by Hunter Shea
The horses in the shop were all dead now. Flies, drunk on the never-ending feast that Yonkers offered, settled into the exposed meat of their hides and jellied eyes.
His mother and sister sat on their knees on either side of his brother. Rey’s eyes were closed, and his chin rested on his chest. Max could easily believe he was just taking a nap.
The four of them gently moved Rey so they could wrap him in the sheets, then the blanket. The tears had stopped for the moment, but they all sniffled every few seconds. There was no place to bury him, not here in the center of the city. They would leave him here, do what they could to seal up the door, and come back for him if and when they found help.
His mother prayed over Rey’s body, and there was an unspoken resolve to be strong, to hold it together. While she said a full rosary, they held hands, he was sure each lost in memories of Rey as much as he was.
When she was finished, they stacked everything they could find against the door to make it difficult to get through.
As they stepped out of the shop, his mother said, “Where should we go?”
“We want a good view of the area, so we should go to that restaurant on the water. It’s up high enough and is all glass,” his father said.
It was decided. They jogged to the waterfront, heads swiveling in every direction, hoping not to be seen. There were no words to be said. Max worried that if he tried to speak, he’d break down. Rey would want them to find Miguel above everything.
Max imagined Rey running by his side. It didn’t ease his pain, but it did give him the strength to keep moving.
123
Alexiana had been terrified when she woke up and didn’t see Buck. Sailaja had already written a note for her, handing it over the moment her eyes flickered open.
Buck will be right back. He went to the police station to get supplies.
She mouthed Thank you and haltingly got up from the chair. Her entire body felt as if her bones had been fused together. The act of standing was like rending each bone apart from one another.
Vishal offered her a bottle of water and a selection of granola bars. She took the water with a smile, but declined the bars. The pain from sleeping in that horrid chair overrode her need to eat, though she knew she would have to force something down sooner rather than later. She had to keep up her strength.
Communication with the Patels proved frustrating. They’d have to understand. She hadn’t even been deaf for twenty-four hours yet. It was disappointing that none of her hearing had returned. She would have had some hope of recovering that sense if even a little had come back while she slept.
You’re not that lucky, she thought. But you are still alive, which would seem a hell of a lot luckier if the prospect of living were a little brighter.
Buck wasn’t going to give up on the Padillas, and neither was she.
Leaning her forehead against the window, she stood next to Rita, gazing at the empty streets. There wasn’t a plane in the sky or a boat on the river. It looked like a perfect day for sailing.
A beautiful day shining on a destroyed city with more corpses than the living to taint the fresh air.
She stepped away from the window, taking a walk down the hall to work out the kinks in her back.
I have every fucking right to be morose.
Alexiana watched Vishal bend over, coughing hard into his hand. The scene looked hauntingly familiar.
I hope Rey is holding up through all of this.
124
Elizabeth refused to let go of Gabby’s hand as they made their way to the boardwalk. They kept to the shadows and pressed close to buildings, wary of prying eyes or unwanted visitors.
It was strange, all this time hoping to find other survivors, now praying they came across no one before they got to the elevated restaurant. YO2 had opened around the time the Yonkers waterfront project had completed the first phase of revitalization several years ago. Gone were the burned-out buildings, half-vacant project housing, and decrepit businesses and factories. In their place were a beautiful new boardwalk, family-style and upscale restaurants, a park and playground, and new high-rise apartments, all right on the banks of the Hudson River. What was once an area to be avoided at all costs—unless you were in need of drugs, prostitutes, or other illicit items—became a favorite destination overnight.
It looked like the coveted waterfront was about to become the jewel of the city, and then the economy collapsed. The new restaurants and hot spots couldn’t weather the storm, shuttering their doors in rapid order.
But not YO2, a celebrity chef–owned eatery that didn’t compromise its high-priced menu. Most amazing of all, people kept coming, and it was now the most popular restaurant in the city.
It was on the boardwalk, right above what had once been the dock for the Yonkers Water Taxi, a service that ferried people to and from the city. That went bust in short order. She and Rey had meant to try it one day but never found the time.
“This place looks like it’s sealed up tight,” Daniel said as they gathered by the elevator that led to YO2. Stands of binoculars were mounted along the edges of the dock. Elizabeth remembered taking a roll of quarters down here last summer so all of the kids could take turns scanning the boats on the water and New York City’s skyline to the south.
Behind the elevator that went directly to the freestanding structure that housed YO2 was a set of stairs they could take. She wondered if any elevators in the city would ever run again. “Max, let me have your bat,” Daniel said.
“I wonder why no one bothered to break in before,” Elizabeth said, the cold caress of an early morning Hudson breeze cooling her cheeks. Gabby’s hand was hot and sweaty in her own, but she was connected.
Max said, “Maybe whatever blew up happened down here first. People didn’t have time to loot.”
As they ascended the dark stairwell, Daniel in the lead, he said, “You’re probably right. Hundreds of thousands of people live in this area, and all we’ve seen is one crazy person last night. Whoever did this to the city knew exactly what they were doing.”
