The Dark Days Series | Book 2 | Sanctuary

by Cole, Christopher

  Kayley saw the blood on our hands and asked, “Everything alright?”

  “Yeah, we’re good. Had a few close calls, but we handled it,” Will answered.

  “How are Izzy and Blair?” Captain Noir asked.

  “We’re fine,” Izzy answered.

  “You’re sure?”

  “We’re not made of glass, Captain, we’re just pregnant,” Blair answered.

  “Alright, we cleared the way up ahead, so let’s go.”

  We continued walking, but I couldn’t stop looking at the landscape and scenery. I couldn’t get over how beautiful it was. I really wished I had a camera. Mom and Dad were born in Seattle, like me, but they never told me about California. I’ve heard that this state along with Oregon had some beautiful sights, but this is prettier than I’d imagined. Taking it all in made me feel better, filling me with small comfort and relaxation.

  Tracy caught my smile, “You look happy.”

  “It’s so beautiful out here,” I said.

  “Yeah, no kidding,” Carrie agreed.

  Even though we had just cleared the way ahead, we were still keeping our eyes out. I had my hatchet in my belt, but had my hand just under the axe head ready to draw it out. Will and Father Lawrence each had one hand gripping their machetes while scanning the brush. Carrie was walking with her brush axe resting on her shoulders. We kept Izzy and Blair in the middle, protecting them from all sides. We were all staying frosty.

  “Is Gold Rush City a pretty city?” Ashley asked.

  Tracy walked next to me and place her arm around my shoulder.

  “Well, it’s certainly a big city. It’s got some nice areas,” Tracy answered.

  “You’ve been there before?” I asked.

  “Twice, when I was a kid. It seemed like a nice place. It was way better than Idaho Falls.”

  “Idaho Falls isn’t your favorite place?” Molly asked.

  “For everyone, there is a town or place you love and then there are places you don’t. I hated Idaho Falls. It was just . . . a good place to be from.”

  “So, what’s your favorite place?” Carrie asked.

  “Yellowstone. That place was awesome! What about you guys?”

  We walked out of the brush and into a field, but Captain Noir was directing us to stick to the side rather than be out in the open. Didn’t want us to be easy targets he says. We took a few small paved backroads, but stayed clear of the main roads.

  I thought for a moment and answered, “The Adirondack Mountains in New York.”

  “Really? Mine’s Disney World in Orlando,” Carrie said.

  “Yeah, that place was pretty fun, but there’s something about the mountains and the trees that I love. Ashley, what’s yours?”

  “The Outer Banks of North Carolina. Our family and Sonny’s went there for summer vacation and I had so much fun at the beach. We even did a side trip and toured where the Wright brothers first flew, and visited a bunch of lighthouses,” Ashley answered.

  We talked for a while about the places we’ve been and places we wished we could go. Kayley and Will joined in and told us about New Zealand. They said even though it’s a long flight, it’s worth it to see all its stunning landscape. We stopped again to let Izzy and Blair rest and took the opportunity to have lunch.

  River got up and Ginger asked, “Oh, where are you going?”

  “I have to pee,” River answered.

  “Take Sonny and Jess with you,” Corporal Wade said.

  I looked up, “Huh?”

  “Why us?” Jess asked.

  “No one goes anywhere alone,” Corporal Wade answered.

  “No, I mean, why Sonny and me? Make Clark and Cody go.”

  “Eew! I’m not watching my sister pee!” Cody whined.

  “I don’t need babysitters, but you’re there to stand watch for zombies, not to watch me pee shit-for-brains,” River said to her brothers.

  “I said go!” Corporal Wade ordered us.

  “Alright! We’re going,” I said, getting up.

  We followed River over the hill while she did her business and kept a lookout for zombies. I was anxious to see this Fort Gold Rush – I hoped that it was still standing.

  River showed up and said, “Well not that it was necessary, but thanks for standing guard.”

  “No problem,” I replied.

  “Why is that Jarhead such a prick?”

