by Russ Watts
“Minneapolis was hit hard,” said Lukas. “I heard they tried to evacuate the city, but like everything else, it turned to shit. The evacuation was a mess. The roads got congested, and when the dead attacked, they had nowhere to go. Almost a million died on day one. After that, the news stopped coming. I guess it didn’t take long.”
Jonas looked across to the west, trying to see the city. It appeared now and then between gaps in the trees as they drove, but it didn’t look like he expected it to. A gray pallor hung over the city, like smog, blocking out the view. Dark clouds gathered around the city, forming in huge clumps for miles in the sky, and frequently Jonas caught sight of a faint orange glow flickering between the tall buildings.
“Containment,” said Julie, gazing out of the window. She hadn’t spoken for an hour, and Jonas thought she might have gone to sleep. “If the Evac’ failed, the next logical step would be containment. Burn the city. Stop the disease getting out.”
Dakota leant into Jonas, resting her head on his shoulders. “The sooner we get to Janey, the better. I hate this place.”
Jonas had to agree. It seemed like everywhere they looked and everywhere they went they found nothing but death. Was there really nowhere left untouched: San Diego, Dallas or DC? Jonas hoped that perhaps someone had made it, that perhaps there was a pocket of survivors somewhere, but no matter how much he tried to tell himself they weren’t the last ones alive, he found it hard to accept. Minneapolis was home to close to four million people. Were they all dead? He couldn’t work out how so many had died. The number was so large it was incomprehensible. Surely some had made it out. Lukas had made it out of Chicago, and if he could do it, then so could others. Jonas watched a small orange glow on the horizon spread upward, a burst of flame igniting a building, maybe a gas station or a warehouse of some sort, and then it faded again.
If he truly believed that nobody could survive, then he had to accept the possibility that Janey might not either. Thunder Bay was hardly remote. He preferred to think of it as untouched, perhaps able to escape the touch of death completely, but he knew that was unlikely. If Janey and his three nephews were still alive they would probably have had to fight at some point. The chance of them surviving unscathed was slim, he could accept that, but he also knew that Janey would do whatever it took to keep her children safe. If she said she was going to stay put, she would. It was the not knowing that was eating away at him. Now that Javier was one step ahead, it made getting to Janey all the more serious. Jonas had to hope that Dakota was right. Javier would surely concentrate his efforts on finding his own brother before doing anything else. Even if he did find Janey’s place, Erik and Quinn wouldn’t let Javier touch her.
Where were they? Quinn was clever, quick, and if there were any chance of getting away from Javier she would take it, although not at the expense of leaving Freya behind. That poor girl had been through so much. Having watched Pippa die, Erik was in no state of mind to look after her. Keeping Freya safe had been difficult enough, but now that her mother was dead, it was an even tougher job. Jonas stroked Dakota’s hair as he watched Minneapolis burn. Bringing up a child was going to be a real challenge. It was going to be even harder than fighting the dead. At least Jonas had a lot of practice at that. Killing the dead was something he could do. Bringing up a child was something else. He had no real experience of children, other than Freya, and certainly no idea how to raise a baby. How were they going to cope? He knew Dakota was strong. After all they had been through, she still had faith in him, still had faith in herself; that they could make a go of it. That was why Thunder Bay was so important. It gave them all something to believe in. There was a lot riding on it. Lives were at stake, even those who were yet to be born, and Jonas knew he was only going to get one chance.
Eau Claire slowed them down. The roads were congested, and it took time to find a safe passage around the dead town. By the time they reached Duluth, the sun was long gone, and everyone was tired. The night was just as dangerous as the day, and whilst nobody wanted to say it out loud, they all knew they were going to have to stop.
The house they picked was cold but safe, and they all ate a supper quietly upstairs in darkness. Only faint moonlight lit the room through a large bay window. Once the home of a large family, it was now a temporary refuge for five strangers, brought together through fate and fluke. Julie ate very little and sat on the floor cross-legged. Jonas noticed she would listen to the others talk without joining in the conversation much. She was taking everything in, probably sizing them up before deciding whether she was out of the woods and in the company of people who weren’t going to murder her.
