Forsaken World (Book 3): Rite of Passage

by Watson, Thomas A.

  Remembering the sea of bodies around the walls of Pineville, Jennifer slowly shook her head unconvinced. “Lance, if that group headed here, we would be screwed,” she said, then looked over at Allie and Carrie eating and just casually staring at her.

  “True, but how would they get here?” Lance asked, raising his eyebrows. “We don’t make noise and we kill off any that get close or caught in traps. Hell, we only got up half of the diversion fence and can tell a huge difference.”

  Nodding at that, Jennifer looked up at Ian’s face and smiled. “So, you’re not worried about a group of stinkers finding us?” Jennifer asked.

  Leaning over the table, “You think we’re stupid?” Lance asked in a low voice. “Of course, I’m worried about a large group finding us. But my fear is that a group of people will find us and we will have a battle here, and the stinkers love noise. That’s how I worry about how we could get a large group of stinkers.”

  “No, Lance. Nobody on this planet could ever call you and Ian stupid,” Jennifer chuckled. “Unless it’s about the man cards,” she added under her breath.

  “Don’t knock the man cards, Jen,” Ian warned in a low voice and a smile.

  Pulling Ian down, Jennifer leaned over in her chair and kissed his cheek. “Sorry, Ian,” Jennifer said, grinning. Grabbing her fork, “Well, at least we don’t have to worry about that survivalist group,” she said and then took a bite.

  Giving a long sigh as he looked back down at his notebook, “Jennifer, they are white supremacists. Yes, we have to worry about them,” Lance said, then continued eating.

  With her fork stuck in her mouth, Jennifer cut her eyes to Ian who was nodding as he ate. Emptying her mouth, “Ah, Lance, Ian, we’re white,” Jennifer said slowly.

  “Jen,” Ian said, putting his fork down. “White supremacists don’t care about your race if you don’t bow to them. If you don’t believe what they do, then you are the enemy.”

  Nodding as he grabbed his glass, Lance glanced over at Jennifer. “I don’t understand how anyone can hate for race. Now, intelligence?” Lance paused and gulped down his glass, then set it down. “If they had a group that believed that stupid people had to die, I would join that shit so fast it would make your head spin. Fuck handing out signs, I’ll hand out bullets in their heads.”

  “I would fight you, so I could join up first,” Ian chuckled and everyone joined him.

  When everyone stopped laughing, “So, we have another group to worry about?” Jennifer asked.

  “Jennifer, we have to worry about everyone,” Ian answered, patting her leg.

  “What about when the stinkers die off?” Jennifer asked.

  Flipping the page in his notebook, Lance shook his head. “Jennifer, I think the stinkers will be around for a few decades,” he admitted and Jennifer groaned.

  “Me, too,” Lilly said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “They aren’t rotting.”

  With a grimace, Jennifer leaned back in her chair. “Lance or Ian, any ideas on why the stinkers were playing dead?” Jennifer asked.

  “Yeah,” Ian huffed. “They are turning into ambush hunters. After seeing some trying to hide, we’ve been expecting it.”

  “You didn’t act like it,” Jennifer said, turning to look at him.

  Throwing up his hands, “Jen, expecting it and seeing it are two different things!” Ian cried out. “They don’t have speed but man, do they have a grip. We know they can reach out quickly, so ambush is the logical conclusion.”

  Nodding as he flipped the page, “Yes, and that means, we have to check any stinker or body we get near for head trauma,” Lance told them, running his finger along the new page.

  “What other plans have you two been working on?” Lilly asked, helping Allie refill her glass of tea.

  “Several,” Lance answered. “We have to automate traps to kill the stinkers around here. We have to test a few ideas to see if it’s possible.”

  When Allie’s glass was filled, Carrie held hers out with a smile. Grabbing Carrie’s glass and filling it, Lilly looked over at Lance. “So, we start on those ideas after we finish putting up the diversion fence?” Lilly asked.

  “Yeah, but we will be starting on the greenhouse and putting in three hours a day on it, at least until it’s done,” Lance said, not looking up from his notebook. “We’ve been thinking our patrols need to be twice a week. What do you two think?”

