Rapture (21 page)

Their routine was well established by now. They’d have a cooked meal as the sun went down, travel through the night and sleep when the sun came up. Most of the time, they tried to shelter in caves, careful of snakes that seemed to be the only thriving form of animal. At least they wouldn’t go hungry – snake meat was surprisingly tasty.

Water was a problem and they’d had to ration it out carefully, ensuring that the horses also got a share. Some of the streams, clogged by ash, had dried up completely. Luckily, Big Tom had supplied them with several quarts.

Sam stood and stretched, feeling good despite his lack of sleep. Meditation would have to suffice for now – he didn’t want to risk sleeping and there was no-where to draw a pentacle in this terrain. His body still felt strong and fit. All that running he had done in Jacob’s Ladder was certainly paying off. He’d found it was easy to keep pace with Joshua and Grace on horseback. They’d often had to slow to a trot or a walk to navigate around the canyons which Sam found frustrating. By himself, he was sure he could’ve moved much quicker. He consoled himself with the knowledge that Joshua would be able to help him when they got to Las Vegas. And Grace? Grace was just another human in need who desperately wanted to find some of her family in L.A. He couldn’t deny her.

A cooler breeze was rolling in from the west. It felt so good that without thinking, he turned and lowered his hood. When he turned back to the fire, Grace was looking at him. More to the point, she was looking at the horns on his head. Strangely, she did not seem scared.

“What are you?” she asked calmly.

Sam wasn’t sure what to say. He’d never encountered this sort of reaction before.

“He’s half-demon,” said Josh, looking up from his meal.

“Aren’t you scared?” Sam asked.

“Why would I be? If you wanted to kill me, you could’ve done it by now. Or not bothered to rescue me.” She shrugged. “Either way, I’d be dead. Besides, I already suspected you weren’t what you appeared to be. I saw the way you moved when you took out the leader of that gang. No human could’ve possibly moved that fast. Why are you half-demon?”

Sam swallowed hard and clenched his fingers. “Because my mother was raped by a demon.”

“Oh.” She looked surprised and slightly taken aback by that response.

“And what about you?” asked Joshua. “You’ve been on the road with us for three days and hardly spoken a word. Who were those people at the barricade?”

Grace looked away for a moment. When she looked back, tears were gleaming in her eyes. “They were my aunty and uncle,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” said Sam, and he truly felt it. “What happened to your mom and dad?”

She wiped her nose. “They were taken.”

“Taken?” asked Josh.

Grace jerked her head upwards. “You know. Taken.”

“Not by demons then?” asked Sam. “Your parents were religious? They went up in the Rapture?”

Grace nodded.

“Why not you?” asked Joshua.

“I could ask you the same question,” she retorted. “Clearly, I didn’t believe.”

Grace had brought up something Sam had wanted to ask Joshua for some time. He’d just not had a chance. Now seemed perfect.

“And why not you?”Sam asked Joshua. “Of all people, I thought you would be taken by the Rapture.”

Joshua’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you assume that just because my uncle’s belief was strong, mine would be too? My uncle made me read the Bible every night, but I just didn’t believe it. It’s as simple as that. I didn’t have any faith.” He ended with a sour look on his face.

“And what about now? Do you believe now?”

Josh smiled. “How could I not when it’s been thrust in my face?”

Sam turned to Grace. “You?”

She nodded. “Bit late now though. What about you?” she asked Sam.

“Of course. My faith has always been strong. Probably stronger than any others given that I’ve known what I am from an early age. Where there are demons, there are angels. That means there’s always been a hell and a heaven. Where do you think I’d rather go?”

“Why didn’t you go there? To heaven, I mean.” Grace looked puzzled and Sam could understand why. Faith was obviously a very simple thing for her; you either believed or you didn’t.

Sam clenched his jaw and refused to look at her. “Because demons aren’t allowed in Heaven.”

She looked surprised by that. “Did … did you lose anyone else to the Rapture?”

“Yes,” he said grimly.

Without another word, he began packing up their gear.

Sam ran harder than usual that night, as if he was trying to outpace his memories. Grace had made him think more about Hikari and Aimi than he’d wanted and it hurt. The pain in his chest had nothing to do the strenuous pace he set.

The others followed behind on horseback, struggling to keep up as they made their way through canyons and stunted, dead vegetation. They were slowly descending off the plateau and the going was gradually getting easier. They’d made good progress.

Through the night, Sam thought he’d glimpsed Astaroth in the sky a couple of times. He wasn’t that concerned though; from what Big Tom had told him, he was not worried about a large, concerted demon attack. According to the map, there simply was not another town - or church - for miles.

The light got brighter and Sam finally brought them to a stop near a small, rocky outcropping. As he was preparing his bedroll, he felt a light touch on his arm.

“Who was she?” asked Grace.

His immediate angry response died in his throat when he saw her earnest, caring expression. He took a deep breath. “Her name was Aimi,” he said.

