“The Clan was a group of about fifteen people that showed up one day. They were dressed alike, but we didn’t take much notice, figuring them to be some sort of religious group. They seemed harmless enough, and in those days you never turned away refugees, figuring any help fighting the zombies was good help,” she said.
I had to agree with that line of thinking. Every survivor would be another soldier in the fight against the undead.
Sheriff Conners kept talking. “Right away they insinuated themselves with the leaders of the community, making suggestions, making changes, taking over essential duties. We didn’t mind at first, thinking that the more they wanted to do, the more time we would have for gathering food and getting ready for winter. But then things turned sideways really fast. The leader of the Clan, a woman from California, began talking about how we needed to follow a single leader, that one person needed to make all the decisions. Up to that point we had been using a council that we all had elected at first, and then we were taking turns being on the council, making decisions.
“She made her declaration when she was on the council, and by some trick, the rest of the council agreed with her. Suddenly she went from refugee to being the leader in a single vote.
“Once she had the power she wanted, she had her followers gather all of the weapons in the community. If you owned a gun or bow or anything that could be used against them, it was taken in the general interest of the community.”
Jake shook his head. “I imagine that didn’t go over well.”
Conners nodded. “Several men resisted, and they were overwhelmed by the Clan members. The men disappeared, and their families were left to fend for themselves. After that, the rest fell in line. People tried to curry favor by spying on their neighbors. Anyone who gave information about a possible rebellion was rewarded with extra food, better housing. People didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t leave, since the zombies were still out there, and survival was what we all wanted.”
“What about the hunters?” Jake asked.
Conners actually shuddered. “Cold blooded killers. I don’t know where they came from, some people say the leader of the Clan liberated them from prison during the Upheaval, trading service for freedom. They were skilled trackers and hunters, and if anyone tried to leave, a hunter went after them. The hunters were told not to come back until they had killed their prey.”
Celia looked down. “They always came back.”
“Always?” I asked.
She nodded. “They came back after my husband tried to escape, tried to get help. They came back after my oldest daughter tried to find help.”
“After they took my other daughter away for ‘re-education’, as they called it, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I was more dead than alive, anyway, so it really didn’t matter,” she said.
“What was this re-education?” Jake asked, his face dark.
Conners sighed. “That was what they called their indoctrination program. They took the kids for education, and when they came back—if they came back—they were brainwashed into little robots for the Clan. I don’t know what they did, none of us did, but we couldn’t stop them. The kids who came back were violent, moody, and deeply changed. My other daughter didn’t survive the re-education, they told me; they said she wasn’t strong enough.” Tears swelled in the poor woman’s eyes as she recounted her memory.
“How did you get away? Especially when they hunters always get their prey?” I asked, curious.
Sheriff Conners unbuttoned the top two buttons on her shirt and pulled the material aside to show a massive scar just below her collarbone. It looked exactly like a bullet wound.
“I didn’t get away. I just wasn’t killed. The hunter never bothered to check if I was dead,” she said, re-buttoning her shirt. “I crawled a mile before I gave up, figuring to die out on the plains, when a couple of ranchers from Jerome found me. They brought me here, patched me up, and never asked questions about what had happened. I repaid the kindness of the community by serving them the only way I knew how.”
“You were an officer before the Upheaval?” I asked.
“Portland County deputy sheriff,” Conners said, with a little pride. “When the fall came, we fought until our ammo ran out. Some went to sea, others took to the hills.” She looked out the window. “I wish sometimes I had taken my family to the sea.”
Julia held the woman’s hand for a second, understanding that hard choice. We’d all heard stories of the same sort, people who second-guessed what they had done, to the point of insanity. If they just hadn’t opened that door, if they had taken a left instead of a right, if they had only whatever.
We were silent for a moment, then Jake spoke up.
“I think we need to see this for ourselves. If people are willing to take the risk to try and escape, trying any way they can to get a message out, even in death, then we might need to set things right,” he said.
Conners shook her head. “You four aren’t enough. You’d need two dozen people just to get a foothold, and then you’d just be meat for the hunters,” she argued. “Just go home. Let this go. It’s what I had to do.”
I nodded. “I understand your point of view, and I appreciate you wanting to talk us out of it. But as our wives will tell you, us brothers are pretty stubborn, and when we get notion in our heads, it kind of sticks.”
“Well, if I can’t stop you, then I can give you some advice,” Conners said.
“What’s that?”
“Kill them all.”
Chapter 49
“I’m cold.” Julia said.
“I’ll throw more wood on the fire,” I said. Kayla and Jake nodded thanks, and the chore took little time. The previous owner of the house had stocked the porch with cords of cut wood. All I had to do was reach out the door and grab an armful.
We were in a small house outside the town of Baker City, a stopping point recommended to us by Sheriff Conners. When she couldn’t talk us out of making the trip, she tried to help us as much as she could. She had been through the area, and had gone back close to Enterprise a couple of times, but couldn’t bring herself to confront the Clan. We didn’t have any problem with it, figuring we could at least let the people who were left live in relative peace.
