First Wave (The Travis Combs Post-Apocalypse Thrillers) (4 page)

Travis and Pete had made their way along a bleached,
wood fence to the right of the house, darting around bales of hay and stacks of
firewood before arriving at the back door of the house. He moved towards the
left side of the house where a large elm tree cast a shadow, obscuring the
porch from the moonlight. He paused, peering into a window. While glancing
inside, he stopped and shot a glance back into the open desert, in the
direction of the hotel, where he thought he heard movement far in the distance.
Then, he saw a figure move by the window inside the house, while the rear door
opened up and the outline of an older man in coveralls appeared. “No need for
sneaking around son, I heard ya comin’ some time ago. I may be on my last leg,
but I still got my senses about me.”

The man had a silver beard and patches of hair on either
side of his balding head. He was leaning on a cane with his right hand while
the other was wrapped with gauze that revealed traces of blood seeping through.
“Come on in. I reckon me and my granddaughter are the last residents of our
small town to provide some morsel of hospitality.”

Travis lowered his pistol and stepped up on the
porch. The older man had an ashen face and labored breathing. “Name’s Evan
Roscoe. I’d shake your hand but that’s a custom that faded in recent weeks, so
no disrespect.”

“Travis, and this is my buddy Pete.”

The man nodded then turned while they followed him
inside. They could see Katy and the others coming in through the front door,
led by the young girl.

“Pull up a seat on the couch or by the fireplace. We
got some talking to do and not much time to do it,” the man said with a wheezy exhale.

Everyone came in and sat down except Travis, who
stood with his back to the handmade stone fireplace, in view of both doorways.
It was a cozy interior with a small kitchen off the main living room, two side
bedrooms, and a bathroom.

The young girl sat down next to the man. “This is my
granddaughter Becka. She’s twelve but has the good sense and experience of
someone twice her age. I’m sure glad we found someone on the radio ‘cause I wasn’t
sure what I was going to do over the next few hours,” he said wiping his shirt
sleeve over a teary eye. “She lost her folks a week ago and her cousins too” he
reached down putting his hand on her head. “And I’m afraid my time is nearly
upon me. In another reality, she would have been taken in by another ranching
family in the area. We look after our own.”

The girl looked up at him with lips trembling,
holding his hand while he continued, “In all my seasons in the sun, I never
figured things would end like this. Now, I don’t know you folks any more than
you know me, but my Becka is going to be better of going with you than stayin’
here. This is a lot to lay on strangers but I don’t have much time,” he said
glancing down at his bandaged forearm.

Travis stood with arms folded. “Sir, I am sorry for
your losses. My friends and I will do what we can to help you and your family.
Right now though, my head is swirling like a cement mixer. You see, we all just
came off a twenty two day river trip and could sure use your help figuring out
what’s going on.”

The man looked down at Becka. “Darlin’, why don’t
you go in the kitchen and get these folks some food and glasses of water, while
I explain things to ‘em?”

The girl got up and walked into the dimly lit room
next to them. Evelyn followed behind her to offer help.

“Jim and LB, you two go on the porch and keep an eye
out,” said Travis as the two men walked out, leaving the screen door open so
they could hear the conversation.

Evan turned his attention back to Travis, “Fire away
son.”

“Down at the beach, the ranger…and some of our
people…who were bitten by him, they turned into something I’ve never seen
before. They were like animals that just wanted to tear through us.”

“That’s the blood virus. It’s taken down most of the
world’s population, I’m afraid. When it hit, most of us in these parts just
holed up at our ranches. Then a few weeks back, those things showed up, brought
in by some infected Japanese tourists on a bus that came to the hotel. Much of
the townsfolk, and my two boys, eventually got infected. We shot a bunch of those
creatures. Then one of the cowboys down the road got the idea to lure as many
as possible into the high school gym, where we torched a lot of the satanic
beasts. There’s still quite a bit of ‘em around, though, but we’ve been keeping
quiet here and, so far, haven’t had any problems. Just when we thought there
was some relief,” he gulped in some air with his body spasming, “these biker
thugs show up, rollin’ in on choppers and a convoy of trucks laying waste to
everything, shootin’ up the place.”

“Is getting bitten the main disease vector for how
the virus is spread?” asked Katy.

“All I know, from the early news broadcasts, is that
this started in Eastern Europe with people attacking one another and it
radiated out from there through air travel. It’s spread through being bit or
getting infected blood on an open cut on your skin. Some people just outright die
of internal bleeding and, God hope that is my only fate, but most others sorta
come back to life within six to eight hours, depending on the air temperature.
There’s some talk about higher elevations and colder temperatures slowing the
spread which is why so many people left here for Flagstaff or Colorado and why
places like Alaska have been able to contain it better. Here in the desert, we ain't
so lucky.”

