Chapter 20
My muscles burned with every painstaking movement as the top came into sight. Beneath each step, the ground became slick and more brittle with sticks that cracked under the weight of my arms and legs. Between fatigue and the fear of the creatures below, it was no wonder I did
n’
t realize what I was crawling through. How could I have?
Staring up toward the summit, I watched through the darkness as Mr. Ammo pulled himself over the ledge. Still no one looked back down at me. My heart raced at the thought of what lay ahead, but there was nothing I could do about it.
I nearly lost my balance when my foot slid backwards on one of the rocks. I could hear what sounded like a piece of metal rolling down the hill behind me.
The crackling from the fire below almost overshadowed the moans from the creatures yearning to come up the hill after me. Almost.
Just a few more feet before
I’
d learn what fate lay ahead. Still, I pushed through. There were no other options.
Digging the sharp end of the hammer into the ground at the summit, I slowly pulled my aching body over the edge. Wide-eyed, I shot glances back and forth, trying to find my friends through the darkness. The fire was far below and try as it might, the moon was
n’
t able to break through the clouds passing above. Between that and the smoke still tearing up my eyes, I simply could
n’
t see jack.
Unfortunately, the creatures had no problem seeing me.
As my eyes adjusted, they were there, all low to the groun
d…
staring up at me with those dead red eyes. They jerked and snapped in my direction, but for some reason, did not advance toward me. Jumping up, I nearly slid backwards, but managed to catch the groove of the hammer between two rocks on the summit.
I did
n’
t make a noise. Not because I didn't try to scream. Hell, I opened my mouth and let out what I imagine would have sounded like the unmanliest scream on the planet, but nothing came out. My mouth was dry as sandpaper, and my throat was even worse.
They could see me, smell me, and sense me, yet something was clearly holding them back. As the tears cleared from my eyes, and my mind started to recover with the help of the much-needed oxygen being pulled into my lungs, I started to understand what this was.
Just as it all came into focus, one of the creatures tore its torso free from the rest of its body, which was securely strapped into a pair of chairs tipped over sideways just ten feet from my face. The monster was dressed in a beat up gray business suit, with a loose tie that was flipped over its shoulder.
I watched in horror as its entrails leaked out through the open wound of its stomach, and streaked across the rocky summit like a mop pushing through mud. The
Z’
s mouth was gaping open, salivating some sort of puss as if I was the first meal it had ever seen. One hand over the other, it pulled toward me, letting out a moan that seemed to fuel the rest of the creatures.
Squeezing my fists together, I put one hand on my knee and pushed myself to my feet. As I slowly rose, all of the creature
s’
mangled red eyes followed me in unison, unwavering from my tasty flesh.
With nearly nothing left, I fought for the strength to raise the hammer above my head. I could only hope that I had enough to put this creature down with one strike. It was clear I would
n’
t have the strength for a second.
Focusing on its head, and trying to make sure the blow would count, I did
n’
t notice the person to my left until he came in and drove a foot through the side of the rotten half-corpse, sending it rolling over the edge of the ravine. I watched as the tie flapped in the wind like a streamer while it fell into the darkness.
Jumping back at the suddenness of the action, I looked up to see Kyle holding a welcoming hand in my direction.
“
John. Le
t’
s get you away from that ledge
,”
he said as he stepped forward.
Even in the darkness, I could see the look of concern in his face as he edged toward me. He knew I was done.
Falling to the ground as I grabbed Kyl
e’
s hand, he broke my descent as much as he could, and twisted my body around to where I was perched upright. Sitting there in what I can only explain as shock, I watched in awe as Kyle stood back up and waved toward Mr. Ammo, who was only a few feet back.
For the briefest of moments, the clouds parted, and the moon lit up the hilltop. Twisted metal that looked like someone had wadded up a two-hundred-foot soda can and tossed it into the forest lay before me. Behind it was a field of broken and fallen trees splintering up from the ground.
I eventually recognized the long cabin of a commercial airliner. Its wing was reaching up into the heavens above us, practically begging for Go
d’
s help. It would find no such solace, much like the passengers of this forsaken flight.
Realizing the mass of Zs were all strapped to many of the two-by-two airplane seats littering the ground, I looked out at their weathered bodies. They had likely been trapped in those chairs since the shit hit the fan seven months ago.
In the old days, I would have cringed at the thought of having to sit next to the fat sweaty guy on a plane for two hours. I gritted my teeth at the thought that it could have been worse.
