900 Miles (Book 2): 900 Minutes (11 page)

The hairs on my neck were at full attention, and my hands were clasped together, twisting the wedding ring around my finger. W
e’
d hardly had a chance to digest what w
e’
d just learned when we heard one of the Amigos whispering out from the bars. Peering past Gordon, it was clear he was the winner. Standing there holding a bloody blade, he was hunched over, dripping in gore from the three fallen bodies lying at his boots. His free arm was resting on his side, and a steady stream of blood was rolling down into his jeans.

“
Ahh, hold that thought
,”
Gordon said calmly, as if speaking to a few friends.

Stepping over toward the bars, Gordon raised both hands in the air
.“
We have a winner
!”
Looking out toward his team, he continued
,“
Come on, men, le
t’
s give this warrior a round of applause
.
”

The remaining Amigo appeared to be the one with the gash in his head. His chest heaved up and down as he pulled deep breaths into his lungs. He was trying to stand up as straight as possible within the confines of the dome.

“
Well, anybody who knows me will tell you
I’
m a man of my word
,”
Gordon continued
.“
Isn't that right, Jarvis
?
”

Jarvis did
n’
t respond. He did
n’
t even move a muscle.

“
OK, little man. Come on out of that cage. Yo
u’
re free to go. Before you come out, I need you to know two thing
s
…”

Gordon stopped mid-sentence as the Amigo pulled his free hand up, exposing an obvious bite mark that had pulled a chunk of flesh out of his hip. I winced at the realization that the Amigo was
n’
t going anywhere.

Before anybody could react, the Amigo once again yelled out something in Spanish. The only word I made out wa
s“
God
,”
just before he pulled the knife in front of him with the sharp end of the blade firmly pressed beneath his chin. Looking over at the four of us, he said in plain English
,“
They were my friends
.”
Then closing his eyes, he dropped down on the ground with the weight of his body driving the blade up through his skull.

“
They were my friends
.”
It echoed in the back of my mind as I closed my eyes and let my shoulders drop in defeat.

Gordon and his men did
n’
t make any noise for what seemed like an eternity before Gordon finally lifted his cane as high as he could in the sky and let out a cheer
,“
Now,
that
was a contest
!
”

His men followed suit, one of them actually discharging his weapon into the sky.

Gripping my hands together, I could
n’
t tell if they were shaking because I was scared or pissed. Probably a little of both. Jarvis was looking down at the ground, and Kyle was shooting daggers with his eyes toward Gordon. It was
n’
t hard to figure out what they were thinking. I agreed with them. None of this would be happening if w
e’
d just killed the bastard after the arena battle. I knew we would
n’
t make the same mistake twice.

Returning to us, Gordon looked at the top of Jarvi
s’
s head which was still pointed at the ground
.“
So, what say you, old friend? Are you going to help us save a lot of people? After all, there are
n’
t too many of us humans running around these days
.
”

Lifting his head, looking Gordon directly in the eyes, Jarvis paused for a moment before finally saying
,“
There is no world in which I would allow a maniac like you to run Avalon. I do
n’
t care what you do to us. I will never willingly hand over the keys, Gordon.
Never
.”
He emphasized the wor
d“
neve
r”
as boldly as he could muster up.

Taking a moment to think, I watched as an eerie smile grew across Gordo
n’
s face. His eyes lit up slightly as he finally broke the silence
.“
I was hoping yo
u’
d say that, old friend, but I have a feeling yo
u’
ll be changing your mind in no time. By tomorrow at 8:57 p.m., w
e’
ll be storming the gat
e…
and yo
u’
ll have helped us
.
”

8:57 p.m., I thought. That seemed awful specific.

Gordon nodded to the men standing behind us. I felt a tiny prick in the right-hand side of my neck. Twisting around, the last thing I remember seeing was the Hulk standing above me with a syringe, still displaying that dumbfounded expression across his face.

I lay there on the ground for a moment, with my final thought on Tyler. I needed to get back to my son. He was all that mattered.

Then the world faded to black.

Chapter 11

From his resting place on my shoulders, Tyler broke into the hysterical giggle that only an infant can pull off as I held his arms out in front of my head and galloped around the open field. The laugh of an infant is the only truly pure thing left in this life. The older we get, the more it seems like laughter is a socially expected response versus a true expression of joy. However, I could feel the innocence echoing from above my shoulders as I bucked up and down.

It was the best sound any father could ever hear.

The sun beat down on our backs, and the wind blew the restless trees back and forth, waving at us as I did what fathers do best. I made a fool of myself, and it was amazing.

Stopping for a moment, I looked across the neatly cut grass at a couple holding hands as they lazily walked along a sidewalk that circled a small, artificially created pond. A pump in the middle of the pool spit water high into the air, creating an almost calming white noise as it came splashing down.

