Zeke took Meagan’s hand in his and they walked side by side to the plane’s open door. He stopped and helped Meagan up the stairs with a new-found sense of protection. They settled into the cockpit, Meagan in the right seat.
Zeke fired up both engines and did a quick systems check. Backlash in the gears of the Continental engines clunked and rattled at low RPM. Satisfied with the system check, Zeke moved on. “Push the brakes and hold them down as hard as you can.” Zeke instructed. “They’re the silver extensions at the top of the rudder pedals. While you do that, I’m going to open the hanger door. I’ll be right back.”
Meagan watched with new interest as Zeke quickly moved to the far side of the hanger. She hadn’t planned to kiss him. It was a spontaneous action that occurred without thought, more instinctual than anything, and the fact that it had happened left her as surprised as him. She hadn’t considered their relationship moving beyond friendship until that moment, but as their lips pressed together, she discovered her feelings for him ran deeper than she had realized. She smiled as she thought about the evolution that had just occurred between them.
Zeke activated the electric motor that opened the massive door fronting the hanger. It
rattled
and
squeaked
as it began to rise toward the ceiling. Zeke sprinted back to the plane. He pulled up the stair, latched the lower half of the door, pulled the upper half down, and latched it, too. Settling into the left seat, he fastened his seat belt. The door had lifted several feet off the ground by this time, and from what he could see, the path was clear. But as the bottom of the door cleared four feet, Zeke could see several sets of shoes running back and forth in a frenzy on the other side of the lifting door. When it had opened five feet, infected began flooding into the hanger. A teenage girl, seeing Zeke in the window, ran toward him. As she approached, the girl ran headfirst into the propeller and crumpled to the floor.
Before the door had opened far enough to allow the tail to pass beneath it, seven more infected had been diced by the huge spinning props.
“Okay,” Zeke said, “Let off the brakes. I’ve got it from here.” Meagan relaxed her legs and the plane began to creep forward. As Zeke gently nudged the dual throttle levers forward, the plane rolled ahead until the wheels came to rest against the bodies in front of them. Zeke opened the throttles to three quarter power and the plane lurched over the obstructing bodies. The aircraft rolled clear of the growing horde, left the paved taxiway, and made a bee line across the grass median to runway three-six for a crosswind takeoff. As soon as the wheels hit the concrete threshold of the runway, he smoothly pushed the throttles all the way forward, releasing all 750 horses to do their job. The Cessna launched into the air, leaving the bad memory of Kansas sinking away behind them.
Part 5
Lost Hills, California
Monday Afternoon
Connor had been on the front porch of the farmhouse when he made the call to Zeke. He ran inside to the kitchen where Katie was working on lunch. “Guess who I just talked to?” he asked, effectively hiding his excitement.
“Uh, Matt?” she guessed as she continued slicing carrots for the stew she was making.
“Nope, guess again.”
“Connor, I’m busy. Why don’t you just tell me so we don’t have to play twenty questions?”
“I just got through to Zeke. He’s going to be here in four hours,” he said, unable to hide his enthusiasm any longer.
“You got through to Zeke?” She dropped her knife on the counter and wrapped her arms around him. “You’ve been trying to reach him for three days. I was sure he was dead.” She wiped tears of joy and relief from her eyes. “Where is he?”
“He said he was about to take off from somewhere in Kansas.”
“What’s wrong, Mom?” Toby asked, seeing the tears in Katie’s eyes as he walked into the kitchen.
“Nothing’s wrong, Sweetie. Your Dad just talked to Uncle Zeke and he’s going to be here in four hours.”
Toby jumped up with both fists in the air over his head, “All right! Uncle Zeke’s coming!” He ran out of the kitchen hooting and hollering. “Luke, Uncle Zeke’s coming!” they heard him yell in excitement as he ran outside looking for his buddy.
Katie turned back to the stew. “Is he going to be staying here?”
“No,” Connor answered. “He’s going to Mom and Dad’s. I convinced him to stop in Lost Hills on his way.” He looked out the window into the large gravel lot in front of the house where Toby was enthusiastically sharing his news with Luke, Matt, and Zack who were on guard duty. “I wish he would stay,” he declared, his voice full of misgiving. “It sounds like his mind is made up, though.”
“Honey,” she said gently. “Maybe it’s time for us to leave, too. You’ve done everything you possibly could have done for this place and it hasn’t been enough. From what you guys have told me, there’s nobody to protect anymore. We have nothing left here.” She stopped as she considered everything they had lost -- their friends, their home, and all of their possessions. “We would have a lot easier go of it if we moved to your parent’s farm. They have plenty of land, and the climate is much better for agriculture than up here. We could thrive there. If we stay here, we’ll fight to survive, especially through the winter.”
