Marcus’ hand went up and the entire line froze. He motioned at a nearby depression between the rolling hills and urged everyone to shift. They were moving again this time with a heightened sense of awareness. Marcus’ whispers were the first words spoken since they left the compound.
“There’s movement out in the field to the west,” he said. “Everyone take the time to rest and water up. I’m going to make sure we’re not being followed.”
Bale stepped out of line.
“I’ll go with you,” he said.
He looked back at Mia and it took her a moment for her to realize he was waiting for her approval. She nodded then added.
“Be quick about it.”
He followed Marcus after a grin.
The group gathered in a tight circle, each picking through their rations. They scanned their surroundings with nervous hesitation. The idea of someone tracking them hadn’t occurred to Mia and the notion of it made the stop more unnerving.
“I’m glad to be out of there,” Bree said as she dropped down on her knees. “I’d much rather be roaming around out here.”
“Even in the cold?’ she asked.
Bree rubbed her hands together then blew on them.
“Yeah,” she said as her stare turned toward the lightening sky. “Not sure I was ever meant to be trapped underground like that.”
The sentiment was a common one among the displaced tribal people. Mia knew Bree came from the Dakota tribe, but she didn’t know much about her people. Bree had known Bale before they were taken prisoner, although they kept their history to themselves. Mia had a fondness for the girl, something she figured stemmed from the way Jonah looked at her. She’d seen that look before in Rowan’s eyes many times.
“I know the feeling,” Mia said.
They sat quietly next to one another waiting for Marcus and Bale to return. Mia scanned the faces of the small group. She counted two former soldiers and half dozen tribal members. It was common for the soldiers to stick to their own but time would tell if there would be a true assimilation between the groups.
Bree popped up to her feet.
“Here they come.”
All eyes ran out to a pair of figures walking back in their direction. The slow pace was enough to lower the tension and a quick explanation upon their return got the entire group on their feet.
“Animal tracks,” he said. “Looks like deer, but I can’t be sure.”
They were off again with little delay. The line formation clumped together as the light opened up the view of the surrounding land. Sporadic, whispering conversations broke the silence. Marcus set a difficult pace, but no one argued it. There was a general knowledge of the time they had and an unspoken acceptance of what lingered in the balance of the next few days. Bale remained at Marcus’ side for the remainder of the morning. Mia and Bree joined them at the front of the formation once the sun pushed back the morning cold.
“Have you been to the gardens?” Mia asked Marcus.
He nodded as he cut a sliver of dried meat with his knife then threw it into his mouth. He offered another cut to Bale then Bree.
“I only know it because one of my team pointed it out to me,” he explained. “I’ve been to Cheyenne many times, but mostly skirted around what you call the outlands.”
“Some of the stories my tribe told say the gardens were the last true city of the old world,” Mia said and scowled as Marcus chuckled. “What’s funny about that?”
Marcus’ face softened.
“Sorry,” he said. “But every tribe has a story like that.”
The weight of his comment hit her square between the eyes. The insinuation was clear. How much of what the Cheyenne people believed was true? she thought. They must look at us like we’re fools.
“Most of the stories are based on some truth,” he said as if reading her mind. “You have to remember the tribes represent small communities,” he thought for a moment, “but we used to all be connected to one another.”
Mia wasn’t sure if he was being sincere or simply trying to make her feel better. Bale chimed in.
“He’s right,” he said then motioned at Bree. “Our tribes were a short distance from one another and we have very different stories about the old world.”
Bree glanced at Marcus.
“How do you know yours is the truth?” she asked.
Marcus considered the question then shrugged.
“I guess I don’t,” he admitted. “I was born in the compound, still a member of the old world I guess.” He looked around at the group. “After everything I’ve seen in the last few months, I really can’t trust anything anymore.”
The comment sparked a particularly tricky question in Mia’s mind. She’d stood up for the right of the original occupants of Canaan after the detonation of the security system and the expulsion of their commission. She’d done it because she believed the remains of the tribal slaves could never survive on their own as well as a recognition that this was their home too. Many of the tribal people wanted to cleanse the entire compound of anyone who’d been associated with the commission. The point was a difficult one to work through, but with Sara’s support, Mia’s view won out. The benefit of having the original people of Canaan far outweighed the negative impacts, but the trust between them and the new tribe was complicated at best.
“You have machines that hold your stories,” Mia said. “Asher’s told me about them.”
“Computers,” Marcus said, correcting her. “At least we did. Even if we do get the power back on, there’s no telling what the damage to the compound might have done to the systems…” He looked from Mia to Bree then Bale and started again. “There’s no telling what the damage to the brains of those computers might be.”
Mia didn’t fully understand the concept, but Asher had provided enough detail for her to get the general idea about what Marcus was saying.
“Just because your computers say something doesn’t make it true,” Mia said. “The words were put in by other people,” she said as best as she understood. “And they could have been part of the commission’s lies.” Her response was far more forceful than she intended. “I didn’t mean anything…”
“It’s all right,” Marcus assured her. “After everything you’ve all been through, I wouldn’t trust any of us either.”