  Sitting back down, Lilly glanced over at Jennifer who just shrugged and nodded. “That sounds good,” Lilly said. Glancing around the table at each person, Lilly took a deep breath. “Guys, I think we need to move upstairs,” she said confidently.

  Everyone stopped eating and Lance looked up from his notebook. They all stared at Lilly in mild shock. “Lilly, getting upstairs won’t help if stinkers or people come,” Ian said.

  Clearing her throat, “No, I think we should move before your parents get here, so they can have the rooms,” Lilly clarified, looking around the table.

  Flopping back in his chair, “Lilly,” Lance sighed reluctantly. “They won’t be here anytime soon. At the earliest, the end of the year.”

  Shaking her head, Lilly stared at Lance’s face. “No, they will be here much sooner,” she said very confidently and everyone’s mouth fell open. “Lance, I’ve been out there, remember? Your parents will be here much sooner.”

  Sitting up straight in his chair excitedly, “I calculated fifty to a hundred miles a week because they would have to secure food and water, plus take time off for rest,” Lance explained, almost panting.

  “No, they will average closer to two hundred and fifty miles a week,” Lilly said, clasping her hands and resting them on the table.

  “How can you be so sure?” Ian cried out with a smile.

  “Like I said, I was out there,” Lilly answered. “You can’t stay long in one spot. Even if your parents are walking like I was, they will get close to two hundred miles a week. You scavenge on the move and believe me, you learn to do it fast.”

  Getting up, Lance walked over and sat down beside Lilly. “You sound very confident,” he stated, looking into Lilly’s eyes.

  Giving a curt laugh, “Lance, I’m not going to lie. When I was told where they were, I had my doubts at first,” Lilly admitted, returning Lance’s gaze. “But after watching you and Ian, I have no doubt they will make it. I would actually be more shocked if they didn’t. They survived the start of the infection and you and Ian have inherited their genes of survival, so they will make it.”

  “But they have to rest,” Lance pointed out with a grin as he leaned closer to Lilly.

  Nodding, “And they will but I promise you, there won’t be days of rest,” Lilly assured him, then raised her hand. “Except out west,” she added quickly. “I’m from there and the population density isn’t that high but when they get close to the Mississippi River, they will only be able to stop for a day at the most. They won’t take cars and out west, you can actually use a bike to go cross country. But here in the east, it would be much harder because there are fences everywhere.”

  “Hiking, you can’t carry but a few days’ worth of food,” Ian blurted out.

  “Ian, I know,” Lilly said, not looking away from Lance. “They will resupply on the move like I did, but they have the advantage of numbers that I didn’t.”

  Hearing the certainty in Lilly’s voice and seeing it in her face, Lance’s chest heaved as he panted silently in hope. “When do you think they will get here?” Lance asked softly and everyone leaned over the table to look at Lilly.

  “August or September at the latest,” Lilly answered immediately. “The only reason they would be later is if they had to backtrack to avoid large groups of stinkers. Lance, someone can always be awake to keep watch. Trust me, if you have someone watching, you can rest.”

  Whipping his head to look at Ian, “She’s right, we need to move upstairs so they can have the bedrooms,” Lance said.

  “Now?” Ian cried out. “Lance, we have…”
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  “Ian!” Lance snapped, stopping Ian from saying what was under their mattresses. “Not today, but after we put up the diversion fence. We have laptops,” Lance said, barely cutting his eyes around the table.

  “Oh,” Ian nodded. “Yeah, we can move up and get settled in before they get here. That way, they can rest.”

  Furrowing her brow, “What were you worried about?” Jennifer asked, looking at Ian.

  Giving a sigh, “Jen, we read a lot at night and make plans,” Ian said and it was true, kind of.

  “So?” she shrugged.

  Leaning over, Ian kissed her cheek. “Let’s move up the day after tomorrow. We can collect anything we need, so we are settled in long before they get here,” Ian said with a grin and then looked over at Allie and Carrie. Seeing their huge grins Ian laughed, feeling much better.

  Getting up, Lance kissed Lilly on the cheek. “Thank you,” he said, walking around her chair and heading back to his and Lilly grabbed his hand.

