The Decaying World Saga (Book 2): Season of Decay

by Michael W. Garza

  “I’ll keep him safe,” Asher mocked as he let her go and turned to face the riggings.

  Mia stepped away trying to shake off the awkwardness. She smiled at them as they went to work. They took their time tying themselves off to a safety line before throwing the ends of the ropes over the side. Rowan and Asher were dangling over the edge a moment later. Mia approached the rim and looked down. The darkness hid the dizzying drop and she was happy for it. Mia was satisfied with being able to watch the climbers’ safely reach their target several stories down.

  The climb took longer than she expected and the tension built with every placement of their hands. Rowan and Asher reached the remains of the highest landing and they tested their weight before pulling themselves free from the safety lines. It wasn’t until they drew their guns that the reality of the situation hit Mia square in the heart. There was nothing she could do to help them. Asher disappeared through the opening in the wall, but Rowan took a step then looked up at her. It was impossible for her to see his face, but in Mia’s mind, he was grinning at her the way he always did, and that was the last image she had before he vanished into the darkness.

  8

  The darkness was all consuming. The glow emanating from the devices around the necks of Rowan and Asher did little to fight back the blackness. They stood close to one another, each with a handgun drawn and pointed directly ahead of them. Their steps were light and their movements slow and purposeful. In Rowan’s mind, it wasn’t a question of if they ran into the dead, it was when.

  The chamber they entered was collapsed on one side. The far wall was in ruin, exposing a main hallway. A guess said they were a few levels above the dynamite’s detonation point, but there was no way to be certain. They would need to find a way down in order to get close enough to explore the area where Mia heard the cries for help. She’d given Rowan her access key in the hope that it might allow them some measure of safe passage.

  Rowan stepped over a large section of the wall and out into the hallway. The dark hid the view farther down in both directions, but the stillness told him they were safe for the moment. Asher followed him out. They stood in silence for a time, listening for anything that might call out trouble. Rowan’s voice felt loud when he spoke.

  “Did you ever work in this hive?”

  Asher shook his head.

  “Most of the crews that worked on the generators never strayed too far from hive five,” he explained. “I’ve been here a few of times, but I don’t remember enough to be of any use.”

  Rowan had never gotten used to the former residents of Canaan or the tribal council’s acceptance of them once the soldiers loyal to the commission were removed. In his mind, the surviving members of all the tribes should have set out on their own, leaving the remains of Canaan to die a slow death. It was difficult for him to view Asher and his kind as anything else other than an enemy in waiting.

  “I was here,” Rowan said, “not that I could show you where.”

  Asher chuckled.

  “Wonderful, so both of us are lost.”

  “We know we have to go down, right?” Rowan asked.

  Asher nodded.

  “What’s the one sure way to do that?”

  Asher considered the question.

  “The elevators,” he said, “But we know those won’t work without power.”

  Rowan shook the wound-up rope tied off to his waist.

  “We just need to reach them.”

  Asher nodded and they were off.

  The plan appeared much simpler that it really was. There was no guarantee they could reach one of the elevators. The detonation of Canaan’s defense system destroyed much more than the first few levels of each of the hives. The explosion reached the entire compound all the way down to its core. A number of the levels within each of the hives were lost, with countless lives trapped somewhere inside.

  Rowan took up the lead. He put his gun away in favor of a long knife. The dead weren’t hunters, but noise drew them in. Rowan knew that their survival could depend solely on their ability to go unnoticed. Any thought of finding the kids and getting out unseen quickly stalled.

  “Do you hear–?”

  Rowan waved off the question. The sound was low but obvious. The moans of the dead had a way of working their way into your heart. Rowan’s chest tightened as the horrid groans rose then fell away.

  The central hall ended dead ahead, splitting off in opposite directions. An archway stood open against the far wall between the split. Rowan gave in to his fear and motioned for Asher to light the lantern. His nerves wouldn’t allow him to continue shuffling through the dark knowing the dead were near.

