He suddenly screamed and charged forward. I shot, but so did others. It dropped a few feet in front of us, riddled with bullets. I knew mine was the headshot, directly between the eyes. Finn’s shot made the gaping hole through its middle. The other two shots came from my dad and Uncle Frank.
The creatures arm twitched, and then there was another gun shot.
We turned, shocked, seeing my mother squeezing the trigger. She was trembling in fear. She dropped her gun and fell into my father’s arms.
When the street became quiet, I heard the noise Uncle Frank was talking about.
“It’s a helicopter!” my grandfather exclaimed. “I know that sound. They’ve found us!”
“A helicopter? How?” Uncle Frank questioned.
“If the government created huge underground bunkers to survive in, I’m sure they found a way to protect their precious transportation,” my grandfather replied.
“We need to get to higher ground, so they can see us,” my father urged.
There was one tall building we knew the Arvies didn’t run into. It was filled with windows, which let the sunshine in. Uncle Frank took lead, and we speedily followed him up the stairwell. The heat inside the chemical suit was almost unbearable. My heart was beating so fast I thought I was going to pass out. I paused for a brief moment to catch my breath, and suddenly felt a hand grasp my arm, pulling me upward.
“You’re not tired, are you?” Finn snickered.
“Me? Never,” I said, pulling at whatever energy I had in reserve to keep up with him.
My dad and grandfather held my grandmother’s arms, one on each side, and practically carried her up. Everyone else seemed to have a renewed strength.
…WHOOP-WHOOP-WHOOP-WHOOP…
The sound of the helicopter’s rotors slicing through the air was the most magnificent sound I’d heard since we entered the city. It was the sweet sound of our salvation.
As we made our way to the roof, we noticed the helicopter was about a mile away. We went absolutely mad. Screaming, jumping up and down, waving our hands; we used anything we could find. My Uncle Frank turned on his bright flashlight and flashed it at them, and soon they headed straight in our direction.
They found us.
Chapter 9
The helicopter hovered above us, and then a voice yelled out over a loud speaker.
“We are going to land. Protect the area.”
Uncle Frank gave them a thumbs up and rounded our group to one corner where we waited anxiously for rescue. They carefully lowered the helicopter onto the roof and we all loaded in.
A man wearing a gas mask and a military uniform greeted us. “Welcome. My name is Sergeant Powell,” the man said, extending his hand to my father. My father took his hand firmly and shook it. “This is our pilot, Captain Decker,” he said turning and addressing the pilot.
The pilot quickly waved and the Sergeant gave him a hand signal. Soon, the helicopter lifted off the roof into the sky.
“Thank you, Sergeant,” my father acknowledged. “My name is Dr. Stephen Park, and these are the members of our hive.”
“Nice to have you aboard, Dr. Park. You are our first rescue. Have you seen, or do you know of, any other survivors around here?”
“I don’t know, sir. We’ve just returned topside a day ago. But in that short time, we’ve managed to get ourselves lost and attacked.”
The Sergeant laughed. “Well, I’m glad we came when we did. This was our first order of search and rescue since they gave the all-clear. Our safe zone has a total of five working birds. It’s not much, given the amount of land we have to cover, but they do have mechanics working on getting a few more air bound.”
“Well again, we cannot thank you enough. You and your pilot saved us all, and we owe you greatly,” my father said.
“I’m just following orders, Dr. Park. You owe us nothing,” he replied.
We began to rise higher and higher into the sky. This was the first time I’d ever been in a helicopter. My stomach tickled, and I gripped tightly onto Finn’s arm. In return, he placed his hand over mine and squeezed.
“We made it,” he whispered.
“Yes, we did,” I smiled.
Each of us sat in a silent awe, looking out the opened door as we took flight over the city. It was massive and we quickly realized it would have taken much more than a day of traveling before we would have made it out of the city limits. And making it out alive wasn’t a guarantee.
