"Meg..." I said almost breathlessly, moving to intercept her as she started toward the radio.
"He normally doesn't send messages after dark unless it's an emergency," Meg said to herself. She tried to wave me away as I followed her, but the sick feeling in my stomach spread.
"Wait," I said, letting my instinct lead me.
That stopped her. She turned back to me, her brow crinkling as concern flashed across her face. "He might need..."
The radio hissed and sputtered more static before settling into the faint hum as the person... no... as Gordon pressed the speak button. Several long moments passed, and Meg started to reach for the handheld microphone. Instinctively, I grabbed her arm. She shot me a look of annoyance that faded when a voice finally broke over the speakers.
A voice that did not belong to Gordon.
"Ali..." The voice sang, drawing my name out over several seconds. It stretched long enough for me to see the annoyance on Meg's face fade to shock. Then horror. It sang again, "Ali, oh, Ali!"
"Reed." I breathed. All the blood drained from my head as my vision grew dim, and suddenly the room was spinning. The hand that held Meg's arm gripped tighter to steady myself, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
"I found your new friend, Ali," Reed said through the speakers. Meg wasn't enough to hold me up, and I slumped against the kitchen counter. "He wasn't very friendly at first, but we're getting along much better now... After I put my knife through his eye."
Meg gasped, both hands going to her mouth, and I was aware that Joss was standing between us, blocking Meg from the radio. My vision was blurry, but I saw her reach for him, grabbing him by the shoulders as she frantically shook her head back and forth in denial.
The radio crackled with static again and went silent.
"No." Meg whimpered, too shocked to cry. "He didn't kill him."
Joss held on to her as he cast a concerned glance my way, but he wasn't able to disengage from her to help me. As Meg rattled off a string of desperate denials, I struggled to take slow, steady breaths until the world stopped spinning.
Pushing away from the counter, I reached out to turn Meg toward me. "We go now. All of us."
As soon as Joss was free of Meg, he ran from the room, but I couldn't do anything more than watch him go. Meg demanded my attention.
"He's not dead. We can't leave him. He's not dead!"
The radio clicked, and Reed's voice intruded from the speaker again. "Do you miss me, Ali? I've missed you," A low, deep chuckle interrupted his words. "But I promise I won't miss you again."
The static blared once more and died away. Meg stared at the radio, terror etched on her face, and I had to jerk her around to face me. I clasped her hands in mine and hoped her talent picked up my emotion.
"We go now," I said. "You don't have a choice anymore, and that's my fault, but I can protect you. Just not from here."
"But there's four of us, and one of him." Meg protested. My hand began to tingle. Her confidence in our greater numbers was faltering, mirrored by my own doubt. From Gordon's place, there was practically an arrow pointing the way to the Palace. Once Reed found us, I couldn't keep Hope or Stephanie safe. All Reed would have to do was lead a few freaks to our floor.
"Mommy?" Hope's voice trembled, and both our heads turned in her direction. She stood next to Stephanie, her little hand clasping hers, and they both looked terrified.
"Oh, my God." Meg gasped, breaking from me to sweep Hope into her arms. Meg held her close, finally turning to nod in agreement as the tears spilled from her eyes.
Joss rushed back in, carrying every pack we had, and he stumbled in his haste. The packs scattered across the floor as Joss fell, and I quickly began to gather them, not able to help Joss as he staggered to his feet.
I shoved an empty pack into Meg's hand. "Grab your necessities. We don't have much time."
Meg nodded, trying to set Hope down, but the girl wouldn't let her go. Meg dragged her along as she hurried to fill the bag. Joss was helping Stephanie get her arms through the straps of her pack, and the lights flickered. Motion in the room halted as we were plunged into darkness.
"Are we leaving anything?" I asked Joss, my eyes adjusting quickly to the dimness. I fished my flashlight out of my pack and flicked it on, ignoring the new pebble of dread that knotted in my gut.
"Everything we had when we left Boulder City is here," Joss said, finishing with Stephanie by throwing a blanket over her shoulders. He quickly snatched Hope's tiger and her puppy from the couch. "I'll go with Stephanie down the stairs."
