Tanner had resumed his agitated pace, not even taking notice of what the woman did. “That's what I'm wondering. I've been walking at night and sleeping in the day for over a month. I don't know whether to turn back to the city or...”
The professor stopped him, “Listen, trust me. You can't go on to Walker, it's a death trap. From what you've told us, the same is happening at Far View. If you've been gone that long from the haven you're obviously not infected.
Tanner squatted down by the fire, near the professor, “You said you're a doctor. What do you think this illness is? How did it spread in both far spread sanctuaries?”
The fire sent spirals of sparks into the inky cloak around them. The rice smelled pretty good and the woman had pulled the rabbit apart and laid it on top to warm. The young man was aware of how lonely he'd been, it was pleasant to talk to someone other than himself. The six shared their small portions of a meal, he said, “I'll just have to think for a bit. I wanted to help the people at home, been there since I was a boy. And there's my father, my dad is there.” Only the crisp crackle of the fire and somewhere very distant, a howling echo. He looked up to see five faces that mirrored his despair over the realization of loved ones lost.
No place to hurry off to and at least there was some shelter here in the ruins. The new acquaintances stayed put for the next few days. They often discussed where they might move on to, where they might find another place of safety. It turned out that each was alone, as far as no family or spouses. The woman Cynthia was widowed several years before, Tanner guessed her age to be about the same as his father. Rafe and Charlie had arrived at the Walker Bunker fifteen years earlier, young and single and both remained so. Chloe lost her parents to the virus.
One thing for sure, the girl was no silly teenager. She was feisty and no-nonsense. Below a head of short cropped brown hair her large almond shaped eyes peered out from a pleasant face with a full mouth that seldom smiled. Her sharp shooting skills became evident. On a hunting trip this afternoon with Tanner and Rafe, she was responsible for taking down a rabbit and one of the two fat birds they brought back for supper.
When the hunters returned to the campsite the professor sat in the corner of one of the decayed walls. Tanner noted that he was in the same place he'd been when they left that morning. Notebooks and papers spilled from a worn cardboard satchel, some spread and held down with rocks. What the hell could that old coot be studying so hard? Completely engrossed, the glasses on the end of his nose, he thumbed through pages, ran his finger down some of the notes. A large hairy tarantula scrambled onto one of the papers, the old man picked it up by a leg and slung it away. With a shrug and a laugh the younger man walked on.
That evening, when the breeze came that always had a slight chill at dusk they sat and shared the “catch of the day” stew. The professor seemed excited and urged them to hurry and settle
“Hurry, hurry up...get your food and sit down. I've got something to tell you about,” he twirled his hands for emphasis.
Once they were all still, “You remember the family that came to the sanctuary last year? Jeff, his wife, son and daughter? One day they were just gone without explanation.”
Chloe sat up straighter, this had caught her attention, “I remember. The boy was about my age. Darn! They had been everywhere. He was full of good stories.”
“Yes,” said the professor. “They had been traveling for a long time. I talked to the father quite a bit.. He didn't trust old Doctor Giles but he and I were good. He told me of where about where they had been, what they had seen out there in the country.” The scattered looking man sat on a rusted crate that he had found, he leaned forward. “The most interesting thing was where they were going. I knew all along that he wouldn't be kept at Walker. He was absolutely certain of where he intended to take his family and that they would find a home there.”
A rare hint of a smile curved the young girl's lips, “Yes, yes...the boy...um-m, Kevin. Kevin was his name. He told me that they were going to Colorado. Said there were some folks there, people they encountered on their travels, his father believed they were good people. It would be beautiful there and they were going to make a home and stay. Just live there in the foothills of the mountains...wouldn't that be amazing?” Chloe, who was born and lived in the dug out sanctuary all her life was fascinated at the very idea.
The professor reached down into the worn satchel and pulled out a map, it rustled as he unfolded it carefully. The wrinkled finger traced a line and stopped, “I know where they were headed.
Jeff showed me on the map. It's right here and we could go there. We could find the place and I think it would be a safe haven.”
At first no one said anything. Then, Charlie who had only been partly listening, too busy scooping stew into his mouth, said with a choking sound, “Co-lo-ra-do,! Go to Colorado! Are you crazy...that must be hundreds of miles from here. I cain't, I ain't walking to Colorado.” Not as educated as the majority of the relocated government employees, he'd been a maintenance man originally. He continued that job at the sanctuary all these years with great competence but lazy indifference.
Silence again then Tanner got up, moved over beside the professor. He took out a small flashlight from the pocket of his vest, aimed it at the map. “How far do you think it is?”
Doc said, “I think about as far as you've already traveled, perhaps a little less.”
Tanner looked first at Cynthia, then Rafe, ignored the sputtering Charlie. “I had planned to return to Far View by following the Pecos River to Sante Fe. It's getting hotter and I wanted to stay near a water source.”
“Look, here at Sante Fe is the old Interstate highway. It would take us over the mountain pass at Raton and up to the location that Jeff showed me,” said the professor.
Rafe said, “We don't know what or who's out there...won't be easy.”
