by Ellis, Tara
“Pretty much nails it,” Hernandez confirmed. “It should be fairly easy to get lost in a city of around a quarter-million people.”
“Plus, it’s another two-hundred miles further west from the eruption than we were this morning,” Devon added. “The ash has been getting lighter, and visibility is getting pretty good now.”
Peta noticed how relieved Devon sounded, and thought briefly on how he’d become the peace-keeper of the group. He’d spent several hours the night before with Bill. When she asked him about it, Devon shrugged and said he just needed someone to listen. Peta didn’t press him for more, but she was curious why Bill chose to talk about losing his wife, while Tyler did the opposite.
Peta glanced at Tyler and saw he had the same resolute expression, and his jaw muscles were quivering from being clenched. He was angry, and she figured it was his way of coping with the combination of fear and sorrow over his mom’s death. It made her think about her own mother. The only person left in the world that Peta really cared about. Her continued inability to reach her was infuriating.
“We will make them pay,” she said to Tyler, keeping her voice low so only he could hear her. “I promise.”
Tyler blinked slowly while taking a deep breath and then met her gaze. Peta saw a tormented soul, and she suddenly realized that he was the one they should be worried about, not Bill. A paranoid, nervous person would be cautious while someone bent on nothing more than revenge wouldn’t be thinking about consequences.
Reacting on instinct, Peta took Tyler’s hand and squeezed. “We have to be smart about this,” she said without too much emotion. “Because the people involved in ICONS will be. We can’t underestimate them.”
Tyler pulled his hand away and turned to stare out the window at the gray scenery passing by. His shoulders sagging was the only indication that she’d gotten through to him. It would have to be enough.
“How much cash do you have left?” Hernandez asked.
Bill cleared his throat and pushed at his glasses. Fortunately for all of them, one of the many useful items in the bug-out bag he’d been carrying around since the initial eruption, was an envelope of money. “A couple hundred. Should be enough to get us another hotel room for one night, don’t you think?”
Hernandez nodded. “In Reno? Yeah, we can probably get something cheap for two nights, plus something to eat.”
Devon pointed at the windshield; a gas-station map clutched in his good hand. While the fingers he’d hurt in the crash didn’t seem broken, he wouldn’t be moving them normally for some time. “The first exit should be coming up in two or three miles. Might as well take it.”
“How sure are you about your friend at the USGS?” Hernandez looked at Peta in the rearview mirror. “Because without some immediate help, we’ll be forced to use a credit card, and I know I’ll feel a whole lot better about that if the cat was already out of the bag.”
“We can’t count on leaking the information as a get out of jail free card,” Bill said, his voice strained. “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.”
“The simple fact that we’re all alive in spite of what was reported, and are able to say anything should be enough to put us in the spotlight and make it a whole lot harder to cover it up,” Devon said. “Theresa told us how the world thinks we’re dead,” he reminded Bill, giving him a wink. “It’s hard to kill ghosts.”
“Devon’s right,” Peta agreed. “ICONS will be forced to sever all ties with the MOHO project and offer up some sacrificial lambs. I imagine Doctor Madeline Schaefer will be at the top of that list. We can trust my friend,” she continued, directing the comment to Hernandez. “He was a professor at the University of Washington and is one of the top volcanologists at the USGS. I’ve known him for over twenty years. He’s the sort of guy who would be happy to take on a radical corporation. He’ll help us.”
The jeep slowed as Hernandez turned onto the exit. “Well, we’ll find out soon enough.”
Peta was relieved to see only a dusting of ash, though the sky was still unnaturally dark for ten in the morning. Several sets of headlights moving up ahead on a busy road was promising, and she strained to identify some of the emerging buildings.
“There!” Devon shouted. “Take a right. That’s got to be a hotel.”
Sure enough, he’d been right about the first exit being a hub, and every corner appeared to offer either a hotel, gas station, casino, or any combination of the three.