Connor knew she was right. There was nothing left to keep them in Lost Hills. The few remaining people would have to band together to protect and secure themselves. His job had been to enforce laws, not provide security. The sheriff department was effectively disbanded. The past few days had already begun his mental transformation from upholder of the law to hunter, gatherer, and farmer. He had still been working as the protector of the community, but he realized it was out of altruism more than anything. People had to take care of themselves, and he needed to transition to full-time protector of his own family.
“You may be right,” Connor agreed. “Lost Hills has some good things to offer, but there are some definite downsides. If we list them side by side, I imagine the negatives will outweigh the positives. I’m going to talk to Matt. If we leave, I suspect they will leave, too.”
Connor left Katie in the kitchen to finish lunch and walked outside. Toby was still talking excitedly to Matt and Zack about Zeke’s imminent arrival.
It didn’t take long for Toby’s excitement to vent. Once it did, he ran off with Luke to play in the bunk house.
“So, your brother made it out of Atlanta. That’s great,” Matt said to Connor.
“Yeah, it is,” Connor agreed. “Matt, listen. Katie and I have been talking about leaving Lost Hills. The winters here are too long and too cold. It will be a constant fight to stay alive. My parents have plenty of land and the climate is a lot more temperate. With Zeke being down there now, we have an even bigger draw. We haven’t made a final decision yet, but I’m pretty sure we’re going to do it. We want you, Eve, and Luke to come with us. There are a couple other ranches near theirs and I doubt the owners have survived. If they did, we’ll build a house for you guys on my parents’ land.”
Matt let out a long breath. “So you guys are out of here. I didn’t see that one coming. I guess it makes sense though. There isn’t any need for me around here anymore, either. Without land to farm, we would be fish out of water if we stayed.”
“I don’t think you’ll have a problem finding land to farm around here. I suspect there’s going to be a lot available if you guys want to stay up here,” Connor said, offering an alternative to leaving Lost Hills. “On the other hand, if you do want to leave, my folks are going to need help making their place work. Without fuel to run the equipment, everything is going to revert back a hundred years. Or if you prefer, you can stake your own claim on a place near my folks. It’s up to you, but we would like to have you guys nearby.”
Zack had started walking away, feeling like a third wheel in the conversation. Connor started to say something to him, but stopped. “There is one downside,” Connor continued. “There are a several towns nearby. Problems with the infected will be a lot worse there than here. Talk it over with Eve.”
“We’ll discuss it tonight,” Matt said softly, still shocked to hear that Connor and Katie were leaving and even more surprised at the offer to move with them. “When’s the move?”
“Like I said, it’s tentative right now, but if we leave, it’ll be soon.”
“Okay,” Matt said, nodding his head. “Let me know when you come to a decision and we’ll go from there. If you don’t mind spelling me on the watch, I’m going to go mention this to Eve.”
“No problem, I’m locked, loaded and ready to go,” Connor said, patting the rifle hanging at his chest.
Matt walked toward the house, staring at the ground in deep thought. Connor took off at a fast walk, catching up to Zack, who was starting a perimeter check.
“Hold up, Zack,” he yelled.
Zack stopped and waited for Connor. “What’s up?” he asked as Connor caught up to him.
“I wanted to extend the same invitation to you that I gave to Matt. My family owns a couple hundred acres of prime farm land in the valley a few hours from here. I don’t know where you’re from, but if you’re looking for a place to start over, we would like you to come with us. It doesn’t have to be permanent. You can stay for as long or short as you like.” He didn’t know what else to say so he left it at that.
Zack looked at him for at least ten seconds before he spoke. “You don’t even know me. Why would you make that offer?”
“That’s not true. I may not have known you long, but I know you. I know you are loyal and hard-working, and you care about people. I’ve seen you put your life in danger to help strangers. Tuttle vouched for you, too. His opinion meant a lot. I can tell he was the kind of man who called things the way he saw them. He didn’t sugar coat anything.”
Connor stopped and rubbed his head, “This isn’t an offer being made out of pity. We probably need you a lot more than you need us. Your medical skills are invaluable. You know how to fight and how to survive and that’s worth even more. If you want to come with us, I think it will be mutually beneficial to everybody. Think it over.”
“I don’t have to, Connor. I talked to my mom this morning. She has the sickness that leads to the infection and Dad was killed by an infected last night. Without them, there are no pulls on me. To be completely honest, I’m not particularly fond of Lost Hills, so I’m not going to stay here. If you guys leave, I’ll come with you,” he said as he put his hand out.
Zack’s dopey grin gave away his intentions to crush Connor’s hand when they shook. Connor closed his hand around Zack’s fingers rather than his palm and squeezed with everything he had. With his fingers tightly encircled by Connor’s hand, Zack couldn’t get a grip and was at Connor’s mercy. As hard as Connor squeezed, Zack refused to acknowledge any discomfort when they shook hands.
