“Yeah, but it’s not deep.” Analise had replied. “I’ve had worse.”
She flashed him a smile. “I’ll be back with my tribe soon. I wanted to do something nice for you before I go and cooking is kind of my and Tobias’s thing.”
“Smells great. My stomach and I approve.” He said with a laugh while he rubbed his belly. “After breakfast, I’ll show you my ride.”
Analise smiled happily and dropped a steak into the hot grease. “Can’t wait.”
The meal was filled with laughter and some tears as Analise told them tales about each of her tribe. She told mostly funny stories of the children and the monkeys or Teddy running away with the plow or her brothers’ inability to make good cheese. There had been some rough patches but she glossed over them and mostly remembered the good times. When the meal was finished, Spivey pushed back from his chair and groaned with pleasure.
“Young lady, you are the second best cook I’ve ever met.” He shot a wink at Laurie.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Soon as I clean up, I’ll be ready to get out of here.” Analise said.
Laurie threw up her hands in protest. “Oh, no. Sara and I will do the dishes. You’ve done enough. You two go play with his toy.”
Analise arched an eyebrow and looked at him expectantly. Toy? He nodded and stood from the table. She grabbed her crutch and followed along behind him as he made his way outside. They were in a small industrial park surrounded by chain link fences with barbed wire along the top. A lone zombie clawed and keened at the barrier when it scented them but they paid it no mind. A sea of solar panels covered a large open area and thick cables snaked into one of the buildings housing the banks of batteries. He strolled across to another building and slid open the roll up door. Excited, she stepped inside expecting a tank or some kind of jacked up vehicle with guns and armor plates covering it. Something like Bob had built. Something tough that could take some punishment and cover the miles easily. She looked around for it. There was nothing but a bunch of dust covered machinery and a big basket with what looked like a circus tent folded beside it. She looked up at Spivey.
“Where is it?” She asked. She was anxious to get going. Doubt settled in her heart for the first time since she’d met him. Were they just stringing her along to keep her there?
He pointed at the basket and the pile of material.
“I present to you the Valkyrie. My hot air balloon. We’ll be able to spot your friends from miles away and won’t have to worry about outrunning the zoms.” He said with a big grin.
She just stood there with her mouth open.
28
Analise
It was still dark out and the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon when they returned to the shed the next morning. He was in coveralls with a jacket slung over his arm. It could get cold if they went high. She’d spent yesterday repairing her armor and replacing pieces that had been ripped loose in the currents. Spivey had a well-supplied machine shop and plenty of electricity to power it. She had wanted to leave yesterday but he’d explained about the prevailing breezes and they’d have a much easier time flying if they left early in the morning. The currents nearly always blew to the southwest near dawn as the sun started warming the earth. She had buckled her boot tight and between it and the ace bandage, she walked without the crutch. She moved silently in her armor and carried a freshly made saw toothed battle-axe. She watched in nervous anticipation as Spivey carefully laid out the balloon material. He told her it was called the envelope and she nodded along as he explained how it worked. It was all great, but she wished he would work a little more and talk a little less. He laughed at the serious look on her face and assured her he knew what he was doing.
She offered to help but he waved her off. He affixed the lines from the balloon to the basket then tied it off to the stakes he had sunk in concrete. Satisfied, he hit the starter button on a propane powered generator. The motor hummed to life and settled into a steady idle. He positioned a fan at the mouth of the balloon, plugged it in and the material began to ripple from the forced breeze. She felt something on her arm and looked to see Sara concentrating on drawing something with a magic marker. Analise watched as the lines took shape and she recognized a flower starting to form. Sara smiled sheepishly.
“I wanted to put my mark on you, so you won’t forget me.” she said.
Analise smiled and held her arm steady. The girl focused on her work, tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth, as she crudely drew a pink flower.
“All done.” Sara said.
Analise turned it this way and that, admiring the simple work.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you. I’ll never wash it off.” She hugged the girl tightly. She would have Sasha ink it in permanently when she got to Lakota.
“Better not.” Sara said.
The black and yellow balloon began to take shape and it reminded her of a giant light bulb. Anticipation fluttered in her stomach. Closer. She was getting closer to finding her family.
Spivey stepped over, nodded his approval of the new tattoo.
“Won’t be long now.” He assured her. “Once it’s inflated, I’ll light the burners and she’ll be ready. The wind is steady out of the north in the general direction we want to go, and we should make good time once we’re up there.”
“How do you steer it?” She asked. It wouldn’t do to fly off in the wrong direction.
“The wind shifts direction based on how high we are. I’ll take her up or down until we find a current that works. I can’t follow the road exactly, but we’ll be close enough to spot your friends if they’re out there.”
“They are.” She said with conviction.
He nodded. “You know, you all would be more than welcome to stay here. You, your friends and animals. There’s plenty of room.”
“Thank you, but I need to go to this Lakota. The little kids have been there for weeks and I’d love to see them again.”