“Something isn’t right,” Bill said right away as they pulled into a large, mostly empty parking lot. “Shouldn’t there be more cars on the street and at the hotel? People wouldn’t be evacuating from here, it’s five-hundred miles away from Yellowstone. If anything, we should be seeing more people coming west. With all these hotels, it’s the perfect spot to hole up.”
Hernandez stopped the Jeep with a heavy foot on the brake. “You know what? You’re right. Only, I’d say everything is wrong, Bill. My guess is that while enduring the apocalypse, the majority of people decided to stay home instead of taking in the sights here in Reno.”
Tyler opened his door without comment, and Peta followed him outside. They’d scored on finding a box of dust masks at a store in Battle Mountain, but she left hers hanging down around her neck. There wasn’t enough ash in the air to warrant wearing it. At least, not compared to what she’d been breathing in the past week.
There was an odd odor in the air though, and she paused, trying to identify it. It wasn’t sulfur, they were too far away from the volcano for that. It was more like the smell of a wet camp fire after a bucket of water had been thrown on it. A heavy, cloying smell that stirred some deep, instinctive reaction to get away from it. She quickened her pace and reached the hotel lobby doors at the same time as Tyler and Hernandez. She looked back and saw that Devon chose to stay in the jeep with Bill.
“It’s closed,” Tyler said, pointing at a hand-written sign. “And my dad was right.”
It took Peta a moment to understand what he meant by that, but as she began reading the notice, she pulled her mask up with a frantic, jerking motion. It was written with a black sharpie on a paper bag in big scrawling letters, and then taped to the glass:
WARNING: KURU DISEASE INSIDE
DO NOT ENTER
SHUT-DOWN BY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Hernandez grabbed at Tyler’s arm and pulled him away from the doors. “Put your mask on!” he barked, as he yanked at his own. “Let’s go.”
None of them needed any further encouragement and were running by the time they got back to the jeep. Devon and Bill stared at them questioningly as they all scrambled inside, breathing heavily.
“What is it?” Devon asked, his eyes wide.
“I can admit when I’m wrong,” Hernandez said, pulling his mask off. Twisting in the driver’s seat, he faced the other four. “It would seem that in the two days we’ve been out of touch with the latest news, that prion disease has become a much bigger problem.”
Bill eyed the building and then shook his head. “There’s no way it could spread that fast. The CDC warning just went out two nights ago!”
“Except, we don’t know how long it was out there before then,” Devon replied. “With everything else happening, it’s possible it was being spread around the airports this whole week, before things got shut down.”
“It doesn’t matter!” Peta yelled. Tyler flinched, and she did her best to rein in her emotions as she tried to explain. “It doesn’t change our main objective, only how we achieve it. We can’t do anything about this disease, and we can’t make any informed decisions without more information. Did you try your phone?” she asked Devon.
He held up his cellphone and scowled. “No signal, and I’m not picking up any WiFi signals, let alone one that doesn’t require a password. I’m guessing whole networks are down by now, which was probably why Mads had us at the Hill Air Force Base. She knew better than anyone what was coming.”
Peta froze, mulling over his words. “You’re absolutely right,” she mumbled. When Devon looked curiously at her, she smiled grimly. “We need to find Madeline Schaefer, and I’d be willing to bet she’s somewhere in California. Henry always talked about stopping in to see her when he came to the state for lectures.”
Bill lifted the backpack at his feet up onto his lap and unzipped it while staring at Peta with a curious expression. “I think I can help with that.”
Peta watched as he dug inside the bag before pulling out a small notebook. She heard Tyler gasp in recognition before she noticed the tight, neatly printed words covering the pages when Bill opened it.
“This was Theresa’s,” he explained. “She always carried one to jot down things of importance. She showed this to me the night before we left the base,” he said. Flipping to a specific page he handed it to Peta. “While she never said it, Theresa must have already been considering going there as a backup plan.”
Peta took it with growing curiosity, and her smile was genuine when she saw the name and address, along with coordinates.
