What Remains: Wasteland

by Kris Norris

  Hunter cursed under his breath, copying Em’s stance as he leaned against the metal siding. “I understand how you might consider this a worthwhile endeavor, but try looking at it from our perspective. You’re basically asking us to go hunting with nothing more than a vague idea of where this band of survivors might be held up.” He pointed at the table. “That map is easily over twenty years old. Do you have any idea how much the landscape changes in that amount of time?”

  Abby glanced away, indecision shaping her features. She seemed lost.

  Colby tore his gaze from the woman and gave Hunter a hardened look. “If we’d taken that kind of deterrent into account, we never would have gone to that abandoned airstrip.” He smiled at her. “Can’t tell you how glad I am we did.”

  “As beneficial as that turned out to be, I doubt we’ll find anything but infected where we’re heading. Hell, if there were still men alive, they would have made it here by now.”

  Colby sighed, patting Abby on the arm as he pushed to his feet. “I realize this is a long shot but…” He glanced at the other men in his team. “If there’s even a chance there’s anyone left…”

  Hunter crossed his arms on his chest. “Why now? Why this place? I thought we were done with recon missions that threatened what few souls we had left. You, yourself, mandated that our primary goal should be keeping those we already have alive. Hell, other than Abby, none of the teams have found survivors in months. Why change that now?”

  Colby glanced at Abby when she touched his arm before focusing back on Hunter. “You’re right. It’s futile to risk those we have left on missions that predict little if any success. But there’re always exceptions to the rule.”

  “And in this case that would be…”

  Colby took a deep breath as if he wasn’t sure how much to divulge. “The intel we received was sent via an old shortwave radio channel. One the command center has been monitoring since it set up camp, but there’s never been any form of communication over it. It’s as if our teams are the only ones that even know shortwave still exists. Then, two days ago, we started receiving a series of blips. It took a while to realize it was Morse code.” He laughed as he ran a hand through his hair. “Shit, I didn’t think anyone even knew those codes anymore. God knows it took Darcy to recognize it.” He shook his head, seemingly ignoring the smug smile on Darcy’s face. “The message was nothing more than an endless loop that translated into a few very succinct lines. Survivors. Surrounded. Need evac. Possible vaccine.”

  The last two words hit Hunter like a physical blow. He pushed off the wall and moved over to the table, taking the sheet Colby gave him. He read the words several times before finally handing it back, the black ink still wavering in his mind.

  He looked at the men. “You know this is most likely a hoax. Something to draw a team there. More likely, this came from mercenaries who know what it’ll take to get us out of this enclosure. They probably think they can hold a group hostage for food or medical supplies.”

  Colby’s expression didn’t falter. “Possible. But you can see why we think it’s worth the risk. Like I stated before. If there’s even a chance…”

  The man’s voice trailed off, leaving the answer lingering in the uneasy silence. A vaccine. Though not quite as grand as a cure, at least it’d prevent further infection and allow the teams to search without fear of losing what few they had left. The thought had him glancing at Emersyn. She still leaned against the window, only her attention now focused on them. She hadn’t spoken a word since they’d arrived, and he couldn’t help but wonder if this new twist had any effect on her. Since Billy’s death, she’d been a blank slate. No emotional responses. Not much of anything other than work. He couldn’t remember the last time she’d joined him for a drink or crowded him on the couch just because she could. Instead, she spent any free time locked away in her room or taking extra sentry shifts. Though physically, she stood no more than a few feet away, her heart was as good as gone.

  Hunter stared down at his boots. It’d taken losing her to realize how much she meant to him. How he’d taken her constant company for granted. That somewhere along the line, he’d started caring…more than just a friend or a comrade. Hell, if he’d been a betting man, he’d half believe he’d fallen in love with her. Not that it mattered now. She’d shut herself out, and despite his attempts, he hadn’t found a way to break through.

  “Hunter.”

  Colby’s voice sounded loud in the quiet room, and Hunter returned his gaze to the man.

