“Ok, Grampa.” Skyler turned toward her friends. “Don’t have too much fun without me! I’ll catch you guys on Monday.”
The squad waved goodbye and watched as Skyler and her grandfather made their way off the field.
Once they were out of earshot of her friends Skyler asked her grandfather, “What’s wrong Grampa, did something happen to Bryce?”
“No.”
They walked on in silence for another minute. When they reached the parking lot he stopped and turned toward his granddaughter. “There’s something heading toward the planet. Something big.”
Skyler looked up at the night sky. “Where?”
Her grandfather continued walking towards the pickup truck and called back to her. “Can’t see it yet.”
She jogged to catch up to him. “When will it get here?”
He opened the passenger side door for her and helped her up into the seat. “We’ve got five years, give or take.” He checked to make sure she was safe in her seat and shut her door.
Five years? Skyler asked herself. FIVE. YEARS.
When he climbed into the driver’s seat Skyler admonished him.
“Five years? I really wanted that barbecue pork, Grampa.” She looked around out the truck’s windows and spied the squad getting into Janey’s car. “Maybe it’s not too late to —”
“I’m sorry, darlin’, but we need to start your training right away.”
She turned to face him.
“Training? For what? I’m already the second best shot in Great Neck,” she joked.
Everett wasn’t laughing. He picked up her hand and held it in his. “This thing that’s comin’ — it’s going to change everything, how people act, how people live. It’ll bring out the worst in nearly everybody. I need you to be prepared for all of it.”
Something in his voice petrified her. He was nearly always serious, but this time it was different. He was scared for her.
She nodded her head. “Ok Grampa, let’s get started then.”
Skyler looked up at Jack. “I never went back to school. Instead I got personalized Delta Force training from Grampa. We ran for miles every day. He taught me boxing, martial arts. Even how to track, kill and dress a deer.”
Jack had no idea what to say. So he said nothing and just continued to listen.
Skyler went on, “He wanted to make sure I could survive anything. I always thought he’d be here next to me though.” She paused for a second and smiled weakly, “Grampa was one helluva teacher.”
She made her way from the kitchen toward a mattress they had pulled from one of the bedrooms.
“Now, if you don’t mind, I am in dire need of a nap.” She wrapped herself up in a blanket and curled up in a ball on the mattress. She fell immediately to sleep.
Jack shook his head slightly. No, he said to himself, I don’t mind at all.
A few miles away John, Scotty and Dom were seated around a table, each eating an MRE while discussing Skyler’s impending capture.
In addition to his meal, John also had a map of New York City and the outer boroughs in front of him. He looked up from the map and addressed Scotty and Dom. “Do you think she’s planning on staying in the city or do you think she’s moving on?”
With a mouthful of food Scotty offered his opinion. “Who knows what’s she’s planning? That bitch is fucking crazy.”
Dom shook his head. “When we were in the CVS she said she may be heading west. My guess is she doesn’t want to stick around and will just try to make her way out of the city.”
“She’s got another thing coming then.” John looked toward Gregger, laying in the bed, sleeping. An attendant was sitting with him, monitoring his vitals and checking his bandaging. “I want her found and made an example of. The citizens of New York City will not tolerate any of those freaks within our borders.”
Scotty had finished his meal. He let out a long and loud burp before answering John. “We’ll find her Mr. K. That zombie bitch and her dog won’t get out our our city alive.”
“I’m not sure zombie is the correct term here. Zombies are undead.” Dom interjected.
“Well, whatever, she’s still going down.”
John Kelly was studying the map. “So when the squad last saw her she was at the 59th Street Bridge, right?”
“Yes, sir,” Dom answered.
John nodded. “Ok then, where do you think she’s headed?”
Scotty thought for a moment. “North probably. Cross into Jersey at the George Washington Bridge.”
A concerned look crossed Dom’s face, but it went unnoticed. “Maybe that’s too obvious. If she’s trying to throw us off, maybe she’d head to Brooklyn. The Verazano?”
