by Maxey, Phil
Cal opened his eyes, after the first night for a long time of no dreams. His arm had gone dead a few times during the night, which woke him but each time he had no trouble returning to sleep. The sun shone through small gaps in the curtains like laser beams full of pixie dust. Cal lay there watching the particles dance, when he realized Michael was tugging on his foot. Cal looked up and saw him gesturing to the bathroom. Cal got to his feet and it was this moment he realized Zach and Jacob were not in the room and Ray and Abbey were still asleep. Cal looked into the bathroom and Fiona was gone too. Cal and Michael moved slowly into the bathroom, and closed the door.
“You onboard with this Boston thing? I got family in San Francisco,” Said Michael keeping his voice low “They disowned me when I was convicted but still it’s family, maybe I need go west instead.”
“We survived this long because we stuck together, we don’t even know if San Fran is still there, we don’t know anything, yet. Let’s go along for the ride we can always do our own thing when the times right.” Said Cal.
“What do you think of our merry band of fellow inmates? That Zach guy seems to like to be in control.” Said Michael.
“I’m almost certain he’s an MP, or was, as long as he keeps making the right choices I’ll back his plays” Said Cal. The front door opened and someone was heard entering. Cal opened the bathroom door. Abbey yawned. Ray lifted his head and blinked a few times.
“Zach and the other lady have gone to get the truck,” Said Jacob wincing as he sat on the bed. “We went to check that the thing out back was properly dead, it is.”
“Any idea what it was?” Said Cal.
“No good ideas. There’s legends in these parts of giant birds, but I don’t think it’s that.” Said Jacob.
“There’s more than just giant birds out here now, we have seen…” Said Abbey.
“Harmadillo’s” Said Michael appearing from behind Cal. Abbey stopped, and everyone apart from Jacob smiled and gave a stifled laugh.
“That’s what I’m calling that thing in the desert.” Said Michael.
“It’s a lot scarier than it sounds.” Said Abbey to Jacob.
“I’m sure it is. We need to pack” Said Jacob.
“We?” Said Cal.
“Zach asked if I wanted to come along, I agreed. There are a few boxes of bottled water around here somewhere, along with that we are going to need all the food, clothes and candles as much as we can get into that truck along with ourselves. It might be a good idea for those of you who are still in your bright orange clothes to find something else in these boxes, we might come across law enforcement who well...still want to enforce the law, it’s a discussion I would rather not have to have.” Said Jacob.
Abbey and Ray set about changing their clothes while Cal and Michael piled boxes up on the landing outside the room, according to Jacobs’s instructions. After fifty or so minutes the truck pulled into the parking lot followed by a blue pickup. Zach got out of the truck wearing jeans, and a dark t-shirt, Fiona got out of the pickup also wearing jeans and a light grey jacket.
“Any trouble?” Cal shouted down to Zach, who nodded in the negative.
“Five in the truck, two in the pickup,” Zach shouted up, while pointing to both each vehicle in turn. “We can get a lot of those boxes in the truck as well, the rest will go in the back of the pickup.”
Cal nodded. After a short amount of time, the motel room was now it’s original size with all the supplies being packed between both vehicles. They all stood in the motel room around a large map that was laid out on the bed.
“If we are heading towards Boston, then we need to head north east along highway seventy.” Said Jacob.
“No” Replied Fiona.
“Why not?” Replied Jacob.
“It takes us past that air force base.” Fiona pointed at the clearly marked base on the map. The original members of the group looked at each other.
“And why would that be a problem?” Said Jacob.
“We could cut across to the 54, then onto the 506 and head towards Roswell.” Replied Zach.
“There are birdman creatures, giant armored horses and who knows what we saw before that and you want to go through “Roswell?”” Said Ray. Most of the group went to laugh, then smile and then it didn’t seem such a crazy question.
