by Russ Watts
“Lukas. We’re going,” said Jonas. He glanced at the pit of writhing bodies. Julie was down there somewhere, at least what was left of her. He couldn’t bring her back, couldn’t thank her for saving his life, or even begin to explain it to Lukas. The only thing left to do was carry on.
Jonas put a hand on Lukas’s shoulder. “Lukas, come on man, we need to—”
Lukas shrugged Jonas away. “We need to what? Bury her? There’s nothing left to bury.” Lukas stood up and shoved Jonas back. His eyes were teary, yet full of anger. “You couldn’t do anything? You couldn’t stop this?”
“It was so fast, what could I do? I didn’t want for this to happen any more than you,” said Jonas. “I didn’t see what was coming until it was too late. I should’ve been on the lookout for something like this, but—”
“See what was coming?” Lukas wiped his face, and stepped toward Jonas. “What do you mean? You knew this was going to happen?”
“No, not really, I mean… Look, Lukas, I didn’t know Javier would do something like this. It’s not like he gave us a warning. I only saw the sign when we began falling. I couldn’t stop it.”
Lukas began to trudge back to the truck, waving his gun in the air. “You suspected this Javier guy might try something, and you did nothing? You didn’t say anything?”
“It’s not like that. Lukas…”
The truck door slammed, the engine revved, and Jonas turned to look at Dakota.
“He’ll come round. Let’s go.” Dakota pulled Jonas to her, and examined the cut on his head. “If Lukas really thought this was on you, he would’ve taken your head off already.”
Jonas closed the door as he and Dakota got in next to Lukas. Rain fell onto the truck’s roof and drowned out everything except his thoughts. The seats were cold, and his damp clothes offered no warmth against the dropping temperature. The wind howled around them, and Jonas peered out of the window. Lake Superior was vast, bigger than he even imagined. He could only imagine how frigid it would feel in there. Julie’s death clung to him like the damp, and there was no shaking it off. Another had died.
The atmosphere in the truck was icy cold, and Jonas said nothing as he sat next to Lukas. Dakota dabbed at the blood on Jonas’s face, trying to clean him up as Lukas steered the truck away from the road. The only way forward now was to skirt around it. He reversed the truck carefully and then pointed it at the scrub before the lake. Lukas took it slowly, saying nothing, gripping the wheel, and eventually he got them past the roadblock. On the other side there was a slight gap between two cars, and he pushed through it until they were back on the road. When they were lined up again, he let the truck idle, and turned to face Jonas. Blood and tears streaked his face, but there was no sadness or pity on his features. His only emotion was anger.
“What else do I need to know?” he asked. “I need to know what the hell I’m getting myself into.”
“Sweetness and light,” said Jonas. “That’s what it said on the rear of the barrier. Lukas, I swear I didn’t know what was happening. But the moment I saw that sign, I knew it was him. He knew we would come this way, so he left it right there for us. We may have just been lucky up until this point. Maybe having Bishop with us was more than good luck. He knows how to read the land. He can see things coming before anyone else. I can’t say for sure that there won’t be any other nasty surprises up ahead, Lukas. I’d begun to let myself believe that he was gone. Javier is everything you don’t want to be. He will lie, and cheat, and kill, and do whatever he can to stay alive.”
“Not just that,” said Dakota. “If he really set that trap for us back there, then he knows we’re coming. It would’ve taken him some time to set that up, and he didn’t even know for sure we would come along. He left us for dead, remember?”
“That sign was meant for us. Maybe he was just covering his tracks. I don’t know. I’m through second guessing him.” Jonas looked at the road ahead. Nothing had ostensibly changed. He still knew exactly what he had to do, where he had to go, and who he had to find. “All I can say, Lukas, is to watch your back. If Javier is out there, and if we find him, he’ll kill you just for riding with us.”