  Colby glanced down the table then released a weary breath. “We’re asking you to take the mission, not forcing. If you don’t agree it’s worth the risk, we’ll find another way.”

  Hunter furrowed his brow. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, there wasn’t anyone else for the job. He took a step forward when a hand landed on his arm. He snapped his head around, his gaze colliding with a set of emerald eyes. God, she was beautiful. With her auburn hair pulled back from her face, the long length cascading down her back. A few errant strands had pulled free, hanging in long curls around her face and softening the desolate look in her eyes. There’d been a time she’d known exactly what he was thinking before he’d muttered a word, and he prayed she’d pick up on his thoughts now.

  He shook his head, but she merely patted his shoulder, edging by him to stand in front of the table. Colby’s stare passed from Hunter to Emersyn and back again. The man clearly understood what Hunter had tried to tell her and seemed more than confused by her apparent refusal.

  Colby raised his chin, nodding at her. “Is there something you’d like to add, Emersyn?”

  She snorted, shaking her head as she palmed the table. “Just this. If we don’t take it, what exactly is this ‘other way’ you’re talking about?”

  Colby shuffled his feet as he yanked at the hem of his shirt. “You’re not the only recon team we have.”

  She chuckled. “No, we’re not. But we’re the only team still active that has even a hell’s chance of pulling it off.”

  Colby smirked at her. “That’s quite a statement.”

  “One we both know is true.” She sighed when the man simply stared at her. “Fine. Let’s take a look at your options. Gunner’s team is exceptional, but they’re out on another run. By the time they get back, this ‘survivor group’ will be nothing more than a lost dream. Then there’s Cogan’s crew. While I’ll give them an A for enthusiasm, those boys can barely find their way back from town without getting lost, let alone use a decades’ old map to find some hidden camp. They wouldn’t stand a chance against a horde…not the size they might run into. Maybe with more experience under their belts but…” She eased back, crossing her arms on her chest. “You’d be sending them out to die. End of story.”

  Colby looked away, but not before Hunter saw something pass between him and the other men. He moved forward when Darcy scraped his chair back and stood up.

  He placed his hands on the table, copying the stance Emersyn had used just moments before. “If we can’t find a qualified team to volunteer, then Colby, Barrett and I will go.”

  Hunter’s mouth gaped open in shock before he had the good sense to snap it shut. He glanced at Abby then back at Darcy. “But you can’t. You’re a family unit. That’s against the code. Hell, Abby’s pregnant with twins! The three of you can’t go traipsing off on some futile mission that’s probably going to get you all killed…or worse.”

  Darcy held up one hand. “That’s for us to decide.” He turned to smile at Abby. “What chance will our children have without a vaccine? We all know how this world will end if we can’t save the ones still left alive. And we can’t guarantee that without a cure or a way of stopping this from spreading. If there’s even a glimmer of hope hiding out at that camp, then we have to take it.”

  Hunter swore under his breath as he surveyed each man. If it’d been anyone else, he’d have called their bluff, but not these guys. They’d taken on more than their fair share of suicidal missions,
and knowing they’d saved Abby as a result of one meant they weren’t joking. He clenched his jaw, knowing he didn’t have a way out when Em nudged him.

  She gave him a curt nod before glancing at the other men. “We’ll go.”

  Hunter grabbed her arm, spinning her to face him. “Are you fucking nuts? Even putting aside the fact that no one has come out of that quadrant alive in the past several months, we don’t have enough information to make this remotely feasible.”

  Emersyn merely stared at him, the same blank read plastered on her face. “You heard them, Hunter. If we don’t go, they will. And I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell don’t want their blood on my hands.”

  “That’s not fair. You know I don’t either, but…shit! You’re asking me to watch those fucking things rip you apart, knowing I can’t do a damn thing about it.”

  “No. I’m asking you to watch my back so that doesn’t happen.” She held up her hand, cutting off any further discussion. “This is what we do. Don’t diminish Billy’s sacrifice when it might finally mean something.”

