The Longest Road (Book 3): The Other Side

by A. S. Thompson

  Holding a similar spear made from a broomstick, Charlie paced behind the Secret Service Agent. "The rest of the doors are locked and the front is still holding. I counted about a dozen out there. They’re relentless, but those things aren't getting in anytime soon."

  "Thank you so much," said a redheaded woman with a nose-ring. Teeth clattering, she shivered underneath a blanket. "We were too scared to do it. When we got here, we just basically made sure the classrooms were locked and the ones already inside couldn't get us."

  The woman wearing the “I HEART AZ” sweatshirt put an arm around her companion and said, "Truth be told, I just couldn't bring myself to kill kids, even if they changed into those things. Sorry, how rude of me. My name is Alissa, and this is my wife Meghan."

  "Wife?" Matty mouthed to Charlie, but he was looking the other way.

  Keeping the majority of her body covered, Meghan waved. From what was exposed, her entire right arm was covered in tattoos. "Hi."

  "Nice to meet you both, I'm Charlie. For a second, I thought I was making you guys up.”

  "My name is David," said Agent Kim. He shook Alissa's hand and waved to Meghan.

  Matty sat on a nearby metal lunch table, propped his foot on the bench and tended to his injured leg. He pulled out small stone fragments and waved. "I’m Matty."

  Ally introduced herself and her unconscious brother. "Ugh, I'm soaking wet and it's freezing in here," she said, rubbing her hands together. Keeping her bra on, she wrung out her top.

  Matty noticed Alissa checking out Ally’s tight body but kept his comments unspoken.

  Then, without a word, Alissa exited the cafeteria and minutes later, returned carrying a cardboard box. "You should all take off your wet clothing," she said, passing out various sizes of Booster Club school sweatshirts. "Last thing you want is to get sick."

  "Like me," Meghan said, coughing through her nose.

  Alissa reunited with her ill wife, then starting with Charlie, she panned the room. "For a second, I thought I was making you guys up, too. I heard a faint pop like an echo of a gunshot and went to the top floor. I was just about ready to leave, then I saw you guys out there in the middle of the street. When I saw you coming toward the school I went to the back, because the front was chained up-"

  "Ya, noticed that," interrupted Ally.

  "Sorry about the confusion. That wasn't us. Whoever put that chain on did it before we got here."

  "How long have you girls been here?"

  "Two days," Meghan answered, rocking back and forth.

  Alissa put her forehead against Meghan's and kissed her on the lips. "Don't worry, honey, it's going to be okay." Then she turned to the others and explained. "Meg and I are originally from Yuma. Before our food ran out, we hit the road. We debated crossing the border into Mexico but ended up staying in the US. A few months back, we hooked up with a pretty solid group in Albuquerque-"

  "But that didn't last long," Meghan interrupted. "Some asshole and his friends stole most of our food in the middle of the night. Then it was everyone for themselves."

  Charlie shook his head, disappointed in humanity. "That sucks."

  "Ya, tell me about it," Alissa continued. "At first it wasn't too bad. When everyone split, we stuck together with another couple and two brothers. We had a pretty good thing going in terms of supplies and everyone holding their own, but it didn't last long. Scavenging turned out less and less. We were down on freshwater, food, bullets...and those things, damn are they determined..."

  Everyone nodded. Their experiences may have been different but the principles of survival and the encounters with the infected were the same.

  "We lost the couple first. The wife got bit and the husband didn't want to leave her. As we drove away, we heard the gunshots. Sad because the night after we left them we heard the broadcast. We couldn't believe there was a vaccine. We thought our luck had changed. We were on our way up to Idaho, but-"

  "But then we got to Pangton," Meghan said with a tone of bitter disgust.

  Alissa’s teeth began to grind. "Those scumbags took everything. They even killed Sam when he tried to stop them from taking our stuff, and Dean when he tried to rescue his brother. Then they turned their guns on us, but I didn't wait to see what they were gonna do, so I grabbed Meg and we ran. We made it to the school and here we are."

