by Nadia Hutton
Lena joined her. “Maybe. Keep on an eye on him, and cover me!”
Lena laid Kozol by Charlotte’s feet, the man protesting at being left behind. Lena ripped off the sleeve of her shirt, balling it up and pressed it to his side. “Stay with Charlotte.”
Lena jogged back down the road to the dead guard. She rolled the man over to get to the straps of his flamepack. She checked the canisters, relieved to find them undamaged. She hoisted the weapon onto her back. It was heavy but no worse than carrying Kozol.
She didn’t go straight back to the fence, instead she circled around, counting on Charlotte to keep the sniper’s attention. From the corner of the next street over Lena could see Charlotte’s silhouette against the flames as she took shots at the hidden enemy.
The flamepack had a range of fifty plus feet but the gap between any kind of cover and the edge of the tree line on the other side of the fence was nearly twice that. Unless she wanted to step into the open, she would need some height. She glanced up at the building above her. The flames had a foothold, care of its consumed neighbor, but its leading edge, the one that mattered, was untouched.
Lena leapt for the nearest handhold and began climbing. When she reached the top, she could feel the heat on her skin and she struggled to breathe through the smoke.
She stayed low and readied the flamepack, unhooking the nozzle from its cradle. She picked her target, angled the nozzle, and pressed the trigger. The igniter clicked and a thin stream of liquid fire arched high over the fence. In a bright flash, the trees burst, the brush taking off in flames that illuminated the uniformed snipers who fled from their posts. She ducked, hearing a bullet whizz past her. She shrugged out of the flamepack and drew her pistol, managing to shoot down a fleeing enemy and another who’d stopped to aim in her direction before she turned her attention to the climb down. The sounds of rifle shots faded to the opposite edge of the camp. Their path was clear.
“That was your plan?” Charlotte shouted at her when she returned, “Setting our exit on fire?”
“It got rid of them, didn’t it?” Lena yelled back, pulling Kozol across her shoulders, “You’re going to have to help me get him over the fence.”
“What makes you think I’m helping you?”
“You’re coming with me!”
Charlotte scoffed, “You’re mad!”
Lena yelled back, “And staying here is sane?”
Charlotte swore, “Shit. Fine. I’m coming with you. But I’m not climbing that damn fence. Get out of the way.”
Charlotte disappeared and returned a moment later behind the wheel of an ancient pickup truck that someone had lovingly restored to gas-guzzling prime. Charlotte gunned the engine and rammed the fence to the ground. Charlotte threw open the passenger door and gestured for them to hurry up and get in. Lena carried Kozol forward as refugees streamed past them to climb over the remains of the fence and run for the burning trees.
Kozol bucked against her, “Calvin,” he moaned, “You told me we’d get him out. I need to find him.”
Kozol’s blood ran down the side of her body as she paused to reply.
“Hey, Daywalker,” Charlotte shouted, “If you’re crazy enough to go after him, I’ll take your friend. I have coordinates for an old bomb shelter further up the highway. We’ll meet you there.”
“Okay,” Lena agreed, transferring Kozol to the front seat. Charlotte gave her the coordinates and she took them down on her wrist pad, “I will be back, Kozol. I promise.”
Lena ran back into the inferno, calling Calvin’s name as she went. She rushed past other refugees, shooting one guard who tried to stand in her way. She heard her name called and she turned to see Calvin, his face and hands covered with blood.
Then she noticed them. Five others were standing with him in a group, looking around in concern, pistols out. That made their number nine, not eight. She thought then of Kozol slowly bleeding to death in a bomb shelter and it chilled her further.
“We need to get out of here,” Calvin shouted, “We’ve been trying to get over the fence, but their snipers keep cutting us off.”
“The other way is clear. It’s on fire, but the flames flushed the snipers out of hiding and there are fewer people shooting at you.”
“Great,” one of the men grumbled, “Bloody terrific.”
“Lead on,” Calvin said, “Get us out of here.”
Lena led them back through the burning town, wary of the smoke that was building around them. In a fearful thought, she worried the itch in her lungs was more than smoke inhalation, but tossed it aside. She had only been in contact with Calvin and Kozol since arriving, the odds were…
And yet when she saw Calvin’s ashen face, she started to wonder.
Her first priority was to get them out of the fire.
As they made their way into the forest, she called up her compass application on her wrist pad, trying to figure out how to make their way to the bomb shelter. With the grid down, she wouldn’t be able to figure out a precise route so it would have to do. She was lucky enough that the wrist pad still had a charge at all.
Covering her face again, each of them with a hand on the shoulder in front, Lena led them over the mountain, the smoke rising with them as they tried not to breathe in the ash and soot.
They cleared the worst of it, the rain making a smoky mist across the sky. She pulled out her compass again and made her calculations. The shelter was only a few hours away and hopefully the other two would already be there.
*
Lena was weary as they entered the shelter, Charlotte closing the heavy door behind them. The others went immediately to the ration pile, drinking water so quickly that one vomited in the corner and apologized profusely.
