They had seen no living people.
Walking now in the bright sun that teased spring while a crisp breeze spoke of winter not yet gone, Nowen looked around and got her bearings. Almost due south of her and about two miles away the high arcs of multi-lane highways curved away into the depths of a good-sized city. The skyline looked familiar; tall buildings but no skyscrapers, the ragged edge of the Rocky Mountains rising from the flatland off to the right.
“That’s Ft. Collins, right?” she asked.
Tuck moved up next to her, looking in the same direction. Nowen watched him from the corner of her eye; the breeze strengthened momentarily and wrapped his clothes tight to his body. Ok, he only looks slight, she thought, taking in the sharply delineated outline of muscular arms and legs. Add strength to his ability to intimidate - he might be more of a problem than I thought.
“Yes, that’s Ft. Collins.”
“And where are you headed, exactly?”
Tuck turned his graying head to look at her, and Nowen took a small moment’s pleasure in the fact that he had to look up. His mirrored sunglasses threw small sparks of light into her eyes. She waited for an answer while he seemed to be studying her intensely. Finally he spoke. “Colorado Springs.”
From memory Nowen brought up the parts of the Colorado map she had pored over. Colorado Springs was below Denver. Exeter was to the northeast of Ft. Collins. “What’s there?”
“Air Force bases.”
“And?” she asked, half-listening as she searched for a road sign that mentioned Exeter.
“Curious, aren’t you? Very well. Perhaps there is still some military presence there, in which case we’ll find safety. If there isn’t any military left, then we will at least have found weapons, food, and shelter.” Tuck crossed his arms as he finished speaking.
Nowen turned her attention to him fully. “And if all these bases are overrun with the dead?”
“I will deal with that problem if and when it arises.” The certainty in his tone implied he didn’t think there would be a problem.
“What, exactly, are you up to? And why are you keeping those people prisoners?”
At this Tuck sighed and uncrossed his arms. He turned and walked away, and Nowen was forced to follow. There were approaching the end of a long string of storage units. The vehicles and the people were several hundred feet away at this point. Tuck came to the wire fencing that bordered this area and stopped, facing a wide swath of overgrown grass that led down to several weather-beaten shacks. He waited until Nowen was near before he spoke again.
“People are often their own worst enemy,” he said, “and cannot always see the big picture over their own petty concerns. I’ve seen this. I’ve seen how people wander, lost, in need of leadership. Strong leadership. This...virus, or flu, of act of God, whatever you want to call it - it’s a blessing in disguise.” His calm, even voice was rising as he spoke. His hands curled through the gaps in the wire fence. “The slate has been wiped clean. The chaff has been winnowed from the wheat, and those who can lead will take control. The strong will follow, and the weak will serve. I am that leader. I have been waiting for this opportunity to present itself, and now that it has I will not falter!”
Nowen looked at the shorter man. He was facing the empty city but seemed to see something else, some grand design only for his eyes. He’s insane. “So, what happened? Didn’t get made Troop Leader?”
Tuck whirled on her, his face flushed with anger. The wolf eagerly shifted, ready to teach this challenger a lesson. “Do not mock me! I am the one in charge here! Me!” He paused, breathing heavily, fighting for composure. When he spoke again he seemed to be in control of himself again. “It’s better for all of you to be under my protection. You have food and shelter and safety; what could be better than that? I provide those things and in return you follow my leadership. Causing distractions and seeding unrest among your fellow travelers can only lead to problems. And those problems can only have unpleasant solutions.”
He’s talking about me. Her thoughts were proven true when Tuck removed his sunglasses and fixed his gaze on her. “Unpleasant and permanent solutions.”
She met his eyes, amber against ice-blue. Careful, she cautioned herself, but couldn’t stop the words that came out on a snarl. “I don’t take well to threats.”