John looked up from the map and raised an eyebrow. “That’s a little out of the way just to get to Jersey.”
Dom shrugs. “Depends on how badly she wants to jerk us around.”
Scotty shook his head. “If she is smart she’ll head to Jersey the fastest and shortest way possible, and that’s the GWB.”
“Now wait a minute,” John cautioned Scotty. “Dom may be onto something here. What she did to my boy, what she did on that bridge — we’re dealing with someone diabolical. We should make sure every possibility is checked out.” John turned to Dom. “Round up a few men and head to Brooklyn.”
Dom got up from the table and walked over to the radio on the desk.
In the apartment on 72nd Street, everyone had been sleeping soundly for a few hours.
The crackle of the two way radio woke Skyler.
Dom’s voice came through its speaker. “Listen up. Me and Scotty are going to check Brooklyn and the Verazano area for the girl responsible for the mess at the Queensboro this morning. Any volunteers who want to come along should head to base.”
“On my way to base,” someone answered.
As more volunteers checked in, Skyler approached Jack and shook him gently.
“Jack,” she whispered. “They are going to search for me in Brooklyn.”
Jack opened his eyes and looked around the room, trying to get his bearings. Then he looked up at Skyler. “Brooklyn?”
“Yeah. I think Dom is trying to give me a head start.” She grabbed her pack and started rummaging through it.
Jack was now fully awake. “Ok let’s get out of here while we can.”
She looked at him and shook her head. “We need to split up.”
Jack was stunned. “What? No. I can’t get —”
Skyler interrupted him. “Jack, listen. They are looking for me and the dog. You two aren’t even on their radar. We need to split up.”
Jack exhaled, defeated. He knew she was right, this was their only option.
“Those goons will know soon enough that I’m not in Brooklyn. I need to head north to the GWB and try to get out that way. Now.”
Jack scratched his head. “But we need to go that way too.”
“No. Remember the curfew. Traveling at night isn’t safe. Tomorrow morning head east, to the Harlem River Drive. Travel underneath it and make your way to the boathouse in the 190s. Grab a boat, head north on the river, get out of Dodge and to wherever grandma’s is.
“Surprise.”
Skyler was confused by his answer. “Huh?”
“The name of the town. Surprise.”
“Ah.” Skyler went back to rummaging through her rucksack.
Jack watched her. After a moment he said softly, “You could come with us, you know, after.”
Skyler didn’t look up. “I need to get out of this state.”
Out of her rucksack she brought out the Prismatic, the gun she had selected for her grandfather back in the weapons room. It seemed so long ago, but it had only been a few days since they had made their way out of the bunker.
She held the gun up to Jack. “Here, you take this.”
“I don’t —” Jack began to stammer.
“She’s going to need to eat again soon,” she interrupted.
“But —”
&
nbsp; Skyler continued. “Plenty of bad guys out there to choose from. Get used to it.”
She pointed to what had been her grandfather’s rucksack. “There’s plenty of ammo in there. Keep the radio too. It has a hundred mile range. If you get lonely give me a call.”
“Channel 897?”
Skyler nodded. “That’s the one.”
She rooted around in her rucksack and pulled out a bottle of dark brown foundation and an eyeliner pencil. She handed them both to Jack.
“For Alissa?” he asked.
She looked at him and smiled. “Nope. For Buddy. You’re going to have to disguise him a bit. Think Petey from Our Gang.”
“Good point.” He looked over at Alissa and Buddy. “I’m going to let her know you’re leaving. She’ll want to say good bye.”
“You don’t have to do —” but before Skyler could finish the sentence Jack was kneeling over the little girl, waking her up, and letting her know that Skyler was leaving them.
Skyler was not prepared for Alissa’s tears. “Sky, why can’t we stay together? Please don’t leave us. Is it because of what Daddy did to your grampa?”
