by Lara Nance
“No, I’m okay.” He gave her sideways glance then focused on the road. “You weren’t bitten were you?”
“No. No. Thank God. That woman grabbed my ankle and I thought that was it for me. Thank you for coming to my rescue.”
“Good. Min, we need information. What’s happening? Where are the troops and the drones?”
“I’m hacking into the military sites now.” The younger man sat cross-legged in the space between the seats. “Now I see why those drones were hovering earlier. They had spotted the cannibals and were providing surveillance. But that wasn’t the only group. There are mondo others being reported all over the area.”
“How are we going to make it to Kansas City then?” Ria asked, frantic, her panic rising. The recent rush of adrenalin left her nauseated and lightheaded. Avoiding the new military forces had proven difficult, but unpredictable cannibal hordes made their chance of arriving unscathed in Kansas City seem impossible. If this ancient van stopped, they were screwed.
“First, let’s stay off the main road,” Linc said. “Min, plot us a course off the grid.”
“Okay, then what?” the young man asked. “What if K.C. is overrun with these freaky monsters?”
Ria pressed her fingertips to her temples. Unbelievable. A month ago, she processed boring scans through laboratory equipment and plugged away at her PhD program. Now she ran from a government coup and a horde of cannibals, bumping along in a broken down food-vending van. She shook her head, hoping the nightmare would go away. When she looked up, nothing had changed. The pavement stretched before them through the side streets of a small town.
Then her comm beeped. An unknown link.
In case Manson called, she had to answer. “Hello?”
“Ria? Where are you?”
She slumped in the seat, relieved to hear the big man’s grumpy voice. “Louis, we’re on the road to Kansas City, but this area is overrun with cannibals. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
“Listen to me and calm down.” His deep voice softened. “Is Linc with you?”
“Yes, he’s here. We escaped together.”
“Good. I’m going to download the coordinates of my location to your comm. Forget the city. Reports say it’s placed under strict military control to drive out the infected. I only mentioned it as a meeting place because I didn’t want to give my exact location. There’s no helping that now. We have to take the chance no one will intercept this transmission. Keep going no matter what. Is that clear?”
“Yes, we’ll follow the coordinates.”
“Excellent. Now hurry. We have to put a stop to this.”
When the link ended, her GPS program popped up with the location he’d sent her. “What the hell? This isn’t another city.”
“Let me see.” Min held out a hand.
She removed her wristband and gave it to him.
“Yeah, this is in the middle of one of the worst scorched areas. There’s nothing there. Is this guy crazy?” He handed it to her. “I’m telling you, I’m not sleeping in another wormy shed again. We should look for a safe place to spend the night.”
“No. We have to do what he says. It’s our only hope, not to mention humanity’s only hope.” She pointed. “Take that road to the right.”
Linc gave her a quick look then turned the wheel. “I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
A couple of cannibals lurched into the road, barely visible in the dwindling light. Linc swerved but still managed to wing one of them. She looked in the side mirror as it went spinning into the roadside ditch. The other one helped it up, and Ria gasped. “Linc, they’re cooperating. That one you hit? The other one just helped it out of the ditch. This is horrible.”
“What does that mean?” Minlo asked. “Maybe they’re turning nice.”
“Stick to computers, Min. It means they’re developing community. They have ways of communicating and they’re not attacking each other, anymore,” Linc said. “Now we’re fighting against an organized front, not a bunch of individual monsters. Instead of lunching on each other for food, they’ll find non-infected humans to eat.”
“That’s fucking bullshit,” Min muttered. “Maybe we should have stayed behind the shield. They can’t get in there.”
“No,” Ria said forcefully. “We have to reach Dr. Manson and help him find a way to stop the spread and kill the parasite.”
“Where to next?” Linc asked.
“Ten miles then turn right.” She checked her comm. “We have about seventy miles to go.”
“I hope there’s something there when we arrive.” Min shook his head.
***
“Hey, listen to this,” Min said, working at his small computer. Darkness had fully set in and they hadn’t seen a cannibal in quite a while. “The populace in the North is protesting the takeover by RD, and the people in the South are protesting the coup by this IPP group. Meanwhile, the cannibals are trying to eat everybody. The international community is calling on both countries to put aside their political differences and work together for a cure. That’s some crazy shit.”
“Who would chose to enact a coup during a major crisis?” Ria asked. “I think both sides are nuts.”
“I agree,” Linc said. Even though he’d spent a lot of his adulthood working with the IPP to bring this about, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Plus, the wrong people had taken control. Who knew what had happened to Jack by now.
Linc was stuck in the North, unable to help his fellow countrymen and running from guns and cannibals instead of solving the problem. A rising frustration lit inside him. Could they really help Manson? What if they couldn’t stop the cannibal spread?
He glanced at Ria’s determined face. She had so much faith in the famous parasitologist. He hoped it wasn’t misplaced. Although if Manson couldn’t come up with a solution, who could? And if he did, what would they do with the solution? If they gave it to the RD, they wouldn’t share with the South. Of course the South was in such turmoil with the political fighting, how would they deploy an organized cure? What a horrendous mess.
