At least there was some good news. Trees had started to sprout up around us, almost like a miracle. One minute you’re driving through the flat scrub brush that borders the desert and the next you’re in a full-fledged forest. I’d never been more thankful to see trees in my entire life. Without them we had zero shot of escaping, with them we might just get out of this mess.
Holly must have been thinking the same thing, because she stared at the trees like they were a lifeline. Those very pines might be the only thing between her and a reunion with Director Chen. I watched her for a few more seconds, wishing there was something I could do to ease her tension; but we were right in the middle of shit creek, and we only had the one paddle.
Keeping the top-heavy Bronco on the road was taking most of my attention. Everything was fine until a gust of wind hit us, and then the shimmy we’d been doing turned into more of shake, forcing me to slow down just a bit. The spotlight overhead drifted closer as they started to catch up with us. The Bronco’s shimmy settled, and I started to push the speed back up. I almost felt like a bomb-tech with a device in his hands that starts ticking. Was it going to be the next gust of wind that sent us tipping over, or was the chopper finally going to catch us? Neither outcome looked good.
The spotlight finally edged over the back window of the Bronco, and a few seconds later we were driving in a perfect circle of light. The rest of the freeway might as well have not existed. I couldn’t see outside of our little circle to save my life. Afraid we might finally run into something or that they were herding us into a trap, I was forced to slow down. Reducing our speed let me see enough of the road to know we weren’t going to crash.
Holly looked up at the roof of the car and slowly shook her head. “Guess we’re going to have to make a run for it.” Now that the chopper caught us she looked calm. Battle did that to some people. Something about being in the moment flooded them with a sense of serenity, freeing them to just act.
I wished I had that problem. Battle only made me feel like I had to go the bathroom. You know the kind of feeling when you’re driving home from work and your stomach clenches letting you know you have about thirty seconds before it explodes. That’s how I felt in a fight, every, goddamned, time. “I’m just going to keep driving until they say something or start shooting.” My stomach wasn’t on high alert yet, so I had the feeling we’d be fine.
“If they were going to shoot they would have done it already. Smart money says they’ll try talking to us first.”
I pretended to think about it. “Talking before shooting seems like a novel concept, but we haven’t exactly run into the best of humanity yet. So I’m going to play the party pooper and say bullets first.”
“Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?” Holly snarked.
If we didn’t succeed, money wasn’t going to be worth much anyway. “How much do you want to wager?”
“I was thinking more of a prize. If you win, I’ll lug the AR and the giant ammo bag.”
That wasn’t so bad. At least I wasn’t going to have to cook. “And if I lose?”
“Same deal, just in reverse.” Holly watched me, her eyes roving over my face wondering if I would man up.
“Then I accept.”
Holly’s face scrunched in anticipation. “This is going to be so good.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “What is?”
“When I’m right.” Holly beamed from ear to ear.
“I wonder what sound a loser makes, and if they might even have to do the loser dance.” Holly was kicking my ass at everything, and despite how much I didn’t want the bullets to start flying, right now I was hoping someone would squeeze off a few warning rounds. Still, part of me knew she was right. Why did I always try to win and then end up sticking my foot in my mouth? Of course they were going to try and talk to us. This was America. We don’t shoot people without saying hello first.
I kept the Bronco moving forward, watching as the angle of the helicopter’s light continued to change. Soon the chopper was directly overhead. If they were going to make a move, it would soon. Part of me was groaning inside knowing that Holly had already won. Next time I’d get her, though. No one pulled one over on me twice.
The Bronco kept trundling forward despite my fears that any second we were going to smash into some debris they dropped on the road. The trees to either side of the freeway were starting to grow closer together. There wasn’t a full canopy yet, but it might be enough; it had to be enough. Once we were in the trees, we could hoof it to Camp Verde and steal another car.
Holly put some kind of pack over her shoulder before handing me one that looked about the same. The thing looked like some kind of bandolier or maybe a money belt. There were pockets on it, and it was meant to be worn over one shoulder and under the other. I watched as Holly situated her pack so the pouches were in front. It made sense. If you put on one of the larger packs it would just grind the pouches into your back.
Holly finished adjusting her own pack and then took the wheel. “Just some ammo for the Desert Eagle and a few MREs.”
“Holy shit, did you just make me a mini go bag?”
“I guess I kind of did. My advice, don’t ever take it off.”
“Sounds like something someone says about a wedding ring.”
Holly snickered. “This is more important. It might actually save your life.”
“You never know, a good man might just save yours.” Oh shit, did I actually just say that. Now I had to act quickly and cover it up. “On the plus side, if you ever get out of super soldiering you could always start a line of warrior accessories.” I fingered the strap of the bag. “You know, different colors and stuff.”
“Asshole,” Holly quipped, but I saw the slightest flush to her cheeks.
There was no way to tell if she was embarrassed or if she liked what I said. The smart move was to let it drop for now, so we could focus on what we needed to do next, but I couldn’t let it drop. “I’m serious, you could get different colored zippers and buckles and stuff, people would love it.”