“I didn’t say that–”
Marcus cut her off.
“You didn’t have to.” He shook his head as his gaze went out ahead of them. “I’m not sure what I believe anymore. I didn’t know what the commission was doing with all of the tribal people that they brought in. Heck, I didn’t really care,” he admitted. “I never liked staying underground for long; I guess that’s why I do what I do.”
Mia felt the need to push the conversation in a positive direction.
“We’re glad to have you,” she said and he nodded. “There’s a great deal of danger ahead of us and we’ll need people with your skills more than ever.”
“Do you think we’re going to have to evacuate?” Bale asked.
Mia took a deep breath.
“I don’t know what else we can do,” she admitted. “We can’t risk waiting for the horde when we’re so exposed. It’s not just the entrance into our hive, there’s several other openings across the topside that can’t be closed. If we can’t get the power on and seal the hives off, I don’t see any other way.”
Bale glanced at Bree and it drew Mia’s attention to the girl. She was staring down at the snow, focusing on every step. Mia guessed the girl’s mind was on the one thing she was trying to ignore. Bree looked up and the two exchanged a silent confirmation.
“What happens in three days?” Bree asked.
Marcus veered away from Mia, as if trying to retreat from the conversation. Mia tried to formulate a positive response, but she didn’t have it in her.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know,” she repeated at nearly a whisper. The truth was she did know, but she couldn’t bring herse
lf to say it. She tried to think of something to say but Bree beat her to it.
“Shouldn’t we be down in the gorge?” she blurted out. “Why didn’t you go down with Rowan?” The agony in her words was clear. “How else can we get Jonah back?”
Mia slid her arm around Bree’s shoulders as they stepped stride for stride.
“I don’t think Rowan will find the nexus.”
Bree came to a stop.
“What are you talking about?” she asked. “Why would you say that?”
“I can’t save Jonah,” Mia admitted and the agony of it churned in her stomach. “And neither can you.”
Bree’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Mia felt Marcus pat her on the back.
“We have to keep going.”
Mia got Bree’s feet moving again.
“Rowan will do everything he can,” Mia said, “and we have to focus on what we can do.” She was sickened by the words as they crept from her mouth.
Bree sped up.
“I don’t want to hear this,” she said. “I don’t want to hear any of it.”
Mia started after her, but Bale stopped her.
“Let her go,” he said. “Give her some space.”
Mia complied. The truth was that she didn’t want to hear it either. She didn’t want to acknowledge the feelings of hopelessness pressing down on her. Nor did she want to confess that she didn’t know if she’d made the right decision in leaving the compound or simply ran away like a scared little girl. Mia recognized that she was already grieving the death of her brother and she hated herself for it.
The silence clung to the small group for the remainder of the day. They were rewarded for their grueling pace as the sun made its way down on the horizon. The coming darkness promised a heavy dose of freezing temperatures and a light snowfall hinted at something far worse. The cityscape was an oddly heartwarming view for Mia. She’d spent her entire life in the ruins of Cheyenne. Mia held on to fond memories of her life with the tribe in their rooftop home, high above the city.
The visions in Mia’s mind quickly shifted to the events that led to the destruction of her home and her exodus from the city. The infected led an invasion of Cheyenne marked by a sudden advancement of their control over their blood-lusting desire as well as their control of the dead. Mia’s hope rested in the infected’s dwindling food source. Rowan’s account of the infected who invaded the city revealed they’d pushed the dead west, by most accounts in search of more fertile grounds. If the horde of dead moving in from the south continued directly toward Canaan then Cheyenne and in particular, the gardens, would become a relative safe haven. The accuracy of that plan would be clear in a short time.
“It’s not abandoned.”
The words crept out of her mouth without a thought. Everyone stopped and looked at her.
“Sorry, just reminding myself.”
The accidental announcement served as a notice for the group about the danger ahead of them. Marcus took note of the dwindling light before getting out a question.
“Can you guide us to the gardens?” he asked.
Mia glanced at the buildings in the distance.
“I think so,” she said. “We’ll have to skirt around the edge of the city until we reach the widest of the roads. The one running straight through the heart of it.”
“The highway?” he asked.
“It runs in front of the complex that surrounds the gardens,” she said. “We won’t make it before dark.”
He nodded. “I was afraid of that.” Marcus signaled for everyone to pick up the pace. “I would normally find somewhere to hold up for the night, but we don’t have the time. You’re not going to have a lot of time to make your decision once we get there.”
“All we need to know is if we can defend ourselves if we had to,” Mia said. “Once we get our people here, we can work out everything else.”
Marcus raised his voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Then we better dig down deep people, ‘cause that doesn’t leave any time for rest.”
20
The explosion in the gorge did not produce the effect Rowan had hoped. Instead of cutting off the last of the infected trapped down in the bowels of hive six, it served more as a dinner bell of sorts. Kuru had a charming effect on the undead and that was enough to keep the small group alive, but the terrorizing sounds confirmed they were being hunted. There was no clear count of how many infected still lurked the halls of the hive. However, it was clear that they were all aware of Rowan and Connor’s presence.