Tuck didn’t blink. “I don’t want to kill you.” he replied. “I actually like you. I’ve been watching you.” Lot of that going around, evidently. “You have what it takes to make it in this new world. I would prefer to have you on my side than arrayed against me.” His voice was smooth and even. There was no sign of the anger of a few moments ago.
“Then remove the cuffs.” Nowen interrupted.
A thin smile spread across his face. “You have yet to prove yourself loyal. Do you like being stuck back there, among the sheep? I don’t think you do. So, let’s talk openly.”
Movement drew Nowen’s attention, and she looked at the grassland past the fence. Two Revs had staggered from behind one of the tumble-down shacks and started up the slight hill that led to the self-storage, led on by the human scent carried on the wind. She glanced back at Tuck; his back was against the fence and he seemed oblivious to what was behind him. “Ok. What do you want?”
Tuck raised one hand before him, and then curled his thumb against his palm. “One: stop fighting with Oliver.” The index finger folded down next. “Two: stop fighting me and my leadership.” The other fingers dropped as he continued. “Three: let me know if your fellow travelers speak out against me. Four: let me know if your fellow travelers plot against me. Five: prove you want to be a member of my team.” He dropped his hand back to his side. “Any questions?”
Nowen cast a quick glance back down the hill. The Revs were still approaching. Ragged clothes flapped around their mold-colored limbs. Yellow teeth that almost matched their eyes had begun to chew the air as the scent of prey continued to flow over them. If I can keep Tuck right there just a little longer... “When do the cuffs come off?”
Again the thin smile. “Let’s see how you’re doing in a week.”
The shuffling of the Revs was muffled by the overgrown grass. Gaping holes in their throats kept them from making any sound. Nowen thought their clothing looked like postal service uniforms. They were closer to the fence now, but not as close as she needed. Stall! She gave Tuck her full attention. “So you need a spy and a right-hand man. Oliver and Matt not quite cutting it, huh?” No response from Tuck, just that same constant gaze. “How do you know I won’t turn against you?”
“I believe you’re smarter than that. Also, judging from the backpack you had on when we found you, you were going somewhere. You have your own destination in mind, correct? You help me, I help you.”
Another quick look at the Revs. They were just a bare twenty feet away from the fence now. She slowly shook her head. “I’m not interested in whatever power trip you’re on. The best thing for us both is for you to let me go. I have my own destination and you’re just slowing me down.”
Tuck cocked his head curiously. “Where do you want to go?”
Nowen let a slow, insulting grin curl her lips.”None of your business.” Almost there, almost there.
The wiry man looked away from her. Nowen could see a muscle twitch along his jaw line. He’s angry again. Good. Just keep his attention on me.
The grey-green hands were very close now. She took a step to the left, positioning herself in front of Tuck. Just reach out and push him against the fence. And keep him there. So, distract him. “The consensus in the camper is that you were in the military. Is that right?”
“What do you think?” Tuck said, looking at her.
“I think you’re really good at bluffing.” Get ready, get ready...
Now the smile that spread across Tuck’s face was wide and genuine. “Better than you, my dear.” He stepped away from the fence a split-second before the first Rev reached it. “You would never have made it as a poker player. Too many te
lls.” He laughed as he walked past her to rejoin the others, and as she turned to watch him go she couldn’t keep from growling, low and deep in her throat.
Chapter Sixteen
Now
Nowen braced herself against the swaying motion of the camper and looked out the small window set in the door. They had left the self-storage unit about five hours ago, and now the little caravan was making it slow way down a neighborhood that still showed signs of its well-to-do past in large houses and expensive cars. Except that those houses now sat on unkempt, dead lawns and the cars sat on flat tires. The street itself was surprisingly clear of wreckage and debris; what was slowing them down was the presence of the Revs.
In the deep quiet the sounds of their engines carried far and wide and the Revs responded like they heard the dinner bell. Nowen watched now as a mass of them trailed alongside the camper, grasping for any purchase with their mold-colored hands. A steady, monotonous moaning rose and fell from the Revs like an eerie heartbeat. She knew there were more of the creatures than she could see; an almost constant crunching sound came from the wheels as the dead were mowed down by the truck and camper.