  “Corporal Dickhead follows whatever the skipper says or does,” Jess answered as we walked back.

  “They’re both just trying to keep everyone safe,” I countered.

  “Sonny, he chewed your ass out for saving Molly and the two yet to be moms!”

  “What? Are you kidding me? You saved one of your own and he cusses you out for it? What a fucking jerk!” River jabbed.

  “No, he was doing his job as he sees it – in his mind, the safety of the group is more important than any one person. So, don’t throw ‘em shade. Anyway, we just have to make it to Fort Gold Rush together in one piece. Let’s not run into any surprises along the way,” I stated.

  They both gave a slight nod in agreement.

  As we walked back, River spotted a huge RV, “Whoa! Look at that thing! It’s as big as a bus!”

  We all turned and saw a big Class A RV Motorhome. It was huge with ten wheels, swirling black, grey, and white colors all over, and its manufacturer’s logo on the front.

  “Let’s take a quick look,” Jess suggested.

  I started, “What? No, let’s just— “

  “Race you to it!”

  Jess and River sprinted toward the RV leaving me behind. I sighed and jogged to the RV. River won the sprint – she’s faster, but it was a close race. The RV was indeed big, practically the size of that intercity bus we drove out of Denver, but it looked like it’d been sitting here since the beginning of the outbreak. The RV was parked in a small turnout, off the side of a two-lane road. I scanned everywhere for zombies, but didn’t see anything – though there could be zombies inside the RV. Besides the RV, there were only two other vehicles nearby, one had crashed into a tree and the other was on its side.

  “Can’t believe I lost!” Jess said panting.

  “I can, I ran track!” River stated.

  “Ahh, you’ve had training.”

  “Now, let’s see if there are any goodies for us inside this bad boy.”

  Before River opened the door, I warned, “Wait! There may be zombies inside, so open it carefully and be ready.”

  River nodded and pulled her Bear & Son Damascus bowie knife out. Jess and I got ready with our weapons as River carefully opened the RV door. When she did, we expected a zombie to pop out and attack, but none came out. River entered the RV and came back about half a minute later.

  “It’s all clear,” River called to us.

  When Jess and I entered inside the RV, we were amazed by how much space was in here. It had everything; a couch on one side, a dinner table, and an oven with a microwave above it, and a few beds with a master bed in the back. The wooden cabinets and leather sofas were a nice touch – although I was amazed that there was more than one plasma TV in here. It was really nice, despite the dust and the whole thing looked like it hadn’t been touched since the outbreak – probably because the RV was sitting next to a small road far from the highway. If it had been seen it would have been looted already. I closed the door behind us to keep zombies from sneaking in on us.

  “Cozy,” I spoke.

  River sat in the driver’s seat and spoke excitedly, “God, how fucking cool would it be to drive this thing along the coast?”

  “We drove an intercity bus from Denver to Salt Lake City. That was kinda cool,” Jess mentioned.

  “Yeah, but I mean this . . . how awesome would this be to stroll through Fort Gold Rush with style?”

  I thought for a moment and stated, “I think it would be cooler if we drove this thing on the open road before the outbreak.”

  Jess and River looked up at me.

  River
nodded and said, “Yeah, drive all over North America with this baby to see all the amazing sites! Like Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, and the Great Lakes!

  Jess added, “Yeah and Chicago, Hollywood, New Orleans, Orlando!”

  I continued, “Olympic National Park, Yosemite, Zion, the Grand Canyon, Glacier, the Outer Banks, Vancouver, BC, and Alaska!”

  River listed, “Montana, Texas, Wyoming, Mexico!”

  Jess praised, “Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami, New York Cit—!”

  Jess clapped her hands over her mouth and turned to me with scared eyes. The expression on her face looked like she hurt me and really didn’t mean to. Like when you break something and you’re really sorry you did it. I wasn’t feeling too bad about hearing that name, but my heart felt a longing for my parents.

  River looked over confused and asked, “What? Hey . . . what’s wrong?”

  Jess released her hands from her mouth and approached me.

