We knew if we stayed here we wouldn't be able to sleep, so we drove out of the rest area, found another road going south before we took it and after pushing the road clear a few times, finally found the road we needed and headed towards the interstate again. When we got on it we drove a couple of miles to another rest area before settling down for the night.
Mason and I took the bottom bunk, while Ken spread a sleeping bag on the top bunk. The skylight was open on the truck and I was able to watch the stars with Mason's arm wrapped tightly around me. It would have been perfect if Ken hadn't started snoring. I'd forgotten the horrendous noises that could come from him in his sleep. The kind that kept everyone awake but him. I thought it was similar to the Jake brake of the semi, but I could be exaggerating. Even as children we would slip out of the room to sleep elsewhere because he would raise the roof. Tonight, however, when the tension left, exhaustion took over and I fell into a dreamless sleep.
The next day I got to drive but the guys kept arguing over the seat so I finally gave up. I know, I'm a wuss, but for heavens sake, if I could do it so could they. Right? Ken finally gave in on the seat so we wouldn't have to have a repeat of the day before. While Mason drove again, I happily took pictures of the dessert scenery and tall mountains in the distance. The colors of the rock was as different as day and night and soon my memory card was so full, I had to get another one. I managed to get a good one of Ken snoring with his mouth hanging open. I planned to enlarge it, frame it and give it to him for Christmas. I needed to start thinking about that soon, but not while I was away from the lodge. I missed it and my friends.
Our schedule, per Northern Uncle Bill, listed us as arriving in Flagstaff around 1pm but we were early. I think northern Uncle Bill was figuring we would travel the speed limit. Yea right.
The entrance to the facility was east of Flagstaff, so we were able to avoid the walkers we knew were waiting for us. The road itself was located on a gravel road near Mormon Lake. It had a formidable gate across it that we weren't quite sure about. So we unhooked the tanker in a large parking area nearby, pulled the truck around and fueled it up. Leaving the tanker sit, we headed to a small town south of Flagstaff with the word 'mountain' in the name which could have been any of them.
We were looking for a four wheeler and a Humvee. I wanted a tank. See, I'm not a chicken, but we weren't that lucky. As it was, we found a six wheeler that would hold eight people that we planned to leave at the rear door of the facility for our daring escape. Ken drove the semi back to the tanker and hooked it back up. Then we would drive the pickup we found on the street to the front entrance, since we planned to escape from the rear. I prefer to be surrounded with as much steel as possible and doors that lock. I don't think a girl should be without a ton of steel especially in the presence of walkers.
Mason backed up to the rear entrance, pocketed the key and jumped into the truck. Taking a big breath we headed to the front entrance. The road wound around the mountain side like a corkscrew. The repetitive notification of being "shot on sight" was getting on my nerves as well as the many cameras pointed at us. I swore the hair stood up on the back of my neck.
You feel that?
Yea, my skin is crawling.
I think it's just the thought more than any real threat.
You hope anyway.
"OK, you two, stop doing that...it's rude.” Ken said, as he maneuvered the rough terrain. Lacy and I communicated mind to mind from early childhood and our cousins hated it. They were just jealous, so I turned and stuck my tongue out at Ken, making him hide the grin that wanted to pop out.
The three mile trip to the guards gate was a long one. There was no way to tell if the cameras worked but it really didn't matter anymore. If they did, we would be greeted, if not, ok by me. Bouncing over large rocks and deep ruts, we took our time and held on for dear life. I found myself bouncing off Mason and then Ken and more than once the ceiling of the cab. The thought crossed my mind if we didn't arrived soon, I would be unconscious. The road cut through the side of the mountain and at some points deep gashes in the road made Ken drive with the inside tires on the side of the mountain wall, causing me and Mason to hang onto the door or fall onto Ken. The guardhouse was a welcome sight but since they were unmanned, we opened the gate ourselves and drove up to the blast doors.
We positioned the truck facing back the way we came, with the doors open and the engine running. I wasn't the only one that was skittish. The little black box to the right of the door opened to reveal a number pad. OK, this was it. The guys stood in the parking lot with weapons ready. I expected a horde of walkers to pour out of the doors as soon as they opened, so I had the door of the truck open about three feet from me. The first picture on the camera card was Northern uncle Bill standing in front of a clock that read 12:25. Nothing else in the picture made sense, so we figured that was the code for the first set of doors. I tapped the numbers and pressed enter. At first nothing happened. The boys looked at me and I just shrugged. Then a loud groan preceded the doors opening. I dove into the truck and slammed the door shut and wormed my way onto the floor. When it remained quiet, I peeked out the window and saw the black hole where the doors were.
The guys were creeping up on those doors, one on either side. Quickly they looked inside, then nodded at each other and went inside. My heart was pounding and the sweat was pouring off of me. I think I held my breath waiting for them to come back outside. When I began to see stars, I took a deep breath and opened the door, quietly slipping out. I had no idea where I was going but I had to see if they were ok. Just about the time I reached the doorway, Mason came around the corner. He grabbed me hard and pulled me against him breathing hard from the scare. Ken walked out of the entrance like he just returned from the store, and grinned at us. Brat!
"OK, that area is clear, I'll disable the inner doors after we get through but lets close the outside ones to keep the hoodlums out." I armed myself like Lora Croft, ammo strapped to my thighs and crossed over my chest. I put my night vision goggles around my neck and tried to breathe normal. I was ready and from the look of my 'Rambo' buddies, they were too. I took a deep breath and went inside. Big heavy doors slid closed and locked while I shook with the need to run screaming.
Trying for control, I positioned my goggles so I could actually see and proceeded to the hallway leading to the elevator. I typed 12:25 in the keypad and stepped to one side as the doors silently slid open. Mason and Ken stood at the door ready with laser rifles and scanned the area quickly. Clear. Two more to go.
