he’d turned into this thing. A machine. A metal giant. A mutant. He reached out and casually put his fist six inches into the solid rock lining the hallway, sending a spray of stone skittering across the floor.
The noises he'd heard earlier mimicked what his own voice had become. Mechanical, insect-like, powerful, unfamiliar. Maybe this same thing had happened to other people. Maybe someone knew how to cure it. He walked on, feeling an odd vibration in his feet. Something was pounding up ahead. The sound of pounding on metal grew louder with each step Chuck took. He neared the end of a hallway and turned the corner into the next. Ahead of him, two large metal door panels blocked the corridor. He could see them vibrating in the dim blue light. Voices called out from behind the metal wall.
“Who’s there?” Chuck screamed.
The pounding sound ceased and, for a mome
nt, an eerie stillness settled in. Suddenly, a piercing scream rang out. Chuck staggered back against the wall. Another scream added to the first, each moment joined by yet another wailing shriek. The doors began to vibrate from the sound waves.
Chuck realized he was terrified. The pounding started back up again, lightly at first, then so intense that the metal panels started to move, one inch at a time. Chuck could see the frame of the door begin to buckle, the rivets holding it in place bending and popping.
He looked for place to hide. Seeing a vent shaft above him, he ran back down the hall, finally coming to an access panel. He leapt up on the ladder leading to the panel, swung the door open with one hand, and pulled himself into the vent with the other. Once he was safely inside the vent, he yanked the ladder from the wall and pulled it up with him.
As he closed the access panel, Chuck could hear metal tearing and the security panels collapsing, hitting the floor with a heavy thud, followed by footsteps. Thousands of feet clattered against the floor and walls, the sound deafening as the things below him passed by, screaming and grunting. The sound of the thrashing horde echoed in the vent. The smell wafting up from below was fetid. For the first time since he ran out of Three Musketeers, Chuck lost his appetite.
He waited in the vent for what felt like hours. Chuck knew he was strong, but also knew he was no match for so many of the things that were milling in the hallway beneath him. He didn't dare move because any noise he made would likely give away his position.