No matter how many were destroyed, the number that she could see through the window never grew smaller.
From behind her Lennon sighed. “Still there?” he asked.
Nowen watched as one lucky Rev managed to hook his ragged hand through the door handle. His yellowed eyes saw her. He bared his teeth and growled, his tattered suit flapping in the breeze. He still wore a blue-and-black striped tie, and a gold tie clip flashed in the sun. The camper pulled the man along for a few yards before he tumbled loose and disappeared into the crowd.
She looked over her shoulder at Lennon. “Still there.”
He sighed again, running a hand through the wispy beard that had sprouted from his chin. “God, what I wouldn’t do for a shower.”
“Not going to happen today, I think.”
“I’d settle for a bathroom break soon.” This came from Zoe, who didn’t seem to like being left out of any conversation Lennon had with anyone.
Nowen shook her head. “Unless we can break free of the Revs, I don’t see that happening any time soon, either.”
Zoe exaggeratedly rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Captain Obvious.”
Lennon opened his mouth, probably to chide Zoe again; Nowen caught his eye and gave a subtle shake of her head. She turned back to her post and watched the ravenous horde. It was easier to let the young woman get her jibes in than try to stop her. Tuck and his men were either oblivious to the stewing tempers in the camper or didn’t really care if their prisoners went crazy, as long as they obeyed orders.
A heavy wave of weariness swept over Nowen, and she dropped her head against the door, closing her eyes in the process. I’m so tired of this she thought. I’m tired of these people. I’m tired of Tuck and his pathetic attempts at bullying me. I’m tired of Oliver and his useless bluster. I’m tired of Matt, who never stands up to the others. A soft growl echoed through her head. And I’m tired of fighting you. I can’t change with these cuffs on. I tried, remember? It didn’t end well. The muscles in her arms twitched in sympathetic memory of the pain that had swept her to the thin edge of oblivion the one time she had tried to change. Even the memory of her bones creaking, ready to snap, could set her nerves on fire. Strong as the wolf was, the constraint of the cuffs was stronger.
And I’m tired of being tired. The constant strain of controlling both the wolf and herself was wearying, and sleep brought little respite. In her dreams she ran across the open plains of Wyoming, hunted rabbits in the Vedauwoo Mountains, slept under the endless diamond stars. She woke from her restless slumber with a deep and endless longing to go home.
She felt a presence next to her and opened her eyes to see Lennon looking out the window. “I meant to ask you, did you find out what Tuck’s plan is? I saw you and him talking earlier.” he said.
“He wants to go to Colorado Springs, to some air base, and either take supplies or take it over.”
“And that’s his plan?”
“Lennon, I don’t think he has a plan. He’s like- “she struggled to find the right description, “He’s like a lower pack member who wants to be on top, and now has the chance. And will do anything to stay there. I actually think he might be insane.” Pack member?! Try to remember you’re human. Nowen glanced at the young man, but he didn’t same fazed by her choice of words. Instead he nodded slowly as he looked back out the window.
“I can see that. He wasn’t bullied, but he wants to be the bully.”
They stood in companionable silence for a few moments. Nowen, to her surprise, found herself casting about for something to say to continue the conversation. Do I actually want to talk to someone?
She cleared her throat. Lennon looked at her questioningly. She tried a smile, but it felt unnatural and she dropped it. “You’re obviously not from around here.”
His lips quirked in a slight grin. “That obvious? No, I live in London. England. I’m a-or rather, I was a- manager of a music store.”
“What were you doing here in America?”
His face fell. His eyes took on a distant look as he spoke.”My boyfriend is from Colorado. He works at a bank in London, and hadn’t seen his family in about a year. So we took this trip to visit his home, see the country.”