"No," Meg said, rushing back into the room. "We take the elevator."
Joss and I stared at her incredulously.
"The what?" we said in unison.
~ ~ ~ ~
Meg held the flashlight, leading us down the hallway to the elevators and told us to wait there. Joss and I shared a look as she disappeared around the corner into the janitor's closet. Suddenly, the hum of machinery whirred to life.
"It runs on its own generator," Meg said as rushed back, Hope clinging to her. "Gordon set it up for us to use in an emergency if we needed to get down quick."
"I think this qualifies," I mumbled, too low for her to hear, but Joss shot me a sharp look. I frowned. I wasn't making light of the situation. I just didn't know what else to say.
Meg pressed the down button, and the elevator dinged immediately. The metal doors slid open slowly to reveal a mirrored compartment. Our reflections stared back at us, and I realized I looked as terrified as everyone else. Stephanie was white as a sheet, and her cheeks were wet with tears, but she was silent. Hope was not. Her quiet whimpers could be heard over the hum of the generator.
"Does this go down to the parking garage?" I asked, not wanting to be the first to step into the small box.
"Yes," Meg said. "But we'll need to check it for zombies before Stephanie and Hope get out. I've used it plenty of times before to move supplies, and it's normally clear."
I nodded, but refused to budge. The elevator was intimidating. As the doors began to close, Meg reached out to stop them and stepped inside with Hope. Stephanie, Joss and I shared a look and slowly stepped forward one at a time. As the doors closed, Stephanie reached out to clutch Joss's hand. He reached out to grasp mine with the other.
Attempting to reassure him at this point was beyond me, but I realized he didn't need it. He was my reassurance. If it hadn't been for his preparation and quick reaction, we would still be trying to get our stuff together. Every second counted right now.
My stomach dropped as the elevator shifted, and the creak of old machinery began to lower us to the ground. Nervously, I said, "So, you've ridden in this before?"
"No," Meg answered. "We only used it to move the heavier things, but we've done that plenty of times. We never had a problem."
I groaned and squeezed Joss's hand again. The display lit up as we descended, counting down as we passed each floor. Stephanie's eyes were closed, and when the elevator jerked to slow us down, she cried out. I couldn't blame her. I had jumped too, reaching to grab the handrail with my free hand.
The elevator's motion smoothed out as it lowered us slowly to our destination. I shook free of Joss's hand and stepped toward the doors, drawing my knife and dagger. He joined me, pulling his hatchet out of its sling. Meg was able to coerce Hope to let her go, and she pushed her and Stephanie into a corner. Then she stepped in front of them, shielding them with her small body. We were as prepared as we could be.
The elevator creaked and groaned as it came to a stop. There was a pause, and several heartbeats thudded past before the doors began to slide open. I stepped out, the lights from the elevator glaring brightly against the gloom. I thought I saw moving shapes beyond our small bubble of light, but I couldn't separate them from the other shadows. Then the doors closed and left us in complete darkness. Without the distracting light, suddenly everything came into focus.
"Freaks," I whispered to Joss.
"Where?" He asked. "I ca
n't see anything."
I pointed in their direction, and he didn't hesitate, just like he didn't hesitate getting things together in the hotel room. I was right behind him, and we quickly took out the three freaks that were nearby.
"Where's the truck," Joss said beside me. I spun in a circle, trying to get my bearings, and was able to get a general idea of where I'd parked the dually. It wasn't close enough to chance running Hope and Stephanie through the garage, so I motioned for Joss to stand guard.
"Stay with them. I'll get it."
I didn't wait for his response. Bolting from our position by the elevator, I was positive I knew where I'd parked the truck. As I drew close to my destination, the big dually materialized out of the shadows, and a tingle of relief swept through me. I climbed in, and turned the key.
Leaving the headlights off, I was able to navigate through the darkness, only jumping one curb as I made my way to the elevator doors. The moving vehicle was drawing attention, and I didn't need the beacon of the headlights to add to that. It wasn't difficult to focus on the shadows, but there were already several shapes moving toward me in the darkness.
I leaped from the truck as soon as I made it back to Joss, spinning to locate the nearest freak. "We have to hurry."