Spivey stepped back to the balloon, made a few adjustments and lit the burner at the top of the basket. He studied her without being obvious about it. Four days ago he’d dragged a barely conscious little girl from the water near his fish traps. She was bloody, bedraggled and looked like a drowned cat. He wasn’t sure she’d survive. Now she stood tall and proud, her white hair braided and wearing armor like a second skin. She’d fashioned a deadly looking weapon in only a few hours and it was obvious she knew how to use it. She was the most intimidating fourteen-year-old he’d ever met. She didn’t look like a little kid, she looked like a battle-hardened warrior. Within minutes the balloon began to rise from its lazy position on the ground until it was standing straight up. The word Valkyrie stood out boldly in big white letters across the black and yellow background.
“My brother and I are descended from Vikings.” Analise said as she watched it get fuller and firmer. “Valkyrie is a fine ship for me to sail the skies in. Maybe it was my destiny to be here, with you and your family.”
He put a hand on her shoulder. “Maybe so. Let’s go find your tribe young Shield Maiden.”
Laurie came over to say goodbye. She held a picnic basket loaded down with food and supplies. She smiled and tried to be strong as she embraced Analise.
“There’s food in here for your tribe. There’s also stuff for you and the other girls. Some soaps and cosmetics, things like that. Take care of yourself. This isn’t goodbye, more like see you later. Goodbye would turn me into a sniveling mess and ruin my makeup. Find your way back someday, ok?”
“I will.” Analise said.
She looked for Sara. The girl was poking a stick at some debris by the fence. She waved at Analise then turned back to whatever had her attention.
“She’s fine.” Laurie said. “She just doesn’t want to see you go. She has her own way of seeing the world. Now go before I break my promise not to cry and take care of my old man for me.”
Analise hugged Laurie once more and made her way to the basket. Spivey kissed his wife the
n closed the wicker door.
He hit the lever and blue flames rushed from the burner. The balloon rose and the ropes grew taut. He signaled Laurie and she released the ropes from their anchors. The Valkyrie lifted into the sky and began to drift in a southeasterly direction as he coiled the ropes and hung them on their hooks.
29
Flying High
The highway was a twisting ribbon far below and she could see all the way to the town where everything went wrong. The river was still brown with mud but it was calm and back inside its banks. She scanned it for any signs of the tribe, any signs of smoke or maybe Bert’s head poking above the trees. She didn’t expect to find them hanging around the town, the plan had always been to keep moving, keep headed for Lakota if they ever got separated. It was the only plan that made sense but that didn’t mean they had stuck to it.
Spivey moved the balloon up and down and they circled the town looking for signs before they set off to follow the road. Her tummy flipped every time the balloon dropped in altitude or surged upward to find the right breeze that would keep them moving in the right direction. They’d been adrift for several hours now and she’d seen nothing but empty fields and deserted roads. Ghost towns and abandoned cars stretched along the snakelike highway far below. Small groups of undead staggered along headed to who knows where.
Spivey tried to keep the mood light and taught her how to fly the balloon but it did little to curb her anxiety. She knew there had to be a limit on how far he could go. She worried they wouldn’t be able to find her tribe. He’d assured her that as long as the wind cooperated, they’d keep going. They could always land when it got dark and hole up somewhere and propane was easy enough to scavenge from the farms and small towns that dotted the landscape. She worried about him making it back home. She had felt an instant connection to him and his family and couldn’t bear the thought that helping her might keep him from returning to his family. He quashed her worries and reminded her that he could go any direction he wanted, it was just a matter of finding the right currents.
“What’s that?” she asked and pointed to an arrow on an intersection.
He rummaged around below the seats, pulled out a pair of binoculars and handed them to her.
“You’ve had these all along?” she asked.
“Just remembered them.” He answered her sheepishly. “I never had a need to use them before.”
She focused them on the arrow, a green one made of tree branches and knew it was Donny leaving signs. He was showing her the way.
“Found them!” she shouted and pointed. “Now that we know what to look for all we have to do is follow the trail.”
A half mile later she spotted her name in yellow spray paint in Tobias’ half legible scrawl. Spivey moved up and down, kept the balloon going in the right direction and they slipped quietly along.
It was early afternoon when she spotted movement ahead. It was right at the limits of her vision and blurred by a heat haze coming off the road. Spivey squinted through his glasses but couldn’t see what she was pointing at. It had been a flash of white against the blacktop right at the crest of a hill. Daisy or Popsicle, she was sure. She willed the balloon to move faster. She willed her eyes not to play tricks on her. She had to know. She felt her brother through the connection that twins shared and her heart pounded. He felt close, she couldn’t explain it, but it was undeniable. Anxious minutes passed as the balloon drifted lazily along. The binoculars never left the crest of the hill and she couldn’t wait to pass over it. They would be on the downhill side, going into a valley, she knew it. As they got closer, more of the valley opened up below them and then they saw it. The parade of people and animals spread out for nearly a quarter mile.
Her heart climbed up into her throat. She saw the unmistakable long neck of a giraffe flanked by the white fur of polar bears and the small forms on their broad backs. A pair of black shapes glided along the asphalt far ahead of the tribe. Donny and Yewan running point. One of her savage sisters was surrounded by wolves and another atop a giant bird. She saw Kodiak striding beside Otis as he limped along. Her heart nearly burst in relief.