“I’ll kill him first. Julie didn’t deserve to go out like that.” Lukas took in a deep breath. It wasn’t Hamsikker’s fault. If anything, Lukas shouldered some of the blame. Julie was in no state to go off with them. He should’ve made her go back with Bishop. She had spent months living like a prisoner, and he had expected her to just get back into it without thinking if she was really ready. Truth was he liked having her around. Julie was sweet, pretty, and knew how to wear a uniform. Lukas could’ve persuaded her to go with Bishop, but he hadn’t wanted her to go. Now she was dead. The man responsible, Javier, was out there. He was the one who had lined up a pit of zombies for them. He was the one with a sinister agenda.
“Let’s go find Janey,” said Lukas exhaling slowly. He knew he couldn’t afford to drive angry. There was still plenty of ground to cover, and he was going to keep his wits about him now more than ever. He couldn’t afford to let thoughts of revenge or guilt or sorrow take over now. He was still driving the truck; still responsible for getting them all safely across the border.
“After we find Janey, we find Javier,” said Dakota. “No matter what, we have to find him.”
“Why?” asked Lukas. “Seems to me we’re better off avoiding him.”
“I want to make sure he’s dead,” replied Dakota.
Jonas looked at his wife and nodded. He felt it too. This wasn’t a coincidence. Javier was making sure that if anyone was following him that it wasn’t going to be easy. By rights, they should be dead, and if it hadn’t been for Bishop finding them when he did, they would be. Javier had to think that, but still, he had gone out of his way to set that trap. He was vindictive, and manipulative, and probably hadn’t even lifted a finger. Jonas could picture Javier barking orders from the safety of a car or van while Quinn and Erik did the hard work. And what of Freya? Was she still with them?
As they drove, a zombie appeared in the road, emerging from behind a stalled car. It growled, and then disappeared under the truck with a thud as Lukas ran it over.
“I ain’t stopping for nothin’,” said Lukas. The Lake to his right had vanished to be replaced by a line of trees. The road was headed inland, and as the lake receded, so did the sunlight. Lukas turned on the lights as dark clouds made the day become night. The air grew colder, and it wasn’t long before spots of rain began to appear on the windshield. Lukas had to slow down a little, as the road became greasy. Soon the trees thinned out, and the lake reappeared. But as the view opened up, they could see the weather coming in from the east. Visibility was worsening as the rain intensified, and the sound of it hitting the truck drowned out any attempt at conversation.
Lukas pushed on, determined to not get caught up in anything else, and they saw no more zombies as they continued north. Small towns came up, communities built around bays on the lake, but they didn’t stop. There were more road works sporadically spread out on the road, almost as if left there intentionally to slow them down. One caused them to lose almost an hour. An intersection outside of Illgen City was a mess, and the traffic had snarled up, leaving a line of cars across the road. Navigating a path around it was slow going, not least because they were being careful not to wander into any more traps. As it was, they made it through without any trouble. It was around late morning when they reached Taconite Harbor. A petrol tanker was blocking the road to the power station, and yet again Lukas had to be very careful as he drove off road. Jonas got out and helped point out where to go. The rain came down steadily, soaking him through.
“This is taking too long,” said Jonas as he jumped back into the truck. His clothes were sodden, and there was no respite from the downpour. Dakota held him close to warm him up.
“Can’t do much about it,” said Lukas as he watched the power plant recede into the distance. “Just the way it is.”
“I know. I�
��m just impatient. Knowing Javier was ahead of us has me worried. He might get to Janey before us.”
Jonas blew on his hands for warmth. The day was utterly miserable, and the future was looking distinctly uncertain. Would Javier really waste time looking for Janey when his own brother was out there?
“Surely he would rather use Quinn and Erik to find his brother first,” said Dakota. “I’m sure Janey’s fine.”
Dakota couldn’t help but remember the sound of Julie’s bones as they splintered and snapped. Yesterday had been full of hope. Bishop provided them with that. Now, with the wintry storm enveloping them, with Julie’s death, and with the constant hold-ups along the highway, she had a horrible nagging feeling that the day might not end so well. At least, not for everyone.