  Jess started, “Sonny, I’m-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I . . . I didn’t mean— “

  “It’s alright, Jess. Really, it’s all right. I’m fine,” I said with a faint smile.

  “Uh, someone want to fill me in? I’m confused,” River said.

  “I’m from upstate New York and . . . my parents are still there.”

  River’s eyes widened with realization.

  “Oh . . . I’m so sorry. I’m sure they’re fine,” River claimed.

  “Yeah,” I muttered.

  River placed her hand on my shoulder declaring, “Hey, if you’re as strong as I think you are then your parents are twice as strong.”

  I nodded and mentioned, “You know, I went to NYC once.”

  “Really?”

  “What was it like?” Jess asked.

  I took a moment to remember what it was like.

  “Big, everything there was big. My mom was trying to get a job for this big company and she took me with her. New York City was nothing like I expected – a big place of skyscrapers and subways, a huge place of endless crowds. I have never seen so many lights in one place. You have to be there to know what it’s like. When you look up at the buildings it’s like you’re in a forest of concrete, steel, and glass. Then when you’re up on top of one, you can see everything in all directions,” I explained.

  River and Jess smiled as I described the city.

  “Mom took me to the top of the Empire State Building and it was amazing to see all those buildings stretch for miles. I never knew people could build such things and the bridges looked like they were made to last forever.”

  “Wow,” Jess expressed.

  “That must have been one hell of a city,” River said, with her hands on her hips.

  “The biggest in all of America,” I stated.

  “Listen, Sonny, I really didn’t mean to make you feel bad,” Jess said.

  “You didn’t, Jess, it’s fine,” I told her.

  It was quiet for a while until River suggested, “So, let’s check this place to see if there’s anything useful, or if you’re like me you’ll snag a souvenir . . . or souvenirs, plural.”

  Whoever owned this RV definitely loved to travel, because there were postcards, photos, and cut out pictures on the walls of places. There was a family photo attached to the wall on a thumbtack. The father looked like an old veteran with his navy hat and his greyish-brown beard. The wife looked a little bit younger, like ten years younger, was pretty with long blonde hair and a friendly smile. There were three sons; one looked like he was in his early twenties, one looked like he was River’s age and the last one looked maybe my age. We searched through the RV for anything useful. Most of what we found was useless, too old, or not to our liking. We searched through the suitcases and bags for anything. We found shirts and pants that were our sizes despite the ordinary colors and designs. I didn’t care how old they were or if they smelled old – new clothes were always a good thing. River found a Remington 700 VTR in a closet across from the bathroom. She pulled it out of the bag and examined it to see if it still worked – it looked like it was in pretty good shape. The rifle needed to be cleaned, but it should still work.

  River pulled the bolt back and stated, “Well, it’s not Chris Kyle’s rifle but it’ll get the job done.”

  River pushed the bolt back in and got two boxes of ammo from the shelf. I looked through the top cabinets of the main bedroom and found a Smith & Wesson M&P45 and a four-inch barrel Smith & Wesson 629 revolver with wooden grips. I checked the guns and they were both loaded. There was a box of ammo for both and two extra magazines for the M&P45. The father must have had a taste for guns. I had enough room in my backpack for the M&P45 and its ammo, but not enough for the S&W 629 and its ammo.

  Jess walked in to help search and saw the revolver.

  “Turn around Jess, you got room in your pack for this,” I said.

  “Okay,” Jess said, and turned for me to put the revolver in her backpack.

  After I put the revolver and ammo in her backpack, I searched through the cabinets and found two Polaroid instant cameras. Both were digital Z340s except one was in a camera bag and the other was still in a sealed box. I remembered that most of the photos in the RV were instant photographs. There was film, cords, and plugin battery chargers – the whole set!

  “Oh sweet! You found cameras!” River said.

  “Yeah, pretty cool huh?” I asked.

  “When we find Fort Gold Rush, we so have to take photos to make memories!”

