by Alex Gunwick
“They’re all going to die,” she whispered. “We can’t do that to them.”
“If we’re going to survive, we need to think carefully about who we bring into the bunker.”
Liz opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.
“You have to trust me on this.” Luke broke from the embrace and strode stiffly away. White puffs of air floated in his wake. Liz sighed and decided to let him be. In his current state of mind, Luke wouldn’t be able to hear her arguments, anyway.
She turned back to where her daughter lay beneath the frozen ground, held her face in her hands, and wept alone.
Derek waited patiently outside the cabin while Liz, Luke, and Kyle gathered their things. His pack sat neatly at his feet, his pistol holstered at his hip and his rifle slung across his back. The Wrights had left earlier and didn’t suspect a thing. He figured they could always bring the older couple to the compound later after they got situated. More people weren’t always a bad thing. They could be useful for labor.
The clouds overhead emphasized the melancholy note of the day. It had been an emotional morning due to the impromptu service for Sierra. He felt terrible about what happened to the poor girl but watching the grief overwhelm her parents was the worst part.
Grief was a burden he was all too familiar with. He wished his own experiences with loss had better prepared him to console the bereaved, but he never seemed to come up with the right words to say. He found it was better to remain silent and offer simple condolences. Words had never been his strong suit.
Luke, Liz, and Kyle came filing out of the cabin, their faces grave. They all carried full packs on their backs and rifles on their shoulders. Derek glanced at the pistol holstered on Luke’s thigh, more out of instinct than actual concern. Even so, he found himself working out how fast Luke could draw with his pack and rifle slowing him down. He considered the distance between them, locating the nearest adequate cover to break for in a pinch while debating whether he could get to Luke before he aimed and fired. His trained mind ran through dozens of combat variables out of habit before he even realized what he was doing. He shook off the grim thoughts, forcing himself to focus. Luke already knew where the shelter was located. If he’d wanted to kill Derek, he would have done it already.
“Let’s go,” Luke said.
“All right. I’ll take point. Luke, you bring up the rear. We have to be absolutely certain we’re not being followed. The bunker is well-hidden and should be defensible, but if we can help it, I’d rather these people not even have the faintest idea of where we’re sleeping,” Derek said.
“Agreed.” Luke clenched his jaw.
Liz only nodded her assent, her eyes staring blankly ahead.
“Let’s go,” Kyle said.
Derek led them along a circuitous route through the woods. If any cult members were around, he wanted to spot them before they spotted his group.
When a noise in the woods caught his attention, Derek held up a fist to stop the group. He waited. Listening.
After Derek was convinced they were alone, the group continued to the bunker entrance without incident. No one spoke a word the entire time, but Derek suspected their silence was based more on grief than on a desire for stealth.
“Welcome home, folks.” He opened the hatch and led them inside. He pulled the string, and the lights buzzed on, illuminating the entryway.
He felt a pang of regret as he passed by the metal chair he’d used to restrain Sierra. He regretted not letting her go. At the time, his rationale seemed sound. Now it felt excessive and pointless.
“There are some emergency lanterns, flashlights, walkie-talkies, and other stuff here,” Derek said, gesturing to the shelves lining the entryway. “I haven’t had a chance to test it all out, but most of the stuff seems to be in decent shape. There are some batteries here, but there are a lot more in one of the main storage rooms. Hopefully, at least some of them are still good. It’s hard to tell when the stores were last updated, but from what I’ve gathered, it seems like this place has been abandoned for at least twenty years. Probably more.”
All three of them gasped when Derek led them into the cavernous central hub of the bunker.
“Wow, this is so cool.” Youthful excitement momentarily replaced Kyle’s grief and anger. “It’s like a superhero hideout. Except really dusty.”
“Most of the equipment is pretty outdated. I powered on a few of the monitors, but as far as I can tell, they don’t connect to anything anymore. I don’t know how useful they’ll be.”
He led them along the outside of the round room, gesturing at the bags and boxes lining the shelves.
“These are filled with blankets, old uniforms, socks, underwear, warm clothes, and other stuff like that. I saw some boots and sneakers somewhere around here. Those will definitely come in handy. I doubt they anticipated having children here, so most of the clothes won’t fit him.” He nodded toward Kyle, who was inspecting the back of a bulky, square monitor.
“As long as there are extra socks, I’m sure we’ll make do,” Luke said as he took in his surroundings. “I still can’t believe you found this place. It’s going to make life a hell of a lot easier.”
Liz occasionally nodded her head but didn’t respond to them. She touched things absentmindedly, seemingly trapped in her grief.
“One of the main storage rooms is through there.” Derek pointed down a hallway on the left side of the room. “It’s well-stocked with medical supplies, weapons, ammunition, more radios, those batteries I mentioned. There’s also a door in the storage room that leads to the generator. As you can see by the lights, it still works. It runs on propane. There are a couple of hundred twenty-pound tanks, so that should last us a while. We should search for more. We don’t know how long we’re going to have to stay here and we need to keep the lights on. It’s pitch black in here without them.”
“This place is really something, huh?” Luke stopped in the center of the room and looked around.