Holly snickered. “Sure, as soon as I save the world I’ll abandon science and become a fashionista.”
“I didn’t say it was a good plan.” I took the wheel back from Holly and then turned toward her so she could see my chest. “In all honesty, though, you have to admit I totally look like James Bond right now.” She laughed, and that was exactly what I’d been going for. I was about to throw out a magical line that would have surely lured Holly into my romantic web when the loudspeaker above us crackled, signaling the end to our witty banter and firmly placing me on the losing side of our wager.
The speaker crackled again, and this time a voice followed it. “Pull the vehicle to the side of the road. Once you have parked, remain inside the vehicle.”
I looked over at Holly, and she stared back at me, eyes wide. Turning for a moment, she scanned the area around us and then shook her head. If she didn’t think we could get away yet, then we probably couldn’t. Somewhere along the way I’d learned to trust Holly’s instincts. So instead of pulling to the side of the road, I rolled down my window and extended my hand in the universal gesture of friendship.
Ok, so maybe the middle finger wasn’t the universal signal for friendship, but it earned me another laugh from Holly as I punched the gas.
“You know if they start shooting now you still don’t win, right?”
All I could do was grin back at Holly like a madman.
The voice boomed down at us with commanding authority. “We have been authorized to use force. Pull the vehicle to the side of the road, and await further instructions.”
Holly still didn’t look satisfied with our situation so instead of pulling over I floored the gas. We burst out of the spotlight, and for a few glorious seconds I could see the road again. Then white light engulfed us as I rolled up my window. Unless they started shooting now, we’d get a few more miles in before we had to stop.
The speaker crack
led to life. “You have five seconds to comply with our demand. Pull over and await further instructions.”
Well, that didn’t sound very promising. I counted the seconds off in my head waiting to see what they were going to do. Depending on what kind of hardware they had on the helicopter, our Bronco was a goner if they decided to fill it with holes. Large metal slugs punching holes through the vehicle also wouldn’t be the best scenario for the two people sitting inside of it. The game of chicken probably wasn’t worth the risk. I glanced at Holly, and she gave me a grim nod.
The helicopter accelerated and then banked in front of us. A man leaned out of the side, and I heard the shots over the roar of the blades. Ducking, I pulled Holly down and just tried to keep us moving straight while they fired into our engine. I took my foot off the gas when the engine died, and the shooting stopped almost instantly. It didn’t mean much to Bob’s Bronco, but it sure did to me.
“Still alive,” I mumbled, patting my chest checking for holes. Smoke was streaming out from under the hood, and it didn’t smell too great. The Bronco wasn’t going to be going much further. It was time to get ready.
“At least they stopped shooting,” Holly muttered, peering over the dash.
“Think the middle finger was too much,” I quipped back.
“No, I’m sure they appreciated the futility of the gesture,” Holly replied instantly.
“Not that it did much for Bob’s lady.” I patted my hand on the dash. “She’s done for.”
“Let’s hope Bob believed in insurance as much as he did in security.” Holly smiled as she dove into the back of the Bronco. A few moments later she reappeared with two large bags. She placed mine on the front seat and then started putting her own bag on.
Holly picked up one of the bows, tested it, and then looked in the back. “You want the other bow?”
I’d seen The Walking Dead, so I knew how useful a bow could be, but I wasn’t at that point yet. Not with armed men hovering above us. “I think I’ll stick with the AR.”
Holly quirked her head to the side. “Risky if you run out of bullets.”
“Maybe it’s time luck was on our side for a change.” Not that I believed in luck. My dad had a saying, the wise man creates his own luck, and by that he meant work your ass off, and your dreams might be possible. Sit around and wish for things without putting the work in, and you’ll never get where you want to go.
The Bronco was losing speed quickly now that the engine was all shot to shit. The guys in the chopper seemed content to just wait for it to stop. I sure wasn’t going to hit the brakes until we stopped making good progress. We could probably coast for another few miles like this, and that was a few miles I wouldn’t be running later. I got my seat wedged as far back as it would go and pulled on my own two packs, before grabbing the large duffel with the AR and extra ammo. I felt more like a mule than a soldier, but half of war is carrying shit from one place to another and then waiting around for a long time.
Holly looked out the window. “We should probably make a run for it before the Bronco stops. A little something unexpected might be the only edge we have left.”
“Just say the word. I’ll jam the e-brake, and we’ll make a run for it.”
The helicopter had moved into a spot above us again, and the speaker crackled. “Stay inside of the vehicle. If you attempt to leave, we will shoot you.”
“Doesn’t sound very neighborly,” Holly smirked, peering out the window as she tried to get a look at the helicopter above us.
“It kind of sounds like the cops, or worse yet, some of those paramilitary nut jobs.” I heard we had a few rogue groups in Arizona, but none of them big enough to afford their own helicopter. But hey, at least we weren’t in Oregon. Those guys were still pissed about being mailed a bag of dicks. Without the dicks in the picture, I was hoping these men might be more reasonable, but it didn’t sound like it.
