by Justin Clay
“This is some f-ed up world, Lena,” she tells me and I have to agree, nodding.
“Did Judas ever visit the dam?” I ask her, and for a moment Cari doesn’t say anything.
“Yes,” she finally says, looking off distantly. “He came to me seeking help…He was desperately hungry, tired, and wounded…He’s my brother…I felt somewhat obligated to help him…I don’t even know how he found me…But he did. And that terrified me. My children were still living then…I didn’t want them anywhere near him…He’s too dangerous…So I had my soldiers see to his wound and then forced him to leave once he was well enough…”
“Do you feel as if you made the wrong decision?”
“Sometimes…I’m not how happy he will be, seeing me…Hopefully, he hasn’t kept a grudge this long.”
“Yeah,” I mutter, wondering the probable possible if he has, and what that could mean. “How did you know he was still here? In Montana?”
Cari purses her lips and shrugs. “I don’t know,” she says cryptically. “Just had a feeling he would be…I figured he wouldn’t wander off too far, finally knowing where I ended up…I’m sure he wants to keep tabs on me, being his sister and all.”
“I see,” I say finishing my own biscuit, and drinking a gulp of water from one of the canteens. My eyes are becoming heavy. I don’t remember the last time I slept for more than three hours.
“You look tired,” Cari tells me.
“I am,” I reply.
“You should get some rest…Tomorrow’s going to be long day without it.”
Can I trust her? Will she try to kill me in the night and free herself? I can tell she senses my distrust and I wonder if it’s offending her by the strange look she is giving me. “Tell you what,” I say. “You’ve proven yourself enough to me…I’m going to unlock your handcuffs, but only on the condition you promise to remain here by morning.”
A deepened line forms in Cari’s mouth and her eyes gleam in the firelight. “Deal,” she says to me, and like a fool, I search for the key.
21
JUDAS’S CAMP
THE FOLLOWING MORNING WHEN I wake, I have come to two factual conclusions. The first is I’m not dead. That’s good. And the second, the smell of smoking, charred meat fills the air. I must have slept through the entire night, because I haven’t felt this rested…in quite some time. Blinking, I get up to witness Cari is still here and not only that: she’s roasting what looks like fowl over a rekindled fire. Maybe, I am dead. This can’t be happening.
“You’re cooking breakfast?” I say, astounded. “And you’re still here…?”
“A thank you would be nice,” Cari says frowning. “And yes, I’m still here…I wouldn’t put your friends in that kind of jeopardy…I know I have my ways, but I’m not that evil…But my brother is…So, here I am, cooking breakfast.”
“Thanks,” I reply, still a bit confused.
I examine the plump, pink meat she’s cooking to a golden brown, the game popping from the heat occasionally. “You’ve skinned it well…You’ve must have done this before.”
“Many times before,” she says. “I was brought up cooking, and skinning our dinners…I think I could do it in my sleep by this point.”
A chuckle escapes me. I nod in agreement.
“The bird’s almost done…We’ll eat and be on our way; it shouldn’t be much too further now.”
I’m looking at Cari and do something I wouldn’t ever have imagined doing ever around — or for that matter, because of her. I smile.
...
We follow the road we’ve been travelling along, since the beginning, for what I consider to be around four miles before signs of human life begin to emerge. The fowl Cari had rustled up earlier, provided us with enough strength to get to this point, but time has passed, and it’s around noon and we’re hungry again. I can tell from Cari’s winced face.
Cari and I haven’t talked much since this morning but that didn’t mean the silence was unpleasant. At last it felt like I had actual company; someone I could — dare I say it — trust, if only to have my back in case trouble brewed. And by the signs, we’re seeing: dilapidated, abandoned wooden snow-covered cabins that might be sooner than later.
Mountains enshrouded in icy fog begin to emerge in the distance, blanketed by rising thickly green pine forests. Somewhere up ahead the reflection of the blazing sun sparkles, and I know we’re heading in the right direction. The smells here are potent of the encroaching pines, and the air begins to take on a greenish haze to it. Just ever so slightly.
“That’s Flathead Lake, alright,” Cari comments, a few feet ahead of me, a hand raised over her brow, blocking out sunlight. “We’re getting close.”
“Best be on our guard then,” I suggest, regrouping my crossbow, searching for any quick movements about us, lingering the dark crevices of the cabin village we have approached. The snow here isn’t thick, but it shines brightly from the sunlight, and the sounds of sloshing water and birds calling signifies the lake is not too far now and isn’t frozen yet.
The ground beneath our boots crunches like someone chewing on ice, and then there’s the squish of moist grass. I glance at the trees off and on, looking for flocks of birds, anywhere. The trees here are deadly silent. Our breath puffs out from us, visible, and the breeze here tingles our cheeks red. Something’s not right.
“Where do you think they’re holding up at?” I ask Cari intently. “You know your brother…You have to know where he would most likely be in a place like this.”
“Well, I wouldn’t peg a camp of Scavengers to be holding up in any sort of cabin, but I could be wrong,” she says. “But if I were guessing…somewhere up ahead, in a clearing…Lena don’t look.”
