As he rolled over the asphalt on his way toward the exit, two people paralleled the truck. Colt recognized them—Bryan and Greg stood right by the window.
Colt stopped, and Bryan immediately spun around and searched the darkness. When Colt opened the door to ask about Jake, he heard Bryan say, “I can definitely tell you and Colt are brothers, Jake. The son of a bitch managed to get both the woman and the boy out of the cabin. Now get your ass to the back of this truck you slow poke.”
Bryan turned now and spoke to Colt. “Get in and drive.”
“What about my brother?” Colt said.
“He’s coming, don’t worry. If we sit and wait, the infected will overtake our position. Now move! Trust me, he’ll catch up. Go down the roadway—toward the exit.”
Colt loaded inside and once Bryan and Greg were in the bed, Colt shifted in gear. The rearview mirror was dark, but when he tapped the brakes, the red lights were bright enough that he could see Jake running for the bed. Bryan reached over the tailgate, grabbed Jake, and both fell hard.
The dark forms in the mirror shifted, and Colt waited for a signal. His brother patted the wheel well and Colt pounded the gas. As Colt spun the wheel to follow the road, the radio on his lap erupted with a shout.
In the chaos, the crackle caused Colt to swerve. “Jake!” a woman’s voice called. “Can you hear me?” Colt imagined it was Jess, or maybe someone else back at Mount Weather close to Jake.
“Jess, what’s wrong?” Jake said.
But she didn’t answer. Not with words, but sorrowful weeping.
She was in trouble.
“Jess,” Jake said again. “Baby, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
It took a moment before Jess came back over the radio. In between painful sobs, she spoke. “Nothing is okay, Jake. Emily and Elaine are dead.”
Who? They’re dead? What happened? Colt sat on the edge of his seat. He didn’t know who the two women were, but his thoughts immediately turned to his boys. Dylan! Wesley!
Jess added more. “And I think she’s going after the president now.”
She? Who’s she? Is it Amy? Colt stalled. Then remembered. I knew it was a warning. Anna was trying to warn me all along.
Then Jake returned. “Jess, this isn’t funny sweetheart. I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”
Colt didn’t know why he spoke those words, maybe to try to comfort Jess, but what did it matter? If those women were dead, what could Jake do about it?
“Jake, Amy isn’t Amy. And she has powers like we never imagined.”
“What are you talking about, Jess? You’re not making any sense.”
“I have to go. I picked up this radio up off the ninth dead body I passed in the hallway. She’s killing everyone. We let the devil in, Jake. And know I have to go kill it.”
Colt’s stomach dropped. Ninth body? Colt didn’t wait—he had to know his sons were okay. He lifted the radio and yelled. “My boys! Are they okay?” There was silence. “My boys!”
Colt was panicked. He swerved hard onto the turnpike, only thinking of saving his family.
Then Jake came back on the radio. “Jess, whatever is going on, just stay where you are. I’ll be back in just a minute. Do you hear me?”
But again, just like with Colt, there was nothing. It was like she disappeared or dropped the radio in a panic.
Jake gave one last cry, “Jess!”
But Colt wasn’t concerned about Jess, or the others. He couldn’t be. He slammed the gas down harder still and drove with haste.
His heart raced, and the only way he could slow it was to see his sons alive and well.
16
Colt bounced in the driver’s seat, anticipating what was coming next. When they crested the hill and the headlights shined down into the valley, Colt, thought the infected would’ve been waiting for them in an ambush. Why wouldn’t they be, if their so-called leader, Amy, had infiltrated Mount Weather?
But there was nothing. No sign of infected anywhere. Just an empty parking lot that surrounded the exterior of the complex. As Colt drove, he felt bodies shift in the bed of the truck. He tapped the brakes, but not enough to cause his brother or the others to lose balance. But when Colt adjusted his sight through the rearview mirror, he saw someone pull their sidearm. He assumed it was Jake.