Holly looked slightly worried now. “That doesn’t exactly fill me with a ton of confidence. The last thing we need is a bunch of drunks with M16s shooting at us.”
“Hey, it’s hard to fly a helicopter when your drunk, but if you’re right, it means they aren’t with Director Chen,” I chided.
Holly kept peering up. “No way to know for sure, but I think our moment is now.”
How she made the decision I’ll never know. All I saw was white light, but I was willing to take her word for it. “Hold on.” I saw Holly tense, and I lowered one hand toward the e-brake.
We were still doing about thirty miles an hour when I grabbed the wheel with one hand and the e-brake with the other. The Bronco pulled into a skid, and I almost lost her when the light flew past us. The transition from light to dark was jarring, but somehow the Bronco stayed upright as it screeched to a final stop.
Holly had her door open and was running before I managed to pull the giant duffle into my arms. The chopper was circling back toward the Bronco as I started to run. The light found the vehicle just as I made it to the first tree. Not stopping there I kept up my mad sprint between the trees. My only goal now was to keep following Holly. She was doing her best to leave me behind as she moved through the trees as nimble as a deer. Damn she was fast.
I could hear the helicopter hovering in place, and imagined men on ropes rappelling to the ground. It would only take them a few seconds to confirm the Bronco was empty, and then the hunt would begin in earnest. There was something about running for your life that made the task of running almost bearable. When your life was on the line you didn’t think about your burning lungs or throbbing legs. Instead it was sheer panic that drove your legs churning forward and washed everything else away.
The one thing that kept me from totally losing my shit was the fact my stomach hadn’t warned me once. These were normal people, and despite my ability seeming to fritz out around the necrotics, it still seemed to be working on people just fine. Thinking I was safe and actually feeling safe were two different things. I kept my legs moving as fast as they could go.
The chopper rose back into the air, and the searchlight started moving back and forth over the ground in a slowly widening circle. Holly stopped, and leaned her back against a tree. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps I could barely hear above my own attempts to suck down as much air as possible. We stayed there for a minute, both of us bellowing like furnaces, as the helicopter continued to fly overhead.
“Which way now?” Holly managed between gasps.
“Northish.” I pointed in a direction.
“Ish,” Holly said moving my hand as I continued to point off in the distance. “This is North.”
Ok, so I’d been pointing my hand southeast. What did you expect? I just ran a marathon through a forest with the imminent fear of death dogging every step. Slowly I moved my hand until it was pointing northeast. Might as well have been the exact opposite direction for all the good my initial effort at pointing the way had accomplished. “This way.”
“You sure?” Holly quirked one eyebrow up at me, trying to decide just how much she trusted the man who couldn’t tell north from south.
“As long as you’re sure that’s north,” I quipped.
“Then we run.”
“I hate this part.” But I was only talking to myself. Holly was already moving through the trees. I followed her without complaint. Ok, so I followed her with a lot of complaints, but I had the good sense to keep them all to myself. If I had to guess, we had a few hours to go before we got anywhere near Camp Verde, and that was if we kept up this pace which seemed impossible. Not to mention the circling helicopter, and whoever they might be calling for help.
None of this was filling me with a ton of confidence about the final outcome of our journey, but what could I do but keep putting one foot in front of the other. We were so damn close, but it felt like we were worlds away. Shifting the duffel on my shoulder, I jogged after Holly’s lithe form. Nothing good ever came from going into the woods, but deeper into the forest we went. Maybe we’d have a
happier ending than the kids in the fairy tales. The spotlight swooped overhead. Then again, maybe not.
Chapter Three
Max Meridious
The light beamed down from the heavens always searching but always a step behind as we sprinted through the forest. Avoiding the chopper mostly felt like adrenaline filled futility. We ran because there was no other choice, and we prayed the spotlight didn’t find us. There wasn’t time to hide. All we had left was the next step. One foot in front of the other was what our lives had been reduced to.
I’d never been so thankful for the darkness as I was right then. That and the fact whoever was hunting us didn’t have coordinated ground troops and Arizona’s normal bright sunshine to hunt us down. It was always possible they did have people on the ground chasing after us, but without the helicopter spotting us they’d never be able to find us. Not that they had to chase after us. It wasn’t a big secret where we were headed. There was only one place left to go.
It kind of felt like whoever these guys were they were using Camp Verde as a staging area for keeping people away. If someone was using the town to cut off the infection, then our job just became a lot more difficult. We couldn’t just stroll into town, steal a car, and drive away. Not without meeting some resistance, most likely armed resistance.
Holly jogged to a stop before leaning her back against the trunk of a tree. I silently thanked God for the reprieve as I gratefully copied her pose against a tree of my own. The water from my canteen was cold and refreshing. Who knew water could taste so good? All you had to do was run ten miles with two hundred pounds on your back and water became the most delicious drink in the world. I contemplated ditching the duffel and the AR to make my life easier, but it was looking more and more like we might need the big gun before this was over.
Rise of the Necrotics (Book 7): Into The Woods Page 2
