Michael pulled away from the glass. He had selected this particular spot, high in the tower because of the excellent view it afforded. He had several candles burning near the windows, inviting her to him. He knew it could invite others as well, but that was a risk he was willing to take. Those who survived now had to know when to be careful and when to be bold. Mike thought that if Jessa knew he was there, she would come to him. That was his hope at least. The truth of it was that he was pretty powerless in this situation. At least this way he felt like he was doing something. It was not lost on him that it was she who had walked away in the first place. But he also knew that there was that third quality you had to have in this world. You had to know when to be careful and when to be bold, but you always had to have hope.
“Hey.”
Mike looked towards the locked door across the room. The now familiar voice came again, a little more insistently. He sighed and went to unlock it, somewhat annoyed by the interruption to of his thoughts. In a rare lapse of judgement, he had revealed himself the day before in order to help the kid. He had just looked so pathetic shuffling down the street trying to push a cart while balancing an armful of books and drink some sort of brew through a straw all at once. He allowed himself to be cowed out of hiding by the ridiculousness of it, and some vestigial compassion he still had running through his veins. Maybe he had just longed for some human interaction. The kid certainly looked harmless enough. Trouble was that it was becoming apparent that Milo now considered him his new best friend. He wasn’t sure how to shake him.
“Hey Milo, come on in. You know you shouldn’t be out after dark.”
“Aww, those little puppies don’t scare me. Besides they don’t like their food burnt.”
The young man chuckled and the sound made Mike nervous. It was clear that Milo may not have been around for the bombs, but he certainly had lived in the cities aftermath long enough to be claimed by the ravaging of the radiation that permeated the city. Mike had asked him why he didn’t leave, but an answer was not forthcoming. Everyone knew it didn’t do to hang around the cities too long. This kid obviously hadn’t gotten the memo.
Milo sat down next to Michael and pulled out a bag of some sort.
“What do you got there?”
“It’s a surprise. But I looked high and low,” the kid quipped. “It’s pretty hard to find these days, but I know where to look. It’s actually not exactly what you said, but it’s close. You’re lucky you have simple tastes.” With that he started pouring some rice into bowl.
Michael had indulged in the favorite “what food do you miss most” game and of all things had come up with oatmeal with apples. His mom used to make it for him when he was a boy, and it just the memory of it warmed his heart. Of course he hadn’t told the kid that part. He had just said he’d love some hot oatmeal with apple slices. By the looks of it, Milo had made it his mission to make that desire a reality.
“My mom had told me that rice is really about all that is left to eat from before. Sorry but there’s no more oatmeal. My mom told me that too.” With that he pulled a few apples out of the bag now. “But there’s lots of apples,” he said brightly. With that the kid proceeded to the sink where he pulled further supplies out of his bag, including a gallon of water and matches. Michael watched with more than a little appreciation as the teen proceeded to build a small fire in the sink, and cook up the rice with apples like he was a master chef right in his own kitchen. The kid seemed oblivious to his skill. “My mom showed me a lot of stuff,” Was all he said. “But then she went away.” Whatever that meant, the kid seemed to have made peace with it, so Michael didn’t pry.
Eventually they sat down and enjoyed the hot meal, much to Michael’s delight. “Thanks Milo, that was pretty impressive…and rice and apples was just as good as rice and oatmeal I’ve decided. Where are you staying for the night?”
Michael thought he already knew the answer, and really he didn’t mind the company. A little touched or not, the kid had come through with the meal. Besides, Milo was pretty quiet. And Michael was learning that he was far more useful than he first appeared. God only knew what else the kid knew about surviving in the city. Maybe if just let the kid hang around a little he could learn something helpful to his cause, he thought. Besides, the kid was alright.
“I was hoping to stay here.”
“Of course. You are welcome here as long as I am in the city. So why are you still here? There are lots of little settlements that are not so destroyed and without the radiation.”
Michael looked over the chemical burns on the young man’s arms and face. He guessed they covered the rest of his body as well. It was hard to tell whether the kid had always been like that, or if the burns had developed over time. Maybe it was both. Regardless, he had to get through the city ASAP he decided.
“I probably think I’m crazy to stay here, but it’s all I know. I’ve been here my whole life. At first I stayed with my Mom. I’m not sure why she wanted to be here. But now I stay because I don’t know where else to go. I wouldn’t know what to do away from here. You think I could go with you when you leave?”
Michael had anticipated this, and the kid’s little cooking show had cemented it for him. He had already decided that he would take him with him. The kid had a simplicity, or maybe it was an innocence about him. Maybe it was the way he seemed to trust Michael. Maybe it was that this world was all he’d known. Whatever it was, Michael liked having the kid around. Maybe it reminded him a bit of what he once had himself. But he had to find Jessa and her son first. He still had hopes of finding her here in the city, but he had to think ahead as well. He had to anticipate her next move. He wasn’t completely sure where she was going, but he had a pretty good idea. They were already headed toward the coast which he had taken as partial confirmation of his initial hunch. The morning she had ditched him…The first morning she had ditched him, he corrected himself, as he had looked over her home he had seen a few crude drawing she had made of an island in the sea. And she had a few pictures up of the same. They were really little more than pictures ripped from old magazines, and many wouldn’t have given them a second thought, but it had gotten him thinking. It was really all he had to go on at this point anyhow, she he would work with what he had.