  Asher’s mask of strength quickly faded. His anxiety revealed itself as he struggled to light the wick. He was at the task far longer than he should be before a spark produced a flame. He got to his feet and held the light out in front, allowing the focused beam to reveal what awaited them.

  The light swept from one side of the hall to the other. Rowan motioned for Asher to focus on the panel beside the door and then to stay where he was. Rowan approached the end of the hall with his eyes struggling to see beyond the opening. He reached out and touched the wall before the moans returned.

  Rowan stopped mid-step and stared into the room beyond the doorway. The guttural utterances shifted as he tried to use all of his senses at once. The outlines came first, a shoulder here, an arm there. The count came quickly, and Rowan realized there was a large mass on the opposite side of a wide storeroom.

  He made a frantic gesture and Asher cut off the beam from the lantern. Rowan put his hand over the small light around his neck and pressed his back against the wall. His heart nearly seized up in his chest when Asher slid in next to him. He held the lantern up against the side of his leg, hiding the beam.

  “We can’t go through there,” Rowan whispered.

  “The elevators are at the center of each of the hives,” Asher said, pointing. “That hall will take us away from the gorge, it’s our best option.”

  The sound of slow, unsteady footsteps kept Rowan from acknowledging the direction. The shuffling walk grew louder and the fear rising in his heart forced him to move. Rowan stepped across the opening in two quick strides. He was already moving down the hall when a yelp from Asher spun him around.

  “It’s got me.”

  The announcement was followed by several shots. Each pull of the trigger lit up the dark hallway with a sudden intense burst. The response from the storeroom quickly overshadowed the power of the gunshot. The beam of the lantern swept erratically from one wall to the other as Asher pulled himself free and ran. It took Rowan a moment to grasp that Asher was sprinting in the opposite direction. Rowan started after him then slid to a stop as several figures pushed out from the storeroom into the hall.

  “Damn it, Asher.”

  The cursing did little to help the situation, but it felt good to get it off his chest. He’d known bringing the engineer down with him was a mistake and his first reaction to trouble proved the thought correct. Rowan was determined to get around the dead. He didn’t want to waste his time searching for Asher when he should be searching for the kids.

  Running toward a growing mass of zombies was a terrifying thing, doing it in the dark, even worse. Rowan’s brain begged him to turn around, but he forced himself to speed up. He reached the gathering of the dead in a few long strides. He wasn’t able to see a way around them until he was right on top of them.

  Rowan was airborne, leaping over a pair of bodies that tumbled over during the group’s fight to get a hand on Asher. He buried a shoulder into one of the zombies in the middle of the hall, and the impact sent it back several feet, sprawled out on the floor. Rowan heard the vile thing’s head smack the dirty surface as he flew over it. The strike cost him his momentum and left him flying awkwardly past the dead. Rowan hit the ground on the other side of the hall and slid through a layer of debris.

  He was up and pressing himself to pick up speed b
efore he considered any damage. One of his knees ached and the sudden warmth around his leg told him he was bleeding. The volume of guttural growls rose to a new height, leaving Rowan with no time to check himself. He caught sight of the lantern’s beam far down the hall ahead of him a split second before it turned off.

  “Hold on.”

  Rowan silently cursed Asher a hundred times before he reached the end of the passage. A sudden burst of light brought him to a stop. Asher stood in the center of the hall, bent over at the waist. He held his hand up to talk, but couldn’t get the words out. Rowan felt like punching him in the gut, but he figured it would only slow them down.

  “We’re going in the wrong direction.”

  Asher managed to stand up straight.

  “Sorry, I panicked.”

  “Yes,” Rowan said between clenched teeth. “I noticed that. Now the whole damn group is after us.”

  Asher nodded, but didn’t bother continuing his apology. He turned his back on Rowan and aimed the light away from them. The way looked oddly clear of debris. Rowan shoved him in the back and they trotted forward with the sound of the dead echoing around the turn in the hall behind them. The volume grew louder as the mass neared the turn and Rowan felt panic creep into his mind.

