“Great!” Karen said with a smug smile. “We’re playing Uno and Go Fish.”
Kim narrowed her eyes, a slight hint of panic gripping her stomach. “Did you kids smuggle card decks on board?” Her primary worry was that they hadn’t been properly checked and might have spores on them, though AMI would have sounded an alarm.
“They’re okay.” Karen waved a card at her. Its glossy surface appeared polished clean. “Me and Riley wiped down every single one.”
“Okay then,” Kim said as her concern faded. “Sounds like you’re doing things by the book.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Karen replied, and the dimples in her cheeks deepened cutely.
“Okay, kids. I’m going to drive now.”
Some children cheered as Kim made her way to the front of the bus and plopped into the driver’s seat. She lifted her bottled water from its holder, sipped from the lip, and placed it back. She took a deep breath and sighed, staring out at the long road ahead.
Someone repeated her sigh from the passenger seat. Kim looked over to see quiet Mary sitting there with her feet dangling down and her seat belt strapped on.
“Are you ready?”
Mary nodded and gave Kim a thumbs up.
“Okay, Bishop. I’m moving.”
“I see you,” her husband replied. “We’re right behind you. Let me know if you need any help.”
“Will do.”
Kim put the bus in drive and eased them forward along the empty, desolate expressway.
*
Two hours later, somewhere between Kansas City and St. Louis, Kim received a call.
“Jessie Talby is calling for you,” AMI announced in the speakers.
“Patch them through to my earpiece,” Kim said, not wanting to disturb the children who’d mostly fallen asleep in the back.
“Kim? It’s Jessie.”
“Hello!” Kim couldn’t contain her excitement, though she kept her voice low. “Is Bryant there?”
“I’m here,” the soldier responded. His tone held a softness she wasn’t used to.
“It’s good to hear from you guys,” Kim said. “We finally got on the road after some fits and stops.”
Kim told them about gathering the kids up and loading them into the Stryker and bus and then about Savannah’s warning and the arrival of the Ugly Eight. About how they’d fought them off with the Stryker to get away.
“It was crazy,” Kim laughed.
“It sounds intense,” Jessie agreed. “Can’t wait to meet everyone.”
“Hopefully, soon.”
“That’s what we wanted to talk to you about. There’s been a change of plans.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“We’re not waiting for you here in Yellow Springs anymore. We need to meet you in Arkansas. Little Rock, to be precise.”
Kim’s brows furrowed as she processed the information. “Why wouldn’t you wait for me there? Did something happen?”
“A lot,” Jessie said with a dark note. “Things have gotten desperate, and we need to get to Burke’s facility right away.”
“And Burke has agreed to this?”
“More or less,” Jessie responded.
“AMI, can you route us to Little Rock, Arkansas?”
“One moment.”
Kim glanced down at her GPS map and watched as their route changed.
“I can turn south at St. Louis and be in Arkansas five and a half hours later,” she said. “Well, provided we don’t run into any trouble.” She lowered her voice even softer. “But, guys. I’ve got a bus full of kids here. Wherever we go, we need to make sure they’re safe.”
Jessie paused. “I think we can ensure their safety.”
“We can’t be uncertain on this,” Kim pressed, gripping the wheel. “I’ve got twenty-eight kids here.”
“I know. I just...” Jessie’s words trailed off, and Kim detected a disturbing note to her voice.
“What’s wrong? Tell me what happened.”
Jessie started the story slow and finished with how she’d found poor Paul face down in a pool of his own blood. How Burke had knocked Jessie out and smashed the mycologist’s lab to pieces before they finally subdued him.
Kim’s chest tightened, wrapping around her heart like an angry fist, squeezing until she couldn’t breathe. Blood pounded in her ears, and her skin grew itchy and hot.
“I’m sorry,” she choked the words. “I didn’t catch that last part.”
“We came up with a plan,” Jessie said. “We purposely infected Burke to force him to give up information about Arkansas. If we don’t find it, he dies.”
“That’s the reason for the change of plans,” Bryant jumped in. “And that’s why you have to meet us there. You’re our last hope.”