The double glass doors at the top of the stairs were indeed locked, but they were no match for Max’s bat. Elizabeth cringed when the glass shattered, hoping the noise wouldn’t travel far. The dining room was set for dinner service. Impeccably white tablecloths, fine dinnerware, and cutlery all in perfect alignment. Wilted wildflowers decayed in vases in the center of each table.
“We’ll find them from up here,” Daniel said.
The restaurant was all tinted windows, giving them a 360-degree view of the downtown area. The best part was they could see out, while anyone from the ground couldn’t see in.
“Gabby and I will watch from over there,” Elizabeth said, pointing to a table for two to their left. She gave Gabby’s hand a gentle squeeze.
If they found the Nine Judges, how would they get Miguel away from them? They were low on ammunition, hurt, and exhausted. If they had done something to her baby, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go on. They’d had to leave the shopping cart with most of the supplies because the horses had demolished it and a good deal of its contents. She worried that her spirit would simply dissolve. And what would become then of Max and Gabriela?
Stay angry. They have your boy. But they won’t for long. Sooner or later, they’ll come out of their rat’s hiding hole.
Miguel will be waiting for us. Somehow, we’ll make them pay.
125
When Buck returned with little to show, winded from walking up all the stairs, Rita rushed over to him. Alexiana sat with her nose inches from the window, peering at something intently.
“I think we spotted your friends,” Rita said. “I saw a man and woman with what looked like their son and daughter running to the waterfront.”
He walked as fast as he could to the window, nudging Alexiana. She pointed to an area by the boardwalk.
“Our friends have two boys,” Buck said. “One of them has been sick, so we found an old shopping cart to m
ove him around. Did you see him?”
Rita chewed at a fingernail. “I’m sorry, there was just the boy and the girl.”
Buck tapped his girlfriend’s shoulder and asked her, enunciating as best he could, if she spotted Rey. She looked confused until he said the boy’s name. She shook her head, then grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil.
I saw them, too. He’s not with them.
Buck felt like a rapidly deflating balloon. Rey’s absence could mean one of two things. He was either too sick to move on, so they set him up someplace safe while they searched for Miguel.
The other option was too heartrending to consider.
“Did you see where they went?” he asked.
Alexiana scribbled.
That expensive restaurant. Y something.
Of course. Aside from City Hall, it had one of the best views in the area. If the Nine Judges were here, they’d see them.
“We have to go to them,” Buck said. He opened up a canvas Stew Leonard’s shopping bag to show Alexiana the Glocks and clips he’d managed to find at the police station. Most of the place had been picked clean. He wasn’t going to tell her that he had to take them from a couple of dead cops, their bodies bloated and feeling like jelly as he maneuvered them to check their holsters.
Vishal rose from his chair with his granddaughter’s assistance. “I’m glad you found your friends. Please, you’re welcome to bring them back here and stay with us. There’s more than enough food and water to go around. I think our city employees did more eating and drinking than actual work.”
Buck shook his hand. “Thank you. It’s damn good to know there are still decent people left in this city. We have something very important to do, and if we can find their boy, I think we’ll head to Hastings to see if the rumors are true. I promise, if we find help, we’re coming back here with them.”
Smiling weakly, Vishal patted his hand. “I’d tell you to take my beautiful women with you, but they’re as stubborn as I am. I’ll pray you make it safely, and hope I’ll be here when you return. Good luck.”
They exchanged hugs and Buck walked out of the break room with his arm around Alexiana. He gave her one of the Glocks and a spare clip. The jog down the stairs was a hell of a lot easier than the walk up. They had to hurry. He didn’t want to get to the restaurant after the Padillas had left. If they were going to take Miguel back, they’d need every bit of help they could get.
126
The morning was anything but quiet. What Daniel saw as he watched from behind a table meant for romantic dinners for two made him wonder just how they’d gotten this far with any of them alive.
He called Elizabeth to the window when he spotted a middle-aged man and woman as they emerged from the Bank of America two blocks over. It looked as if they had been hiding out in the ATM vestibule overnight. When Daniel saw the blood on their shirts, hands, necks, and faces, he made a point to tell Max and Gabby to stay where they were, keeping watch on the opposite side of the restaurant. Sure, they had seen more than any child—or adult, for that matter—should in any lifetime, and they would see worse things to come, but if he could spare them from one more horror, he would.
“What is it? Do you see Miguel?” Elizabeth asked, her eyes sparkling with dread. If it was Miguel and he’d asked the kids to keep away, it had to be bad.
“No, it’s not Miguel,” he said quickly, pulling her closer. “Look, survivors.”
Her hand flew to her mouth. “They look awful. Maybe you should go downstairs and bring them here. At least they’ll be safe and there’s food and drinks.”
“That’s what I was going to do. Until I saw that.” He pointed to the next street over.
“Oh my God.”
A pack of feral dogs, twice the size of the one they’d faced on McLean Avenue, had gotten the scent of the couple. They were in full predator mode, prowling the street, heads low, backs arched, headed straight for them.