"Are we clear?" He whispered, coming to stand beside me with his hatchet in his hands.
I didn't answer for several seconds. Nothing was moving close to us, but I couldn't be sure. Finally, I had no choice but to nod. "Hurry."
Joss turned, opening the cab doors before returning to the elevator. Seconds later, the light bloomed in the darkness again as the elevator doors opened. I turned away, squinting my eyes. I couldn't afford to be blinded by the light.
I heard shuffling behind me as Joss helped the others into the truck. Nervous sweat beaded on my forehead, and I strained to spot the closest movement in the shadows. A form shifted about twenty yards away, and I fixed my eyes on it, drawing my knife.
The elevator doors closed behind me, shutting out the light and allowing me to focus. A freak stood against a car, blocked for the time being, but it was close. That car would be no obstacle if it frenzied.
I turned, intending to rush everyone inside, and was relieved to see Stephanie was already in the back seat. Joss was propped half-in, half-out of the truck, bending to help Meg get Hope in the car. Hope spun away from Joss's reaching arms, refusing to let go of her mother. She sniffled and whimpered, letting out a whine that echoed through the garage.
The freak hissed, an exhalation of air that chilled my blood, and I turned in its direction. Pure instinct took over, capturing me and leading me to action before the idea could form in my head, before I could deny the absurd response with conscious thought. I screamed.
The wails split the night, mine battling the volume of the frenzy cry. I cringed as I felt the frenzy call reach out like a hand to grasp my spine, and I pushed harder. Screaming louder, screaming longer than it did. The screeching of its cry died out, the invisible hand letting go, and my scream petered out as my lungs ran out of air.
The shadows didn't move.
I stared in disbelief, my knife at the ready, but nothing came forth. The freak that had screamed did not advance. It stood motionless next to the car. The other shades beyond it, the ones that had been moving toward the truck, had also stilled. They were nothing more than dark voids in the gloom, almost impossible to spot without movement.
"Ali!" Joss rasped. It spurred me from my shock, and I turned to see everyone was in the truck. I quickly sheathed my knife and jumped into the cab, slamming the door behind me.
"What the fuck was that?" Joss screamed at me.
I stared at him, the disbelief clear on my face. I could only shrug. "It worked, didn't it?"
~ ~ ~ ~
"Goodbye, Vegas," I whispered sadly as we made it to the highway. Joss was the only one who heard me, but he didn't comment. A trio of sniffles sounded from the backseat, and I finally turned on the headlights. Only one worked.
"We can't leave him," Meg's voice whispered behind me. She sounded defeated and broken.
As soon as she said it, my insides twisted with guilt and anger. I echoed her words. "We can't leave him."
"What are you going to do?" Stephanie said, panic rising in her voice.
Joss was staring at me with sad eyes. "We're going to need you to get out of here. There are too many dead-brains, and you're the only one that studied the maps."
I swallowed hard, turning the headlight off again and letting the truck roll to a stop. "We have to know."
"You can see his place from the highway," Meg said again, leaning forward. "On the bridge over Martin Dr."
That wasn't that far. I left the lights off and slowly drove the truck along the highway. We approached the bridge, and I couldn't figure out what I was going to do. My fear of Reed was almost overwhelming, but I wouldn't leave Gordon out there. Not if there was any hope that he was alive. I forced the fear down, replacing it with determination, and gripped the butt of my revolver.
Any shadow of a plan I had fell apart as we drew closer. Partially hidden behind a shopping center, the building Gordon had called home glowed bright orange in the night, a fire burning within. I threw open my door and landed with a thump on the pavement. As I ran to the guard rail, Joss joined me, his hatchet in his hands.
"I can't see anything, Ali. It's too far."
"I can see it," I said flatly, staring at the ruin of what had been a home an hour ago.
The bench that Gordon had called the Spring was glowing, sparking with electricity, and covered with debris. The monstrous contraption he had so carefully built was now busted and broken. The towers of steel and wires no longer stood, except for one, and that one was misplaced. It was hard to make out, but eventually my eyes focused, and I gasped. The longer I stared, the more it became apparent.