Travis ran a hand through his bristly hair. “Sorry
to ask, but when were you bit sir?”

“About four hours ago, by my son Jack, who I buried
out back last night. I thought he was dead but he jumped me by the barn and
tore a hole in my arm before I had to…I had to...” tears streamed down his parched
face as he stared hard at the ground. “He was a good man. A damn good man,” he
said glancing over at his rifle. “At least he’s with his brother now. I reckon
we’ll all be reunited soon.”

“What about the biker gang. Are they still around
here?” said Pete.

“I don’t think there in the immediate area right
now. They showed up a few days ago and there was a shootout between them and
the other survivors living in the hotel. That’s when me, my sons and other
ranchers headed over and shot the shit outta most of ‘em. There’s talk they
control the smaller towns around here. The large cities like Vegas are war
zones between the undead, the criminals, and the desperate survivors.”

LB returned from the front porch and rushed in wild
eyed, shoving open the screen door. “Those things…they’re coming…hundreds of
them! They’re on the road and moving out in the open field to the right. They
must have followed us.”

“I thought the town was pretty cleaned out?” said
Pete. “Where are all these creatures coming from?”

“There are small pockets around this area that were
never quelled,” said Evan. “Many were probably feedin’ off the blood of the
dead victims around the hotel, after the last shootout. They musta heard the
noise of your truck on the pavement and followed you. Make no mistake- these
things ain’t alive but they are very aware of their surroundings. Some can even
come close to a run. Saw one last week movin' faster than a preacher at
collection time. They’re like pissed-off badgers acting on raw instinct.”

Travis bolted to the front door and peered outside at
the moving throngs of undead. “Looks like we’ve got mere minutes before they’re
on top of us.”

He turned back to Evan, “Is there another road out
of here?”

“You drove in on it. That’s it. Otherwise, it’s
miles of boulders and cactus in every direction.”

“What about guns…what kind of firepower you got?”

Evan hobbled on his cane to a closet and pulled out
a .20 gauge pump shotgun, a 30-30 lever action rifle and a .45 pistol. “Along
with this .357 on my hip, it’s all I got along with some boxes of ammo in the
corner,” he said, thrusting the lever action towards Travis. “In the barn out
back, I’ve got some half-sticks of dynamite I used to use for mining and a
couple of axes and pitchforks but that’s about it.”

Damn it!
Not enough time, not much of a fortress and not enough weapons. If we stay
here, we get slaughtered; if we are caught in the open we get slaughtered.

The noise of shuffling movement was within earshot
now and a cloud of fine dust from the creatures was billowing in the moonlight.
Without cover, they are going to see us bounding across the desert. Looks
like we will be making our stand here after all.

As Travis prepared to dig in, Evan grabbed his arm
and pointed towards the back. “Behind the tack barn, there’s a concrete mound
with a metal grate over it. That leads down into a series of tunnels that are
connected with the Grand Canyon Caverns system a few miles east of here. Get
everyone down in there and I’ll divert their attention here. It’s your only hope.”

Travis looked out the front door and back at
everyone in the living room. “Alright grab the weapons and ammo along with any
food and water you can carry. We gotta go now!”

Evan went over to his granddaughter and pulled her
into his embrace, trying to keep his anguish in check. “Darlin’, you go with
these people. They’ll take care of you, OK? You’re gonna be fine. You’re going
to grow up to be a fine woman,” he said, his lips trembling. “One day you can
come back here, when the world is better, and ride over this land and remember
all the good times we all had, OK.”

The noise out front was growing as a low garble of
squealing sounds filled the night air. Evan pried the girl’s arms off his sides
and gently pushed her towards Katy. “Go now sweetie, we’ll see each other again
one day.”

Katy grabbed the girl’s plaid shirt sleeve and
pulled her away. “Come on Becka, we have to go now,” she said, half-dragging
the screaming girl to the back door as they headed out with loaded packs and
arms.

Evan walked on to the front porch with the kerosene
lantern in his hand. He waved it above his head trying to get the attention of
the creatures. When he was sure enough of them had seen the motion, he hobbled off
to the open field off to the left.

“This way,” Travis said and took off towards the tack
barn past a tractor. “Pete, head out back and have Becka show you the entrance
to the tunnel. Katy, you provide rear cover with the shotgun. I gotta look for
something in the barn.”