Connor released his grip with a grin, pleased that he had one-upped Zack. It didn’t quite make up for Zack’s manipulating him into receiving stitches without anesthetic, but it was close.
“I have one more question,” Zack said, turning serious again. “What about Martinez?”
“I was planning on inviting him, too. I’m also going to extend the invitation to Frank and his parents as well. I doubt they’ll want to leave their ranch, though.”
Three hours after his call with Zeke, Connor was chomping at the bit. His excitement to see his brother was translating into extreme restlessness.
Everyone sat around the table after a late lunch, enjoying the conversation. It was the first meal Martinez had joined them for; up to this point, food had been taken to him in his room. He seemed to be well on the road to recovery. This was the first day he had been talkative. His brooding silence had been as much a result of the loss of his friends as it was from his head injury.
As everyone sat talking, Connor stood up. “I’m sorry guys. I just can’t take anymore sitting around. I’m going to take one of the Hummers to the airport and make sure there aren’t any infected inside the fence.”
Zack, who was sitting at the far end of the table, put his napkin on his plate and also stood up. “Thanks for grub, ladies. That stew hit the spot. As much as I’d love to sit and chew the fat all day, we’ve seen what happens when Connor is allowed to play by himself. I think I’ll tag along with him and make sure he doesn’t get into any more trouble.”
Matt wiped his mouth with his napkin and set it on the table as he quickly chewed his last bite and stood beside Zack. “Frank, if you and Martinez don’t mind keeping an eye on things here, I’m going to go with Connor and Zack, too.”
“We’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone,” Martinez said as he scooped another bowl full of stew from the pot on the table. “As hard as Katie and Eve worked on this food, somebody needs stay and make sure it doesn’t go to waste,” he added as he rubbed his belly with both hands.
“Not to take away from your culinary masterpiece, ladies, but he always said the same thing about MREs. Give him an excuse to take it easy and he will grab on with both hands,” Zack said.
Without giving him so much as an acknowledging glance, Martinez made a shooing motion toward Zack, keeping his focus on his food.
They ended up taking both of the Hummers they had reacquired from Curtis and his lackeys. Matt and Zack led the way in the first Hummer and Connor followed behind.
Nothing had changed in town. People Connor had known for years slowly meandered between houses and in the streets, merely shells of the people they had once been. At the sight of the Hummers, the individual or group would run at the vehicles. Most were far enough away that the convoy had already passed by the time they reached the street. Those who were in the street threw themselves at the vehicles as they passed. Matt drove the lead vehicle and Zack manned the gun turret. Since the supply of .50 ammo was limited, he fired with his M4. Even on the move his aim was deadly, a testimony to the tens of thousands of rounds he had put downrange in training.
When they reached the airport, Matt motioned for Connor to take the lead. Connor pulled up to the gate keypad, opened his door, and ran back to the second Hummer where Matt had exited the vehicle and was standing in the open, firing on the small but growing number of infected running down the street toward them.
“What’s the combination to the gate?” Connor yelled above the gunfire.
“It’s the airport radio frequency, 122.7,” Matt yelled back.
Connor returned to the keypad, input the numbers, and the gate rattled as it wheeled back along its track, permitting them entrance into the fenced off airport grounds. Connor pulled in and moved his vehicle out of the road, opened his door, and hurried to cover the opening until the gate rolled shut after Matt drove through. With the gate closed, Connor and Matt held their fire. As infected approached the gate, Zack cut them down, one after another. His silenced rifle didn’t broadcast their location like the sharp reports from the guns Connor and Matt shot. With the vehicles shut down and Matt and Connor no longer firing, the number of infected dwindled until there were no more in sight.
“Zack, if you want to watch the gate, we’ll check the area around the FBO and hangers for anybody who may have gotten stuck within the confines of the fence,” Matt suggested.
“Ten-four. I’ll man the gate.”
A quick walk around the airport facilities proved the premises to be abandoned. Thirty minutes later, a faint, distant droning punctured the silence as the three sat waiting. Connor sat up and squinted as he searched the horizon for the approaching aircraft.
“There it is,” Matt pointed at a light dot in the sky. The thrum of the engine increased as the dot grew in size. The plane made several circles southeast of town and then headed toward the airport. High above the field, the Cessna started a tight, descending circle, and entered a downwind for the runway.
The landing gear dropped smoothly and the engines quieted as the power was pulled back in preparation for landing. The plane began another left turn. As the plane lined up with the runway and the wings leveled, red tracer flashes streaked skyward toward the plane from a small depression directly beneath the aircraft. Two seconds later, a rapid series of booms ripped through the afternoon as the sound of machine gun fire reached their ears.
