The Decaying World Saga (Book 1): Tribes of Decay (25 page)

The soldiers moved in formation, the first appearing in the open doorway with rifles sweeping across the room. Their arrival brought the undead prisoners to a crescendo. Rowan waited until the first full squad was in the entryway before giving the order.

“Now.”

Himu hit the key then spun around.

“Get this thing out of my face.”

His shout was enough to draw the attention of the soldiers to their hiding spot. They did not, however, notice the full effect of Rowan’s plan until it was too late. Rowan maneuvered the boy out of the way, allowing Himu to slip past it. The assistant forced himself uncomfortably close to his captors before Rowan positioned the zombie directly in front of them.

The soldiers neared the stairs leading down into the room’s central row before realizing that all of the cells were open. The dead stumbled out of their prisons in mass and the firing started soon after. It was difficult to tell how many soldiers entered the containment area, but it was easier to count the ones falling to the ground as they attempted a retreat. It wasn’t until the dead in the cells on the far side of the area moved beyond the stairs that Rowan thought his plan might actually work. The horde followed the soldiers out into the hall, leaving only a handful to feed on the men who’d been overwhelmed. Rowan waited as long as he could before forcing Himu out into the open. He got to his feet and helped Garret stand.

“We’ve got to move,” Rowan said.

Garret grabbed Himu by the arm and Rowan gave him his knife.

“Don’t leave me with him,” Himu complained. “He’s going to turn.”

Garret sent his fist directly into the assistant’s ribs and the shot put him down on his knees.

“And whose fault is that?” Garret asked. “I’m going to eat you first.”

Rowan didn’t like the sound of that nor did he like the hint of truth hidden behind the words. The screams of the soldiers were silent by the time Rowan and the others reached the stairs. Half a dozen zombies knelt over a body, ripping him to shreds. His guts were spread out over his chest, handfuls pressed between crunching jaws. Blood covered the walkway, dripping down the stairs and onto the floor of the central row. Another body lay a few feet away from the first, it in worse shape. The arms had been torn away and a pair of hungry mouths bit into thick, meaty thighs.

Himu pressed in close to Garret, suddenly wanting his protection. Rowan shoved the undead boy up the stairs in front of them. They were all on the walkway heading for the entrance to the containment area when the first of the feasting groups took notice. Rowan jabbed the pole and slammed the boy into a zombie trying to stand. Garret stuck his knife into the back of the head of another before it ever reached its feet. Rowan took a chance and reached over the boy as he fell, trapping a zombie against the floor. He snatched the access card slung around the dead soldier’s neck and pulled back a blood soaked hand. They were running, all the while Himu screaming that they couldn’t leave the boy behind.

The central hall leading back to the elevator was alive in a chaotic skirmish. The dead littered the floor from the entrance of the containment area to the bend in the hall. Bodies of soldiers lay in between the dead along the way. Rowan had his eyes on the door midway down the passage. He kicked Himu in the back to keep him going then rushed ahead as fast as he could get Garret to run. They reached the door, but not before receiving a number of admirers along the way. A small section of the dead turned back toward them and a quick look proved that most of the feasting groups had followed them out into the hall, trapping them in the center.

“Give it to me.”

Rowan gave into Himu’s demands, sliding the dead soldier’s access card into his hand. Himu made quick work of the card and the door slid open, revealing a wide, ascending staircase. Rowan managed a single breath before the sound of gunfire drew his attention to the opening at the top of the stairs. He led them up, catching sight of a flurry of moment beyond the landing.

The gunfire came in waves, first from a group of soldiers positioned inside an expansive storage room. Rowan was on the landing before he realized that the second wave of fire came from someone shooting back at the soldiers. He reached the storeroom entrance and caught a glimpse of the opposing force. A single figure led the charge against the soldiers and the sight of her brought Rowan to a dead stop.

25

“Rowan?”

A round clipped Mia above the hip a moment after she put a name with the face. The force of the impact spun her around like a top and left her face down on the ground. She felt Jonah’s weight as he laid himself over her. Even as the burning pain rose up from her wound, Mia’s mind was trying to determine if she could trust her eyes.

“Help me up,” she said, squeezing Jonah’s side.

He slipped his hands under her arms and pulled. They were up, side-by-side, and moving again. Mia ignored the sting on her side, pressing one hand against the bloody wound while still holding on to her gun with the other hand. The wave of tribal assault was out in front of them and the conflict had turned into hand-to-hand fighting. 

Mia searched the opening beyond the fight for a confirmation of her sighting. She found Rowan pushing his way through the brawl and the scene overwhelmed her. She’d convinced herself that she would never see him again, or her brother for that matter. To have them both so close was too much to bear.

“Mia, Jonah.”

Rowan slammed into them and nearly knocked them over. He wrapped his arms around the pair and hoisted them off the ground. Mia kissed his face, for a moment forgetting the utter chaos raging all around them. It wasn’t until Rowan set them down that the reality of their situation came rushing back.

“We have to help them,” she said.