  “Come on.” Rowan pushed past Asher. “Keep that light straight and your feet moving.”

  They were in a full sprint when the first of the dead came around the turn. The volume increased by tenfold and the nefarious roar was enough to push the living to their peak. The beam of light danced across the hallway, awkwardly revealing what lay ahead. Several open doorways lined the passage, but Rowan didn’t have time to consider what might pop out before they were rushing past them.

  The shadows played havoc on his nerves. He dodged side to side from outstretched hands that he wasn’t sure were really there. The noise followed them in waves, haunting every step. Asher reached another turn in the hall and chose their direction before Rowan could get a word out. They turned back in toward the center of the hive and continued straight. The move quieted the trailing moans long enough for Rowan to gather his thoughts.

  “Slow down.”

  Asher came to a sudden stop and Rowan nearly bowled him over. They huddled around the lamp, both taking in gulps of air. Asher swung the lamp’s beam from one side of the hall to the other. The hallway was eerily still, but the distant wails told them they were far from safe. Asher held the light up above his head and swept the beam across the wall near the ceiling. He continued the sweep until he found the location marker.

  “I thought you didn’t know anything about this hive?” Rowan said.

  “I didn’t say that,” Asher countered. “I don’t know specifics, but the hall markers run in a similar fashion throughout all of the hives. Even numbers are for central passages running north and south,” he pointed at the faded marker, “this is a main hall and the letters tell me it will run into the elevator.”

  “Why didn’t you say something before we were being chased?”

  Asher shrugged the question off.

  “Come on, it shouldn’t be much farther.”

  Rowan held his tongue. Something struck him and he couldn’t explain it. He didn’t trust Asher, and the thought that he was hiding information didn’t seem too farfetched. Rowan wondered if Asher’s need to volunteer had ulterior motives beyond his obvious attempt to gain favor in Mia’s eyes.

  Asher kept them on the main hall and his direction proved correct. The elevator door was cracked open revealing the dark shaft on the other side. Asher held the beam up close to the gap and Rowan peered through the crack. The shaft was clear, the bottom of the elevator stuck mid-way between their floor and the one above. The darkness swallowed the way below.

  “Look around,” Rowan said, unrolling the rope from his hip, “we need something to tie this on to.”

  They forced the elevator door open wide enough for them to fit through. A quick sweep of the area left them with few reliable options for a tie off point. Rowan settled for tying one end of the rope to the underside of the elevator. He double-checked the knot before dropping the remainder of the line down the center of the shaft. Asher extinguished the lantern and placed it by the elevator door, leaving the glow around their necks as the sole source of light.

  “This should get us down to the floor where you set off the dynamite,” Rowan said, intentionally reminding Asher of what got them into the situation. “If we can’t get the elevator door open on that floor, we’re going to have to figure out another way.”

  Asher’s eyes focused on the dark hall behind them.

  “There’s no guarantee the dead won’t find their way down here.” He settled his sights on the elevator shaft. “We’ll be trapped in there.” A low growl rose up from the shaft as if on cue.

  “Not sure we can do much about that now,” Rowan said.

  Rowan knew it didn’t make any sense for both of them to climb down unless they were sure they wouldn’t have to climb right back up. He figured Asher wouldn’t volunteer to go first. His paranoia reminded him that dangling out on the rope would leave him at Asher’s mercy if something went wrong. Rowan swallowed his concern.

  “Wait here and put out your light,” he said. “I’ll go down and see if we can get through.”

  Rowan tried not to think about the consequences as he slipped through the opening and reached out for the rope. He grabbed a hold and hesitated for a brief moment before allowing his feet to sweep out. He climbed down quickly, hand over hand. The personnel light worked well in the tight space, clearing away the darkness.

