The snow put everything into black and white, and the houses that had color were bright in the morning sun. I kept an eye out for footprints, but I didn’t see any. Old habits die hard, even in a world I know doesn’t have any Trippers in it.
I heard the buzzing sound and I ducked into a house. I went straight for the garage but I stopped when I realized they could just as easily follow my footprints. I went back to the outside and ripped a large branch off a nearby pine tree. I waited for the noise to grow louder, and when I carefully looked out from under the porch I was standing on, I could see a little flying bugger hovering about three feet above the ground, following my tracks. I circled around the house and waited, and sure enough, it started to look in windows. I crept up behind it and used the tree branch to swat it down. The pine needles made short work of the little propellers, and I stomped on the camera underneath before it could see me.
I was running out of time. I had hoped I might buy some with the hat maneuver, but it looks like they might not have bit on that one. I hurried away from the scene of my latest assault and kept heading west.
An hour later, I reached the chain-link fence, and I had to say I felt a sense of relief. For a while there, I was starting to think I was never going to get back, and I would have to stay in this world forever. I’d given that some thought, and in the end, I realized I didn’t belong here. I couldn’t live day to day terrified that someone would find me out, that I would make a mistake and then it would be over. It was somewhat funny that I preferred the company of Trippers to the people of this side of the wall.
I tossed my hook and bow over the fence and clambered over it as quickly as I could. I grabbed my stuff, and in a little bit found the road. There were a lot of tire tracks in the snow, so I figured they were patrolling this area pretty heavily. I had one shot to get this right. I was curious as to why there wasn’t anyone driving over the road now, but I wasn’t going to argue with a good thing.
If I remembered correctly, there was another small grove of trees, then there was a cleared space and then the wall. I could see a thin grey line at the tree tops in the distance and I knew what I was looking at. With luck, I should be over the wall before the sun was at its zenith.
Chapter 23
“Sir, Omega Team reports a kill in the dead zone!”
Captain Vega looked up from his desk full of reports. “Come again?”
“Sir, Omega Team reported a kill in the dead zone. Looks like they got him, sir!” The private was excited. The last couple of days had been hard, as the captain had been very difficult to be around.
“Show me.” Vega jumped out of his chair and followed the private over to the control room. He saw a series of screens and could see the view from the helmet cameras of several of Omega Team’s members. The cameras were focused on a man lying face down in the snow. A dark stain was spreading across his back as a similar one was streaming out into the snow. A backpack was a little further away, possibly thrown as he fell. A dark, broad-brimmed hat lay near his head.
Captain Vega noticed something in the corner of one of the soldier’s views. “What’s that over there?” he asked, pointing to the screen.
The private spoke into the microphone. “Sergeant Panner, what’s that object, eight o’clock?”
The view shifted and there was a second body on the ground. It was obvious it was a woman, as her hair splayed out on the ground. She had been shot in the back as well, another backpack by her hand.
Captain Vega looked at the images a long time. Something was wrong, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Finally, it came to him.
“Check him for weapons. He should have a western-style gun on him somewhere,” Vega said. “Pull up that image of the runner shooting that drone.”
The private worked for a minute and brought it up. Captain Vega looked at the grainy image and back at the real-time image of the man on the ground. The hat was the same, but the shoulders seemed a little thin for the dead man. No picture of a woman with him, but that meant nothing.
“Sir, Sergeant Panner reports no weapon, sir.”
Captain Vega was quiet for a minute. “They killed the wrong man. They just killed a couple of looters. Dammit!” Vega paced for another minute.
“Orders, sir?”
Vega sighed. “This runner is a clever son of a bitch. He bought himself at least three or four hours as we redeploy. All right, keep the drones in the air, look for tracks. The snow will help us. Tell Omega to bury the bodies. They shouldn’t have been there anyway; it’s a restricted zone.”
“Sir! Flying Squad reports another bird down, two miles outside the fence.”
“Bring up the images.”
The screens shifted and the monitor showed a low flight over the ground, following a single set of footprints. The footprints ended at a house and the drone hovered back, looking in the windows. Suddenly, a mess of branches obscured the view and the screen went blank.
Vega grunted. “Flew into a tree. Tell those idiots to keep the birds above the tree line unless they want to pay for the damn things themselves.”
“Yes, sir.”
“All units to proceed as previously ordered. Get Townsend on the horn and have his squad chase down these tracks. Obviously, something was there this morning; maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Chapter 24
I wasn’t sure what I would feel when I saw the wall again, but I certainly didn’t think I would feel a sense of relief. I guess it came from the instinct that I didn’t belong here. This wasn’t my world. I was born in a world where you had to fight to survive, fight to just live, and I had no place in this land outside the wall.
I set up my rope and my hook, taking care to knot the rope at intervals. I had no illusions about being able to climb a rope as high as the wall was. I was strong but that was a good twenty to thirty feet of vertical to haul my heavy butt up there.
The bow I had made was even uglier in the light of day, but it was what I had. I laid out the rope and fitted the hook arrow to the string. I aimed at what I figured was the appropriate angle and let fly.
The hook flew up and fell short of the top of the wall by about five feet. I retrieved the arrow and tried again with the same result. I grabbed it again and tried different angles, still just falling short.