Rowan was slow to respond. His focus was on the blood on her side. Mia had to turn him around before he would react. The tribesmen were overrunning the soldiers, but a new issue came to light. The first of the zombies from the containment area had reached the top of the stairs behind the conflict.

“Garret’s out there,” Rowan said. “He’s stuck with Himu.”

Mia had no idea who Himu was, but an explosion of recognition filled Jonah’s face.

“He’ll know how to set it off,” Jonah exclaimed, he held up the access card. “This is his.”

It took a second for Mia to realize what he was saying.

“The defense system,” she said to herself. “He’ll know how to set it off.”

Rowan looked from her to Jonah.

“What are you talking about?”

“I…” Mia stopped. “I’ll tell you later.”

The fight had moved out into the corridor and the addition of the walking dead put both the members of the tribe and the soldiers in a mad frenzy. The result was a strange truce with all of the living attacking the dead as they continued to flow out from the top of the stairs. Mia took advantage of the confusion and reached the last row of crates before the corridor. A quick look confirmed that the next wave of the tribe’s people was running across the storage area and another group was already moving behind them.

Mia recognized the confusion on Rowan’s face. He looked like he wanted to lead her to safety, but he wasn’t sure of his direction. She trusted that the boy she’d known all her life had enough faith in her to find his place. “Trust me,” she said and he nodded. “We’re going to need Himu and we have to reach the main security station before the compound is overrun.” She pressed a finger on his chin and lifted his head to keep him from focusing on the blood on her shirt. “It only grazed me.” Her assurance was enough to refocus him. “Get Himu and Garret.”

Rowan ran across the corridor while Mia waited for Agnes to catch up. The old woman took her time crossing the distance. A welt on her forehead hinted at a fall. She was on shaky legs and Jonah had to grab her to keep her from swaying.

“Don’t wait for me,” she said.

Mia hesitated before deciding that they couldn’t wait to see if Agnes was going to make it. Instead, she crouched down and edged toward the corner of the final create in the row. The corridor was in total pandemonium. The mass of combatants was growing, pushing farther into the main passage, down into the staircase on the opposite side and back into the storage area. Mia gave her last instruction to Jonah then started toward the fray.

“Keep her moving.”

Jonah was nodding his confirmation when Mia stepped out into the open. She held her gun out with both hands, imitating what she’d seen from the soldiers. They were two steps from the corridor when she had to put her weapon to use. Mia fired twice, landing one hit to the chest. The zombie stumbled and fell back then began to pick itself up off the ground, displaying a foul face, soiled with the blood of a fresh victim.

Mia didn’t hesitate, rushing the creature as it attempted to steady itself. She pressed the barrel of her gun against the side of its head and pulled the trigger. The gunshot was lost in the sounds of the surrounding battle, but the result was no less impressive. Chunks of skull and brain matter washed across the crowd followed by a crimson mist.

Mia moved past the corpse before the body hit the ground. She found Rowan running toward her around the side of the battle. They met at the far end of the passage with everyone in tow. Mia couldn’t hide the shock of her first close glimpse of Garret. She was compelled to lean in and hug him before he got a word out.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he lied then managed a chuckle before breaking into a coughing fit.

“This is Himu?” she asked as she shifted her attention. Rowan nodded. “Do you know anything about the compounds defense system?”

He didn’t respond at first. His eyes slowly narrowed.

“I’m only an assistant.”

Mia didn’t have time to play a game with him. She pressed her gun up into his gut with enough force to lift him off the ground. He fell to his knees and glared up at her.

“Oh, that defense system.”

Mia continued, holding up his access card.

“Can you set it off with this?”

Himu caught his breath and his face hardened. He shook his head as he spoke.

“We’ll all die,” he said matter-of-factly.

Rowan’s stare slid from Himu’s face to Mia’s. He didn’t say anything, but she could see the concern in his eyes. Mia pulled on Himu’s arm and forced him to stand.

“If you have a better idea, give it up now.” Himu managed a few unintelligible utterances before she pushed him forward. “I didn’t think so.”

The group moved as fast as Garret’s slowing steps would allow. Agnes kept close to Mia guiding them on their ascent through a number of staircases to the highest levels of the hive. The alarm was silent although the red lights continued to flash in every room and down every passage. The sounds of combat followed them; the shrieking echoes reminding everyone of the price others were paying in the hope that Mia could bring it all to an end.

A new round of firing forced them into the first in a series of small storage units. Mia stopped at an open door motioning everyone inside. Rowan paused across from her, watching a growing number of soldiers file in from the far end of the hall. The makeup of the grated floor and riveted walls hinted at the mechanical rooms lying ahead.

“We won’t get down there in one piece,” he said.

Mia was quietly thinking the same thing. The interior elevator Agnes set as their goal was now hopelessly out of reach. Mia didn’t want to admit it, but she was out of ideas. A quick scan of the storage unit offered little relief.

“We’re going to get trapped if we stay here,” Rowan said. “We need to find another way out.”

He headed for the doorway connecting to the adjacent unit. Jonah was already positioned at the side of the opening, Himu down beside him, with Garret doing his best to provide over watch. Mia took one last look at the advancing soldiers out in the hall before slipping into the storage unit and sliding the door shut behind her. Rowan reappeared a moment later with renewed hope in his voice.