“That's true, I've spent the last few weeks walking this country alone. Managed to avoid some pretty mean looking characters and covered everything from mountains to sand dunes. We would have to work together and keep on the move. The summer that is on us will be gone before you know it. We wouldn't want to get caught in the high country Winter.” He left it on the air for the five refugees from Walker to think about.
Cynthia stood up and stirred the pot, though everyone had quit eating. She turned to the generous form of Charlie, “You can't be a damn baby, Charlie. What're you going to do? Stay here with the snakes and lizards. This isn't that safe hole in the ground that we're all accustomed to... that's gone now. I'm going to Colorado, try to find a new home. You make your own choice.” She jerked the nearly empty bowl from him and threw it in a bucket of water that heated on the fire, gathered the other dishes.
Rafe's smile was wide, “I'm in.
“Yippee!” escaped from Chloe and she hugged the old man's neck.
Hope I'm not making a big mistake, Tanner had a flash of uncertainty. The past weeks had taught him that he could survive on his own. Was it a smart thing...traveling with five assorted strangers who hadn't been outside of the sanctuary in years or ever? Maybe he could help these people. There would be a whole lot of miles ahead to prove or disprove his doubts.
***
It was the third night away from Far View City for Will, Maggie and Airi. Just as the small campfire heated up the guard from the sanctuary once again stepped out from the cover of the scrub. The man wore pants with multiple pockets and a long sleeved t-shirt, a large pack on his back. He moved forward and squatted by the fire, didn't say a word and neither did Will. When Maggie's startled heart slowed to a reasonable pace and dropped back from her throat, she said, “What the damn hell, man?” She stood across from him, one hand on a hip and the other with a pistol aimed in his direction.
The intruder looked up at the archeologist, who remained silent. Will knew why he was here, he wouldn't need any explanations. Now Maggie, she would be full of questions.
In answer to Maggie the man said, “Will was right, Fa
r View will soon be no more than a big tomb. Tanner is all I have, I need to try to see him again.”
Maggie, still huffing, said, “But how did you catch up? Have you been right behind us all along? When did you leave the bunker...crap! Is anyone still alive in the city?” Will and Airi eased down to the ground, she didn't because she always checked the ground very thoroughly before she lowered herself. “Tom, are you listening to me?”
“Do you think I could have a bite to eat?” said the man as he pulled his arms from the loaded pack.
“No, not until you do some explaining.” She did start to dig around in her pack for a bowl and spoon.
The unexpected visitor said, “There are some still alive at the sanctuary but it's getting worse each day. If you survived there, what would it be for? Like I said, my son is all I have. I left the next evening after you all. I walked through the night, felt pretty certain the direction you would take.” He looked to Will again, “Remember, at the meeting before Tanner left, we established the route he would travel. As long as he's already been gone, I knew that you would decide to take the trail that he intended to return to Far View by way of his return route.
He accepted a bowl from Maggie, “I know I might seem like just an old guard dog but I was Special Forces at one time. I still know how to track and I can walk faster and longer than any of you. I also trusted that Will has a solid instinct to survive in unknown territories. So, I loaded all the supplie that I could handle and I'm with you...right?”
Will stuck out his hand to Tanner's dad, Tom. “Right.”
Maggie had plenty of more questions but she would let the man eat. He and Will were soon in conversation about the trail they would continue to follow towards the sister government sanctuary. It was cool but tolerable. After she and Airi cleared dinner and packed away some gear for the next day's journey, they walked a short distance from the fire. Doing her usual inspection of the ground and area, the beam of her flashlight spilled across the rough terrain. Satisfied, she sat on a large rock and the adopted daughter climbed up beside her.
Airi's dark head dropped back as she scanned the huge canopy of blinking stars overhead. “It's just amazing out here, Mags. Don't you wish we could stay out, not go to the other bunker?”
“I agree sweetie, it's beautiful. It would be so hard to make a life, survive out here. It might have been a big hole in the mountain but Far View was safe. Think of all the conveniences and security we walked away from.”
“It felt like a comfortable prison to me,” said Airi. “How do we know that there aren't other places where people are rebuilding, starting to restore the country? We don't know what is out there.”
Always the cautious pessimist, Maggie said, “Exactly. We don't know what the devil is out there. We need to reach Walker Bunker. If they are well, we'll have support and safety there.” She knew that her young and adventurous daughter didn't agree. As if to back up her own anxiety, a distant sound echoed across the foothills. A choppy eerie howl that wasn't near but definitely the cry of a wild animal out there somewhere, broke the air. Her booted feet slid to the ground, “Okay, time to get back to the camp, girl.”
Airi said, “Just a minute...need to go behind the rock first.”
Maggie's light swept back and forth as she waited and the foreign cry came again, perhaps a bit closer, “Hustle up, Airi. Let's go.”
Back at the fire, the two men had also heard the sounds. Will said, “I would swear that was a hyena. I heard and saw them a lot when I was on the African continent.”
“Yeah, sounded a lot like 'em. I've heard them in other countries, too. Never here, there aren't any hyenas in North America,” said Tom.
