THIRTY
Maggie was struggling with the weight of the unconscious girl she was carrying, so she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. The sweat poured off her forehead and dripped onto the concrete floor. She had no idea where she was going; she just followed the figure in front of her.
Maggie looked around at this motley group of soldiers, amazed at their tenacity. “Renegades”, the older guy had called them. He reminded her of Gandalf with his long beard, leading by example, never wavering. Trusting his friends. The petite woman she had saved from that onslaught had just killed the biggest Variant Maggie had seen. She was certain it was the same one from yesterday. The woman had just sliced open the Variant’s stomach, spilling his guts before stabbing him through the eye.
Maggie had hoped she would find such people. She still wanted to keep her promise and rescue those she had left behind in the camp. She looked up at the petite woman, who was standing in the open door, a faint smile on her lips. Maggie liked her already. She had a way about her. Something that put you at ease. She gave a friendly nod as they exited the dam. The jarring sounds of battle from outside made her tense her muscles. She peered across the dam. One chopper buzzed around, firing its 50 cal ammo into the Variant horde. The wreckage of the other was still on fire, the smoke pouring out and swirling with the wash of the attacking helicopter. Maggie adjusted the girl and gritted her teeth, then pushed on up the metal stairs, eager to escape this hell.
The Renegades stopped at the top of the stairs. Maggie glanced around. The petite woman and the tall guy were gasping for breath. The old guy pulled out his radio and yelled into it, “Seven ready for extraction. Over.”
There was a pause, hissing and static crackling out. “Copy that, Renegades. LZ extremely hot. Can you reach the rowing tower? Over.”
Maggie caught the old guy’s eye. He frowned, and then looked out over the lake. She followed his gaze. Sitting two hundred feet off the shore was a small square building, raised up on metal stilts with thick concrete feet that extended below the waterline. Looking around desperately, Maggie spotted a small pontoon tied up to the dam, next to a large metal grate.
“Down there!” she yelled, pointing.
The old soldier spoke into his radio. “Yes, we can make it. Sergeant Hollis, cover us.”
Maggie heard something else said, but it was garbled. She followed the others over the small wall that bordered the narrow road, and headed for the boat.
***
Dee helped Boss onto the pontoon. All around, battle raged. Hollis continued to fly around, carpeting the howling Variants with covering fire. So far, it was keeping them occupied. She looked over at the burning wreckage of the other chopper. It was wedged across the road, the intense heat palpable even from this distance. Variants on the far side were desperately trying to reach the fleeing Renegades. A number had managed to skirt the flames and were sprinting for them. She glanced around, looking for their ride out of this madness. She spotted it, hovering a few meters above the rowing commentary tower.
A black wave surging alongside the lake caught her attention. She pivoted, and rushed to help Maggie and Beth into the boat. She pointed towards the mass of Variants. “Hurry!”
Ben’s head snapped around and he spun, firing into the mass.
Dee drew her Katana and slashed the painter, releasing the rope. She searched for a paddle, or some other means at propulsion. Seeing nothing, she gave the boat a shove and plunged into the frigid water.
“Jack!”
Jack and Ben helped her, and together the three of them managed to get the pontoon moving out into the lake. The tower was a good 80 metres away. Dee kicked hard, urging the boat to move faster. She was surprised that it didn’t have an engine of some sort. Howling from the dam wall and lakeshore shifted her attention back to their pursuers.
Ben turned his head, water dripping off his long beard. “Dee, get on. Give us some covering fire.”
She looked up. Maggie had heard, and moved over to haul her onto the boat. Gasping from the effort of moving the boat, Dee took a moment to catch her breath. Maggie had moved to one side and begun to fire into the mass of Variants. Several of the beasts had reached the water, and began to fling themselves in. She started firing, trying to take down the lead monsters. They just scrambled over the fallen and plunged into the lake. Variant after Variant jumped in. She watched, fascinated, as they thrashed about, trying to swim. Most of them drowned, but a few bobbed around and managed to swim a few metres after them.
“Dee! Above us!” yelled Boss.