The next two sections were the same and then we found ourselves at the elevator. I hate elevators. I remember being in one in California when a small earthquake hit. The lights went out and it shook like it was having an epileptic fit, and then the doors opened halfway between floors. We had to climb out and from that day forward I walked three flights up and down every day. I did not want to get inside this one. I didn't even know if it worked.
At the next keypad I typed 9111. A light appeared above the panel and the doors opened quietly. I stuck my foot into it because I couldn't see the floor of the elevator. I had visions of stepping into nothingness and I wanted to make sure. It was settled when Ken and Mason walked passed me and stood patiently waiting for me to join them.
Breath.
Mason whispered in my mind
.
I don't think I can do this.
I said to the floor.
I'll be here, I won't let you get hurt.
"You coming JD?" Ken said, clearly impatient.
I took a deep breath and willed my feet to move. When I got inside, I pushed the 3rd floor button, another number George had specified. The doors closed and Mason took my hand in his and squeezed lightly. I concentrated on breathing as the elevator descended into the bowels of the mountain. When it slowed, I stepped back and allowed the men to stand in front of me. I had braced my feet and had my M-16 rifle with dot laser ready and goggles on.
The door opened into a small enclosure about 10 feet square with a large steel door at the end. According to the sign on the door this was the Dormitory. We had to transverse it to the far end, of course, and take the stairs down to the command center. There we could take the elevator again to the 5th floor or Laboratory. I'm not sure of the reasoning around this but the papers in the briefcase indicated this was the safest route. I had my doubts.
It didn't help that I needed to find a restroom. A full bladder and terror is not a good mix. So I input the next four numbers, this time it was the 1973 Ford and stood back waiting for the doors to open. As the doors of the elevator closed, I got the impression we were being watched. Glancing around, I finally found the camera in the bottom of the sign telling us to use our key cards.
"Do we have key cards?" I asked no one in particular.
"I don't remember anything in the briefcase about key cards. That's the slot there." We dutifully looked at the slot, then looked at each other. Well, hell.
"OK, well, I guess we break in." They both looked at me like I had horns growing out of my head. "What?" I asked. "I have a screw driver right here so move out of the way." Waving said screwdriver in the air.
"Wait a minute, I don't like this." Ken said, looking around the room. "Just wait a minute, let me see if I can figure this out."
"What's to figure out. We were supposed to have a key card, we don't and we have to get these doors open. So, as far as I can see, we have to break in."
"It would be our luck, poison gas would come in the vents and kill us." Mason said, looking all around the walls and the floors. I let them look while I thought about my bladder which was demanding attention. The corner of the room was looking pretty damn good to me when Ken did an ' Ah hah'.
He held up a card he had pulled out of his pocket. "l was given this a few days before I was due to show up. Thought I should hang onto it. I didn't know what it went to but from the markings on it I think it belongs right here." He then stuck the thing into the slot. Green lights ran up and down the outside of the slot, then a red light blinked before a green one again. The door began to open. I hope there's a restroom in here, I thought as we stood before a very big room with beds in it. Nothing moved so we stepped inside. When the doors closed behind us, I had a feeling we were in trouble. When we were suddenly facing several soldiers with very large guns, I knew it.
"We're out of poison gas." One of the soldiers said, pointing a big gun at us.
"Well, that has to be a bummer." I said to the gun. "I was just wondering if I could use your restroom. I hate going behind a bush. It's so unsanitary not to mention there isn't any toilet paper."
"Shut up" said one particularly large man dressed to kill, literally.
I complied, but this guy is gonna die later. No one said anything as they relieved us of our guns. They let us keep the ammo, which was a big mistake on their part.
Don't do that, please, you'll just piss them off and we don't want that right now. Please, honey, be nice.
Mason warmed me and I relaxed a bit. Enough to keep my mouth closed anyway.
"What are you doing here? How did you get the codes to open the doors?" The big one seemed to be the boss. He stood in front of me and I got the feeling he was talking to me. I just stared at the floor.
"We found them on a body that was dumped a few days ago. We thought it might be safer in here than out there." Ken said in a nasally voice I'd never heard before. "We need sanctuary and we thought this would be a good place for one." What a liar. I tried not to look up because I knew my face would say, 'What a liar.'
"Well, the general will decide what to do with you. Move," he commanded, pushing us in the direction of the back of the room. We would have been headed in that direction anyway, this way we had an escort.
We walked single file to the back of the room. One of the men opened a door and we walked into the dormitory shower area. "I would really appreciate using one of the restrooms right now." I wasn't lying earlier. " I really need to go and if I pee my pants it's not going to be good being around me then."
"JD if you don't really...."
"I really need to, Mason, I swear on my lodge."
The men all looked at each other as I danced a bit in place. 'Smart ass' motioned to one of the stalls and I didn't waste any time. It was difficult getting started knowing six men stood just feet away, but I thought of other things and finally managed to get things done. Relief was so great I thought I would cry, but I just stepped out of the stall like I was with my girlfriends at the mall.
"Anyone else". Big guy said. Clearly not expecting an answer. "Lets go then." Big said, motioning towards what I thought was another stall door. It was a door to some stairs. I thought it was nice of them to help us find our way to the Command Center. NOT.
When we stepped into the command center it was about half full of soldiers. There were people in white lab coats milling around but mostly it was military. There were no civilians or children. I looked for Uncle Bill and George but didn't see them right then.
There was a group of people standing around a bank of monitors talking quietly and we were led right to them. I saw some of the monitors showed the entrance we had come in, the elevator and the doorway to the dorm. We were so smart. What had Uncle Bill led us into? One of the cameras scanned the area around the outside of the parking area and I saw our truck sitting there. Several walkers were milling around the area and I was instantly glad we got inside.