The bus floor fell out from under her. She barely felt her foot on the gas. Her grip on the wheel loosened, and the vehicle swerved on the road.
“Kim?” a tiny voice said. “Are you okay?”
Kim glanced over to see little Mary regarding her with a worried look. She forced a smile, raising her tone, trying to sound cheerful. “I’m fine, baby. Everything’s good.” She faced forward again, lowering her words to a tight whisper only those on the line heard. “I’m going to kill him,” she said, her eyes watering. “I’m going to meet you in Arkansas, and I’m going to kill him.”
“You can’t kill him,” Jessie said, resignedly. “Believe me, I wanted to do it myself. But we need him, at least for the moment.”
“I don’t care,” Kim hissed. A murderous heat rose in her and sizzled like butter in a scalding-hot frying pan. “He’s through. He’s done.”
“We’ll talk about it when you get there,” Bryant said, his voice shaky. “Believe us when we say we’re on board with your sentiment. But we have to be smart.”
Kim’s anger deflated slightly as she remembered Paul. Their first meeting at his hobbit-like garden. Him sticking her up with a staff instead of a rifle. His silly expressions and references. His old rock albums and love for pizza. His brilliant mind and everything she’d learned from him.
“Thanks for taking care of Paul.” She shook her head. “I’m in shock over here.”
“The funeral was nice,” Jessie said. “Bryant took some video, and we’ll show you when we meet.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate that. See you soon.”
“You, too. Bye.”
The line closed, leaving Kim alone to deal with her warring emotions. She wanted to stop the bus and call Bishop over. She wanted to feel his strong arms around her, holding her tight while she punched and kicked and railed at the unfairness of it all.
But she couldn’t afford to do that. She had to bury her rage and misery and keep on driving. They were going to Arkansas now to finish what she and Tom Flannery had started, and what she and Paul had advanced.
Kim sniffed and looked around for something to wipe her nose on. She lifted a notepad off the center console and tossed it aside. Her eyes searched the floor between the seats and behind her for anything that would suffice.
Shaking her head angrily, Kim cursed and turned her attention back to the road when a rag appeared in front of her, held by a tiny hand. She looked up to see Mary regarding her with her baleful brown eyes.
“Thanks,” Kim said, accepting the rag.
“You’re welcome.”
She cleaned herself up and dropped the cloth in her lap. I-70 extended ahead of them toward St. Louis. A long road of white lines, wrecks, and cocoon-shaped forms that once had been human but had morphed into soft bumps in the landscape. Even those were depleting, diminishing, shrinking as Asphyxia fed. For all she knew, only their bones remained, stitched together by a network of mycelium.
Kim didn’t know what dangers lay ahead of them, but she swore to finish what she’d started. She swore it with every ounce of her heart, mind, and soul.
“AMI, connect me to Bishop. I need to tell him we’re switching destinations.”
Chapter 35
Moe
, Chinle, Arizona
The white Peterbilt trundled down Highway 64 on the way back from Many Farms. Bullet holes riddled the bonnet and wind deflector. The sleeper cab looked like Swiss cheese, and the light penetrated the cabin in thin, round beams.
He had a shattered headlight, and his bumper hung from the chassis. A faint whiff of radiator fluid plagued the air.
Rex accompanied them in a new blue pickup he’d acquired at the Arrolime truck stop. It was a newer model Ford with enough rear seating to fit Casey, Melissa, and the rest of the crew. Aponi’s body lay in the truck bed, wrapped tightly and stuffed with wildflowers they’d found on the roadside.
Only Waki, Zoe, and the boys rode with Moe. They’d flipped the bloody mattress over and sat in somber silence the entire trip home. It had been a long overnight journey with several stops, but it had finally reached its end.
Moe turned left onto the uneven dirt road that guided them to the North Rim scout camp. They arrived to a chorus of cheers from a hundred of their kin waiting to carry the supplies down into the basin.