The plane pitched nose down and began banking as the engines throttled up and the gear was sucked back into the belly. The plane hugged the terrain as it built up speed.
Zack sprang into action. “That’s got to be the rest of Curtis’s crew in the third Hummer!” he yelled as he jumped into the back of his Hummer and climbed into the turret. Matt jumped into the driver’s seat and Connor scrambled in next to him. The gate opened as Matt pulled onto the pressure sensor in the asphalt. He gunned the engine and the heavy vehicle lethargically accelerated onto the highway toward where the tracer rounds were streaking skyward.
Connor bent down low to look out Matt’s window for Zeke’s plane. It was now several miles away and climbing like a homesick angel, turning back and forth in a serpentine pattern as red tracer’s continued to dart around it like angry wasps.
The road curved in a gentle ninety degree turn. Half a mile ahead, the third Hummer was still spewing lead at the aircraft, now far out of range. The phosphorous coating on the tracer rounds burned out in midair, leaving the previously glowing bullets invisible. The gunner and driver were so focused on the plane that they were oblivious to the approaching threat.
At four hundred yards, Zack opened up with short bursts out of his own .50 mounted to the turret on top of the Hummer. His first round was short, but he quickly walked the successive bullets on target. Hot lead projectiles tore through the vehicle. The turret gunner slumped over and then slid back into the interior. Gas from a ruptured fuel line ignited in the engine compartment, and the vehicle was soon completely engulfed in flames. As fire spread to the fuel tank, an explosion lifted the back of the Hummer off the ground before it slammed back down with a thud that bent the rear wheels out awkwardly on a broken axel.
Connor hopped out of his seat to make sure there were no survivors. The heat was so oppressive he couldn’t get within fifty feet of the fiery off road vehicle. Although the smoke from the Hummer obscured the sky, he could hear Zeke’s plane droning away to the south.
Back in the vehicle, Connor prodded Matt to get them quickly to the airport. Two minutes later, Connor burst through the door into the converted house that served as the pilot’s lounge. In the living area, he found a radio. Picking up the microphone, he called out, “Zeke, are you there?”
Through the static came his voice. “I’m here,” his brother’s reply returned from a speaker mounted to the wall. “That was quite a reception. Are you sure you really want to see me?”
“That’s affirmative. The threat has been subdued. If you turn around, you should be clear to land.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in a few.”
Ten minutes later, the white Cessna pulled to a stop next to the fuel island in front of the pilot lounge and cut the engines. The rear upper door half rose above the fuselage and the lower half slowly opened, its speed checked by a gas piston connecting the door to the fuselage. Zeke descended the steps, then stopped and turned back to the cabin. Meagan ducked as she passed through the hatch, and Zeke reached up and took her hand, helping her down the three steps.
“Hello, Connor,” he said grinning as he put his arm around Meagan’s waist as she stepped to the ground. “It looks like somebody popped you in both eyes.”
Connor frowned as his brother reminded him of the raccoon eyes Curtis had given him, but his frown quickly dissipated as Zeke reached out and tightly embraced his older brother. “It’s good to see you, Little Brother,” Connor said, voicing a sentiment he had feared he wouldn’t have the opportunity to express again. After they released each other, Connor turned, and looking at Meagan, said, “Who’s your friend?” His voice changed pitch at the word friend, taking away any doubt that he understood the relationship extended beyond friendship.
Zeke smiled as he said, “This is Meagan. We worked together before the world fell apart.” Meagan’s smile beamed as she shook hands with Connor. “It’s nice to meet you. Zeke’s been talking about you nonstop since we started our trip. I’m really looking forward to meeting Katie, too.”
“Well, you won’t have to wait long. She’s back at the farm,” Connor said as he released her hand. After introducing Matt and Zack, Connor added, “Why don’t we head back to the house? If Martinez didn’t eat it all, there should be plenty of leftovers from lunch. I’m sure the two of you are hungry.”
Zeke and Meagan nodded their heads approvingly at the offer of food. “Before we get going, I’d like to fill up the plane if the pumps work,” Zeke said walking toward the gas island on the far side of the plane.
“Hold on a second,” Zack said, digging into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. “If the pump works, this tank’s on me.”
“I couldn’t let you do that,” Zeke interrupted. “Filling the tanks is going to cost at least seven hundred bucks.”
“Not a problem,” Zack interjected with a smile. “My credit card company just raised my credit limit to ten thousand dollars. I want to try to max this thing out before the network quits working. The only place I know of that’s left to use it is at the gas pumps. Seeing as I have no intention of paying it off, we’ll call it a gift from the Visa Company to you,” he said laughing as he quickly slid the card through the reader.