Lifting their weapons, Kyle and Mr. Ammo stepped toward the group of buckled-in passengers and methodically drove their given weapon down through their skulls. Making quick work of the creatures, they continued canvassing their way around the wreckage to finish off any stragglers.
Finding some much-needed strength after sitting still for a few minutes, I finally looked over my shoulder to see Jarvis perched up against a metal box that lay sideways. Pulling myself over to him, I noticed that he was out cold. His lungs moved up and down under his chest plates, and I told myself that was good enough for now.
Propping my body up against the same tilted-over metal box, I came down against it hard. My first concern was that I would wake Jarvis, but he stayed dead asleep. However, my weight shifted whatever was in the box, and I heard something clinking around inside.
Looking up toward Kyle and Mr. Ammo, I saw their silhouettes on the other side of the plane, pulling luggage out of some sort of compartment and exploring the inside of the cabin. Later, they would tell me that the radio in the plane was useless. The battery was dead, and the cockpit was all but crushed into a thick set of trees, which had ultimately stopped the plane from falling over the edge of the ravine.
Sitting against the metal box, I decided I would try to make myself useful by doing a bit of digging around on my own. Pushing up to my knees, I looked over the edges of the box and found a small latch. Digging my nails into it, trying to break it free, I finally snapped the rusty piece of metal loose, causing a small door to slide open and hit the ground with a thud.
With a smile, I reached down and lifted up a handful of peanut packets and an assortment of alcohol-filled mini-bottles.
Creating a semi-circle of airplane seats facing toward the ravine, overlooking the dancing fire below, the four of us sat in silence chowing down on a feast of peanuts, crushed crackers, and a bottle of olives that w
e’
d been able to salvage.
We were thrilled to have it.
The seats, all once a prestigious red, now were more brownish black from sitting outside in the elements for so long. Embroidered on the back of each chair was a logo that read Imperial Air in a bold, fancy cursive. Just below the logo was a slogan that rea
d“
Flight Fit For A King
.”I’
m not quite sure what the magnificently terrible smell radiating from them was, but it did
n’
t matter to me too much. I was just content to be sitting.
Cracking open the first mini-bottle, Kyle poured the clear liquid into a small plastic cup that looked like an imitation goblet from medieval times. Across the bottom, it read
,“
Million Mile Member Club
.
”
I cringed thinking that corporations would give away such horrible shit before the world came to an en
d…
and w
e’
d all felt like we needed to have it.
As a group, w
e’
d agreed on a few things. First, Kyle talked us into having a small campfire in the center of our half-circle. We figured any creatures in the area would be drawn to the forest fire below, and it was getting pretty chilly up on the mountainside. I for one had no interest in being anywhere near a fire, but he nearly insisted that we needed it. He got it up and running pretty quickly with a set of matches h
e’
d found in some carry-on luggage.
So much for the hours of airport
I’
d wasted over my lifetime.
Second, there was the issue of Mr. Ammo. After all, we were all trying to kill each other not too long ago. Three on one gave us the odds, and he knew he was
n’
t going to get too far without us. In the end, we decided that w
e’
d helped each other get this far, and we weren't going to settle our differences tonight. W
e’
d have to decide what to do next in the morning. Of course, that did
n’
t stop Kyle from threatening to tos
s“
his ass
,”
as he put it, over the edge if Mr. Ammo made a single move he did
n’
t like.
Luckily, the kid got message loud and clear.
With the exception of the natural defenses that the hill provided and the cracked-open cabin of the plane, we were all but exposed. However, it was too dark to head anywhere, and at least here we had a few supplies to rummage through.
For the time being, no matter how much my mind told me we needed to keep moving, we had decided to stay put.
I’
m glad we did, because
I’
m not sure I would have ever heard the story that Jarvis told us that night if we had
n’
t.
Chapter 21
Looking over toward Jarvis, I could see the firelight flickering off his face while he sat and chowed down on a bag of peanuts. He was in a fresh set of blue jeans and a black hoodie.
I’
d never seen him so informally dressed. W
e’
d all found a new set of clothing amongst the wreckage. Trading in my melted body armor, I settled for a set of brown cargo pants, a black t-shirt, and a sweatshirt that was a tad too tight for my liking.
I noticed that Kyle kept looking over toward Jarvi
s’
s leg wound, bleeding through the bandages, soiling his newfound set of clothing.
Taking a sturdy piece of metal, roughly two feet long, that h
e’
d salvaged from the plane, Kyle placed one end in the fire and looked up to me with a slightly grim face before taking a swig from his goblet.