  I found two bunk beds and saw that one of them had pictures of aliens all over the wall next to the pillow. There were also DVDs and books of the shows Invader Zim and Ben 10 lying on the bed. I remembered from the family picture that the younger kid was wearing a black and green alien T-shirt – this must be his bunk.

  “Huh, looks like the baby of the family had a thing for aliens,” I said.

  “Wonder if he’s on Mars right now and not here,” Jess said.

  “If he is, then I wonder which is worse; zombies or aliens?” River asked.

  I thought for a moment.

  “Zombies have teeth and human claws. Aliens have laser guns and spaceships, they’re harder to kill,” I smiled.

  “That is true, Sunshine.”

  We all chuckled and I was happy she stuck with Sunshine and not Lightning.

  I searched through what I think was the kid’s backpack, but it just had his schoolwork – lousy handwriting. Then I found a keychain, but not just any keychain – it was an alien from the movie Toy Story. The tiny little planet crest on its chest was a button that made its three eyes light up. I liked it and it made me feel nostalgic for the Toy Story movies, but I felt guilty that I was taking it. I knew it was a little late to be feeling guilty, but I never lost that feeling that you’re in someone else’s space, poking around in their things. It was bad enough that we’ve taken clothes and guns, but small items like these had more meaning – personal meaning. Despite feeling odd about it, I chose to keep it – maybe I’d find a better home for it – I placed it in one of my vest pockets. I told myself the kid would want me to have it rather than it just sitting here in this old RV forever. I picked up an old shirt and wiped the dust off from the bed covers and pillows before collapsing on it. Jess and River joined me shortly after. The master bedroom had a window in the middle of its ceiling – the three of us laid there watching the sky and the clouds peacefully.

  “You think it’s there?” I asked aloud.

  “We’ll know soon enough,” Jess answered.

  “Yeah, but do you think it’s there? Do you believe it?”

  “I want to believe, but I don’t know if I do.”

  “It has to be there, we’ve come too far for it not to be,” River declared.

  “I don’t even know what to do if it’s not there,” I remarked.

  “You’ll stick with us. That’s what you’ll do,” Jess stated.

  I turned to Jess.

  “It’s like you and Ashley say, it’s the small things. Those are
more precious with friends. And it’s like Molly said, we’re blood now.”

  I nodded while agreeing, “Yeah, you’re right.”

  “I know what I’ll do if it’s infested with zombies,” River said.

  Jess and I turned to River.

  “I’ll kill every zombie in the city and we’ll take it.”

  “That’s pretty hardcore, a big job,” I responded, half impressed.

  “If you can bring an entire cult down to save Molly, then I think I can take a city for my family – besides, I’m not alone. We can do it.”

  “Yeah, the place may be there like Captain Noir says, but if it is, then it most likely belongs to whoever was strong enough to take it. In other words, somebody’s in charge and what are they like? If we want to stay, I’m betting we’ll have to obey their rules.”

  “We didn’t come all this way to get kicked out because some asshole doesn’t want us. I know you didn’t come all the way from New York to get turned away.”

  She’s right about that. I didn’t come all the way across the damn country to be sent packing. If the place is there, they have to let us in. If not, then I don’t know where else we can go, because this is our last option. Though, I suppose there is still the option of going back . . . but that may be a death march. If the place is overrun with zombies then the option of taking it might be possible. We could lure out the big herds and kill the stragglers left inside.

  “If it’s filled with the dead – do we need all that space? A whole city?” I questioned.

  “It’s better than a neighborhood or a shopping center, because it’s a whole city. All of it ours,” River said, with a confident smile.

  “Okay, you two are killing me with this, we need something positive. For example, is Sunshine here ticklish?” Jess asked, with a smile.

  She started tickling and I began laughing.

  “Oh, he is!” River expressed excitedly with a grin.

  Both began to tickle me and even as I tried to resist, it was hopeless. I was laughing so hard I had tears coming out of my eyes. My laughter made Jess and River giggle. It was time we headed back to the group.

  “There should be some sort of rule about this!” I protested.

  “Aww, but I thought you like it when we do that,” Jess said with an innocent face.