“
Check this shit out
,”
I heard Kyle whisper with a little too much joy as he pulled a double-barreled shotgun from the contracted grip of a decomposed body lying behind the counter.
Looking over the top of an old metal register, I noticed that the decaying body was wearing a camouflage National Rifle Association (NRA) hat, and was missing a leg. Before the person died, it was clear that he had tried to shoot off his leg, as the stump still sitting in the boot was just a mer
e“
foo
t”
from where he lay dead. The hole starting at his mouth and running through the back of his skull had me guessing that he was getting ready to tur
n—
just before he decided to end it.
“
Must have gotten bit, and tried to sever the wound
,”
Jarvis said in a low voice as he eased toward us.
“
I have
n’
t seen that work yet
,”
I replied.
“
Either way, bless these NRA nuts
,”
Kyle said as he reached into the bod
y’
s front vest pocket and pulled out a handful of shells.
Eyeballing the rest of the dark room, I could see that it was mostly set up like a small museum. Stopping in my tracks, there was a moment where I nearly shit myself as I realized three frozen human figures were standing in the darkness across from us. After a few horror-filled seconds spent straining our eyes, we quickly realized that they were simply another set of mannequins. Each one propped up, displayed with knitting and sewing supplie
s—
evidently reenacting what it took to make clothes before Americans could simply drag their fat asses to the nearest Walmart.
Pulling myself together, I glanced toward one of the walls. Spread across it was a mural that proudly displayed a series of children dressed in clothing that the original settlers of this area must have worn. A picture forever captured in time. All the children looked so happy. Momentarily thinking of Tyler, I wondered if h
e’
d ever have the opportunity to be around that many other kids.
It still saddens me to know the answer to that question.
After a few more hasty minutes of running through the place, we pulled together a pile of equipment that included three plastic lighters, a full trail map, and a small medical kit to help fix up Jarvi
s’
s leg. To our dismay, no other real clothing (aside from the red t-shirt) or supplies existed. The place had been fairly looted before it was deserted.
“
We gotta get a lay of the land
,”
Kyle said as we crouched down by the window
.“
Gordo
n’
s men are out there, and who knows how close that mega-horde is at this point
.
”
“
That fire tower is out there. Maybe we can get a good vantage point from there
.
”
“
Good thinking, John
,”
Jarvis replied.
Moments later, we crept outside, listening for any movement in the distance. The lights w
e’
d seen earlier were nowhere in sight, leading us to think Gordo
n’
s men had gone in a different directio
n…
at least for the moment.
“
Wh
o’
s gonna go up
?”
I asked with a gulp, already knowing the answer.
Kyle and Jarvis just stared at me as my shoulders dropped once more and I slid the hammer into my belt. Turning away from them, cursing myself for being the most nimble of the group, I reached up toward a ladder that led up to a platform which in turn led to a set of stairs that spiraled to the top of the tower.
I had seen fire towers in the past during backpacking trips, and knew that most of them were no longer in use. They were often at the tops of hills, giving people a good vantage point over the forest to watch for smoke. Some parks used scarce resources and funding to try to preserve them. With rotting wood and bent metal, this one felt like they had let it fall to the wayside. Still, we had to figure out what the hell was out there. For all we knew, there was a pack of creatures roaming around just outside the parking lot below. I found myself praying the moonlight would help me see well enough to be able to tell.
Glancing over the edge after reaching the first level, I looked down toward my friends. Kyle was standing guard with the shotgun held high, while Jarvis was plopped down against the base of the tower, tightly wrapping gauze around the red t-shirt that h
e’
d tied across his leg to help slow the bleeding. I kept climbing.
Letting out a tired exhale, I pulled myself into the top of the fire tower. I stopped gritting my teeth once I found the floor absent of anything dea
d…
or alive. It was made of wood. I could hear tiny slivers of dry rot falling to the ground below with each step. Attempting to balance my weight, I gripped a set of metal railings, which shook back and forth, as I inched forward. A bizarre feeling, as if something was missing, crept into my mind as I let my eyes adjust to the moonlight. Surveying the swaying trees, I tuned my ears to the blowing wind as I realized what it was. The world was devoid of that rhythmic chirping from distant insects that would normally be heard on a night like this. My mind drifted to those humid summer evenings
I’
d often spent sipping on a glass of bourbon while trying to relax on my back porch. All the while, that calming chant singing to me in the background. Tonight, it was as if they could sense the shitstorm was coming. Even the bugs knew to keep quiet.