Colt lifted the radio, and said, “Jake, what’s happening back there?”
“Don’t know yet,” Jake said.
While watching the road and the mirror in sequence, Colt wondered if the newly acquired passengers woke up as people or if they remained infected.
The human forms huddled closer together. From Colt’s position, it almost looked like they were coming together in an embrace.
“Jake?” Colt called out again. He needed answers. Wanting to make sure his brother wasn’t in more danger.
“It seems they’re family,” Jake said.
Colt laid the radio down and breathed a sigh. That’s a relief.
Colt couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation, but he assumed Jake was filling the woman in on the current situation. That had to be an interesting talk.
Up ahead was the entrance. Colt spun the wheel and headed directly for it. Then more chatter came over the radio. Colt didn’t have time to acknowledge. He was too busy pulling into the opening.
Once parked, Colt leaped from the driver’s seat, and sprinted toward the bunker. His sons were still the only things on his mind. But Jake cut him off and stopped his advance.
“What’s wrong?” Colt said.
“It’s Amy. She’s not Amy anymore, and she’s trying to kill the president.”
“I know, but I need to run and find my boys. Make sure they’re okay.”
But Jake didn’t see the urgency. If he did, it escaped him by the way he acted right then. “I’m sorry, Colt, I have to find Jess. She’s trying to stop Amy all on her own. I need you to keep the woman and the little boy safe.”
“Jake, I can’t. I have to get to Dylan and Wesley.” Colt didn’t understand how Jake couldn’t know that.
“Colt, they’re awake. And they aren’t aliens anymore.”
Colt watched them drop from the bed of the truck. He gritted his teeth. Jake might have been right. The right thing to do was to stay with the woman and her son, but screw the right thing. He needed confirmation his own sons were okay. With no contact from the inside, it would be nearly impossible to get validation except for in person.
“Colt, if the alien gets to the president—” Jake cut himself off.
Colt sighed. He was always prone to doing the right thing. “What is it you want me to do with them?”
“Take them with you. Go find your boys. But look out for infected. Take Franks with too.”
Colt scornfully looked at his brother, knowing Franks was as useless as the little boy.
Unenthusiastically, Colt agreed. “Go. I’ll get them to safety.”
Colt watched as Jake and Bryan ran toward the elevator. “Keep your radio on, Colt.” Jake called out over his shoulder. “And be safe.”
Safe? Is that a joke? Colt faced the young woman and her son. Their eyes were wide with horror. Why wouldn’t they be afraid? This must’ve felt like an out of body experience. One minute you’re dead—asleep—unconscious—or God knows what—and then, bam! You wake up with men hanging over you while slinging guns at their sides and hanging out the back of a random truck.
Colt forced a smile to calm their rising nerves, but just when he did, the sound of gunfire, erupted from down the hall. Colt saw the woman cower.
He spun around, then caught Franks’ eye. “Stay here. Protect them.” Colt walked toward the shot and drew his gun.
He found Jake. There was panic in his eyes. “What’s happening?” Colt said.
“There’s a breach. Infected were going down to the elevator. We must not have re-secured the front doors as well as we needed to after we went out earlier.”
Colt’s eyes went wide. Dylan! Wesley!
�
��Colt, I have to go get those infected. Can you and Franks secure the building? On second thought, tell Franks to go back where we went out to get the supply truck. We must have left the doors open there. He’ll know just where to go.”
“My boys . . . Dylan. Wesley. They need me.”
“I know, Colt. I’ll stop the infected that just went down. If you can secure what’s left up here, we can keep them safe.
Colt stared into blank space. He couldn’t grasp the reality of what was happening. How could there be a breach? This was supposed to be a secure location. It was then that Anna crept into his mind. If aliens can get in here, can they get into Cheyenne Mountain? What if she’s already . . . Colt stifled his thoughts long enough to see his brother begin to disappear. “Colt, I have to go stop them. I have to get to Jess.”
