The Survivors

Near Roosevelt, Utah

February 16th

1

“Harrison to Eagle One. Twelve o’clock, up high.”

Adrian glanced up from the roadmap he had splayed across the steering wheel. He narrowed in on an enormous black cloud coming over the distant hill toward them. It was like a badly trained platoon, spreading an evil shadow over the land.

Adrian leaned forward, squinting. He grabbed the mike. “Shit! Convoy, halt! Put it in park and get as low as you can!” Doing 35mph, Adrian slammed both feet down, reaching for the trailer brake. Pulling the curved handle, he applied the clutch as he downshifted through half the gears and then tugged the rear controls harder.

The semi shuddered, grinding as the tires locked up. Thick white smoke rolled from the rear wheels.

Left hand straining to keep the loaded truck straight, he let go of the chicken stick, using the pedals again. The semi finally shuddered to a stop. “Neil, Kyle, get that truck of turkeys away from us!”

“Copy!”

“What is it?”

Adrian groaned as their birds clucked loudly, responding to the echoes. “Everybody stay down! Fate sent us a wild card!”

The birds flew straight for the convoy.

Adrian had enough time to wonder what species they had been as he spotted blackened wings and dead eyes, and then the flock arrived.

Birds slammed into them, shattering windows, banging off doors and hoods in awful thuds that sent blood and guts flying as the blind victims came in for a landing. They squelched against trees, ripped apart on sharp, bare juniper branches, and hit the ground in wet, sickening thuds. The gusting wind carried them in faster than the Eagles could shoot. The flock was huge.

Adrian knew the sounds of their guns wouldn’t be enough to carry through the din of the birds calling, people screaming, glass cracking, and awful, wet thuds. A fire? Stereos? Now holding his spare vest over the cracked, gory windshield, Adrian spotted Kenn coming from his truck. He knew instantly the Marine was about to work his bolt and make himself look good while doing it. About damn time!

That’s what Kenn was thinking as he climbed onto the roof of the school bus. Birds were diving in for sightless landings all around him as he blew the air horn he’d taken from his glovebox. The kids next to him had their windows down. They were being pecked and scratched. Kenn knew Adrian would be relieved only a couple had gotten through. The lower half of the glass was taking the brunt of the aerial assault. Kenn blew birds out of the sky before they could get into an open window, rotating and blasting the piercing air horn between shots.

People were amazed when the flock began to divert from their straight-at-the-ground course. Birds were sensitive to high-pitched noises, like whistles and horns. It cut through the din.

Kenn soaked up the feeling of being the hero.

The Eagles followed Kenn’s lead with both defenses. All the guards carried loud horns in case the weather knocked out their radios.

The flock circled the camp in groups, dipping and spinning. Some stayed high, but most were confused, not sure where to go. Their bodies dropped from the sky like rain as the guns took their toll. The ground was littered in carnage as the rest of the flock finally understood. They returned to the air in ragged staggers. Neat lines had also become a thing of the past for animal populations.

Now, the guns were louder than the cries of the sick birds. The rest of the flock flew by instead of trying to land. They called anxiously to each other to keep from getting lost.

A minute later, they were out of sight, but their calls echoed for a long time through the gritty February sky.

Adrian keyed his mike. “We’ll call that a day. Man on point, take over.”

“Yes, sir!” Kenn jumped from the bus, jeans and army jacket splattered in gore. He rotated, evaluating, and then gestured to Kyle. He would cover things in the order he knew Adrian would want, and enjoy it that the mobster wouldn’t be able to argue. Kenn considered Kyle a rival. Though he still had some hopes of swaying the Italian to his side, he enjoyed putting the man in his place. “Have Neil set a perimeter in that onion field. Tape it and get the camp in it. Send someone to the bus with first aid kits, then set showers and wash areas over here so we don’t contaminate our campsite. Make the wire tight and short.” Kenn peered at his wrist while Kyle scribbled it all down. “It’s almost lunch. Tell Hilda to scrub the tuna sandwiches. There’s no way anyone will eat that shit now. Also, have Doug handle the reporter. She’s taking pictures. When all that’s done, we’ll need a few new vehicles. You and your team can handle it personally.”

