by Jeff Olah
“Yeah I get it, he’s unpredictable. But right now, he needs the both of us and that won’t change until we get inside.”
“Then what?”
“We can’t stay at Blackmore forever and the last time I counted, only one of us knows how to fly that bird.”
“True,” Nicholas said. “But we’ve only got enough fuel for this one trip. After that, whatever it is that I know about aviation becomes useless.”
Dalton checked the time on his tablet and then peered back into the elevator. “Yes, but then again, you and I are the only ones that know that.”
“He’ll find out and when he does—”
Dalton broke eye contact and again stared down at his tablet. “Let’s just do what we need to do to get there in one piece.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
Dalton stepped inside the elevator and keyed in his destination. He then placed his foot in the path of the door and turned back to his friend.
“We can make this work.”
Nicholas offered an emotionless smile and slowly nodded.
And as he slid his foot back and the doors closed, Dalton said under his breath, “Somehow.”
157
Out of the alcove and standing just feet from the front bumper of the white sedan, Ethan held up his right index finger and waited as Frank pulled the SUV to a stop. He then eyed the mayor through the windshield and turned to Boone.
“Remember, I see one thing I don’t like and you never leave this desert.”
“Yes Ethan, I get it. But like I said, you’re gonna have to trust me here, whether you like it or not. Your sister needs my help almost as much as she needs yours.”
He didn’t respond. Ethan had grown tired of the constant back and forth, it was going nowhere fast. He didn’t like that inside his head he was having a separate conversation with himself about how to handle this new development. He should have already been in California—at his sister’s side—planning their trip back to Vegas.
“I guess we’ll see.”
Ethan turned back and nodded to Mayor Gil. Then quickly moving his focus to the SUV, he spotted the empty passenger seat. He cut his eyes at Frank and waited for some sort of sign.
Frank stared back for a brief moment, turned to the rear, and then appeared to be speaking to the others. When he finally turned back, he shifted his gaze out the passenger window and pointed into the distance.
Following Frank’s directive, Ethan spotted what he assumed was Frank’s back-up plan. Just beyond the dumpster at the southwest edge of the parking lot, Griffin leaned in from behind the building.
Ethan shouted into the distance. “GRIFFIN!”
Weapon in hand, Griffin stepped out, hesitating for the moment as he watched both vehicles. And finally shifting his gaze to Ethan and Boone, shouted back.
“WHAT IS THIS ETHAN?”
Although the area was clear at present, Ethan had no intention of drawing any unneeded attention to their current location. Instead of continuing to shout into the early morning air, he allowed his rifle to hang from his shoulder and used his free left arm to wave Griffin over.
Under his breath he said, “Come on buddy.”
Noticing the gesture and the fact that Griffin had begun to jog in their direction, Boone slipped his own weapon into his waistband and stepped back toward the sedan.
“So, does this mean you trust me?”
Ethan paused a beat as Griffin approached. And then responding to Boone’s awkward question, he said, “Not in the least.”
With his nine millimeter trained on the man he had yet to identify, Griffin cut his eyes from the man to Ethan and then through the windshield of the familiar white sedan.
“Ethan, what is this? Who is this? And why is the Mayor here?”
“This here is Boone. He was part of that group back in Colorado. As for your other questions, well … that’s what we’re about to find out.”
Boone tipped his hat and opened his mouth to address Griffin, but was quickly cut short by Ethan.
“Here’s how we’re going to do this. First, I’m going to bring the kid out and put him in the SUV. Then we’re going to get the Mayor out here and I’m going to ask him a few questions. And if there is anything I don’t like, I’m going to shoot you right here in this parking lot and then drive away.”
Boone smiled. “Fair enough, what about your friend here … he got a name?”
“This is Griffin, and until I get the kid in the SUV, he’s going to make sure you don’t do anything stupid. And trust me, he’s got a much less forgiving nature, so you’ll want to be on your best behavior.”
Boone snickered and shook his head. “Sounds like a charmer.”
Griffin turned back to Ethan, furrowed his brow, and scratched his head. “Kid … what kid?”
Ethan turned away and started for the store. “I’ll explain everything, just make sure he doesn’t try anything. If he does, shoot him in the face.”
Boone called out as Ethan trotted off. “I’ll just wait here.”
Ethan carried Zach’s backpack and walked him past the white sedan and over to the passenger door of the SUV. Kneeling, he pointed to the interior and put his hand on the kid’s shoulder.
“I’m going to talk to those guys over there for a second and then we’re all going to leave this place.”
“California?” Zach asked.
“Yep, you okay with that?”
“Yes Mr. Ethan, I’ve never been there. My mom and dad were going to take us there …”
The boy’s voice trailed off.
Ethan quickly changed the subject. “Okay, you go wait in there with my friends. And when I’m done talking to those men, we’ll get going. Sound good, buddy?”
“Yes, Mr. Ethan.”
Leaning in, Zach wrapped his arms around Ethan’s neck, hugged him tight and then just as quickly, let him go. He then picked up his backpack, turned toward the SUV, and said, “Let’s go.”
