Steve grinned. "Shaun and I can do that. You've taken enough of the dangerous assignments already."
Mike shook his head. "We've all been in dangerous situations today. Just remember, there is, if Michael is correct, at least one of these creatures in there. There may be more."
"Don't worry, I won't forget," Steve said, holding up his axe for everyone to see."
"Good luck, then, everyone. Remember, if things get too dangerous, get back here as fast as you can. If you see your fellows in danger, help them out." Mike was about to let them go, but a thought struck him. "One last thing. You should always be able to see at least one other team. If you can't, find a team to keep near. There is strength in numbers."
***
Mike led the Scouts into the park. It was a surreal feeling; this was a place he had brought his children to many times. There were lots of great memories inside these gates. Now they were here, not to have fun, but to survive.
Mike stood on a bench and looked at the assembled Scouts. “I don't want to lecture you again. I've already done enough of that. Just be careful and, for today, at least, stay out of the buildings. If you see one that is open, please report that back to one of the leaders so we aren't surprised by anything."
Mike hopped off the bench. "Good luck, guys, and stay safe."
The Scouts dispersed, four at a time, their ropes held at the ready. Mike hoped they would all keep their focus.
He looked at Kyle and Martin. They didn't look nervous anymore. "Let's see if we can find a safe place to set up camp. I have a feeling we are going to be here for a while."
Chapter 22
Mike looked over the neatly assembled camp and smiled to himself. While they hadn’t bothered with straight lines or what could be considered military precision, everything was there and ready for use. The tents were all pitched properly and already filled with bedding and the Scouts’ clothes. A kitchen had been set up in a covered area. There were even a couple extra tents in case more survivors were located.
That thought sobered him. How were his wife and daughter? Were they alive, or had they escaped this horrendous plague of undead? He turned to look toward Calgary. He could see only the amusement park’s huge parking lot past the chain link fence. The city lay hidden over a rise.
That didn’t make the need to find his family any less. Only the safety of the Scouts kept Mike from jumping into his truck and driving to his home.
They needed a plan. Rushing into danger wouldn’t help anyone.
“Scouter Mike?” Martin said, breaking Mike’s reverie.
Mike looked at the young man. “Yes, Martin? Is everything okay?”
Martin had dark circles around his eyes and his hair was wild, but he still managed a small smile. “Things are fine, sir. We were going to take Michael for a walk to try and help him recover a bit and stretch his legs. But the dressing on his neck has bled through. I’d like to change it.”
“That’s a good idea, Martin,” Mike said. He looked over where Michael and Ricky sat at a picnic table. “How are they holding up?”
“Ricky’s okay, I think,” Martin said. “I know he’s worried about our family. Michael still seems kinda fuzzed out. I think he knows what’s going on, but every once in a while I don’t think he’s completely here either.”
Mike nodded. “I’m glad you are keeping a close watch on him. We can’t afford for him to turn again, especially around the guys. I don’t want to lose any more of you.”
“I’ll watch him around the clock. I won’t let anything happen,” Martin said.
“That’s not what I meant,” Mike replied. “You need sleep just like the rest of us. And like the rest of us, you can’t do it all. I want you to keep Kyle and Todd around to help you out. Take turns being in charge. Keep a few of the other Scouts around with ropes just in case.”
“I’ll take care of that right now, Scouter Mike,” Martin said, turning to leave.
“Martin!”
Martin stopped and looked at Mike. “Yes?”
“How are YOU doing? I don’t think you’ve stopped working since this began.”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you? Are you really?” Mike put a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “It’s okay to be worried about your family, you know. Heck, my family is almost all I think about.”
Martin looked down at the ground for several seconds before answering. When he spoke again, he had tears in his eyes. “Every time I sleep I see my mom or my dad or my brother or sister. Except, they aren’t alive any more. They’re dead with terrible wounds just like everyone else we’ve found. And then I wonder why I’m alive and they aren’t. It’s better if I just keep working.”
“Better for who?” Mike asked. “If you work yourself to exhaustion and something happens around here, you won’t be any good to anyone. And whether you realize it or not, you are critical to our survival. Your leadership is very important!”
Martin shook his head. “I don’t see how. You, Scouter Steve, and Scouter Shaun are the leaders. I’m only a Scout.”
“No. You are a troop leader too, Martin. The other boys listen to you. You have great ideas and see things we leaders sometimes miss. That makes you important. Besides, if the time comes for us to go into Calgary to find our families, you, Todd, and Kyle are going to have to keep this group going.”
Martin had perked up at the mention of Calgary. “I want to come along when you go!”
“First of all,” Mike began, “I said if the time comes. Second, I also said you three have to stay behind and look after the troop.”
“I really need to come with you,” Martin said. “I have to know if my family is okay or not.”
“And, if you do come, then what?” Mike asked. “How are you going to feel if something happens here while we are gone? Maybe Ricky gets attacked and turned.”
“Ricky?” Martin looked startled.
“Yes, Ricky,” Mike said. “You don’t think he would come too, do you? His job is too important; him staying with Michael might be the most important thing we do right now.”