Across the pond from Tyler and me, another father leaned down to show his little boy how to thread the hook with the fishing line of what looked like a Spider Man-themed fishing pole. The boy stood there, wide-eyed, absorbing every sage piece of advice. A father is like a benevolent God to a small child. Everything seems like magic.

Pulling Tyler from my shoulders, I set his feet down onto the grass and watched the blades stick up through his tiny toes. However, to my surprise, no longer was Tyler the seven-month-old infant. He was now a toddler and smiled at me with teeth so white the sun sparkled off of their shiny finish.

He continued to grow, and I watched as he took off into a sprint across the field, chasing a magnificent yellow butterfly. Sitting back on my elbow, one arm spread across the grass, I took a moment to enjoy the rays from the sun across my face. The fresh smell of spring was in the air. There was no death or pain, just my son, growing up before my eyes.

Glancing back toward Tyler, I watched as he cornered the butterfly on a giant tree in the middle of the field. My attention was pulled to my right toward a woman in a white dress, the skirt waving in the wind. She was wearing a round sun hat and appeared to be almost drifting across the grass. Her face remained hidden in the glare of the sun, but I felt her presence. With each floating step toward me, my wedding ring seemed to pulsate like a tiny, silent alarm. 

I almost stood up in surprise when I saw those eyes. They stared at me, the sun gleaming through her short blond hair, projecting a sense of divine beauty. It was
n’
t my wife. It was Clair
e’
s eyes peering deep into my soul.

She was moving her lips, but I could
n’
t hear her. Leaning forward, I still could
n’
t hear her whispering voice. She leaned down closer, pulling herself just above me.

I could feel the ground starting to shake. The water fountain in the pond was getting louder, and my arms felt stuck to in the grass. My pulse started to quicken. Fear entered the back of my mind.

I tried to pull my shoulders up, but I was
n’
t able to move. My mind started to race, and I frantically looked out toward where I last saw Tyler. I started to panic as I saw the butterfly smashed into the deep brown bark of the tree, with Tyler nowhere in sight.

Looking back up at Claire, her mouth was still moving. She was speaking into my left ear now.

“
Wake up
,”
she whispered.

“
Wake up
!”
she screame
d
…

Jerking awake, I blinked twice before seeing wires and gauges sticking out of a metal wall. There was a loud hum pulsating in my ears, and the ground had a low vibration thumping through it like an old drum. Tightening my core, a pit opened in my stomach as I instantly recognized where I was.

Great, another goddamned helicopter
, I thought as I lifted my head.

Deciding to table the meanings behind the dream, including why the hell Claire was there, my mind turned to the crap that had been injected into my neck. I had never willingly taken any hard drugs in my lif
e…
at least none that
I’
ll admit to. However, whatever shit the
y’
d stuck in my neck was enough to knock me the fuck out. Still,
I’
ll always hold onto that moment in the beginning of the dream. I would take that drug again in a heartbeat if it gave me another memory like that.

It is the closest thing
I’
ll ever have to spending a day in the park with my son.

Making a mental note to ask Gordon what was in that little mixer before I killed him, I wearily lifted my head. The grogginess ran deep through my mind, and I could feel a hell of a headache starting in my neck and rolling up the back of my skull.

Trying to lift my hands to wipe my eyes, I realized they were bound together around a metal bar, which was attached snugly to the wall of the helicopter. Looking up, I noticed what appeared to be elongated yellow zip ties. They were the kind used to close a garbage bag. Pulling myself right side up, I noticed Jarvis, and Rodgers still passed out. Kyle was starting to move a bit, but his eyes were still shut.

The Hulk was sitting across from us, staring out a window in awe. Gordon was seated next to him, watching me with a grin as I fought to focus my eyes. From what I could gather, we were in a large helicopter. The cabin did
n’
t have the niceties of the last helicopter
I’
d flown in. This one looked military in nature. There were four portholes running down the length of each wall, and the rear appeared to be able to open like a drawbridge. I got the sense that it could be used to carry about ten or fifteen troops. It felt barren with just the six of us back there.

I twisted the ring on my finger, as I was reminded of my wif
e…
and the flying tomb sh
e’
d died in. My stomach twisted up as I remembered the final look in her eyes. Squeezing my fists, I reminded myself that the past is often not how w
e’
d like it to be. Looking to the future is the only place to truly find any semblance of peac
e…
a place where the bad memories can finally fade.

However, right now, I needed to focus on the present.

Gordon did
n’
t say a word. In fact, when I opened my mouth to speak, he held his hand up toward me, warning me not to say anything
.“
All in good time, John. Le
t’
s wait for your friends to wake. Then w
e’
ll talk
.
”

Holding Jarvi
s’
s backpack on his knee, Gordon was sifting through the meds. Lifting a bottle up into the light, a smile grew across his face before he dropped it back into the bag. My anger went from zero to sixty. I needed to get those meds back.

Time was running out.

