Dead World (Book 2): Headed North (3 page)

5

Colorado/Wyoming Border

Daniel sighs as they pass the state border into Wyoming. They camped overnight a few miles south and ate the cereal and dry milk for breakfast. He is hungry and his back aches from sleeping on the hard ground.

Isaiah consults a map they found at a gas station yesterday. “Looks like there’s a ranch resort just a few miles up the road. Maybe we could stop and see if we can scavenge any food,” he offers.

“We are going to need to figure out what to do with Cheyenne too,” Valentine says, “If it was as bad there as everywhere else then it might be hard to make it through.”

“Well we could skirt the outside for the most part. 25 runs along the west side of the city so maybe we won’t have to deal with much.” Isaiah says tracing his finger across the map.

Chloe draws with the crayons on some newspaper they found, humming to herself. Daniel wishes there was more he could do for the girl. It’s like she has closed in on herself. She rarely ever talks, let alone complains.

“I think we will start with the ranch and see what we can find. I agree though, we will try to stay on the edge of the city,” Daniel says, “Maybe we could find a sporting store or something.”

“It’s going to get cold soon,” Sasha says, “We are going to need warmer clothes. These won’t do for long. Especially up north. It’s already dropping close to freezing most nights.”

The cold is becoming a problem. These past few nights they had to sleep close to contain their body heat.

“She is right,” Valentine says.

“Then it’s decided,” Daniel finishes, “We will find some more gasoline and food and hopefully something warmer to wear.”

They drive in silence for a few more minutes before Daniel sees the sign for Terry Bison Ranch Resort. He slows the car down. Gravel crunching under the tires as he pulls them off onto the exit. It is a dusty dirt road that leads up to a large metal gate.

The gates hang open and Daniel coasts past them. Everyone has their eyes on the ranch trying to spot anyone or anything moving.

The parking lot is empty except for a few cars. The place feels abandoned. “Looks pretty empty,” Daniel says, “Let’s go in and check it out.” He parks the car and waits for a few moments, just to see if there are any dead nearby. Nothing moves for a long moment so Daniel hops down out of the car.

“I’ll go with him.” Isaiah says.

The ranch is situated in an open plain. Tall, umber grass sways in the wind. The smell of campfires lingers in the air, the first sign that there might be life here.

They walk up the path towards the central house. It is a squat building with a low roof, recreated to give the farm experience. There is a long porch extending out from the front door that wraps around the side of the house.

Daniel takes the steps leading up the door and gives it a nock. Nothing happens for a few moments and so he tries the handle

“Locked,” he says flatly

“Let’s try around back?”  Isaiah says. He adjusts the pistol stuffed into his pants and nods.

“Yeah let’s see if there’s anything around back. If not we can break some of these windows,” Isaiah offers, “You know if it’s safe we might even be able to stay in a place like this.”

“I don’t know. I think we need to head for the safe zone,” Daniel replies.

“We don’t even know if there is an actual safe zone, Daniel.” Isaiah says. “I think we need to all talk about it. This might be the best thing for us.”

“Why don’t we talk about it when we are done here?” Daniel says, trying to delay the conversation. The idea is appealing, maybe they could hole up here. Learn to live off the land. Stay away from people all together. But how long could they keep that up, he wonders. “We will figure something out.”

“Ok. I just don’t want us taking risks we don’t need to,” Isaiah says.

They walk around the long porch. There are rocking chairs of weathered wood and a small coffee table. The curtains are drawn shut, a red and white checker pattern. It is the image of some type of little house on the prairie thinks Daniel as the walk around towards the back yard.

Behind the building a large barn shakes in the wind, the doors rattling ominously. There is an old tractor with grass growing around the wheels. Daniel notices that for being a ranch there seems to be very few animals.

Isaiah walks up to the back door and gives it a gentle knock, then tries the handle. This time it turns and the door swings inward.

They step into a hallway that leads into a large room. There are pictures of old west scenery hanging on the walls and the place smells of old hay. The wooden floor is solid, if a little scuffed. Isaiah leads them through the hallway into the large room. Couches are arranged around a huge fireplace and there is a reception desk situated near the front door.

“Let’s look for some food,” Daniel says.

“Yeah, we could even take some of these.” There is a small merchandise wall, a single shelf with t-shirts and sweaters all logoed Terry Bison Ranch Resort. “It’s ugly as hell but better than nothing.” He smiles at Daniel.

Isaiah reaches out to grab one when the sound of a shotgun pump action being worked stops him dead.

“Hands up buddy,” says a harsh voice behind them. Daniel and Isaiah raise their hands. “Now turn around real slow.”

They turn, Daniel’s heart racing. “Listen we are not here for trouble.” He tries to say.

“Don’t talk. I will do the talking,” says the voice again. They complete the turn and see a middle aged man. He is wearing dark jeans and cowboy boots. A thick flannel shirt rolled up so that his hairy forearms show through. His beard is thin and scraggly. And his eyes are sunk deep in the sockets. His skin is as weathered as the furniture outside, dark and lined from years in the sun and wind.

