Bone Dust & Beginnings (Alexa's Travels Book 1) (18 page)

Her voice was very low, but it still made two of the mutations twitch their way, and it was shocking to see how fast the woman killed them.

Her blades made only an unnoticed thud in the ground, both creatures dead before the hilts stopped moving. Clean shots that impaled, it was an unneeded, but still powerful thing for the rookies to see. She was more somehow, and it was a comfort during this newest horror.

Billy had stopped with the line of railcars well out of the water, but the group stayed still until not only the hoppers nearby were dead, but the surface of the water was still. It was impossible to know what sounds would draw the mutations back out.

The train cars were covered in mud. Brown water ran from them in large streams and the green and black silt was thick on the sides and top.

The Mule cut off, and the silence in its wake was deafening. They noted the stopping of the engine had no effect on the creatures lurking in the water, and they felt a bit easier as Alexa pulled a small tool from her belt and held it out to David. "Pick."

The blacksmith concentrated and moved only a few yards before pausing. The two cars he was eying looked the same to the other men, but there was little doubt he'd seen a sign the rest of them had missed when he pointed to one.

David chose the car with no debris blocking its lock and quickly slid the cutters from his belt against the slippery metal. It didn't want to give up its treasures, but the new man was used to working with unforgiving metals and the chains fell to the ground with a loud clank a moment later.

All eyes went to the water, waiting.

There was no response, and Alexa motioned Jacob and Billy forward to open the door. Water gushed out as they forced it back, thick and brown, and it rinsed the side enough for the others to see a logo - Ice Mountain.

The bottles and jugs were mostly undamaged and the fighters filled their canteens and watertight pouches happily. Their only displeasure came from having to leave so much behind. There was enough fresh water here to last them for months.

Alexa felt their concern, and her tone was thin. "It will serve others as well. Do not covet, my pets. Our needs have been met, and it is more than enough."

Chastened, their feeling of loss eased. When the woman began to get set for travel, her men followed. They'd gotten what they’d come for. Now, they had to get back out.

The rail yard shack was a one-room hut made of cheap wood that had warped in the onslaught of water. The light they’d seen was only an illusion caused by the glow of a sunray off of the metal roof of a railcar.

They moved around the crumbling shack carefully, ignoring the slight sounds that suggested someone might be lurking inside. The ghosts of the past were not to be disturbed unless you could pay the price for such a grievous error in judgment or such desperate need.

As they rounded the corner of the shack, Alexa stopped them, hand up in alert.

On the ground near the shacks broken window, was a body. Not a skeleton, this one was fresh and not mauled by hoppers. This one was missing a head, and the ground under the jean-clad woman was stiff with dried blood. Her skin was full of holes, the insects already dining, and Alexa sent her boots onward. A small cloud of gnats followed, and she stepped faster to leave them behind.

The ground gradually dried as they headed away from the station, and Alexa didn't call a break for lunch, instead having them eat on the move. There was enough on each of them for two full weeks, and even the soreness at the end of the day from the fresh weight would be a welcome price to pay.

Alexa moved them steadily north, not one to sit and wait for darkness so they could call the Ferryman, and the wilderness around them became a full jungle again soon after the railcars were out of sight.

It was lush; a thick oasis of green mixed with debris, and none of them spoke as they walked. The uncommon surroundings had them all a bit
uneasy,
and even Alexa flinched when an unfamiliar noise for any area, floated through the trees.

It was a sound none of them, not even the blonde, expected to hear. It was out of place and uncommon to any of the devastated towns they'd come through, but here, it was a shock - an omen.

"
Waaa
..."

The child's cry was miserable, piercing…and impossible to ignore.

Alexa paused, calculating blue eyes dazed as she concentrated.

Her men wondered if she would seek out the source to ensure the baby (it could only be that from the bewildered wails) had someone to care for it.

Alexa moved suddenly, tracking the noise, and her men followed contentedly.
Apparently so.

"
Waaa
..."

It was pitiful, desperate, and the blonde's pace increased. It was as though she
were
being pulled, and the men stayed close as they spotted the outside wall of a small village.

Eleven

1

Laramie Estates had clearly been a secluded community even before the war.

Its design was round: eight buildings in a circle, connected by a high, stone wall with thin, narrowly arched doorways. A wide, brick walk made a neat oval turn to the center, where a community well sat, made of oddly colored stones, many with deep furrows. The rocks around the well were falling, crumbling into dusty debris that was spotted with white droppings.

Most of the small engineering village remained intact, even mud-splattered glass was still in most of the small windows, and yet, there was a feeling of horror that lurked heavily over the courtyard. Shadowy doorways greeted their passage as they entered, and each of the fighters had a hand resting on a holster.

"
Waaa
..."

It came from the well, there was no doubt. Confusion was first,
then
suspicion, and Alexa directed her new men to the center of their group as they began a sweep of the dark homes that surrounded them.