He said over his shoulder to Minlo, “What do you see about the international community? Are they working on a cure, too? Any progress?”
“Not much on that,” Min replied. “A multi-national conference met in Paris yesterday to set up parameters for study and dissemination of findings.”
“What are you thinking?” Ria asked.
He let out a deep breath. “About how stupid political shit has put the research in an untenable position. Even if we can isolate a cure, how can these defunct governments distribute it? You heard what that Boston guy said. They won’t share with the South, and the South is up to its armpits with this blasted revolution started by a bunch of dumb asses.”
“Yeah.” She sat in silence for a while, staring through the windshield. “I don’t have an answer, but we can at least try to solve the parasite issue. If we give it to both sides, then it’s up to them to make it work. That’s all we can do.”
“Bunch a retardos,” Min said. “If I get out of this, I’m moving to Norway.”
Ria gave a snort of laughter, and he had to smile. He might be right, though. Like him, she became disenchanted with both sides of The Divide. Didn’t any of them understand they needed to move the countries forward, not drag them down?
“Oh, turn here.” Ria leaned forward and pointed.
The headlights bounced off brush and a tumbled stone wall that was more stones than wall. He squinted through the darkness. “Where? I don’t see a road.”
“Slow down,” she said. “There.”
“It’s a dirt road,” Min said. “That can’t be right.”
She stared at her wrist unit. “That’s it.”
“I do see some tread marks, so it’s been used lately,” Linc said, turning the wheel. “We’ll give it a try.”
“This is just the sort of deserted place you see in movies, right before the zombies get you,” Min muttered.
&nb
sp; “A few more miles,” said Ria, ignoring the comment.
The van slowed, and Linc lifted the speed lever. Nothing happened. Uh, oh. “Well, shit. The power supply is out.”
Min hummed a creepy tune. “See, I told you.”
“For God’s sake, stop it, Min,” Ria ordered. “Now what?”
The van issued a warning beep, slowly rolled another fifty feet, and came to a standstill.
“We walk,” Linc said. “But first, let’s see what we can take as weapons in case we run into Binky’s zombies.”
“That’s not funny,” the young man said as he uncurled from his seated position and moved aside for them.
Linc inspected the metal racks. “I might be able to break this apart. It’s not very sturdy.”
“I’ll help,” Ria said, taking one side of the structure in her hands.
They pulled and, after a few tugs, the side piece came loose. Min rummaged under the shelving and found what resembled a small pitchfork. Likely some gardening implement left over from the good ole days. Linc and Ria managed to reduce the shelving to a few two- and three-foot pieces, the best size to wield as a weapon.
“All right. Ready?” Linc asked.
“Maybe we should stay in here until it’s light,” Min suggested.
“It’s only a few more miles,” Ria said. “I don’t want to waste any more time. Let’s go.” She unlocked the door and slid it open.
Cool night air rushed in with a scent of pine. Linc filled his lungs with the welcome freshness. The old van had reeked of mold and decayed lettuce. He turned on his handheld light and stepped to the ground, scanning the area. A few thin pine trees lined the dirt track, and the weeds in the center of it were flattened. Another sign a vehicle had come through lately.
“Everyone keep a lookout,” he said.
They started down the road, Ria with her light in front, and Linc bringing up the rear. Occasionally, he swung the light behind him, but those few hours before dawn when even the nocturnal creatures settled their activities sent the world into quiet. Their boots crunching the ground created the only sounds. Not even a buzz from a drone interrupted the night.
He had to admit it spooked him a bit - the quietness, isolation, and the rustic location. He hoped some kind of facility and Dr. Manson waited at the end of this road. Who would build a sophisticated research center out here? If the scientist continued his work, he had to have a decent lab with modern equipment. Maybe they’d get lucky and it would have beds and hot food, too.
Ria stopped and held up a hand. She whispered, “Did you hear that?”
He turned his head, listening. “No, what did you hear?”
She tilted her head to one side. “I’m not sure. Maybe trees creaking.”
His muscles tightened, and he swung his light in an arc around them. In the dark, the beam only penetrated about twenty feet. “Keep moving.”
They trod on, Min hugging his backpack to his chest like a momma with a baby and constantly twisting his head to search the black landscape.
“How much farther?” Linc asked after a while.
“About another mile,” Ria replied.
“I can’t believe there’s anything out here,” Min said. “What’s it supposed to be, some military post?”
“I don't know,” she said. “A kind of secret lab.”
The hairs on the back of Linc’s neck rose, and his stomach fluttered. He had experienced the same sense during his war times when the enemy snuck up on him. A growl rose in the back of his throat. Something was out there and not a cougar or bear. Ria had been right. The parasite evolved toward cooperative effort. They were being stalked.
“Stay alert,” he said in a low voice.
“Did you hear something?” Min asked.
“No, but have your weapons ready.” He shifted the metal piece to his right hand.
Humming made Ria shoot him a wide-eyed glance. Cannibal captives had made the same sound in the Deltaville prison pods. It circled them, reverberating and growing louder. Other animals he’d studied made noises to frighten their prey into immobility. That thought disturbed him more than anything.
“Linc!”