“What? What is it?”
I turn and immediately recognize what Cari meant. Piled in a molten mount are human bodies, dead, and burnt beyond recognition. Either this is the aftereffects of a terrible sickness or a cold-blooded massacre. I’m hoping for the former. Stepping forward I notice something that look likes an ill-shapen rock. Upon further inspection, I realize it’s not. Mortified, I see it’s a small skull. I swallow, and glance at Cari.
“They have been here for awhile, most likely weeks,” Cari admits. “You can no longer smell the stench of smoke from the bones left behind…It’s terrible that I know this, but it’s what we had to do when the virus hit my clan those years ago: we had to burn the bodies to prevent it from spreading.”
“Maybe, we should look for a fire’s smoke then,” I suggest, attempting to change the subject slightly.
“Good idea,” Cari agrees. “And also tire tracks…”
“Wait, Cari,” I tell her, holding out a hand. “I think I just found some.”
They weren’t any ordinary tracks; the tracks I found had belonged to a snow jet ski: steam-lined and parallel, impressed deeply in the ground. The tracks lead us up and down a hill, and upon a further decent shoreward. The lake is becoming more present in sound, and its sight more prominent. Judas, although a madman, couldn’t have picked a better spot really to reside. The beauty of the landscape, from the majestic mountains soaring into the blue skies beyond to the glimmering vast lake is truly overwhelming. Even the fallen snow adds a certain mystical quality to the environment.
The jet ski tracks eventually take us to even more tracks, but these belong to an automobile, most likely a Jeep. We follow them until we reach another small village nestled onto the higher ground about half-a-mile from the Flathead’s shore. Again, this town like the last is eerily quiet. Nothing stirs. Nothing.
We travel down what looks like to be the main road of the run-down village, some of the cabin’s snow-topped roofs caving in, others disastrously ruined by what looks to have been fire. Someone set these buildings purposely on fire. And who? Had it been Judas’s men who did this? If he is in charge for that matter…But why would he want to do such a thing?
“You’ve come far enough,” a distant voice speaks sternly.
; Surprised, I spin about, aiming my crossbow to where the voice originated. Figures begin to reveal themselves from the shadows of the village, where they had remained hidden from us. All of them are armed with guns, aimed at our head. One in particular, walks the furthest to us, where we are standing still, Cari beside me. It’s a fairly tall man, skinny with a face that’s overly chiseled, his black eyes set too far back into his head. He has this long tangled black hair that’s pulled back from his face, bearing an expression of strange amusement. This must be Judas.
Judas only carries a pistol, yet he doesn’t have it aimed at us like the rest. Instead, he walks until he is only a few steps from us, and he’s smiling facetiously. “Hello there,” he says, a glimmer in his eyes, “you must be the famous Lena, right?”
My brow crumples; how does he know me?
“You look a bit confused,” he says, a bit matter-of-factly. “But that’s quite alright; we’ll sort things out for you soon enough.”
He must have learned about me from Eli. So they do have him!
“Where’s Eli!?” I demand, my crossbow still aimed at Judas.
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about, dear.”
“Bullshit!” I bellow. “Where is the man that came here looking for you!? WHERE IS HE!?” My yelling has caused the crowd of mangy-looking Scavengers, some women, some men, it’s hard to tell which is which with all of the long wild hair and snow suits they’re wearing to stir hostilely. They’re all glaring at me, wrapped up in their shoddily scavenged ski masks, dirtied bandanas, and puffy coats.
“Ah, yes…Now, I remember; he was a fool to do such a thing,” he says laughing. “Too bad he didn’t last very long!”
This infuriates me, and tears burn in my eyes. “Liar! He’s not dead! You didn’t kill him!”
Judas’s brow raises, and he lifts up a hand. “Now, now there…Let’s not get too testy…This is true; he’s not dead, but he most likely wishes he was,” the man says, sickly. “You’ll see your friend soon enough; that’s for sure. We’ll keep you alive long enough for that…because I am that merciful; but if you don’t lower your weapon, you won’t live to get that chance; be wise now.”
Sighing furiously I lower my crossbow, blinking away the rest of the tears.
“Now, that’s a good girl…And look who’s joined us at last…My dear old sister, Cari,” Judas says, content. Too content. “Nice to see you again…Looks like you’re doing pretty well, besides the bruises…How’s life at the dam? I mean, I wouldn’t know, now would I?”
“You can’t still be mad about that, Judas,” Cari says. “That was years ago.”
“That may as well be true sister,” he says, shrugging flippantly. “But you know me, don’t you? Or at least I hope you would…You know I’m not the one to forgive as easily; so, goodbye, sister; I hope you fare better in the after life than while you were here alive.”
“What?? — ” Cari says, exasperated, but she’s cut off.