Black Jack was tied up out back where she had plenty of long grass to graze on. Bishop made sure she was safe and gave her plenty of water to drink. It had been a long day, taking them several hours to reach the edge of Duluth. Despite the late hour, Jonas had tried to encourage the others to press on. Everyone knew he was worried about Janey, but he also knew it would be futile going on alone or in the dark. Reluctantly, he agreed it was safer to find a bed for the night. Going through Duluth in the dark, across the border at Grand Portage, and then onto Thunder Bay at night, would be impossible. No matter how quiet it seemed, they all knew there were plenty of dangers and zombies out there, and it just wasn’t safe to go on. Jonas was drained. The whack on the back of the head that Carlton had given him was still sore, and Dakota was feeling sick again. Lukas had spent all day driving and was exhausted. Jonas was forced to accept they couldn’t make it to Thunder Bay that night and reassured himself that Javier was having it no easier. Quinn and Erik wouldn’t make it easy for him, and there was no guarantee they had even got this far. They could easily have taken a wrong turn or sucked into a fight warding off the dead. For all Jonas knew, they were ahead of Javier, and would get to Janey first.
“So we set off at first light, right?” asked Lukas. He pulled back the metal ring on a can of apricots and began eating them with greasy fingers. They had emptied the armored truck, bringing all the rations and weapons in with them, just in case. Jonas remembered the warehouse back at Martinsville when they had lost Peter. If they had been better prepared, they could’ve gotten out of there much easier.
“I know, Annalise, just let it be.”
Only Jonas heard Bishop muttering, and again chose to ignore it. As long as Annalise stayed in the man’s head there was no harm done.
“May as well,” said Dakota. “It’s not like I’m going to be sleeping in. It seems like no matter how tired I am, I just can’t sleep. I can manage a few hours at best. My back’s killing me.”
“It’ll be better when we get to Janey’s. It’ll be much better, you’ll see,” said Jonas. “Her house is real secluded, and right by the lake. If we can keep the area clear we can make it somewhere we can stay long-term. I think knowing you’re safe will mean you can sleep without having one eye open.”
Dakota snuggled up to Jonas. She was nibbling at a power bar, but it was flavorless and dry. “Tell me their names again?”
Jonas smiled. “There’s Mike, Ritchie, and Chester. Man, they’re cute. I can’t wait to see them. It’s been too long. Uncle Hamsikker should’ve visited way before now. Instead, he waited for the end of the world.” Jonas shook his head despondently. “There’s a ton of stuff I should’ve done.”
“What about Janey?” asked Dakota. She recalled the plane when Jonas had woken, and in a daze had thought she was Janey. He had said something about leaving her, about something their father had done.
“I owe a lot to her. She’s strong, stronger than me. That’s why I just know she’s alive. She’s a fighter. She’d do anything to protect her kids. When we were children, we fought like all brothers and sisters, but she always had my back. When I was around nine or ten, this kid tried to bully me at school. Taller, bigger, spottier – anyway, Janey saw him pushing me around and clobbered him. I mean well and truly, she smacked him right in the face. I can still remember Janey’s face after she had
done it. It was a mixture of pride and fear. I’ll never forget it.” Jonas laughed. “The kid went home crying to his Mom, said we had been picking on him. Of course, we stuck together, said we hadn’t even touched him, so nothing came of it. Dad said we did the right thing. He said we should always stand up to bullies. It’s a lesson my sister learnt well, but me…well, I guess I didn’t quite get the message. Took me a long time to figure that one out.”
“Your Mom wasn’t around?” asked Lukas, still digging into the canned fruit.
“For a while earlier on. After she passed, though, my father…changed.” Jonas shivered. “Is it me, or is it getting cold in here? It’s going to be a long night.”
“There are plenty of spare blankets up there in the linen closet,” said Bishop. “Speaking of which, how are you doing Julie? You need anything else? The bed’s all made up, so don’t feel like you have to sit around with us morons. If you need to go, just go.”
