Black Flag | Book 1 | Surviving The Scourge

by Klapwyk, Dave

  “My dog isn’t exactly friendly,” said Joe.

  “He bites,” added Tank.

  The dog trotted over to get Millie’s food, and she reached down to pet the dog.

  “Careful!” yelled Joe.

  The dog snapped at Millie, who pulled her hand away, and smacked the dog hard across the nose. The dog yelped and cowered. As they all looked on in disbelief, she bent over and pet the dog behind the ears. “What’s her name?”

  Joe was waiting for the inevitable moment when the dog would bite the poor woman’s nose off, but it didn’t happen. “She doesn’t have a name.”

  Millie scratched the dog’s neck. “Well, no wonder she bites. She needs some love, and you can’t love a dog if you don’t give it a name. I’m going to call her Shelby.”

  They walked up to the hatch in the barn, and she addressed Tank. “Would you be so kind sir to go down first and I can hand you Shelby?”

  He shook his head with the look of a petulant schoolboy. “No way, he’ll bite me.”

  She managed to convince Tank that if he left his winter gloves on, Shelby’s bite wouldn’t hurt.

  Finally, they all made it down into the little bunker.

  “What did you want to show us?” asked Joe.

  “It’s awesome, trust me,” said Tyler, who was standing beside Camille.

  Millie reached down behind the couch and pulled a lever. One of the walls slid sideways, revealing a wide passageway. Shelby took off running down the passageway and disappeared.

  What they thought was a modest, sparsely furnished underground bunker turned out to be an immense subterranean survivalist shelter. It had a large community room, multiple bedrooms, washrooms, storage, a kitchen and a pantry.

  Water was plumbed in from a drilled well. A bank of batteries was wired to solar panels on top of the barn. Heat and air conditioning were provided by ground source heat pumps. A monitor showed a live feed from a camera mounted on the side of the barn pointing at the laneway.

  As they toured the facility, Millie explained that her husband, Robert, had bought the property from a rich cousin who was dying of cancer. The cousin had made a fortune investing in automotive stocks in the 1950s and spent millions on this massive underground shelter. Shortly before he died, he sold the property to Millie’s husband. The shelter was in major disrepair, but Robert had spent years fixing it up.

  “He was such an apocalypse junkie. He read all the books, watched all the movies and was always in here working. I think he was secretly excited when he heard about a pandemic sweeping the world. He stocked this place with food, weapons, and supplies. When he found out he was going to die of the Scourge, he was more disappointed in the fact that he couldn’t use this place, than the fact that he was going to die.”

  “What about the animals in the barn?” asked Joe.

  “Those were my idea. If this was a nuclear war, we would have to hunker down here for years, but since it’s a virus that some people appear to be immune to…there is no reason to eat MRE’s for the rest of my life. Besides, this was a working farm, so we already had the animals. I just moved them in the barn for the winter, so they’re easier to take care of.”

  “What’s an MRE?” Camille asked Tyler.

  Tank answered, “Meals ready to eat.”

  “Well, this is incredible,” said Kevin.

  The rest of them agreed.

  “You’re welcome to stay the night. I have lots of room, and we can share a meal.”

  She showed them the showers as well as their rooms. They had to pull some cots and blankets out of storage, but she managed to find all of them a place to sleep.

  Later that night they sat around the large dining table eating steaks, potatoes and vegetables.

  “This is amazing, Millie. I haven’t eaten like this in a very long time,” said Tank.

  “I have a question,” asked Camille, “why such a big dining area and all the rooms?”

  “The original owner was hoping to rent out rooms during the nuclear winter. Robert had planned to invite friends and family to ride out the apocalypse with us down here. It didn’t quite work out that way. Many of our friends and family either died or lived too far away. So now it’s just me down here. It does get kind of lonely, but Tyler does come by to visit - don’t you, dear?” She playfully pinched his cheek.

  Tyler told of his adventures. He was originally from Commerce and had just moved to the country. He didn’t have anybody and said he would gladly help them navigate the capital city - especially if Camille was with them.

  Millie brought out some Bailey’s, Earl played his harmonica, and they sang, talked and laughed late into the night.

  The next morning, they sat around the table again and ate a spread of eggs, toast, bacon and juice.

  “You said last night, you were going to Commerce to find Kevin’s wife and the kids,” said Millie, “But what will you do when you find them?”

  Joe finished his mouthful of eggs. “I haven’t thought about it yet. I guess we should go back to Ingerwood to my apartment.”

  “You know you could come back here. You wouldn’t have to travel so far, and I have lots of room.”

  Joe thought about it for a moment. “That’s a really good idea. What do you guys think?”

  “I think that would be great. I could use a safe place for my wife and baby,” said Kevin.

  Camille looked at Tyler. “I need to find my brother Pascal first, but I would like to stick around.”

  “I’m with you at least until the Chinese send that vaccine over,” said Tank.

  “What about you, Earl?” asked Joe.

  “If it’s okay, I would like to stay here. I’ll slow you down anyway.”

  “I could use the help with the animals, and it’s almost Christmas, and I don’t think I could bear to be alone,” admitted Millie.

