by Cronan, Matt
"Wait," Sam said. Her heart slammed against her chest and she struggled to catch a full breath in the sweltering heat. There had been something familiar about the animal. She took another step forward. The sound of claws grinding against metal filled the fuselage but this time the image of the midnight runner didn't flash. Something else did. Something unbelievable. She took another step and the creature's head came into view.
Sam gasped.
The small dog cowered against the metal crate, its big ears pressed against the top of its head. It was scrawny, and its brown and black fur was matted together in thick clumps. It made eye contact with Sam and gave a low whine and then its tail beat against the steel floor of the plane.
"Well I'll be," Cole said as he stepped closer. "You think it's infected?"
Sam shook her head. "RIZ-4 only affected humans."
"What is it?"
"Terrier if I had to guess." She took a step closer and extended a tentative hand. "I think I used to have one…before."
The terrier lowered its head and wagged its tail harder. From the corner of her eye, Sam saw something else move and jumped back. The dog's ears shot up, and it hopped to its feet. A rat, almost as big as the dog, emerged from the shadows and scurried past them. The dog chased it from the plane, and a second later, Sam heard Alex squeal and Nick shouting something indistinguishable.
"Go check on them," Sam said.
Cole bounded out of the cargo door leaving Sam alone. The fuselage canted 30 degrees into the air and she climbed its length, slowly but steadily, using the Humvees for support. When she reached the open air separating the two halves, she looked out and saw the children. They huddled together where she had left them. Just beyond, Cole was chasing the dog, which was chasing the rat.
She bent forward and looked over the edge into the mangled shaft. There was nothing of interest. She gave another low whistle and listened. No movement. No sound. She half-walked, half-slid back down to the bay door. The plane felt solid and even though it was hot inside, there was enough airflow from the broken windows and cargo opening to serve as a tolerable camp for the afternoon.
A few minutes later, all four of them were standing inside the plane. The rat terrier had escaped with the rat and Cole's face was beet red and he breathed heavy, short pants. Chasing after the dog had expended a lot more energy than it was worth. He would need to rehydrate. Sam looked at Nick and Alex. They would also need to drink soon. She would have to scout while the rest of the group rested or wait and hope to come across some tonight.
"Try to get some rest," Sam said to the group. "I'll take first watch. We'll move again at sundown. Any halfways join the party and you know the drill." When no one spoke she said, "And what's the drill?"
"Hide and let you and Cole take care of them," Alex sighed as she lay down next to the tire of the Humvee. Nick sat down beside her and Sam's heart broke at the sight of him.
"And then what?" Cole asked.
"Wait until we get the all clear," Alex said through a yawn. "If we don't get the all clear after ten minutes then we turn around and go west until we hit the ocean or until we find someone that can help us." Alex situated a thin arm under her head and a moment later was snoring.
"I can take care of us," Nick said through gritted teeth. He had said little since they had reached the intersection. His eyes were glassy and his skin even grayer before. "You don't have to worry."
"I'm not worried," Sam said.
Nick lay down beside his sister, and a moment later, he was asleep. Dark sweat stains were prevalent underneath his arms and through the back of his shirt.
Sam found both of the crates in the rear cargo hold locked. Maybe they could bust them open. Maybe not. She walked to the bay door and stared out into the wasteland. Cole appeared at her side a moment later.
"You want me to take first watch?" Cole asked. "You look tired."
"No," she said. "Get some rest. I'll look for water."
"When are you going to rest?"
"Later?"
"Miss Sam—"
"I said later."
There was a long moment of silence before Cole spoke again. "Are we okay, Miss Sam?"
"What do you mean?"
"Seems like things are different since Lost Angel. I've seen you lookin' at me. It's different from how it used to be, ain't it?"
"Yes," Sam said as tears stung at the corners of her eyes.
"The reason you don't sleep is 'cause you think you're gonna wake up and I'm gonna be changed. Changed into one of those things from Lost Angel."