With the moonlight peeking through the clouds, I could see a sizable chunk of the park below. In addition to the lake, it was apparent that a few other parking lots were spread out around the area, in between a massive expanse of trees and forests. What I did
n’
t see were any towns or signs of civilization. I also did
n’
t see anything in the form of Z hordes lurking around in our immediate area.
A set of dancing lights about a mile away caught my attention. It looked like Gordo
n’
s men were still searching around the lake that w
e’
d crashed into. To the left of the lake, I saw a larger set of lights, which I believed to be where they had landed the helicopter. I could
n’
t see the vehicle, but there was illumination that could be seen bouncing off the tree limbs
Glancing down at Kyle, I flashed a thumbs up to let him know we were all right for the time being. He tilted the shotgun up a degree or two, acknowledging the news, then turned back to continue his survey of the immediate area. Not lowering the gun from his hip, he guarded the parking lot, seemingly on full alert.
After adjusting the backpack over my shoulders, I reached into my vest pocket and pulled the cell phone out. Wiping the glass plate dry with my sleeve, I reached up and smashed the upper right-hand button with my thumb, praying that it would still turn on after its bath out in the lake. Not even the tiniest flicker of light crossed its screen. Dropping my head, cursing under my breath, I could only hope it would eventually dry out enough for me to recover the last remaining pictures of my wife.
Forced to take a guess, I estimated that we had less than fourteen hours before we needed to get back. With a heavy sigh, I lifted my head and looked toward the tree line, but did
n’
t see much of anything. Keeping my eyes fixed on where I believed the mega-horde to be coming from, I leaned forward and squinted to see if I could make out anything in the distance. Nothing could be seen through the cloak of darkness.
I wish that meant nothing was out there.
The wind died to a near calm, and a slightly audible sound hit me. It was a very low-level moan. Rather, a low level of multiple moans. I could
n’
t see them, but I could hear them.
I felt my skin crawl at the realization that the roar of the mega-horde was close enough to be heard. I had no way of telling how close they were, or how fast they were moving.
But I knew we had to get the hell out of ther
e…
fast.
Chapter 17
My feet hit the ground with a thump as I dropped off the fire tower ladder. Relieved that I would
n’
t have to head back up there, I explained to Kyle and Jarvis what
I’
d see
n…
and heard.
Mulling over our circumstances for a moment, we knew we could
n’
t count on anybody from Avalon to pick us up. Hell, we did
n’
t even know if the
y’
d overheard the broadcast between Gordon and Rodgers. Even if they did, there certainly would
n’
t be any way for them to pinpoint our position. Kentucky was enormous, and all they knew was that we were roughly fifty miles south of Lexington. It was
n’
t much to go on.
We had to assume we were on our own.
That really only left us with two options. The first was to escape by trying to make it through the woods in the hope that w
e’
d find a road and a car with a battery that was
n’
t completely dea
d—
unlike the cars in the parking lot. However, this option was a stretch after seven months. Modern vehicles have all kinds of little electronics that drain away at the battery even when the car is
n’
t running. W
e’
d learned quickly that most cars were useless without a jump start after the first two months. On occasion, it was possible to find a car that was from the seventies that would still be runnin
g…
but you would
n’
t want to have to rely on it. Besides, even if you did, it was a good bet the gas had long since gone bad.
Even if we could manage to find a working vehicle, w
e’
d still have the mega-horde to contend with. Going around them could add days onto our trip back, and we knew we did
n’
t have long before Gordon would mount his attack.
Our other option - our only real option - was to hit the enemy head on. With a working chopper, they had the only key to open the door to our quick return.