  "Those damn bandits robbed us, too," Charlie said, walking over to Dylan. "Hey, do you girls know if there is any first aid stuff?"

  “There's a nurse's office next to the principal’s. I can show you."

  "No it's okay, I can find it," Charlie said, politely waving her off. "Ally, start taking off the bandages. I want to get some air on the wounds. I'll be back in a minute."

  "Well, I think that's enough of our sob story, what about you guys?" Alissa nodded to Dylan. "What happened to your friend?"

  Agent Kim looked around at his group. "Let me just say it's a good thing you girls didn't make it to Idaho. Site one was a disaster..."

  For the next ten minutes, Agent Kim disclosed everything that had happened: from the massacre at Blue Springs to the attack on the Nevada facility, including Dylan's injury. The girls were in complete disbelief, to the point where Meghan accused them of lying. Furthermore, the girls were uncertain whether or not to judge them as terrorists, but as David Kim explained and answered their questions the story came to make sense, and for the time being, appeased their unease.

  "I believe you," Alissa started to say, "but I just don't believe it. It's one big conspiracy?"

  "Ya, and our friends are trying to take out the last truck as we speak," Charlie added, gently peeling off Dylan’s last soiled dressing. "They are counting on us. We need to get Dylan to the bunker and we need to get the evidence to the Vice President ASAP."

  "But those asshole bandits took my bag. It has all the evidence in it! All our proof, taken by some inbred country hicks. I swear," Matty began to rant but ended up mumbling to himself.

  Alissa was rubbing Meghan's back to warm her up. "So what are you guys gonna do?"

  "I don't know, but we need to do something quick, Dylan doesn't look too good," Ally said with a look of grave concern. "Why don't we just get a car and get going again? We passed by a ton of them out there-"

  "Sorry to burst your bubble, Good-Lookin’," Alissa interrupted, "but I thought the same thing. I snuck out yesterday, and granted, I didn't go out more than a block in every direction, but none of the cars had gas."

  Agent Kim sighed. "Bandits must have siphoned everything in town."

  "My thoughts exactly. So back to my question, what are you guys gonna do?"

  Agent Kim stood up. "I guess that only leaves us with one option. We have to go after them."

  "What? Are you serious?" exclaimed Ally. "They have guns. They promised they would shoot us if we followed them! Plus, we have to get Dylan to the bunker!"

  "I know you want to get your brother medical attention and I do too, but the fact remains they have the President's message. The only one. There are no other copies."

  "Well, to be technical, I made copies."

  "But it's with the rest of your stuff."

  Matty frowned. "Ya."

  Agent Kim began pacing. "I don't mean to be rude, but in case you guys forgot, we need that message to prove our worth. We have to find the bandits and get our stuff back, at the very least, Matty's bag."

  "What's our plan then?"

  "Let's break it down. First things first. The threat-"

  "Hold up one sec," Charlie said, moving away from the group. There was a backpack on the floor near the door. He rushed over to it, dumped it out on top of a lunch table, sifted through the contents, and then returned with a pen and some paper. "I counted five," Charlie said, writing it out, but his estimation was quickly corrected.

  "Six. The smoker Spencer, the chick Betty-Sue, her daughter Emma-Lou, the asshole with the itchy trigger finger, Bobby-D, Lazy-Eye Vincent, and the one you're forgetting about was the scout who signaled them
. I think they called him Darin. So, there's at least six we know about..."

  Charlie nodded, and then handed over the pen to Kim.

  "Again, we have at least six men, and should probably count on more. Between the hunting rifles and shotguns, I'd say these guys are civilians. Law enforcement or military would be more organized and efficient. Did you guys hear the dissent? Doesn't seem like all of them are on board."

  "Maybe, but we know they don't have a problem killing," Meghan said acidly.

  Matty concurred. "That guy almost shot my leg off!"

  "Look, I'm all for a psych profile on these guys," Alissa began to say, removing her beanie to reveal a flat Mohawk, "but I think we are forgetting the most important piece of information. Where the hell are they holding up?"

  "Good question," Agent Kim said, scratching his head, "and neither of you are familiar with the area, correct?"