"A midnight runner," Sam whispered.
There was a long pause and then Cole asked, "Is that what this thing in the back of my head does? Turn me into one of those monsters?"
She didn't answer him. Sam would have cried if she could but she was too thirsty. The thought of Cole as a midnight runner stung just as bad though, tears or not.
"Shoot me then." Cole said. "Go ahead and get it over with."
"No."
"Why?"
Sam stayed quiet.
"You think you can fix me?"
"Maybe," she said. But she didn't believe it. The truth was she didn't have the heart to kill him. He had saved her in New Hope; twice. She owed him more than a bullet in the brain. That was the real reason.
"Keep lookin' through that book of yours, Miss Sam. If I start feelin' any different then I'll take of the problem myself."
She nodded and then watched Cole walk back up the ramp. He lay down on the opposite side of the plane from the kids and buried his head in the crook of his massive arm and wept. Sam pulled the kitchen knife from the waistline of the cargo pants and tightened and loosened her hand around the grip as she continued to watch him. It would be over before he knew what was happening. The thought made her heart ache even more. She turned and stepped out from the shadow of the plane.
The sun beat down on her as she walked the perimeter of the makeshift camp. Her face, arms and shoulders had tanned exponentially since the start of their journey and Sam feared that if the temperatures didn't stagnate soon that she'd develop skin cancer. Sam chuckled at the thought of dying of something like cancer after surviving the RIZ-4 virus.
She encircled the wreckage twice and decided that she would have to wait until it cooled off before looking for the water. She returned to the cargo bay, pulled the doctor's journal from the medical bag and took a seat against the wall. Cole had joined in the snoring and the three of them created a tiresome orchestra making Sam long to be back in her bed in New Hope. Back in the city with her love.
She tried to imagine Jordan's face and drew a blank. Terrified that her memories of him were fading into the blank slate of her mind, she shook her head and opened the journal. She flipped through several dog-eared pages until she reached one entitled:
Midnight Runner Project
For the next two hours, she read. There was no new information in the journal. She had read it cover to cover within the first few days of their trip. Every break, each time they set up camp, Sam had buried her nose in the book hoping for some new understanding of the metal device in Cole's skull.
The book was full of scientific jargon but she had gleaned a few things. First, was the procedure was irreversible and Cole Porter, her friend and savior, would mutate into a midnight runner. Second, the metal piece embedded into Cole's skull controlled the communication between neurons and could be operated using the remote control. But there was also an internal device manipulating serotonin, somatotropin and testosterone levels. And finally, after the incubation phase, his brain would produce a new hormone called terratrophin. The terratrophin would meld with the somatotropin and cause his bones to elongate and his muscles to grow at a rapid rate. It would cause his limbic system to completely take over the rational evolved part of his brain, leaving him in a ravenous, murderous state.
What Sam had yet to learn, was what the other two buttons on the remote did and why the General had tried to get her to push the top bu
tton instead of the middle. The doctor had listed the device's specifications in the book, but the technical notes concerning how it operated might have well been written in Chinese. However, Sam read it over and over, every night longing for some understanding. Today, just like all the others, there was none.
Frustrated, she put the book back in the bag and put her face in her hands. Beads of sweat ran from her forehead and down her cheeks. Her tongue felt like sandpaper as she licked her cracked and dry lips. She needed water. She needed rest.
"What do I need to do, Jordan?" Sam whispered. "How do I get us out of here?"
There was no answer. Jordan hadn't said a word since telling her to use the remote on Cole. He hadn't visited her dreams either. Maybe that's why she had stopped sleeping. She had lost Jordan in real life. Losing him in her dreams was too much to handle.
Sam concentrated on his face until despair turned into absolute hatred. Concordia was responsible for this. For everything. She was concentrating so hard she almost didn't hear the caw above. At first she thought it was a figment of her imagination, but then she heard it again. She turned her head toward the cargo door, and a moment later another caw filled the air. She scooted to the edge of the plane and looked up to the sky. Her heart lurched. Flying over them was a giant black bird.
