She knew that she was continuing to fight a battle that had already been conceded and decided, but she couldn’t help herself. She had an uncle who used to call people who blindly consented to any new perceived government intrusion into personal liberties “sheeple”. He used the word very liberally despite his being a very conservative person. She was pretty certain he burned a candle every year on the anniversary of William F. Buckley’s death. She hoped that their group wasn’t becoming a herd of “sheeple” being led by the whims of Neil. She didn’t think that was the case, but whenever there was no dissenting opinion it kind of felt like that. Maybe her final gasp of protest was in deference to her uncle and his ideals.
Neil said hopefully, “Maybe we could skirt the far eastern side of the city. We wouldn’t even necessarily have to follow the highway and Muldoon Road. We could move along the undeveloped spaces between the mountains and the city.”
“That place is full of moose and moose-hunting bears. Seems like we’re just trading one problem for another with that option,” answered Meghan. “Isn’t there a better alternative?”
Dr. Caldwell hadn’t really been paying close attention to the discussion, but something just hit him with Meghan’s remark. His smile at everyone brought the debate to a halt. He said, still wearing the same smile, “There is an alternative. The Crow Pass Trail. It heads all the way down to Girdwood. Actually, it’s supposed to be walked from Girdwood to Eagle River, but I think we will be permitted to take it the opposite direction this time. We could totally avoid Anchorage and it shouldn’t take us more than a couple of days; three tops.”
Claire asked, “How tough of a hike is it?”
Dr. Caldwell smiled with a little teasing menace. “You afraid you’re not up to the challenge?”
Claire smiled right back and said, “No. I’m in. How about the kids?”
“Val and I always wanted to take Jacob and Laura on the trail but we never got around to it. There’s some serious hiking and maybe some climbing.” He looked at Jules and Danny and asked them, “We could be climbing up pretty high and walking lots. You guys up for that?”
Danny knew the only answer he could give was yes, so he did so with an enthusiastic nod. The hike did interest him and the climbing excited him. Climbing trees was so much fun and the heights, though sometimes seemingly significant, were not in the least bit intimidating. He couldn’t think of anything that would possibly make him not want to take this adventure. There was no denying or ignoring the caution in Dr. Caldwell’s voice, however. He smiled and added a thumbs up to cement his position. He nudged Jules, who followed suit.
“Good. I think we’ve got some work to do. We should have everything we’ll need for the hike here; thermal underwear, extra gloves, and good socks. You can’t put too high a premium on good socks for hiking. We’ve got some rope in the garage too and some bungees. I guess we can get into the gun safe too. Jerry I think there might be an item or two in there that might interest you. Unfortunately, most of what’s in there isn’t going to do us much good.”
Neil looked at him for clarification. Dr. Caldwell explained further. “I’ve got mostly black powder guns and rifles. Kind of a hobby really, but not a whole lot of good to us. There are a couple of nice old hunting rifles with very nice scopes and an old service revolver my dad carried with him in Korea and Vietnam. There are a few boxes of shells too but not much else.”
“What kind of a hobby was it?”
“My father’s. We used to build them—sorry, smith them—together in his shop when I was younger. I learned all the steps in assembling a black powder firearm. It was quite an art. They’re fun to shoot but I was never much of a hunter.”
Jerry said, “Let’s go check it out.”
As a group, they had gotten very adept at preparing themselves to be on the move. Being on the go had just become a simple fact of life, and a proficiency for readying oneself and knowing what was both essential as well as feasible to carry was of the utmost importance to their survival. It probably helped in that regard that the more they traveled, the less there was to carry.
They were going through supplies at an alarming rate and they weren’t even eating that much per person. The doctor was right in his observation about their prospects if they chose to stay. They’d likely starve to death if they remained at his house. However, simply being on the road didn’t necessarily solve the problem of supply. In fact, their being on the run could exacerbate that particular issue just as much as it could be solved. There was no telling what awaited them around the next bend in the road.
Chapter 66
Most of the daylight of the next day was spent on the journey to the trailhead. It sat at the Eagle River Nature Center on the farthest reaches of Eagle River Road. Getting to the hike was proving to be a hike in and of itself.
Much of the first leg to the Nature Center was spent at a trot. They were passing through a largely residential area with rows and rows of homogeneous houses, lawns, and streets, an entire neighborhood propagating a sense of deja vu to the hapless passerby. Each of the streets was luckily devoid of movement or threat.
The pavement under their feet was dark and damp but virtually colorless, as were the houses on either side of the road. Like looking at an aged color photograph reproduced in a book, the color that stubbornly persisted was dulled and muted, its vitality having been sapped by the heavy grey sky. No one spoke; no one dared. The only sound any of them heard was the rhythmic staccato beat of their footsteps and the gasping struggle of their collective breathing.
Danny’s voice gave them all a start. “Jerry? Can you—”
“Hear that?” finished Jerry, interrupting him.
“Yes.”
Jerry admitted, “Yeah. I was getting ready to mention—”
Neil said soberly, “Don’t bother. I can see them. Everyone keep running.”
Emma protested, “But we’re running right at them?”
