by Hunt, Jack
“Kind of wish I went with Miles now.” He snorted and Arianna joined him with a laugh that echoed.
“You think they’re okay?”
“Who… our group or Miles?”
“Both.”
He shook his head and shrugged. He adjusted the brightness on the flashlight and rotated the end to get the beam to go wider. The only sound came from droplets of water hitting the floor and the odd squeak from a rat. Eventually, they made it to the main lobby. The front doors had been torn out, and the front desk was destroyed. A vending machine was laying on its side, glass shattered, emptied of all products.
Gunnar crossed to the door and peered out. Several military helicopters flew overhead, shining their bright spotlights across the parking lot. “Guess we might have to hunker down here for the night and leave in the morning. They’ll be out there for a while.” He turned expecting to see Arianna but she wasn’t there.
“Arianna?”
No reply.
He spoke in a whisper calling out to her again.
Still nothing. Gunnar adjusted his grip on the rifle and set it on top of his forearm while his other hand held the flashlight. He eased his way back toward the nearest door. She’d been there only a second ago. Had someone grabbed her? No. He hadn’t heard a thing.
Movement. Subtle at first, then louder.
“Arianna?”
“Yeah, in here.”
He breathed a sigh of relief, making his way into an office that was in similar shape to the rest of the hotel. It had been trashed. Computers toppled, chairs with missing legs, and a wall had a huge hole in it. “What are you doing?” He could hear her tugging behind an overturned cabinet, then she fell backward.
“I knew it,” she said.
“Knew what?”
She emerged holding miniature minibar liquor bottles.
“Where were they?”
“Inside the filing cabinet.”
He shook his head as he looked around. “You continue to surprise me.” Gunnar walked out and headed for the stairwell that led up to the second floor.
“I don’t expect it will be much better up there.”
“Well unless you want to sleep on a desk, it’s worth a look.”
The stairwell hadn’t fared well either. The bannister had been torn away, an empty fire extinguisher lay on the floor and several dirty diapers were squashed into the steps. Gunnar held his breath as he aimed his rifle up and kept to the wall. At the top he inched open the door and listened, holding a fist in the air.
Nothing. Arianna watched his back, aiming her rifle down the stairs.
“Who lives at this farm?” he asked, squinting ahead.
“A friend of Jud’s uncle.”
“He’s still there?”
“He was a week ago.”
Gunnar made his way out into the corridor and pressed his foot against the floor to check if it could support them. So much water had leaked through the roof that one area of the second floor had collapsed, and the rest of the carpet had turned to mush. His boots made a squelching sound with every step he took.
They ducked into the furthest room from the staircase just in case soldiers showed up in the night. Once inside, he locked the door behind him and peered out through the peephole. It was too dark to see anything. Arianna raked her flashlight around the room which had one queen-size bed, a striped sofa chair, a small table with a TV, and a plush loveseat.
She crossed to an open window and closed it. Arianna stood there for a second or two before pulling the thick drapes closed.
Not everything had been torn apart, at least not in the room they were in. Still, it wasn’t in the best state. The flood made the carpet stink of mildew and old sweaty socks. Although the bed looked as if it hadn’t been touched and was still made, the thought of sleeping on it made him want to gag. He’d been in worse places but that was when the camera was rolling when he had to make it look like he enjoyed sleeping rough. The truth was as the years had gone by he’d become accustomed to a clean, soft bed. Not that he’d experienced one in a while. Thoughts of his cabin came back to him. If he hadn’t gone after Miles perhaps he would have still been there.
“I’ll take the chair,” he said, tossing his backpack down beside it.
“I would say thanks but the chair looks more inviting,” Arianna replied, using the butt end of her rifle to prod the mattress.
“Looks good to me,” he said. “I mean, I wouldn’t get under the covers but I’m sure it’s better than this,” he added, slumping down and shifting his butt around to try and get comfortable.
After checking beneath the bed with her flashlight, Arianna hesitantly took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Here.” She tossed a few bottles to him.
Gunnar shone the light on one. “Jim Beam. Don’t mind if I do!” He screwed off the cap and downed it in one gulp. “What you got?”
“London Dry Gin.” She took a sip, winced then knocked it back.
He laughed. “That good?”
She gave a thumbs-up before grimacing.
They moved on to the next: vodka, Baileys, and some that were missing labels. As the alcohol finally made its way into the bloodstream and they felt the familiar warmth and relaxation take hold, Gunnar felt his inhibitions lower. He always felt he could speak freely after drinking. “What did you see in him?”
“What?”
“Demar.”
“Oh, Gunnar. Do we have to do this?”
“Just curious.”
She was reluctant. She sat up from the bed after spending the last five minutes looking up at the ceiling. “It’ll sound like a lie but I don’t know.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a lie.” He chuckled.
She blew out her cheeks and played with a ring on her finger. It wasn’t her wedding or engagement band, those were long gone.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“You mean you didn’t mean for me to find out. There’s a difference.”
“Whatever. Either way, I think after losing Chen, and then seeing Zhang Li leave, I kind of lost my way. Maybe Demar made me feel something.”