  “Lance, I said it because that’s what I believe,” Lilly told him, fighting not to blush.

  Looking down at Lilly, Lance beamed with joy. “I know, and that’s the best news we’ve heard in a long time,” he said and kissed her cheek again. Shocked at the second kiss and losing the blush battle, Lilly let his hand go and Lance moved around the table, dropping into his chair.

  Grabbing his empty glass, Lance held it up with a big grin. “Let’s have the place ready for when they get here,” he toasted and everyone raised their glasses.

  Chapter Fifteen

  May 27

  With her back resting against a boulder, Sandy looked at the topo book to memorize the route Johnathan had made her pick out. Now they were in Colorado and camping on the Ridgeway Reservoir under a small stand of trees. Sandy studied the page, just thrilled the desert was behind them. Water hadn’t been the problem, just moving through sand and a desolate landscape had been the problem.

  They hadn’t seen a stinker or human since Marysvale in Utah. Before making camp, they had come across several stinker bodies last night, but they had been torn apart. Johnathan stopped and studied the pieces, finding one severed head with its eyes still moving and told everyone a pack of dogs had done it. When Sandy tried to offer wolves or coyotes, Johnathan showed all of them the different sized paw prints.

  “Just memorize our route and possible alternate routes,” Johnathan said, looking around as the sun set.

  Nodding, “When the hell are we getting to some real trees?” Sandy asked, flipping the page. “And before you say it, these trees are more shrub than tree.”

  Stepping over and tapping Bill and Mary to wake them up, Johnathan chuckled. “We’ll see some soon, but lose them again. We won’t see real trees again till we hit eastern Oklahoma.”

  “Are we going to travel in daylight then?” Sandy asked with apprehension. Moving at night had now come to feel safe. She reasoned if she couldn’t see something, then it couldn’t see them. Their eyes were adapted now and everyone stayed under the tarps during the day, wearing sunglasses. Even on the one cloudy night, they were able to move, just not at a fast pace across the unbroken ground.

  Moving over beside Sandy, Johnathan her head. “If we don’t have to, we won’t,” Johnathan answered and then petted Dan who was sitting with Sandy. Glancing at the fire, Johnathan saw the small pot’s lid rising up.

  Stretching as he sat up, “See anything?” Bill yawned.

  “Just deer, a shitload of deer,” Johnathan replied with a grin, taking the pot off the fire. “Could’ve got one, but you shot one last night so I didn’t bother.”

  Getting up, Bill grabbed the tool belt he had converted to carry his gear like the old LBE (Load Bearing Equipment system) the military used to use. Which in all fairness, the LBE was just a fancy tool belt, nothing like the tactical gear used now. He and Johnathan each had one and set them up close to being identical. Each had two of the mag holsters for the AR, the holster for their sidearm with mags in the tool pouches, a fiberglass-handled sheetrock hammer on the left hip, and a quiver of arrows hanging off their right hip. The wives each had one rifle mag holster on their belts for the AR they carried.

  Clipping his gear on, Bill looked out over the mountains around them. Only shrubs, mesquite, and short trees dotted the landscape. “Hope it stays that way,” Bill said, reaching down and patting Ann.

  “I’m happy that we have food,” Mary said, getting up. “Though I feel by the time we reach the kids, I’ll be laying off beans, rice, and pasta.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement as Mary and Bill saddled their horses. Hearing a humming sound, Bill stepped out from the trees they were under and looked west. “A plane,” he said, looking to the northwest.

  Moving over beside Bill, Johnathan saw a small plane in the sky heading east. “Didn’t think we would see those for a while,” Johnathan admitted, pulling his binoculars out of his tool belt. “It’s a twin engine prop plane.”

  “Wonder where they are heading?” Bill mumbled as Johnathan passed the binoculars over and Bill took them.

  Shaking his head, “Be damned if I would be flying too far east,” Johnathan said. “Finding a spot to land could be a big problem.”

  Lowering the binoculars, “You think so?” Bill asked.

  “Bill, just think, even if they do find a spot to land, they can’t stay long. The noise from that plane will draw stinkers in fast,” Johnathan said.