Shaking my head to throw some of the grogginess out of my mind, I pulled my face up to my tied hands to rub my eyes. The metal poles that all of our arms were bound to were attached vertically on the wall and appeared as if they were intended to hold some sort of gear. As my eyes readjusted to the dimly lit interior, they fell on the Hulk. Tied to his left leg was one of the holsters that the Amigos had carried around their chests. The other leg held a cargo pocket full of the same zip ties binding our arm
s…
along with my hammer. The giant bastard had it in his belt. What I would
n’
t have given to get my paws on it.

I watched as the Hulk lifted his full ham-sized fist to pull the blade from the holster. He held it out in front of his face, inspecting it as a child would inspect a newfound toy. It was only then that I saw any change in his expression. One side of his mouth seemed to perk up, but quickly withdrew, leaving him looking like a cross between Sloth from the Goonies and Andre the Giant.

Kyle was sitting up now, looking from me to Jarvis and Rodgers, who were starting to stir. W
e’
d all be conscious soon, and you could see the excitement in Gordo
n’
s eyes. He was slightly rocking in his chair, almost ready to pounce at the idea of showing us what came next.

The Hulk took the blade and pushed it sharp side down into the floor of the helicopter, between his legs so that Gordon would
n’
t see what he was doing. It took me a moment to figure it out, but I soon realized he was carving pictures into the metallic paint.

“
Yo
u’
ve got us here, Gordon. Now what are you going to do with us
?”
Jarvis screamed out so he could be heard over the roaring engine of the helicopter.

Startled, my gaze was drawn from the Hulk to my friends, who were all awake now and sitting up. Kyl
e’
s eyes were darting around the cabin. I could tell he was trying to find a way to free himself. As he yanked down, squeezing the zip tie into his flesh, his eyes landed on the metal pole holding his arms up.

Rodgers was sitting at full alert, twisting his hands around the pole. I watched as a slight hint of panic shot across his face. It was as if he were surprised to be there. With his face turning red, he twisted in vain for a moment, trying to pull free as the yellow plastic turned his wrists white.

Gordon held his hand out to Rodgers, as if to say
,“
I
t’
s not worth the effort
,”
then looked back toward Jarvis
.“
Oh, w
e’
re nearly there, old friend. I almost hate to spoil the surprise. Then again, I do feel like I owe it to myself to share this with you. After all,
I’
ve been waiting so very long
.
”

I looked back at the Hulk, who had not acknowledged a word being said. He remained focused on his small helicopter art, which reminded me more and more of what a Neanderthal would draw on the side of a cave wall. 

Gordon continued
.“
You see, w
e’
re heading back to my base. My home away from home, if you wil
l…
if you count Avalon as my real home
.”
He chuckled at this, while the venom built up in Jarvi
s’
s face.

“I’
m not going to help you, Gordon. Yo
u’
ve gone to this trouble for no reason at all.
I’
ll never willingly tell you a thing
,”
Jarvis finally spat out.

“
Hold that thought
,”
Gordon replied calmly
.“
I have something I want the four of you to see. Take a look out of the portholes to the right
,”
he said, pointing at the windows above our heads
.“
Really, you have to see this. Come on no
w…
you just have to stand
.
”

Hesitantly at first, we started to prop ourselves up against the wall. The pole our arms were bound to made it so we could slide our wrists high enough to stand. An indistinguishable numbness plaguing my limbs had me fighting for each inch, as I slid my face along the vibrating helicopter wall in an effort to reach that tiny round opening to the outside world.

Kyl
e’
s mouth dropped as he reached the window. His haunted expression pulled the hairs on the back of my neck to full alert. My own eyes finally reached the glaring sun as it peeked in on us through the thick plated glass.

At first, it looked like the ground had been scorched, burnt to the bare earth. There was
n’
t any green. Nothing more than a field of brown and black dots could be seen. However, as my eyes adjusted to the brightness outside, I soon realized that the earth was moving ever so slightly. Up and down, slowly, but methodically, it was moving over trees, through buildings, and swallowing cars whole.

I felt my Adams apple bob as I gulped, and my breathing picked up, momentarily fogging up the glass my face was pressed against. I simply could
n’
t believe it. There was a literal sea of Zs, moving together as one giant horde, and it stretched as far as we could see from the height of the helicopter.

“
Wha
t…
th
e…
hell
?”
I heard Kyle whisper.

Still staring out of the porthole in awe, I realized what the Hulk had been looking at. It was absolutely breathtakin
g…
in all the wrong ways.

“
Gentlemen,
I’
d like to introduce you to the Mega-Horde. Impressive, isn'
t’
it
?”
Gordon called out above the engines
.“
This little group of creatures is working its way toward my base camp as we speak. The
y’
ll be there in less than a wee
k’
s time. W
e’
ve tried all the usual methods to steer them away. You know, like sound, light, etcetera. Does
n’
t seem to work on a horde this size. My people do
n’
t think ther
e’
s anything we can do to stop them at this point.
I’
m actually not so sur
e…
but then again, I do
n’
t need much of a push to head back toward Avalon
.
”