Kyle swallowed a nasty remark and got busy. He did have a beef with Adrian’s new suit, but now wasn’t the time to voice it.

2

Adrian groaned as he lowered his 6’1”, 230lb body to the dark bank of Duchesne Creek six hours later; mud began soaking into his dusty jeans. His head ached from the fumes of all the cars they’d stripped, the gas tanks they’d emptied. It had been a twenty-hour day for him already, but it wasn’t over. This area was ugly, full of death and devoid of normal life. Even the ants wouldn’t live here, and that frightened him. Will spending a day or two on this ground make us sick?

Adrian sighed. They had to have a break soon, but not tomorrow or the next day. He had settled for making camp under the retractable awning of an apple orchard that had been long since stripped. After satisfying himself that Kenn knew how he wanted things for tonight, Adrian had come here to steal a few minutes alone in the darkness. The tired leader tensed at a ripple from the creek. Something was alive in that reeking liquid. Adrian tried to take hope from it. They were fifteen miles from Roosevelt, Utah. Horrible things had happened there. It was bad enough to make Adrian consider backtracking despite the extra miles it would add.

This land was broken, rotting, and muddy. The roads were impassable without using tow trucks. Bridges had collapsed or washed away, and nearly every street was crammed full of vehicles–most empty of their drivers. Adrian assumed they were from people who’d fled California and Washington. They’d witnessed entire distant hills of mud collapse in the last few days. The thick, reddish ooze swallowed homes and highways, and the weather was the cause. It sleeted or rained each morning now, but the saturated ground couldn’t hold it. Barely above freezing most nights, the sleet was the color of ashes and added more weight to the muddy hills.

Adrian was almost positive they were on the edge of a ground zero here. Besides the possible dangers, the views added proof to that theory. Twisted metal, crushed cars, and building walls laid over the ground like grave markers. There were charred shoes, flattened fire hydrants and bones. Human and animal bones were scattered across the sagebrush like a jigsaw puzzle that had been shoved off a table.

Where did all this damage come from? The nearest ground zero was in California, too far to have caused this, but even Adrian’s military mind couldn’t come up with another reason. This had to be the edge of a bomb zone, one that had come after communication lines fell. I’ll add it to the map I’m keeping.

Lightning flashed in the distance. The vivid red and gold drew his eye, but Adrian’s mind stayed on his broken country. How much of his homeland was like this? Most? Would they be forced into the caves to survive? “What new life can there be if we have to live it in the rotting shell of the old one?”

Adrian tensed again, this time at the soft crunch of a boot. His hand dropped to his hip, despite being sure no one had gotten by the guards. Three full shifts of men were on the perimeter. They were protecting him too, though he wasn’t training them to do it. They were following Kenn’s lead.

“Adrian?”

“Down here.” Maybe the future won’t be as bad as I’m expecting. Safe Haven hadn’t chosen a final place to settle yet, but Adrian was certain the mountains would win the vote when the time came. And he already had doubts about being able to make such a place safe for even a month, let alone for the nuclear winter he feared was coming. The first one would be the hardest.

Kenn eased across the sloppy hill and sat, handing over a mug of hot coffee. Like Adrian, he didn’t care that mud seeped into his clothes. It didn’t matter anymore.

“How are they?”

Kenn’s answer was simple, honest. “Tired and down, same as you.”

Adrian didn’t offer excuses that would be obvious lies. It was impossible to pretend everything was fine when they were rolling over the unburied bones of their fellow citizens.

