Part III
Chapter 60
Standing there on the bluff and having to face them was the hardest thing Neil had to endure since standing before the judge at the finale of his failed marriage. He, once again, was a disappointment to the ones who were relying on him most.
The hope had been that finding the Knik Bridge would somehow deliver them, as if the bridge itself contained some power to save. And like the Arthurian quest for the Grail or the conquistadors’ search for the Fountain of Youth or the Lost City of Gold, this journey ended in failure.
From this vantage point, they could see for miles in either direction. The unfortunate thing was that it appeared as if they were looking out onto the moon’s busiest highway during rush hour. There was, quite literally, nothing happening anywhere as far as the eye or a pair of binoculars could see. It would have been peaceful and inviting if they weren’t aware of the cause of such superficial tranquility.
Dr. Caldwell suggested, “Maybe we should stay up here for the night. Isolated. Plenty of wood. I think we’d be safe.”
Jules protested, “But it’s windy and cold.”
Emma agreed. She knew they had a tent in one of the backpacks but they couldn’t all fit in it and, besides, it could barely be expected to provide much cover with its nylon walls. “Jules may be right. It’s already cool up here and it’s still early. Too big of a fire is just going to draw more of them to us. Maybe we should find somewhere else.”
Jerry said, “That’s gonna be tough before night falls. We can build a barrier and use the tent to contain the light and the heat. I think we should make do. Neil?”
Neil had barely heard any of the discussion. He was still distracted with their failed attempt at finding the end of the rainbow. He had placed all his faith and all of his focus on the bridge. He took the easy way out and sided with Jerry and Doc Caldwell.
“We’re here. Let’s make the most of it. We’ll work in teams: some gather wood, some dig a fire pit, and some find the tent. Let’s make the most of the daylight we’ve got left.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Claire said, “but why is it up to you? Why is it always you deciding what, where, and who?”
Neil shared a look that evinced no ego and no guile, completely disarming Claire. He said without the slightest emotion, “It doesn’t always have to be me. Anyone can have this job...gladly, I might add. Up to now, nobody seemed to be interested.” He paused and looked at everyone else this time. It wasn’t a machismo challenge to the others, as his expression clearly communicated. It was a mantle that he hadn’t sought nor would he miss. To prove it to himself and the others, he asked, “Claire, what do you think we should do? Keep in mind that the sun isn’t just going to fade. It’s going to go out almost as fast as flipping a switch. So we’ve gotta get somewhere quickly or risk wandering around blindly in the dark. You saw how dark it gets without streetlights. Where should we go? You lead and I’ll follow for a change.”
“I wasn’t saying that. I guess maybe I’d just like to have a little say in this is all. I mean, it’s all of our lives that are at risk here.”
Dr. Caldwell said to all of them, “Sometimes committee decisions are good and sometimes we just need someone willing to step up and take charge. So far, that someone has been Neil, and I for one am thankful that he has because I don’t think I would have been the best at getting us out of the jams that we’ve had.”
Gerald, typically quiet and merely a spectator, interjected, “When Evelyn, Dave, and the rest of us first set out, there were dozens of us. We started out at the Public Safety building on Tudor, at the Trooper Station. Someone heard on the radio that it was safe there. We all came there individually or in twos and threes. At first, it was quiet. We all thought that maybe whatever was happening elsewhere in the city might not reach us. We had a bunch of cops there and thought that maybe they’d keep us all out of harm’s way. In hindsight, that was pretty ignorant of us, but who could blame us for thinking that the police could keep us safe? That was their job after all. And who was better prepared to do it than them?
“When the mobs of those twisted souls started to arrive, we knew that the handful of police officers, even with their guns and their training, would never be able to hold those numbers off. They came at us from the direction of the hospitals just up the road.
“So we left. Remember, there were bunches of us and people from all walks of life. We went north up Boniface. It was everything we could do just to get away. I don’t think any of those policemen were so lucky. They stood their ground and held them off so that we had a few seconds’ start. We didn’t know where we were going; we were just going. And those…things, they just stayed after us. They just kept running and running. They never get tired. Of course, you all know this by now but on that first day, we didn’t know what to think.
“We ran up the road and came to the grocery store. Some of the folks thought that we should go in there and lock the doors and hide. Others wanted to keep running. Others just wanted to be safe and didn’t care how or where that would happen. Nobody was willing to make a decision, so we stood there in the middle of the road with only minutes...maybe only seconds separating us from those things. We stood there and took a vote. Can you imagine that? Someone threw out the options and people stood there raising their hands like they were voting for class president or what snacks they should have in the afternoon after recess.
“A bunch of us didn’t wait around to see the election results. We just decided to keep moving north. We hoped to maybe run into folks with cars or trucks who’d be willing to help. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if those other folks were still debating what to do when they were overtaken. When we got to the northern end of the city but not quite up to the highway, we didn’t know for sure which way to go. There was a ruckus out on the highway, so we decided to head into town. But it felt like we were a boat without a rudder, just drifting on the waves. We went from a democracy to anarchy in just so many minutes. It took Daniel to finally take the reins and steer us toward a safe haven. Actually, it was a series of what we thought were safe havens until we finally ended up on that damned bus where you found us. If it wasn’t for him being willing to make what he thought were sound decisions, I don’t think any of us would have made it.
