Season Of Decay (The Decaying World Saga Book 2) (27 page)

“Go.”

Rowan’s shout was followed by a push. The undead boy scampered forward through an open doorway. Kuru stepped in behind them and the light from the lantern revealed a squat area, near collapse. The ground was covered with stacks of crates and the other exit stood closed by a door Rowan knew didn’t have the power to open.

“Hurry now,” Kuru said, stepping around the metal crates. “We have to move them.”

Rowan forced the undead boy into the corner then rushed around to join Kuru. The last of the dead entered through the doorway as the crates shifted then slid across the floor. The roar of the infected poured into the room in an explosion of sound as the first row of crates skidded in place against the doorway. Rowan raced to another stack and slammed his shoulder into it. Kuru’s added strength started the slide and the second stack pressed up against the initial barricade a heartbeat before a burst of force struck the crates from out in the hall.

The initial impact nearly sent the barricade toppling over. Rowan leaned in against the crates to keep them in place. Kuru was close, adding his meager weight to the barriers. Hands reached in over the tops of the barrier swiping at Rowan. He looked around the cramped room and recognized it for what it was: his last stand.

“They won’t eat me.”

Kuru’s odd announcement pulled Rowan’s attention away from the disheveled space.

“I could infect you,” Kuru said as calmly as if he were suggesting they take a nap. “This is nothing more than your blood mixed with his,” he said motioning toward the undead boy standing motionless in the corner. “If you remember,” he added.

Rowan was speechless. His conscience gnawed at him; partly because he knew Kuru was telling the truth, but also because he knew he might soon lose his opportunity to save the world from the dreadful creature.

“I can save you,” Kuru said.

The sound of his delusional proposal shook Rowan down to his bones.

“That’s not salvation.”

Kuru leaned in dangerously close as several hands reached in for them, some slipping their fingers through the end of Rowan’s hair. Kuru’s lips parted and the words crept from his mouth.

“We could rule the dead together, forever.”

27

Mia tried to account for the countless tasks running through her mind. There was so much to do that the sheer size of it nearly crushed her. Bree and Bale had an assortment of updates, few of them good. A number of the tribespeople had already made a run for it, trying to get out of the compound before the Northern Continental Alliance could cut off the escape routes.

The mass exodus was easy to predict, but the number of people abandoning the tribe was disheartening, even under the difficult situation. Mia’s hope of forming a new tribe from all the combined people of Canaan appeared to have been more of a mirage than an accomplishment. She would have to force herself to stay committed to the idea until sunrise. Time was running out and everyone knew it. If the man who spoke for the Northern Continental Alliance was telling the truth, he was expecting Mia to return to their meeting point at sunrise with the nexus in tow.

Mia found herself peering over her shoulder time and again, no matter what she was doing. Her heart begged for a glimpse of Rowan. She wasn’t sure she had the courage to face her enemy again on her own. Mia didn’t want to even consider having to witness Jonah’s execution.

Her current focus was on what was left of the food supply. The commission had developed a process for freeze-drying foodstuffs for long-term storage. That process, as well as their underground farming levels, was lost after the detonation of the compound’s defense system. Information from former members of the commission’s loyal security teams identified an entire level of multiple crops in the lower portions of hive four. Several teams made unsuccessful attempts to dig out access to the lower levels. The half-dozen crates laid out on the floor of the cramped storage space accounted for all that remained of the entire compound’s food supply.

“This is what Rowan meant.”

Bree’s statement pulled Mia from her calculations.

“Meant about what?” she asked.

“He always said how important it would be for us to know how to hunt,” she explained. “He knew we were going to run out of supplies.”

Mia nodded. In truth, the entire tribal council knew. The issue was one of the problems they could never come to a consensus.

“This is it,” she said, tossing the last of the packets in the closest container. “Let’s put a lid on these and get them ready to move. We’re going to need to keep a close eye on this once we reach the gardens.”

Bale picked the lid up off the floor and slid it in place.

“There’s not much time left.”

He’d given her the reminder several times. Mia knew if she hoped to reach Asher and make it back in time to meet the northern alliance’s speaker, she’d have to go soon.

“The first of the groups are gathered in the main hall,” Bree said. “Marcus assigned leaders to every group.”