  Both girls shook their heads no.

  "And all our maps are in the truck," added Charlie.

  "Wouldn't matter, the scale on them is too big. It would only show major roads. We need a local map.”

  "I got it!" Ally said, snapping her finger. "I realize Canada and the States are different, but our schools used to have bus maps with the routes on them. Why don't we check around for something like that?"

  "Good thinking, Ally," said Charlie. “Matty, come with me. Let's go check."

  A few minutes later, the men returned with smiles on their faces.

  On the table, Matty and Charlie laid out the city map. It lacked a high degree of detail, but the city streets, bus routes, and most prominent landmarks were shown.

  "We are here," Agent Kim said, marking their position. "We came into town from the north, and hit the spike strip around this block. Now, I remember seeing the bandits head east. I saw their headlights take a left and go south down the next street, but then lost them when we grabbed Dylan.”

  "So what does that mean for us? They can be anywhere," Ally said, sounding depressed.

  "Not necessarily. Actually, that tells us a lot..."

  Using knowledge and training obtained from the Secret Service, David Kim created a grid on the paper and explained.

  "These guys don't strike me as professionals, meaning when they left, they headed east, I highly doubt they would double back somewhere along the way and go west. I would guess their camp is somewhere east of the 89. If they are above ground, the area would need to be fortified and worthy to hold out against the infected."

  "But if they are underground, in sewers or something, then they could be anywhere," Matty suggested.

  "Let's stick with what we know,” followed Charlie. “They have a red Dodge Ram, maybe early two-thousands? Unless they keep it in a garage or in storage at their camp, it would be left outside and we can find that."

  "Good call, Charlie. Now, in the southeast quadrant, there are a few notable landmarks that would serve as a good base. A church, an urgent care center-"

  "Definitely not the cemetery," Matty suggested, pointing to the plot of land in the most bottom of the quadrant. "What? Just saying."

  "That was definitely an Alex-comment," joked Charlie.

  "Oh, god. It was, wasn’t it?"

  "Getting back on track,” Kim said, drawing more marks, “it looks like there's a shopping center here, too.”

  "I'd say no. Not a good spot to hold up," commented Charlie. "It would be well tapped. Plus, think about the front of most department and grocery stores; windows and glass breaks. We need to think about this from their point of view. They need basics; that's food, water, and shelter. Assuming they are the asshole bandits we think, they probably hit the grocery store first. As for water, they need somewhere to get it."

  "Electricity is out here," Alissa added, "and so seems to be the plumbing."

  "Which brings us back around to shelter and where the hell they are located? They could be anywhere," Matty said, annoyed and impatient.

  Frustration was evident. Sleep deprivation did not help and neither did the adrenaline dump and proximity to one another. Comments began to get snippy until a verbal fight started between Charlie and David. The two men began arguing about the different schools of thought and ideas of where the bandits could be. Ally even entered the debate and teamed up against Kim. The homosexual couple attempted to pacify the others, but to no avail.

  As the argument ensued, Matty stared at the map.

  Agent Kim is right about being in a well-secured compound. But they would also need Charlie's suggested food, water and shelter. They would need to be close enough to maintain their spike strip and ambush area. Throw in a city with an infected population apparently too great to stay in, so they would need to be more on the outskirts...

  As Matty's analytic mind processed the information, his eyes kept coming back to one area in particular. He didn't know why at first, mostly because the section wasn't marked and the structure didn't have a proper identifier on this bus route map.

  "Hey, guys. Guys," he called out, but the others were busy yelling at one another. After the fourth time, he screamed the top of his lungs, "Guys!"

  The others ceased bickering and turned to him.

  "Shut up and come over here. What is this area directly east of where we got ambushed?" Matty put his finger on the spot. "Just on the outskirts? Is that a symbol for logging or something?"

  "Let me see," Charlie said, nudging Matty out of the way. "You're talking about this place, the one that has the river in front of it?”

  "Ya."

  "That's not logging. It looks like a mine of some kind."

  Ally looked around. "You think they'd be in a mine?"