"
Waaa
..."

The blonde ignored the weakening cry; she needed to be sure they cleared each and every room which might hold an ambush, and the sounds of the baby's distress followed their movements relentlessly.

The houses were all designed the same - simple three bedroom flats with a short attic space. The once colorful decor suggested these families had been South American. Beds were still neatly made, although cabinet doors were gone, revealing fully stocked shelves. With the rail yard so close, starvation hadn't been their enemy. What had?

As if in answer to their thoughts, daylight broke suddenly, the rare sun bright, and the miserable cry cut off.

The silence it left was uncertain, almost hostile with a new energy, and Alexa circled her men back to the exit, waiting. The shadows there were enough to shield them from the sun's glare and from view as they listened tensely for whatever was coming. They didn't have to wonder for long.

A large shadow hit the ground across the courtyard, ominous in the size and the whoosh of its wings. The bird moved like a streak, heading straight for the well as Alexa and her men watched
,
stunned again by what they were seeing. Had the baby known the bird was coming? Was the sun its alarm?

The vulture was as tall as Alexa and its wingspan was nearly double that. Huge and heavy, its body was unable to fit through the average opening. Angered, the enormous bird dug its claws into the crumbling stone, causing a large chunk to crack off under its powerful talons.

The hungry predator gave a shrill cry of excitement, trying to squeeze its head through again. It was clearly digging its way to the infant. Was its parent down there too?
Unlikely.
Who could let a baby cry that way and not comfort it?
Alone then.
But not for long.

The vulture paused suddenly, its long, red beak tilted into the air as if it had smelled something. Had they been scented? The fighters got ready.

The bird let out a furious screech, broad wings unfurling to make an escape, and the rock under its talon crumbled. The piece fell into the well, and the child's startled cry snapped the vulture's attention back. It hesitated, torn.

There was silence from the baby after the one surprised wail, and the mutation turned ugly yellow eyes on the shadowy doorway where they stood. It was as if it knew they were there, but couldn't match their scent, thanks to the dried mud covering them like a shield.

As the bird flexed, turning slightly, each of the fighters saw a gaping wound and understood that not only were body shots useless, but this was the terror that had taken the villagers, leaving no destruction, no signs of a battle. Its nest would be a different thing all together.

"Cry," Alexa muttered so softly, only Edward and Mark heard, and the sound rose obediently from the darkness.

"
Waaa
..."

Full of hope and fear, the bird could resist no more than the fighters. It turned back to the well, shoving its fat head into the hole to let out an unearthly shriek, and Alexa led her men out of the shadows.

The woman drew as she moved, cold blue eyes now blazing with outrage, and the bird pulled back much too late to avoid her shockingly good aim.

Crack! Crack!

The bird’s eyes vanished into a splatter of gore, and Alexa opened up her Colts.

As she fired, a second big shadow swooped down into the courtyard. This bird wasn't as large, but its smaller size made it fast, and it ran toward her warriors with piercing shrieks of fury.

"Rookies down!"

The two men dropped, and Alexa spun, guns blazing. The bird was hit, but it only slowed. It was Jacob, with his .357, that made it pause.

He fired twice from the hip and the smaller vulture screamed in pain as its eyes became gushing wounds. It struck out in panic, rushing forward, and the preacher fired again, emptying his newly given guns.

The smaller bird staggered, wings flapping in an attempted escape, but Alexa and the others had finished off the first predator and were there to back the preacher up as he reloaded. The vulture took hit after hit, blood spraying the plaza.

A minute later, there was only silence again.

"Injuries?"

There were none, and Alexa nodded, pleased.
"Very good."

As she moved toward the well, the smallest vulture chose that moment to strike, using its dying force to lash out at her.

Crack!

From only feet away, Jacob blew half of the bird's head off before it clamped down on her leg. Blood and gore splattered those closest, and the vulture thumped to the ground.

2

"Jacob, Mark
get
the child. Billy, David, sniper watch."

There was no discussion of the short battle, only duty calling.

Alexa tensed when her men disappeared into the well, but didn't follow or call them back. This is why they were with her. Alone, she had no hopes to help others. With these males, that didn't have to be, and this child would be the first of many.

It was impossible to guess how long the vultures had been coming to this village for food, but the stones on the well were nearly broken through, and it eased her hurting heart to know that their reign of terror was over.

"Coming up."

Alexa kept her eyes on their surroundings, fighting the urge to yank them topside herself. Control was the key, and she governed her face into the impassive mask her father had always worn. She would train them as he had trained her, and in a year's time, there would be little they couldn't handle together.

"It sleeps as though it hasn't in a while."

The preacher gently handed the bundle to Alexa, who immediately uncovered its head.

Swaddled in a black blanket with not even a spot of dust on it, the baby was breathtaking in contrast. Ivory skin with stunning yellow ringlets, its beauty was remarkable, but even more so was its condition.