The house was small, nestled in a small pine forest along with dozens of other small homes. Baker City was an empty town, having been abandoned a long time ago, and then looted of everything of use. The town of Boise we had left behind and in a hurry, since the city was home to thousands of zombies. The powers that be in Boise decided to seal off the outside world when the Upheaval hit. It worked for a time, too, judging by the scale of the walls. Unfortunately, someone already had the virus when they sealed things off, and the entire population was rendered dead. As we drove by on a high piece of highway, we could see the ghouls wandering around as if they were just going to work or getting along in their zombie lives.
The trip to Baker City had taken all day, mostly because the roads were not as travelled. By the time sun was dipping below the mountains, we were tired, worn out, and just wanted to rest. We made our way into this house because it was out of the way and still standing.
Jake had made the fire while Julia and I had scouted the area, making sure we didn’t have neighbors that might object to our presence.
“Let’s have a look at the maps again and try and figure this out,” Jake said.
We spread the road maps out again and followed the line that Conners had drawn for us. She had explained that the main entrance to the valley was guarded, and no one ever got in that way. The Clan kept watch, and if refugees turned up, they were welcomed in and indoctrinated quickly. We would have a difficult time selling ourselves as refugees. When asked why, Sheriff Conners explained that we just didn’t carry ourselves as people who were frightened, defeated, and just looking for safety.
I argued that we’d be better off coming in over the mountains, from the direction no one expected us to come. Julia and Kayla arg
ued against that, saying it would take too long, and we would get snowed in if we tried that. Jake finally spoke up, and for once he made sense.
“Why don’t we try another method? One of us goes in by themselves, acting like they had been part of a community that had suddenly been overrun, and were looking for shelter. The rest of us come in later while they are occupied with the newcomer, and we take them by surprise,” Jake said.
I had to admit it beat the other options we were thinking of. I volunteered to go in, much to Julia’s dismay. I told her I needed her rifle covering me as I went in. Kayla thought we should just hunt the sentries and go in that way, but Jake pointed out that rifle fire in the mountains carried for miles.
Julia still didn’t like it, but we really had little choice. It was either deception or a frontal assault since the mountain trek wasn’t really an option.
In the morning, we headed north for LaGrande. Sheriff Conners explained that La Grande was a town that had once been a decent community that had traded with Enterprise, but when the Clan took over, the place became a ghost town, in more ways than one. Apparently a trade deal had gone bad, and some hunters had gone out that way. A little while later they came back, and then rumors spread that the town of LaGrande had been taken over by zombies. Rumor was the hunters had captured and released several zombies inside the town’s defenses, and was finished after that. We figured coming from the direction of a town that posed no threat was a better option than just strolling through the front door.
Chapter 50
LaGrande was a nice town that we avoided by taking Pierce road past Union County Airport. Old farms and falling buildings lined the road as we made our way through fallen trees, power lines, and piles of debris. The mountains were looming to our left and right, and the snow on the peaks declared these to be no mean hills.
Julia shook herself as she looked out over the landscape. “What a dreary place. I’d get tired of looking at the hills even out here.”
I had to agree, although I figured what we were going to attempt clouded everyone’s vision just a bit. We knew what had happened around here and what was probably waiting for us.
We passed an RV manufacturing plant, and Jake slowed down. I looked over at the several RV’s that were just sitting in the lot, and I had to admit I was tempted. It would be nice not to have to find a place to sleep every night, we could just walk a few feet, and there the beds were.
I tapped Jake on the shoulder. “We’ll take a closer look when we come back this way,” I said.
Wallowa Lake Highway led us closer to our destination, and we drove along at a brisk pace. The roads were decently kept, and there weren’t any cars on the road. Several had been moved to the side, but I figured that was because of the trade once upon a time.
We passed a large grain elevator on the road, and I remembered the tale my father told me about spending the night up on the top of one of those things. I shook my head and marveled again at my father, trying to figure out how he went from school administrator, to zombie killer, to president, all in a few short years.
Elgin was a ramshackle town, held together by baling wire and good intentions. Nearly all of the buildings were single story, and every single one of them was empty. We passed business after business, opened and emptied. There didn’t look to be much in the way of entertainment, until we pulled up in front of the Elgin Opera House. It was a massive, two story brick building, which looked to have started life as the City Hall. At least, that’s what the building façade had carved into it. Across the street was a gas station, complete with satellite dishes, and a big propane tank. Next to the tank was a rack for smaller tanks. I nudged Jake as we got out and stretched a little in the afternoon sun.
“Be a good idea to grab a few of those if there are any that are full for the RV,.” I said.
Jake nodded. “I’m coming around to that idea more and more. When we finish up here, we need to seriously consider it. Do we even have a hitch?” Jake asked, walking to the rear of the Jeep.
I went with him, and we were both happy to see that we did indeed have a hitch already attached. Our luck was holding, at least a little bit.
Kayla spoke up. “Do we keep moving, or do we stay here?” she asked, looking around.