“Versus?”
“Feeling nothing. I mean you have to admit, Gunnar. It was hard.”
“It still is.”
She nodded in agreement. There was a long pause before he continued.
“You really care for these people, don’t you?”
Her eyes lifted. “I wouldn’t have stayed this long if I didn’t.”
“Is that a dig?”
“Well, you always were more of a recluse.”
He pursed his lips and nodded. “That’s true.”
She tossed the empty bottles down. “You believe in this kid, don’t you?”
“Who, Miles?”
She gave a nod.
“I believe…” he trailed off. “Yeah. Yeah. I do. He has a lot of heart. His will to survive is strong. He’s not the kind of person that I think will lose his way as easily as…”
“Us?” she added.
He smiled and got up and went over to the window and peered out. Arianna made her way over and placed a hand on his back. She leaned her head against his shoulder and Gunnar draped his arm around her. No words were exchanged, none were needed.
13
“Gunnar! Gunnar! Wake up,” Arianna said in a hushed voice as she shook him. Bleary-eyed, he blinked a few times to see a dark figure looming over him. Still half asleep, his instincts kicked in, thinking it was a PLA soldier. In an instant, he lashed out. Fortunately, she ducked his swing then turned on a flashlight revealing her face.
“It’s me, you idiot!” she said, holding him tight.
Breathing hard, his mind started getting its bearings.
“What’s going on?”
“We’ve got guests.”
“What?” he said frowning, looking past her and noticing the door was still closed. He rose and headed for the window. “Is it PLA?”
“I don’t know. I awoke to a loud banging
down below. I’m surprised you didn’t hear it.” He hurried over to the door, rifle in hand, trying to be as quiet as possible. Gunnar unlocked and opened the door slowly. He could hear movement but it was muted, still below on the first level. He really needed to use the flashlight to see as it was pitch dark in the corridor but that would have given away their position so he waited, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness, then he squinted. Nothing. No movement. He went back inside and closed the door.
He nudged Arianna toward the window. “We’ll head out the back.”
“And if there are more out there? No. I say we stay here. They might not even come upstairs.”
“You want to take that risk?” he asked in a whisper.
He snuck another peek out the window but it was still night, still as black as ink. The PLA could be taking the same approach as they were and not using flashlights to avoid alerting resistance to their whereabouts. There was a good chance they were searching, rounding up those hiding. It wasn’t like anyone could have gotten far. They’d only made it a few miles away from camp.
“All right, listen. I’ll climb down and make my way around and enter one of the rooms on the first floor and see if I can make out who it is.”
“No. Absolutely not. Stay here.”
“Arianna, if it’s the PLA and they make it up here, there’s a good chance they won’t ask questions or arrest us, they’ll just open fire. Now keep an eye on the corridor. If it is them and they open fire, I’ll come around and take them out from behind. They won’t know it until it’s over.”
She groaned, not happy with his suggestion.
He offered her the chance. “Listen, if you want, you go down.”
She shook her head.
He smirked as he pointed to the door. “Go keep an eye on the corridor. If you spot soldiers, lock that door, hold your ground. Wait for them to open fire before you retaliate. Don’t waste bullets.”
Gunnar made his way to the window, pulled back the curtains, and quietly lifted the window and peered out. He slung the rifle over his head and back to secure it. Two stories. A good size ledge. No problem. What could possibly go wrong? He’d scaled down mountains, places far harder than this.
When he was halfway out, Arianna called out to him, “Gunnar.”
“Yeah?”
A pause.
“Be careful.”
He gave a nod and disappeared out.
Arianna stood in the silence, hands sweaty, a trickle of sweat coursing down her back to the crack of her ass. “Stay here. Watch the corridor. Open fire,” he says. “All well and good now that he’s gone.” She crossed the room, unlocked the door, and peered out, glancing at her watch to keep track of how long he’d been gone.
The sound of a door creaking open caught her attention. She pulled back expecting someone to enter the corridor. Arianna counted to ten before daring to take a peek. Wait. Wait, she told herself.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Once she got to ten, her head darted out and in. She did it fast and only placed half of her face into the fatal funnel, an area where she could get shot if she stepped out. She did it one more time but it was hard to see. This time she saw the silhouette of two figures, one shorter than the other, both armed. Shit!
Trying not to make a sound she closed the door but didn’t lock it. In the silence, the clatter of the bolt being driven home would have been a clear giveaway. Moving back to the farthest part of the room, she scanned, looking for anywhere she could hide. There were few options. The closet was ideal but might not offer a quick enough chance to react, that’s when she opted to stand behind the thick curtains that reached the floor.
Getting behind them, she held the barrel upright and kept her finger on the trigger.
She could hear the sound of footsteps getting closer, a voice, male, outside the door. Any second now. Arianna slowed her breathing.
“In here,” a voice said.
Arianna frowned. The male voice was young, too young to be a soldier.
She didn’t want to step out just in case she spooked them and they opened fire.