Neil answered, “There’s only a handful. We can take ‘em. Just keep running. We’re faster than they are now. We gotta use that.” He was out of breath and couldn’t continue.
He slung his shotgun on his back and pulled his bat from its sleeve on his backpack, wielding it like a two-handed sword. Jerry did likewise. Dr. Caldwell was well ahead of both of them. In point of fact, he was sprinting ahead of them. He was at full gallop when he passed between the four ghouls. He swung the bat hard and fast, hitting each of them as he passed.
The beasts struck with his first and third swings were down and didn’t show any sign of rising again. The other two, though toppled from their feet, were back up in an instant and starting towards him. Dr. Caldwell, unfortunately, had spent all his momentum in his first swings, and was now facing the wrong direction to fend off their attacks. He tried his best to turn, but he was utterly defenseless for a second or so.
That certainly would have been the good doctor’s end had it not been for the very timely intervention of Neil’s and Jerry’s bats. The undead were now facing away from the two men, so pummeling them with impunity suddenly presented itself just as they arrived. They took full advantage and dispatched the devils. They hit the beasts so hard that the now lifeless carcasses hit the pavement and slid several feet forward, passing Dr. Caldwell as they went.
At first the doctor smiled at his two friends but almost at once he broke down. His grief hit him so forcefully that he fell to his knees, gripping his stomach as he did. “I’m so sorry, Val,” he moaned. “I should have been there. I might have been able...”
Quietly, Neil finished for him, “Died with her? That’s all that would have happened. As it is, you’ve got a chance to get to your kids and protect them with the knowledge that you’ve got now. But that means we have to keep moving, Doc. You’ve got people here that are counting on you, now more than ever. You know where we’re going and how to get us all there. I need your help. Please.”
The doctor swallowed one final sob and felt the dull pain that squeezed his
chest and punched his gut. He stood up and turned away from Neil. At the moment, he was near to hating the man and he knew, in some rational part of his brain that was on momentary hiatus, that Neil didn’t deserve such enmity and that it wasn’t real anyway. He paced a few moments, trying to corral the pain and control his breathing.
Jerry cautioned them both as the others started to gather around, “I can still hear them and it’s getting stronger. I don’t think we should have this conversation here.”
Emma asked, “What conversation?”
Dr. Caldwell looked over with his swollen, red eyes. “Just boy talk. You know, hunting, football, chicks.”
Jerry had to press, “I really don’t think we have time for this.”
Claire said, “It’s starting to make me feel ill.”
“Look!” Gerald said, pointing down the road from where they had come.
Coming down the road were hundreds of the things. Some were struggling to walk, despite past injuries or desiccation, and still others were getting the pace up faster and faster as they neared. They were emerging from the streets and neighborhoods they had passed only moments earlier. Many of those houses must not have been as empty as they appeared. A singular, collective moan emanated from the mob like a beacon leading them to their prey.
Already running, Jerry said, “I think we should haul ass!”
They all followed his lead. Neil was holding Danny’s hand and Meghan was holding Jules’. They pulled the children along to help them keep pace with the others. They took full advantage of the fact that their legs could produce much more speed than those of the zombies. Of course, the undead never grew tired which helped close that difference if one wasn’t careful.
Dr. Caldwell, gasping, said, “We can’t keep this up indefinitely.”
Meghan said, “Find a place to stop and let’em pass?”
Emma agreed. “Yeah, I don’t think I can keep running like this.”
Neil panted, “Doc, where to?”
“The greenhouse is up here on the right. We can probably find some pretty good places to hide and the smells from the plants will give us good cover.”
They ran into the main greenhouse building, breaking a small window in the process. They got in and moved to the far side of the building, making their way between the wilting and dying plants. The warmth in the structure had helped to keep the air damp, providing the slightest moisture to sustain the plants but even that moisture was rapidly fading. Only the hardiest of flora was still persisting.
There was another exit at the back of the building. It was around that door where they gathered to collect themselves and catch their breath.
Emma asked them all, “We still sure that leaving the Doc’s house was the best idea? We’re not too far off to be able to turn around and head back.”
Dr. Caldwell said, “Emma, if I can let go of my own house then it should be a snap for you. Let it go sweetheart. I’m never going back there again. It’s just an empty building now. There’s nothing back there for any of us.”
Starting to cry despite her best efforts, Emma forced out, “But is this all there is now? Run, hide, survive, and repeat? There has to be more to make me want to keep on living.”
Dr. Caldwell hugged her to his chest and pulled her in tight. He whispered into her ear so that no one else could hear. Her tears increased for a moment but they quickly changed to tears of release and acceptance. Dr. Caldwell kissed her cheek gently and then hugged her tightly again.
Over her shoulder, he said to Neil and the others, “I think we should keep moving.”
Meghan asked, “But if those things just passed us by, then how are we supposed to keep moving in that direction? Won’t that just put us on a collision course with them?”
“When they realize they’ve lost the scent,” Jerry said, “they’ll stop. They’re not very bright. They’ll completely forget about us because their minds won’t likely be able to keep hold of a single thought. If the Doc knows some way around the main road, we can probably bypass them and then get back on our way without them even remembering we were ever around.”