The group scurried along the edge of the barn,
staying out of the moonlight, while everyone shot glances back at the
approaching din of creatures staggering towards the house. A stifling wave of
ammonia-like odor crept over the landscape as they ducked past the tractor. The
cement mound Evan spoke of was three feet high with a rusty metal grate
padlocked to a concrete encasement that lined the upper half. Pete shined his
flashlight below the grate. There was a metal ladder bolted to cement walls
that led down into blackness.  Lifting the gate, Pete motioned the others to
head down. The sound of the .357 pistol rang out from the front of the house
followed by a muffled scream, as Evan was taken down by the hungry horde.

Travis was in the barn and found a small wood crate
in the rear corner. He slung the 30-30 rifle and carefully removed the lid from
the crate. He found a dozen half-sticks of dynamite nestled in sawdust and
removed two, wrapping them in some spare clothes and stowing them in the middle
of his pack. He could hear the approaching shuffle of creatures by the house. He
grabbed his pack and then stowed the crate under his arm. Once outside, he placed
it alongside the propane tank beside the house. Then he sprinted to the cement
mound as Katy was climbing down.

Travis paused at the top with Katy a few feet below
him. “What are you doing? We have to go,” she said.

“Buying us some time. I’m not about to have those
things joining us below. Get moving and give me a holler when you are down all
the way.” Travis rested his arms on the rim of the cement foundation then
pulled out the Glock and settled the night sights on the underside of the cylindrical
propane tank next to the dynamite. He strained his ears towards the barn, then
heard the abrasive sound of footsteps scraping the ground and crashing through
the bushes. The mass of undead figures began filtering into his peripheral
vision as he eased his finger on the trigger. The wretched creatures were
stammering through the house and along the porch, while others entered the barn.

“Travis, we’re all good down here,” said Katy. He
pulled one hand off the pistol and wrapped it around the first step of the
ladder by his chest. Then he focused the sight on the propane tank as forty rotting
corpses swarmed around the back of the barn towards him. His finger pressed
back fully on the trigger. The propane tank ignited and then the dynamite,
rocking Travis back as he ducked into the shaft, gripping the wrought-iron step.
An orange mushroom cloud of heat swept over the entrance while dust, metal, body
parts, and wood shrapnel flew through the air. When it was past, and the orange
glow diminished slightly, he tucked the Glock in his belt and clambered down
the steps.   

Travis followed behind Katy as they pushed through
the sinuous passage in a partial squat, continually ducking under low, hanging
rock protrusions. They could see the faint glow of headlamps ahead where the
rest of the group was huddled in a small chamber.

As the two of them rejoined the group, Travis
turned, raised the Winchester rifle and peered back, scanning the tunnel
entrance where a faint orange light, from the fire above, was emanating. Except
for the sound of muffled exhalations, the group was silent and stared intently beyond
Travis’s form, down the earthen passage.

After listening intently for any sound coming from the
tunnel entrance, Travis pivoted back towards the group, his boots grinding on the
fine grit of the rock surface. The look on everyone’s face was one of
exhaustion coupled with terror. Evelyn was planted on the ground resting
against the chamber wall panting. LB had his hand on the .45 pistol tucked in
his belt, while casting a penetrating gaze into the dark tunnel beyond Travis. Pete
was sitting cross-legged adjusting his headlamp. Katy paused long enough
between breaths to take a sip of water, and then splashed some on her face, the
drops prancing off the hard ground. Jim was sitting beside Becka who was
scrunched against the lime colored rock wall with her arms around her legs. Jim
kept casting a sideways glance at the young girl and then fiddling with the
zippers on his pack.

Travis knelt down and eased the grip off the weapon.
Retrieving a water bottle from his pack, he swigged down some cool liquid and
screwed the cap back on with fingers encrusted with dirt. He shuffled up to the
center of the chamber closer to the group and turned so he could see the
entrance from whence he came.

“Look, we’ve have had a helluva reentry into
civilization and are all frazzled,” he paused, scanning back down the entrance,
then taking a moment to look each person in the eye before beginning again. “These
tunnels are our best option at present. We’ll rest for a few minutes and then
keep moving. I know this isn’t the kinda day you had in mind but I’ve seen your
toughness on the river and I know if there’s one group of folks that can handle
Murphy
, it’s all of you. Get some water in you, split up the chow, and
down a few calories. Then we’ll push on in ten minutes.”

Travis nodded to Pete to follow him into the tunnel,
a few feet off from the group. With sound amplified in the tunnel, Travis kept
his voice to a whisper. “So, tell me what you know about the caverns here.”

