“They must have bombed this whole section…that’s got to be at least a few hundred feet down to the bottom…” I stated as I stepped out of our Bronco with my women at my side as the others of my group gathered around us.
“Now what?” Billy asked as Kayla clung to him nervously.
“That structure over there looks kinda weak…we might be able to break through.” Marco stated pointing to the remains of what looked to have been a diner.
The structure was indeed weak and looked like it was on the verge of collapse, most of it was glass—at least what was left of it that was still sound and I nodded at the others before getting back into our Bronco with my women; I waited until everyone else was ready and then I led the way ahead crashing through the weak section of the diner until we were on the other side and the others followed as it was easier for them due to the fact that what had been left of the glass had been destroyed when I had went through. The other side looked mostly clear and I was able to find a road that was intact that looked to lead us around the chasm on the other side—luckily the shortcut through the diner had worked and we were able to make it around the deep chasm and after another hour or so we arrived back close to the original interstate that we had been using and we were close to the one that we would need to head northwest toward Chicago; that was when we were faced with another deep flooded area directly ahead and there was no other way around it.
“It looks like we’re going to have to gun it and go through this water…” I stated as I stared ahead through the heavy rain at the floodwaters before us.
“Are we going to be okay?” Jennifer asked in a worried tone.
“I hope so…” I answered as I started driving toward the water.
That was when dead-heads and other mutations that looked like they were covered with mud and fungus stood up out of the floodwaters and started coming toward us—they were shamblers but the level of decay and gore on them even though they were covered with mud and fungus was extreme and I had to look away as one of the stomach cavities of the creatures in front of us completely fell out into the floodwaters exposing the inside of its rotting corpse—we could smell a rancid odor even from where we were.
“Ugh…let’s get rid of those things so we can find out if we can even get through.” I stated fighting the urge to vomit.
Rachel and Roxanne stood up through the back tarped area and opened fire on the shamblers splattering them in gore clearing the way; after they had returned to their seats I swallowed the lump in my throat and surged forward into the floodwaters—our Bronco was up high enough not to be flooded itself but the going was getting tough as we forged through the deep, rushing waters and finally after some trouble I pulled our Bronco up out of the floodwaters onto the interstate and I put it into park as we all looked back at the others.
“Billy and Kayla as well as Clancy and LaDonna are going to have the most trouble…I hope that they can make it through.” Sheila stated as she peered through the side window.
“Marco and Regan too—the others have bigger tires and their vehicles set up higher…” Chloe added as she stood up in the back.
We watched as Billy and Kayla surged through the floodwaters at high speed sending water high into the air from their rear tires and surprisingly they were able to make it across without flooding out their engine—next Clancy and LaDonna came through and they were only halfway across when I knew that something was wrong; the floodwaters had come up over the hood of their armored Subaru and smoke and steam was billowing up from underneath their hood.
“They’re not gonna make it…!” I shouted as I got out of our Bronco and ran to the edge of the floodwaters.
Mace and my other kids along with Joshua and Nicole came up beside of their Subaru and helped Clancy and LaDonna climb into the back of their truck as they grabbed their weapons and whatever else they were able to grab before the top of their Subaru was completely covered by the rushing floodwaters; Seth came across next after Mace had gotten to our side and he had some small issues but his modified car was able to make it across due to its large tires and we waited as Marco and Regan came across next. It looked like they were going to have the same problem in the Mustang that Clancy had but they were able to make it across after several minutes of almost getting swept away; Thomas and Yuri came across next at the same time as Jake and Kenyia and they were able to use the larger bulk of Jake and Kenyia’ truck to help them get across in their smaller modified car and once both of them had made it across we waited as Hugo and the other Covenant One members along with my other family members came across in the Zetros and last came Richard, Morgana, Kari, Kira and Madison in the modified RV. Much time had passed and daylight had already came even though the rain continued to pour down—we got back into our Bronco and continued along the interstate northwest away from the ruins of Indianapolis—I knew that we were going to have to figure out another vehicle for Clancy and LaDonna as the back of Mace’s truck was already crowded and as exposed as it still was there would be a high risk of injury or fatalities if we ran into another large mass of dead-heads and other mutations.
“Guys, we should try to find another vehicle here soon—the back of Mace’s truck is getting cramped and they were more exposed now than before.” I stated into the CB receiver.
“Looks like we stay on interstate 74 through the rest of Indiana and then merge onto the 57 once we’re in Illinois up to highway 45—we follow that to the 30 northwest until we hit interstate 39 just past the town called Shabbona, Illinois.” Sheila stated as she looked over our planned route on the road atlas.
“The 39 should take us up past Madison and all that, right?” I asked glancing at her briefly.
“Yeah.” She answered.
“I hate having to pass through these areas that were densely populated back in the day—all those people who used to live here are all dead-heads and other mutations now…” I stated with a distant stare as I focused on the road ahead of me.