  After breakfast, they packed their things, filled the snowmobiles with fuel and packed more gas in the little trailer. They said their goodbyes and thanked Millie for her hospitality. She insisted on keeping Shelby, and Joe acquiesced. Millie gave them two radios.

  “They only have a range of about 50 km, but it’s a good way to stay in touch if you get separated,” she said.

  They climbed onto the snowmobiles. Tank towed the trailer again. Kevin and Joe had their snowmobiles to themselves and, despite Tank’s reservations, Tyler and Camille road together on his side-by-side. Like its namesake, the side-by-side had two seats up front and a small bed in the back for storage.

  They raced down the laneway, and out onto the road. It was sunny and cold, and there was another layer of fresh fluffy snow. They glided across the white terrain towards Commerce and an uncertain future, leaving a trail of wispy snow blowing in their wake.

  Chapter 36

  They had to stop once, just outside of the city limits to siphon gas from some parked cars outside a looted variety store. Tank went into the store and found a couple tourist maps of Commerce. He put one in his pack and gave the other to Joe.

  It was late afternoon when they drove past the Welcome to Commerce City sign. Joe pulled over into the parking lot of G-Tech Engineering.

  “We need to find a place for the night before we go into the city tomorrow morning,” said Joe.

  “Can we eat something, too?” asked Kevin.

  “All right, let’s find a safe place that might have food and heat,” said Joe.

  They drove on for a few minutes till Tank pointed out a small brick house with a big chimney. The house was empty, and there was a big wood stove in the living room. Tyler and Camille found some split wood in the shed in the backyard, and Kevin and Joe found a case of canned beans in the basement. Tank started a fire, and they all sat in the living room and ate.

  “We need to discuss our next move,” said Joe.

  Kevin spoke up, “I’m going to the parliament buildings, I think I might know where Monique is.”

  “I’ll come with you,” said Joe. “With the train attacks and figh
ter jets everywhere, I’m not sure that the centre of the capital is the safest place to be right now. You may need help to stay safe,” said Joe.

  “I’m with you, Joe,” said Tank.

  “I need to go the University to find my brother,” said Camille.

  “And I’m going with her,” added Tyler.

  Tank looked over at Tyler with a noticeable glare.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” asked Kevin. “We could go to the University afterwards.”

  “Like Joe said, the parliament buildings might not be the safest place right now,” she said. “Besides, I survived on my own in Chateaugay. I have my knives, and Tyler has his gun.”

  Tank looked at Tyler. “If anything happens to her, I will tear your arms off and beat you with them.”

  Tyler looked back at him wide-eyed. “Yes, sir,” he said, with a look of terror on his face.

  Camille smirked. “We’ll be fine.”

  “Do you have ammo for your rifle?” Tank asked Tyler.

  “Yes, I have two boxes in the side-by-side.”

  “Do you know how to use the gun?”

  “Yes, sir, it’s my gun, and I used to go hunting with Dad.”

  Tank looked at both of them “I want you two to stay out of sight and only use the weapons if you get cornered. Call us on the radio if you run into trouble.”

  “Okay, Dad,” Camille said mockingly, “We’ll be careful.”

  The next morning Camille and Tyler headed south towards the University while Joe, Tank and Kevin went north to the Parliament Buildings.

  The warm December sun was melting much of the snow, and Tyler and Camille were getting wet as they navigated the city streets towards the University.

  There were a few army vehicles on the streets, as well as other trucks and SUVs. It felt strange to drive their side-by-side down the centre of the street but was also exhilarating. Tyler throttled up and sped across the wet snow. They approached the university. One of the buildings was burnt to the ground. Camille pointed to the residence building. Tyler stopped outside the front doors and shut off the side-by-side.

  “I was only here once when we dropped him off on his first day,” said Camille, “but I think I remember where his room is.”

  The doors weren’t locked, and they walked into the small lobby. “It looks abandoned,” said Tyler.

  Camille pointed down one of the hallways. “I don’t think he’s here, but he may have left a note or something.”

  They walked down the hallway, which had garbage and papers strewn across the floor.

  “I think this was this room,” said Camille pointing at an open door.

  They walked into the room. Both beds were empty, and the room was cold and dirty. They searched the room but found no notes or bodies.

  “What size shoe does your brother wear?” asked Tyler as he looked in the closet.

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  “Did he have really big feet?”

  “I don’t think so. He had regular feet, I guess.”

  “I see size 12 shoes and boots only.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It might mean that your brother took his shoes and boots with him, which means that he might still be alive. Do you have any idea where else he might go?”

  “He worked part-time at the museum. He might have gone there, or he could be trying to get back home.”

  “Let’s try the museum, just in case.”

  They got back on the side-by-side and drove west through downtown towards the museum. About 15 minutes into their trip, they heard a gunshot. Ahead of them, a group of people stood in front of a pick-up truck in the middle of the road. Tyler turned into the first available road. The road was a ramp that led into a parking garage. He followed the road up two levels and stopped. They heard the pickup truck following them and continued up the ramp.

  “They’re coming after us,” yelled Camille over the noise of the side-by-side, “and this is going to be a dead end.”