“No, you're right. Not any native breeds here, at least never was before. You have to remember the zoos, thousands of animals would've died but many escaped. And then there were those less than brilliant folks who thought having exotic wild animals for pets was a great thing to do. It's anyone's guess what unlikely creatures could be out in the countryside. Hyenas are pretty cunning.”
The two women returned as Tom said, “Not just due to wild animals, I think it would be wise to take turns at guard duty, someone stay awake at all times.”
Maggie gave a little shudder, “I agree. Did you guys hear those howls? Gave me the frickin' creeps.”
Will shook his head, amused as always at his wife, “That's what you have the pistol for. You and Airi know well how to use them. We'll take four hour shifts at guard duty. It might alter our travel patterns a bit, we'll be fine though. Tom, I know you must be beat. I'll stay up and you all get some sleep. Airi, I'll wake you up in four hours and you can take the next shift.” No more unusual sounds that night.
Morning found the four traveling in the direction of the Pecos River, trying to stay on the route that Tanner planned to return to Far View on. The ground under their feet disappeared as slowly as the days. Nearly a dozen days had crept by and the party cautiously approached the source of the twirling smoke they had been seeing for hours. In the old town of Sante Fe they found a sparse number of residents, mostly elderly. The survivors had lived in the village when catastrophe struck and remained there. The refugees were welcomed. For the next two days, they rested.
The town was also home to a small nest of troublemakers. Worthless freeloaders who hadn't really been changed from their original nature. There was a very insignificant brush-up with three of the no-goods, nothing that Will and Tom couldn't easily handle. When the three sat in the simple shelter of an old building that evening, Tom said, “I sure would like to rid these good folks of those scums permanently.” Will didn't respond, let the man talk.
He continued, “Not my place. Obviously, they've been dealing with it on their own, all these years. Hell, they're probably all kin. One thing I learned in my training was stay out of things that aren't your business.”
Will said, “I'd say you're probably right. In all my travels to foreign places where I wasn't the native, just the visitor, I learned the same thing.” He held up his arm, a long scar ran down the back of it. “As a matter of fact, you might say that I learned the lesson the hard way.” An opening that once framed a window looked out on the moon washed decayed townscape, he walked over and placed his hands on the clay ledge, “You know, we've not heard those animal cries since we've been in town.”
“No, but I've heard them several nights.”
“I have, too. Put's me a bit on edge. If they are hyenas or some mixed breed, they've either been very successful at survival and have populated a wide area or the pack that we heard miles and miles behind us have been tracking us,” said Will.
“Is that a possibility? I thought that hyenas were mostly scavengers.”
“Some breeds are scavengers. The large spotted hyenas are hunters. They're heavy built and in their pack they are vicious.” The world traveler shrugged, “Anyway, don't even know what it is that we've heard. Let's look at the map, we better get on to the river tomorrow and head south.”
“Well, we've had a decent rest. I'm sure the women were glad for it. We won't let our guard down in any case. I'm ready to be back on the move.”
They all felt stronger after their brief stop, left the town with even a few of their supplies replenished. The residents lived a pretty spartan existence but did grow their own food and were happy to trade for a bit of game that the men killed. The river was less than a day's walk and they found it swollen with the spring snow melts and rains. The brown waters frothed, rapidly rolled and twisted along towards it's ultimate destination, it's mating with the Rio Grande in southwest Texas. They planned to follow the waterway until it's course ran close to the Walker Bunker.
It was much nearer to nightfall than they usually stopped to make camp. On a flat spot with a stand of low evergreen trees they ended the day's walk. Maggie and Airi gathered wood for a fire and the men brought some water up from the close by flow. The now familiar and unsettling croaking howls split the quiet, closer than they had heard before. Thi
s time a very human scream followed the screeches and a round of gunfire rang out in the commotion.
Will turned to Maggie, “Stay with our gear and get that fire blazing as quick as you can.” She and Airi stood with their pistols drawn, she instantly tucked hers in her waist and started to build the campfire. Tom joined Will, they moved towards the sound of trouble.
Only yards away, beyond the trees the glow of another fire swam. Several dark figures moved around. As they grew near a large flashlight blinded them with it's beam and two guns were leveled at them.
“Who's there?!” said a loud and young voice.
Before they could answer another figure blended with the two and a muted voice said, “He's dead.”
The younger voice took a sharp intake of breath. The holder of the light didn't drop it but cursed, “Damnit, no. Did you see...what was it?”
Then, past the light one of the figures rushed forward and grabbed Tom, “Dad! It's you, what are doing here?” Tanner and Tom were bear hugging and patting each other on the back. All the guns lowered, Chloe dropped to a squat with her hand on her forehead.
Will reached out his hand, “I'm Will. Were you attacked. Who's dead?”
Rafe shook his hand, “It was my friend from Walker Bunker. We've been hearing these weird howlings for days. Then a little while ago we were attacked. Charlie was a little away from the camp, gathering wood. Before we could do anything he was mauled. Oh god, poor Charlie.”
The professor came out of the dark, Cynthia beside him. “Did you say Will? Will from Far View City?”
The Days After (Far View) Page 5