Pete ruffled his lips, “Well, we used to take our
groups to the region east of here, the Grand Canyon Caverns. It was a touristy
place with an elevator we’d take down twenty stories into the heart of the
caverns. The main cavern complex was huge but there were several offshoot
tunnels that branched out for miles beyond those, going who knows where. I did
a headlamp tour once with a guide and the tunnels were gnarly, man,” he paused,
in between chews of his protein bar. “We were crawling on our elbows for
hundreds of yards just to get from one chamber to the next. Not sure all these
folks could make it, for more than just the obvious physical limitations. I
remember the guide told me that there were some branches that went on for fifty
miles or more in different directions.”

“The question is,” said Travis, “whether this branch
is one of these or if it leads to the main cavern?” He rubbed his whiskered
chin, contemplating the path ahead. “We’ll have to see what Becka knows about
it.”

Pete chimed in, “A few years ago, some geologists
filled the caverns with red smoke canisters to see if there were any above
ground entrances elsewhere in the region. They found a few but, the amazing
thing, is that three weeks after they left, red smoke was spotted in several
areas seventy miles away from where they launched the project.”

“Well, we have enough water and food to last for the
next day and that’s about it, so we need to find a way out of here before we’re
too spent. Not to mention, avoiding running into any more roving bands of those
rotting freaks. Also, trust me on this- funny things can start to happen to your
head when you’re in a dark cave for days on end.”

They heard someone moving up behind them and turned
to see Katy. “What are you guys talking about?”

“We’ll be with you all in a minute Katy? We’re
almost done here,” said Travis.

“I want to be involved in your planning. I ‘m not
gonna sit this one out,” she replied, resting the shotgun across her knees. 

“Alright, we’re talking about where we go from here
and how to get there in lightning speed before everyone is tapped out
physically,” he said.

“You mean
more
tapped out? We’ve been pushing
hard for over eighteen hours now. Maybe you’re used to such punishment but
Evelyn doesn’t have much more left in her, not to mention the rest of the group
being ready to collapse,” she said, rolling her sleeves down to contend with
the cool air wafting through the tunnel.

Travis stole a glance in Evelyn’s direction. He knew
she was the weak link in the group that they would have to adjust for. “We
can’t stay here. We have to keep moving. Everyone will have to hoof it for
short intervals. There is no alternative. Once we gain some distance from the
entrance, we’ll take a breather.”

He stood halfway up and strode back into the small
chamber where the rest of the group was sitting. He knelt down next to the
young girl who was balled up against the rock wall, her hands wrapped around her
knees and head sunk low. “Becka, I’m sorry about your grandpa. He seemed like a
fine man. You are one tough woman to have gone through what you did,” he paused
searching for the words. “You are probably no stranger to what it feels like to
be bucked off a horse and land hard on the ground, and what happened back there
must hurt a hundred times more. I don’t know what you are feeling but just know
that you are not alone. Me and the others are here if you need to talk, OK?”

She gave a faint nod while he continued. “Right now,
I gotta ask a few questions that will help us out. Do you know where this
tunnel leads?”

Becka stared down the dark shaft before them. “I
only came in here a few times with my cousins,” she said choking out the words.
“I know if you follow this passage here, it eventually leads into another huge
cavern with a couple of routes coming out the other side. There’s no water or
quicksand, if that’s what you’re worried about but it’s a long walk.”

“Is it a tunnel like this or one where you have to
crawl around on your elbows?”

“It’s like this all the way but pretty snaky. I remember
one of them ends up at a sealed off mineshaft but I don’t know about the
others.”

“Thanks Becka. I’m going to be relying on you for
more of your knowledge of the area as we go along, OK.” Travis took his hat off
and ran a forearm over his dusty face, then turned to the rest of the group
sprawled out on the rock floor. “Let’s get moving. I want everyone to buddy up
and be responsible for the person you’re teamed with. Keep an eye on them and
their location at all times. Evelyn, you’re up front with Pete. LB and I will
take the rear. For now, only the first, middle, and rear individuals will use
their headlamps to conserve batteries. So, grab a partner and saddle up. We are
going to weave through this so we can get back to where the sun shines.”

The formerly relaxed air about Travis, from weeks on
the river, had been swept away. He clenched the strap of his pack and hoisted
it on his shoulder. “LB why don’t you stay in front of me.”

“You got it amigo,” replied LB.

As they walked along Travis looked over LB,
remembering that he was very adept physically on the trip and a solid guy you
could depend on. “Just so I know where we stand, tell me what kind of
experience you have with firearms, LB.”

“Went through basic training in the Army in the mid-90s
and then was a helicopter pilot for four years, so I had a decent amount of
training with firearms, but it’s been a long time. Before that, I grew up
hunting with my dad. Mostly shotguns and deer rifles but I did some pistol
training with .45s too. My dad had been in WWII in both theaters. He loved the
old .45 Springfield.”

