Deep Freeze: Protocol One, Book 2 (Protocol One Saga)

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Which is why the footprints went off.”

  “So more than likely …” He pulled out a map, showing me. “She ran around the stadium, taking the long route to get to Mike. Knowing Mike, he came looking for her if she was taking too long. He may have parked and left the vehicle, and ran on foot. Who knows? There are a lot of different scenarios.”

  “If he shut it off he won’t get it started, key or not.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “It’s a coded ignition.”

  Larry whistled. “Man, you government people.”

  “I’m not government.”

  “Just the ex-husband?” Larry chuckled.

  Larry and Gail knew all about Gil and the bunker, it was part of the conversation we had at that first meeting in the sub.

  We walked down the street called Reedsdale and not only did cars block it, but the wreckage from the overpass extended all the way down. It was apparent that it buckled and fell. The concrete extended nearly to the stadium. The snow covered and camouflaged a lot of the debris, making my footing difficult. Numerous times I nearly tripped or bumped into something I didn’t see.

  As soon as we arrived at the stadium, Larry moved in the direction of the sports complex.

  “Is this a camp?” I asked.

  “Yeah, it became one.”

  “Only mentioned there was supposed to be an underground shelter.”

  “Not on this side of the river. This area was kind of forgotten.” He dropped it at that, we had arrived at a set of double doors, a back entrance and Larry opened the one door. He waited for me to enter first, then I allowed him to pass and I followed.

  After removing our hoods, Larry lit a flashlight as we moved down the blackened hallway to another door. When he opened it, it took me back.

  We emerged into the large belly hallway of the stadium. Tents were set up in an organized manner, fires burned in cans. The openness of the hallway provided enough ventilation.

  I was the freak figure that stood out and people all paused in what they were doing to look at me. Some cooked, others just sat and talked. Some stood by the fire. There were so many people.

  I realized how different I looked, how untouched by the events I appeared in comparison to those living in the stadium.

  Larry led the way, saying hello to people as he passed them. “John Carver runs this camp,” he said, “He’s up there.”

  He pointed to an older man who stood by his own fire can outside of a tent. He didn’t wear a coat, just a hat. He was thick, but that could have been the layers of clothes.

  John Carver laughed and shook his head, extending his hand to Larry. “Look at you all fancy in blue.”

  “It’s warm,” Larry said. “We sure could have used this two weeks ago when we were out.”

  “Tell me about it.” Carver tipped his chin. “Who’s your friend?”

  “Carver, this is Anna Jenner. She’s from The Protocol One camp.”

  “You don’t say.” Carver extended his hand to me. “You part of a rescue movement.”

  “More of a search right now,” I replied. “Once the weather breaks we...”

  “And I keep telling her it’s not breaking soon,” Larry interrupted me.

  I found his interruption odd and made a mental note to ask him about it.

  Larry continued. “She’s searching for her friend. They pulled over to help someone and their vehicle was stolen. Her partner went after them and now he’s lost.”

  “How long?” Carver asked.

  I answered. “A day.”

  “He could have gotten discombobulated,” Carver said. “If you don’t know the city, there really aren’t any solid landmarks. He may be lost.”

  Larry said, “Or hurt.”

  “Or both,” Carver said. “You running the camps on the North Shore?”

  “That’s the plan,” Larry replied, “Horace has taken the ones up by Campus.”

  “Well, we haven’t had any strangers here,” Carver said. “What brought you out of your cozy bunker anyhow?” he asked me.

  Before I could answer Larry did, “Scouting mission. They wanted to see how far the ice was headed. Alright, we’re heading out. We appreciate your help. Her people say there’s a storm coming, big one, too. Buckle down.”

  Carver nodded. “Good luck.”

  Larry placed a hand on my back to turn and guide me.

  “Larry,” Carver called out. “If you’re going down to the row, can you stop in the Mitchell place? Usually one of them kids pops by for something and I haven’t heard or seen them in days.”

  “Sure thing.”