She glanced up. Dozens of Variants had crawled along the powerlines above the dam. They started to swing like demonic monkeys. Their howling reached fever pitch and four let go, sailing out, claws outstretched.
“Maggie!” she yelled a warning.
Dee swung her rifle up. She breathed out, picturing her time at the shooting range with Jack, where they had spent a few weekends shooting clay pigeons. She shot one through the neck before adjusting her aim and hitting a second in the side. Maggie shot one through the head, and another through the leg. The two injured Variants slammed onto the pontoon. Shrieking, they hissed, spittle flying from their sucker mouths. A shotgun boomed and the head of one of them exploded like a melon. She squeezed the trigger of her rifle. Nothing. She dropped it and pulled her Katana out. The Variant howled and flung itself at Dee. She slashed at it, but missed.
The Variant had twisted in mid-air to land behind her. With astonishing speed, it leapt onto Dee, knocking her to the deck. Time seemed to stop. The Variant sat on top of her, hissing and spitting. Boss looked on in horror. George stared at her, squinting. Dee furrowed her brow. What was with George’s eye? It was then that she noticed he had been mutilated. Rage exploded, adrenalin surged, and with her last strength, she shoved. The beast held tight, gouging its claws into her flesh. She cried out in pain. Dee brought up her knee and nudged the Katana towards Maggie. Maggie caught her meaning and snatched it up. Without hesitating, she stabbed the beast through the head. Dee stared into its cold reptilian eyes and watched the light go out. She felt no sadness, no remorse. These beasts had taken so much from her. No, she had no sympathy. With a shove, Dee pushed the beast off her and into the lake.
The pontoon bounced as it hit the concrete foot of the tower. Jack and Ben scrambled onto the boat. Dee looked at Jack before hugging him. She couldn’t help the tears. He held her tight. She broke the embrace and helped Boss to his feet.
Jack picked George up.
She turned, looking for Maggie and Beth. Maggie was helping Beth to her feet. The blonde-haired girl had finally regained consciousness.
The Renegades and the children climbed up the ladder on the side of the tower. Dee looked back out to the still-burning wreckage of the helicopter. It was then that she glimpsed a blur of white sprinting out along the road. As it got nearer, she could see it was a man. He leapt onto the wall before diving into the lake and swimming for the tower. Dee shook her head and hauled herself onto the roof of the building. The chopper had hovered off to one side, and now moved over to them so the open door was within easy reach. It was a skillful bit of flying. Dee turned and helped Boss and George inside the chopper. She glanced back at the swimming figure. He was only twenty metres away now. Dee nudged Ben, pointing.
He shook his head. “Leave him. He chose his side.”
“We can’t, Ben. He did what he had to do.”
Maggie stopped and turned, looking at the swimming figure. He had nearly reached the tower. Dee saw her scrunch her eyes together. She glanced at them. “I think I know him,” she yelled above the whine of the engines. She ran to the ladder and disappeared over the side.
Ben grasped Dee’s shoulder. He held up the detonator, wiggling it. “Do you want to do the honours?”
She smiled. “Give it to Jack. I got my revenge.”
The tower shook violently, swaying like a tree in a winter storm. Dee reached out, grabbing the chopper for support. S
he exchanged a look with Ben. He was just as confused.
Maggie appeared, hauling the dripping man after her. Dee got a glimpse of his glasses as Maggie helped him into the waiting chopper.
Dee jumped in and the chopper swiftly rose into the air, the movement lurching her stomach. She didn’t mind; it meant they were safe, away from the horror of that place.
A satisfying calm loosened her tired muscles. Somehow, they had done it. They had faced the impossible and survived. Ben had been right. Nothing was impossible. You just had to believe it enough to achieve it. The Renegades had believed that they could take on the Trophy King and survive, and they had. Love for the boys had motivated her and Jack to summit the improbable mountain. She looked over at Jack and the boys. They all stared at each other silently. Love had motivated her to find Jack in the chaos of the Hemorrhage Virus. The feeling of love was powerful and complete.