Lena went over to Kozol’s side, Calvin’s face paling as he saw Kozol’s poor condition. Charlotte said softly, “I’ve done the best I can, but I’m not a doctor.”
“I am,” a young woman called out from the refugees. She was fairly short, skin like sandalwood, eyes like molasses, her black hair buzzed close to her head. She walked over to them, pulling back Kozol’s bandage with care as she examined the wound.
She looked over at Calvin and said, “I need some assistance. Will you help me?”
“Gladly,” Calvin replied.
“Then go over with the others and get them something to eat. You’re making me nervous.”
Calvin grumbled and did as she asked. The doctor then turned to Charlotte, “I see you’ve been treating it with alcohol. That’s good, but continued use will cause an infection because of the sugars. I need something cleaner than that. I will also need a knife and a needle and thread. I’m sure you should find something to do the trick here.”
“You’re just going to take the bullet out?” Lena asked.
“The wound will heal better without it. He hit mainly tissue, which is lucky. His stomach muscles might never be strong again, though. If we had a full surgical team, I could do something. But this is what I can do to save his life.”
“Are you a surgeon?”
“OB-GYN,” the woman laughed. “But you’d be surprised what strange injuries you see at a free health clinic. I’ve seen my share of gunshot wounds before. My name is Janiya by the way. That way you know what to yell at me when it turns out we all have plague.”
“Do you think any of us do?” Lena asked.
Janiya shook her head. “It’s hard to know. I doubt it. I don’t even know if it actually exists or if it’s just mass hysteria. People tend to lose their heads in chaos. They also seem to love any excuse to shoot each other. That’ll stop when bullets become a bit more scarce.”
“We have a stockpile,” Lena said, “It’ll serve us until we get to the base. We can figure it all out there.”
Kozol looked up at her groggily and murmured, “We have too many.”
Lena said nothing, but Janiya raised a
n eyebrow, understanding the intent if not the exact meaning. Charlotte returned with her tools and Janiya took them gratefully.
“Alright ladies,” Janiya said, “You may not want to watch this bit.”
*
Calvin sat up with Lena as the others slept in an exhausted pile under the damp blankets. Kozol was slightly off to the side, making sure nothing would tear his stitches, Janiya sitting by his side in a protective stance, even as she dozed off.
“The other four,” Calvin said to her quietly, “There’s Henry, the redhead. He’s a survival guide for American tourists. He’ll know what we can and can’t eat out there. Shannon to the right of him, she’s military. Ours, not theirs. The man beside her is Jean. He escaped from the east. Apparently the American-occupied north is not faring well right now either. He’s a carpenter. Always useful to have one of those. That last one is Elias. He’s an ex-Jesuit, and he’s got a rather mean right hook. He also happens to be fluent in six languages.”
“There’s still too many of us. And if Sam is there…”
“We’ll figure it out,” Calvin replied, “We’re not leaving anyone behind. Besides…”
“We might not all make it even that far,” Lena said quietly.
Calvin looked over at Kozol and sighed, “No, we might not.”
*
When they woke the next evening, the smoke had settled and it was easier to breathe. They waited still another day, hoping that whoever had started the fire would be far enough away.
Kozol was strong enough to walk across the shelter.
*
As the sun set in the sky, the nine of them walked out of the shelter, closing the decrepit door behind them. The fires had settled now, and the sky was clear enough to see the stars. With the directions Kozol had given her, Lena led the group forward, Charlotte at her side with shotgun in hand, and Shannon bringing up the rear, her quiet stance a comfort as they moved forward.
Halfway through the night, the first withdrawal symptoms arrived and Calvin gave them dried leaves to chew into a paste as they walked.
Chapter Eleven
On the eighth day, the chemical withdrawal far behind them like a hazy nightmare, they crested the rolling hills and Kamloops lay stretched out before them, the buildings still standing proudly, the rivers still running clean and crisp under the moonlight.
Kozol walked ahead, looking down at the city with quiet judgment. He turned to Lena and said, “We’ll resupply here. We’ll split up into three groups of three. One team will go into the city to look for supplies and gather information, one team will stay here and make camp, and I need the last to refill our water supply. I’ll stay. Calvin will lead the team into the city. That means you’re on fresh water duty.”
*
Janiya, Lena, and Elias made their way down into the valley, following the paths of other roads until they reached the waterfront. They rested, drinking from the river, passing the purifier between them. The water was oddly warm. Lena coughed slightly as it went down, feeling like she had just slurped bathwater.
Janiya heard the click of a gun first, her head darting around as she picked up Lena’s pistol. She watched the trees and called out, “I know you’re there, come out!”
Yet no one came.
Lena gestured to Elias to grab their canteens. They did not know how much longer they would have to restock safely. When they refilled all of their containers, Lena stood, passing a third of them to Janiya. Reluctantly, she put the pistol back in Lena’s holster and helped them carry the water up the mountain.
*
They made it to camp just as the sun was rising. All three went under the reflective tenting, the dark space warm with the breath of the others. They lay side by side as the sun grew bright enough to pierce through the shielding with ease.