  We said our goodbyes, I thanked Carver and walked away with Larry.

  “Who are the Mitchells?” I asked.

  “Family that has a shelter in an old concert place. We’ll pass it. I was gonna stop there anyhow.”

  Once we were free from earshot of the camp and safely in the dark hallway again, I asked Larry. “Why did you cut me off and not let me speak back there.”

  “It’s not a macho thing or man thing.” He lifted his hood and opened the door.

  In the moments we were inside, the sky grew gloomy again.

  Larry looked up. “I just don’t want you giving too much information. I trust Carver, it’s those around that can hear I don’t trust. Just keep your plans to yourself. Don’t think they’ll hurt you, but they sure as shit will want what you have if they think you got anything. Right now, they probably think whoever took off with your Humvee made off with all your stuff. Keep it that way.”

  “I appreciate the heads up.”

  “Sure thing. It’s a little walk to the next section.” Larry pointed. “It’s also the area where Gina would have ran to meet Mike.”

  “If they took it.”

  “They took it. Unless it’s the Mitchells.” Larry said. “Since they haven’t been seen either. Can’t see how they’d see you coming though. Unless one of their teenagers was out running about and they saw you.”

  “Do you know everyone in this area?”

  “This area yeah. Other side of Ridge Avenue are a few camps. Beyond that we don’t know. This whole area was the forgotten zone. No one really thought about it after the hit. I mean, I did. I thought of the sub right away.”

  “Because you worked there?”

  “Yep. I mean, when they announced the comet, things went crazy. Everything shut down. A huge exodus happened. I kept thinking where are they going. But it was south because of this.” He pointed around then looked up. “They said the next ice age. North especially. I think they were thinking ahead.”

  “You didn’t leave.”

  “No. I followed the plan. That’s where I met Gail and the others.”

  “You aren’t married?”

  Larry shook his head. “And I am glad now I never did or didn’t have kids.”

  “What was the plan?”

  “The plan was for people to go to underground garages, the subway. I wasn’t really seeing the need for it until someone on the radio talked about the heat that would come. I had supplies at my house and I loaded two big duffle bags. My intention was to settle, then go out before the heat hit, if it did. The comet came, all lights went out. Then we had that earthquake, and the ashes came. It was when the heat arrived that people really started hitting the shelters. We were told there would not be supplies in any shelter that wasn’t a FEMA shelter.”

  “You had your own.”

  “I did. So I didn’t worry. I’d ration my water, I’d be good. I guess the government started stocking things before the announcement. I didn’t go to a FEMA shelter, I went to the tallest building in the city. It had five subbasement levels. Third sub basement had the water tanks. And we shut them down. There was about sixty of us there. A lot of folks brought their own supplies. We were good. A lot of people were not deep enough. Even though the city was pretty much spared from the fireballs.”

  “So why did you leave there?”

  “The cold was coming.
Didn’t want to get stuck frozen underground. We worked out a plan, knew we had to get to an isolated spot with buildings we could heat and get in and out of. Carver actually brought up the stadium and I thought about the sub. Hoping, you know, it had the igloo effect once the cold came. We ventured out just as the sky started to darken. I couldn’t tell you how many bodies were cooked on the streets. It smelled bad, and it was horrible for the kids. When we got over this way, we realized it was barren. The buildings around here had a lot of supplies, we did it. We survived. Far too many didn’t survive the cold. We saw that when the temperatures rose a little and we ventured out. One large surviving community. I’ll tell ya, though …” he whistled. “That darkness, oh my God, it was scary. You couldn’t see debris or bodies. It was just scary.”

  I wanted to respond, to comment, but the truth was, I just didn’t know what to say. Immediately I was wracked with guilt over how horrible they’d had it, how rough. I was fortunate and spared of so much.

  “Ah,” Larry said. “Up ahead. See that overpass. That is the road Gina would have ran up to meet Mike.”

  I started to look, but then he changed direction and pointed to the building directly ahead.

