Since setting up base here, they had come a long way, and it was decided the two girls needed to continue their schooling. Rosa had volunteered to teach them and the extra office was turned into a quasi school-room.
It was lunch time and Max expected to find Logan in the dining room but to his immense surprise, Logan was nowhere to be found. He did spot Ben. “Hey, Ben. We've raised a group of survivors on the radio. If they check out, we're bringing them in. Are you up for it?”
Raising a graying eyebrow, Ben asked, “Are you sure we can trust them, Max?” Doubt underlined every word and Max knew it was because of what had happened to Jacques.
“I don't know yet, Ben. That's why I need you by my side.” Max hoped to mollify Ben who'd become paranoid of all outsiders. He'd spoken out against the radio too at first, not wanting strangers inside the camp.
Several seconds passed. “Fine, let's see what these people are like.”
“Thanks. Meet me at the Nyalas in twenty minutes.” Max heaved an inner sigh of relief. In the weeks since Jacques and Armand died, Ben had changed. He'd sunk into despair and the only one able to cheer him was Angie.
Max knew Ben looked upon Susan, Angie, Jacques, and Armand as his foster children in a way. Losing three of them in such a short time had hit him hard. Max hoped that by drawing Ben into rescue missions, the man might regain a sense of trust and responsibility once more.
Max left the building and headed for the walls. Perhaps Logan was on guard duty. A thick, stone wall about ten feet high encircled their living area. Initially, there'd only been a low, partial wall they had built onto over the weeks.
There were plans in place to make it even higher, with a walkway and guard towers at strategic points. Max knew it was essential to both their survival and their sense of security so was pushing for the project to be finished within the next two to three months. Luckily, Joseph knew a lot about construction and had taken over the reins.
That was why Max decided not to take Joseph on this trip with him. That and the fact that his wife Tumi was expecting again. The once shy, tearful woman had blossomed overnight with the news and she and Erica spent a lot of time together now, as new moms-to-be.
A quick jog around the walls proved fruitless, so he decided to go to the bungalows instead. A thick carpet of rich, green grass adorned the lawns between the cottages. The drought had finally broken two weeks ago, and the rains had come, providing welcome relief from the heat and dust. Max dodged a landmine courtesy of Buzz and made a mental note to get Peter and Thembiso on clean-up duty.
“They wanted to keep the dog,” he grumbled.
The drone of a quad bike interrupted his thoughts. As it came into view, he was relieved to see Logan driving with Morgan perched behind him. The bike dragged a small trailer with a Springbok carcass on it. Drops of blood beaded on its fur, congealing around a neat bullet hole behind the shoulder.
“What's up, Max?” Logan pulled to a stop and switched off the ignition.
“I need you, Morgan, and Angie to get kitted up and meet me at the gate. We've located a group of survivors.”
“Okay, but let me deliver this to Elise first.” Logan gestured to the buck.
“You went hunting?”
“Yeah, Elise says we're running low on meat and she wants to do something special tonight.” Logan shrugged. “Don't ask me why.”
“Nice shot.”
“Thanks,” Logan replied. “Wind was in my favor.”
Max mentally filed away the issue of the game reserve for the next meeting. Their small land was protected by a strong fence but he felt they needed to do more to safeguard the wildlife.
We also have to raise animals and plant crops.
Elise, Joanna, and Julianne were in charge of the kitchens. They had a vegetable garden and chicken coop at the back besides the stored supplies, but that wouldn't be enough. The surrounding farms and houses and half of town had been stripped of goods already. Soon they'd have to brave the dangers of larger towns and Max gave little for their chances then.
Morgan slid off the bike and flashed Max a cheeky grin.
“Well, you know me. I'm in.” She leaned down and planted a kiss on Logan's cheek. “Meet me at the trucks, babe. I'll get our gear together.”
“See if you can find Angie too,” Max asked.
“Will do.” She jogged off with a wave, ponytail swaying behind her.