  "That would make sense," Agent Kim contemplated. "I remember a couple of the guys were wearing helmets with lights on the top."

  "And why not? A mine is secure by nature," Matty added. "They have a river running next to it so there's your water. For food, there's gotta be indigenous animals, plus they have whatever they raided and stole. For safety, and I'm no mine expert, but I imagine the mine itself only has designated entrances and I'm sure these guys would have a few secretive ways out, right? Like don't miners build tunnels for escapes and stuff?"

  "It makes sense," Charlie said, shrugging as he looked to Agent Kim for approval.

  "I like it. Let's go with it."

  "Okay, so what now? Knock on the door and say, ‘Hey, we need our stuff back if it's not too much to ask?'" Matty said, digressing to pessimism.

  "One step at a time," Kim said, surveying the map. "We need to find some weapons, do recon to make sure they are there, and then we come up with an attack plan."

  Charlie stood up on a table and peered through the high windows. Wind was bending trees and pounding rain against the glass. "The weather is picking up. Moving in a storm like that is dangerous and counterproductive. We're all tired. We should try to get some rest."

  "We still need to figure out our ride situation," Ally said, running a hand through her brother’s hair. "One that can fit all of us and transport Dylan."

  "I'd say a school bus would be perfect, but there's none in the teacher's parking lot," commented Alissa.

  "One problem at a time, guys," Agent Kim repeated. "I want to get back on the road ASAP, but like Charlie said, we can't do anything now and it won't do us any good to stress over it, especially in the condition we're all in."

  "We should all stick together for warmth. The teacher's lounge has a couch and some chairs we can push together," Alissa suggested.

  Matty grabbed his gurgling stomach. "I think my blood sugar is getting low. I haven't eaten in forever. Do you girls have any food?"

  Meghan looked up at Alissa in a way that suggested the couple did, but were hesitant to offer. Eventually though, Alissa succumbed to good will.

  "We found some in the teacher’s lounge vending machine, but not enough to last us more than a day. As long as you promise to take us with you to the bunker, you're welcome to it."

  "Of course, and thank you," A
gent Kim said, appreciative. "Alright, let's move to the teacher’s lounge. We can burn some books to stay warm, eat some food and get some sleep. When the weather lessens, we will scout the town. How's that sound?"

  Everyone nodded and slowly moved to the lounge down the hall.

  At the door, Ally turned around to Charlie. "What about Marilyn and Chris?"

  "Like David said, one problem at a time."

  Somewhere in north eastern Utah

  December 2, 2009

  0518 hours

  The digital thermometer read thirty-four degrees Fahrenheit. Icy-rain pounded the glass of the RV; no lightning or thunder, just a torrential downpour consistently for the last hour.

  The rainwater that funneled down the slope flooded the mountain road like a small river. Eddy battled with the steering wheel to keep the RV from blowing and sliding over.

  The soiled rags from Dylan's surgery had been tossed out at the rest stop, but the irony smell of dried blood lingered.

  Steve sat shirtless at the kitchen table, seemingly unaffected by the stench. He was supposed to be sleeping, as it would be his turn to drive in a few hours, but he was unable. So, he sat quietly, disassembling and reassembling his pistol.

  He was set to repeat the action for the fiftieth time when Eddy whispered loudly, "Steve? Hey, Steve, is there any more coffee left?"

  "Let me check. Ya, about a cup if you want it."

  "Sure thing."

  Steve poured the last of the coffee into Eddy's thermos and brought it to the front. "It's pretty bad outside. I'm surprised you guys can see.”

  "Tell me about it. Not more than fifteen minutes ago, I asked West if he wanted to find a turnout and ride out the storm, but he said and I quote, ‘No. We're late as it is. The rain is already causing us to drive slower, and we need to make up time. We'll power through and be fine.'"

  "Sounds like Eli, I mean West."

  "I imagine the only stop we will make is to gas up and switch drivers." Eddy pulled hard to the left as the road curved.

  They passed by a series of signs: "5,000 feet elevation" "Caution: Rock Slides" "Icy Roads" and the last one with squiggly lines referencing windy roads.