“It really is.” Derek gestured across the room at a passage they hadn’t walked into yet. “Down that way is another big storage room. That’s where all the food is. There’s a lot of canned stuff. We’ll have to check for botulism, but they should be good.”
Luke nodded.
“There are a ton of dry goods. Rice, beans, lentils, corn, flour, salt, spices, stuff like that. It’s all sealed in airtight containers, so most of it should be good. There’s also a fuck-ton of MREs, and I’m sure you know those can be hit-or-miss.” He looked to Luke, who gave a weak smile.
“Not gourmet, by any means. But still useful in a pinch,” Luke said.
“Amen. There’s also a locked door in the room where the food is stored. I haven’t been able to open it yet. I’m not sure if it’s just a closet or what, but it’s something we should look into when we get a chance.”
He led them farther along the outside of the room, stopping at another hallway.
“Down that way’s a gym with some simple equipment. There’re a couple of old-school treadmills, some free weights, elastic bands. You guys like ping pong? Whoever built this place must’ve because they’ve got a couple of tables set up in another room.”
“No way! That’s awesome!” Kyle was excited for a moment, but then his face fell. “Sierra and I used to play. She’d get so mad whenever I beat her.”
Liz put her arm around her son and pulled him close. Tears started to form in both of their eyes, but they managed to keep their composure.
“There are several lockers full of handguns, rifles, and ammunition. I was honestly surprised to find all of this. Usually, the military packs everything up when they decommission a place,” Derek said.
“Maybe they knew something was coming but couldn’t get the funding to bring this place back up to current standards,” Luke said.
“It’s possible.” Derek scratched his cheek. “There’s another locked door in the gym that I haven’t been able to open. It’s on my list of things to do.�
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“We’ll get it open,” Luke said.
“At the end of that hall, there’s another locked door. That one concerns me the most. I figure they must have built in a secondary exit somewhere, but I haven’t been able to find it. That seems like the best bet,” Derek said.
“Hmm. We should make that a priority. We need to know all the potential entrances and exits if we’re going to be safe in this place.” Luke looked toward the empty hall, no doubt contemplating the logistic issues presented by the bunker’s design.
“Definitely.”
Derek led them down the last passage, directly across from the entryway. “These are the living quarters.”
They emerged into a circular hall that curved off to the left and right. Two corridors branched off on either side. He took the left hall and continued past common area rooms.
“There are bunks down each of these halls, six rooms in total.” He pointed to a door on the interior wall of the circular hall. “In there’s a communal bathroom with a couple of toilets, sinks, and two shower stalls. I’d hold off on the showers, though. I haven’t been able to locate the water purification system. However, I’m fairly sure there is one somewhere. Maybe behind one of those locked doors.”
“That will be our first priority. We have some water, but a large-scale water source will make life a hell of a lot better,” Luke said.
“No. Our first priority is getting the Wrights.” Derek and Luke turned to Liz, both shocked at the sound of her voice.
“Honey, we—”
“Just stop. Look at all this space.” Liz gestured around. “This place can easily hold more of us. I won’t leave them out there for those crazy fucking cult members to abuse. We have a duty to help the good people left in this world. And you know they’re good people.”
“We haven’t even taken stock of the food stores yet. We don’t know how many people this place can support, or for how long,” Luke said.
“I don’t care. We can find more food. Hell, the Wrights were farmers before they retired. They can help us grow more food. I won’t turn my back on them, not after they’ve been so good to us. If you and Derek don’t go get them, I’ll do it myself.”
“They didn’t want to go after the cult members,” Luke said. “We don’t know if we can trust them to help defend this place.”
“You’re being ridiculous,” Liz huffed. “They have been with us, sharing their resources, from the beginning. If no one finds out about this place, then we have nothing to worry about. I can’t leave them out there to fend for themselves. It’s not right. I refuse to let them be killed.”
“Yeah,” Kyle said. “It’s not cool that we left them out there. The Wrights are smart. They know how to fish and hunt. They also have extra stuff at their house they can bring with them.”
“What do you think?” Luke asked Derek.
“Well …” Derek rubbed the back of his neck. “There are pros and cons on each side. Based on how much dry food I saw, we should easily be able to support the six of us for a year.”
“Will that be long enough?” Luke asked.
“Hell if I know.” Derek shrugged. “But if they have skills we can use, then it might be worth keeping them alive.”
“It’s the right thing to do,” Liz insisted. “I’m going to get them before it gets dark. Come or don’t come. I don’t care.”
She stomped down the hall.
“Guess we ought to get moving if we’re going to get back before dark,” Luke said.
Derek nodded. It was a tough choice, and they didn’t have enough information to make an informed decision. However, if they did have valuable skills, it would be better to keep them alive. If they didn’t, they’d just be a drain on the supplies. Only time would tell.
Luke walked toward the Wrights’ cabin while Derek followed. They’d managed to convince Liz and Kyle to stay in the shelter while Luke and Derek went to get the Wrights.
“You sure this is a good idea?” Derek asked.
“I honestly don’t know,” Luke admitted.
