The Decaying World Saga (Book 1): Tribes of Decay (27 page)

“Don’t move,” Rowan said, raising the sights of his rifle on the young soldier. “Keep away from the weapon.”

The soldier’s firearm lay on the ground by his feet. Something in his eyes said any fight he had in him was long gone. Jonah, Himu, and Agnes filed in behind Mia and a gasp from the old woman focused everyone’s attention on the screens. The view was difficult to understand. There appeared to be a blanket laid on top of Canaan, moving under a powerful wind. The close-up shots clarified the nature of what they were looking at.

The topside of the compound was alive, every inch covered by thrashing bodies. The dead moved around in one monstrous pack, a few still feeding off the last of the soldiers caught out in the madness. The twitching limbs of the infected lingered within the chaos they created, some lining the top of the surrounding walls while others led the dead down into the main elevator tubes. The sight of it sucked the air out of the room.

Rowan lowered his rifle. “Get out of here,” he said to the soldier.

The boy got to his feet then stared blankly back at them.

“Where am I going to go?”

Rowan shook his head. The soldier made no attempt to pick up his weapon. He stumbled past them and out the door, as if expecting to meet his end at any moment. Mia sheathed her sword then had to remind herself to take a breath.

“Get up there,” she said to Himu.

He took his access card from Rowan’s outstretched hand then sat down at the console. He slid the card into a slot in the center of the terminal and the outline of a keypad came to life between his hands. Mia made no attempt to understand what he was doing nor did she watch what he was typing. Everyone’s eyes were on the screens unable to turn away from the vision of the ferocious siege. None of them looked away until Himu’s voice cracked.

“This is it.”

All eyes went to Himu. His bloody finger hovered over a nondescript button off to the side of the keypad. Mia placed her hand into Rowan’s and squeezed. She took one last look at the screens, wrapped her arm around her brother, and closed her eyes. The sound that followed wasn’t at all what she expected. It took her a moment to realize the explosion was a gunshot. Her eyes sprang open to find Himu doubled over. He slid off the chair and onto the floor. Mia spun around and was astonished to find a familiar face looking back at her.

“Drop your rifle.”

Connor raised his gun up to match Jonah’s head and held it there until Rowan slipped his rifle off his shoulder and let it drop to the ground.

“This is over,” Mia said. “Look at the screens. You can’t win this.”

Connor limped forward. His leg was bound on both sides by a makeshift support. The limb was badly deformed from the knee down. He cringed with every step.

“My father left more than one way to get out of here,” Connor said.

“Your father?” Mia said.

Rowan put the pieces together.

“Dr. Olric.”

“He is one of the greatest minds in human history and you will not destroy his work.”

“But the zombies, the infected,” Mia pleaded. “They’ll kill everyone.”

“So what?” Connor said. “You think you’re important? You think anyone here is important?” He took another step forward and stopped beyond arm’s reach. “The commission will gather its strength and come back.” He turned the sights of his gun on Mia. “This is our home, not yours…and I’m going to make damn sure it stays that way.”

Mia reacted with thinking. Her hands moved with fluid motion, pulling her sword, and slashing it up across her face. The sound of the gun going off was highlighted by a piercing scream. Connor stumbled back, his eyes wide, staring down at the gun on the floor and his severed hand still holding on to it. He held his bloody stump up in front of his face in disbelief.

Mia continued her motion around, quickly finding the glowing button on the console. Rowan and Jonah were yelling at her, but she couldn’t process what they were saying. The haunting echo of dead-speak rushed into the room from outside in the hall. The end was near and she knew precisely what she must do.

Mia slammed her hand down on the button and everything went silent. A pulsing wave of energy struck her in the chest, forcing the air from her lungs. She let go of everything as the ground rose up beneath her feet. She felt Jonah wrap his arms around her a moment before everything went dark.

27

The world came back in waves. At first, there was only sound then sparks of light. The sounds grew louder before the light intensified. Reality filtered through a dizzy haze until the light remained and shapes formed. The voice was familiar, but the connection took a moment longer.

“Don’t try to get up.”

The shape hardened and the connection solidified.

“Mia?”

Rowan didn’t recognize the sound of his own dry, cracking voice. Mia smiled at him and brushed the hair from his face. Scratches marred her perfect skin. It was a while longer before the memory of what happened in the security station reformed in his mind.

“Try to relax,” she said as she sat down next to him.

Several people walked around them, but Rowan didn’t recognize their faces. It was another memory that brought a sudden fear to his heart.

“Jonah?”

He tried to sit up, but Mia’s well-placed hand on his chest easily kept him down.

“He’s fine,” she assured him. “There’s too much to tell, rest now.”

Rowan wanted to argue, but he couldn’t find the strength or the words. Exhaustion tugged at his mind and the more he tried to remember, the wearier he grew. He managed to drink from a cup with Mia’s help. Somewhere in the moments after his head laid back down on the pillow, he gave in to his fatigue and closed his eyes.