“As soon as I find who I came here to find, we will leave Milo. Believe me, I want to be out of here as soon as I can. I am thinking we will head toward the ocean, maybe even find an island somewhere.”
The kid smiled at this. While Michael had first guessed him to be in his late teens, he saw that he actually looked closer to fourteen or fifteen when he smiled. The smile brought the kid through in him. There really want’ much room in this world for the kid in anyone, Michael thought. Nevertheless, it was nice to get glimpses.
“I am going to crash for the night. Thanks again for the meal.”
“No problem Mike. That Island will sure be nice.”
“Yeah it will kid. Goodnight”
“Goodnight Mike” With that the kid found his own bedroom and Michael blew out the candles.
***
“Hey Mike. Didn’t you say you were looking for a woman and a little boy?”
Michael’s eyes opened instantly and he was up from the couch he was lying on. He went to the window the kid was at and looked down in the direction he was pointing. His heart stopped with the sight of her even as his mind raced to figure the best course of action now that she was once again in his sights. He didn’t want to fuck this up.
“Oh my God. I can’t believe it.” He almost danced in place as his body strained to jump right into action.
He also had to fight the urge to embrace Milo in a hug. For his part, Milo was grinning from ear to ear, happy to have helped him yet again.
“Thanks Milo. If you could stay here and keep your eyes on them in case I lose them before I get down there. With a little more luck, I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”
Mike almost fell down the stairs in the stairwell a few t
imes as he raced to make it to the ground floor and out of the building. He couldn’t believe his luck. He didn’t even know how Milo had spotted her, tucked up against the side of the building and moving slowly as she had been. But spot her he had, and now Michael just had to get to her before she slipped back into the shadows he was sure she would be sticking to. It was just miraculous that Milo had seen her. The kid was proving to be a good luck charm. Just as he was pushing out onto the street and reveling in his luck, the peaceful quite of the morning air was pierced by a scream – her scream. Michael took off a sprint to cover the few blocks as quickly as he could, his heart practically beating out of his chest.
4
Jessa clutched Shane to her, even as she sought to shield him with her body as she assessed her options and slowly backed away from the snarling pack in front of her. Maybe the two of them had been a little too loud or perhaps she had misjudged the packs altogether. They looked plenty active this morning as they stood shoulder to shoulder in front of them, hackles raised as the beasts on the end began to circle to either side. Even in her terror, Jessa couldn’t help but stare at their mutated bodies. These weren’t the cute, docile doggies out for their morning walks that one would have once encountered here. Their fur seemed patchy and marred by sores were it coated their barrel-chested bodies, and their teeth were far larger than any she had seen on the dogs back in her little town. The teeth themselves even seemed slightly more angled back toward the jaw, almost like a sharks. Or maybe it was her fear playing tricks on her. There was still some variation among them, but it barely registered now. Whatever careful breeding had once distinguished their ancestors had been eradicated by a combination of survival of the fittest and breeding in the wild. There were certainly no more Chihuahuas, or anything resembling the fashion accessory or “kick dogs” that were once so omnipresent in the cities. All she could see through the mutation were traces of Doberman, Rottweiler, German Shepard and maybe some retriever. She would have given anything for a box of dog biscuits.
“Nice puppies.”
Jessa walked backwards slowly, trying not to break eye contact with the largest one that seemed to be the leader. Her heart slammed in her chest as she searched the area, eyes darting behind her, trying to find a way out of this latest predicament. Things had been bad before, but this was a new level of shitty situation. Worst of all she had Shane to protect as well. Jessa had known that something like this might have happened, but she had had not anticipated it coming so soon, or under these circumstances. Her machete and crossbow were still safely, and uselessly strapped to her backpack. Even if she had either of them in hand, she knew they would do little good against the entire pack they now faced. Besides her slightest hand movements were greeted by a chorus of deep low growls. Dammit. She just hoped that this major miscalculation on her part wouldn’t be her last.
Just then her green eyes caught a possible escape route off to the side and slightly behind them. She adjusted her stride as she elbowed Shane and directed his attention in that direction as well with a subtle head nod. Used to their silent mode, Shane understood immediately and they both began to sidestep in a steady, slow pace towards the semi-collapsed building and the possible shelter it promised. This was of course assuming that there was not another pack of blood thirsty beasts napping inside. The door was slightly ajar. She just needed to get to it.