Shaking his head, Max headed back. He had to admit he'd never seen his sister so happy in all his life. Even Logan was more relaxed. Less broody. All of which made Max happy for them but also a touch jealous.
Entering the common room, he cleared his throat. In the expectant hush that followed, Max said, “We've found a group of survivors thanks to Sean and his radio. They're in need of help.”
An excited buzz filled the room.
“Survivors? Are they friendly?” someone asked.
“We don't know for sure yet but we'll find out soon enough.”
“Are you sure we should allow them in?” Dave's face was grave, and the buzz quieted down.
“They've got kids with them and a baby.”
“A baby? Oh, dear. Get them to safety before something happens, Max,” Julianne cried.
“We're on our way to meet them now,” Max replied.
“We'll make sure everything's ready for their arrival,” Julianne assured him.
“Thanks, Mom. That would be great.”
He gave Julianne a hug and readied to leave when Sean appeared, pulling him aside. “We've got a problem. The chopper crashed.”
“What? Where? Are they still alive?” Max's heart sunk at the news.
Great. Just great.
“The pilot radioed in an approximate location as they went down and then nothing. I don't know if anyone's still alive.”
“Right. That changes things. Hannah, can you come with us, please? Bring a first aid kit. They might need medical attention and you're the closest we've got to a doctor. Sean, you're with me.”
Hannah jumped up to get her stuff, whilst Max and Sean hurried outside. Logan, Angie, Ben, and Morgan were already there, waiting for them. Hannah joined them soon after that and they split into two groups, with Max taking the lead vehicle.
It wasn't hard to find the crash site. A column of black smoke rose amidst a haze of charcoal gray. The veldt was on fire, orange flames licking the horizon. Max canvassed the tar road until he found a dirt track leading closer.
“We must hoof it from here. We can't risk the Nyalas,” Max ordered.
Everybody disembarked, forming into a tight, little group and they set off across the blackened ground. The fire had swept through, radiating out from the crash site. With its dry underbrush and thorn trees, the veldt provided an excellent feast for the inferno and it burned hot and fast, leaving behind an ever-growing circle of blasted vegetation. The smoke irritated his eyes and Max found himself grateful that with the brush gone, visibility had improved.
“At least, we'll be able to see the zombies coming.”
“True,” Logan replied. “Think any of them survived?”
“I hope so.”
A few minutes later, they were faced with the crashed chopper. Max was surprised to see it was a military helicopter. A Puma to be exact—or a burnt-out shell of one. What was even more surprising, was that it was empty.
“No bodies,” Logan said.
“They survived the crash.” Max found himself filled with a good dose of awe. Either they were bloody lucky, or they had one hell of a helicopter pilot.
“Where do you think they've gone?” Morgan asked. “How do we find them?”
Max was stumped. He turned around in all directions. “They probably had to get away from the fire and any infected drawn here but which way they went is more than I can tell you.”
“Speak of the devil,” Logan said, pointing to their left. A group of infected were making slow, laborious progress towards the crash site, hampered by the terrain. In a comical move, one
of them face-planted onto the ground as it tripped over a bush. “Get rid of them.”
“Why? Let's just go. There's nobody here,” Angie said.
“We need to know where the survivors went. I used to be a Game Ranger. I can track them if you keep those things off me.”
“Track them on this?” She pointed at the burnt ground, derision twisting her lips into a sneer.
Logan frowned at her then turned away, scouring the ground for clues. “Just keep them off me,” he ordered Max. “I'll find the survivors.”
Angie pouted, flouncing off to the side in a huff. Max stared at her, perplexed. Filing her behavior away as a problem for another day, he turned to the group. “Right, you heard him. Let's clear the area.”
Killing the zombies was easy enough. They were old and decayed, even stupider than usual. Being exposed to the elements out in the bush had not been kind to them. It was still unpleasant, though. No matter how many times Max killed infected, it still turned his stomach. At night, he lay awake wondering who they used to be in past lives, what their names were, and if they were aware of what they had become. He hoped not.