“Things have settled down since then, but I think having a single person in charge when all is said and done has its merits. Neil, that’s not to say that I don’t think that we all shouldn’t have a say in things, because, like Claire was suggesting, it’s all our lives that we’re talking about here. And Neil, whether you like it or not, you are that man, and I think it would just be in all our better interests if you got cozy with that fact, because every time you doubt yourself or your decisions you put us all in jeopardy. We can’t afford you being all down on yourself because someone gets killed.”
Emma said playfully, “Unless that someone is me. Because I gotta tell ya that I’ll be super pissed if that happens.”
Everyone smiled at her but looked back at Neil and nodded in total agreement with Gerald’s summation. The older black man then zipped up his coat to close his collar around his neck and said, “I guess I can start looking for firewood if someone is willing to come along and help me out a bit. Claire?”
Realizing that all that was said was right, Claire nodded and repositioned her Seawolves hat on her head. All of them set about their tasks, preparing for the cold, dark night that was bearing down on them.
Chapter 61
Electing to use a blue tarp instead of opening the tent, they were able to fashion a large roof over an area enclosed by stones and pieces of sod. They built a fire in the middle, which kept them all warm. It was a quiet night for all of them but it was restful.
The next morning arose slowly, the sun as reluctant to shed its warm blankets as they all were. Sensing the sun’s hesitation, the clouds rolled back in, lowering the temperatures and the visibility significantly. The air was damp and uninviting.
A small but steady fire had been kept for whomever was standing watch. At this early hour, when night’s chill still held sway over any warmth to be had in the still rising day, Neil was thankful for the enthusiastic flame. He was tempted to wake Meghan but Jules was sleeping snuggled up against her, and he just didn’t have the heart to interrupt that.
So, once again, Neil found himself alone during the loneliest hours of the day. It was okay though; much better than it had been recently. Finding themselves out of the city, encounters with the undead diminishing, reconciliation with Meghan, or perhaps just being able to see another day’s dawning could all have affected his mood. Regardless of what it was or wasn’t, his load felt a little less cumbersome.
He pulled his backpack over to himself to get a bottle of water. He reached in and fished around the bag’s chaotic interior and felt the concern rise back into his awareness. He was finally able to lay his hands onto a single sixteen ounce bottle. That was not welcome news. He wondered if somehow his bag had been shorted on bottled water to accommodate some other necessity, like ammunition or batteries. He hoped that was the case and that everyone else had more to share.
Jerry was the next to rise. As soon as he had sat himself on the ground next to the fire, Neil asked, “Sorry to start hitting you with questions as soon as you get situated, but how you doin’ on water?”
Jerry leaned back, slapping his head with an acknowledging whack. “That’s why it feels so much lighter. I might have one or two. You?”
“This is my last.”
“Well, it’s not like we’re in the desert or anything. We can collect more, right?”
“Yeah, but we gotta boil it. Which means that we gotta get it and we gotta have a fire.”
“You got a different idea?” asked Jerry as he carefully opened one of his water bottles. He sipped conservatively and then dutifully replaced the cap.
Neil didn’t have any ideas worth mentioning, only concerns about what to do. The only idea that seemed to be forming was a possibility that he was having a hard time considering. He said finally, “The way I see it, we’ve got three possibilities. We go north toward the Mat-Su Valley and the Interior, we stay here, or we go back to Anchorage where we know we can find supplies.”
“And...them.”
“Yeah. And them.”
“Why didn’t you say anything about supplies or help when you said the Mat-Su?”
It was just instinct but Neil was fairly certain about his assumptions of what lay to the north. “They got across the Knik. That much is clear. If they got across, that means that the nearest force able to stand up to them is in Fairbanks at Fort Wainwright. There’s no way that those troops could have been mobilized and transported in time to check the hordes’ advance anywhere nearby. I think they might have made a stand in the tight corridors of Denali Park. That means several days’ hike before we might, and I can’t stress that word enough, might find friendlies. And unless they figured out a different method of dealing with them, I’m afraid that we might be talking about the crossing at Nenana.”
Jerry was nodding through all of this. “I can’t say that I disagree with any of that. So why not just keep heading north and scrounge for supplies in Palmer or Wasilla?”
“The military may not have been able to stop them but I’m sure that their efforts at least slowed the spread somewhat. That would have bought Mat-Su residents time to get out and in getting out I’m guessing that they picked clean most of the stores already. There’s a good chance that most of what we need is already gone.”
“So, we get staying here or going back as our only options?”