“We’ll be better when we’re away from here.” Kenn took a sheet of paper from his pocket. He’d been thrilled to discover Man on Point on his schedule this morning. When the birds hit them, he’d come through with full marks. Before the sick flyers though, there had been surprise from the Eagles. Now, Kenn had more pals than he needed. He had chosen to keep them at arm’s length for the moment and search for allies among the camp later if he needed them. Adrian was the only one he really gave a damn about.

“Sitrep, whenever you’re ready.” Adrian relit the cigarette he’d been ignoring.

“Perimeter is good. No serious injuries. Radio is quiet. Everyone is accounted for. The pictures from Cheyenne Mountain are in your tent.”

Adrian was sure those images would be worse than the ones from Salt Lake City. “Anything I should see?”

“No.” When Adrian didn’t ask for details, Kenn didn’t offer any. Their leader was depressed enough. He didn’t need to see the fry-room at NORAD they’d forced open, but Kenn was sure Adrian would recognize the clever way it had been done. Someone among the slavers had military knowledge and that didn’t bode well. Kenn planned to give Adrian the full in the evening report he had been asked to deliver about various issues and setups.

“Neil get the pictures yet?”

“No.”

Adrian was unhappy the state trooper hadn’t been chosen to go along for that run, but it had been Kenn’s mission and he hadn’t intervened. To make it up a bit, Adrian wanted Neil to see the photos before the camp did. The people here didn’t have access to all the pictures the Eagles took, but big places still gave them hope. He had to show them those photos or they would go off on their own to check and maybe not return. Some did anyway. Adrian was never offended, just relieved when they did return. He needed them all.

“We have two new arrivals that weren’t in the group following us. They wanted to know if we had any use for a doctor and nurse.”

Adrian’s surprised laugh was music to his ears. Kenn loved this feeling of pleasing the leader. “I knew you’d like that. John and Anne Harmon are husband and wife of almost forty years; they had their own office. They were going to NORAD, but they heard Mitch on the CB and decided to come in. They’d like to trade their medical skills for food and protection.”

“Damn, that’s great! It’s exactly what we need. Give ’em a couple days to settle in and then put them to work.”

“Too late. He noticed Zack’s arm and insisted on cleaning and stitching it right then, along with handling any other injuries. Neil is setting him up in the corner near the livestock. Right now, our doctor is examining the scratches the kids got. He says the birds were American Gulls.”

“Give him one of the biggest tents and have a red cross painted on it. The doctor’s name should be in red, white and blue–Safe Haven colors.” Adrian made a mental note to talk to the doctor in the next week. With that eager attitude, he would probably be well liked. That was one of the reasons Kenn was settling in so fast. People were realizing his only goal was to give whatever was needed. Only those closest to Adrian still had objections. Not that they would go against his wishes after the meeting tomorrow. Adrian intended to make it clear where the Marine belonged. It would help that Kenn never stole his thunder. His willingness to be just support had earned him respect. His quick reaction to the birds had to be counted in too. Giving Kenn point duty had been a great idea at the perfect time.

“You wanna do this later?”

“No.” Adrian huffed at himself in the windy darkness. “I’m easily distracted tonight. Go on.” Adrian wondered if Kenn still planned to go back to Ohio. Kenn hadn’t mentioned leaving since that first day. He didn’t have much to say about his old life at all–something most people here liked, but not Adrian. Kenn was busy carving out a place for himself, but the feeling of something not being right was stronger now than when he’d first arrived. Is it because Kenn thinks no one noticed?

“...and both women are on livestock duty, like you wanted. Water is down to three tankers; toilet paper is at twelve cases. We changed four flats, two windshields, and exchanged ten vehicles for the others Kyle’s team found. The tires came from the reserve.”

Adrian had known they would be into the reserve this week, but it still made his stomach burn. Their transportation was as important as the food, but water was priority one. If they didn’t keep moving and locating supplies, they would die, but their reserve wasn’t growing. “What’s the biggest problem?” He already knew. Even with the carpool law he had insisted on, they used a lot of fuel.