  Rowan counted the elevator doors as he descended. He reached the third floor down and leveled himself off directly across from the inside of the door. Rowan built up his momentum, swinging back and forth until he was close enough to slip his foot onto the edge of the lip beneath the door. His boot pulled off the first few tries, but he managed to stick the landing well enough on the third attempt to brace himself within the doorframe.

  A closer inspection revealed the elevator door was closed shut. Rowan wrapped the rope around one hand and gave it a tug to make sure he had a good hold. He used his free hand to remove the knife from his boot then worked the blade into the narrow slot between the door and frame. Rowan grimaced as he tested the knife, certain it would snap in the process. His work was rewarded when the door pulled back. He slipped his fingers in the gap and yanked.

  Warm air blew across his face. A soft light pierced the darkness in the hall beyond the opening he created. It was difficult to make out the details from an odd view of outlines. Rowan held his face still long enough to be sure nothing was moving in his direction.

  He slid one foot into the hall and balanced himself enough to let go of the rope. He pressed his free hand through the opening and forced the elevator door open wide enough for him to slide through. Rowan took a knee before drawing his gun. He refocused on the far end of the hall and tried to make sense of the shapes. It was the morning light, he guessed, spilling in from the gorge somewhere behind a series of obstructions. He was surprised by the revelation that they’d been on their hunt throughout the remainder of the night.

  He had half a mind to go take a look, but decided he was better off waiting on his sidekick. Rowan leaned out into the elevator shaft and shook the rope. “I’m in.” There was a long pause before he felt the pull on the line signaling Asher was on his way down. Rowan braced himself and held on until he could hear the grunts and spot the glow of Asher’s light.

  “Put your foot on the ledge.”

  Asher followed the directions and Rowan pulled him into the opening. He waited long enough for Asher to catch his breath then led them down the hall. The curiosity that held his attention revealed itself. A large section of the ceiling had collapsed and the rubble was piled up across the hall. The light strewn in from an opening on the other side of the debris, apparently leading out to the central gorge.

  “I think we’ve come to the right place,” Asher
said, admiring the pile of rock.

  “Don’t forget what caused you to throw the dynamite.”

  The reminder was enough to bring the fear back to Asher’s eyes. They each held on to their guns, now concerned with how they were going to get past the blockage and onto the other side. Rowan ran his eyes along the top of the mound, gauging the size of the holes. None of their options looked particularly easy.

  “There’s not much choice,” he said. “We have to climb over.”

  Asher nodded, but didn’t move. Rowan shook his head.

  “Please, let me go first.”

  Asher tried to object, but Rowan started his climb. He slid his gun in the small of his back beneath his belt then headed toward the largest of the openings. He was forced onto his hands and knees until his back tapped the ceiling; from then on, he would have to crawl forward on his stomach.

  The going was slow. Rowan was forced to reach out in front of his head and pull himself forward as he pushed off with his boots behind him. The light around his neck revealed the channel narrowing around him. The space grew tighter and the rock scratched against his ribs. Rowan neared the center of the crossing when something pulled his attention to the end of the hall on the other side.

  The outline of a figure rushed out into the center of the hall. The morning light exposed its long strides, picking up speed on its approach. The sight halted Rowan. The dead don’t run, he thought. Terror rose up from his chest and consumed his mind as he whispered a ghastly recognition.

  “Infected.”

  9

  Mia couldn’t sleep. She didn’t even bother trying. Her mind was in a terrible swirl. She wanted Jonah and the kids safe again; she wanted Rowan and Asher to be out of that terrible hive. Mia felt her entire world crumbling around her and she had no idea how she was supposed to hold it together.

  Her eyes sprang open and she tossed her legs off the side of her cot. Mia tried to calm herself, a failure she noted as her hands jittered uncontrollably against her legs. She hoped any moment one of the soldiers watching over the edge of the gorge would run into the room and announce that Rowan and Asher were on their way up with the kids in tow.