He gently eased the truck around and backed the trailer to the edge of the gully where ATVs, horses, and wagons awaited them. He put the air brakes on and rested with his arms over the steering wheel.
“We made it,” Moe said with a glance at his sister.
Waki smiled at him and winked tiredly. Then she popped her door. “Come on, Zoe,” she called over her shoulder. “Let me show you the most beautiful place on the planet.”
Zoe followed her out of the truck with the boys right behind them, leaving him alone. They seemed eager to escape the truck’s bloody confines and breathe the open air of home. He couldn’t blame them.
Moe paused to allow the weight of the journey to sink in. They’d run the gauntlet and made it back with the lifesaving supplies their people needed. Three of them had died, but so many more would live.
He opened his door and hopped down as Rex turned and pulled in beside him. The scavenging team climbed out and stretched their legs. Some limped or nursed scratches and bruises they didn’t realize they had until after the action.
Melissa and her soldier stepped off to the side, talking. Rex and Casey met in front of the pickup and embraced with closed eyes and the warm sun falling on their faces. He received respectful nods. Hands fell on his shoulder in appreciation as he limped toward the rear of the truck.
The trailer doors flew open to a rousing cheer, and the unloading began. Excited shouts and cries of joy rose from everyone as they looked over the abundance of goods. Sheriff Ahiga smiled widely when he gazed inside. And when he saw Moe, he rushed over with his hand extended.
“Great job,” the sheriff said from behind his wire-framed sunglasses. “Cynthia will be pleased. All the town elders will be.”
“All in a day’s work.” Moe grinned. The truth was, he hardly felt a thing. His emotions were raw and uneven, his body stiff and stricken with soreness. “Now I just need two or three day’s rest.”
“That can be arranged,” Ahiga said. Then he looked around in confusion. “Where’s Aponi?”
Moe gestured for the sheriff to follow, and he led him to the pickup where Aponi lay in repose in the truck bed.
“She died bravely.” Moe swallowed hard as a heavy surge of emotion rose in his chest, piercing his exhaustion. “I wanted her to have a proper burial. Johnny Windwalker didn’t make it either, but we had to leave him behind.”
The sheriff removed his rancher hat and held it at his waist, twisting the brim with his hands. He bowed his head in reverence.
Moe leaned his elbows on the side and stared at Aponi’s tall form, surprised to find himself still choked up with grief. “That woman lost everything. Her father and her husband. She never complained but kept fighting on.”
“I will make sure she is honored, and that Johnny is remembered, too. Thank you, Moe.” The sheriff turned away from the truck with a sobering expression. “And I hate to sound ungrateful, but we could use three or four more of these truckloads.”
“It’s okay.” Moe chuckled darkly. “We must keep working for the betterment of our people. Now is not the time to let up. I’ve got some ideas about how to improve our scavenging trips. Also, there's a way to bring power to the tribe.”
“I can’t wait to hear all your ideas. After you get some rest.”
A Navajo messenger rode up in a thunder of hooves and dust, waving to them as she approached. She angled toward Melissa, and Moe led Ahiga over to stand next to the captain. He placed his hands on his hips, waiting to hear the message.
“Captain Bryant,” she said. “You’ve got a message at the radio shelter. It’s from your husband. You told us to let you know if we got word.”
The captain gripped Moe’s shoulder and squeezed. He expected a big grin from the woman, but she looked uncertain. He could understand her hesitancy. Good things were hard to believe when everything seemed so hopeless.
“You better hurry,” Moe said. “Your man is waiting for you. Good luck.”
With a final nod, Melissa climbed up behind the girl, and they turned and galloped toward the gully that would take them to the canyon floor.
The two men stared after her, Moe squinting against the desert glare.
“I sure hope her man is okay,” Ahiga said.
“Me too.”
They strode ahead, moving around the workers and meandering over to the guard station where they’d set up tents and cots. Fresh coffee brewed along with native spiced tea. Two quads tumbled by with loads of goods in their trailers.
“Can I buy you a cup of coffee?” Ahiga asked.