“What are you doing here?” the stranger asks, nudging the shotgun at them.

“We were looking for food. We don’t want any trouble,” Isaiah says.

“Well I think you had best move along,” says the man.

“Wait, what’s your name?” Daniel asks.

“Come on Daniel, let’s just do what he says,” Isaiah urges.

“No, maybe he can help us.”

“Doesn’t look much like he wants to help us,” Isaiah says.

“Who’s out here with you?” Daniel asks, ignoring Isaiah. “Are you all alone?”

“Didn’t I say you should probably be moving along? You’re lucky I don’t try to cause some real problems for you,” he says again his voice is breathy and harsh, like the wind in this part of the country.

“I don’t think you want to shoot us,” Daniel says, holding his hands forward in submission. “Let’s just talk about this. Maybe we can help each other.”

“What do you have to help us?” The man asks.

“Information. I can tell you what’s going on out there,” Daniel says, “We came up here from Denver. We’ve seen a lot of stuff on the way and we don’t want trouble. We just need food.”

“We don’t have food for you,” says the man.

“Look can you just put the gun down and we can talk?” Daniel says.

“Why don’t you sit down,” The gunman motions them towards the leather couch. A large bear rug sits between the fireplace and a small coffee table with Western Horseman Magazines sprawled over it. They sit down and keep their hands up in the air.

“We are not bad people,” Isaiah says, trying to add support.

“Name’s Abner,” he finally lowers the gun and sits across from them. “Had some bad people come by, looking to start trouble. Why should I believe you?”

“I guess you just have to take a chance,” Daniel says.

Abner scratches his beard, the shotgun resting across his knees. Then he laughs, it is a rough sound from a man accustomed to a rough life, but there is an hones joy in it. “Guess you’re right there,” he says, “So what’s going on out there?”

“It’s very bad,” Daniel says, “Most of what you probably heard on the news is true. The dead are coming back, I know that sounds crazy, but we saw it. We almost didn’t make it. It’s like some sort of infection.”

“So you’re telling me we got zombies now?” Abner says questioningly.

“Yes that’s exactly what it is,” Isaiah says, “It’s crazy, we know, but it is happening.”

Daniel recounts their story briefly. He tells Abner about the first day, how everything happened so suddenly. How they waited for help that never came and then their mad dash to get out of the city. “So we are heading north. We heard on the radio, before they died, that there might be a safe zone up there. We need to try it out at least,” Daniel says, “How many of you are there here?”

“Just my family, and the ranch hands who were here to help,” Abner says.

“And none of you were infected?” Daniel asks. He assumes they must not have been, or maybe Abner would have dealt with it.

“No, nothing happened to us out here,” Abner says shaking his head. But his haunter eyes give away the truth. Abner probably had to put one of them down, probably without knowing anything about them.

“Well then you’re lucky. Are you going to try to wait it out here?” Daniel asks.

“Our families been on this ranch for a dozen generations now. I don’t see us having anywhere else to go. Look I’m real sorry about earlier. Just that we have to be careful. People can get bad, times like they are. And I have to protect mine,” Abner says.

“I don’t hold it against you. I have my daughter and my wife with me, they are just out in the car. I know how bad it can be trying to protect your own during a time like this. I would do anything for them,” Isaiah says.

Abner’s eyes light up at the mention of Isaiah’s family and he seems to relax visibly. “Well we can’t do much in the way of helping you folks but if you’re going to be heading north we will give you what we can. We have an extra rifle and a few boxes of ammunition. You can take the sweaters too. Keep that little girl of yours warm,” Abner looks Isaiah in the eyes sternly. “We need to do what the lord asks of us, need to look out for good folks during times like these.”

“Thank you so much sir,” Daniel responds for them both.

“I won’t be holding you up, if you all can wait just a moment I’ll grab you some things and you can be on your way then,” Abner stands from the chair and walks off down the hallway.

Daniel looks at Isaiah. “Well that turned out way better than I expected,” he says.

“Yeah that could have been bad,” Isaiah sighs.

“There are still good people, even if everything else is going to hell.”

Isaiah nods and they sit in silence for a few moments. Abner walks back into the room holding a rifle and a bag. He is trailed by an older woman who must be his wife. Her greying hair is tied back. She hands over the bag. “My name is Haley, my husband here told me what ya’ll have been through. This is the best we can do. But you be sure and take care of that little girl of yours.” She smiles warmly and pats Isaiah on the arm.

“Yes ma’am, will do,” Isaiah says, returning her smile.

“Well don’t let us keep you any longer. They must be worried sick out there in the car,” she says.

They take the bag and the rifle and head towards the front door, headed north yet again. Daniel can’t help but be optimistic. There are still good people. A pang of loss wrenches his heart as he thinks of Faraday. He saved them and Daniel will be damned if he doesn’t help someone in need.

6

Hardin, Montana

Peter and Terry drive back into the city the same way they left. The sentries, gaunt from weeks of rationing and shivering in the cold, are visibly relieved to see them. One of them even cheers. “We need to have an emergency meeting,” Peter says to Terry. “Please get everyone to the school as soon as you can.”