“I know.”
“What is that?” Min hissed.
“Run,” Linc shouted.
Footsteps crashed toward them through the undergrowth. Adrenalin pumped through his veins and he snarled as he raised his weapon.
Cannibals closed in behind them, steadily gaining ground. Their humming had given way to high-pitched screams, terrifying in the night. Ria and Min’s shaky cries joined them.
Was this it? The end before they reached their goal only a mile away? He couldn’t accept that. He’d fight to the death.
Figures appeared before them, and Ria skidded to a stop with Min falling into her. Some of the creatures had circled ahead of them and closed off their escape. He moved to form a triangle with Ria and Min, their backs together, brandishing their pitiful metal sticks.
The shrieking settled to humming. The tattered and bloodstained cannibals crouched around them, inching closer. Their teeth glinted white in the handheld lights as they growled and snapped.
“Linc, what do we do?” Ria called.
“Fight,” he said, his nostrils flaring as he sucked in a breath.
One of the males lunged for Linc, but he managed to knock him in the head. The man fell. They were being tested. A female went for Min who surprised her with a kick under the chin that whipped her head back. She crumpled.
“Nice, Binky,” he said.
“Shut up, Dope.”
The cannibals went still, tilting their heads back and forth the way dogs did when you talked to them.
A blue light flashed. A high frequency buzz filled the silence then the chest of one of the males exploded. More blue flashed and the cannibals’ hum returned and deepened. They melted into the darkness. Men in gray uniforms rushed into view, blasters pointed at the retreating figures.
“Are you Miss Moralez?” one of them asked.
“Yes, yes. Who are you?” She clutched her meager weapon to her chest.
“Dr. Manson sent us. We tracked your approach. When the cannibals attacked, we came to retrieve you.”
“Yay for the cavalry.” Min whooped.
“Get us out of here,” Linc said. “They could return.”
“Dr. Butler?” The same soldier turned to him.
“Yes.”
“Good. And this man?” He jerked his chin to Minlo.
“He helped us escape the capital,” Ria said. “He’s a computer genius.”
“Minlo Fucking Sakura.” He gave them a mock salute. “Bot Meister.”
“Into the air-car.” The soldier motioned over his shoulder.
They complied, and his men backed from the scene, blasters pointed in the direction the attackers, had retreated.
Linc sank into the backseat, the rush of stress chemicals depleting and leaving him limp. Tears rose in Ria’s eyes and she lowered her head to her hands, her shoulders shaking. The sight of her despair tore at his insides. He had barely enough energy left to wrap an arm around her.
Minlo jumped in beside him, eyes flashing. “That was killer tight, man. I was ready to drop some more cannibal ass. Too bad these dopes showed up. Right?”
Linc slapped a hand to his forehead and covered his eyes. “You have no idea what you’re saying. They would have ripped the flesh from your skinny body.”
“No. Did you see me dropkick that bitch? I only had a couple karate lessons, too. I should start again. I think I’m good at that.”
“I think you’re in shock and you should shut up,” Linc said.
“Both of you stop! I can’t take it,” Ria said in a loud voice. She started shaking, and Linc tightened his arm around her as she slumped over.
“Ria? Are you okay?” He pushed her mop of hair from her face, but her eyes appeared out of focus. Her skin had grown cold and clammy, and her breathing became shallow. Damn, she was going into shock.
“Hey,” he called to the men at the front of the vehicle, panic building inside him. “Hurry. Miss Moralez needs medical treatment. She’s in shock.”
Minlo sank into the corner, pressing his hands over his ears and his eyes squeezed shut.
Linc held her as they raced through the night. The ride felt smooth despite the rough, unkempt road. An air-car handled this terrain a lot better than the outdated pod they’d stolen.
“Hang on, Ria. We’re almost there,” he whispered in her ear.
Her shaking eased slightly. If they could stabilize her soon, she should recover. The idea of losing her ripped into him like a saw, painful and jagged. He realized then how much he cared about her.
Damn, this made everything much more complicated.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ria couldn’t stop trembling. Lack of decent sleep and food, dehydration, and sheer terror had taken their toll. Flashes of scenes filtered into her consciousness as they entered the secret place where Manson waited. Linc’s voice sounded muffled and vague, and she couldn’t make out what he said.
She caught images. A tall, laser-activated fence. A dome shape looming overhead. People’s hands lifting her onto a stretcher. Then everything went black.
When she opened her eyes, a light from above blinded her. She squeezed her lids shut and turned on her side, trying to remember where she was. A warm blanket weighted her down, and she threw it off.
“Ria?” a familiar male voice penetrated her sense of unreality.
She cracked open one eye. Manson! She sat up and swayed from light-headedness. “Louis, you’re here!”
“Indeed.” He beamed. “And very happy you and Linc made it safely.”
She slid off of the bed and stood on tiptoe to throw her arms around his neck. She’d never been so happy to see someone in her life. After a second, his arms circled her and he patted her back. She grinned. He never did human contact well.
“I’m so glad to see you,” she mumbled against his chest.
“Yes. I understand you were about to become dinner for a group of hungry cannibals.” He chuckled.