The dark spot on top of the Spring, what I had initially thought debris, took on its actual form. The large, conductor rod that had been stationed behind it was now stabbed through its middle, through the middle of Gordon. Even if that hadn't been fatal, I could see something protruding from his head. A knife. Reed's knife.
I growled with anger and frustration, tears spilling from my eyes. "He's dead," I sobbed. "I can see him."
Before Joss could respond, a shadow moved within the ruin. The light from the flames cast it against the other buildings, and there it danced, vast and terrible. I clutched the butt of my revolver in my hands.
"Ali," Joss said softly, but panic edged his voice. "Dead-brains!"
"He's still down there!" I couldn't look away. I aimed the revolver, using the cement guard wall to steady my trembling hands.
Show yourself, you bastard!
Joss charged up the road, and a meaty smack resounded in the night. I finally tore my eyes away from the shadows, Stephanie and Hope's safety taking precedence for a moment, but Joss had it well in hand. I looked back to the burning scene below me, and I heard a second hit, signifying the death of the other freak that had drawn close.
"More are coming," Joss said as he rejoined me.
"He's there." I breathed slowly, trying to calm my racing pulse. "I can kill him."
Joss squinted out into the night and pulled back, shaking his head. "I can't see anything but the fire. We don't have much time."
I waited, concentrating on the shadow. The source blocked by the edge of the building. All he had to do was step out...
"There." I gasped, shocked as I laid eyes on him. I felt my hands go numb with nervousness, and tried to level my sights on the dim figure. Heartbeat after heartbeat slipped by as Joss shifted beside me. My palms began to sweat.
"Take the shot," Joss whispered, distracting me, and I couldn't steady my heads. I licked my lips, tasting the salt from my sweat, and tried again. The figure bobbed up and down at the end of my revolver, and I huffed in frustration. Joss settled beside me, placing a hand on the center of my back, and whispered again. "You've got this, Ali. Take the
shot."
Something changed in his voice, or at least I was hearing him differently. Instead of being a distraction, his words gave me confidence. I took a deep breath, held it, and locked Reed in my sights. The gun kicked in my hands as I squeezed the trigger.
Below, the looming shadow distorted as Reed ran for cover. Then it disappeared. I slapped my hand against the rail in frustration, wanting to try again, but Joss hooked his arm through mine and jerked me away.
"No!" I started to protest, but it died as I caught sight of the horde of freaks marching toward us. "Jesus!"
"Told you we didn't have much time." Joss let me go, pushing me toward the truck while he jumped into the passenger side. I needed no more urging.
I slapped the headlight on as I climbed into the cab, illuminating the small crowd that had gathered in front of us. Shifting the truck into gear, I floored it. The dually hiccupped in protest at first, then roared as the tires squealed on the pavement. The girls screamed as we lurched forward, flattening the few freaks that were close to us. I managed to dodge the rest.
As soon as we were clear, I slowed the truck. Driving at night was dangerous, and driving over bridges could be suicidal at any time of the day. I took the next exit. Having spent so much timing studying the maps Joss had found, I already had a good idea of where we were going.
"Gordon?" Meg said as she leaned forward, reaching past Hope to put a hand on my shoulder.
I couldn't bring myself to speak. A lump formed in my throat as I shook my head in answer, and my vision blurred with tears. After a moment, she pulled away, the sound of her sniffles increasing. Poor Gordon. He didn't deserve what Reed did.
No one spoke, and the truck slowly ate one mile after another as we traveled the dark roads. Freaks blocked our way at times, and I drove around the other impassable obstacles. Finding our way was harder than I imagined. After I made several turns to avoid a large crowd of freaks, I wasn't sure we were even going north anymore.
Then we ran across a road I recognized from the maps, and I heaved a sigh of relief. Turning down it, I hoped to find a place I could stop to gather my scattered thoughts. Three miles in, I spotted a gravel road that might have been a driveway in another life. I pulled over and killed the engine, but not before the headlight illuminated a trailer house and a couple freaks in security uniforms, all behind a chain link fence.
The Phoenix Curse (Book 3): After Page 22