Skyler and Jack exchanged looks.
“You heard that ‘Lissa?” Jack asked.
The little girl nodded.
Skyler knelt down in front of Alissa.
“No ‘Lissa, that’s not the reason at all. Right now, the bad guys are looking for me, just me. If we’re altogether and they find me, well, then they’ll find you and Jack and Buddy. That wouldn’t be so good would it?”
“No,” the little girl said, reluctantly. Then she brightened. “Oh ... Will you come with us after you get away from the bad guys?”
“I —,” Skyler was not sure how to proceed.
Jack jumped in to save Skyler. “We’ll see ‘Lissa. But right now we have to get ready for our big adventure up to your Grandma’s house. We’re going to ride in a boat!”
Alissa’s eyes widened. “We are?”
“Yup. Tomorrow morning, bright and early.”
The crackle of the radio interrupted them and John’s voice came through the speaker.
“Any sign of her yet?”
“Nothing yet Mr. K.” Skyler recognized Dom’s voice. “But she may choose to travel after sundown.”
“Right. Good point. Those freaks don’t like the sun so much. It’ll be dark soon enough. Check in if you see anything at all suspicious.”
“10-4 Mr. K.”
Skyler nodded her head. “Looks like that’s my cue.” She hooked her radio back to her waistband, slung her rucksack over her right shoulder and headed for the doorway.
Jack followed. “I guess this is goodbye, for now.”
She gave him a small smile. “For now.”
Jack reached in and hugged Skyler tightly. She was uncomfortable with the gesture as sincere as it was.
“I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done. If there’s ever ...”
She interrupted him. “Channel 897. We’ll be in range of each other for a good while. No need for a long goodbye right now.”
Jack pulled away, slightly embarrassed. “Ok, we’ll check in then, won’t we ‘Lissa?”
“All the time!” the little girl chimed in.
Skyler smiled and answered with “Great!” Her sarcasm was lost on them.
SEVENTEEN
An hour later and Skyler had traveled North on 5th Avenue about a mile, which in the city was equal to twenty blocks. She moved as quickly as possible while staying almost completely out of sight, utilizing passable back alleys and keeping close to the buildings’ facades, or what was left of them — some had fared better than others. She dipped into vestibules and ducked behind debris if she felt the need to.
Two and half weeks ago the avenue would have been packed with pedestrians. Some on their way to the local bodegas, some off to the Guggenheim, some out for pre-dinner stroll. But that was then and this was now.
The streets were mostly empty. She saw an occasional figure, dressed head to toe scurrying in and out of vestibules, scanning the streets, checking for the militia no doubt. Once the sun went down she only saw unaffected people, keeping to themselves, their heads down, minding their own business, which was pretty much the status quo for New Yorkers prior to ‘XF11.
I guess some things haven’t changed after all, she chuckled to herself. Her private moment of levity was cut short by the nearby sound of gunshots followed by screaming.
Skyler ducked into a darkened vestibule and looked at her watch. 8:45pm. Looks like curfew started a few minutes early. She peeked out from her location and scanned Fifth Avenue. A few blocks north of her was the 84th Street entrance to Central Park. About 30 blocks south of her she could see a row of headlights heading her way. With any lucky she could make it into the Park without being seen by the curfew patrol.
Before leaving the safety of the vestibule she put down her pack and began to rummage through it. After a moment she came out with the pair of night vision goggles she had found in the bunker. These oughta help. She rested the goggles on top of her head, zipped her rucksack closed and hoisted it back over her shoulder. She glanced behind her to check on the militia’s progress up Fifth Avenue. They were closer but they seemed to be traveling slowly, no doubt checking every nook and cranny for “freaks” along the way. She hurried toward the Park’s entrance.
As she entered the Park, her radio crackled. It was Alissa.
“Hi Sky. It’s ‘Lissa. I can still see you with the ‘noculars you gave Jack.”
Skyler took her radio from her waistband to answer her.