We kept our eyes peeled for more survivors, but all we saw was the devastation left by the apocalypse and thirteen years of neglect.
“Are we going to the safe zone in Montana?” I asked.
“Yes. You will all find food and shelter there, and it’s really a nice place. They do have strict rules and regulations, but that’s just to keep order.”
“Our scientists have already begun to regrow grass and trees. It’s a glimpse of what our future could look like. I never thought I’d see such beauty again in my lifetime, and it is literally a Garden of Eden in the middle of the desert. It’s breathtaking.”
“Sergeant, my husband and I specialize in plant biology. Do you think they would be able to use our expertise?” Mei asked.
“I’m sure they would, ma’am. They are in great need of people who specialize in certain practices,” Sergeant Powell said.
“We have a few specialized people here,” my father noted. “The Banks are physicians, and have taken great care of us. My father is an electronics engineer, and I worked for the government’s Heliophysics department. Anya Armstrong is a wonderful teacher, and my mother is the best cook in California.” We all agreed and my grandmother blushed.
“I don’t doubt that. There’s always room for a good cook,” the Sergeant chuckled, tipping his head at my grandma.
“I’ll make sure to personally see the director when we get back. Hopefully we will be able to leave the safe zones soon. The scientists have said that by next year we should be able to have enough grass seed to spread over miles of land. But before we can do anything, we will need to eradicate the Arvies.”
“Can’t we just nuke ‘em?” Uncle Frank questioned.
“No. We’ve done enough harm to our planet. All nuclear weapons were disabled and destroyed before the fallout. It was all part of the new peace treaty we have with the remaining government safe zones throughout the world. There will be no more use of nuclear technology.”
“Well, that’s good to know,” my grandfather added. “Too bad they didn’t think about that before the apocalypse. We definitely wouldn’t be in this situation if they did.”
The Sergeant nodded in agreement.
“How much longer before we reach the safe zone?” my mother asked.
“We have to refuel at the next fueling station, which is approximately a half-hour away. Once we do, it will be another two hours.”
“When do you think it will be safe to take off our masks?” I asked.
“When we are outside of the radiation zone. It shouldn’t be long now. We’ll all have to go through decontamination before we are received into the safe zone, but that is protocol. Those who reside in our hive have nicknamed it the White City. First, because it’s so sterile and most of the walls in the facility are painted white. Second, because everyone is given white attire for daily living. They are government issued and were created en masse before the fallout. Even though they are quite comfortable, I prefer my uniform. It’s a lot more - masculine,” he chuckled. “Everything outside the safe zone has been deemed the Red City, because there has been nothing but bloodshed beyond the walls. Hopefully that will all change soon.”
“Sergeant Powell, how many survivors are living within your safe zone?” my father asked.
“There are approximately five hundred, give or take a few since we started this new war.”
“That’s quite the bunker.”
“Yes, it is. The government had been working on it for years.”
“Do you know how many tot
al safe zones there are?” my grandfather asked.
“There are a total of fifteen government bunkers worldwide, and the US houses two of those. The one in Montana, where we are stationed, and the other in South Dakota. That hive is even bigger. They took two thousand into their facility. That’s not a lot, when you consider the sheer number of the Arvies living topside, but each survivor was hand chosen to help with the rebuild. Everyone is just waiting until we can figure out a remedy to exterminate these creatures.”
“We experienced about a dozen of them in the city,” Finn said.
“Well son, you haven’t experienced anything yet. The safe zones are swarming with thousands of Arvies, right outside their walls.”
I heard several gasps. My brain couldn’t grasp what a thousand Arvies looked like. I was still shaking inside from the few we faced.
“We’re coming up to the fuel station,” Sergeant Powell announced. “I’ll need anyone who can shoot a gun to come up front. We had a major conflict during our last refuel, and lost two of our members. I will not lose any more.” The Sergeant stared blankly out of the helicopter.
“Do we have to go back to that same refueling station?” my grandmother asked.