I watch helplessly as Judas quickly lifts his gun, presses the trigger, and fires at Cari’s head. I let out a sharp gasp as the bang of the pistol is deafening, and soon after there’s a loud thump of Cari’s lifeless body colliding into the ground. I don’t look, but from my periphery I can already see the blood pooling. I’m shaking. My hands are trembling. How could he have just done that? Kill his own flesh and blood? His own sister? This man truly is hopelessly beyond saving. He’s psychotic.
“Now that’s taken care of,” he says, smiling as if he just told a clever joke, “there’s some business left to be seen about…” He looks at me with that stupid grin, and then at his followers. “I want her body bagged; we’re going to feed her to the Infected…As for you my dear, you’re going to meet your Eli sooner than you think; Hans, do me a favor, and knock her out…We can’t have her knowing where we’re located.”
I don’t even have time to move before I feel something heavy pound against my head and pitch-blackness consumes me.
22
CAPTURED
ROTTING, HANGING CORPSES. EVERYWHERE. The smells are undeniable, and sickening. But it’s what mostly pulls me from my unconsciousness. I attempt to open my eyes to the blurry dimness around me but I can’t just yet. My head is spinning and at any moment I could vomit. The bile teases up my throat, burning and causing my eyes to become sticky from the water. I swallow, feeling my throat is incredibly dry…So thirsty…
I try opening my eyes again and narrow them, focusing. There’s lamp light somewhere. The only light that keeps my strange surroundings from being completely submerged in darkness. The reflection of light stretches across the wall before me that’s blood-bespattered, and there are bones with some skin still intact residing, just there before me…Oh God…
“Lena? Lena are you awake?”
I shake my head. It sounded like I was hearing Eli talking. But that’s impossible. He’s dead.
“Lena? Are you awake”
Blinking, coming to, I finally answer. “Eli!? Is that really you? Where are you? I can’t see you.”
“Yes, it’s me,” he says, and his voice cracking from weariness. “I’m in the room beside you; there’s bars separating us.”
“What? Where are we at, Eli? The last I remember is…is being knocked out.”
“We’re somewhere underground I think…By how much it smells like damp soil in here…along with everything else.”
I try to move my arms for the first time and realize they’re strung up together, tied by what feels like rope. I crane my neck and notice the rope is tied to a few iron rafters. Studying the knot, or what I can see of it lurking in the dark, I have decide it’s easily manageable enough. I turn myself around, looking and take in my surroundings now that I’m more level-headed.
We’re in what’s looks like a crudely fashioned jail cell, surrounded by rusted iron bars, and beyond a set of them is Eli, his hands also bound together, suspended from the ceiling. From what I can tell, in his slumped posture, he’s been beaten…badly. One of his eyes is purplish and swollen shut, and there’s a nasty cut along his lower right cheek. His shirt — or what’s remaining of it is ragged and tattered, revealing botched, bloody skin beneath that’s raw and festered. With wounds like that, it’s a wonder he’s still living.
“Eli…What did they do to you,” I say, beside myself.
“Never mind me,” he says, shaking his head, “how are you? Did they hurt you?”
“Other than the head injury…No,” I say. “I guess I’m lucky enough then.”
“How did you end up getting here?”
“It wasn’t easy, Eli,” I say, sadly. “Especially since you left without so much as a goodbye, and especially to me Eli — I thought I meant more to you than that…Seriously? What the hell were you thinking?”
“I know,” he says after a few minutes of quiet. “I was wrong for that…I shouldn’t have.”
“Damn right you shouldn’t have…Look what’s happened to us…I came here to save you,” I say, and now I’m crying, and I can’t help it, “and here we are captured, underground God-knows-where mixed up with a bunch of ruthless Scavengers and for what? Cari died out there, Eli! Judas shot her right in the head!”
“What??” Eli says, confused. His brow has furrowed deeply and I watch as the shadows from the lamp light on the wall hanging outside flicker across his rugged face. “Explain what happened.”
“I will once you tell me what exactly happened between you and Cari…She told me you forced her to tell you where Judas is at…And you got yourself captured…And, she said something about her being right, what the hell is that about Eli?”
“Go ahead and say it,” he mutters. “You’re right and I am a fool…I shouldn’t have done what I did…But there’s little we can change what’s already happened…I’m sorry Lena; I’m sorry I put you through that hell; it wasn’t my intention…Truly, I was trying to save you…I didn’t want you to end up tangled in all of this mess with Judas…I wanted to end his life
by myself; and, if I died so be it…Cari knew I’d end up like this; that’s what she meant by that…
“I was hoping,” he continues, “that me leaving alone would at least keep you and Rian and June safe.”
Some good that’s done. “At what cost, Eli? I my sanity?” I backfire. “This is madness…Look what’s happened…That was an incredibly selfish act, Eli…and you know it.”
“I didn’t ask you to follow me…That’s why — ”
“Okay, okay,” I interrupt. “I kind of get it…But dammit, Eli…I thought I meant more to you than that; we’re a team you and I...Whatever we do, we do together, remember?…You could have at least left a letter…A note, something! I would have even preferred, ‘hey, Lena, I’m going to go on this reckless venture to kill Judas — which might just cost my life but it’s okay because I — ”