“Son of a bitch!” I cursed, breaking the silence of the day. I began to wish I had brought a ladder from one of the homes, but I had no time to go back for one now.
I took the hook and threw it at the wall, and surprised myself that I nearly made it to the top. I tried swinging it around with the rope and managed to get it up on top of the wall, but when I pulled it back, it fell off. I pulled it back towards me, and as I did, I realized I needed to think about this.
I looked at the bow and the hook, and realized I may have another way to launch this thing. I stuck the stick end of the arrow into the top of the bow and swung it towards the wall. It sailed up and over and skidded out of sight. The rope swung towards the wall, and I had to scramble to grab it before it slipped out of reach. I pulled the rope back carefully, trying not to tear anything.
I was very disappointed when the hook fell back onto my side of the wall, but I had no problem sending it back over again, now that I knew how to do it. The hook sailed again, this time with the end of the rope wrapped around my wrist. I pulled it back, and this time, it seemed to be stuck. I pulled harder and harder and the hook didn’t move.
I wrapped up the rope and brought my things towards the base of the wall. I left my backpack and satchel on the ground, with the end of the rope tied to them. I would haul them up once I was on top.
I began a slow climb up the rope, walking up the wall as I did so. I kept the rope looped around my waist, which would allow me to stop a fall if I needed to.
About halfway up, my hands were starting to hurt from the strain and my biceps were starting to ask my shoulders if they were feeling the same things. I kept moving, just hoping the two didn’t decide to quit on me befor
e I reached the top.
I made it to the crest and swung my leg up. I rolled over and lay there for a while, letting the sun massage my arms and shoulders. I looked over at the hook and nearly fell off in surprise. The hook had caught the other edge but it was only holding by about two inches. If I had jostled the rope too much, I could have been dropped and broken my leg, my back, or my neck.
I grabbed the rope and hauled up my gear, being careful not to step too close to the edge. The last thing I needed was to fall over and have to climb it again.
The wind hit me from the West and I looked back over the state as I stood on the wall. I could see the devastated homes, the abandoned cars, the signs of struggle everywhere. But it was home. I could see smoke fires and the streams of grey and black weren’t just indications of people surviving; they were signs of life. I looked back over the other side and I didn’t see anything. It was just the tops of trees and abandoned buildings. It actually looked more dead than the side of the wall that was supposed to be.
I felt a sudden pain in my neck and I fell back, grabbing at it. My hand came away wet and I looked at my own blood. I felt my wound and it didn’t seem more than a serious scratch, so I tied it up with a piece of my shirt. As I wrapped it up, I looked back over the edge of the wall, wondering what had hit me.
Four men were approaching the wall, and they were all pointing rifles at the top. As I looked, they moved their guns towards me and I ducked back behind the edge and scrambled for the other side. I stayed out of sight and ran along the wall. There looked like some growth near the wall about a half mile to the north, so I figured to head that way. I didn’t bother with my hook; they’d just shoot it off and drop me down the other side. The rope I grabbed, slashing through the loop that secured it to the hook.
I wasn’t going to let that shot go unanswered, either. One inch to the right, and it would have blown a big hole in my neck. I looked over quickly and saw the men standing at the base of the wall. Two of them had their rifles up, but the other two were talking into small boxes. I aimed at the cluster of them and fired off three shots. All four of them ducked and one of them fell to the ground. I stepped back just as they returned fire, sending angry bullets over my head. I didn’t know if I’d hit anyone hard, but if even if it was just a graze, the score was even. It was also a message I wanted to send. Unless you see me dead, you’d better watch yourself.
I secured my pack and satchel, and reloaded my gun on the run. I wanted to be away and over to the other side before they decided that they were going to get positions on the wall and send pot shots my way. I wasn’t sure exactly where I was, but I’d figure it out soon enough. The simple thing to do was go west until I hit something familiar. If that didn’t work, I’d go south until I hit something.
The growth got closer, and it was more like a small group of thin trees, the tallest of which barely cleared the top of the wall. I was going to have some kind of luck with those trees bearing my weight, but I had an idea on how to get down quickly.
A buzzing sound behind me was the only warning I got. I ducked and a large flying machine whipped by. If I had to guess, I’d say that one was trying to knock me off the wall. It came back for another pass and I shot it right in the camera. The heavy bullet knocked it out of the sky and dropped it down on my side of the wall. I had a funny thought of bringing it to Kim to see what she thought about it.
Another machine came at me and I brought my gun to bear. Just as I was about to fire, it suddenly shot towards the sky. I guess they must have decided three of them was enough to lose.
Chapter 25
“You okay?” Townsend asked Robbins.
“Yeah, the little bastard burned my calf, but I’ll be good,” Robbins replied.
“Anyone else hit?” Townsend asked, receiving head shakes in reply. The other two still had their rifles trained on the top of the wall, scanning back and forth.
Townsend went back to the phone. “Captain, he’s over the wall. We thought we took him down, but he shot back at us, grazed Robbins. What’s that? No, the drones are not going over the wall, besides he shot another one. They’re what? Sir, why? He’s gone. No, I don’t think he will. Sir, say again, sir? Sir, are you serious? No, sir, I understand. Yes, sir, I understand. No, sir, everyone. Yes, sir.”