“It’s the only operational station nearby and it has a hand pump. We have to refuel or we won’t make it to the safe zone.”
I glanced at the machine gun bolted to the floor of the chopper. It looked like it had been fired, because half the rounds were missing. As I looked closer at the floor near the exit door, I noticed smears of crimson.
“What happened?” I pointed to the crimson smeared on the floor.
“We lost our gunner on the last fuel stop,” he said desolately.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
He shook his head, looking resolved. “It won’t happen again. I just need someone to take over the gun, and cover me while I run the pump. I’ll also need one more volunteer to help hold the nozzle in place.”
“I’ll take the gunner position,” Uncle Frank offered. “I’ve fired a machine gun numerous times.”
“Thank you,” the Sergeant gratefully accepted, nodding to Uncle Frank.
“I’ll help hold the nozzle,” Finn blurted.
“Finn,” his mother pleaded. She gripped his arm tightly, as tears filled her big eyes. “You can’t leave.”
“Don’t worry, mom. I’ll be fine. Frank won’t let anything happen to me,” he smiled, laying his hand over hers. I felt my heart fill with warmth as I watched him reassure her.
“How long does it take to refuel?” I asked.
“About fifteen minutes,” he replied.
I exhaled. Fifteen minutes wasn’t much time, but when you’re fighting for your life, fifteen minutes could feel like an eternity.
“What’s your name, son?” The Sergeant extended his hand.
“Finn, sir,” he replied, shaking his hand.
“Finn, I’ll turn on the pump, but I need you to retrieve the hose and hold it in place until we’re full.”
“Yes, sir,” Finn nodded.
“I’ll need the rest of you, who have weapons, to cover and shoot anything that comes. I will not lose another man, or woman, on this stop. Just a word of advice, a shot between the eyes will kill them quick.”
“Yep,” I sighed to myself a little too loudly. The Sergeant turned to me.
“Can you shoot a gun?” He asked.
“She’s the best shot in our hive,” Finn proudly stated. My face flushed with heat.
“It’s true. She’s a natural. It runs in the family,” Uncle Frank chimed.
“She’s not allowed to leave the helicopter,” my mom butted in, using her motherly tone. I knew it was only a matter of time before she said something. She hated guns, ever since her brother was shot and killed in the line of duty.
I was the opposite. I loved guns, but I knew never to talk about them around her.
“Don’t worry, ma’am. She won’t leave the chopper,” Sergeant Powell said. “She can shoot from inside.”
My mother sighed, but nodded.
“Okay. We’re almost there. You all ready?” The Sergeant asked.
“Yes,” we said in unison. I released Hellfire from her holster, and held her tight in my grasp. My fingers curved around her, caressing her grip, fitting perfectly. We were meant to be together, and having her in my hand made me feel stronger.
I made sure the extra magazines of ammunition were easily accessible.
This was it. This was what all those years of training were for, and this time I’d be covering Finn. His life was literally in my hands.
We were a few minutes away, but what we saw below us was heart crushing. For the first time, we witnessed hundreds of Arvies, and they were running in the same direction we were headed.
“Shit.” Sergeant Powell cursed loudly.
“Sergeant?” My father questioned.
“Those damn bastards have taken over the fueling station. It looks like they have reinforcements. How in the hell?” The Sergeant looked completely baffled.
“What do we do?” my grandmother cried.
We hovered over the fuel area which was crawling with pale bodies. There was no place to land. Even if we shot every bullet we had, we would still be outnumbered. They were approaching from every direction. They knew we were coming. They were clearly waiting for us.
Above their heads, they held the disassembled fuel line. They were taunting us, tearing it to pieces. These things were not brainless. They planned to be here, and even called hundreds more. The sounds coming from them were indescribable. It was terrifyingly loud and hair raising.