By the time they were finished, Logan had picked up the trail, and they set off following a dry riverbed. “They can't have gotten far. At least one of them is wounded,” Logan said, pointing to a splash of blood.
After twenty minutes of walking across the cracked mud, the ground became damper with occasional puddles of murky water dotted here and there. This grew to a trickle of water and after slogging through ankle-deep mud, they were forced to leave the riverbed. At least, they had left the fire behind, but this meant thicker undergrowth.
Logan never said a word, forging ahead as he followed the trail. Max kept a wary eye out for infected, ready for anything. More blood spotted the leaves and twice they came upon the bodies of infected, dispatched by what looked like a knife.
“We're getting closer. The trail is fresh,” Logan said.
“God, I hope so. This is awful,” Angie whined, slapping a mosquito on her neck. Her face was flushed, sweat trickling down her neck in the humid atmosphere and she looked anything but happy. Max wished she'd shut up. Of them all, Hannah and Ben were the worst off, being older and not that fit, but neither one of them complained.
They pushed on in silence until a cold feminine voice froze them in their tracks. “Stop. Do not come any closer.”
Nobody moved. The only sound was the buzzing of insects as Max tossed around ideas in his head, trying to assess the situation. He cleared his throat. “We're not looking for trouble.”
“Wouldn't matter if you were,” the smooth voice replied.
“Look, can I come closer? So we can talk?” Max raised his hands, holding them up in the air.
“I would not.”
The voice held a tone that brooked no argument, a clear threat implicit in the timbre. Max had the feeling the owner of the voice would not hesitate to kill him on the spot. An uncomfortable silence ensued as he tried to place the voice. It was coming from somewhere to the left but he couldn't see a damned thing.
Next to him, Morgan bristled. “Hey, lady. You lot asked us for help. If you don't want it anymore, then say so and we'll fuck off.” She turned to Max. “Come on, bro. I've got better things to do than play games in this heat.”
Logan wore a look of mild amusement at Morgan's outburst while the rest were shocked, unsure of what to do.
Max shook his head, “Morgan, please. Calm down.”
“I like her,” the voice said, interrupting his pleas. “Captain.”
A faint crackle of leaves and a rough-looking man in his late forties or early fifties stepped out. His hair was graying at the temples and he hadn't shaved in days. His clothes were torn and dirty, an odd assortment of army issue and khakis. Though exhaustion lined his face, there was nothing wrong with his steely eyes or the way he held a gun.
“You must excuse Kirstin. She's not the friendliest of my crew.”
Max nodded, at a loss for words as a stunning woman stepped into view, carrying a rifle like it was an extension of her body. He swallowed, mouth gone dry, unable to say a single thing.
Morgan flashed him an amused look and stepped forward, saving him from embarrassment. “You must be Captain Breytenbach?”
“That would be me. And you are?”
“I'm Morgan and this is my brother, Max. You spoke on the radio.”
Breytenbach's eyes never wavered. “That's right. So what happens now?”
“That depends on you.” Morgan was not giving an inch, her face remote, eyes cool.
“We need a safe place to stay. At least, for a while.”
“Can we trust you not to murder us in our beds?” she asked.
“You can,” Breytenbach answered. “But how do we know we can trust you?”
“You said you needed help and we're here, aren't we? You've got children with you? A baby?”
Breytenbach nodded and gestured behind him. Max took that as acceptance and moved forward into a small clearing, followed by the rest of the group. Kirstin watched him, face as smooth as marble.
She sure is something.
This train of thought was interrupted when his eyes fell on a giant with coal black skin and a smooth head. His muscles bulged beneath his thin shirt, reminding Max of the Hulk and looking every bit as friendly.
“Holy shit,” Morgan whispered, eyes wide as she took in his bulk.
A wiry man with a crazy smile grinned at them, leaning against a tree next to another guy with rusty hair and a full beard. They looked dangerous, the lot of them. At that moment, Max wanted nothing more than to step back and leave them far behind.