  Hunter growled, pulling her close enough his breath rustled the collar of her jacket. “Don’t. Don’t use Billy’s death as an excuse to get yourself killed. I get that having to shoot him destroyed something inside you, but damn it, Em…don’t think for one second you’re the only one who lost anything that night. I loved him, too.” He released her, taking a much-needed step back.

  Emersyn stared at him, the first real hint of emotion creasing the fine lines around her eyes as she forced herself to swallow, finally looking away. Something akin to a hushed sob barely registered in the space between them as she visibly straightened, not glancing back when she walked across the room, leaving without closing the door.

  Frustration weighed heavy on his shoulders as he watched her leave then turned to face the men. “Fine. We’ll go. But I want better recon than those god damn pieces of paper on the table.”

  Colby didn’t hide the way his gaze swung over to the open door and back again. He surveyed the other men, shaking his head as he walked around the table, stopping a foot away.

  “This isn’t an order. You don’t have to go.”

  Hunter laughed, though it wasn’t because he found anything funny. “As much as I hate this, Em’s right.” He glanced at the door again. “Annoyingly so. Cogan’s team isn’t experienced enough, and there’s no way in hell I’ll sit here with your pregnant mate while the three of you go off on a mission you won’t likely return from.”

  “Hunter—”

  His glare cut the man off. “Save it. The decision’s made. I just pray we find something other than Gray out there because if this turns ugly, hope won’t be enough to save us…or what’s left of humanity.”

  * * * *

  “God damn it, Hunter, get up!”

  Emersyn yanked on Hunter’s jacket, bodily pulling him off his knees. He swayed hard against her, and she wrapped his arm across her shoulder, bridging most of his weight as she stumbled down the worn path, heading for a break in the trees a few hundred yards ahead. Hunter groaned as she tried to pick up the pace, pausing just long enough to down the creatures directly behind them.

  “Don’t you dare quit on me.” She veered to her left, allowing the thick underbrush to stop some of the zombies from heading her off. “We just need to get to those bunkers we saw on the map.”

  Hunter growled, swinging his free arm behind him as he unloaded his pistol, dropping several frontrunners. “Those maps are old. There’s no guarantee those bunkers are still there.”

  “They’re there. People are lazy. They don’t dig up that kind of shit.”

  His breath panted hard across her neck. “Where’s Jeb?”

  “Mother fucker left. He grabbed your set of keys and took the Hummer. Last thing I saw were the taillights heading south.” She glanced at him. “I told you we couldn’t trust that mercenary.”

  “We needed a third man.”

  “Yeah, well, we’d be a far sight better off if we’d come alone.”

  “You don’t have to rub that in, ya know.”

  She chuckled, angling right this time. Shadows danced along the forest floor, making it hard to see anything that might trip them up. They’d been doing fine until their asshole third guy had unloaded his rifle, basically ringing the dinner bell for any Gray roving around the area. Then the creep had caught Hunter in the thigh with his blade while fighting off a small group of undead. That’s the last Em had seen of him as he’d turned tail and run, taking their only hope of escape with him.

  Grunts and growls echoed through the foliage as they broke into a large clearing. A series of hills marked the landscape in front of them, the perimeter enclosed by a tall fence. More Gray circled the chain link, their attention swinging in their direction.

  Emersyn skirted to their left, keeping to the edge of the trees. “Shit! There’re dozens more of them along the fence.”

  Hunter tapped her shoulder, another groan of pain sounding between them. “You’ll never make it dragging my ass. Leave me here and make a run for the bunker. We both know you can vault that fence without breaking a sweat.”

  Em punched him in the chest with her free arm before ducking back into the woods. “What the hell are you smoking? I’m not going to fucking leave you here to die. We’ll go together or not at all. So stop talking bullshit and get your damn legs moving.”

  “Emersyn.”

  She stopped just long enough to juggle him closer. “Would you just shut the hell up? I’m not leaving you, end of story. So either help me run, or we’ll make our stand here. Your choice.”

