By midmorning we had reached the bottom of what I called a serious mountain and started our ascent. Mud and gravel had covered the road in places, so Jake’s driving was put to the test. I wanted Kayla to drive since she was actually better at it than Jake, but he would never admit it.
The views were spectacular, with large mountains looming off to the west, and to our south the land went up at a fifty degree angle. Pine trees lined the top of the roadbed, and there were more pines on the north side. Some places were leveled out on the north, but mostly it just dropped off. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the reverse would happen, and the north side would be the hill and the south side would drop off. Off in the distance was a tall upthrusting of rock and trees. Not sure if I’d call it a mountain, but it was a damned impressive hill.
After about an hour of cautious driving, Jake brought the van to a stop beside a small pond. The water was fed by a tiny stream that came down the mountain and flowed through a pipe to the other side of the road, trickling down a stream to what looked like a creek at the bottom of the valley.
“What’s up? You tired?” Asked Kayla.
Jake shook his head. “I will be when we’ve cleared those rocks.”
A small landslide had covered the road, and there were two trees that had fallen as well. The upside was we only had to clear the one side and not both, since we weren’t worried about any other traffic.
“Ugh. All right then,” I said, grabbing a coil of rope. “I’ll get the trees dragged away if the rest of you wouldn’t mind starting on those rocks?”
Julia and Kayla nodded, grabbing their gloves from a box while Jake slipped his into his back pocket. He grabbed his bow and quiver, giving me a ‘Just in Case’ look. I wasn’t going to argue the point. I didn’t mind indulging Jake’s feelings once in a while, mostly because they turned out to be right.
I looped the base of the pine tree and gave a preliminary tug. The tree moved slightly, so I wrapped the rope around my waist and started hauling the tree away. The tree was a pine, so I was careful not to let it roll out of control. Pine trees will puncture you faster than any other. The dead branches just have no give in them whatsoever. I dragged the tree to the side of the road nearest the hill and unhooked myself. When I pulled the rope off, the tree slipped into the small ditch, snapping branches and making a lot of noise.
I went back to the other tree, which was higher up the rockslide but had fallen over the road. Using the same process, I wrapped up the trunk and then my waist, and started pulling. The tree rolled off the rocks and crunched loudly on the roadbed, leaving needles and broken branches all over the place. The other three workers looked up at me askance, then went back to pushing rocks out of the way. Some of the rocks were pretty big, so I figured I got the better end of the deal.
Dragging the tree away, I had to clear the other tree so I pulled a little further. Rolling the tree into the ditch, the rope got caught on couple low branches and required some freeing before I could go help with the rocks.
I worked at the branches, and I had just figured out I could simply break the stupid things when I heard a noise behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw five zombies moving their way across the road and over towards me.
“Heads up!” I yelled, trying to warn my family. I stepped back away from the tree, freeing my knife and tomahawk, and suddenly I got stopped and pulled back. I had forgotten I was still tied to the tree!
“Dammit!” I fumbled with the rope, alternating with calculating which zombie was going to reach me first and whether or not the damn rope was going to get untangled. The more I pulled, the more the tree pulled back. I didn’t want to cut the rope, since it was the only one we had, but it soon was going to the only two ropes we had if I didn’t get free.
The closest zombie was ten feet away and looked nasty. He had nearly black skin with grey splotches, and it looked like fungus was growing on him. There was no other way to explain the green fuzz that was coming out of his shirt collar. I was about to slash the rope and then slash him when he suddenly slumped to the ground. An arrow, which had suddenly sprouted from his left eye, killed him quite nicely.
A second arrow transfixed the next zombie in line, snapping her head back and killing her instantly. Field points worked very well on zombie skulls.
No more arrows were needed because Julia and Kayla had arrived. Julia swung her spear and neatly lopped the head off a smaller zombie, while Kayla jabbed the pointy end of her weapon into the eye of another. The last one had his legs swept out from under him by Julia, and his head, which had smacked the ground in a nasty sounding way, got punctured most permanently by Kayla. Julia finished off the other head which was trying to bite a nearby rock.
The two checked the surrounding area before coming over to my aid.
“Thanks, ladies,” I said, trying not to look foolish as I renewed my efforts to untie myself.
“No problem. Why didn’t you just cut the rope, Aaron?” Kayla asked.
“This is the only one we have,” I replied.
“No, it isn’t. There’s two more just like it in the front of the van.”
“You don’t say.” I left it at that. There was nothing more to be said.
Chapter 22
We all went back to the rock pile, and I patted Jake on the shoulder as a thank you for his archery. After a short while, the rocks had been cleared enough to let the van pass, so we all went over to the water to wash up and clean off ourselves. Kayla suggested a swim, but when Jake pointed out that the water came from the top of the mountain and was freezing cold, Kayla gave up the notion.
Back in the van, we drove past our handiwork, and we were all silent as we realized where we were and what was at stake. We weren’t safe here; we couldn’t just wander off into the woods, knowing they had been cleared, re-cleared, and cleared again. There was real danger here, everywhere around here, and probably would be still long after we had gone.