“I think I got something.”

He led them through a pair of adjoining units, each growing increasingly tighter. An assortment of goods and supplies lined the walls up to the ceiling. A shoulder-width walkway was all that remained by the time they reached the third and final chamber. Light shined in from an opening in the sidewall, revealing the gargantuan cavity dotted with platforms all the way down to the tribal prison on the bottom level. Rowan was first to step out into the open and his expression told Mia what awaited.

They all stood on a wide platform overlooking the seemingly endless drop down into the center of the immense cavern. The chamber rose up several levels above them. Mia scanned the countless platforms, some close to their position, and others on the opposite side of the chamber. Jonah’s voice cut through the dilemma.

“There’s no stairs,” he said, leaning out from the railing. “There’s no way up or down.” The boy was of course correct; while stairs connected a number of the platforms, some several levels at a time, theirs was barren. “Great,” he muttered to himself then shoved Himu for good measure.

Mia ignored her brother’s dismay, her eyes on the platform two levels above. Unlike the platform they’d found, the one above them was connected to several more by ascending stairs. Her mouth started moving before her mind caught up with it.

“Rowan, lean up against the wall.” Rowan scrunched his face as Mia slid her gun into her belt then pushed on him. “Face me.”

She had one leg up on the railing and a hand on the top of his head before the others figured out what she was doing. Everyone moved at once when a gunshot instinctively forced them to the ground. Mia’s foot slipped as Rowan stepped away from the wall and he latched on to her waist a moment before she flipped over the side of the railing. A second shot sounded before anyone figured out where the blasts were coming from.

Mia heard a scream before she knew Himu was hit. Rowan snatched the gun from her waist and spun around to face the opening to the storage unit. He pulled the trigger as a soldier popped through the doorway. The gun went off three times before the platform went silent. The soldier fell back, his chest covered in blood. Rowan pulled the trigger again, but nothing happened.

“Are you hurt?”

Mia patted herself across the chest for assurance. The pain in her side was familiar. She shook her head before she found the words. A groan from Himu told another story.

“He’s hit.”

“I hate you people,” Himu declared as he dabbed at the blood streaming from his hand. “I can’t move my fingers.”

The round nearly cut his hand in two. Jonah ripped one of his sleeves off and tried to rap the material around the wound.

“They’re coming,” Agnes said, pointing back at the storage unit.

Mia slid forward on her hands and knees. She picked up the fallen soldier’s rifle and shoved it through the open doorway. She pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. Agnes leaned over her and tugged on a lever along the side of the weapon. The moment the lever engaged, the rifle fired. The end of the barrel rose up as it went off in quick succession. Agnes roared in Mia’s ear.

“Stop.” She pulled the rifle away from her. “This is all we have to keep them from rushing in here.”

Mia understood. They would only have one shot at this and it had to be now. Rowan was in tune with her, sliding back in place against the wall.

“You first, get up on my shoulders,” he said. “Jonah can climb up next, using us as a ladder. Once he reaches the next platform, he’s strong enough to pull you up. We’ll go one at a time after that.”

She was standing in front of him before she realized there was a problem.

“How are you going to get up?” She cut him off before he could muster up a speech on sacrifice. “We’ll use the bags.”

Jonah pulled at the large sacks of grain closest to the door. “We can tie them together,” he said, finishing her thought. He ripped the top off one and dumped the contents down through the grated platform.

They emptied out a dozen in a short time. Agnes held still at her position near the door, refusing to give it up to Rowan. Mia tied the ends of the bags together as they were emptied, producing a length of material long enough to reach down from the higher platform. She secured one end of the newly constructed rope around Jonah’s waist then started for the railing. She had one foot up on the edge before she realized Rowan hadn’t moved.

Garret had his back against one of the railing posts. Blood covered his chin, running from his mouth down onto his chest. Jonah knelt down next to him with Rowan on the opposite side. Jonah stole a glance over his shoulder at his sister before hiding his emotions.

“It’s over,” Garret said. “I can’t move my legs.” He had a sudden spastic shake and Jonah grabbed him to keep him from falling over. “It burns.”

Jonah slid his hand in his pocket and a flash of excitement came over him. “I have this.” He held up the syringe holding the mixture of Rowan’s blood and Dr. Olric’s concoction. “This will help him, right?” he asked Himu.

He shook his head.

“There’s no telling what it would do to him.”

“But you said—”

Himu cut him off.

“It showed antibodies, that’s all.” He corrected himself. “Granted, it was more antibodies than I’ve ever seen, but that doesn’t mean…”

Garret held his hand out. “Give it to me.” His face cleared as Jonah handed him the syringe. “It can’t hurt.” He slipped the cap off the needle with his teeth, thrust it into his leg and pressed down on the plunger until it was empty. He focused on Agnes. “Give me the gun.” He forced his eyes open as wide as his face would allow and spoke up to no one in particular. “Now get out of here while you can. I don’t know how long I can hold this off.”