“We can detour around Roswell if we have too. We should get to Roswell or in that vicinity about midday, we don’t stop unless we see an easy way to top up the gas for the vehicles or we see more food/water supplies, agreed?” Said Zach looking around the group, everyone nodded. “I’ll take the truck, Abbey, Ray, Jacob and Michael can be with me, Cal and Fiona in the pickup, I’ll let you decide who drives.” He said looking at Cal and Fiona.
“I’ve driven these pickups for many years.” Said Fiona still looking at the map.
“Ok then.” Replied Cal and with that they all filed out of the motel room and into the vehicles. As the small convoy was leaving the town of Baldo, Fiona slammed on the breaks of the pickup, got out grabbed a bicycle, threw it in the back and jumped back in. Cal looked at her.
“Might come in handy.” Said Fiona pulling off to catch up with the truck.
CHAPTER 14
Abbey had never been on a road trip before and as the distant blue mountains, small desert bushes and sand rolled by she tried closing her eyes to imagine that’s what this was, but she couldn’t. She had pretended to sleep most of the night before and now was no different. She wasn’t sure who she could trust or not in this group but Zach was the closest to someone she thought she could. But who knew? What had he had done to be thrown into a hole in New Mexico? What about the rest of them? She had never killed anyone, but these people? Most of them were probably killers of some sort or another. They all seemed relatively sane, but then from her studies she knew psychopaths’ and sociopaths could fake sanity without anyone realizing their true intentions. She needed to be on her guard all the time, but for now with the others just a few feet behind her head, pretending to be sleeping seemed a good course of action.
Zach said they were lucky to find a truck that still had a CB radio, but even though it was turned on nothing could be heard on the other end, Zach would talk into it and static was the only response.
The trucks cabin was spacious, and would of allowed plenty of room for three people if it wasn’t for the boxes fighting for the same space. They were piled up against the back and along one side, which meant someone had to sit on top of them, while on the left was just enough room for two people to sit more or less comfortable on the leather padded seats. Above their heads were various cupboards, which Ray was searching through.
“What you hoping to find?” Said Jacob who was in the far left corner.
“A good book, it’s the one thing you didn’t deem important with all your hording,” Replied Ray opening and closing small wooden doors. “Ah” a moment of delight was quickly followed by disappointment. “Of Mice and Men, seriously?”
“That’s a fine book.” Said Jacob.
“It is, but I’ve read it, guess I can read it again.” Something caught Ray’s eye at the back of the small cupboard he just pulled the novel from. It was a small notebook, with a few handwritten scribbles but mostly empty. Next to it was a pen, Ray put both in his back pocket.
After an hour they were onto the 506, a lot of which was more dirt road than a highway. Their pace slowed as Zach didn’t want to risk the truck getting stuck at any point. Eventually buildings appeared on the sides of the roads, but none with any sign of life and Zach wasn’t stopping to find out. A few times Abbey thought she saw puffs of smoke in the distance of similar shape and form to their night in the desert, when they came across the horse like creature, but she thought better not to mention them. Eventually they joined the 24, and then finally back onto the main highway. If possible the landscape became even more barren and devoid of green, just miles and miles of sand and rocks.
“You could be forgiven thinking we were on anot
her planet out here. It’s been two hours since I’ve seen a tree.” Said Cal.
“Where were you before you ended up back there.” Said Fiona.
“I grew up in southern California, near San Diego” Replied Cal.
“When you sign up.” Said Fiona. Cal thought about asking why all the questions, but this was the first chance to talk since they left and he needed it.
“Eighteen, straight outta college, it was either the Marines or football. My grandfather had taught me to fire a rifle and I always thought I was pretty good so Marines it was, you?”
“I got pregnant when I was seventeen, typical young trailer mom with the abusive husband, eventually I lost the kid and the husband.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“No, she’s still alive…I think, they just took her from me, husband blamed me for her ‘Injuries’, no one believed it when I said he was the cause of it. After that I had nothing to live for so I joined the army, turned out it was the right place for me.”
“Do you know what happened to her?”
“No idea.” Cal went to say something else but thought better to change the subject.
“So what do you think happened?” Said Cal.
“Out here in the world?” Replied Fiona.