“We have to do something,” she said, digging her fingers into his arm.
“We don’t have enough firepower to hold back a pack that big.”
“Then we have to warn them.”
“How? If I break the glass, that pack will come right for us.”
She looked at him, and in her stare he saw tired despair. Her gaze stirred feelings of failure within himself—failure to keep his sons safe from harm, failure to find Buck and Alexiana, failure to find any answers as to what the hell had happened to them. He had to do something, anything.
“I’ll try to warn them.”
“Hurry!”
Daniel sprinted across the restaurant, ignoring Max and Gabby’s questions. Clanging down the stairs, he hit the main door, squinting into the sunlight. He couldn’t see the couple from his vantage point.
Leaping onto an SUV, he cupped his hands over his eyes, searching for them. Was he too late?
No. There they were. The dogs must have been right around the corner.
“Hey!” he shouted. “Go back to the bank!”
The couple froze, heads turning every which way, searching for the source of the command.
“There’s a pack of wild dogs coming for you! Run! Go back to the bank and bar the door!”
The man yelled, “Where are you?”
“Just run!”
Daniel’s heart stopped when the dogs began to bay. They turned the corner in a tight formation. Daniel punched the side of his thigh. Damn! He’d been too late.
The couple put up their hands in defense and disappeared underneath a pile of fur and teeth. The sounds of their screams made Daniel’s gut clench.
He teetered on the verge of running to them. Maybe if he fired into the pack, the sound of the gun would startle them and they’d retreat.
It was too long a shot. The animals were no longer what they once had been. The dogs outside the bar had been ruthless, relentless.
He walked back to the restaurant on numb legs.
127
As soon as Buck saw the murderous dog pack pounce on the man and woman, he pulled Alexiana behind a parked police van. He didn’t need to ask if she’d seen it, too. One look in her eyes told him everything.
Shit.
Dogs had damn good noses. When they were done, they’d sniff him and Alexiana out for sure. They’d have to circle back, find a safe place to hide, and wait for the dogs to pass. Going down another block would just be moving the buffet line for the dogs.
Christ, there must have been fifty dogs in this pack. He noticed with sickening clarity that they weren’t starving. Far from it. Their bellies were bloated, their fur caked with blood. They’d been feasting on anyone who’d made the mistake of crossing their path.
“How the hell are we going to get to the restaurant with them in the way?” he whispered. Alexiana was looking the other way and didn’t react.
After the screaming died down, Buck’s gorge rose when what sounded like tearing fabric reverberated down the narrow street. No matter how hard he tried not to, he pictured the man and woman being torn to pieces, dogs shaking their heads hard and fast to maintain their grip on the gristle that was their prize.
Gripping Alexiana’s hand, he led them away. The train station should be unlocked. It would be as good a place as any to wait things out for a while. If they were really lucky, there might even be some soda cans in the vending machine.
Putting the feeding pack behind them, they started to run. If the dogs were out, no telling what else was on the prowl. It was funny. They didn’t see any animals until a large gathering was upon them. Putting something in the air that would drive animals murderous was one thing. How could they program a pack mentality, especially into beasts that normally traveled alone?
“I’d kill for just one fucking answer to any of this,” he said.
“Who you think you gonna kill?”
The voice, from out of the blue, startled him. Alexiana bumped into him as he stopped short.
Motherfucker.
128
Eliza
beth couldn’t bear to watch anymore. She turned to look at her children, her remaining children, and wondered, What are their lives going to be like? Is this it? Running and hiding, fighting and dying? How could we be abandoned like this?
Daniel came back inside, huffing and puffing.
“Pop, what happened?” Max asked.
Daniel shook off the question. He said, “You see anything?”
Gabby spoke up, “There was a whole bunch of seagulls. They were down by the nature barge. You remember the place you took me and Miguel for story time once?”
“I do.”
“The seagulls were circling, with more and more of them joining the circle. I looked around the barge, and I saw this big dog, like a Saint Bernard. It was hurt. It could barely move. They started diving at it, and it couldn’t even bark to scare them off. Then they all landed on it.”
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Daniel said, stroking her hair.
“That wasn’t all. Dad, they carried it away. There were so many with their beaks stuck in its fur, and they flew with it! I watched them take it over the water, then they let it go and started swooping into the water.”
Elizabeth’s jaw clenched. No matter where they looked, a fresh hell was ready to erupt.
“Honey, why don’t you go in the kitchen and find some canned food. Max can keep watch for now,” she said.
“Can Max come with me?”
“Yeah,” Max said, placing a big-brotherly hand on her shoulder. “You’ll need help with the can opener anyway.”
When they left the dining room, Elizabeth allowed a few tears to fall. Daniel wiped them from her cheeks with the back of his finger.
“I couldn’t watch after—” she started to say.
“It’s better you didn’t.”
She hugged him fiercely. “I just want to find Miguel. I don’t care if we have to live in a filthy root cellar for the rest of our lives, scavenging for scraps. I want us together and safe.”