“Sure thing,” Moe said, angling for the first empty seat and bench he saw. “I’ll just be over here.”
While Ahiga fetched him a coffee, he looked around. Everyone was energized, from the messengers to the guards. Spirits rose on the wings of hope, and Moe was happy to have played a role in the tribe’s success.
His mother would be proud of him.
A breeze blew through the tents and caressed his sweaty cheeks. It grasped his eyelashes and pulled his lids half closed.
“You are most gracious, Niltsi,” he whispered. “Thank you for your gifts and for keeping us safe through the long desert journey.”
“You’re praying to Niltsi, now?” someone asked from beside him. “I didn’t think you practiced the old ways anymore.”
Moe rose from his seat, turned, and threw his arms around Sage in one movement. “Hey, baby.”
Sage wrapped her arms around his wide chest and squeezed hard. “I missed you so much. I know it was only a day and a half, but it seemed like forever.”
“I should get cleaned up,” Moe said. “I probably smell like blood and gun smoke and sweat.”
“Nonsense.” She squeezed him all the harder and then broke away. Her dark eyes turned up to him, glazed with emotion. “I see all the supplies. I assume you were successful.”
“Mostly. Aponi died, as well as Johnny from the tribe and one of Melissa’s men.”
“Oh, no. That’s terrible, Moe. They were good people.”
They sat side-by-side on the bench, hands on the table and facing the canyon rim.
“Sheriff Ahiga said he will take care of their funeral arrangements and burial. I will make sure I’m there for the ceremony. How are things in the basin?”
“We set up a hospital in a deep cave,” she said. “We made rooms out of plastic and wood and sterilized them as best we could. They gave us three generators, so we’ve got lights and basic equipment. We could use more of everything.”
“I’ll be looking into that next,” Moe said with a concentrated stare at the table. “I have to make improvements to my truck first. I’d like to establish a supply line. There are a lot of cities ripe for the picking. We must take better precautions to avoid losing people like Aponi and Johnny.”
“If I knew you were coming up, I would have gotten you some, too.” Ahiga placed a lightly colored cup of coffee in front of Moe.
“Great. Now make sure this man rests good tonight. We’re going to need him tomorrow.”
“I’ll see that he gets his sleep.” Sage flashed Moe a look that sent a thrill through his chest.
Moe picked up his cup and sipped the stiff brew to hide his grin. “I want a report on Carver’s movements and find a replacement for Aponi. Once I’ve done those things, I’ll rest.”
“We haven’t heard a peep from Carver’s folks,” Ahiga shook his head. “It’s almost like they aren’t there.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Moe said.
The sheriff held a bottled water. By the looks of its crumpled sides, the man had been reusing it. He lifted it to have a drink.
Moe’s hand shot out quick as a snake and snagged his wrist before the edge of the bottle reached his lips.
Ahiga jerked his attention downward, wincing at the tight grip on him. “Hey, man. You’re hurting me.”
“Where did you get this?” Moe demanded, the words pressed through firm lips.
“I got it out of the well water supply from Many Farms,” Ahiga tried to pull away from the vice grip, but Moe held him tight. “Why?”
“Look at it.”
Their three faces leaned closer, eyes squinting at the tiny flecks of black floating in the half-filled bottle.
“Is that what I think it is?” Sage whispered.
“It sure looks like it,” Moe replied. Eyes widening, he snatched her wrist with his free hand and pulled her bottle closer to his face.
“That’s a fresh one,” she said with a worried look. “Never opened. It came in with the earlier supplies.”
Satisfied, Moe released it and turned back to Ahiga. He stood and studied the man’s face without touching him. He pointed. “What is that on his lip and nostrils?”
Sage stood and leaned closer, her expression growing more troubling as she studied his face. She didn’t have to speak the words for Moe to know it was true. The black spots were faint but perceptible. He hadn’t noticed them before.
“Let’s find Brandi,” Moe said, looking for someone to drive them down to the basin. “We need to stop everyone from drinking and determine how many are infected. And we need to locate the source.”
Spore Series | Book 4 | Exist Page 33