Calvin’s group had still not returned.
*
It was almost evening again when Kozol pulled Lena out of the tent. She put on her jacket, feeling almost cold after a long day in the hot tent.
Kozol asked, “How long do we wait?”
Lena frowned.
Kozol replied, “I’m not a fool. I’m not risking the rest of us for three, but I’m not in a great position to make this decision. Especially since… Well, it might be better with three less…”
“They don’t know yet?”
“I don’t think they do.”
Kozol said quietly, “You know how to get there now. If by midnight they’re not back, I’m going after him. Get the others there. We’ll meet you if we can.”
“If he’s not back, he might be dead,” Lena replied, more harshly than she meant to.
“Then I’ll see him in hell,” Kozol replied, angrily storming back into the tent.
She sighed and looked over the mountains down to the south. They would be going too far north soon; this was the last highway junction that could take her to Kelowna. She half wondered if she should try to go south, but in her heart, she knew, her father was either dead or had long fled the city. He was not a man to wait around for rescue.
She heard the whirring of an old army helicopter and looked upward, curious at the strange sight. She stood transfixed, watching it fly overhead.
At least they were not alone.
*
Calvin arrived a few hours later, Henry and Charlotte trailing behind him with large packs on their backs. Kozol greeted them cordially, though Lena could see his face light up at seeing Calvin safe.
Charlotte and Henry split up the food among the others as Calvin gathered them just outside their structure.
“We have learned some information,” Calvin said. “It’s not something you’ll want to hear, but it’s necessary. I want everyone to make the right decision for themselves. We may not want to continue east.”
“What’s wrong?” Janiya asked, looking at the other two in his group.
“The creatures have moved inland. They’ve invaded all of North America. People have gone missing. Others have been infected and have been dying. Whatever plague they’re carrying may even be airborne now.”
“And the colonies?” Jean asked. “Is it possible for us to go elsewhere? P-180 must have sent a response, at the very least.”
“All communications have failed,” Charlotte stated, “All ships have been destroyed.”
“By the creatures?” Jean asked.
“By us,” Calvin admitted.
There was a pregnant pause before Calvin said, “The government made a decision. The infection cannot spread to the colonies, and if the creatures learn of them they too would be in danger. All records of the space colonies have been destroyed. There was an order, it was carried out weeks ago. There is no longer a way off this planet unless…”
“Unless the creatures are taking us off planet,” Lena finished.
“Do you think they are?” Janiya asked.
“I don’t know,” Calvin admitted, “There were so few people in the town … the ones there, they looked ill. It’s growing colder, yes, but there’s no corpses. Radios aren’t picking anything else up. The best bet might be to get out of North America entirely, but it may be worse elsewhere and who knows what will happen if we’re caught trying to leave. The best way may be to simply disappear.”
“We need more information than that,” Kozol said.
“What we need to do is get to the base,” Lena said. “Look, we’re at least eight days away now and we’re lucky we’ve all made it this far. It’s our best shot.”
“And then what?” Janiya asked. “We sit in a hole all together while the world ends? We can fight back. We can survive.”
“How?” Lena asked skeptically. “Nine of us, injured and frostbitten and sunburnt? Five guns, maybe, among all of us? Taking down an unknown force with unknown weaponry? This is not our battle.”
The two glared at
each other as Calvin interrupted, “Look. The point is this. The highways will split from here. We can go north and try to get to the base and possibly freeze to death, or we can go south and try to find some safety with the Americans and possibly be shot or abducted or whatever other grizzly fate these aliens have for us.”
It was the first time anyone had said the word out loud and they looked at him in a strange fear. Humans had a foothold in the frontier of space and yet they’d never encountered aliens before. Over a hundred years of listening, searching, with no contact and now no one wanted to admit the possibility. It seemed too impossible.
“North,” Lena said quietly.
Janiya sighed, “North.”
The rest followed, voting unanimously to continue their trek. Without further question, they broke up the camp and began their journey out of the city.
*
Janiya came out of the tent, her head hung slightly as the others watched for any sign of activity. “Snake bite,” Janiya muttered to Lena in shame. “All because of a stupid snake. If I had more supplies or more time… I should have been able to help her.”
“We can’t linger,” Kozol said.
“I know,” Lena said quietly, “I’ll deal with it.”
Lena went into the tent, knife in hand. Shannon shuddered in her arms until it was over. Lena refused to cry as she came back out of the tent. Janiya tried to reach out to her in comfort, but Lena pushed her hand away, walking off into the forest by herself.
*
Golden was all but abandoned when they reached the town limits. Calvin was charmed as a deer walked up the street and held its snout out for food. He gently reached out, stroking the creature’s side until it grew impatient and walked away.
The snow was sticking here. The winter was strong enough even to counteract the effects of the sun. It would be the last settlement until the base, Kozol warned, so they must raid what they could before the final trek into the mountains.
Janiya and Lena set out together. Janiya handed over a green knitted hat to Lena. She turned it over in her hands, looking up at the other woman for an explanation.