“Really?”
“We still don’t know what caused all this and I don’t know about you, but I have more questions than answers. Like, why were we spared when everyone else wasn’t? Are there more survivors out there? And that is why Ricky is so important. He brought Michael back from whatever is affecting everyone else. Will Michael coming back from the dead be permanent and will he ever be able to leave Ricky’s side? I don’t know, but it’s encouraging that it happened in the first place.”
Martin nodded. “I suppose it is at that. If it worked for Michael, maybe it can work for others too.”
“Like any of our family members that are turned,” Mike said. “Yeah, I thought of that too. And that is why I need you here if we go into Calgary. I want to know Michael, Ricky, and the rest of the Scouts will be okay.”
***
“Scouter Mike, come quick!” Martin called, running into the tent area. The Scouts had set up camp in the park’s picnic area and were now settled in. A few of the boys, including Ricky with his ever-present shadow, Michael, looked up at Martin.
Mike shaded his eyes to see him better. “What’s going on, Martin?”
Martin knelt to the ground to catch his breath. “There are a bunch of people coming down the road from the highway toward the park!”
“Are they the undead or survivors?” Mike asked.
“I don’t know. They’re too far away to tell for sure.”
Mike grabbed his walking stick and hat. “All right, then. Let’s go have a look!” He turned and faced the remaining Scouts. “Stay put, guys, but be ready to come running. Bring your ropes and be ready to do like you practised. And Ricky….”
“I know, Scouter Mike. Michael and I need to stay together and stay put.” He sounded like he had said that very sentence a hundred times before. As Mike thought about it, he smiled to himself. Ricky very likely had.
“You got it, Ricky
. Michael is very important and so is you sticking with him.” It had been only a few days, but Michael already showed signs of improvement. The wounds on his neck were healing and he was starting to remember things. Important things. Like, when he left Calgary that first day of the undead plague, the city was still okay.
That could only be good. But before Mike would simply allow everyone to go running back, he had to be sure. The cell phones, despite a strong signal at the park, still weren’t working. The phones they had tried in the office didn’t, either.
Not for the first time, Mike wondered if he had made the right decision. Were his wife and daughter still alive? Had his inaction killed them? Everything he was screamed at him to leave and find out but he had responsibilities to these people.
He looked around at the thriving camp. Every Scout had a tent. They had a cook shack and food. The RV dealerships nearby had ensured they wouldn’t be without the necessary equipment to survive at least.
No, he couldn’t leave. Not yet.
Martin stood and followed Mike out of the camp.
“How many people did you say were coming, Martin?” Mike asked.
“I don’t know for sure. Maybe a dozen?”
A dozen? Mike hoped against hope that the dozen were survivors, not more of the dead. But even if they were survivors, that was a pitiful number when one considered that the city had a population of over a million people when the troop had left a week before.
“Well, keep your fingers crossed that these are actual, real live people. I like you guys, but I could really use some new stories. Maybe even some news of the world,” Mike said with a smile. Since they had arrived at the theme park, Steve had been trying to get news through his radio. There had been nothing except for an emergency channel.
Mike got to the gate where several Scouts and the other two Scouters were gathered. “What’s the news?”
Steve turned to face him. A pair of binoculars were in his hands. “Don’t know for sure yet. Whoever, or whatever, they are, they haven’t done much more than clear the outer gates of the parking lot yet.”
“I’m going up on the tower to try and get a better look,” Mike said.
“You’d better take these, then,” Steve handed the binoculars over to Mike.
“Thanks, Steve,” Mike said. He looked closely at the gates. They were securely locked.
Steve caught him looking and winked. “Not my first rodeo, Mike. Nothing is coming through those gates unless I say so.”
Mike grinned. “Sorry. Force of habit now, I guess. “
“Don’t apologize. You wouldn’t be doing much of a job leading us if you didn’t.”
“Thanks, Steve.” Mike turned and trotted over to the park’s observation tower. It was painted a bright turquoise and built to simulate stone. It wasn’t the prettiest building ever, but Mike was grateful it existed. The thing towered almost forty metres above the park and allowed the Scout troop to see for several kilometres in every direction.
He climbed to the top of the tower to get a better look, training the binoculars on the advancing figures. They appeared to be walking normally, although the distance of half a kilometre made it difficult to tell.
Mike stood, watching, still unsure if they were living or dead, until it was obvious the front gate was their goal.
He hurried down to Steve.
“Were you able to make anything out?” Steve asked.
Mike shook his head. “No. They could be alive or they could be dead. It’s like you said; they’re too far away to tell for sure.”
“So, what do we do?”
Mike shrugged. “I guess we wait. If they are living, we need to know why they are coming here before we let them in. If they are dead, their intent is clear enough.”
“You’re the boss,” Steve said with a smile. “Do you want the boys to have anything ready?”
“No,” Mike said. “Maybe we should have Ricky and Michael come by, just in case our visitors are undead. That head injury Ricky suffered that first day seems to encourage the dead to leave us alone.”