Townsend got off the phone and looked at his men.
“Pay attention. We have our orders.” Sergeant Townsend looked at the wall and sighed. “We are going over. We have to find him and kill him. Vega said we have to kill anyone he talks to.”
Houston spoke up. “Anyone? Sir, what if he goes to a town of survivors? Do we kill everyone?”
“We have our orders,” Townsend said. “Supplies are on the way, then we head to the nearest gate and go through.”
Sergeant Townsend looked at the wall. He couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of dread. He couldn’t explain it if he tried, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if they crossed that wall, things would never be the same.
Chapter 26
I reached the small trees, and without a second thought, I jumped off the wall. I caught the uppermost branch and let the tree swing me towards the second tree. I stretched out an arm and caught the tree with the crook of my elbow. I rode that tree down and hit the ground. I stumbled and fell, tumbling for a bit. My knife handle jammed me in my ribs, and my gun fell halfway out of the holster. I got to my feet and rearranged myself back to the way I was supposed to be. I guess I should have been glad I wasn’t a pre-dinner show to some nearby Trippers.
I stood on a road that ended at the wall, while in the other direction it disappeared in the distance. To the north of me was a series of rooftops, and I knew what that meant on this side of the wall. South of me was a large, empty field, and there was nothing in the way of any buildings as far as I could see. I kept to the road, since it was easy traveling, but the open field was an escape route should it become necessary. There were low hills that hid the homes from view, which did me the favor of hiding me from the view of any Trippers wandering around the houses.
I kept moving west, and it was strange how the abandoned buildings and cars were a kind of comfort to me. This was my home, and for all its dangers, I didn’t feel as threatened by it as I did over the wall. I did fell a little under-gunned, as I only had my Colt, so I took half of the box of cartridges and put them in my pocket. If I needed a quick reload, I didn’t want to worry about reaching around my belt. When I thought about it, it was a bit of a relief not to have to hide my gun anymore.
The landscape changed as I went West, literally swapping sides. The north became open land while the south became a series of buildings. One building in particular caught my attention. It was a tall building, but the roof touched the ground on both sides. From the front, the building looked like a half a circle covered in windows. The sign near the road said “Lansing Municipal Airport,” so I guessed what I was looking at was a real airplane hangar. I had seen smaller buildings like that near farms, but they usually held tractors, not airplanes.
As I passed, I saw the hangar was empty, and I wondered where the planes might have gone. If they went over the wall, chances were pretty good they had been shot down or they had been allowed to land and then killed. At this point, I was pretty sure anyone escaping Illinois all those years ago never found a safe place for themselves.
Further down the road, there were some homes that were near the road, and as I passed, the one on the right tossed a couple obstacles in my path. They were two Trippers, and they marched right across the grass and onto my road. I reached back for an arrow and grimaced as my hand grabbed empty air. I didn’t want to risk a shot and call Trippers from all over into my area. Since they were moving at about the same speed, I had no choice than to just trust to my feet and run away.
The Trippers stayed with me, even though they fell behind. I could hear their wheezing and hoped that others wouldn’t hear the call and join the chase. The road narrowed from four lanes to two, and I had t
o work my way around a few cars that were parked in the middle of the road.
On the north side, there was a house that had a small, four-foot fence separating it from the road. An arch framed the gate and I had an idea. I opened the gate after making sure the yard was empty and I caught my breath while I waited for my pursuers. They appeared soon enough, and they stumbled down the ditch towards me. I made sure they saw me run into the yard, then I quickly jumped the fence. I crouched down and waited for them to enter, after which I raced around to the gate and closed it after them.
I went back to the road, and when I looked back, they were stuck in the corner, trying to walk through a fence that refused passage. I felt pretty good about that little trick, but the feeling went away as I moved through a much more populated area. There were homes and businesses on both sides, including a red barn once belonging to someone named ‘Vandergriends.’ I suppose with a handle like that I’d be proud enough to put it on the wall.
I walked slowly, making sure there was no one waiting in between the buildings. Moving slower through areas that might have some Trippers in it sounded like it made no sense, and I was skeptical the first time Kim told it to me, but Trippers were a lot like animals. Their attention focused on quick movement, but slow movement took them longer to figure out what things were. If I had been on Judy, I wouldn’t have cared, but since I was on foot, and susceptible to all kinds of hurt, I had to resort to every trick I knew and a few I wasn’t so sure about.
The sun let me know that afternoon had arrived, and as it moved lower, I was starting to miss my hat. I briefly wondered if the kid and his girlfriend had survived, but I stopped thinking about them when I realized they were just as eager to see me gone as I was about them.
I passed a bowling alley, and then the road went through a section of forest and field. The forest was on the north and the field was on the south, and the forest was deep. I could see a few deer looking at me through the trees, and a mother doe led her two little ones back into the brush. I was comforted by the deer; their presence let me know there wasn’t any Trippers nearby. It was when there was nothing that you had to worry.
Born In The Apocalypse (Book 3): Jericho Page 7