Warming his hands near the small fire as much for effect as anything else, Neil asked, the doubt creeping into his words as they crawled out into the cool air, “I don’t know about you, but that fire only did so much last night to keep me warm. How long you think we’ll be able to stay out when it starts to get really cold and snow hits? Seems like freezin’ to death isn’t any better of an option than facing the same at the hands of...”
Neil caught Jerry’s expression and corrected himself, “Well maybe in degree it’s better but not in outcome. Either way, we end up dead. Besides, we can probably get water, but what about food? I’m not a hunter. You?”
“No, but what you’re suggesting is nuts. No one is going to buy into it.”
“I’m glad you put it that way, because that is exactly what it is: a suggestion. Claire was right last night. It doesn’t always have to be my call.”
“Neil, we trust you. It’s that simple. You may say otherwise, but we can all tell that you’re not just looking out for your own ass. You’ve kept us all safe and, probably more importantly, you’ve kept us going. We’d probably have waited in that house in South Anchorage or there on Elmendorf until we got boxed in and overrun with nowhere and no time to go. You saw the writing on the wall and made sure we had better options.”
Neil shook his head and suggested, “I think that may just have been luck. I’m no brilliant strategist.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Jerry disagreed. “No, that’s not how I see it at all. Both moves were calculated, and they were the right decisions. So it sounds like you’re thinking we should head back to Anchorage then?”
Claire was just emerging from under the tarp and heard the last bit of the last sentence. Through a yawn she asked, “I must still be waking up because it sounded like someone thought it a good idea to go back to Anchorage. That couldn’t be right could it?”
Remembering her challenge the night before, Neil thought it wise to let Jerry do the talking, which he did. He laid it all out for her, just as Neil had done for him, and let her think about it. Once again, adhering to the mindset of the devil you know is sometimes better than the devil you don’t, she agreed that the logic was sound, if terrifying and unpalatable.
“How you guys goin’ta sell this to everyone else?” she asked.
It didn’t take much selling as it turned out. In fact, spying the “living” bridge through the binoculars discouraged any thoughts about proceeding north. No one was interested in tempting fate needlessly.
Emma commented as she peered through the binoculars, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more disgusting. They look like insects or something, slithering all over one another. I guess we should be thankful they’re all tangled and can’t get up.” She lowered the glasses and asked no one in particular, “Back to Anchorage, huh?”
Dr. Caldwell thought for a second and then said, “There is another alternative that hasn’t been mentioned.”
Neil said thankfully, “We’re all ears Doc.”
“What about Eagle River? There was a, relatively speaking, fairly vibrant retail presence there. Maybe there’s still something to be had by checking it out.”
Emma asked, “Didn’t you live there?”
“Yes. And our house is fairly removed.”
Neil started to speak but only got out, “Doc, she’s probably...”
“I know, I know. There’s not a whole lot of hope but I think we might be able to get into Eagle River and find a safe place to hide indefinitely. If there aren’t a lot of those things around then we might be able to find a place to stay for the winter possibly.”
Neil said, “I think it’s worth a look. What do you guys think?”
No one said anything for a few seconds and then Meghan chimed in with, “Let’s do it. Maybe Eagle River was able to stay off of those things’ radar. Maybe it’s still safe.”
And so, Eagle River it was.
Chapter 62
The journey south was uneventful and anticlimactic. Plodding back over the same steps, including passing through the now familiar horrors of the failed roadblock attempt, felt wrong to all of them. This, despite the fact that their past lives had been based largely upon tracing and retracing the same routines day in and day out. Whether their feelings were justified or not were immaterial; the mood of the group was what it was, pure and simpl
e.
Realizing that whatever perceived threats were minimal, Dr. Caldwell and Neil were more daring, wandering deeper into the road in search of anything useful. They found a couple of the soldiers’ M4’s under some bodies, but both guns were empty of ammunition and so covered with gore than neither men thought it worth the effort to carry them. Short of that, there was nothing of value to be uncovered within the short distance either man was willing to wade into the bog of bodies.
Wandering still further south, they chose to pause at Mirror Lake. Despite the day having no inspiration beyond a pale, grey, featureless sky, the lake was still beautiful. The water had a slightly curious ripple, asking questions of the breeze that teased its mood.
Dr. Caldwell said from somewhere far away, “We used to bring the kids down here for Saturday picnics. We had a small canoe that we’d take out...the kids and me that is, while Valerie got lunches together. Actually, the lunches would already be packed and ready but this was her chance to get a few peaceful moments to herself and it gave me the opportunity to be a dad for a few minutes. She was an awfully smart lady.”
Emma asked, “What were their names? Your kids I mean.”
“Jacob and Laura. Jacob’s in his last year of college and Laura’s in her first.”
“The proud papa, huh?”
“Yeah, they’re good kids.” He trailed off with both his voice and his eyes.
Emma sensed his worry and tried to reassure him. “I’m sure they’re okay. I mean, they’re thousands of miles away, right? There’s no way this thing could’ve spread down there already. Someone had to have figured this out by now. Figured out how to stop it. Don’t ya think?”
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