“Max.” Morgan nudged him and pointed to a little knot of shivering humanity, huddled on the ground.
A little girl clutching a stuffed rabbit stared at them from a tear-streaked face while a boy who couldn't have been more than eight, cried as he held his arm. Next to them crouched a young man, holding a mewling baby, and a scuffed leather bag. He looked out of it, eyes glazed and blood soaking a makeshift bandage on his head.
Max shook off his stupor. “I see a few of you need medical attention. Our nurse here will see to your injuries while I discuss things with my friends.”
“Thank you,” Breytenbach replied.
Max hustled the rest of the group off to one side. “So? Do we take them back to camp with us?”
“Yes,” Morgan said without hesitation. “They can't be that bad if they saved children and could be a real asset to us. Besides, we can't leave the kids out here. They wouldn't last the night.”
“I agree with Morgan. They could be valuable to us and they're obviously fighters.”
“You're both crazy. We should leave them here. They're dangerous,” Angie hissed.
“Ben? What do you think?” Max asked.
Ben took a while to answer, brow furrowed as he thought it over. “I think we should take them for the children's sake but keep a close eye on them.”
“All right then. So it's decided,” Max said.
Twenty minutes later, with the worst of the group's injuries taken care of, they were taken back to the trucks. A wary silence enveloped the two groups as they studied each other on the ride back. Nobody seemed ready to make the first overtures of friendship.
Darkness was falling by the time they reached the gates. As they drove through, Max wondered for the hundredth time if they were making a mistake. It was too late to turn back, however. The only thing they could do now was to pray that these people were decent and watch them. An armed Joseph waited to greet them at the parking lot and Max was grateful for his foresight.
“They're waiting inside the common room,” Joseph said.
“Who's they?” Max asked.
“Everybody.”
Perplexed, Max set off, followed by the rest. Warm lights streamed from the windows of the main building, and the sound of laughter drifted from inside. Max grew more confused by the second. A wreath adorned the doors, brin
ging him up short.
Christmas?
Stepping inside, he blinked with surprise at the scene. Candles were scattered throughout the room, giving it a welcoming glow. Streamers decorated the walls and people milled about with drinks and snacks. In the corner stood a Christmas tree with real wrapped presents beneath.
“Max. You're back,” Julianne cried, walking over. She looked elegant in black slacks, sandals, and a red silk shirt, hair piled up. She embraced him and he inhaled her familiar perfume of spice and orchids. Max was stunned.
Breytenbach and his group filed into the room with astonished looks on their faces and Julianne extended a hand to him. “We're so excited to meet you. We don't often see other survivors and rarely children.”
Breytenbach shook her hand with a bemused look. “Er, pleased to meet you too.”
“Please, follow me and I'll take you to your rooms. I hope you don't mind sharing? We can try to make better arrangements tomorrow, Captain.”
Her charm washed over the group, rendering them defenseless. Max smirked. He'd seen his mother work a room before and none of them stood a chance.
“What about the children?” Breytenbach asked.
“We've prepared a separate room for them. They can join Meghan and Anna. You needn't worry. They'll be well looked after,” Julianne replied.
"I'll take care of their injuries first,” Hannah assured them. “And the young man too. Perhaps I can take them to the infirmary?”
Breytenbach nodded, bowled over. He watched as Elise and Hannah led Jonathan and the kids away, Elise cooing over Sam.
Julianne took over again. “Please, have a shower before joining us for dinner. We saved you enough hot water.” Her chatter faded away as she led them outside with Breytenbach throwing a wild look at Max over his shoulder.
Max responded with a shrug.
Morgan nudged him in the ribs with a low laugh. “That's Mom all right.”
“Yup. She's back,” Max agreed.
“Think she'll run for office next year?”
Max laughed. “She might.”
Morgan snickered with delight then fixed him with a teasing look. “And don't think I didn't see the way you looked at the Ice Queen earlier. Got a crush?”
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