Julie had been listening intently, but saying little. Bishop thought she might be brooding over the death of Carlton. He still hadn’t worked out their relationship. Nobody had asked her what she wanted to do. She had gone along with them and showed no commitment to staying or going.
“I’m fine, thanks,” replied Julie, yawning. “Maybe I’ll turn in. You want me to help take watch? Maybe if I could just get a couple hours sleep first? I’m happy to…”
“No, we’ve got it covered between us.” Bishop had already worked out that he, Lukas, and Jonas would take watch a few hours at a time over the course of the night. Despite the isolation of the house, and the fact it was so quiet, they couldn’t take any chances.
“Julie, before you go,” said Jonas, “we need to talk.”
Julie stood up and raised her eyebrows. “Can it wait? I’m beat.”
Bishop couldn’t help but smile as he watched Lukas admiring Julie’s long legs. He was a young kid and still had natural urges. Still, Bishop knew that if Lukas wanted to get inside Julie’s bed, it was going to be a long wait. The woman had showed little interest in anything since being rescued. Often she seemed to sink into her own thoughts, almost forgetting she was in company.
“This will only take a minute. I don’t need to know what your deal was with Carlton. I can tell you’re a decent person. I would like to know what you’re planning on doing tomorrow though. You’ve heard us talk about Thunder Bay and getting to my family. You know you can join us if you want. We’ve enough food and water to last us all. You shouldn’t feel obligated to come. I understand if you…”
“Canada sounds good to me. I’ve nothing else. Carlton was all I had.”
Bishop noticed she said it as if he were her husband and not her sergeant.
“He was over-zealous, pig-headed, controlling, and paranoid. But if it wasn’t for him I’d be dead, I know that. Being stuck with him as we were, we got to know each other well. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. We were just about ready to give up, you know? When we heard the shooting, we didn’t think it was a rescue. There are people out there, bad people, who would kill us just for wearing the uniform. So, I’m sorry for the way things started out between us, but please don’t try and tell me I’m a decent person. I get the insinuation. Carlton was an asshole. Maybe he was. But he was also a good man who always tried to do the right thing no matter who he offended in the process.”
“I’m sorry,” said Jonas standing up. “I wish he were here with us, with you, but…I can’t change that now.”
Jonas looked at Julie. Her brown eyes softened when he apologized. He supposed it had been a backhanded compliment. Jonas hadn’t taken to Carlton, but that didn’t mean he was pleased he was dead.
“Look, I have no family, nothing to go back for. If this Thunder Bay place is where you’re heading, then I guess I’ll come along for the ride. What else am I going to do, right? Until things get put back together, it’s all about survival.”
Julie said goodnight and then disappeared off to her room. When she was gone, Dakota spoke first.
“Until things get put back together? I don’t know what that woman’s been through, but she’s got a shock coming to her if she thinks things are going to go back to the way they were. She needs a reality check. I don’t mean to sound horrible, she seems fine, but are you sure about her Jonas? Do we even want her along with us?”
Jonas rubbed his eyes. They felt grainy, tired, and all of a sudden he felt like sleeping for a thousand years. The beating Javier had given him meant his body still felt heavy, and the bruising had yet to subside. His head ached, and no amount of sleep was going to cure that. He had to get up in a few hours to take his shift on watch and relieve Bishop, and from Dakota’s tone, he could tell she was about to get into it. He couldn’t face an inquisition now. “We can hardly kick her out, can we? Her sergeant, her friend, was killed today. She’s harmless. In fact, being military, she’s probably got some skills that will help us. Let’s just help her as best we can for now. We can help her get where she’s going.”
“Now you’re talking my kind of language,” said Bishop.
“Trouble is, she doesn’t know where she needs to be,” said Dakota.
“No matter. We’ll help her get there,” said Jonas. “Right, Bishop?”
Bishop drew his jacket up to his chin, feeling the cold too. “Right. But don’t force it. Things will happen for her. Her head’s a mess right now. I’m quite sure Sergeant Carlton would have run a tight ship back there in that place they were shacked up in, and now that’s all gone. She’s lost everything she knew: the army, her security, the man she loved, and all in one day.”