Healthy, pristine even, and Mark opened his hand to give a theory on why. "These were all around its basket." They were bones.

"Impossible!"

Daniel spat, as if offended by the very idea, but Mark was shaking his head. "Not if he's something more."

The biker frowned, "And by more, you mean?"

The convict's words were tolerant.
"More than human."

Daniel's eyes looked to Alexa as understanding came. Perhaps the child was like their strange, hard leader.

Proving the idea, the baby stirred, yawning, and sunlight glimmered off of moist, white fangs.

Each of the males took a startled step back, but Alexa only curled the child more securely into her grip and turned for the nearest doorway.

"Guard stays the same. Jacob, set us up. We'll leave when it's dark enough to signal for the bridge."

The baby didn't wake at all, and the men noticed how careful their leader was not to let the bright sun burn down onto his skin. They also saw she had the look and feel of a mother now that there was a child to be cared for, but none of them asked if she was. Too many of them had lost people in the War to bring up so painful a subject.

Faced with half a day's wait, the group found useful things to do, such as preparing the fresh supplies they'd gathered. There was sewing, smoking, drying, and through it all, they watched Alexa with the baby, hiding their thoughts from each other as well as from her.

That kind of happy family life had vanished when the first nuclear bomb slammed into their homeland. Not to mention, that was no ordinary woman and child, but a... Thoughts trailed off there. Alexa's origins were as foreign to them as the baby's.

Alexa studied the infant intently, thinking the pall of horror had not lifted with its rescue, and she wondered again, what to do next. They could not bring a child on this quest, and yet, leave him to fend for himself, she would not.

A hand moved carefully around her, holding out a small vial with a thick, reddish liquid. "He'll be hungry when night falls."

Alexa sat the bottle near the basket and waved Mark into the chair. "Tell me."

"Only what I've read and never really believed in," the criminal warned.

She nodded as if to say that was accepted.

"Vampyre."

Alexa scowled, and he drew back, ready for her censure.

"Figures."

The convict was shocked, and the woman shrugged. "They are a type of walking dead, are they not? Our country is plagued with such now. The War cracked the gates, and the night has begun to slip through. I'm only surprised we haven't seen more of it."

Her words were a painful, terrifying trigger back to the War, to where they'd been, and only Alexa's eyes remained focused on the future. They had an infant they now suspected was
more than human
. The woman used Mark's description with a curl of her lips.
More than, indeed.
Should they turn him loose, or endanger themselves trying to take him where he belonged? Like the Trolls, the new world's vampires also traveled these roads. How to even begin such a fool's...Her eyes narrowed.
Like the Trolls
.
"Jendon."

All but the new men understood.

"Perfect. He'll know where."

She settled back contentedly at Edward's comment. "Yes. As defenders of the undead called back to service, they will be guarding a hive of their own. Jendon can take the child there."

3

Outside, their clear day faded into a chilly dusk with grim skies and a bite to the wind. It was time to go.

The stinking carcasses were untouched by predators when the fighters slipped through the darkening archway, each of them refreshed from a short sleep.

"Burn it."

Jacob and Mark lit a torch and made a lap of the village, setting fire to the dark and decaying trees on the perimeter. Daniel and Edward ran alongside as guards.

Next to
her, David was studying the wind deeply. She knew a little more of him now. He liked to cross his arms over his chest, even when he slept, and in one of his pockets, was a small photo album where he was already keeping scraps of their travels. From Laramie, he was taking the small bones found with the baby.

Alexa met his eye over the flickering fire. “How are things?”

The blacksmith didn’t hesitate.
“Under watch.”

Alexa nodded, voice resigned. “I thought maybe we’d picked up more rats, but I’d hoped to be wrong.”

David gave a brutal smile. “We’ll handle it.”

Alexa had no desire to stay and watch the brittle trees blaze. She shifted the pack more firmly onto her shoulders, the sleeping infant inside.
"Aye.
Let's go."

 
The flickering shadows of the swampy jungle faded, leaving only the distant glare of the fire, and the night began to settle in around them. As if on cue, the child's eyes opened.

"The bottle now."

Mark quickly placed the sealed vial in the baby's tiny, outstretched hand, and those closest watched in fascination as the child agilely twisted the cap and began to drink.

 
A minute later, the glass fell to the forest floor, and the baby let out a loud belch, followed by a giggle. Alexa got them moving again as the child played contentedly with her braids.

The other normal needs of a baby never presented themselves, and the group reached a small clearing a short time later. In the distance, clicks and clacks could be heard. Carried on the sharper wind, it was a sound all of them were glad to hear.

Laramie's outskirts hadn't been extremely dangerous, but it was certainly stranger than most of the places they'd come through so far, and the males were glad, for once, that Alexa didn't seem to want to explore. Not
all of the
city was under water, and the tallest peaks in the shadowy distance were actually vine-and debris-covered buildings.