Dee moved over and drew her boys into a hug, savouring the warmth of their bodies. She looked up and nodded at Maggie, who was bandaging Beth’s eye. Maggie smiled and moved over to them, grabbing the medical kit from the seat. “Let’s see to these wounds.”
“I’m okay. Check over the kids first.” Dee lifted George’s head to show her his ruined eye. Maggie turned her head, looking at Beth. “She had the same wound. Doesn’t look life threatening, but we need to clean it out. Stop any infection.”
“Thanks Maggie.”
“You’re welcome. Sorry, but I don’t know your name?”
Dee barked out a small laugh. “It’s Dee. That’s Jack, Boss, George, and Ben. Oh, and Alan on the 50 cal,” she said, pointing to each in turn.
“Well, it’s nice to meet y’all. Wish it had been in better circumstances.”
Dee smiled, nodding her head in acknowledgement.
Ben moved over to them, holding out the detonator to Jack, who grinned and took it from Ben’s hand. He stood up and moved to the window of the hold. The chopper was hovering 500 metres above the dam. Jack gasped and pointed up the lake. Dee turned, looking out the window. A huge wall of water was careening down the lake in a massive surge, taking out trees, houses, boats. Anything in its path. It reminded her of a tsunami, destroying everything. The explosives they’d detonated at Arapuni must have breached the dam after all.
Jack held up the detonator and flicked the metal switch on the side, arming it. “Screw you, Trophy King,” he yelled, and pressed the red button down.
There was a split-second pause before a huge rumbling explosion echoed out over the lake.
***
Jack could hear it clearly over the sound of the chopper. He watched mesmerised as the dam exploded out in a cloud of dust with a debris-filled whump! Hunks of concrete, steel, and wood flung out, cascading down into the river below.
The water behind the dam frothed and bubbled, geysers of water shooting into the sky. Jack turned, looking for the tsunami. It reached the tower they had sheltered on, slamming into it, tearing it off its foundations with ease. The tsunami then slammed into the dam, buckling the wall on top as it sloshed over in a massive wave. With the added force of the tsunami, the dam broke apart. Torrents of water gushed out. Jack smiled as the dam exploded, crumbling from the pressure. Billions of liters of water poured out over the destroyed dam and made its way down river. Jack said a silent apology to all those towns that would be destroyed. To all those millions of hours it took to build civilization. They were destroying it in seconds.
He felt the chopper bank and head for the coast. Jack took a final look at the wall of water smashing its way down the Waikato River. The river washed away everything in its path. Jack shook his head at what had become of his country. At what had become of the world. We came. We saw. We conquered, and ultimately, we destroyed. He sat down next to Dee and gazed out the window at the Pacific Ocean in the distance. It was time to rebuild. Maybe this time we’ll learn from our mistakes. He grasped Dee’s hand in his and pulled her close. Despite what the world had become, he wanted to create a life with her, bring new life into it. She glanced up at him, as if reading his thoughts, and snuggled in closer to him. Jack grinned, enjoying her company, here in the apocalypse.
THIRTY-ONE
The sun hugged the horizon, kissing the land as it sank away, ushering in the night. Dee breathed a sigh of relief as Mayor Island grew larger before the chopper finally began its descent. Every part of her body ached from the exertions of the past few days.
She looked out at the village. Dozens of lights had been strung up along the boardwalk, linking all the buildings, trees, and tents together. It looked like the Milky Way had been pulled out of the sky and laid across the village.
George pushed up off her lap and looked out the window. He turned to smile at her. Maggie had cleaned his damaged eye and bandaged it. Dee kissed his cheek, happy that he had something to smile at after his torture at the hands of the Trophy King. The chopper bumped to the ground and the pilot switched off the engines. Dee heard the whine drop and shuffled along her seat, eager to exit. She wanted a shower, food, sleep, and Jack.
She dropped down out of the chopper and looked up. Alice and the kids stood there, watching.
“Dee! Maggie!” Alice yelled.
Dee helped George and Boss out of the chopper, then waved at them. Jack helped Boss stand, and the Renegades moved away from the still-spinning rotor blades and into the waiting group.