  “That’s the Mitchell place.”

  It was across a small lot surrounded by a wall and partial fence. A huge gray building that blended in with the snow and the cloudy weather. It had red posts to a huge awning and next to that the letters AE. It started snowing, not light flakes, but huge soft ones. It was steady. The storm wasn’t passing us.

  Here we go again, I thought. Then I noticed Larry had stopped walking. “What is it?”

  “Something’s wrong.”

  I noticed immediately, the building looked deserted. No tracks in the snow. But more than that. “No smoke.”

  “Yep. No smoke. No fire. No fire … no heat.” He began walking again, only this time he picked up the pace.

  I kept up, never once did he tell me to stay back. I pulled my gun, just in case of trouble and safety on, I placed it in my front coat pocket.

  We made our way up the snow covered side staircase, another sign that something was off. The metal steps were slippery and I had to grasp the railing. Once on the landing, Larry knocked on the door.

  After there was no answer, he pounded, calling out. “Greg? Vickie?”

  A few more pounds and he reached for the door handle. I turned and Larry pushed forward. He coughed once when he stepped in sighed with a grunt of frustration.

  “What? What is it?”

  “Smell that?” Larry asked. “That’s chemical. Something was burned that shouldn’t be.”

  “You think they ran out?”

  “Let’s hope.”

  There was enough daylight coming from the small frosted windows that we didn’t need a flashlight. It was quiet, eerily quiet and ice cold.

  Blankets hung as a makeshift wall, and Larry parted them, stepping into the area and groaning out, “Oh my God.”

  They had curtained off a home. A kitchen table, some chairs. By that a counter top propped on wood. There were cans of food, packages of dehydrated stuff as well. Toys scattered on the floor, by the two leather chairs and a homemade wood burning stove was center of it all. On the other side, two beds crammed together.

  The Mitchell family hadn’t left.

  They were all in bed, the older children on one bed, the youngest snuggled between the parents. They were covered with blankets but what skin was exposed was a pale crystallized blue.

  It hit me. Struck me hard and it was a scene too hard for me to handle. It was all too reminiscent of the family we saw that had frozen to death in the back of the store in Elwood City.

  Families.

  Wanting desperately to be together, trying their hardest to stay alive and despite all their best efforts, they still died.

  What was more horrible than their death is what they endured before they succumbed. It wasn’t lack of trying, they tired. The Mitchell’s, the family in the Elwood store.

  Again I started to feel the guilt of my survival. Had I not been privileged, would that have been me and Jackson? Huddled together, trying to stay warm, and dying because we were just too cold to think correctly or we didn’t know.

  I was fully aware what had become of our world, desolation, the barren and cold frozen cities, I could handle. Death … I could not. I would never get used to seeing it I would not allow myself to become numb to those who died.

  As much as it bothered me, hurt to see, I welcomed the pain as a reminder that I was still human. That I was still able to feel.

  Leaving Larry inside, I raced outside, and as I barreled down the stairs, I lost my footing and slid down the last half of the staircase. The snow somewhat cushioned my fall, but it still hurt. Lifting, up I moaned out as a pain shot down my right leg. It wasn’t broken, I hit my lower back.

  Walk it off. Walk it off, I told myself and moved forward. I stomped in the snow, pouting like a child, irritated by my fall and upset over the death of a family I did not know.

  “Anna,” Larry called. “You all right?”

  I looked over my shoulder behind me. He was walking down the stairs. “Yeah, I just …” I swung out my arm in frustration and turned. “Fell. I’ll be …” Had I not been standing in that spot away from the stairs. Had I not spun my body at just the right angle, I would never have seen it.

  And even then it was just a glimpse.

  I ran closer to the wall and through the fence.

  “Anna!” Larry yelled. “What is it?”

  On the street by the overpass, the one that Larry guessed would be Gina’s route, it was there.

  Partially hidden by the snow, it blended in so well, it could have been an optical illusion. But it wasn’t. Two blocks up the road, to the side, maybe abandoned or even crashed.