“Your father had great taste. That pistol you have
there is a classic 1911 similar to the one he used. How many mags did the
rancher have?”

“I’ve got two spare in my pocket and a box of fifty
rounds.”

“Let’s make every round count because it sure as
hell does.”

“Yep, my thoughts exactly.”

They wove through the dark passageway illuminated in
sections by the dim glow of headlamps, while the faint compression of grit
below echoed off the narrow confines of the chalky walls.

Jim was walking behind Becka. “Where are you from young
lady?”

She turned slightly trying to answer while keeping
from knocking her head on the low ceiling. “I used to live in L.A. I only came
out to my grandpa’s ranch in the summer. My mom and I were trying to get out of
the city after my dad died and the place went wild,” she said trying to stay
composed.

“Did your mom get the virus too?”

“She went like the others did a few days ago at the
ranch house. My grandpa locked her in the barn and wouldn’t let me see her
towards the end,” her voice trembled, as she began wiping tears from her dusty
cheeks. “Then I heard a gunshot one morning and knew what my grandpa had done.”

“What happened to the rest of your friends and
family in L.A.? Did you hear about anyone surviving the virus there once they
were infected?”

Evelyn interrupted, “Jim, that’s enough. The poor
girl’s been through a world of pain and doesn’t need to rehash it all.” She
whispered to the girl, “Becka, sweetie, I’m so sorry about your family. Nobody
should have to go through something like that,” Evelyn said, sneering back at
Jim.

Becka’s face bore a deep grimace and her breathing
was restrained, with forced exhalations. She began focusing on the boot heels
of the person in front of her as she pushed through the passageway.

“Don’t be afraid,” Evelyn said, placing a hand on the
girl’s shoulder. I have been with Travis in the wilds and he has been on many
more grueling trips alone I’m sure. He will not lead us astray. We’ll find our
way through this maze and you’ll feel the warmth of the sun on your pretty face
again my dear.”

After a while, everyone fell silent and continued
moving. The only sounds Travis could hear were their boots on the rough rock;
the shuffle-walk of Evelyn; the light steps of Katy and Becka; the clumsy tread
of Jim in the middle; the faint footfalls of Pete and LB.

With only a few rest breaks woven in, they marched
for three hours and then halted. The rock walls of the passageway had begun to
change, showing signs of slight cracks and fissures where there had only been
smooth rock. The tunnel began to widen and there was an inflow of chilled,
musty air coming from the darkness ahead. After twenty feet, the passage opened
into an immense cathedral-like chamber. Travis shined his headlamp but couldn’t
make out the full scope of the ceiling. The rest of the group emerged from the
narrow tunnel and gazed at the lofty walls and openness. About eighty feet from
where they entered, they could see two passages.

“Let’s take a break here everyone,” he said dropping
his pack on the hard ground. Pete came up alongside him. “Did you notice how we
passed through another geologic layer back there,” he said to Travis.

“Yep. We’re in the Kaibab Limestone layer, it seems,”
he said looking at Pete for reassurance.

“Not bad for an old, fossil of a guide, like you,
Trav. This is the layer in the bedrock where springs are typically found though
I’m not sure how many of those are going to be down here. It also means that we
should be close to the surface.”

“Water and sunshine- what more do ya need? The menu
keeps looking better. Besides, I hate caves,” he frowned, lowering his pack and
rifle.

Katy came up and offered a drink of water. “I know
you two are iron-men but the group could use some sleep. We just can’t keep
going in fifth gear like this.”

Travis nodded and took a swig of water. He looked
over at the group. “We’re all strung out and weary, so let’s sack out for a few
hours and get some sleep. We’ll take turns keeping watch. I’ll take the first
shift.” No one disagreed. With the exception of Katy, everyone quickly turned
their packs into makeshift pillows and collapsed on the cavern floor.

Katy knelt down next to Travis, who was sitting
cross-legged, staring off into the dimly lit cavern. As she looked over the
cave ceiling he said, “Prior to running from bloodsucking mutants, something
I’ve been wondering about most of our trip- how is it a jewel of a lady like
your self isn’t tied to a six-figure husband and a mansion in the hills?”

She thrust her chin up. “Is that what you think it
takes to win a woman’s heart? Besides, who says I wasn’t,” she paused, taking a
sip of water. “Men are a fickle breed of creature whose ambitions overrule
their sensibilities. If I ever meet one who thinks logically and listens well
enough, then I’d reconsider.”

“Huh, what was that last thing you said?” he smiled.
She leaned over and punched him lightly in the arm.