Dee lost herself in the hugs and cries of joy. It was worth all the effort to see the utter joy on everyone’s faces, knowing they were all safe for now. A few days ago, she never would have imagined all that they had been through since then. She was experiencing new emotions, emotions she didn’t have the words to express. She looked around at all the kids and adults, lost in the moment, caught up in love. After so many years of running from the responsibilities of motherhood, Dee felt that she was ready. She exchanged a glance with Jack and saw the warmth of his smile as he held George close and hugged Alice. She knew that he was feeling it too. Dee stepped over and pulled Alice into an embrace, and let the tears flow. They were tears of joy. Of happiness and relief. She pulled away and hugged Ben.
“Thank you, Ben.”
“You’re welcome, Dee. We look after each other.”
She smiled. “Still, you didn’t have to. I’m worried about what the Colonel is going to do.”
Ben pointed at all the lights. Dee could see that several tables had been set up along the boardwalk outside the FOB. Fires had been lit in braziers.
“You let me worry about Mahana, Dee. Let’s enjoy Matariki and savour this small victory.”
“All right, Ben.”
Ben patted her arm and moved away, joining the soldiers standing away from the group. She reached down and grasped George’s hand. Jack took his other hand and the trio moved away from the group. Two nurses had brought Boss his crutches and were helping him walk. With their aid, he turned away from Beth and followed Dee and Jack. Soon the group broke apart and walked with them. Dee looked around and smiled. She never would have imagined this scene. Before the Variant apocalypse, she and Jack had been hermits, enjoying their own company. Now, as the group trudged up the hill to the Walsh Villa, she was happy to have all the company she could get. With what lay out there in the world, it felt good to have human contact.
Dee sat down at the kitchen table. She felt clean and fresh after her shower. Jack joined her and handed her a cup of tea. She clasped it in her hands and inhaled, savouring its earthy scent. Things almost felt normal again. But, gazing out the window, she knew they weren’t. She caught Alice’s eye and beckoned her over.
Maggie and Alice broke away from the kids playing in the lounge and sat down opposite them. No one spoke for a few minutes. Dee assumed everyone was lost in their own thoughts, just as stunned as she was. She glanced over at Boss and Beth, holding on to each other, lying on the couch. Dee looked up at Jack. “Is it over?”
Jack sighed and ran his hands across the table. “I hope so. For now, I guess.”
>
She watched as he took another sip of his tea. He grimaced slightly. She knew it was from the taste of the goats’ milk. Cows were a rarity nowadays.
He glanced back at her. “I mean, you killed the Trophy King like you were The Bride.”
Dee smiled at him. Reaching out, she stroked his hand.
Maggie plonked her cup down on the wooden table with a dull thud. “You killed that Alpha, yes, but another will take its place. It kind of reminds me of this movie…”
Dee arched her eyebrow at her. “Not you too?”
Maggie grinned, glancing between her and Jack. “Yeah, me too. So, in this movie, there’s this kid in high school who’s being tormented by the popular kids. They’re merciless in their bullying. He snaps and starts to kill them off, one by one. Each kill is gruesome. By the end of the film, he’s feared and the other kids do anything he says. He enjoys the power. He realises that he has become the bully, the one everyone fears and hates.”
Jack laughed. “I remember that one!” He sobered, and nodded. “There is always someone to take the mantle. To become king. If you really want to stop it, you have to break the cycle.”
Alice glanced between Jack and Dee. She gripped her mug tighter, her hands turning white.
“Maggie is right. After we left you, Dee, we were captured by the Variants. They killed Austin and ate him.” Alice paused and looked down at the table. Maggie put her arm around her friend. “They were led by this big ugly bastard. Before I was taken to the prison, we were dragged along to this meeting. Four of the Alphas together.”
Alice glanced at Dee, tears welled up in her eyes. “They ate Matt, Dee, right in front of me. Then children…kids…”
Dee reached out and grasped her friend’s hand. She didn’t know what to say. They had all seen terrible things. Comfort was what Alice needed.
Extinction NZ (Book 2): The Fourth Phase Page 22