She watched in amazement as the crow encircled the dusty highway and then let out a raspy squeal of joy as another one came into view. An overabundance of joy and happiness washed over her. If there were birds, if there was life, then there was some means to support it. Somewhere close to here, there was water.
"The birds," Sam said. Her voice was so dry and scratchy that the words were barely understandable. She tried again. "Cole, the birds."
Cole stirred and then his eyes fluttered open. An odd shade of yellow filled the whites of his eyes, but Sam dismissed it as dehydration. She pointed up to the birds as they flew east, toward the horizon. Cole joined her at the edge of the bay door and together they watched it in silence.
"First the dog and now the birds," Cole said.
"There's water," Sam said and smiled.
A blood-curdling scream ripped through the air and all the joy and elation that Sam felt dissipated in an instant. Sam's head spun toward Alex and her heart dropped. The young girl hunched over her brother and shook his shoulders, but Nick didn't stir.
"Nick, wake up!" Alex shouted as she shook the boy's shoulders.
Sam knelt down on the opposite side of him. The boy's thin, cracked lips were pale shade of blue and his skin was cool to the touch. Sam placed her head to his chest and listened but all she heard was Alex's frantic sobs. "Quiet," Sam said, but Alex continued to bawl.
"Miss Sam?" Cole asked.
"He's not breathing," Sam said and placed her hands over his heart. She pressed down hard and Nick's brittle bones snapped. Alex screamed but Sam pressed down again and again. After five compressions, she tilted his head back and blew two quick breaths. She put her ear to his lips and listened.
Nothing.
She started the compressions again and looked to Alex. The girl's violet eyes were cloudy with tears. "Look at me," Sam said as she pumped her arms. The girl met her stare. "We're not going to lose him. I won't let that happen." Alex nodded, but the tears continued to fall.
"Miss Sam," Cole said again.
Sam filled her lungs and then blew two more quick breaths into Nick's mouth. The boy's chest rose, and she listened. Nothing. She started the compressions again. Her forearms burned and sweat poured from her brow.
"Miss Sam," Cole said gravely, "the boy's been bleeding."
Sam paused and looked up at Cole. He pointed to the boy's lap. Dark red blood covered the seat of Nick's pants. How long had it been that way? Since they fell asleep? Longer? An icy wave of anxiety washed over her. Sam didn't know. She pushed even harder on his chest and felt two more ribs crack.
"Oh god," Alex said. "Don't leave me, Nick. Please, please don't leave me."
The words made Sam think of Jordan and for the first time since they left Lost Angel she was able to see his face. He sat on one of the metal cases on the opposite side of the plane. His face was grave and a large stain of blood dotted his chest. Sam felt the first tear escape from the side of her face. She took another deep breath, the desert air hot in her lungs, and then blew it into Nick's mouth.
Cole wrapped an arm around Alex and the two wept together. Sam counted off the compressions not ready to give up. And then she looked back to Jordan who somberly shook his head.
"No, goddammit!" Sam screamed. "We're not going to lose him!" She lifted a balled fist into the air and struck Nick above the heart. Alex screamed and Cole wrapped his other hand around her face to block her view. Sam ignored it and swung again, striking him in the same spot. "Don't you leave me."
She struck him again and again.
"Don't you leave me, Jordan." Tears stung at her eyes and her voice shook with anger and a horrible sadness. "You promised that you wouldn't leave. You promised."
She lifted her fist again but Cole caught it on the downswing. "He's gone, Sam."
Sam burst into tears. She looked up and locked eyes with Jordan. He mouthed a silent apology and his blue-gray eyes burned hot inside of her soul. Sam put her head in her hands and sobbed away the little water left inside.