  It was our Humvee.

  ELEVEN – SLICK SPOT

  The snow on the road had thickened and hardened from the temperature drop, and the new snow flew up like dust as Larry and I raced across the parking lot to the street.

  The whole run I kept thinking, Let that be it. Please let that be it and not some pile of rubble.

  It was the Humvee.

  The front end of the Humvee faced us at an angle, off to the left side of the road, resting just before the overpass near a building. The grill of the vehicle a mere inches from a steel pillar. It was covered in a thick layer of snow and its white body just blended in.

  From first view it looked fine, just buried in snow and I ran. Larry was faster and made it there before me. Then again, in my haste, my foot caught something, and I tripped. The fall sent me a foot forward and stumbling to the ground. I gathered myself, would worry about any injuries later and got to the Humvee.

  “This it?” Larry asked.

  “Yeah, yeah, it is.” I caught my breath and started to clear the snow with my hands.

  “Doesn’t look wrecked,” Larry said, walking around. “I don’t see damage. What the hell? Maybe it caught debris.”

  “Check the tires,” I said and cleared the driver’s window. It was empty inside.

  “All good. Odd.”

  “So is this.” I opened the door. “It was just abandoned. Are there any camps nearby?”

  “Actually, right there.” He said with a point. “The M Station has a small one.”

  I looked quickly, then back inside. “The keys are still in the ignition.”

  “Can you get it started? Do you know the code?”

  “Yeah, I do.” Hand resting on the door frame, I bit my lip. What had happened? “I’ll give it a try. If it starts we can get the radio working or charge Gwen’s …”

  “Son of a bitch.”

  Larry’s sudden blast of angry profanity caught my attention, I stepped back and looked. Larry bolted toward another person. That man turned and like a professional wrestler, Larry hurled himself in the air, spearing the individual to the ground.

  Before I could react and find out what was going on, Larr
y lifted the man by the scruff of his coat and dragged him my way. It happened so fast, I had a hard time registering it. He slammed the man against the side of the Humvee.

  “What... what’s going on?” I asked.

  “This is Mike.”

  A peep of a groan seeped from my throat in my shock. This Mike looked like a kid. Maybe twenty or so, not much older than Jackson. He was thin with grown out brown hair and he looked scared.

  Larry slammed him again. “Did you take this vehicle?”

  Mike didn’t speak, he muttered out sounds. Fearful sounds.

  “Answer me!” Larry ordered.

  Scared and almost weepy, Mike answered. “Yes. We saw them coming. We didn’t mean harm. We just …” his head lowered. “We thought there were more. They wouldn’t miss it.”

  It was overwhelming and I tried to catch my breath, I asked calmly. “There was a man who chased after Gina. Did you see him?”

  Mike’s head bobbed, as if he was crying. He seeped out a ‘Yes’.

  “Oh my God.” My hand shot to my mouth.

  “What happened?” Larry asked hard.

  “I didn’t mean … I was coming to get Gina. I didn’t mean to. I swear to God, I didn’t mean to. I hit a slick spot when I turned. I lost control. I didn’t mean to.” Immediately his head dropped farther and he started to cry.

  “Didn’t mean to do what?” Larry questioned.

  I was scared of the answer, I truly was. My ears rushed with blood and heart raced.

  Then he said, “I hit them.”

  My eyes closed instinctively and I reached for the Humvee for support.

  Mike continued, “The man was with her. Holding her arm. I saw them, I couldn’t stop.”

  Grasping his coat, Larry slammed his again. “Where are they?”

  Slowly and shaking, he raised his arm and pointed behind me.

  Oh my God, I had tripped over something and never bothered to see what it was. I ran back to the spot, clearly marked by the scuffed snow and saw it. When I tripped, my boot removed snow from the mound, exposing a small black spot. I dropped to my knees scared to death to uncover the mound. It was hard and solid. One sweep of my glove over the snow, exposed an arm, then a hand.