“Can I have the map?” Bill asked Devon, reaching out a hand. Devon and Hernandez exchanged a perplexed look as Peta and Bill hovered over it, with Tyler trying to crowd in.
“Here,” Bill said simply, pointing to a spot in the California mountains, not far from their location.
“So, we adapt.” Peta showed the map to Hernandez and Devon. “We’ll go to the one other location we know has satellite uplink capabilities, as well as someone who can give us more answers.” She looked at each man in turn, and finished with a resolute nod to Tyler. “We’re going to pay a little visit to Mad Madeline.”
Chapter 3
TYLER
Mountainous region in Northern California
Tyler was furious. So mad, that it twisted his guts up and made him want to hit someone or something most of the time. But he’d decided it was better than being afraid. Better than being frozen in your own terror so you couldn’t think straight. He’d made a vow never to feel that way again, as he walked away from his mom’s charred remains on some unnamed mountainside in Nevada.
Since then, he’d already experienced enough to confirm that belief. It didn’t matter that they’d made it off Madagascar alive, against all possible odds. Or, that somehow his mom also got them whisked away to the other side of the world to be hidden inside an Airforce base, where they were forced to outrun yet another volcano. It didn’t matter that he’d made it through those terrors, because there was always going to be more. Like a killer disease they couldn’t even see. He wouldn’t spend his life afraid. He couldn’t.
Tyler jerked fully awake as the jeep’s tires left the pavement and crunched over gravel. He looked out at the thick trees and was thankful they’d made it into the mountains and left the desert behind.
“I’ve had to pee since before we got to Reno,” Hernandez said as he steered them to the far end of a pull out. “I don’t think I can make it another hour. It should be safe here. I don’t see any other parked cars.”
Safe. Tyler scoffed, and ignored the look his dad gave him in response to the sound. They would never be safe. Not from ICONS, or the eruptions and earthquakes, and certainly not from all of the people running around with The Kuru infection. He eyed a truck that slowed as it passed, willing them to keep going.
Ever since their experience in Reno, he assumed anyone they encountered was a threat. The guy at the gas station across from the hotel they stopped at went on and on about how everybody was getting sick, and that people were totally freaking out. Tyler had hoped the guy was exaggerating, but the few city streets they drove down went a long way to confirm his story. Most businesses were closed, and the few people who were outside had masks on. And not the kind you’d wear for ash, but full-on plague crap.
There was a lot more traffic on the freeway going west, leaving Reno, than there had been leading into the city. It appeared that once it was obvious the disease was spreading, everyone began to bug-out. Seemed like a good idea, except it meant more people at gas stations, rest stops, and on the road kicking up ash.
As Tyler pushed his door open, he noticed right away that it didn’t look like there was any of the ash on the ground at all. Gazing up at the sky, he had to squint because it was too bright, and he thought he spotted some blue peeking through the grey haze.
Peta scrambled out of the backseat and stood beside him. “Finally,” she moaned, stretching her back. “It’s about time we made it out of the ash plume. It’ll probably eventually spread a bit further, but not much. Not unless there’s another, bigger eruption.”
Tyler scowled at her. “Don’t even say that out loud. With our luck, I wouldn’t be surprised if the ground cracked open under us.”
It was Peta’s turn to frown at him. “I guess that’s one way you can look at it. Or, you could figure we’re some of the more fortunate people on the planet.”
Tyler flinched, and he saw Peta reacted by catching her breath as she realized what a thoughtless thing it had been to say. “Tyler, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Yeah,” he interrupted, waving a hand at her as he turned away. He bit back the rest of the words that sprang to his mind, and instead kicked at a rock as he stalked away. He knew she meant well, and it was going to take everyone some time to accept that his mom was gone. Especially him. It still didn’t feel real, and he kept having to remind himself that she was really dead. Dead.
“Tyler.” His dad’s voice was hesitant, a growing trend that only infuriated Tyler more.