Pulling on two strings, Jarvis opened the top of the backpack and began rummaging through the bottles and small glass vials. With the help of the light from the fire, I watched as his hand emerged with a few pills that he downed with a swig from a mini-bottle.
Moving my eyes across the campfire, they landed on a bright white pair of Nike running shoes with a florescent green stripe nearly glowing in the darkness.
“
Nice kicks
,”
I said to Mr. Ammo.
Smiling nervously, he looked down, twisted the shoes in the dirt, and said
,“
I always wanted a pair of these, but they were always too expensive. Do
n’
t think anybody on that plane will miss them
.”
Looking out at the ravine for a second, as if not knowing what to say, he continued
.“
The
y’
re called the Nike Pegasus. They say you can fly with them
.
”
Nodding with my own smile, I glanced at my boots, which had just saved me from a bite to the foot. Screw sneakers,
I’
d be taking a pair of boots with me to the end.
Looking up from the fire, Jarvis asked
,“
Wha
t’
s your name
?”
while shifting his shoulders toward Mr. Ammo.
Pausing for a moment, Mr. Ammo looked at all three of us and finally responded
,“
Aidan
.
”
“
Well, Aidan, I think you know our names, right
?
”
Nodding his head, he replied
,“
Yeah, I know who you are
.
”
“
Do you? Or do you just know what Gordon told you about us
?
”
Thinking about this for a minute, obviously trying to choose his words carefully, Aidan replied
,“
I know you took up arms against Gordon and nearly killed him before he had the chance to escape your castle
.
”
Holding up his gauntlet, Kyle chuckled, repeating the word
,“
Castle
.
”
“
Do you know who Gordon Green is? Do you really
?”
Not giving Aidan a chance to respond, Jarvis continued.
“
A little known fact is that I was Gordo
n’
s business associate for almost twenty years
.
”
Realizing we were about to be in for a hell of a story, Kyle sat up and cracked open another mini-bottle filled with bourbon.
“
At first, we set off with all the right intentions, building wealth in the right ways. We were simply in the pursuit of what we called the three
W’
s
.
”
He took a breath, and paused with a slight smirk.
“
Wealth, women and wild parties, boys. We were young, figuring out the world. Our business endeavors were on the level, and we had a heck of a time. Gordon is a brilliant man. There is no doubt about that. Once he started investing in the stock market there was nothing that could stop him. I would be amazed at the types of calls he would make, and at how often they would pay off. He simply seemed to always know which way the wind was blowin
g…
and he was quick to cast his sail when it picked up a good breeze
.
”
Kyle reached down to flip the chunk of glowing metal in the fire, and turned his attention back to Jarvis.
“
That smart bastard made our little holding millions. Heck, tens of millions. There was nothing stopping us. Money simply was
n’
t a challenge anymor
e…
and that may have been the problem
.
”
With a sigh, Jarvis dug his boot down and took a swig of his own mini-bottle.
“
I ca
n’
t pinpoint the change, but at some point, Gordo
n’
s mind started to twist. The same brilliance and drive that brought wealth seemed to have turned on him and started to push his desire to seek control. He wasn't satisfied with money. He wanted powe
r…
and not the kind of power one gets sitting in an office chair on the one-hundredth floor of their own skyscraper. He was more interested in power over people
.
”
Looking over at the metal in the fire, Jarvis took the last swig from his mini-bottle, tossed it into the flames, and cracked open another.
“
I wish I could say I saw it come all at once, but really, it came over time. I may have been able to harness his ambition. However, ultimately, I did
n’
t fully realize what he was capable of until it was too late
.
”
“
You mean the Arena at Avalon
?”
Kyle asked.
Shaking his head, Jarvis responded
,“
No, that came later. Gordo
n’
s freshman effort is where I really started to question his actions. I
t’
s where the first sliver of the divide started between u
s…
culminating in the eventual takeover of Avalon
.
”
He paused for a moment to look out at the fire. I was reminded of the creatures moving through the forest below us. The low, echoing, unified moan from the horde was moving through, around the forest flames, and away from us.
“
You see, he knew he could
n’
t have power without surrounding himself with powerful people, so he created a world within a world that he knew he could sell to the elite of New York. Outfitting a broken-down abandoned building that had ceased construction after 9/11, he created what I can only reference as a mini-compound right in the middle of the city. Outfitting it with bunk beds, a cafeteria, and entertainment areas, he managed to build his own control area. Once complete, he simply opened it up to anybody that would be willing to come in and live. Everything was paid for - food, shelter, and entertainment. There were a few caveats that everybody who lived there had to sign on for. First, anybody who entered had to agree not to leave for three months. They would forfeit their clothing, any possessions, and had to agree to live by the compounds rules, of which there were very few.