“Yes.” Said Cal. Fiona was silent for a few seconds.
“Some scientist in some lab controlled by some government did something wrong, the usual.” Said Fiona as she followed the truck onto the main road into Roswell.
To the right a shiny red looking semi-truck sat parked on the side of the road, ahead of them a car was parked in the middle of the highway. Zach slowed then pushed it aside clearing the path for Fiona and Cal behind. As they got closer to Roswell, green fields appeared on both sides. After so many miles of yellow and beige Abbey sighed with relief just to see some form of life even if it were of the plant variety. As they traveled on, trailer homes appeared along with junk yards and larger homes, after twenty minutes they appeared at a junction with a gas station on one of the corners, Zach pulled the truck onto the forecourt along side the diesel pump. He looked around at Abbey and then over his shoulder to the rest, they were all asleep. Zach jumped down from the truck, closing the door quietly. The pickup stopped along side.
“Can’t see there being any diesel in these pumps but I thought it was worth a try.” Said Zach towards Fiona.
“We’re going to look inside.” Said Cal.
Zach was right, there was no diesel in the pump, but hoped there might be some canisters of diesel inside the station. He stood in front of the truck looking around, down the main street to the assortment of motel signs, and up to the sky. There was no sound, not even the wind to break the silence. The early afternoon sun meant you couldn’t be outside too long and Zach suddenly realized how thirsty he was. He entered the gas station shop, which was well lit by the morning sun. A few rows of shelves contained sweets, and some more useful items like battery’s and rope. The interior looked pretty well ordered considering people must of left in a hurry. Along one of the walls was a rack of magazines and newspapers one of which Cal was reading.
“WORLDS ANIMAL LIFE CHANGING, SCIENTISTS BAFFLED--July 2nd”.
“I saw elsewhere that they tried a evacuation around the start of August, so whatever happened, happened quickly.” Said Zach to Cal.
“Maybe everyone is hold up in camps somewhere.” Replied Cal.
“Maybe, where’s Fiona?”
“In the John”
“We should probably grab as much of this stuff as possible, along with shovels, put as much in the back of the pickup as we can.” Said Zach. The glass door behind him opened and Abbey came in. Zach looked over at the truck, Jacob and Ray were standing outside of it, stretching their arms and backs. Abbey walked straight past Zach and in the direction of the bathroom.
As he was watching the truck, Michael leaned out of the window waving his arm, the others around leapt up on the door rail. Zach’s first instinct was they were being attacked and looked up at the sky but nothing could be seen. Whatever they were doing it was getting them pretty excited. Zach ran outside and jumped up inside the trucks driving seat.
“What’s the fuss?” Instantly Zach could see the source of the commotion as Michael had the CB handset to his mouth.
“Say again, where are you?” Said Michael.
“You have to say ‘Over’” Said Ray.
“Over” Said Michael.
“Michael was talking to himself on the CB radio when someone replied.” Said Jacob to Zach. They all waited for a reply. Cal appeared from the gas station arms full of supplies and dumped them into the back of the pickup, then walked over to the truck.
“My names Michael, I’m in…”
“Don’t’ say where we are.” Said Zach interrupting Michael.
“Are you near Roswell? Over.” Said Michael. Still only static.
“Are you sure you heard someone?” Said Ray.
“Yes, a guys voice said stay off Main Street.” They all stepped back from the truck and looked around, trying to ascertain what street they were on.
“Look” Ray pointed to the west at a green street sign on the traffic light.
“MAIN ST”.
“Hello, can you say again, over.” Michael once again tried getting a response to whoever was on the other end of the airwaves, but no reply came.
“I’m going to take a leak” Said Ray, who set off for the gas station entrance, but was stopped in his tracks. A sound of what could only be described as a deep thundering howling noise bellowed out from nearby. Zach looked at the glass windows of the gas station and quickly realized they were not going to provide any kind of protection.
“Everyone back in the truck now.” Shouted Zach, while running into the station, Abbey and Fiona came running out of the back.