After a long time, Sam stopped crying. She felt numb as she looked upon Nick's sunken face. Alex, who had also stopped crying, rested her head on Nick's chest and whispered something inaudible to him. Sam didn't have to hear the words to know it was goodbye.
"Do you want me to bury him?" Cole asked after a long time.
Alex shook her head. "He looks peaceful here."
"We can put him in one of those crates," Cole said. "That way the animals don't get at him."
As if Cole's words were a cue, the rat terrier clambered in through the bay door. It sniffed wildly at the air, gave a low whine and then trotted over to Alex. He nuzzled up next to her and then plopped down on his haunches.
"Hi," she said. Her voice was weak and tired. The dog yipped and his tail pounded against the floor. Alex scratched its ear, and the tail wagged harder.
The dog panted and barked again. Alex smiled. It was the first time she had smiled in days. Sam knew the question forming in Alex's brain and prepared herself. The girl's brother had just died and now Sam would have to tell her they couldn't keep the dog. She sighed.
"Can we give it some water?" Alex asked.
"We don't have any water," Sam said in a measured tone. She expected pushback or even panic.
Instead, Alex said, "Okay." That was even worse.
Cole broke open the lock of one of the crates with the butt of the rifle. "Nothing," he said.
Sam continued to stare at Alex who had yet to lift her head from her brother's chest. The dog nuzzled its snout against the girl's neck. "We can't keep it, either," Sam said abruptly. "We have nothing to give it and we can't even feed ourselves at this point."
"Okay," Alex said. She looked glumly from the dog to her brother. She stopped petting the dog and put her hand in her lap. The dog, not ready for the petting to stop, stretched out and licked her hand. Alex smiled.
"Might not be a bad thing to keep him around," Cole whispered. "Bet he can hunt."
"How much are you willing to bet?" Sam asked. "Our lives?"
"Naw," Cole said. "Don't reckon so."
"What kind of dog is it?" Alex asked.
"Rat terrier," Cole said.
"And it's a boy dog?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Let's call him Artie."
"Why Artie?"
"He's a rat terrier. R.T. Artie."
Cole laughed. Sam didn't.
"Don't name him," Sam said. "You don't need to get attached to it. He can't stay."
The dog returned to Alex's side, and she stroked his head. "He can have Nick's share of the food and water. That way there's no difference."
"Alex—"
"If Nick were still aliv
e then he'd be getting that share," Alex said. Tears fell from her cheeks. "So what's the difference?"
"The difference is," Sam said, "we didn't have enough water or food when Nick was alive. This way we can at least make it a little further before—"
"No," Alex interrupted. "Either he stays or you leave me here."
Sam hadn't expected this. It was the ultimatum of a child but Alex was just that…a child. Sam shook her head and sighed. There was no point in arguing. If she refused then it was only a matter of time before the girl threw Nick's death in her face.
"Fine," Sam said.
They stayed in the cargo bay for another as the earth cooled off. Cole placed Nick's body in the crate and they all said their goodbyes. Afterward, Sam sat down on the metal grating and looked up for any sign of the black bird. There was no trace of it.
It was still hot, but Sam gathered the doctor's bag and duffel bag and the four of them rejoined the road. Alex paused as they emerged from the shadow of the plane and said one last goodbye to her brother. Cole said another goodbye as well but Sam didn't speak. She couldn't speak. She had failed him. She had failed Alex. Rebecca and Jordan. And Cole. She had failed everyone. She added Nick's name to the list of retributions to be paid and marched onward.
3
They walked through late afternoon and into the night. The road's deteriorated condition slowed their pace to a crawl. They scaled mountains of rubble that was once superhighways, and slunk past abandoned rotted-out buildings, careful not to bring attention to themselves. They moved slow across the broken bitumen and rested often.
The majority of the road signs still standing were rusted and faded to the point of illegibility, but they reached a small brown sign that looked almost untouched by the weather. Sam's heart leapt into her chest as she read the words.
LAKE MEAD
NAT'L REC AREA