Bale finished what he was doing then took a seat on top of the container. He folded his arms in front of his chest and waited.

“What do you want us to do now?”

Mia understood the question. She also knew what he really meant.
How are you going to stall now?
She gave in.

“There’s nothing left,” she admitted. “Let’s go.”

The long trek to hive five was an eye-opening experience. The residents of the hive had left most of their belongings in place. As best as Mia could tell, there would be six massive groupings of people, each with a single scout team to guide them east away from Canaan, and then follow the highway into Cheyenne. She doubted the last of the groups would make it out in time to get past the Northern Continental Alliance’s blockade, but there was little she could do about it now.

“This place feels abandoned.”

Bale’s whispered tone highlighted the creepiness of the deserted hive. Mia stopped short of the entrance to the stairwell. They would have to go down several flights to reach the entrance to the generator rooms. Bree took to the stairs first, apparently determined to get Mia to her destination as quickly as possible.

They climbed down six flights of stairs before reaching the door on the final platform. Mia used her security access key to unlock the door and the trio stood in the center of a wide hall running directly into the heart of the hive. Large sections of the ceiling lay cluttered along the walkway, hinting at the significance of damage the level took during the security system’s detonation. They had to climb over the chunks of cement after the first few steps. The degree of difficulty slowed them to a crawl, so much so that by the time they reached the opening at the end of the hall, Mia had real concerns about reaching the surface of the compound by sunrise.

The concern for time was temporarily interrupted by the initial view of the generator room. The name was a poor representation for the space. An enormous dome rose up high above the entrance. Wide columns filled the space, each lined with a variety of cords and wires running up and down the length of it.

Sudden movement startled Mia. Her hand went to her sword as she focused on the closest source. Someone stood hunched over a panel at the base of one of the columns, staring at a small screen. It took Mia a moment to realize the light from the screen indicated that it was on. The recognition pulled her upright.

“Is the power on?”

Her abrupt words broke through the silence, echoing across the chamber. The man’s head snapped around, bringing a pair of terrified eyes on the new arrivals. His face scrunched up as he slid a pair of goggles up to his forehead. He was an older man, one Mia didn’t recognize. He muttered something between clenched teeth before replying to the interruption.

“Don’t do that.”

“Sorry,” Mia said, walking toward him. “But the screen, the light, it’s on.”

The old man looked down at the apparatus confused then back to her.

“It’s got its own power source,” he said. “Doesn’t mean a thing about the generators.” The explanation sucked the excitement out of the moment. “What are you doing down here?”

The question quickly pulled Mia back to her task.

“We’re abandoning the compound,” she said. “You need to get your things together and get up to hive one as soon as possible.”

He looked back and forth between the terminal screen and the trio.

“We can’t just stop,” he said.

“The horde is coming,” Bree said.

The mention was enough to yank him from his internal debate. He peered at the center of the chamber.

“There’s a lot of people down here,” he said.

Mia acknowledged his concerns.

“We’ll warn them,” she said. “You’ve done everything you can do.” He swiped his hand across his dirty face making it worse. “The tribe will need you in the days ahead.”

He hesitantly nodded.

“I’ll close down.”

“Where’s Asher?” she asked.

It took him a moment to recall the name.

“He’d be at the main generator,” he motioned over his shoulder. “Dead center.”

Mia patted him on the shoulder before they moved on. It took a few strides for the swarming workers surrounding the other generator columns to come into view. Mia continued forward drawing a number of stern glares for her interruption. She repeated the warning of the tribes pending exodus. Several of the engineers brushed off the idea as if insulted by the thought of abandoning their work.

The main generator was something far beyond its surrounding counterparts. The massive construction stood three times the width of the other generators with more rising cables than Mia cared to count. A group of figures stood at the base and Asher was among them. He looked up at Mia with an expression that read he’d expected to see her sooner or later.

“I know why you’re here,” he said before she could get anything out.

The coarse remark didn’t sit well with her although she tried to hide it.

“There’s more than you know,” she said once she reached him. The other workers spread out around the base of the generator, most of them doing their best to look like they weren’t listening in. “We have until sunrise,” Asher started to speak, but she talked over him, “not just to meet the northern alliance’s demands. The horde already reached Cheyenne. We were nearly killed.”