Colt wished to add more, but he didn’t have the words. He just waited for the elevator doors to shut, then watched his brother vanish.
Colt backed away from the elevator and moved to rejoin the woman and her son. As he rounded the corner, a shot rang out. Clear as day, two infected approached from the front. Colt watched Franks put a shot into one of the infected, but it was low in the abdomen and barely slowed down its approach.
The woman yelped. That must’ve been the first time she’d seen an infected up close. Franks didn’t shoot again—maybe wondering why his shot didn’t cause greater damage. Colt couldn’t reach them in time—he had to take the shot right then.
He aimed and fired. The shot spiraled past Franks’ ear. He probably heard the whistle as the bullet blew by because he spun and looked toward the shot’s origination.
The shot was perfect and dropped the infected in her path. But the threat wasn’t over. Another continued making its way toward them, but Colt’s view was blocked from taking another shot. It was up to Franks to react.
“Shoot him!” Colt yelled.
The infected was maybe ten feet off and closing fast. The woman covered her son out of instinct.
The infected wasn’t more than two feet off—it was point blank now. Franks fired, and the infected man fell at the young woman’s feet.
Again, the woman yelped. Colt ran over and said, “Franks, my brother said to sweep the area, make sure there aren’t any lingering infected down here. He said there’s an exit you took when you went out to protect the supply truck. Close it up. We don’t want to be surprised again.”
Franks was frozen in place, but Colt urged him forward with his wide eyes and gritted teeth.
When Franks moved away, Colt guided the woman and her son away from the dire scene. Colt knew first-hand that the young boy—and his mother for that matter—didn’t need to see the aftermath of such violence.
Once out of eyesight, Colt bent down and touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked.
In between tears, she nodded. Then she wiped the tears away and said, “I think so.”
“Do you think you can move? We need to get down to the bunker and find my sons.”
“Your sons?” she said.
“I have two. They’re holed up in a bedroom right now. I don’t know if they’re alive or dead.”
“Yes! Yes! By all means, go.”
“I want you to come with me. I need to protect you and your boy. I wouldn’t feel right leaving you up here.”
“Are you sure?” she said.
“Absolutely.” Colt caught sight of Franks as he scoured the area. Besides, you wouldn’t last ten minutes if you stayed up here with him.
“Okay, then, yes, we’ll go.”
“Great!”
Colt led her forward, and as he did, the little boy lifted his head from his mother’s stomach and asked; “Mommy. Do you think we’ll see any more of those monsters?”
The young woman eyed Colt for comfort. She didn’t have the words to say. It was almost a guarantee they would, but before she could speak, Colt did instead. “It’s alright,” Colt said, then felt for his pocket. He remembered having a pair of sunglasses there. “Here put these on.” He handed them to the boy, who slid them behind his ears. Colt winked. “If you keep those on your face, the infected can’t see you. They’re special glasses. They make you invisible.” Colt grinned.
The boy smiled, and they continued to the elevator.
Franks came up from behind and said, “All clear. Doors are locked, and no other signs.”
“You’re certain?” Colt said.
Franks nodded.
“Good.”
As they stepped inside the elevator, Colt watched his reflection. He also saw the woman and her son. The boy kept the glasses on. His mother stood tall next to him and held him close.
Colt may have alleviated the anxiety inside the boy—perhaps even the woman—however, that didn’t stop the growing concern for his sons.
17
When the elevator stopped, the anticipation of what lay behind the doors ate at Colt. He stepped forward, but the doors refused to open.
Damnit! Open up already.
With his right hand on his gun, Colt reached for the steel with his left, begging the doors to open. He looked over his shoulder and said, “Stay behind me. And hold tight to your son. This place is kind of a maze down here. I don’t want you to get turned around.”
When the door slid open, the halls were empty. There was an eerie silence too. As Colt walked along, he felt the presence of the woman and the boy. They had taken his close proximity talk literally.