“I have to stop.”
Connor didn’t wait for permission, collapsing on the floor.
“I can’t take this much longer,” he said, grabbing at his stinted leg.
It was easy to see his badly damaged knee even in the pale lantern light. Rowan had heard the story from Mia and knew Jonah was to blame for the injury. The leg was not Connor’s sole problem. A lack of food had left the former military man feeble. It was no minor miracle that he’d managed to keep to Rowan’s forced run during their escape, let alone climb up the rope onto the railing without being picked off the line in the process.
“There’s still a long way to go,” Kuru growled.
Connor brushed him off.
“Then you might as well leave me here,” he said. “It’s as good a place as any to die.”
Rowan pointed his gun at Connor.
“Get up.”
Connor raised his hands.
“All right, all right,” he said then rolled onto his side and pushed off. “At least let me catch my breath.”
Rowan gave him two additional puffs before sticking his hand out. Connor took it begrudgingly then grimaced as he stood up. They followed Kuru to a small crack in the foundation above them when the guide came to a stop. He studied the opening and held his hand up before Rowan could get out a question. Rowan bit his tongue, but quickly discovered the reason for the halt. Light from somewhere on the floor above showed through the crack. The glow broke several times in succession as something stepped over the gap.
“They’re closing in,” Kuru announced, “Trying to corner us.”
Rowan waited for more detail that didn’t come.
“So how do we get around them?” he pressed.
“We have to wait them out,” Kuru said.
Rowan had a strong urge to get topside. He guessed the opportunity to get Jonah and Tate back would be a few days at best before whoever took them was long gone. He couldn’t imagine what was going through Mia’s mind. He wanted to be there for her and was certain she would need him more with every passing day.
“We can’t wait,” he said.
“I can’t keep them off of you,” Kuru said.
Rowan glanced at Connor.
“We’re going to have to take the chance.”
Kuru shrugged.
“Have it your way.”
They pushed farther toward the center of the hive and turned off the main hall before they reached the elevator. Kuru led them through a side room and into an open bay. The space was smaller than the massive area they’d used to stage Connor’s escape, but larger than any of the other rooms they’d encountered. They weaved between crammed walkways of man-high crates to reach an opening in the wall. Kuru pointed at the first step of a staircase ascending to a dark, slender landing on the floor above.
“There are several rooms in a row beyond the door,” Kuru explained. “Most of the walls are down. We can use the wreckage to hide, but there’s not much else to cover us.”
Rowan could hear the doubt in his graveled description.
“And there’s no other way?”
Kuru shook his head. Rowan had to remind himself that no matter how little he trusted his guide, Kuru needed him alive in order to escape the hive. He checked his gun and counted out the few remaining rounds. He slipped his gun in his waist, pulled out his knife, and drove Connor up the stairs in front of him. They were all on the landing close to the door before Rowa
n eased it open.
The room looked like a destruction zone, with few of the walls still standing. Light filtered into the space from gaps running the length of the wall closest to the door. Rowan put out the lantern and clipped it to his belt. He tried to steady his nerves before opening the door wide enough to step out into the open. He kept his eyes trained on a tall pile of rock.
Rowan had a hold of Connor around the wrist, pulling him as they rushed for cover. They were crouched as close to the ground as they could manage when Rowan looked back for Kuru. The way behind them was still. Rowan made out Kuru in the shadows of the landing behind the door. He waved him out, but Kuru slowly shook his head and pointed at something beyond their cover.
Rowan slid his face over the pile of rocks until his eyes broke free. He scanned the dim space directly in front of them all the way out to a view several rooms down. He held his breath and the sound of his heart rose in his ears. There was movement in the open space. The sound of Kuru’s shuffling feet pulled his attention around and Rowan put the pieces together a split second before Kuru announced it.
“They found us.”
Rowan didn’t look back. He pushed Connor, forcing him to stand and run in a series of awkward steps. Kuru was out in front of them. He moved over the remains of the wall between two rooms and pulled himself out of view. Connor hobbled over the broken barrier as a deafening howl blared across the destruction zone.
Rowan didn’t need to look back to know the infected were moving toward them. He grabbed a hold of Connor’s shirt as he leapt into the adjoining room and the force nearly took both of them down. Kuru was close, waving them toward a narrow gap in the remains of a central hallway. His decaying skin was difficult to ignore, but there was something very living about the fear in his eyes.
“Get in here,” he said.
Rowan shoved Connor again as another round of howls reached them. The jolt sent Connor to the ground and Rowan diving over the top of him. Rowan landed on his splinted leg and the roar that erupted from him pierced the growls of the infected rushing in for the kill. Rowan was up to his knees when the first of the infected hurdled over the broken section of the wall behind them. Rowan grabbed Connor’s hand trying to pull him up to his feet.
Season Of Decay (The Decaying World Saga Book 2) Page 17