I thought for a minute. “Let’s get further up the road, I don’t relish the thought of walking that many miles.”
Jake disagreed. “The closer we get the more likely they will see us coming.”
I shook my head. “According to the map, there’s a small town of Wallowa north of Enterprise. Celia told us that that was where the hunters trained and lived. In all likelihood, all I have to do is get around there, and we’re good. Let’s take it as close as we can. If there’s a nasty fight, I want to be able to retreat in a vehicle and not on foot.”
Jake shrugged, probably realizing he wasn’t going to win this one. I felt pretty confident overall. Enterprise had no way of knowing that anyone had managed to figure out the little puzzle, and therefore were not as vigilant as Conners made them out to be.
We took to the highway again, and when we passed a place called Minam Summit, we could see the river valley stretch out before us. Jake looked calmer when he realized there were plenty of places for us to hide in that valley. We descended slowly, flanked by trees and tall hills. The river lay to our right and was a fast drop off the road.
In what seemed like a blink, we hit the bottom of the valley and crossed the Wallowa River. Suddenly the river was right next to us, flowing fast and deep beneath the tall mountains to the north. I thought I saw a flash on a hilltop, but when it didn’t repeat itself, I figured it was nothing but a shiny rock. We kept going, letting the sun light the way in front of us as it slowly set once again. The hills and trees were lit in bright contrast, and this country was much more to my liking.
Right at the edge of dusk we reached the end of the valley, and Jake found a narrow road which took us to a small house that overlooked the river. Jake had turned off the lights of the Jeep, and we worked our way slowly up a small switchback to a ranch house that looked out over the valley entrance. The house was dark, and fortunately, unoccupied. Jake pulled the Jeep around to the garage, and parked it behind the building. Anyone casually looking this way from a distance or from the road would miss the big black vehicle.
Chapter 51
We stayed in the vehicle for the night, and in the very early morning I made my preparations. Julia looked over the maps while I made ready. I didn’t want to cause suspicion in any way, at least not at first. I kept a full magazine in my pistol, but took several bullets out of one of my spares. I took the ammo out of my pack and replaced it with water, rope, and two pouches of jerky. I kept my knife and tomahawk, and then set about my outfit. I kept the vest and gloves, wrapping my head in a scarf. I used some strips of cloth to tie my weapons down, and I left my sword in the Jeep. Jake gave me his bow and quiver, explaining that a lone man in the mountains would more likely have a bow than a rifle. I could use it if I had to, but anything I was aiming at would be pretty safe.
After a brief farewell with Julia, I slipped away and headed over land to the base of the hills. I wanted to travel along the mountain’s edge, figuring I could do two things with it. If I was caught, I could say that I was avoiding a climb. If not, then the mountains would provide cover as I approached the town of Enterprise.
I headed south and worked my way towards the trees. There was a pretty clear ridge of hills that rose steeply away from the valley, and the trees would provide good cover as I moved south. If all went well, I would be able to see what was going on without being detected. If I was caught, then I had a pretty good backup story. If they wanted to make an issue out of things, well, I could give that to them, too.
The dark skies were slowly giving way to hues of purple and blue. I crossed the river near where I had left the others, and as I travelled further south, I was glad I had done so. The Wallowa River got a lot faster and no doubt deeper as it worked its w
ay through the valley. There was a lot of open space in this valley, and I began to get an understanding as to why the people didn’t try and leave. If the hunters were such good marksmen, there would be no place to hide. The minute you stuck you head out, there was a mile of open space to cross. You’d be dead before you got fifty feet. The trees and the hills were great cover, but you had to get to there first.
A mile into my walk, and the river turned away from the hills. A series of buildings stood at the turning, and for a minute I wasn’t sure what the purpose of the buildings were. But when I got closer, I saw piles of sawdust and huge stacks of cut trees waiting for the transformation into lumber. But they were going to have to wait. As I got closer, I saw another sight which told me this plant was still in use, but served a more grisly purpose.
Behind a small grove of trees, I saw the bones. Dozens of various human bones, all piled into a small hole that had long ago overflowed. The shapes were off, and when I looked closer, I could see that the bones had been neatly cut. The skulls were cut in half, pelvis bones were cut, femurs were cut. Everything was sliced in some way. None of the cuts looked like they had been done with anything other than a mechanical saw.
I looked at the skulls, and after a quick count, I came up with over fifty people. The ground was dark and stained, and it looked like there was some attempt at first to cover up the mess; closer to the building there was no attempt whatsoever. A pile of body parts lay in a heap, cut into small pieces. There wasn’t enough of a single piece to fill a coffee cup. I couldn’t tell if there was a single person represented there or five.
Hoping for the best, I took a large splinter and shoved it into what I thought looked like brains. Maybe it was small intestine, it was hard to tell in the dark. I took out my lighter, and held it under the goo. After a minute, all that happened was the flesh turned black. No red flares, nothing.
Generation Dead (Book 3): Beyond The Gates Page 18