“Found them” She said and grinned broadly at Spivey.
30
Tobias
Tobias slumped in the saddle but kept looking over his shoulder at their back trail. He was second guessing himself again. Maybe they never should have left her behind. Maybe they should turn back and search. They were getting further and further away and it just didn’t seem right. She was out there somewhere. He was sure he’d have felt it if their connection had been broken. He felt her now, pulling at his subconscious. He didn’t sense panic or pain but joy. She was happy wherever she was.
He tried to keep a strong face for the tribe. Assured them over and over that moving forward was the right thing to do. She would catch them or be waiting somewhere ahead with a hot meal cooked.
Inside though, he was wracked with guilt. He shouldn’t have been so mean to her, he couldn’t get over it. He’d take the words back if he could.
Daisy lumbered along beside him and Popsicle. He hated the sight of her empty saddle and the sad moaning sounds she made from time to time. She was mourning the loss of her adopted cub too.
He felt the wind rustle the beads in his hair and ran his fingers over Kassie’s braid. He wondered if he’d see her again then chastised himself for thinking happy thoughts when he was supposed to be in mourning. Except he didn’t really think she was dead. He swore he could almost hear her voice. He swore he could almost feel her beside him, like she was close enough to touch. He sat up and scanned the road ahead. Nothing but rolling hills and endless miles of blacktop. He looked over his shoulder. Nothing. He felt the tingle of her presence again.
He swiveled to his left. Fallow fields and strips of woods. Same thing they’d been looking at for weeks. The feeling was stronger, and he caught a wisp of sound on the wind. The bears stopped plodding along and raised their heads, sniffing the breeze. He saw it then and was too dumbfounded to do anything but stare for a moment. A black and yellow balloon floated lazily towards them on a downward trajectory. His sister was standing in the basket with a huge grin on her face. He leapt from Popsicles back and yelled her name as he took off running to intercept the balloon when it touched down. Popsicle and Daisy passed him on either side at the sight and scent of their cub and he cursed them for not stopping to pick him up.
The rest of the tribe shouted greetings and as one they thundered towards the girl whom most of them had already given up for dead.
31
Reunited
The basket had barely touched the ground before Analise unlocked the door and climbed out. Spivey watched with a little concern as she limped directly into the path of two charging polar bears with her arms spread wide. They were being chased by a wild-eyed boy who was undoubtedly her twin brother. The tattooed boy sprinted to catch up and let out whoops as he drew closer.
His concern turned to wonder as the polar bears surrounded the girl and lavished her with their long tongues. They moaned in pleasure at the taste and smell of their lost cub. She kissed their noses and wrapped her skinny arms around their massive heads and whispered softly to them. They were like big, overgrown puppy dogs.
Tobias pushed through the bears and wrapped his sister in a gentle hug when he saw the bandages under her armor.
“I’m not gonna break dummy.” She said and pushed him away playfully.
“I’m sorry I was such a jerk.” He said.
His brow was furrowed with internal angst. Apologies didn’t come easy for him but it was obvious he meant it.
She laughed. “So, what else is new? You’ve always been a jerk.” She softened the words as she wrapped him in a bear hug.
The rest of the tribe hurried in and welcomed her back. Tears and laughter flowed and the questions came faster than she could answer them.
Donny stood back panting as the others swarmed her. He and Yewan had run the farthest and the bi
g cat was rubbing against Analise’s legs wanting her attention as the wolves jumped and tried to lick her face. The man inside the basket had eased the door closed and stood watching animals he’d only seen on TV or at a zoo licking and pawing at the girl, happy to see her. Bears and panthers. Wolves and an Ostrich. It was unbelievable, the end of the world really had happened. The lion had lain down with the lamb and little children led them all.
Donny couldn’t put his finger on the feelings coursing through him. Joy at seeing her alive. Anger at her limp and the bruises on her body. He should have been there to protect her. She should have never been separated from the tribe. He vowed that he would never let her down again. Despite the bruises and bandages, she was radiant. Her hair was radiant and shiny, almost glowing in the sunlight. Her pale skin was clean, not covered by the ever-present dirt that coated the rest of the tribe. Her eyes a vibrant glacier blue and sparkling with tears of happiness. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and stepped forward as Harper let her go.
Analise looked at the boy who stood tall and proud. His cheeks were in full blush as she met his eyes. He was so strong and handsome in his armor. A rock that never wavered in his commitment to the tribe. A warrior that was always in the forefront of the battle. A hunter who never failed to provide and he was hers. She knew it without a doubt. She rushed forward and when they met, he didn’t think about what he was doing, he was so happy to see her he swooped her up in his arms. He felt the heat rush through his body as she pressed her lips to his and ignored the whoops and catcalls from the rest of the tribe. Nothing else mattered at that moment for the two of them. If it took almost drowning and being lost for days for him to finally work up the courage to show that he liked her, she figured it was worth it. In a world full of nothing, they had found everything in each other.
The Feral Children [A Zombie Road Tale] Box Set | Books 1-3 Page 70