♦

Rowan sat up and lifted his legs off the side of his cot. He’d been awake for a while. There was nothing familiar about his surroundings. The far side of the room was partially buried and an early-morning light filtered in from the wide missing section of the ceiling.

The rest of the makeshift infirmary was filled with rows of cots. Each bed held an injured occupant most of them in much worse shape than him. Rowan tested his limbs and quickly discovered that everything hurt, but at least he appeared to be in working order. His throat was painfully dry. He eyed a table against the far wall and a jug on top that he hoped was filled with something.

He had a vague memory of the event’s preceding his awakening. Rowan wouldn’t guess at the impact of the explosion. He was sure Mia and Jonah were safe and for now that was enough for him. The bottoms of his feet touched the cold floor and he had to tap them several times before he could lay them down for good. He wasn’t sure he had the strength to stand, but he wasn’t willing to call out for help.

A single grunt escaped his lips as he forced his muscles to act. The pain was more than he imagined, but he managed to remain standing. The first few steps were slow going. He crossed the room with as much grace as someone ready to fall over, reaching the table with a deep sigh. He grumbled to himself upon discovering that the jug was empty.

“You could have asked.”

He recognized Jonah’s voice before he saw him. The boy climbed the rest of the way down through the collapsed sections of the ceiling and greeted Rowan with a hug.

“There’s more over there,” Jonah said, pointing to another table. “Can you get back to your cot by yourself?”

  Rowan rested his hands on his hips and stretched his back.

“I think I’ll stand for a while.”

Jonah ran to the other table, slipping between the closely positioned cots. Rowan’s eyes went from one bed to the next and he found a number of the wounded were still clothed in the black fatigues of the compound’s soldiers. He held on to his questions and waited.

“Here you go.”

Rowan took the drink and downed it with ferocity. The simple refreshment brought a surge to his senses.

“How long has it been?” he asked.

“Three days,” Jonah said. “You really should sit down.”

“I’d rather see your sister,” Rowan said. “Is she up yet?”

Jonah laughed.

“She’s always up,” he said then glanced back at the open end of the room. “There’s a gathering this morning. You should really be a part of it.” He considered something quietly before continuing. “She’ll probably kill me if I help you get up there.”

Rowan put a hand on his shoulder.

“You let me handle her,” he said, smiling.

Rowan followed him across the infirmary, keeping his hand on his shoulder for extra balance. A closer inspection proved that the makeshift stairs leading up topside was a formidable climb. The ascension consisted of a sizable pile of rubble, most of which used to be part of the ceiling in some form or fashion. Rowan doubted he’d reach the top without implementing some type of hands and knees technique.

Jonah started with the spry movements of a deer prancing easily up a sloping hill. Rowan on the other hand failed miserably. Every rock wobbled the moment his foot tapped the cold surface and it wasn’t long before he was on all fours. Jonah was polite enough not to make fun of him, although he did ask if he needed help a handful of times before he reached the top. He offered Rowan a hand when he was within reach. Rowan waved him off, but lacked the air to reply for several moments.

“Let me catch my breath,” he said, stopping where he was. He made sure he wasn’t going to pass out before finally taking the assist. “Now I see why I wasn’t supposed to be moving yet.”

Jonah laughed, but managed to help him up the rest of the way. Rowan got to his feet and brushed himself off. He stood up straight and his spine popped as if it might crumble at any moment. It took several long breaths before the pain running up and down his body subsided. A final moment of clarity clued him into his surroundings and the sight shocked his system.

The first view of what was left of Canaan was difficult to comprehend. The walls of the once mighty compound lay in complete ruin. The surrounding earth was scorched black as a night’s sky, dotted at irregular intervals with an uncountable number of charred bodies. The grounds were in total disarray and the destruction so complete that it was difficult to understand how anyone survived. Fractures crisscrossed the dirt in every direction, each fissure eventually working their way to a cavernous hole that appeared to drop down into an endless sea of black.

Rowan had to remind himself to breathe. He let his eyes drift and take in the movement all around him. Several groups of people gathered among the destruction, the largest cluster close to the opening above the infirmary. It took a yank from Jonah to get his feet moving again.

“That’s where we pulled you out of,” Jonah said.

The boy pointed at a crumbled section of metal, most of it buried beneath several feet of dirt.

“Weren’t you next to me?”

It took a moment for Jonah to understand what he was asking. He shook his head slowly.

“You must have been thrown,” Jonah said although it sounded more like a question. “We were way over there.”

Rowan’s eyes ran the distance between their location and a point closer to the edge of the massive hole. He studied the expanse and wondered how he didn’t break every bone in his body.

“I still had my arms around her.” The comment pulled Rowan’s focus onto Jonah. “Mia,” he continued. “My arms were around her waist when they dug us out.”

The thought brought a smile to Rowan’s face.