Moving on, the road seemed a little closer as the trees crowded the road, and the grasses grew over the road’s shoulders. Off in the distance, a lone mountain loomed in front of us, but we never seemed to get closer to it.
Rounding a small bend in the road, we began a descent into a valley. Huge cliffs threatened the road, and I knew that if one of those cliffs let go, our trip is done. There was no way we could clear the road, just the four of us.
After the cliffs, the land seemed to level out a bit. Over on our left more bare peaks reached for the sky, while on the right, a series of plateaus dominated the skyline. Across the way, I could see a small watering hole, and at first I thought there were a bunch of white flowers surrounding the hole. Then I looked closer and realized the white flowers were actually bones bleaching in the sun. Someone’s cattle had been slaughtered around that water, likely by a roving band of zombies coming through the mountains from the west.
We reached our bottom and the road leveled out, then began a gradual incline. Jake moved around most debris and washouts, but every once in a while I had to get out and move something. Each time, all of us would be on the lookout for unfriendly natives.
When the sun was at its highest, Jake called a stop. There was a side road which led off into the woods, and it looked like there might be a house tucked away back there. The road had a mailbox standing sentry duty, so something might be there. If anything, it would get us off the road and into a more secure location, as zombies weren’t much good with brush and trees.
The road went back about a quarter mile from the main highway and brought us to a large metal building. It was a simple structure, maybe forty feet in length, about twenty wide, with a single large entrance padlocked shut.
Up a slight hill stood a small house, tucked away in the trees like it was hiding from something. The building looked to be in good shape, and the trees helped protect it from the worst of the elements. The windows were intact, which was always a good sign, and the door was closed. Curtains had been drawn in the windows, and the little
yard looked like it once had been very tidy.
“Check out the house?” Jake asked, getting out of the van and stretching. He rubbed his eyes, and I knew how he felt. Driving was a strain on the senses. You had to watch the road carefully for anything that might puncture a tire, listen for any odd sounds the vehicle might make, and keep a watch for any zombies that wanted to come and take a bite out of your car. They did try that every once in a while.
“Nah, leave it,” I said. We won’t be long, and besides, this place looks like whoever lived here managed to get out intact. They might come back one day.”
“What about the barn?” Julia asked.
“Worth a look, doubt we’ll get in,” I said, eyeballing the size of the padlock.
I pulled out some supplies while Julia and Kayla explored the barn. Jake came over and got out some water for drinking.
“Think this is a wild goose chase?” he asked, echoing Julia’s concerns from the night before.
“Someone is doing something that they are willing to kill to cover up. They hunted us, too, remember? If nothing else, we have a score to settle,” I said, ending the debate. Jake nodded like he had forgotten about the little episode at the house.
“Jake! Aaron!” Kayla’s voice cut through our discussion. I wasn’t worried about zombies, they road was a ways off. “Come here!”
We went around to the back of the barn and saw the girls were waiting by an open door. Apparently this structure had been left open, and stepping inside, I could see why. From one end to the other, the place was empty. A workbench was set up in a corner, but that was it. Whatever had been in here wasn’t any longer.
“So it’s empty, so what?” I said, shrugging.
“Look in the far corner.” Julia said.
I squinted my eyes and saw that several horse blankets had been laid out in a kind of nest. Walking over, I saw where someone had bedded down, and by the looks of things, not in the too distant past.
“Aaron, look at this,” Jake said, pointing to the floor.
On the concrete, scratched with a rusty horseshoe nail, were the same numbers that we found on the dead bodies.
“I’ll be damned,” I said. One of the people who was running took shelter in this place and left another message in case someone might find it. I wondered if there were more clues like this in this territory.
“Looks like we’re still on the trail,” Julia said as we all went out to the van.
“Curiouser and curiouser,” I said. I was becoming more intrigued than ever by what might be waiting for us at Enterprise. As I ate, I had an odd thought. What if the shooter was trailing us back, waiting for a chance to finish us off before we could find out the secret to this little mystery? I looked at the surrounding hills with more than a little suspicion.
Back on the road, we continued our journey, the road seeming to stay in the valley between the surrounding peaks. There was a small rock pile we had to navigate around, and at one point two more trees needed to be moved out of the way, but it seemed better than the last time. We didn’t see any more zombies, so I started to think this land had become safer than previously thought.
Chapter 23
About midafternoon we came across a large structure on the side of the road. The sign read ‘Togwotee Mountain Lodge’, and it was a large, two story structure that looked like it had seen better days. A large portion of the side was burned out, and black timbers poked out from the remains of the fire. Through the trees I could see several cabins tucked away, but none of them looked like it would be a good idea to stay in them.
“Yea or Nay?” Jake asked.
Kayla quickly said nay and pointed to the building. Stumbling out of the lodge were three zombies, two of which had half their bodies burned away, leaving skeletal arms and ribs sticking out. The other was a bit fresher, telling us that the first two had gotten hold of the third when it was still living. Not a fun barbeque. I wondered if the fire was started by the victim or the previous owners? Maybe I was looking at the previous owners. Who knew?