“Did you hear that?” Said Abbey.
“Back in the truck and pickup now, we need to find cover.” Said Zach. Abbey and Zach ran back to the truck, Fiona and Cal back to the pickup. Just as Zach turned the ignition something appeared on a roof about two hundred yards to their north, on the opposite side of the street. They all strained to see what it was.
“Hold on.” Zach shouted, revving the trucks engine and pulling off as fast as the truck could manage, Fiona doing the same behind him. A second howl boomed out, the sounds somehow even more evasive because of the lack of other noise. Zach looked in his wing mirror and saw not one of these creatures but three of them.
The truck careered straight into the side of a green sedan, luckily it proved of little resistance, but the inhabitants of the cabin were thrown forward. Michael slammed into the side cupboard, while Jacob and Ray hit the back of the front seats.
“You all ok back there” Said Zach.
“We’re fine, don’t stop.” Replied Jacob. Zach looked again in the side mirrors and his heart missed a beat as the first of these creatures had jumped down from the roof, and was now pursuing them, being only twenty yards from the pickup.
“Did you see it? It looked like a…” Said Fiona.
“Werewolf?” Replied Cal, looking over his shoulder.
“Is it gaining on us, I’m already doing fifty” Said Fiona, as she moved along side the truck. Various UFO related buildings flashed by.
“It’s right behind us!” Said Cal, just as the snarling gothic form leapt forward swiping and catching the back of the pickup. Fiona fought with the wheel and managed to keep their direction straight.
“Is your seatbelt on?” Fiona shouted.
“Yes”
“Then hold on.” Fiona looked in her rear mirror, the creature was thirty-feet away. Slowing slightly to let it catch up, she slammed on the breaks. Both of their bodies pushed forward, straining the fabric of the seatbelts to their maximum. The rear wheels of the pickup lifted, throwing some of their supplies out onto the street. The creature slammed into the back of the truck, howling in pain. Fiona slammed the pickup into reverse, trying to roll back over the creatur
e, but there was no bump, just the creature screeching.
“I think we’re just pushing it backwards, let’s get the hell out of here.” Said Cal. Fiona floored the accelerator and the pickup roared forward, leaving the creature snarling and whimpering behind them, in the distance it’s companions could be seen running towards it.
“Where are they?” Said Cal, looking for the truck.
“There.” Replied Fiona pointing.
The truck was parked, outside a six-story office building. Zach was beckoning them to pull up in front.
“Inside.” Shouted Zach. Cal and Fiona jumped out of the pickup. Looking back they could see the creatures three hundred or so yards away, they seemed to be standing around the injured one, but looking in their direction. Cal grabbed some of the supplies from the pickup, including torches, and they all ran into the offices foyer.
The offices entrance had glass doors, but they were obviously well secured as they were laced with steel bars. Zach grabbed one of the chairs.
“The others have gone up to the next floor, follow me.” They all filed into the stairwell. Zach closed the door behind, then jammed the chair against the handle.
“Small entrance, small hallways, we can defend this place.” Said Zach, moving up the stairs. They came out to a smart looking landing, with three doors. They followed the noise to a large open plan office area with cubicles and chairs. The others were standing and sitting. Abbey was close to the window looking in the direction from where they came.
CHAPTER 15
The afternoon sun made the glass windows warm to the touch. Once they made it to the first floor they could see the creatures in the distance, sniffing the air around them. Whatever these things were they saw the direction the group went in but did not pursue them, instead after thirty or so minutes they dragged the body of the injured one behind a building and out of site. There had been no more signs of the creatures. The group had spent the time since then making quick runs to the truck and pickup pausing every thirty minutes, but grabbing as much as each of them could. One person would carry while the other would be look out with Ray and Jacob watching from the first story windows, which gave them a good view in three directions. They had decided soon after entering the building that they would hold up there for at least a few nights, if for no other reason than to find the source of the CB message they received at the gas station. The last thing Zach grabbed was the CB radio, before pulling the pickup and truck up even closer to the front entrance.