And that was exactly what they did. They waited for roughly an hour until everyone was sufficiently rested and then resumed their trek. They found side streets to skirt the main road until they felt comfortable enough to get back onto Eagle River Road, arriving at the Eagle River Nature Center by the late afternoon.
There were cars in the parking lot as if this was just a normal day. The front doors of the main building were off their hinges and collapsed inward. The windows too had been shattered from every frame facing out into the parking lot.
Dr. Caldwell said as they passed the ruined building, “I think there might be better options up the trail a bit. I seem to remember there being yurts and cabins further along. Maybe we’ll have better luck there.”
“And maybe we’ll just see more of the same or worse,” Emma complained forlornly.
Dr. Caldwell pleaded, “We have to believe.”
And Emma answered, “I’m trying. I really am. But when we just keep seeing the same thing over and over again, well, it’s gettin’ tough is all I have to say. Can you really fault me for being the slightest bit pessimistic?”
They smiled at one another, which definitely made her feel better.
As they passed the main building, the true destruction became much more apparent. A fire had claimed most of the back of the structure, leaving only partial walls to contain the destruction within.
Emma asked, “We still thinkin’ that we might have better luck up ahead?”
“Yeah. Just your average layperson would have never gotten past this building and the experienced hiker would leave the yurts still intact. Let’s keep moving.”
Chapter 67
“Hate to admit my ignorance, but Doc, what’s a yurt?” asked Meghan.
Dr. Caldwell smiled. “Unless you were a Mongolian nomad or an avid hiker, you probably wouldn’t have much of a reason to know. You’ve probably seen them before and wondered what kind of a tent it was. A yurt is a little more than a tent but not as much as a cabin in terms of structure.”
“So like a party tent from an outdoor reception or something?”
“Not exactly. It usually sits on a wood or concrete platform, and has a wood or sometimes fiberglass frame that is covered over with canvas or some other more waterproof material.”
A few steps later and they were looking at a yurt, which was fairly aptly represented by the doctor to Meghan. She wasn’t the only one who didn’t know, but she was the only one curious enough to actually ask.
The interior was surprisingly clean, warm, and inviting. A couple of glass windows allowed in some light. They were all very excited to see the wood burning stove and a small pile of wood next to it. Danny was the first to notice the board nailed to the wood lattice frame. His intent reading drew others’ attention. Neil walked over, asking as he did, “What’d ya find there?”
“Names, dates, and...”
“What?”
He pointed and said, “I think it’s from others who came here before us. Look.”
Neil read, “September. Lauren Miller, Rose Custer, J. Williamson, Ty Herron. Heading south on the Crow Pass. Hoping to find others.”
“Late Sept. 2 weeks after event. Dr. Connor Wolverton, Maxine Parker, Tuck Pleasant, Chris Simpson, Doug Warring. Supplies gone. Fire at Fred’s. No more food. Everyone else is dead. We all hope Whittier is still safe.”
“There’s more. Lots more. And it looks like they’re all heading to Whittier.”
Jerry said with a slap to his forehead, “Of course! The tunnel.”
The realization not hitting him as fast as it did Jerry, Dr. Caldwell asked, “The tunnel?”
“Yeah, they can close the tunnel. If they got it closed before it was too late, then they could still be good there.”
Emma, always the skeptic, asked, “What are the chances really?”
“Think about it. There are really
only very limited options for access to the town other than through that tunnel. If they were able to shut it and then wait, there’s a good chance that Whittier could be the one place left that is still holding on. I think it’s worth the look and we’ve already decided that we’re heading in that direction anyway.”
Emma said, “Which I haven’t necessarily agreed with from the beginning.”
Neil said, “Read some of these notes. They all say the same thing. There’s not enough food left in Eagle River. We’re running out of options and it sounds like Whittier is our best one right now.”
Quietly and directly to her, Neil pleaded, “Please. We need some goal, some purpose. A focus that will help to drive us, or we’re just running for the sake of running and that’s infinitely harder to do. Whittier can be that purpose.”
“Have you ever been there?” Emma asked. “If Whittier is at the end of our rainbow then things are worse than I originally thought.”
Neil smiled back at her and thus ended the debate. For the rest of the afternoon they rested and ate and prepared their packs once again for the coming challenge. The cold temperatures were held at bay by the yurt’s sturdy walls and the radiating warmth of the stove. They ate heartily and even managed to find the few laughs that were still hanging around. It was a good evening and a restful night.
In the morning, Neil went to the board with his knife and carved their names, his best guess at a date in October and the following: “Don’t forsake hope. There are others. Don’t stop believing. We can make it. Heading to Whittier. Good luck to you and us.”
Chapter 68
The hike on the next day started out very pleasantly. Neil was starting to wonder if perhaps Dr. Caldwell’s admonitions were merely for show. Most of the trees had put on their austere winter coats, shedding their more delicate summer apparel. So thick was the carpet of leaves under their feet that on more than one occasion they were in danger of veering off the path and losing their way.
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