“Dad, I don’t want to talk,” he growled, his pace quickening. When his dad grabbed at his arm and forced him to stop and face him, he was startled enough that he didn’t resist.
“We need to talk,” Bill insisted. His brows were drawn together, and with the dust mask still on, it was hard to tell if he was angry or concerned. Since his dad had basically been cowering like a whipped dog for the past two days, Tyler figured it was more worry than anything else.
Tyler yanked his arm away. “Sure. Knock yourself out. Mind if I pee while your talking?”
Bill cleared his throat but didn’t protest when Tyler continued on to a small cluster of nearby trees. They were far enough from the road and Peta to be somewhat private. He ignored his dad as he moved up next to him, and wondered why he didn’t feel any emotional response. He could care less about what was so important to his dad. Maybe because Tyler didn’t think anything was important anymore. Nothing besides making someone pay for what happened to his mom.
Bill cleared his throat again and glanced around, probably to make sure they were alone. “The time is going to come pretty soon when it’s best for us to head out on our own.”
Tyler froze, and then zipped his jeans back up slowly before turning to face his dad. A hawk shrieked overhead, underscoring the stark difference between the towering pines and the palm trees they were living under only a week before. “What are you talking about? Go on our own, where?”
Bill looked down at his hands and shrugged. “It doesn’t matter where, so long as it’s away from those three.” He glanced up at Tyler then and winced when he saw the accusatory look on the teen’s face. “We’ve both been sort of innocent bystanders in all of this from the very beginning. Some months ago, when we were uprooted from Virginia. I’m sure ICONS has little interest in us, so long as we aren’t with them.” Bill gestured back over his shoulder toward the jeep. “We’ll go somewhere…anywhere, until all of this other crap blows over and then figure out where to go from there. We’ll be okay.”
Tyler took a moment to digest what his father had said, and was quite proud of himself for not immediately lashing out in spite of his raging emotions. He knew his dad was a nervous guy, but he’d never thought of him as a coward. After several slow breaths, he spoke through clenched teeth. “Mom would be ashamed.”
Bill took a step back as if Tyler had slapped him, his look of astonishment turning quickly to anger. “You don’
t know what you’re talking about!” he shot back. “Ashamed? Why, because I’m trying to keep you alive?”
Tyler chuckled and waved his arms around. “Newsflash, Dad: it’s not because of you that we’re still alive.” Tyler immediately regretted the words when he saw the crushing defeat settle on his father’s demeanor. His dad wasn’t the one he wanted to hurt.
Bill’s shoulders sagged, his face fell, and he removed his glasses as he turned his face away, unable to meet Tyler’s eyes. “I realize that, Tyler. I know I’ve failed you, but I’m still your dad. I don’t get the option of giving up and conceding defeat. I’ve already lost your mother.” He took a shaking breath and Tyler could see the physical pain it caused him to turn back to face him again. “I will not lose you, too. Do you understand me?” He took a step closer, his eyes fierce. “I will do whatever it takes, Tyler. Anything, to keep you alive. If that means parting ways with our new friends, then so be it. Nothing else matters. It’s what your mom would want, and what she would expect from me.”
“But it does matter,” Tyler said without any hesitation. When his dad only stared questioningly at him, he struggled to find the right words. “We’ve already lost everything. What’s the point in running and hiding now? Besides, Mom was wrong.”
“Tyler—”
“No!” Tyler spat. “She was wrong to let ICONS use us to manipulate her. It’s because she was also doing whatever it took to keep me safe. Look what happened?” Tyler’s voice was hoarse with emotion and he leaned toward his dad. “Everything else matters, and I have a strong feeling the only way we’re going to continue to stay alive is by helping Peta and Devon. It’s the right thing to do.”
Bill removed his glasses again and stood blinking at Tyler for so long that he thought he was going to just walk away without saying anything else. Finally, he shook his head and looked a bit sheepish. “When did you become such a man?”