Steve’s smile faltered. “I’ve been watching and talking to Ricky. I think that concussion or whatever he had is pretty much healed. He hasn’t been complaining about headaches as much lately. I’m wondering how much of a deterrent he is now.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing, Steve. But see, that’s a good thing in a way too. It means Michael’s recovery is real. It isn’t just his proximity to Ricky anymore.”
“So, you’re saying this, whatever it is, might be curable?” Steve asked.
“I don’t know what I’m saying,” Mike said. “Honestly, I’m just guessing here. I’m no doctor. Heck, I’m barely a Scout leader.”
“That’s where you are wrong,” Steve said. “You’ve done a great job keeping us together and moving forward. I’ll admit, I gave up that first day. After we lost Connall, all I could think about was getting home to my family. When it was obvious that we were never even going to do that either, I gave up entirely.”
“What do you mean?” Mike said. “I still have some hope that we’ll see our families again.”
Steve’s laugh was bitter. “You, better than most, know how unlikely that is, Mike. No radio signals, no one except a single guy found alive by us. What are the odds that there’s anyone left alive in the city.”
“I don’t know the answer to that, Steve,” Mike said. “And maybe this is just me being delusional, but I choose to believe that there are still pockets of people alive in Calgary. We just haven’t found them yet. Maybe these people coming here are some of them.”
“Maybe,” Steve admitted. “I hope you’re right. I just can’t let myself believe at the moment.”
Kyle stood nearby. “Kyle, could you take these binoculars and go up the tower please? When our guests are almost to the entrance, come down and let us know, okay?”
Kyle took the binoculars. “You got it, Dad. I’m guessing you don’t want anyone out there to see me?” He grinned when he said it.
“You took the words right out of my mouth,” Mike said.
Mike marvelled at the boy as he ran to the tower and carefully made his way up to the top. Kyle had really matured over the past week. Come to think of it, most of the boys had matured. Mike was proud to have them as his troop.
The Scouters and Scouts waited anxiously for the visitors to arrive.
Chapter 23
Kyle came scampering down the tower, almost falling in his haste. “Dad, they are almost here! They should be coming down the entry lane in a few minutes.”
“Are they dead or alive?” Mike asked.
“Alive, I think,” Kyle said, his eyes wide with excitement.
“Really? You’re sure?” Steve asked, grabbing him by the shoulders and lightly shaking him.
“Yes, sir,” Kyle said. “They’re all loaded down with heavy packs. Some are shuffling, but I think it’s just because they are tired.”
Steve let him loose and stepped back. He scratched his head and looked at Mike. “I’ll be. I guess you were right, after all.”
“Let’s not celebrate just yet,” Mike said. “I’m optimistic, but I’m realistic too. I’ll believe things are improving after I’ve had a chance to talk to them.”
“Scouter Mike, should we unlock the gates?” one of the younger Scouts asked.
“No, Carl. Leave the gates locked, just in case our visitors aren’t what they seem,” Mike replied.
“But what if they are real people like us? If we leave the gates locked maybe the dead ones will get them.”
“I don’t think that will happen, Carl. But just to be safe, why don’t you take the binoculars and keep watch from the tower? If anything or anyone is following those people, shout out, okay?”
Carl thought about that for a moment before he nodded. “Sure thing, Scouter Mike. I can do that.” He solemnly took the binoculars and ran up the tower steps.
Mike took a deep breath. Carl wasn’t totally wrong to
be worried about the approaching people. If they were all healthy, it wouldn’t be doing them any good service to keep them outside where the dead could attack them. At the same time, he had worked much too hard to keep the boys alive to risk their safety now.
Though it was probably only minutes, it felt like hours while they waited for the people to arrive. Mike could have sworn that every one of the Scouts and Scouters stopped breathing while they waited.
At the sight of the first of the people, there was a collective sigh, almost a groan, from the people around him. It was very clear the person coming toward them was alive!
The man trudging toward the gates was obviously not expecting to see people waiting for him. He stopped as soon as he recognized them for who they were.
“Hello the park!” the man called.
“Hello back atcha,” Mike responded.
“You wouldn’t happen to be a troop of Scouts would you?” the man asked.
That was surprising! Mike’s mind moved at a hundred kilometres an hour trying to figure out how the man might know what and who they were. He looked closely at him. The man’s clothing was dirty and torn and the man himself was filthy. That was obvious even from the several dozen metres that separated them from each other.
“Yes we are. But how do you know about us?”
“We have a couple of your troop back with us. They’re in pretty rough shape, but they did mention you might be coming this way.”
If the word “Scouts” had caught Mike’s attention, the mention of members of his troop really grabbed him. “What did you say?”
“I said, we have some of your Scout troop with us. We found them when we came across the city.”
“What? Who are they?”
The man looked uncomfortable and shook his head. “I don’t know. They were only able to tell me about you before they turned. We didn’t get their names.”
“Turned? What do you mean?”
“Well…you know…turned. They turned into the undead,” the man said.
“You said they were with you. Bring them here! I want to see them,” Mike said.
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