Terry pulls the car to a stop and hops out to round everyone up.

“So did it work?” asks a young man as Peter steps out of the car.

“We can only hope,” Peter says his voice heavy. “Have there been any issues at the south wall?”

“No sir. It seems like most of them followed you away. There are a few stragglers but whatever it was that drew them out here is done now.” the young man smiles broadly at him. He is missing a front tooth so there is a gaping hole. Peter smiles back and walks away.

“Carry on,” Peter says after a few steps and the men shut the gate closing them in again.

Peter rolls his shoulders, they are tight with tension and the lack of sleep is wearing him down. His body is close to quitting and he can feel the exhaustion setting in. He knows he can’t keep going on like this but every time he closes his eyes he sees his wife again and that destroys any hope of sleep he had. That and the constant pressure of trying to keep everyone going has left him thin and wasted.

In the past few weeks he has lost all the comfort weight he carried. His body is lean and hard now. He forces the thoughts to the back of his brain and picks up his pace walking through the frigid air towards the meeting hall.

The room is lit from a few generator powered lamps. Industrial heaters struggle against the sudden onset of cold, filling the room with a quiet hum. Peter sits alone with his thoughts. People will be arriving in moments and he is trying to figure out how to tell them that the already strict rules are going to get worse. No more going near the edge of the fence unless on actual guard duty. No more loud noises. No more music. Food is getting scarce. A hundred problems only compounded by the legions of dead outside the walls.

Most importantly, nothing that will draw the attention of the dead.

It’s impossible. They can’t keep on living without there being any evidence of it. Whatever it was that drew the dead in the first place will happen again. And he knows they need a better plan to deal with it next time.

Peter hopes that maybe someone will have another solution, anything to keep them going. What happens when we run out of food, he thinks bitterly. This isn’t going to last long. And with the weather getting bad so fast it will only be a matter of time before they will be stuck for good.

Peter is caught in a corner with no good way out and a lot of lives depending on him, he feels like it is all about to come crashing down around him.

People start to trickle into the room and in a few minutes most of the township is standing around the podium. He forces a smile on his face as Terry walks over.

“Got everyone I could, sir,” he says, implacable as always. “Give em hell.” Terry smiles at him trying to encourage him. They have been through hell and back in the marines, but nothing could prepare them for this. Peter knows he must look close to breaking if Terry is trying to encourage him.

Peter clears his throat and takes the stage. “Welcome everyone,” he addresses the crowd. “I won’t waste time. Most of you will already be aware of what happened earlier. Something we are doing is alerting those things that we are here,” He takes a breath and continues. “I’m running out of ideas. We were able to draw them away for now but I have to think that they will be back eventually. And I’m not sure what we can do then. I want to know what you’re thinking. What can we do to get through this?” he asks leaving the question in the air.

The crowd looks around at each other for a while. No one wants to be the first to say anything. After a few long moments a middle aged woman stands up. She adjusts her glasses and moves some hair out of her eyes before she begins.

“Hi, my name is Sarah,” she looks around for a moment and continues. “I was a H
GH
igh School biology teacher before all of this happened. Those things seem to react to everything with the same mentality of a swarm. I watched what they were saying on the news. If that’s true and they can communicate, however rudimentarily, then there is nothing we can do to stop them from coming. But maybe we could reinforce the wall. You know, make it taller, stronger.”

“That is something to think about, Sarah. Thank you,” Peter says trying to keep the frustration from his voice. “The only issue we may have is that we will still be hard pressed for resources. Eventually we are going to need food and medicine. Things that are running out behind our walls.”

Sarah sits back down and a man stands to take her place. “Maybe we can wait them out. It is already getting so cold out there. Those things can’t survive in this weather. They will freeze just like anything else.”

“What will we do then? We will be just as likely to die from the winter,” says another man in the crowd. A few people in the crowd echo their agreement, it is a call to action and none of them know what to act on. Others look around nervously. Tension is high and Peter knows it will take the smallest thing to set them all off.

“If you ae going to say something you will stand and address us all. Any more contribution of that sort will be dealt with harshly,” he says glaring at the area that the voice came from. “Please continue,” He nods to the man talking before.

“Well if we wait till the weather has its way then maybe we can form groups to scavenge the area around here for supplies. The hospital is just south of the wall,” he says and sits back down.

“That is probably going to be our best bet.” Peter says, it is simple but effective. As long as he and the others don’t freeze to death then it might just be enough. ”We will wait it out till they freeze. The ones outside the wall weren’t gathering in enough numbers to cause us any problems. If they come back though we will reinforce the wall and try to wait it out.  It should only be weeks before anything outdoors is frozen solid,” Let’s hope we have that long he thinks grimly.

“Thank you for your time,” Terry says stepping forward. It was a brief meeting which Peter is grateful for. Terry did well in the military. The strict command structure. The way they never had to think about anything. just do exactly what the C.O. said and you would excel. Civilian ways never fit him well.

The group starts to disperse again. Peter watches them go. Now is going to be the hard part. Getting everyone organized so that they can actually accomplish the goal of staying alive these next weeks.