Nowen remember what Zoe had said, that first day in the camper. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Even to the wolf the comment sounded fake. “What was his name?”
Lennon laughed quietly. “Travis Hunter. Such a cowboy name, huh? But he is very special to me.”
Nowen tried to think of something to turn the conversation away from this dark road. “You never told me your first name.”
“Ha! Very well. Brace yourself...it’s Mycroft.”
Nowen looked at the young man blankly. “What?”
He smiled. “ ‘Mycroft’. Sherlock Holmes’ brother? My father was quite the fan of Doyle.”
“That couldn’t have been easy, growing up with a name like that.”
“Actually-” Whatever Lennon was going to say next was cut off by a rough jolt that shook the camper. Nowen looked out the window to see that the nice neighborhood had changed to office buildings and restaurants. “We’re going faster!” Zoe said from behind her, and as Nowen watched the mass of Revs stumbling alongside the camper thinned out and then disappeared. They took a corner at speed and shouts of fear and surprise filled the interior as the camper rocked violently to one side.
Lennon stumbled and fell to the floor. Nowen managed to keep her post by the door. They had entered a more run-down area now, strip malls and gas stations and cheap motels. With a squeal of brakes the truck and camper took another corner. Behind her came a loud grunt of pain. Through the window Nowen caught a glimpse of a sign pointing to a highway junction. “They’re trying to get off the side-streets.” she said to no one in particular.
“They’re trying to kill us!” Zoe shrieked.
Another rough turn and then their motion smoothed out and their speed increased. Nowen listened to the low murmur of voices behind her and watched the landscape unfold out the window. She thought they were on the east side of Ft. Collins, and she saw small suburbs and industrial parks tick by. Everything she caught a glimpse of showed decay and abandonment. There was a long manufacturing plant of some kind that had no unbroken windows. An area of about four blocks that ran parallel to the road they were on had caught fire sometime in the past, burned down to a few lonely struts of blackened wood. A faded sign outside a trailer park begged for help in large and ragged letters. She searched for any markers that would show where they were but saw none.
After about thirty minutes of smooth driving, broken occasionally by sudden swerves to avoid obstacles, the camper slowed down. A much gentler turn this time, and everyone went to the windows to watch as they pulled into what looked like a junkyard. Matt ran past, heading to the rear of the camper, and then came a screech of rusty
metal. They were fenced in.
It took their captors another thirty minutes to release them. At the familiar sound of the lock and chain rattling loose from the door Zoe leapt to her feet. She muscled her way past Nowen and didn’t wait for Matt to call them out; she shoved the door open and jumped down, cursing loudly. The rest of the captives looked at each other; from outside Zoe’s stream of profanity was abruptly cut off by a slap.
Finally the call came to come out. Nowen let the others leave first, following the wretched group into the overcast day. Tuck, Oliver, and Matt stood some distance away, near a dilapidated garage. Tuck had a tight grip on Zoe’s arm and was speaking to her in a low, intense voice. Nowen concentrated and could make out some of the threats he was making to the young woman. None of them were pleasant and a lot of them involved turning her over to Oliver. Zoe’s face was pale as milk and bright tears shimmered in her eyes when she searched for help among the others’ faces. Only Lennon met her gaze. She didn’t look at Nowen.
Nowen turned away from the scene and took in her surroundings. The garage was the only building in the large, fenced-in area. A battered, hand-painted sign advertised used parts at cheap prices. Junked cars, in every state of disrepair, filled most of the space around the building that she could see; the rest was taken up by piles of rusty hubcaps, mufflers, and car parts that Nowen had no name for. Their two vehicles and the camper were filling what space remained, right in front of the garage. She drew in a breath of air, scenting for anything dangerous, and at first only got back the smells of rust and metal. Then the odors of unwashed human bodies came to her - but these were not the ones of her fellow captives. She turned her head back and forth, trying to narrow down from which direction the smell was coming from.
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