  Handing the binoculars back, Bill nodded and then he and Johnathan moved over and saddled the pack horses. “How’s the food holding up?” Bill asked.

  “We can almost make it home with the rice, beans, and pasta that we have. If we can keep killing game, we should be fine,” Johnathan answered. “There’s a farm to the east across the valley that has a large barn. Let’s check it for more grain.”

  Bill tightened the pack saddle down and looked around at the other horses eating the sparse grass. “We need to let the horses eat some hay or grass. Horses weren’t meant to live off grain, they need roughage,” Bill told him.

  “Well, there wasn’t much for them to forage on in the desert,” Johnathan said as Mary handed him a bowl of food.

  Moving over beside Johnathan as Sandy handed him a bowl of food, Bill chuckled. “Just glad we didn’t have to cross that desert during the summer.” Spooning a mouthful of food, Bill looked over the valley. “We can take breaks and let the horses graze. There is enough grass around now we can lay off the grain.”

  Nodding, Johnathan turned to the north up the valley and saw movement. “What the hell?” he mumbled, lifting his binoculars to his eyes with one hand.

  Glancing over at Johnathan, Bill turned following Johnathan’s line of sight and squinted his eyes, spotting movement several miles away up the valley. Holding his bowl in his right hand, Bill pulled out his binoculars from his tool pouch with his left hand. “Holy shit, is that a pack of dogs?” he gasped, looking through the binoculars.

  Zooming in, Johnathan watched the pack drag down several forms. “I think those are stinkers,” Johnathan gasped as the binoculars were taken from him. He turned to see Sandy beside him, looking through the binoculars.

  “Yeah, those are stinkers because a human would be moving more fluidly,” Sandy said as Mary took the binoculars from Bill to look.

  “Whoa,” Mary said, zooming in. “That’s a big pack, I’m betting close to fifty dogs.”

  “How many stinkers can you see?” Johnathan asked, staring at the movement.

  Taking several minutes, “I saw them take down three but I swear, I see the pack eating four more,” Sandy answered, passing the binoculars back to Johnathan.

  “I see the pack eating seven of something and I only saw them take down one stinker,” Mary said, handing the binoculars to Bill.

  Holding the binoculars to his eyes, Johnathan’s mouth slowly dropped open. “Holy shit, the dogs are eating stinkers,” he gasped.

  “Um, not to sound like what Lance and Ian would call a little b
itch, but do you think the dogs are going to get infected?” Bill asked in a very worried voice, letting his binoculars go to hang from his neck.

  Lowering his binoculars, Johnathan found everyone staring at him. “Not unless the parasite changes,” Johnathan shrugged. “The parasite is or was in everything that breathes air and humans are the only thing it’s been known to affect. I’m just shocked dogs would eat them because of the hydrogen sulfide.”

  Facing Johnathan, Sandy looked off as she thought. “But you’ve said they don’t put out a lot of hydrogen sulfide now until they’ve been dead for a couple of hours,” Sandy said, moving her eyes back to Johnathan.

  Snapping his fingers, “Of course! They are eating them before the stinkers’ bodies get saturated with the gas,” Johnathan said grinning and leaned over, kissing Sandy.

  Reaching up, she rubbed her face where Johnathan’s beard had tickled her, “I’m shaving you as soon as we get home,” Sandy giggled.

  “So, no infected dogs?” Bill asked, putting his arm over Mary’s shoulders.

  Shaking his head, “Not unless the parasite changes,” Johnathan answered. “Humans have the highest energy requirement for brain power than any other animal. That is what the hypothesis is as to why the parasite only affects us. It’s not about the mass of the brain, it’s about the consumption of energy of the human brain.”

  Nodding his head, “Makes sense, whatever used the most energy for brain power would be the most dominant lifeform,” Bill said and everyone turned to look at him in shock. “Sorry, I watched a lot of Star Trek with the boys.”

  Johnathan turned back to the pack, but without the binoculars the dogs were only specks in the valley. “Yes, several of the scientists I’ve heard talking said much of the same,” Johnathan said. “This parasite goes after dominate lifeforms.”