A lump rose in the back of his throat as Ethan reached for the handle and opened the door. He peered into the interior expecting to be bombarded with questions; however, to his surprise, not a single one of his friends spoke. They only sat in silence staring back at him.
“This is Zach, he’s coming with us.”
Frank looked back out through the windshield. “Uh, Ethan—”
“I’ll explain everything in a minute, just let me deal with this other thing first.”
As the others began to find their voices, Ethan helped Zach into the passenger seat, gave him a high-five, and closed the door. He then turned away and started back toward the others. Giving Griffin a quick nod, he motioned toward the sedan and pulled the rifle off his shoulder.
“Have the Mayor get out and let’s all have a chat.”
Before Griffin or Boone had a chance to respond, the white sedan appeared to rock from side to side as the passenger door popped open. Slowly, a tousled thatch of greying hair appeared from the right side as Mayor Gil Walker slowly unfolded his large body and turned toward Ethan.
“I’m gonna have to say I’m sorry, Ethan. This man wasn’t quite as truthful as he should have been when he rode into Green Valley.”
Ethan regarded the Mayor with a slight smile. “You hurt?”
“I’ll tell ya, I’ve seen days a lot better than this one.”
Ethan motioned toward Boone. “Did this man hurt—”
“Oh no, nothing like that. He was actually quite accommodating. He wasn’t exactly forthcoming with the proper information, but he hasn’t crossed me yet.”
The right side of the mayor’s face had a bruise that ran from his ear to his chin, and as he spoke, it appeared to grow in intensity.
“What happened to your face?”
Mayor Gil nodded. “Wouldn’t you know, you and your friend Griffin couldn’t have been more spot on. The walls on that reservoir ended up failing the day after y’all left town, almost got torn to shreds gettin’ out of there. Wrenched
my ankle and fell tryin’ to get back into my car, hit my damn head on the door frame.”
Ethan forced away a smile. “How’d you end up with this degenerate?”
He came into town about the same time everything went to hell, said he was a friend of yours and asked if I had seen y’all.”
“And now you’re here?”
Mayor Gil dropped his head. “Nowhere else to go … Green Valley is fairly well gone.”
Boone turned away from Griffin and pointed at the Mayor. “Wasn’t his fault, I offered him some help in exchange for his vehicle and some food.”
Ethan continued to focus on Mayor Gil. “Why is this idiot wearing your Stetson?”
The Mayor looked confused. He turned from Boone to Ethan and then back to Boone. “Son, there are quite a few things I’m gonna need to speak to you about once we get this all settled, but for now you’d better come on over here and make it right.”
Boone laughed under his breath and started back toward the sedan; however, Griffin stepped into his path and held out his hand.
“I don’t think so.”
Boone pulled off the hat, handed it to Griffin and turned back to Ethan. “You got all the details you need? Ready to get back on the road?”
“Not just yet.”
“Clock is ticking buddy, what else do you need?”
“My sister … tell me everything you know.”
158
As Tom again drifted off, Emma slowly uncurled her tired body and pushed away from the window. She was well beyond the point of exhaustion, but knew better than to expect sleep to come, especially during the day. She stood, grabbed her pack, and walked to the edge of the room, only turning back once to make sure her friend hadn’t noticed.
At the door, she leaned into the stairwell and looked down toward the first floor, momentarily just listening to the moans and groans of the old building. She closed her eyes and slowly counted to ten before again opening them and turning away. On the opposite end of the short hallway was another set of stairs that she figured must lead to the rooftop.
Crossing the dark hardwood floor of the narrow hall, she stopped at the first step and ran her hand along the wall. A single sliver of light reached out from the door above and marked a spot just below an oddly positioned electrical switch.
Emma traced a line from the corner of the wall to the switch and held her breath as she flipped it to the on position.
Nothing.
She didn’t really expect it to work. However, she also just wanted one thing to remind her of what life used to be. She wanted something to show her that every single thing about this new existence didn’t have to be different. It didn’t have to be big, just something, even if it was only the lightbulb at the top of the stairwell flickering to life.
She pinched the dusty off-white switch between her fingers and flipped it up and down over and over and over again. Cursing under her breath, Emma dropped her hand to the railing below and started up the steps.
“Oh well.”
In an attempt to avoid any unnecessary noise that might disturb Tom, she took the stairs one at a time, making sure to test each step before pushing herself on to the next. Just because she was physically unable to sleep during daylight hours didn’t mean that her friend needed to pay the price.
Reaching the door, a wave of pain shot through the wound on the right side of her head. Emma instinctively grabbed at the spot, only to send another jolt through the area behind her ear. Biting through the pain, she took the final step and slowly opened the door to the roof.
Before stepping out into the early morning sun, she again just waited and listened. This had become her process. Wait and listen, always wait and listen. Those things out there, they were drawn first to sound and then more closely to smell. And the more time she gave herself, the better.
She counted to five this time, and then again with the same careful diligence, she craned her neck out beyond the doorway, and scanned the rooftop.