“Loved? What makes you think that?” asked Lukas. “I thought she was a Private. That sort of thing isn’t allowed, is it?”
“I don’t think the rules apply anymore, Lukas,” said Bishop. “If she wanted Carlton dead, she had plenty of opportunity over the last few months. No, she wanted him alive. Now she has to start over, and all she has is us. You, Hamsikker. You’re the one leading us now. This is your game. I’ve got you here, but after Duluth you’re in charge. I don’t know the land. I can’t help you get to Janey.”
Jonas felt the weight of responsibility fall upon him, and he accepted it. He was a father now, and it wasn’t something he could shirk. He had run away from it in the past, but running away wasn’t an option anymore.
“Bishop, I’ll relieve you in a few hours; Lukas you can get some sleep and take the last watch. I want us up and out of here by six. We can get started as soon as the sun’s up. We’ll take the truck and get on the I61. It’ll lead us all the way to the border and Thunder Bay. There’s no stopping once we get going—not for anything.” His comment was aimed at Bishop who he knew would want to stop if he saw any sign that someone needed help. “We don’t stop until we get to Thunder Bay. My sister’s house is on the edge of the lake on the western edge of town, so we don’t need to actually go right through the city center.”
“Very good. So long as you have it worked out, I suggest we get some sleep,” said Bishop. “I don’t know about you, but I can hardly keep my eyes open. These bones are quick to let me know when they’ve had enough.” Bishop stood up and began arranging the blankets spread out over the sofa. “I’ll go check on Black Jack and check around outside. Any sign of trouble, I’ll get you, don’t worry. Have a good evening, folks,” Bishop said.
Jonas and Dakota made their way up to their bed for the night.
“So are you going to tell me?” asked Dakota, as she followed Jonas upstairs into their bedroom. The room was cold, but otherwise quite pleasant. The bed was comfortable, and had a thick quilt spread over it that looked almost brand new. Dakota quickly stripped and slipped beneath the covers.
“Tell you what?” asked Jonas as he joined his wife in bed. He figured they had about six hours until dawn, and at least a third of that he was going to have to be up on watch: so much for a good night’s sleep.
“What happened to you? Why did you leave home? Don’t tell
me that you wanted to broaden your horizons. I know you and Erik were tight, so why’d you go? It has something to do with your father, I know that much, but I don’t know why you won’t tell me. After everything we’ve been though, we should be able to tell each other anything.”
“I know, I know, it’s just that after Mom died, things changed. We were happy, but Dad just couldn’t cope. It was hard for him. It was hard on all of us. What’s the point in dredging up the past anyhow? We should try and get some sleep while we can. You said so yourself, you’re not feeling the best.”
“Jonas Hamsikker, you are as stubborn as your old man. And stop trying to change the subject. You want to raise our child with secrets between us?”
Jonas sat up, shuffled his pillow around, and lay back down. “No, of course. I just haven’t talked about it before. To anyone.”
“Okay, so how about I start,” said Dakota stroking Jonas’s head. “Let me see…when I was in college I smoked pot. Like, a lot.”
Jonas laughed. “For real? You?” He couldn’t picture Dakota getting high. Since he had known her she had never so much as smoked a cigarette.
“See, you don’t know everything. Now, your turn.”
Jonas thought for a moment, pondering how and where to start. He was struggling to get the image of Dakota sitting around a college dorm smoking. He wasn’t used to opening up, not about the serious stuff. “I left town because I couldn’t take it anymore. It was never-ending. Nothing changed, and nothing was going to change. The beatings, the arguments, the constant fucking miserable atmosphere that hung around our house; it stopped being a home after Mom passed. Erik stopped coming around. I began to hate myself for letting it happen.”
“Your father beat you?” asked Dakota quietly. She continued to stroke Jonas’s hair. She could feel his body was tense, that he was struggling with letting it out.
“No, he never laid a finger on me.”
Dakota put her head on Jonas’s chest. His heart was racing.