“I know babe…” Jennifer answered gently squeezing my right hand.
I listened to my women talk back and forth to each other as well as the chatter from the others in the vehicles behind us and one hour seemed to meld into another and before I knew it we had passed over into Illinois and the rain had slacked off to a light drizzle; I stopped along the side of the roadway and I climbed into the back seat with Chloe, Rachel, Olivia and Roxanne as Sheila took over driving for me. It seemed like I fell asleep almost as soon as I closed my eyes and I was woken what seemed like hours later by a crash of thunder that shook everything around me—Rachel was waking beside of me and she kissed me deeply before stretching her arms over her head and I shared kisses with Chloe, Olivia and Roxanne before leaning forward and doing the same with Jennifer and Sheila, who was still driving.
“Where are we baby?” I asked as I stared through the slats on the windshield at the waning light as night was steadily approaching.
“We passed into Wisconsin an hour ago…we’re getting close to Janesville—we’ve been seeing a lot of dead-heads and other mutations along the roadway the closer we get to Madison; some of them took chase after us and the others behind us…” Jennifer answered with a look of dread.
“Are the others still okay back there?” I asked glancing back through the rear windshield of our Bronco.
“Yeah—Billy and Kayla radioed in a little while ago and Hugo and the others are okay as well.” Sheila answered casually.
That was when the CB came to life with a voice that I didn’t recognize at first until I realized it was my dad—he was saying something about my mom and I had to turn the volume up on the console to understand what he was saying.
“Chaz—your mom is really sick…I don’t know how much longer she’s going to be able to continue on this trip…”
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked with a worried tone as I picked up the microphone speaking into it.
>
“I don’t know for sure…I’m not a doctor…but she’s been declining the past several weeks…” My dad answered after several seconds of silence.
I sighed and stared off into space in deep thought—I had a gnawing in the back of my mind, a notion that I refused to even acknowledge…my mom had always been there for me throughout my life and I somehow knew that her time in this world was running out; I jumped slightly when I felt Jennifer’s hand as she rubbed my right shoulder comfortingly.
“Let’s get as far as we can before…before whatever is gonna happen happens…it’s all we can do.” I stated into the CB microphone.
I put everything that I felt and knew in my head and my heart aside and soon afterward switched with Sheila to where I was once again driving and by nightfall we had arrived in the small town of Janesville—I knew that it had been awhile since we had stopped and the others of the group were no doubt hungry and tired.
“I haven’t even stopped to think on how our food supplies are…” I stated with a blank stare.
“We’ve got enough canned and dry goods for another week or so, then we’re going to have to be looking for more…I imagine that the others are about the same.” Chloe answered as she reached back into the very back of our Bronco and checked our belongings.
“Chaz—you there?” Beau asked over the CB.
“Yeah, I’m here.” I answered grabbing the microphone receiver off the dash.
“We need to restock our food supplies soon—we’re starting to run low.” Beau answered in his end.
“Yeah, same here—I wonder if there’s anything here in this town?” I answered as I glanced around at the dark buildings and wrecked vehicles that we passed.
“There might be a grocery store that still has food…we’ll be lucky if we find anything though…” Hugo answered on his end.
I kept my eyes peeled over the next few minutes for anything that resembled a grocery store and finally we found another Walmart like before—except this one was a community market; the parking lot was full of wrecked and abandoned vehicles and bones of the long dead were here and there. I pulled our Bronco up close to the front of the store and waited as the rest of my group done the same with their vehicles before we all got out with our weapons in hand and looked on the entrance to the store with dread—as I led the way to the glass doors, I seen that the glass was shattered but a large obstruction had been piled on the inside of the store entrance and it looked sturdy and secure meaning that there were possibly survivors inside or had been before; that was when the door of the obstruction opened and a blonde-headed young guy wearing a long leather trench coat came out and stopped when he seen us.
“Who the hell are you guys?” He asked as his hand nervously went to a large caliber revolver inside of a holster at his hip.
“Survivors on our way north to a place—a possible last bastion for the living…my name is Chaz Watkins, these are my women, family and friends.” I answered as I lowered my M16 to show the guy that I wasn’t a threat to him unless I was made to be one.
“North?”
“Like—where up north?” The guy asked in a curious tone.
“From the information that we found, there’s a place up in Northwestern Territories at a place called Echo Bay on the eastern shore of Great Bear Lake…there was a place we stopped a couple of months back where there had been survivors and we found a recording telling of the place—it looked like whoever had been there had picked up and left in a hurry…possibly headed the same way.” I explained as my women and the rest of my group gathered around me.
“I see…interesting…my name is Darrell Rush, there are two other guys here with me and five women who I have all been trying to keep alive; I take it that you guys are looking for food…?” The guy answered casually.
“Yes—our supplies are running low and we’ve been looking for a place to restock; that is as long as there’s not going to be trouble with marauders…” I answered in a cautious tone.