“Who are all of these people?” he asked.

A motley crew of several dozen stood around a large fire, most broken into smaller factions. Closer inspection revealed a number of them dressed in soldier’s gear and others the compound workers uniforms; the remainder wore familiar tribal ware. A second look at the soldiers caused Rowan to pause. Jonah kept walking and he didn’t realize that he was alone until he reached the outer ring of gatherers. The boy spun around and held his hands out by his sides.

“Hey?”

Rowan waved him back and a quick run brought them together again.

“What happened to you?”

“What are the soldiers doing here?” Rowan asked, now more confused than ever.

Jonah glanced at the congregation.

“Mia said they could stay.”

Rowan was speechless. Jonah pulled on him again.

“Come on, you need to talk to her,” Jonah said. “We have to hurry up, she’s getting ready to speak to everyone.”

Rowan wasn't sure he understood what any of it meant. Another quick look around showed that most of the other survivors were heading toward the largest of the gathering points. He stumbled when he started walking again. Jonah was in a hurry, whatever was about to happen, it brought with it a noticeable change in the crowd. The chatter grew as the gathering swelled and the buzz of what was coming resonated throughout. Everything swirling through Rowan’s mind came to a complete stop at the sound of another familiar voice.

“I should kick you in the butt.”

He saw Mia’s smile then found her eyes as she worked her way through the crowd toward him. She slid her hand lovingly over Jonah’s shoulder before embracing Rowan. The sudden impact paled in comparison to the kiss that followed. Rowan was lost and he had no interest in finding himself. It was only him and Mia again. She had to step away to bring him back to the moment.

“I guess kicking you would only make it worse,” she said with a grin.

He beamed back at her.

“I’ve been told that I have a problem with authority.”

Mia’s smile widened.

“Don't I know it,” she said then shifted gears. “How are you feeling?”

Rowan looked down at his dirty, tattered clothes and shrugged.

“Terrible, but happy to be alive.”

“I’m with you on that one,” Jonah said before excusing himself with a nod. “I'm going to help Agnes. I know she wants to hear you speak.”

Rowan waited until the boy was out of earshot.

“How the hell did we survive all of this?”

He motioned at the surrounding destruction.

“I don't really understand it myself,” Mia admitted. “We were buried and probably would have died had it not been for the others digging us out.” She pointed back in the direction he'd come. “The ground cracked above the infirmary,” she swallowed hard, “killing several of the remaining Cheyenne members. But those who survived were able to get topside. They were the ones that started digging people out.”

Rowan was surprised to hear that any of his tribe had survived the exodus of Cheyenne, but his mind focused on one name in particular.

“Arkin?”

Mia’s smile faded the moment the name left his lips. He didn’t need to hear her response. In all of the chaos of their reunion, he’d forgotten to ask. He silently cursed himself for the selfish oversight. She shook her head and Rowan quickly changed the subject.

“Who are all of these people?”

It took a moment for Mia to blink back to the present. She struggled to keep her emotions in check. A swipe of her hand across her eyes was the only indication of the true depth of her sadness.

“They’re what's left of us,” she said. “There was some fighting after the detonation, but it was settled quickly. Most of the survivors were focused on saving as many people as they could.”

Rowan looked over the devastation.

“We did all of this?” he asked at nearly a whisper. It was difficult to imagine how the single push of a button could produce such an event. “What happened to the swarm…all of the infected…,” he stumbled over the words, “the dead?”

“They were destroyed,” she said. “Most of them reduced to little more than ash blowing in the wind.”

It was difficult for Rowan to wrap his mind around the idea.

“Most of the survivors were further underground,” she said. “At least the ones we’ve found. Four of the six hives of the colony were cut off from the surface. There's no way to tell how many are alive down there.”

“What is that?” he asked, pointing out at the enormous hole in the ground.

“That was our escape route.”

It took another look for Rowan to make the connection.

“Is that the shaft we climbed, with all the platforms?”

She nodded.

He felt compelled to reach out and touch her. The moment his fingers slid over her hips, she moved closer to him. Her face lit up and Rowan’s heartbeat quickened, thumping in his ears. He didn’t ever want to let her out of his sight again.

“You’re not the same person you were the last time I saw you,” he said. He didn’t know why he said it, but he could plainly see the glow of confidence in her eyes. She looked directly at him and the ferocity was nearly overwhelming. “I thought I lost you.”

Mia grinned.

“Not a chance.”

They stood silent for a moment, each basking in the closeness. An escalating murmur from the growing multitude ended the moment and Rowan begrudgingly let her go.

“I think they’re waiting on you,” he said.

Jonah popped out from the edge of the crowd and waved Mia over.

“Agnes asked me to say something to the survivors,” she said.

The number of eyes staring at her grew by the second.

“I think my new job will be keeping you safe,” Rowan thought about it. “And not just for myself.”

Her lips parted in another wide beam then she leaned in and gave him a kiss.