“Tommy. I think we should go somewhere else, I’m sure I heard someone.”
Callie? Arianna thought, her brow furrowing. She remembered the young woman.
“You saw the PLA. They’re everywhere. We need to stay out of sight for a few hours.” Footsteps got closer to the curtain, and she saw a finger grasp the drape, she was just about to announce she was there and not to shoot when Gunnar bellowed.
“Don’t move!”
“It’s Callie and Tommy,” Arianna said, stepping out from behind the curtain, giving them another shock.
“Arianna?”
A moment of recognition and then she gave her a hug.
“We thought you were PLA.”
“Likewise,” Callie replied. “God, we almost didn’t make it,” Callie said turning to Gunnar. “They killed so many. We were lucky to get away but I have a feeling we were followed.”
“Followed?”
“Three soldiers,” she said as Gunnar went to the window and looked out. He squinted hard but he saw no movement. He listened but could only hear the howl of the wind. A heavy rain had begun to fall, turning the ground into a sloshy mess.
“Anything?” Arianna asked.
“I didn’t see anyone else out there.” He closed the window and pulled at the curtains. “Stay here, I’ll go and see. Lock the door.”
“I can go with you,” Tommy said.
“That’s all right, kid. You’ll be safe here.”
He took off, leaving them alone. Arianna locked the door behind Gunnar and exhaled hard.
Gunnar made his way down to the main entrance, being careful not to make a sound. It stank to high heaven. How long had the doors been open to let in all manner of rodents and other animals? Just beyond the Super 8 was the truck stop and a Silver Dollar restaurant. Although he didn’t really want to venture out, Gunnar didn’t like the idea of spending the rest of the evening wondering if Callie and her son had been seen.
In the parking lot were multiple vehicles, abandoned, forgotten, no longer in use. Instead of darting out, he slowly crept outside, staying low, using bushes to provide cover.
No sound.
Satisfied the coast was clear, Gunnar darted toward a blue Ford sedan and slipped between it and a large black GMC truck. He waited for a second or two, listening before he rose. Gunnar peered through the driver’s side window, scanning for threats.
Nothing.
He waited another few minutes before making a decision to head back to the hotel. Perhaps she lost them or they gave up their pursuit.
Just as he was halfway between the vehicle and the hotel, he heard a scream. It came from the truck stop. He couldn’t see anyone over there but the scream was as clear as day.
Go inside. Ignore it.
He continued running but the cry came again, this time he could clearly hear someone crying for help.
Clutching his rifle, Gunnar clenched his jaw.
Ignore it, he told himself. They couldn’t help everyone.
He made it to the door and entered only to hear the scream again.
“Damn it!” He gritted his teeth and looked back. From his new vantage point he could now see the inside of the truck stop illuminated, flashlights bouncing. He looked toward the stairwell door. A few more steps and he could be in, safe.
More screaming tore at his conscience.
“Shit.”
Gunnar ran at a crouch toward the truck stop.
He anticipated being shot and so he zigzagged just in case a soldier had him in his crosshair and this was some kind of trap. He raced toward the gas pumps that were across from the one-story diner with a red roof. A huge sign for Champs Chicken was on the side, weathered, covered in dirt. The gas pumps were locked, and there was a sign that read: Only accepting cash. It had a large red dash through it with the words: SOLD OUT — NO MORE GAS!
What little gas remained throughout the county was being used by the military. Most if not all vehicles had been siphoned, and the rest, well the gas was no longer of any use. It deteriorated over time even with stabilizer. Over the past few months, he’d seen less military Humvees and trucks on the road. Even the Chinese were having trouble fueling their vehicles, leaving most to ride horseback.
With his back pressed against the gas pump, Gunnar peered around to check that no one was looking out the windows. If they were, it would have been hard to see them as the only light came from a couple of flashlights and they were illuminating the far walls.
Three, two, one. Go!
Some quick self-talk that he had this and he raced toward the diner.
Making it to the wall, he slid along to the nearest large window and snuck a peek.
There was movement. Silhouettes.
Soldiers.
He saw two but he knew there could be more. Staying low he shuffled over to the nearest door and gave it a tug.
It opened.
A second later he was inside. He expected to take in the smell of grease and bacon but there was none of that. It was musty, hot, and smelled like rotting food. Gunnar darted over to a second door that led him into the main restaurant. Even before he entered he heard the muted sound of laughter.
“Stop wiggling,” a soldier said.
A slap echoed.
Tears. Pleading. Her cries fell on deaf ears.
He couldn’t see what they were trying to do but he had a good idea.
The restaurant was like any typical establishment: fixed tables and booth seating around the outside with tables and chairs dotted throughout the rest. Gunnar used them to his advantage, sliding along them and staying low. Had the lights been on he would have been seen but barring the two flashlights that were pointed in at the kitchen area, there was no light inside.
He snuck another peek.
There was a soldier behind the counter, smoking a cigarette and holding a door open as the two inside were trying to tear the clothes off a woman who was fighting tooth and nail. Another slap and she lost all of the fight in her.