“I know of who you’re talking about—those assholes have been giving us trouble from time to time in the past few weeks; they seem to come around these parts every few days and when they do, they try to force us outside in a firefight…there were two others with us a few weeks back who were killed by them.” Darrell answered in a melancholy tone.
“We have a dark history with them ourselves—my best friend and his family were killed by them a few years back in Williston, North Dakota…” I stated as I thought back on Noah and his family.
“I’m sorry to hear that—we’ve been holed up here in this store for about a year ourselves…”
“We’ve managed to arrogate some beds of dirt and grow most of our food right here in this store—some of what was here before we came still is but there’s not much.” Darrell stated as he led us into the main part of the store where the others of his group were starting to gather.
“Who’re these people, Darrell?” One of the other guys asked.
He was slightly shorter than me and his head was bald and he had a goatee—his attire consisted of a white t-shirt and cargo pants.
“This is Shaun Lloyd—the last guy over there is Aiden Huff.” Darrell introduced.
Aiden was a gothic dude still dressed in the black clothing of days long gone and he had long, dark hair that looked a bit disheveled—the five women of the group stepped forward and we saw that the first one was a gothic girl like Aiden and her relationship with him was revealed as she walked over to him and stood holding onto him nervously; she introduced herself as Danicka Jackson after several moments had passed. The second woman was a somewhat thin women with a gaunt face—her hair was long past her shoulders and it was a dark reddish color, she introduced herself as Erica Cross, the next female was one who looked like she was about 19 years old; her hair was a chocolate brown and her bangs were cut straight across her forehead just above her eyebrows and she had blue eyes.
“My name’s Rebecca Ulrich—nice to meet other survivors…” She stated smiling.
The last two females came forward and nodded at us—the first one was a slender, women probably around the age of 35 or 36 and she had medium, brown hair.
“Name’s Stacey Conway…pleased to meet you guys.” She stated folding her arms across her chest.
The final woman was a brunette with dark hair and an average to plus sized figure—she nodded at us and introduced herself as Stephanie Ludlowe. I introduced my group and then we looked around the store at the food items that were there and then Darrell and several of the others approached us, me in particular and it seemed like they had something to talk to us about.
“You guys can probably guess what I’m gonna say, but I’ll go ahead and say it…” Darrell stated with something of an urgent expression on his face.
“What’s up?” I asked casually as I stopped to face them.
“Well, with the attacks from those things and those asshole marauders outside getting more and more frequent, we’ve decided that this place that you guys are headed to sounds like it would be a hell of a lot better than sticking around here—true we have walls, a roof and a way to grow food here but it’s only a matter of time before those fuckers figure out a way to get in here at us and all it takes is just one of us to get bitten or scratched and it’s all over.” Darrell explained in a worried tone as he exchanged glances with the others with him.
“You want to come to Echo Bay with us?” I asked raising my right eyebrow inquisitively.
“Yeah—we want to join you guys and we want to survive; we have a better chance in numbers.” Shaun answered as Darrell and Aiden both nodded in agreement.
“Let me discuss it with the rest of my group and then we’ll let you know.” I answered turning to my women who followed me back over to where Hugo, Amy, Beau and the other members of my group were all waiting.
“Guys—they’ve asked to join us on our
trip to Echo Bay…” I stated as my glance met theirs.
“Are we sure that we can trust them?” Billy asked in a skeptical tone as Kayla and Madison came over to stand close to him.
“They seem genuine and I can tell that what they’re saying about this place here is true—it may be secure for the moment but with those dead-heads and other mutations as well as the marauders constantly attacking them, they aren’t going to last much longer; with their added strength we have a better chance of surviving against the odds ourselves.” I answered in deep thought.
“Sounds good to me…but how are we going to fit more people into our vehicles?”
“We lost the car that Clancy and LaDonna were driving already as it is…” Hugo stated with a troubled brow.
“That’s a good question…” I answered as I glanced over at Darrell and his group motioning them over to where we were.
They arrived and I immediately inquired on what Hugo had just pointed out to me.
“You don’t have to worry about us being a liability to you guys—we have an armored police SWAT vehicle that we found outside of a police station in Bowling Green, Kentucky about a year back; we can follow you guys and we have a large stockpile of diesel and unleaded fuel drums stored inside of the vehicle.” Darrell answered smiling.
“We should do something about that—if you have any kind of a trailer that you could haul the fuel drums on it would make your ride more comfortable as well as safer.” Beau stated suddenly.
“There might be something like that around the area—there’s also a guns and ammo surplus store I’d like to check out before we leave.” Darrell stated in deep thought.
“Let’s load what food we can into the vehicles first and then we’ll split into two teams to find a trailer as well as check the surplus store.” I answered turning to my group members.
[HGB] Humanity Gone Bad: The Dead Chronicles Page 74