“Good to know. How do I look?”
“You look like you have funny glasses on your head. Oh and Jack and Buddy say ‘Hi.’”
Skyler made her way further into the park as she continued to speak with Alissa.
“Well ‘Hi’ from me in Central Park. You do all realize that —”
Her snarky comment was interrupted by the distance sound of a lion’s roar. Skyler stopped dead in her tracks.
Alissa whispered into the radio. “What was that?”
“Sounded like a lion to me,” Skyler whispered back. She reached for her night vision goggles and pulled them down off her head and over her eyes. After a few adjustments she took a good look around the park.
Scattered around the immediate vicinity were animals that were not native to New York City. Lazily grazing on the grass nearby were bison and gazelles. In the distance she saw a rhinoceros.
The Zoo, she said to herself, realizing this added a whole other dimension to her escape plans.
She pressed down the “Talk” button on her radio. “Look ‘Lissa, I need to go. You guys get some sleep, I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
Miles away in Brooklyn, Dom and Scotty were parked under the shadow of the Brooklyn bridge, both enjoying a beer while they spoke.
Scotty was insistent and waved his beer can at Dom for effect. “I’m telling you, man. She isn’t down this way. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Dom nodded and managed to look chastened. “Maybe you’re right. I guess I gave her too much credit.”
“No, no. She’s one clever bitch. You’re right about that much.”
“Back to base then?” Dom asked.
“No, let’s head back uptown. We gotta check the bridge.”
At base John was sitting at Gregger’s bedside. His son’s condition seemed somewhat improved. His breathing was more normal and he was resting peacefully. His bandages had been changed regularly by the medical personnel on staff. He was getting the best care possible, but John found no comfort in that. Gregger was all that was left of John’s family. His wife had managed to live through the floods and the fires brought on by ‘XF11, but when they realized that she had become someone else — something else — during the process, he did what any law abiding citizen would do in that situation. He shot her in the back of the head without warning and without provocation. Sometimes doing the right thing is the ha
rdest thing, he thought to himself.
The radio on his desk popped with a burst of static. Dom’s voice came through the speaker. “Base it’s Dom & Scotty.”
John patted Gregger’s hand, stood up and headed over to his desk.
“Go ahead, boys.”
“Everything is quiet down here at the Verazano, just like Scotty thought it would be. We’re going to head on up to the George Washington Bridge now.”
“10-4. The curfew patrol is out now. Between you and them, I’m confident that bitch will be brought in tonight. I need to make an example out of her, understood?”
“Understood, sir.”
As she was making her way through the park, avoiding zoo escapees, Skyler had been listening to the conversation between Dom and John Kelly.
She rolled her eyes. An example? Is he for real?
She switched her channel back to 897, partly out of habit, but mostly because she was sure Jack and Alissa were going to contact her again, and again. In the past hour one or both of them had checked in with her a half dozen times. Alissa and Jack had shared the field binoculars she’d given them and watched her progress as she had traveled north.
Dom hung up the radio’s microphone on the dashboard of the truck and looked over at Scotty.
“To the bridge then.”
Scott thought for a second. “Let’s make a pit stop at a Duane Reade, see if we can’t find some more beer.”
In the luxury apartment’s kitchen, Alissa watched on as Jack did his best to disguise Buddy with the makeup Skyler had left with them. The dog’s relaxed demeanor during his makeover led Jack to suspect that this was not Buddy’s first time playing dress up. It was, however, his first experience. He knew nothing about makeup, but he thought he’d done a good job with the Petey-ification of the pit bull. He finished up by drawing a large brown circle around the dog’s right eye.
“How’s that?” He glanced at Alissa to see if he had her approval.
The little girl giggled. “He doesn’t look like Buddy anymore!”
“Then my work here is done.”
Alissa thought for a second and then, “We should tell Skyler.”
Plagued (Book 1): The Girl Who Chased The Shadows Page 14