They would also agree to be video recorded at all times. There were cameras at each bunk, the cafeteria, and the entertainment areas. He even had cameras in the bathroom
s…
in the toilets and the showers. Privacy was completely signed away by the compound
s’
inhabitants
.
”
Kyle reached over to a pile of wood that w
e’
d gathered and threw a log onto the fire, sending embers floating out over the ravine. I watched as they parachuted down into the abyss and quietly out of sight.
“
The compound attracted people from all ways of life. He had vagrants off the street that were happy to have a hot meal and a place to sleep. Then he had well-off people who just simply wanted to be part of his experiment. The people had to have all been a little nuts to join, but I think that is exactly what Gordon wanted
.
”
I glanced over at Aidan. It was clear from the expression on his young face that he was hanging on Jarvi
s’
s every word.
“
Gordon did
n’
t let me in on his little secret world until he had it up and running. He took me down there for the first time, and I witnessed what people turned into when they had no rules, no responsibilities, and were encouraged to do whatever they wanted. At first, I thought the idea to be brilliant. Something that he may be able to televis
e…
kind of reality TV-esque. However, I quickly realized this was
n’
t meant for the masses.
He took me to a back room that was outfitted with chairs and large flat panel TV monitors. The technology involved was amazing. Mission Control at NASA headquarters did
n’
t have jack on Gordon Gree
n’
s compound. The room also featured a one-way glass mirror that opened to a large white room fitted with padded walls. A number of prominent people of New York were plopped down in those chair
s…
simply watching the madness ensue. Looking up at the monitors, I was shocked to see people openly having sex on one screen, a fight breaking out on another. Two nearly naked men were picking a fight with a woman, nearly beating her to death for what seemed like fun. Nobody was there to interfere or stop anything
.
”
Pulling a deep breath into his lungs, Jarvis popped open another mini-bottle and chugged it down. I wasn't sure if he was killing the pain of his leg, or the memory of Gordo
n’
s compound. As he grew more intoxicated, his calm demeanor started to wane. In addition to the serious look growing across his face, I noticed Jarvis had an edge to him that I had previously not seen.
“
That was when two men were pulled into the padded room. They both appeared be vagrants by my count. Rail thin with scruffy beards and matted hair. I watched Gordon pick up a microphone and instruct the two to fight. Only the winner would be allowed to stay in his world. So they did - fight, I mean. They beat the shit out of each other, boys, all because Gordon found his way to control. His way to entertain the powerful. He had become a celebrity of sorts. Famous within the ranks of the natio
n’
s elite
s…
and he was drunk on the power
.
”
Aidan finally asked
,“
Why did you go along with it? I mean, why did you stay friends with him? You could have just dropped all dealings with him if you truly were appalled by it
.”
He said this in a nearly accusatory way. However, I found myself questioning the same thing in the back of my mind.
“
I have to admit, the whole thing was a bit intoxicating, boys. The rush of the fight, the control he had over the fifty or so inhabitants living down there and the caliber of people paying high dollar to come and watch his little experimen
t…
well, le
t’
s just say that
I’
m talking former presidents, CEOs and military leaders.
“
But yo
u’
re right. I could
n’
t stand by watching idle. The place got shut down by the NYPD. Somehow the word leaked out, and the police shut it down, citing that it was a cult, and against city ordinances
.
”
None of us asked if it was Jarvis that had called in the tip, but he sure as hell implied it.
Kyle picked up the metal piece that was smoldering in the fire and ash at that point, took a good look at the glowing end, flipped it once more and placed it back in the fire.
“
So how did Avalon come to be
?”
he asked.
“
Gordon had been building it for years. For all intents and purposes, it was operational when the dead started to rise. Realizing that violence was the truest form of entertainment, his new vision was to have gladiator-style battles. Live and to the death is how he explained it to me. He had already been hosting underground matches for a while. W
e’
d gone slightly different paths by that point. However, when shit hit the fan on that first day of the outbreak, he reached out and invited me to his sanctuary. I did
n’
t know about the Arena until I got there. In Gordo
n’
s mind, this is what he had been waiting for, and he wanted me, his partner, there to enjoy it. It was just a matter of putting a new kind of contestant into the arena. I knew I had to put a stop to it
.
”