“Radioactive bastards!” Sergeant Powell yelled, taking hold of the machine gun. He began firing directly into the middle of the mass of bodies. Loud shrieks shot through the air as a few dozen dropped, but it didn’t even make a dent. There were hundreds, and hundreds more were flooding the area.
“Sergeant?” The pilot asked. “Sergeant!” He yelled, snapping the Sergeant from his slaughter spree.
“We can’t land here. We’ll have to move on, and make it as far as we can. I’ll call headquarters and let them know what happened. They won’t be able to use this fueling station again. I’ll see if they can reroute us. If not, we’ll have to figure out a safe place to set this bird down. It’s just a matter of where. Let’s just pray that those walking corpses aren’t smart enough or fast enough to follow us.”
“Sergeant, is there anything we can do?” Uncle Frank asked.
His answer was simple. “Pray.”
The chopper lifted higher and moved away from the horrifying sight. My stomach wrenched. It was obvious we wouldn’t be going to the safe zone because we didn’t have enough fuel to get there.
Finn grabbed hold of my hand, and as he did, I felt the tension within me settle. I exhaled and looked into his dark chocolate eyes. He knew me much too well, and could tell what I was feeling with a simple look. He smiled at me, and without saying a word his eyes spoke loudly.
Don’t worry. We’ll make it.
It worked, calming my nerves. He was the only one, besides my father, who could do that. Finn was a “glass is half-full kind of guy. I was more realistic, or a “the-liquid-in-the-glass-is-at-the-halfway-mark” type of girl. Either drink it, or fill it up.
I quickly glanced back to the rest of the group behind and noticed a tear trailing down the side of my mother’s cheek. My heart broke for her. This world was not set up for her gentle demeanor.
Sergeant Powell moved to the front of the chopper, put a headset on, and tried to make contact with the safe zone. When he connected, he relayed the situation about the fuel station, and also that we would have to land if we didn’t find fuel. By his facial expressions, I guessed they didn’t have an alternate fuel source.
The Sergeant took down some notes on a pad - probably coordinates - and gave them to the pilot, who in turn, nodded.
The Sergeant turned back to us. “We will be landing in an area that should be safe f
rom Arvies, however there are no guarantees. They will be sending a rescue chopper tomorrow with fuel, so we will have to stay with the chopper overnight until they can get to us.”
“How much longer before we run out of fuel?” my father asked.
“I’d say another forty minutes. We are heading into the mountains, so I hope you’ve packed some warm stuff.”
“We are prepared,” my father said. We had planned for any type of weather.
Fatigue from lack of sleep and stress caught up to me, and I was glad I was sitting next to Finn’s warm body. The constant whooping of the chopper blades didn’t help, and made me even sleepier. I yawned and felt Finn’s arm reach around my back, pulling me closer to him. I rested my head on his broad shoulder. The hand draped over me began to rub my arm in small, comforting circles.
I closed my eyes. His other hand found mine, lacing our fingers together. He was my security, and I knew I could drop my guard and be safe with him next to me.
As I drifted off, I swore I heard him whisper, “Sleep, my Abi.”
I smiled to myself as sleep overtook me.
Chapter 10
“Abi.” Finn whispered. “Abi,” he said again, nudging me gently. My eyes peeled open and were met with his gleaming brown eyes smiling down at me. “Time to get up sleepyhead. We’ve landed.”
It seemed like I’d just closed my eyes, but apparently forty minutes passed by.
Finn and I exited the chopper and joined the rest of the group. As I looked out over the expanse, my gaze passed my mom. She was looking in our direction, and had a slight smile on her face. What’s that about?
We were high on a small patch of earth. Mountains surrounded us, and the area we landed in looked like a crater, which might have once held water. Now, it was dead and dry, and the landscape was bare; no trees or greenery as far as the eye could see.
Our earth was dead because of us. Humanity. We were the parasites, the virus that invaded and spread, creating harmful and toxic effects which led to its destruction. We needed to find a way to heal it, but that could take a lifetime or longer.