“Sure she is,” said Jonas. “I’ve got three nephews over the border, and ten to one Janey is with them right now waiting for me.” He tried to sound upbeat, despite what he felt inside. It was as if he was back in that church about to bury his father. A sense of dread was eating away at him. Just as he had wanted to get his father’s funeral over, so he wanted to get over that border to Thunder Bay. He felt like they were being watched. Everywhere he looked, every turn in the road they took, he expected to see Javier. Jonas wanted it over with once and for all.
Proceeding out of Taconite Harbor, it took them another couple of hours to reach the border crossing. When Grand Portage lay ahead of them, Lukas rolled the truck to a stop, and the three of them sat up front, staring through the glass, blinking through the raindrops that splattered against the windshield.
“Anyone hungry? There’s still some food in back,” said Dakota.
Jonas shook his head. It had been hours since they had eaten, but he couldn’t eat. He couldn’t think about anything but getting over that border.
“I say we just keep going, and hope for the best,” said Lukas. He had no appetite either. The memory of Julie was still too fresh, too raw, and the thought of food only served to heighten the nausea creeping around his gut. It felt wrong going on without her. Lukas felt as if he had abandoned Julie, but he shook it off. It wasn’t his fault. He just missed her.
“Let’s go. Steer clear of Grand Portage, Lukas,” said Jonas. “Just follow the road, and we’ll find the border crossing soon enough.”
It was only minutes before they saw the signs for Pigeon River and the Canadian border. As they neared, the road split into two. Both lanes were full of traffic, and in some places were three vehicles across, spreading right into the emergency lane. Between the road was a thin strip of land populated by trees blowing in the wind and lots of dead leaves. Clearly people had been trying to get in or out of the US long ago. The gloomy sky made it difficult to see far ahead, and it was obviously not going to be easy. Lukas had no choice but to head into the rough grass that grew at the roadside. The truck’s wheels began to skid in the wet dirt, and they made it a few more feet before he gave up.
“This isn’t happening,” said Lukas as he stopped. “There’s no way through. I think we’re on foot from here. Once we get across, we can look for another vehicle, but there’s no way we’re going any further in this.”
Jonas sighed, frustrated. They were so close. “I think the border crossing is right up ahead. After that there’s a bridge across the river, and we’re officially in Canada. There is no way in hell we’re going on foot. It’s a short journey to Thunder Bay in the truck, but on foot it’ll take us the rest of the day at least. In this weather we’ll catch pneumonia before we’re even half way there. No, we have to find a way through.”
“Hamsikker, I hear you, but if I go any further in this crap, we’ll get stuck,” said Lukas staring out at the near-black sky above. It was hard to believe it was the middle of the day. “The road is blocked. There is no way through.”
“Lukas, trust me. Please. Just get us a bit closer so we can at least see what we’re dealing with here. Try and stick as close to the road as you can. Have a little faith. You can do this.”
“Fine. Just don’t grumble at me when we get stuck.”
They inched forward, each turn of the wheel threatening to leave them stranded. Lukas forced the truck to hug the road, but it was difficult. He scratched the side of every vehicle they passed and cursed on numerous occasions. Finally, to his surprise, he got them up onto the road. There was enough of a gap at the head of the traffic jam, except they were now sandwiched in between two station wagons. The border crossing was visible, but it was not all good news.
Jonas wiped the misty windshield and peered through it. If they could move the station wagon out of the way, they would be literally at the front of the queue and could get past. The problem was the crossing itself. It had been almost completely blocked. There were tanks, armored military jeeps, and even a helicopter stationed to the side of the crossing. It looked as if they had tried to stop an exodus; there were rotting bodies piled high either side of the tanks. The people had all been shot, a bullet in the head to ensure none returned. Jonas saw the path through the tanks was open. They could make it. If Javier could get through, then so could they. It would mean driving over some of the bodies, but it was feasible.
Jonas opened the passenger door. “Lukas, follow me. You and I are going to move this Goddamn car out of the way. Dakota, get behind the wheel. The second you’re in the clear, get through that barricade onto the bridge. Lukas and I will come to you. Don’t wait for us, okay? We’re only going to be out there for thirty seconds. We move that car, and we’re home free.”