The hall veered to the left and the room his boys had been sleeping in was close. He hoped that hall was just as empty as the one they currently occupied.
It wasn’t.
No more than twenty feet down were two infected, but they were stationary.
Colt stopped, but the woman and boy hadn’t watched where they were going and walked directly into his backside. The momentum from the bump carried Colt forward and made his feet skid across the floor. At the screech from his shoe, the infected turned.
Colt gulped, knowing he’d have to fire if they came running.
Before the infected took their first step, a voice rang out from overhead. The speakers barked, loud, and prevalent.
“This is the President of the United States of America.”
Colt scrunched his brow and searched for the source of the sound.
He didn’t search long, because the infected were still there. But for some reason they remained still. Amy had to be controlling them. Making them stay like the trained mutts they were.
“I know it is me that you want,” the president continued. Jake! Colt’s thoughts turned to his brother. Was he doing this? Was this a trick to get the infected away from a specific area?
“And I know that we can sit down and talk about this like intelligent beings.”
Intelligent beings? Colt thought. You can’t be serious. Don’t trust them. Don’t you dare trust them.
Colt watched the infected’s movements. “There is no need for this destruction.” They shifted in place at the president’s last thought. Like they were being called away, maybe to act as protection for this . . . this Amy monster, or whatever she was.
“I am at level U4. Just take the elevator down three floors and I will be there.”
As the president continued to speak, Colt wondered why the infected were fleeing in the opposite direction of the elevator doors. He could only come up with one scenario: Amy was calling them somewhere else.
Colt had to continue. The president’s distraction couldn’t have been more ideal.
“We’ve seen what you can do, and the destruction you can cause without any weapons,” the president continued to speak.
Colt reached the door to his room. He didn’t bother knocking, he just reached down and turned the knob. The door wouldn’t budge. It wasn’t locked, but something was holding it up. Something was stacked against it.
“Dylan, Wesley,” Colt spoke through the gap in the door. “If you can hear me, it’s dad. Open up. There’s infected out here. Hurry!”
/> There was rustling inside the room. And as hope filled his heart, the president continued over the loudspeaker. “We understand our weapons are useless against you, so we know better than to try anything when you get down here.”
“Dad! Dad!” Wesley was giddy.
Tears of joy formed in Colt’s eyes. “I’m here, bud. Are you guys alright?”
“We are,” Dylan said. “There’s just a few more things blocking the door.”
“Try to hurry.” Colt double checked the hallways so they wouldn’t get ambushed.
When the door finally opened, Colt led the woman and the small boy inside first. Then Franks, finally himself.
As Colt turned around, he heard the final comments from the president. “I am confident we can work this out.”
At least one of us is. He didn’t know why he thought that, but he couldn’t help himself.
At the sight of his boys, Colt smiled, then wrapped them into a hug.
“Where’s Uncle Jake?” Dylan looked at the other three.
When Colt pushed out of the hug, he said, “Helping the president kill this alien. This Amy.”
“Amy?” Dylan said immediately.
“I know, me too,” Colt knew exactly what Dylan was thinking. “Turns out mom was trying to tell us something in that dream. This . . . this Amy girl was the threat all along. I don’t know all the details, but from what I gathered, she was with Jake and the others since the beginning. The aliens invaded her body and used her as a decoy to get in here.”
“So their plan was to assassinate the president?” Dylan said.
“I don’t know exactly, but that’s what it looks like.”
After Colt responded, he looked to the others standing in the room. “Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce my sons. This is Dylan and Wesley.”
“Brittney.” The woman stuck out her hand. “This is Billy.” She patted her son’s head.
“Franks.”
Colt looked around the room. The beds were thrown into a disheveled pile, and it seemed everything the boys could get their hands on was pushed against the door. “What happened? Did the infected try to come inside?”
Uncivil War (Book 6): Awakening Page 8