  “I know,” he replied. “When we stop, grab your bow and arrows, and we’ll make a run for it.”

  When they reached the top level, he drove up to the stairwell doors and shut off the engine. Tyler grabbed his pack and rifle and joined Camille, who was already opening the door to the stairwell. They could hear the truck at the top stop, but they could also hear voices at the bottom of the stairwell.

  “Any idea where we are?” asked Camille.

  “Not exactly, I think we’re in the theatre district. Come on, this way.”

  A few stair levels down, he opened a door that led into a long hallway. There were business offices on either side of the hall.

  “Wait!” he yelled as she was about to walk through the door. “Take off your boots.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Trust me,” he said, taking off his boots. “We don’t want them to track us. These boots will leave wet footprints for them to follow. We can carry them and put them back on later.”

  She took off her boots and held them. Tyler opened the door, they both walked inside the hallway. He let the door close slowly and quietly. They ran down the hallway in their socks, passing doorways, a coffee shop and a variety store. Light streamed in from the overhead windows. Everything was closed, and they didn’t see anyone else.

  Once they were sure they weren’t being followed, they put their boots back on. “What made you think to take off our boots,” Camille asked.

  “I used to spend a lot of time tracking animals when I hunted with my father.”

  “Are you, like, indigenous?”

  “Yes, I am Mohawk.”

  Their boots and voices echoed as they walked through the hollow promenade.

  “I thought you said you were from here?”

  “That’s right.”

  “But I thought…indigenous people lived on reserves.”

  Tyler laughed. “You know a lot of people might take offence to that.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you or…”

  “No, it’s alright, I’m not that sensitive. I lived on a reserve half the time. My parents were separated. My father lived on a Mohawk First Nation reserve about two hours north of here, and I spent my weekends with him. During the week, I lived with my mother in Commerce, where I went to school.”

  “Why did you move to the country?”

  “My mother got a job there.”

  “What about your Dad?”

  “I was supposed to spend Christmas and vacations with…shhh.”

  They could hear footsteps coming towards them.

  Tyler looked around frantically. “We need somewhere to hide!”

  Camille looked around, but everything was closed.

  She found a walkway that led to the Veldman Theatre. “Over here!”

  They ran to the door and pushed it open as the voices and footsteps got closer.

  They closed the door behind them and stood in the darkness. The footsteps in the hallway behind them got louder. Camille turned her flashlight on for a brief second. She tried to memorize the room before it was plunged back into darkness. They were at a side door for a large carpeted foyer. It was the reception area for the theatre. Further down and to the right were large wooden double doors.

  She grabbed Tyler’s hand and ran. “Let’s go!”

  Tyler tripped over something, and Camille reached out and pulled him up.

  “Get up and follow me,” she said.

  “How do you know where you’re going? Its pitch black in here.”

  She led them to the double doors and pushed them open.

  “Okay,” she said, “This time, pay attention. I’m going to turn my flashlight on for one second then turn it back off. Try to memorize what this room looks like.”

  She flicked her flashlight on and then back off. During the brief moment that it shone; they could see they were at the back of a small theatre with a large stage at the front. There was a long open row between the seats that went
all the way to the stage.

  They walked through the darkness until they got to the stage. They held their hands out to find it, then climbed onto the stage. They could hear someone walking around in the foyer and ran to the side of the stage. They groped in the darkness, afraid to turn the flashlight back on. Camille’s hand touched a handle which, when she pushed it, opened a door. She dragged Tyler by the hand through the door. They stumbled through a corridor and found another doorway that led them into a small room. This door had a lock on the inside, which Camille used as soon as they were inside.

  “Here,” said Tyler. He grabbed a piece of fabric. “Put this under the door, so they can’t see our light.” They stood inside the door and waited till they couldn’t hear footsteps or voices.

  Tyler leaned his gun against the wall beside his pack. Camille put her pack and bow beside his and surveyed the room. It was a dressing room. Along one side of the wall were large vanity mirrors framed in lights with a chair in front of each one. On the other side of the room were racks and shelves full of costumes and props.

  Tyler started looking through the props, and Camille went through the racks of clothes.

  “Aha!” said Tyler from the other side of the room

  Camille felt the lace on a fancy white wedding dress. “What did you find?”

  She heard the snap of a lighter, and light flickered on the ceiling. Camille stepped back to look and saw that he had found a candle, which was now burning in front of one of the mirrors. He was sitting proudly on one of the chairs.

  A moment later, Camille stepped out with the wedding dress over her clothes. She threw her arms out and put her head in the air. “What do you think?”

  “I pictured you in more of a black wedding dress with spikes and chains.”

  “Oh, really,” said Camille, “You pictured me in a wedding dress?”

  “No… I didn’t mean… I was just,” he stammered.

  “I’m just kidding,” she laughed. She took the dress off and went back to the racks.

  She came back out with a newsboy cap and fingerless gloves.

  “Tada!” she said, but he wasn’t there.

  Suddenly a man jumped out with a black cavalier hat with a big red feather and an ornate sword pointed at her. She jumped back in fear. The man smiled, and Camille realized it was Tyler.