“Moving on,” Jake said, stepping on the gas and leaving the lodge behind. Tall pine trees surrounded the road, and I hoped we wouldn’t find any obstacle as we left the crunchy twins behind.
We couldn’t see much because of the trees, which blocked our sight of the mountains. The only view we had was to the front, and the mountains up there looked truly daunting. The road curved this way and that, and then suddenly we were on an open area, looking out to mountains to the south on the other side of a valley.
The valley looked beautiful until one looked closely. Then the truth finally came out.
“Look down there,” I said, pointing to the valley.
“Oh, my god. How many do you think there are?” Julia asked.
“Best guess? Thousands.” I looked back out the window into beauty and horror. Above, the mountains were beautiful against a backdrop of blue sky and white clouds. Below, the valley was home to hundreds, if not thousands of slowly walking zombies. We had wondered where they were, and suddenly we knew. The sides of the mountains were too steep for them to navigate, and they couldn’t reach the road from where they were for the same reason. So they milled about the valley, waiting for something to come to them. Eventually they would rot to pieces and stop moving, but even then they would be dangerous.
We drove along the side of the mountain, and I wondered aloud if we were ever going to descend where they could get to us.
“I’ll try to stop before then,” Jake said sarcastically.
“Maybe you should let Kayla drive,” Julia retorted.
“Not yet,” Jake said. “Not yet.”
We passed over a bridge, and I could see the fast moving water underneath. My fears were stilled as I realized that the zombies wouldn’t cross that, and if they tried, they’d be swept downstream in a second.
On the other side of the bridge was Blackrock Ranger Station, and Jake decided to pull in for a break. The van crunched on the gravel as the sun began casting long shadows with the trees. The ranger station was a simple, one-story building, with a single entrance in the front facing the road. The building was solidly built, with a stone foundation that reached up over three feet from the ground. A small lean-to served as a cover for a signboard outside the structure, and two small outbuildings flanked the rear of the station.
From the outside, things looked normal, but as we learned fast, nothing was usually as it seemed. The small building nearest the road was open, and there was a dark look about the entrance. I nodded my head in that direction and asked the group the obvious question.
“Any takers?” I knew what the answer was but had to ask anyway.
“All yours, Aaron. Be careful. Julia and I will check out the other one,” Kayla said sweetly.
I shrugged. “All right. Jake, you get the big building. Watch your ass.”
“That’s my job, brother-in-law,” Kayla said, with an affectionate swat on Jake’s rear, making him give her a half smile. Julia laughed at Jake’s discomfiture, and the two sauntered off, leaving the two of us men again.
I walked down the worn path to the small log cabin at the edge of the station property. It was a little building, not much bigger than twenty feet on a side, but it looked like it was used as a residence for the rangers when they used to be assigned here. Two windows were seen from my side, and they were both covered by heavy shutters, which actually functioned as shutters. If I had to guess, the winters here were fierce. As I got closer I began to notice a lot of things that began to concern me.
The shutters were dinged up pretty badly, as if someone had hammered at them for a long time. As I got closer, I could see what looked like scratches in the wood. Some of the wood had been picked away, and I thought I saw what looked like teeth marks.
Walking around the building, I saw the same marks everywhere. If I had to make a guess, I’d say the zombies had trapped someone inside, and they spent all of their time trying to get in. With the door open, either the per
son inside out-waited them and left, or the zombies finally broke in.
Stepping to the door, I stooped and picked up a stone. Tossing it in the cabin, I waited to see if it caused a reaction.
Nothing. Next part of the plan was to go in. I pulled out my sword and let it lead the way, stepping into the cabin and letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. Inside the cabin was neat, if a little dusty from the door being open. There was some interesting mold growing out of the kitchen, and I was careful not to disturb it. The cabin was laid out with a little living room, a small kitchen with a dining area, a bathroom down the hall, and a bedroom. It was in the bedroom I found the man. He was laying on the bed and had been there for a long time. The gun in his hand and the splatter on the wall told the story. His ranger uniform had faded from time, but the man died well. The look on his face was one of peace, not pain. I took the gun from his hand and folded his arms over his chest, not an easy task as he was pretty stiff. Covering him with the blanket on the bed, I left the man alone.
Back in the living room, I looked down at the gun I had retrieved, and was surprised to see it was an old-fashioned silver-plated, engraved Colt Single Action. I checked the cylinder and saw it was loaded only with the one spent round. Ejecting the casing, I looked at the gun for a second and went back to the room. A quick look found the case the gun came in, and I was pleasantly surprised when I found a second Colt that matched the first one in there. Placing the used one back, I took the case out with a small gesture of thanks to the man who chose his own route to the grave.
Outside, I walked back up the path to the Ranger station. Jake and Julia were waiting for me.
“Anything?” Jake asked, looking at the case.
“The last ranger on duty when the crap hit the fan,” I said. “Killed himself before the zombies could get to him. Looks like they must have surrounded him for a while before they got in. Found these in there.” I showed the two revolvers to Jake, who nodded appreciatively.
Generation Dead (Book 3): Beyond The Gates Page 9