“You loved her.” It wasn’t a question; merely a statement of fact.

Sam nodded mutely. “The Rapture took my foster-father, too.”

“If it’s any consolation, they’ve gone to a better place. I know it makes me feel better when I think of my parents.” She laid her hand gently on his arm again.

Sam shook it off angrily. “The difference between you and me is that you will see your loved ones again. I won’t. Not ever.” He was aware that his voice was rising, but he didn’t care. Nearby, Joshua was wisely keeping out of it.

“I’m … sorry,” said Grace, looking slightly hurt. “I didn’t know.”

He stood up quickly, feeling the familiar sensation of frustration building in him. “I told you this morning. I won’t be let into Heaven. That means I will never see them again. Do you get it?” he shouted.

At his feet, Grace was beginning to recoil in fear and shock. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by embarrassment and self-loathing. This poor girl had suffered enough. Why was he treating her like this?

He picked up his swords. Still too angry to apologise, he stalked off into the early morning light.

Sam re-joined the others just as the sky was starting to darken again. He’d spent the day meditating and training; anything to take his mind off his loss. He knew Grace had meant well and was deeply sorry for the way he’d shouted at her.

Joshua was just rousing himself when Sam trudged in to their small campsite. He saw the other boy quickly pull down the long sleeve of his shirt. Sam saw the flash of a white bandage, wrapped around his right wrist.

“What have you done?” asked Sam, indicating Josh’s arm.

Josh looked embarrassed. “Cut myself when I was off collecting firewood, didn’t I. Silly really.”

“Do you want me to have a look at it? Hikari made me study a lot of first aid.”

“No, it’s fine, really,” he said, shaking his head.

“Fine, but don’t let it get infected. We’ve still got a long way to go and we’re in the middle of no-where.”

Josh smiled. “Sure. Thanks, Sam.”

He went searching for Grace and found her tending the horses. She looked startled when she saw him, then pointedly turned her back. Careful not to get too close to the horses, he stood behind her, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. He’d never really been good at apologising.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I’m sorry for scaring you.”

“You should be.” She looked angry. “I was only trying to help.”

“I know. I won’t let it happen again.”

That mollified her a little. Her face softened. “Ok,”she said, giving him a grudging smile. “Apology accepted.”

He smiled back, deciding he really liked Grace. She was a good person. Exactly the sort of person whom he had been left behind to protect. In his travels so far, he had met a lot of them. There was Adam and many of the Black Ridge survivors, Big Tom and his sons and Grace of course. If he had found this many in such a short time, then it stood to reason that there were many more out there that needed his help.

This was worthwhile. This was what he was here to do. This was what Gabriel had in mind for him all along. The thought made him feel much better. Even the harsh pain of losing Hikari and Aimi was starting to recede slightly. Grace was right; he had to take comfort in the thought that they had gone somewhere better and stop thinking about his own suffering for once. He’d been selfish for so long, it was about time he started thinking about others for a change.

He was beginning to come to terms with what he was and what he had to do. Perhaps, he reflected, it was a sign of maturity.

Then he smiled to himself. Fat chance.

The next few days and nights passed uneventfully. Sam felt good, adapting easily to the routine and the pace he was setting. In other circumstances, he would be enjoying himself. He couldn’t say the same about the others though. Both Joshua and Grace looked tired. They had saddle sores. Grace was coughing. The thin layer of ash covering the ground was constantly disturbed by the passage of the horses, irritating her throat.

They’d crossed over Lake Mead the day previously. The water levels were extremely low and they’d easily found a shallow part covered by sluggish grey ash foam. The water was dirty and disgusting, coming up to the flanks of the horses. Sam had to wade through it with his swords above his head. Afterwards, Grace had spoken endlessly about needing a bath. Sam didn’t blame her, but at least she hadn’t had to get into the water like him.

They passed the town of Meadview without incident. Even from a distance, it looked deserted. With his excellent night vision, Sam could see that there wasn’t even any traffic and the roads looked strangely clear.

They hugged the shore of Lake Mead, just inside the state border. The map told them that it marked the boundary between Arizona and Nevada. Las Vegas wasn’t far away. They kept following the Lake, despite the smell that was rising from it. It smelt of rot and decay. Corruption.

After a day, they’d all had enough of the smell. Eventually, they discovered a road and with an unspoken agreement, started following it. They hadn’t seen a single soul and the road was completely empty, leading them up a ridge line where it intersected with a state highway. The sign informed them that Vegas was only twenty miles away.

Sam began to get nervous. He really didn’t know what to expect when they reached the city. Big Tom had told them that there was a semblance of order there. He’d been in contact with groups of survivors who said that the city was functioning almost normally.

Something about this seemed strange to Sam. Why would Vegas be immune to the effects of the Tribulation? How were they coping with the nightly invasion of demons? When he’d studied the route he was to take to get to Los Angeles, Sam had done some research into Vegas. It had a large number of churches. Surely, more churches meant more demons?