  Hunter glared at her but nodded, shuffling forward again. She knew the constant motion was taking a toll on him, but with limited ammo and few places to hide, their options were extremely limited. Hunter cursed when she tripped over a root, taking them both to their knees before regaining her balance.

  He grunted, bearing most of his weight as he pushed free of her grasp. “This is crazy. We’re not going to make it.”

  She turned in time to kill five corpses closing in on them before snagging his waist and urging him on again. “Yes. We will. We just need to circle to the back of the bunker. I can cut through a chunk of the fence and get you through before they reach us.”

  “You and what army? ‘Cause we’re barely staying ahead of them as it is.”

  She looked at him, ignoring the pain creasing his brow and the blood staining his pants. “That attitude isn’t helping. We’ve survived worse. And I’m not ready to die just yet, if it’s all the same to you.”

  His expression softened, revealing an emotion she didn’t dare read. “That’s a nice speech, Em, but you’ve been dead inside ever since we lost Billy.”

  His words made her stumble, and she cursed when her ankle twisted slightly. She picked up their rhythm, giving him nothing more than a dart of her eyes. “Where the hell did that come from?”

  “You denying it?”

  Guilt dropped her stomach, and she shook her head, finally pausing at the tree line again. They’d made their way to the rear of the bunker, but she could hear the zombies close behind, the constant cracking of twigs and rustling of leaves marking their approach.

  She tried to catch her breath, nodding at the fence. “Unless you have a better idea, we’ll make a run for it. I’ll cut the damn wire as fast as I can, but you’ll need to hold them off for a bit.” She finally met his gaze. “You up for that?”

  Hunter reached out and trailed his fingers along her jaw. The intimate caress made her heart thunder against her ribs, threatening to crush the walls she’d spent half a year building. She felt every inch of his hand against her cheek. From the brush of his callused palm on her skin to the soft play of his fingertips as he drew them through the stray strands of hair framing her face. Every movement made her pulse thrash faster until she found herself panting for breath. He gave her a gut-wrenching smile that made her want to take him in her arms and never let go.

  �
��I’ll watch your back if you promise me you’ll take me down if one of those things so much as scratches me.”

  Tears clogged her throat, and she shook her head. “It won’t come to that. Not if we go now.” She took a step forward only to have him dig in his heels. She turned to face him, panic making her skin bead with a rash of bumps. “Damn it, Hunter. We’re running out of time!”

  “Then promise me.”

  “I can’t!”

  His lips pulled tight, outlining the fine lines around his mouth. “Em…”

  She held his gaze, the truth crowding her thoughts until the words slipped free. “I’m not that strong. Don’t ask me to be.”

  His only response was a raise of one brow.

  She expelled a harsh breath. “Bloody hell, are you so blind that you can’t see how much I love you?” She closed her eyes as tears tracked down her cheeks before looking at him again. “I have for longer than you know. And no, not like a friend or a damn brother.” She forced herself to swallow, punching him in the chest again as a way of grounding herself. “So don’t ask me to make a promise I can’t keep. Instead, watch my damn ass and shoot anything that moves.”

  Emersyn tugged on his jacket again, pulling him along with her as she ran for the fence, unclipping the Leatherman tool on her belt. The cutters snapped into place as she reached the wire, quickly making a small hole in the fence. Hunter stumbled in behind her, nothing but his feet ghosting into view as a string of gunfire resonated through the air. She worked faster, carefully twisting the ends back until it was large enough to squeeze through.

  Hunter fired again, the ever-present chorus of grunts and growls growing louder. “We’ve got about thirty seconds, Em.”

  She pushed to her feet beside him, raising her rifle to her shoulder and taking out the first four runners. “Go. I’ll cover you.”

  He looked as if he wanted to argue but turned and maneuvered through, cursing as he pulled his injured thigh between the sides. Emersyn backed up, still firing before twisting and lunging through the hole, tucking her feet in as she rolled clear.