They must have been following close behind us. It was the only way that Gordon could have known we crash-landed in the water. Gordon was a meticulous competitor, and a working chopper sitting within our grasps reeked of a trap. With no other option, however, we decided it was our turn to put the outcome of the game in our own hands, and the chopper was the only hope. It was time to step boldly into the lio
n’
s den.
Huddling up for a few minutes, we went over our plan. We knew what we had to do. Now it was time to see if it would work. After all, it had to. We needed to get home.
No. Matter. What.
Setting the plan in motion, I helped Jarvis head back toward the end of the parking lot. Kyle stayed behind, putting together the final touches while letting us get enough distance between him and the hell storm he was about to create.
Hitting the trailhead that the map said would lead to a parking lot around the other side of the lake, I looked over at Jarvis
.“
You think this is gonna work
?
”
Wincing in pain as he glanced back up the hill toward Kyle, he said
,“
No telling what Gordo
n’
s men are up to. I do know h
e’
s probably already figured out ten different ways for his men to trick us into making a mistake, and h
e’
ll be ready to capitalize on every one of them
.
”
I let out a deep breath, searching the sky
.“
You seem to know more about Gordon than yo
u’
ve ever let on, Jarvis
.
”
He lowered himself to the ground, using the wrought iron pole as a brace.
“
Yo
u’
re right, John. If we make it through this,
I’
ll tell you all about it. What I can tell you now is that the only way to beat him is to be unpredictable. I
t’
s how we beat him in the Arena, and i
t’
s how w
e’
ll beat him tonight
.
”
If unpredictable was what we neede
d…
we were about to hand it out tenfold, and none of us could possibly predict just how bad it was about to get.
Seeing the look in my eyes, Jarvis softened his tone
.“
Cheer up, old boy. If i
t’
s any consolation, I do
n’
t think we have much of a choice
.
”
He was right.
They had us outgunned, likely out manned, and time was against us with the horde quickly approaching. When a man has his back against the wall, he has two choices. Sit down and die, or stand up and put up the fight of his life.
We weren't ready to die.
In the distance, I saw Kyle stepping toward the bunch of sticks and brush that w
e’
d piled up at the side of the office. As he flicked the lighter he held, it illuminated what seemed like the whole area before he leaned in to set what should have been a tiny, makeshift campfire.
At first, the blaze was small - until he threw all three lighters into the growing flame. Darting toward us, he was only about halfway through the parking lot when the first lighter melted and burst open. A small but effective fireball shot out, setting the entire pile ablaze.
The other two followed, and before we knew it, the whole side of the office building/museum was aflame, reflecting an orange glow off the clouds above. The three of us ducked just inside the tree line and waited for the hell that was coming.
The muffled voices of men came from the direction of the lake. I could see the flashlights bouncing in between the trees, and then their rays bounced over the structure
I saw Kyl
e’
s eyes were fixed on the woods. Jarvis made eye contact with me; we both realized that this fire was going to take off way beyond what w
e’
d originally planned. What w
e’
d wanted to use as a distraction was looking more like it was going to turn into a pillar of fire that could be seen for miles.
Smokey the Bear flashed into my mind. With his giant brown forest ranger hat, he was repeating:
Only you can prevent forest fire
s
…
I saw the blaze take hold of the tall, dry grass next to the home and travel wildly toward the fire tower. It spread and broke out toward the nearby tree line. Dry timber and blowing leaves resting at the fores
t’
s edge strengthened the fir
e’
s rage.
The voices continued to get louder as three distinct lights came bouncing into view. Gordo
n’
s men were sprinting down the path that came to a head just across from where we were hidden. If this worked, they would be popping out just twenty or thirty feet from us. If this really worked, they would run right by and up toward the office. Holding my breath, I found myself almost looking up at the sky, begging for a break.
I did
n’
t get one.
A stick cracked sharply, pulling my attention to the first creature as it stepped out of the forest on the far side of the parking lot from us. It was followed by the sounds of two other creatures crawling from the tree line. Moaning loudly enough to call attention to themselves, they stopped Gordo
n’
s men dead in their tracks. I watched as our enemy doused their lights and dropped to the ground just before exiting the trail.
Shit.