“I figured you’d put up more of a fight.”
“When Liz makes up her mind on something, there’s really no use arguing. I mean, sometimes I might be able to sway her if it’s something minor, but she’s a stubborn woman.”
“Normally, that’s a good trait to have. I admire that about her. But bringing them in might be costing us valuable resources,” Derek said.
The Wrights’ cabin was in sight, but Luke stopped and turned back to face him. “You’re right. Winter is coming, and we don’t know how long the supplies in the bunker will last us. We don’t even know what’s still usable. For all we know, half of that stuff could be trash. But Liz might be right about this. Edwin and Sandy aren’t exactly dead weight. They have their cabin stocked up, so they’ll bring a lot of their own supplies. When spring finally comes, their farming knowledge will be crucial for long-term survival. Plus, Edwin is a HAM radio guy, so that could prove useful. They could be great allies at a time like this.”
“I guess we’ll see.” Derek looked at him doubtfully, but he seemed to be warming up to the idea that the Wrights might be more than just a drain on resources.
Luke knocked on the Wrights’ door. Sandy answered it.
“You’re just in time for dinner. Please, come in.” She stepped aside, ushering them into the small cabin.
Luke stepped past her into the den, where Edwin was sitting in an overstuffed armchair next to a roaring fire.
“Luke, my boy. Come on in, take a seat. How are we? Holding up okay?” Edwin’s warm, open face made Luke smile.
“Yeah, I’m doing all right. A lot going on to distract me.”
“Yes, I suppose there is.”
Sandy sat on the arm of Edwin’s chair. “Where are Liz and Kyle? Back at the cabin?”
Luke looked over at Derek, who stood next to the fireplace with his arms crossed.
“Well, actually, that’s what we came here to talk to you about. We’re moving, and we want you to come with us,” Luke said.
Sandy and Edwin looked at each other with a look of astonishment. Edwin spoke first.
“Moving? Where the hell to? Why would you do a thing like that at a time like this?”
Sandy elbowed him and looked at Luke with a pained sympathy. “Is it too painful at the cabin without Sierra? Too many memories?”
“No, that’s not it. It’s not safe here anymore. Not with that damn cult so close. They’re dangerous. I won’t lose anyone else to their madness. And that includes you two,” Luke said.
“I hear you, son. But we’ve had this cabin for thirty years. There’s no way we’re leaving. Where are you thinking of going, anyway?”
“Derek?” Luke raised his eyebrows at the man, urging him to tell the Wrights about the bunker. Derek sighed and shook his head before he spoke.
“There’s an old bunker not too far from here. It was built during the Cold War to withstand a nuclear winter. I heard about it in the service. I thought it was just an old wives’ tale until I found it a couple of days ago. It’s still in decent shape. It’s got a bunch of supplies, a generator with a decent store of fuel, and enough bunks to house all of us comfortably. It’s even got some old computers and radios we might be able to use for something. Maybe we’ll be able to find out what’s going on out there.”
Edwin’s eyes lit up at the mention of radios, but his expression quickly returned to one of defiance.
“It sounds great, fellas. It really does. But I’m not going anywhere. This cabin is my home, and I aim to stay in it for better or for worse.”
Sandy gave him a wide-eyed look that said she wasn’t entirely on board with his plan, but he didn’t seem to care.
“To be perfectly honest, we debated coming to get you. I like you guys, and I’m all for you coming back to the bunker with us, but Liz is the one who made us come here,” Luke said.
“She is a fiery one, that wife of yours. I always liked her.” Sandy chuc
kled.
“That she is. And you know what, she was right to insist. The more I think about it, the more I realize we need each other. We’re going to need your farming knowledge and supplies if we expect to survive long-term. And, no offense, I think you guys will need our protection to survive the short-term. Those cult bastards are only going to get bolder and more violent as time goes on.”
Edwin’s face remained skeptical. The man was almost as stubborn as Liz, but Luke figured he had a convincing argument, so he addressed him directly.
“Listen, Ed. We need you. There’s a bunch of old radio equipment in that bunker, and we don’t have the slightest idea of how to use it. We need your help to find out what’s going on in the world. We don’t know how many people are left. We don’t know who dropped the bombs or why. We need intel, and you’re our best bet for getting it.”
“You know how to work an old man, don’t you?” He looked up at his wife, who nodded her head and smiled down at him. “Well, shoot. I guess a bunker’s as good a place as any to be holed up when the radioactive zombies and mutants come knocking, ain’t it? And I’d like to get a look at that radio equipment.”
Luke waited while Edwin and Sandy packed. They could always come back for more stuff tomorrow. He wanted to get back to the bunker before the sun went down.
15
Kyle stalked around the bunker, still seething over the way his parents had reacted to him killing one of the crazy cult members. Derek had returned with the Wrights, but even they seemed to be looking at him differently. Kyle complained aloud to himself, grumbling under his breath as he rifled through some of the boxes in the large main room.
“Don’t understand why they’re so mad. They should be thanking me. Jerks have it coming for what they did to Sierra. If I could, I’d make them all pay.”