Nothing moved, save for a large white canvas that lay face-down in the northern corner of the wide-open outdoor space. Its curled edges flapped in the passing wind, looking as though it may take flight.
Stepping out, Emma turned to the left and took a moment to just stand under the warmth of the sun. She tilted her chin to the sky and breathed in what felt like her first breath of fresh air in days. Away from the streets and the overwhelming stench of what lay below, she let her shoulders slump forward, her hands relax, and took in a second long and deeply satisfying breath.
She closed her eyes and yawned so hard that tears ran out from the corners of her eyes. A click from just behind her left ear made it feel as though her jaw might slip from its hinge, but she knew better. The weirdly familiar sensation brought her back to her days in college and the many late nights she put in behind that tiny black desk. Sitting in the corner of her dorm room and pounding the books many times until sunrise often meant more coffee than sleep. Temporomandibular joint disorder had become a part of her life more than two decades earlier, but this morning, it actually made her smile … because it made her remember.
Slowly rolling her neck forward and opening her eyes, she made her way to the three-foot retaining wall at the edge of the rooftop and peeked over the edge. From where she stood, the city stretched out in three directions.
To the north and beyond was the area she and Tom had run from the day before. The crowds still appeared to be mainly concentrated along Sixth, and although she had no intention of ever going back that way, her knees felt weak at just the thought.
Out to the right, the city bled into a ravaged residential area. Fires claimed more homes than she could count and the dusty black smoke rising from the crowded neighborhoods made the distant skyline appear to have also been scorched.
Lastly, over her left shoulder, she found the highway. It sat unoccupied and seemed to go on forever. She counted no more than a few dozen Feeders spaced no closer than a few hundred yards from one another. If they were to leave the city, this would have to be the way.
Emma cautiously climbed atop the retaining wall, sat facing west, and continued to watch the world slowly fade toward the afternoon hours. Allowing the slight breeze to play between the matted strands of her dirty hair, she imagined what it would be like to climb into one of the many abandoned vehicles and just drive away.
She wondered if there was somewhere out there that was free of this, somewhere far away from the city. Maybe there was a small town that had managed to avoid the infection, or had seen the news and decided to protect itself from what the world had become. It was a long shot, but for now, it was all that she had.
Emma didn’t usually wallow in the what-ifs and rarely if ever let herself daydream, but for now it was keeping her mind off the only thing left in her life that mattered. Ethan and her parents. They were out there and it was all she could do to not think about them every minute of every day. And with her phone having lost all signal as of two days before, the thoughts running through her mind were much worse than any possible reality.
As the late morning breeze kicked up, the sound at her back startled her. She turned quickly and dropped onto the ash covered rooftop. She turned in time to see the six-foot swatch of canvas turn end over end and come to rest against the opposite retaining wall.
She walked fast and then began to jog as the handwritten words scribbled on the underside of the large off-white fabric began to come clear. She dropped her head to the right and read only the first few lines before turning and heading to the door.
Back down the stairs leading to the stockroom, she called out to him.
“TOM!”
Reaching the hall and still moving through the dimly lit stairwell much faster than was safe, Emma called his name yet again.
“TOM … WAKE UP!”
As she turned into the stockroom, Tom was already on his feet and looking out the window. He pushed his fingers into his eyes and tried to focus on the street below.
&
nbsp; “What … what is it?”
She stayed in the doorway, motioning him toward her.
“The roof, hurry.”
Tom stumbled away from the window and starting toward her, began looking around the room.
“No,” she said. “Leave it, let’s just go.”
The smile she wore appeared to confuse him as he met her at the door and peered down the set of stairs leading to the former bagel shop.
“Are you sure we don’t need—”
“No,” she said again, now grabbing his hand. “Up here.”
Emma moved first and was already halfway to the door leading to the roof before he turned and followed.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Come on.”
Out into the crisp morning air, Tom shielded his eyes as Emma ran to the far corner of the wide open space. She pulled the large canvas square out away from the low wall and turned it over.
Motioning to Tom as he walked over, Emma grabbed a corner and again started to smile.
“Help me,” she said.
Tom lumbered slowly to the opposite end of the large canvas and smoothed out the center and the edges. As he began to read the upside down writing, his expression now matched hers. Looking up at Emma and then back at the handwritten note, Tom read it aloud.
“Tom, we’ve been searching the city for you every day. If you make it back here, just stay put. We’ll come for you.”
159
With just under eight minutes before his meeting, Dalton stood at the floor to ceiling window and watched the many crowds pushing in toward the building. His plan was going to work, it had to. He knew what Goodwin was going to ask him to do tonight, and with the right timing, he’d actually be saving the lives that the man on the sixtieth floor was hoping to end.
Moving away, he stepped quickly through the darkened hall and back into the elevator. Reaching for his tablet, he keyed in the coordinates and smiled as the doors closed. It wasn’t that he was happy that he’d found a loophole in the plan to take back Blackmore—that’s actually why he was hired at BXF—it had more to do with the fact that he finally had a purpose. He now had a reason to live that had nothing to do with serving Marcus Goodwin, even if it meant he’d die in the process.