Asher’s stone expression fell away. Mia got a glimpse at the concern hiding beneath and was grateful for it.

“I was worried about you,” he admitted.

She smiled. “You have to come back with us,” she spoke louder as she continued. “All of you. We’re trying to get everyone out before we lose our chance. Marcus and the scouts can guide us east, around the horde.”

“What did you find at the gardens?” Asher asked.

“It will work,” she said half-heartedly. “It has too.” Something sparked her memory. “We found evidence of machines there. Marcus believes they had a way to grow crops.”

Asher didn’t look impressed.

“I still believe our greatest hope is right here.”

His stubbornness aggravated her, but she’d expected it.

“You’ll all die down here,” she insisted.

He shrugged.

“Just as much as you’re all going to die out there on the run.”

The response left Mia speechless.

“We’re close,” he continued. “I can feel it.”

Mia had half a mind to turn around and storm out of there. A gentle tug from Bree confirmed her inner struggle. She was going to have to leave him to fend for himself. She stared at Asher, locked in a silent tug of war. Mia recognized that some part of him knew he’d lost her to Rowan although neither of them said it aloud. She couldn’t imagine he’d be willing to sign his life away over it.

“I have to go,” she said.

Asher didn’t waver.

“I have work to do.”

Bree tugged again, this time hard enough to move her.

“Pass on the word,” Bale said from behind the girls. “Anyone who wants to travel with the groups to Cheyenne needs to go now.”

The announcement brought with it a significant response. A number of the workers moved, most of them looking around to see who else was going to abandon their task. Once the first small group decided to go, a wave of others followed. The number of men and women who decided to stay surprised Mia. There was certain death at stake and they were apparently willing to accept it. 

Her eyes were still on Asher. She didn’t give up until he turned away from her. The sight caused her heart to thump in her chest. The sudden fear held Mia motionless. She knew if she took her eyes off him, she’d never see him again. Most of all, she was surprised by the rush of emotion coursing through her veins. She believed the decision over who controlled her heart was a closed matter; the flow of hesitation said otherwise.

Bree pulled harder and forced Mia to take a step. She could feel Asher’s wavering dedication. She wanted to yell at him. She wanted to tell him he had to come with her, but she didn’t. There was too much at stake and there was no time to waste. It took one final pull to get her to turn around.

Bale was in front, leading Mia and Bree. Mia’s mind was a wreck. She couldn’t come to terms with her emotions and wanted to chastise herself for worrying over a trivial matter at such a difficult time. Understanding herself was a constant fight and being held up in such high regard by the tribal council had intensified her self-doubt.

A row of people stood at the opening to the exit passageway. They were forced to take turns getting through the heavy debris laden path. Fear worked its way over the growing crowd as they pushed at one another. The display reminded Mia of the chaos that lay ahead of the Canaan tribe. It also highlighted the fact that she would be lucky to reach the surface in time to make it to the northern alliance’s deadline.

“We can’t wait for this,” Bale said. “Follow me.”

The brawny adolescent pushed his way through the growing assembly before Mia could stop him. It wasn’t long before the cordial procedure took a turn for the worse. Mia and Bree rushed in after him moments before the first punch was thrown. Bale took a shot to the chin without flinching; his return fire had a far different result. The opponent locked up the moment Bale’s fist connected with his face. Mia grabbed her protector to stop him from continuing the brawl but the consequences were already in full swing.

The scuffle was highlighted by the erratic shifting glow from an assortment of personnel lights and lanterns. The illuminating effect lit up the entire event like a violent dance routine. Bale’s frustration had obviously gotten the best of him. He resisted Mia’s attempt to pull him back out into the open. Bale gave in as a renewed violent upswing overtook the crowd. The initial back and forth turned into an all-out war for who could get into the passageway first.

“Calm down.”

The exploding demand rushed over the crowd and produced a sudden standstill. All eyes peered back at Bree’s determined face. Mia’s shock wore off first. She released her hold of Bale and quickly addressed the cluster.

“None of us are going to survive if we kill one another trying to get out of here.” She took the silence as a sign to continue. “This doesn’t change anything,” she said. “We have to continue to work together for survival. If we can’t do that, then we’re no different from those mindless creatures heading toward us.”