“Hurry back,” said Dakota as Jonas and Lukas jumped out of the cab into the hurtling wind and rain.
“You can count on that,” said Lukas drawing his jacket up to his chin. He grimaced as the harsh rain hit him, slapping his face like a scolding mother.
Together, Jonas and Lukas ran to one of the station wagons, and put their hands on the hood. Its icy coldness was shocking to touch, and every time they pushed, they slipped as the rain refused to let them get a good grip. The truck’s headlights gave them plenty of light, and together they began to move the car slowly out of the way.
A clap of thunder was followed quickly by a snaking arc of lightening, and Jonas looked at the truck to make sure Dakota was ready. The lightening illuminated the road, and what he saw behind the truck froze him to the core. The road was clogged not just with vehicles, but zombies. Hundreds upon hundreds of them were pouring from the tree line, spilling onto the road, with their mutual murderous intent clear. Jonas saw them staggering, walking, running, their arms aloft, and their faces a picture of grotesque imagery that he would never forget. In seconds they would be all over the truck.
Jonas turned to Lukas and shouted. “They’re coming. Push!”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Straining every aching muscle that he had, Jonas put his whole body weight against the car, and with the rain beating down on him pushed with as much energy as he could muster.
Lukas heard the thunder echoing through the sky and felt the car move. He saw the panic on Jonas’s face, and knew something was wrong. With a surge of effort they got the station wagon off the road and out of the way.
“Go, go!” Jonas shouted to Dakota. He waved her on, and she immediately began to move the truck forward.
Unaware of the crowd amassing behind her, Dakota inched the truck forward through the gap in the cars and onto the crossing area. She then rapidly picked up some speed and hit the pile of bodies. As soon as it hit the first body the truck slowed as it churned its way through the sinking mound of rotten flesh and crumbling bones.
“Lukas, get…”
Lukas pointed and shot the first runner in the head. “I see them,” he said. The red taillights of the truck had illuminated the crowd, and it was enough for him to see what had Jonas so worried. This was no trap. This was just the dead, seeking out the living, as they always did. He suspected a lot of them were people from the cars littering the highway they had passed on the way to this point. “Get after Dakot
a; make sure she gets through.”
Jonas knew what Lukas was doing. He would take down as many as he could, but it wouldn’t be enough. Lukas had reloaded his gun in the truck, but he wouldn’t have enough to take them all down. No matter how he felt, this was not the way to end things.
“No,” said Jonas, grabbing Lukas’s shoulder. “Get going. We go together.”
Both of them ran after Dakota. She made it over the mountain of corpses, and was waiting for them to join her. When she stopped the truck ahead of the border at the start of the bridge over Pigeon River, she opened the driver’s door and looked behind her, expecting to see them jogging to catch her up. Instead, she saw the mob of zombies on the road with Jonas and Lukas only a few feet ahead of them.
“Run!” she screamed.
As they began to clamber over the stinking pile of bodies, their progress was slowed. The rain and the weight of the truck had created a sort of funnel through the bodies, but it was slippery underfoot, and it was difficult maintaining any momentum. Jonas watched as Lukas went down, and quickly scrambled to get up, away from the mangled people beneath him. Checking behind him, Jonas saw the zombies were now terrifyingly close. A runner broke from the pack and headed for Lukas. The stench was sickening, and Jonas knew they needed more time. He leapt from the bodies, and found himself sheltering against a tank. He had seen something glistening in the rain which should do the trick. If it didn’t work then he was as good as dead.
“Keep going,” he shouted to Lukas.
The two dead soldiers lying beneath the tanks wheels weren’t moving. One’s head was under the body of the tank, crushed to a pulp, while the other was riddled with bullets. Neither would be getting up again, and nor did Jonas care. It wasn’t the men he was interested in. On the road between them lay a machine gun, its black body shining in the dim light. Jonas reached down and picked it up.