Drawn in by the glowing flames, the creatures stumbled toward the office. At first, it was just a trickle. A few across from us could be seen stumbling past one of the nearby cars. Then they seemed to be crawling in from all over.
Before we knew it, there were a dozen of them filling the parking lot. One of the rotting bastards still wore his forest ranger hat and sported the familiar, but bloodied, light brown t-shirt and dark brown shorts. He was dragging his leg behind him as if it has been crippled at some point.
Another few were still wearing their backpacks, which had pots and pans dangling from the bottom by what looked like carabiners that glistened in the reflection of the fire. One of the campers was missing an arm, and the other had a hole blown through its chest. I found myself wondering if the
y’
d turned on each other while alive. Poor bastards probably came here trying to find refuge as the world turned to shi
t…
that, or they were enjoying a nice trip when all hell broke loose.
As the stench of the horde hit us, I recalled the office building
I’
d worked in prior to Z-Day. The memory of that putrid smell. It floated through the halls each time some poor soul would build up enough courage to clean out the buildin
g’
s communal fridge. A smell ripe with rotting sandwiches and mold-covered yogurt, left over from a wasteful set of fat asses who traded lunch for the quick burst of sugar calling to them from the vending machines.
Even as I write this passage,
I’
m not quite sure which made me sicker. The horde or that damn fridge.
The fire continued to spread up an enormous tree leaning across the trail. Almost as wide as I am tall, the tree had crooked branches that dwarfed the surrounding forest. I remember thinking that it looked old enough to have heard the worl
d’
s first scream. I watched in horrified amazement as the fire leapt from limb to limb, seemingly lighting the clouds on fire.
Glancing over at Kyle, I saw the metal on the shotgun he carried was gleaming, reflecting the madness of the fir
e’
s fury as it took over the hill. He stayed steady, with the shotgun pointed in the direction of where w
e’
d seen the flashlights go out. He was waiting for them to split up, and I knew he only had two rounds to use before having to refill. That meant one man would have the drop on him if we could
n’
t time things correctly.
“
Shit
,”
I cursed under my breath once again. Gordo
n’
s bastards just sat ther
e…
waiting for what came next. They seemed to sense a trap. Any hope that the
y’
d charge in like Rambo to find us quickly fell to the wayside. I could hear it in my head. HOL
D…
HOLD. Wait for them to fuck up.
Thinking back to Rodgers, the phrase, patience wins wars, ran through my mind.
There was no movement as both the living and the dead stared at the giant campfire. That is, until I heard a scream.
The sneaky bastards had been distracting us as much as w
e’
d been trying to distract them. Aside from the three men with flashlights, there were another three creeping up behind us. It was
n’
t until one of the sons of bitches behind us took a bite to the face that we had any clue they were there.
Unfortunately, for the
m
… th
e
same went for the creatures in the parking lot.
I looked back in time to see one of the men pull his trigger twice. Once for the creature, and once for the man with the bite across his face. Wincing at the shots, I glanced back over my shoulder toward the parking lot. To my horror, every mangled creature out there was looking right in their direction. Kyle was still down in the dirt along with Jarvis while I was busy becoming one with the tree I was hugging. Meanwhile, Gordo
n’
s men repeatedly rang the dinner bell as they fired off shots at anything that moved.
At first, they were more than capable of holding back the slower creatures from the parking lot. The fire was creating enough light for them to aim, braining each of the Zs as they approached. However, before they had time to react, the creatures coming out of the woods behind them made it impossible to control the situation. Totally surrounded, horrified shrieks of pain were all that followed the clicks from the empty weapons once they ran out of ammunition.
Expecting the group with the flashlights to jump in, I was surprised to see that they sat still, hiding from the chaos that was taking place less than fifty yards away. With the flashlights now turned off, they knew we were still out there, and their patience was almost as terrifying as the monsters lurking around looking for their next kill.
The blazing fire tower, now completely engulfed, crashed down, smashing across the roof of the office building. Nothing like breaking a one hundred-year streak.
Smoke was filling my lungs and I was fighting back the urge to cough by holding my forearm across my face. The forest was at full blaze, and we needed to make a move.