The lead dog seemed to know what she had in mind and made as if to spring towards them. They still had about ten feet between them, and they were out of options. Jessa cursed the not-so-little bastard and turned to run. Shane darted ahead and was almost inside even as Jessa could hear the lead dog, or dog-thing snarling behind her at her heels. Pushing Shane ahead of her, she dove through the doorway, spinning onto her back and delivering a swift kick square into the snout of the lead dog as she fell back. As it shook of the blow, Shane put his shoulder into the door as much as he could from his hands and knees. One last kick from Jessa and the beast removed its head from the opening and together they slammed the door closed, even as they heard the other dog-things clawing at the door. She quickly secured the bolt.
Shane stared wide-eyed at the wooden door as it shook with the violence of the beast’s onslaught.
“It’s okay sweetie. They will get bored with us. Help me pull that table over here.” She quickly looked around to be sure they were in fact secure. She quickly realized that this was the only access point. Well, at least it would be relatively easy to defend. But that also meant that they would probably have to fight their way out.
Shane tried his best to move the table in front of the door alone, but in the end needed his mother’s help as, together they slid it in front of the door. It shook on its hinges and Jessa started to worry that it wouldn’t hold. These dogs seemed almost crazed in their attempts to get in. They had looked extremely hungry. Maybe that is why they were out in the morning in the first place. Cursing herself and their predicament, she now removed her pack and unstrapped the crossbow. She only had five bolts and even if every shot was a kill shot, she would still have to take a few out with her machete, all while somehow keeping Shane safe. At not quite six, it was all he could do to just be brave in the face of what would have turned and pre-bombs kid into a blubbering mess. As she looked at him she felt a swelling that was a mixture of love, pride and a little remorse that he had face any of this. He just stood there, his little hands holding the table up against the door, his eyes looking for some kind of safety.
Jessa scanned the room once more and this time noticed a small pantry-like door in the hallway to the destroyed kitchen. She opened it and quickly removed an old mop and pail to make some room.
“In there Shane. I need to take care of those things so we can get out of here. Ok sweetie? Understand?” Even assuming she could handle the dog beasts, which was hardly a “gimme”, she was also aware of the commotion that they had made. If there was anyone within earshot they may have other problems to contend with. The world today was one of opportunity. The helpful neighbors of past were few and far between now. They needed to deal with this and get moving as soon as possible. That was another of her rules; keep moving.
“I don’t want you to come out for anyone but me, ok honey? A try to be quiet as a mouse. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He nodded his head, blue eyes wide. Man did this kid have guts, she thought again. She was trying to reassure him as best she could, but there was no sugar coating mutant dogs trying to break down your door. If she weren’t about to piss herself she might have laughed at the thought.
She pushed a chair in front of the door just as she got ready to turn her attention to the job at hand. She just wanted to be ready for any eventuality, and thought it best to camouflage her son’s presence until she had secured the situation. She just needed to be able to fully focus on one thing at a time right now. She didn’t want to contemplate the very real possibility that she might not be able to get them out of this. Pushing any doubts from her mind she took a deep breath before moving the table slowly out of the way.
It was then that she heard a series of shotgun blasts accompanied by a voice she only knew now from her dreams.
“Milo! Left, left!” A series of a few more blast rang out as she heard the dogs yelping in pain as those that could apparently began to scatter.
She could hear some whimpers from the dirt street outside, even as other yelps grew distant. Jessa paused, unsure of what to do. She knew exactly who it was, but she couldn’t quite believe it either. How in the world had he found her? And who was Milo? And what was it with this guy’s uncanny knack for showing up in the nick of time. Her mind briefly went to the comic books she got her son when she could. If she weren’t busy feeling the exhilaration, and trepidation of the moment, she would have found it a little spooky. But she reminded herself that she had just been half-wishing a few days before that she had not run out on him.
“Jessa? Are you okay?”
Shit, she thought. This guy was beyond persistent. And
Jessa, are you ok, really? That was all he had to say? Jessa saw the door handle move and though it was locked, she knew he was not going to just go away. As much as she was relieved, she also realized that in another way she was as trapped now as she had been by the dog creatures. She also realized that maybe it was time she got over herself. She looked back at the pantry door and decided to wait another minute or two to get him out of there. She unlocked the door knob and opened the door.
Sure enough, there was Michael in all his rugged glory, just standing there looking more devastatingly attractive than she remember. But her attention instantly went to the young man at his side. He looked to be in his mid to late teens, but it was hard to tell through the scarring that marred part of his face. Despite that though, he greeted her with a kind and open smile.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
Before she knew it, his arms were around her. Before he could contain himself, he had embraced her as the relief of finding her mixed with the raw emotion of being in her presence again. Despite having dreamt of this very moment as she drifted off to sleep on so many nights, initially, all Jessa could do was tense up. After a few seconds, though she let all her doubts and defenses melt away as she allowed him to support her. She allowed her body to melt into his. She wouldn’t run away again, she promised herself. She couldn’t keep running. He would just find her again, she thought to herself, even as a little laugh escaped her. She couldn’t believe that he was actually there. Michael pulled back after a moment, his eyes first scanning her and then quickly looking around the room.
[Runes of Argyl 01.0] The Runes of Argyl Trilogy Page 126