“Gas. We’re down to the reserves on it too after we fill up tomorrow.”

The reserve of gas was only a tenth of what they’d found. It would hold them for two days, at best. They should have more by now, but people were scared to leave camp. That was also about to change. “We’ll get away from here, then drain the tanks on every car, tractor, and lawn mower we find. At some point, we’ll get lucky and run across a station with something left in it.”

“We could try 191.”

Adrian glanced over, catching Kenn’s excited tone. “That’s a highway crammed with dead traffic.”

Kenn was eager to score bonus points to go with the full set of marks he’d earned earlier. “Exactly. Dead vehicles–like trucks and semis of food and water. Maybe even a fuel tanker or two.”

Adrian clapped him on the shoulder as the wind gusted again, carrying a chill they both felt and ignored. “You’re full of good shit today.”

Kenn soaked up the praise, ready to volunteer, but he stopped himself. He waited to see if it would be offered. He’d made progress with the camp. Not as much as he wanted, but it would always come down to Adrian’s opinion in the end.

“You’d like to go? Be in charge?”

Kenn nodded once. “Sure.”

The lightning storm to the west hadn’t died down. They both stared, human souls more afraid than in awe. Things in nature were bad now.

“When?”

“Leave in the morning, early. Catch up by mess, day after tomorrow. I’ll have Eagles meet you by the trucks. Anything else for me?”

“Nothing but Tonya. She wants to meet you in your tent.”

“Yeah, that’ll happen.”

Kenn kept quiet, brow puckering at the quickly thrown sarcasm. Tonya insisted to anyone who would listen that she and their leader were sleeping together. Adrian laughed when confronted with it. Most people had decided she was chasing what she couldn’t have. Not Kenn. Adrian and Tonya might not be a legal couple, but he didn’t believe Safe Haven’s commander was refusing that pogue bait when no one was around.

“Kenn.”

He glanced up to find Adrian’s sharp eyes on him.

“You got a thing for redheads?”

Kenn dropped his baby-blues, shrugging. “When they look like her, who doesn’t?”

Adrian chuckled, liking the honest answer. He wanted to trust Kenn as much as Kenn wanted to be trusted. “She gets a man’s attention, but she’ll do whatever she has to if it will get her what she wants.”

“What does she want?” Kenn wasn’t sure why he was asking.

“For me to either be her legal mate, or out of this job, so she can put someone else in my place and have power through them. She doesn’t care which. She’s as much as said so, to my face.”

Kenn laughed, despite wanting to do and say all the right things. “She’s got guts; she takes care of herself. That kind of woman was rare even before the war.”

Adrian didn’t like the tone, but he let it go. “Tonya is strong, and we need that, but we’re weaker with her too, because she uses her strength for selfish reasons. She would have to do a world of changing for anyone to accept her here. It would be a hard sell.”

Kenn took the warning to heart. He didn’t say more on the subject.

Adrian stood, scanning the lights, sights, and sounds. A neatly organized camp met his gaze. Fires drove back the darkness while dogs yapped for dinner, doors opened and shut, calm voices echoed, and steady footsteps crunched over the ground. Normal as it gets now. Kenn had done an excellent job. “We’ll need to add safety glass to our lists. I don’t like how easily a flock of birds put us in danger.”

Kenn said what his boss was thinking. “Be too easy for bullets.”

Adrian was more than pleased. Finally, some of the born help was here. “I’ll do rounds in an hour. Wanna come along?”

“You know it.”

Adrian strode to his tent, eager to have a little time to himself.

Kenn’s mind stayed on Tonya as he joined the dozen camp members setting up base around the huge bonfire. It wasn’t the first time he’d been drawn to the sullen woman. Tonya was selfish, greedy, and a troublemaker. Kenn recognized her streak of meanness, but she was also strong, smart, and determined to have Adrian. The people here hated the idea, but Tonya was openly hostile to anyone who spoke against it. She had even earned a day of hard labor for a slapping contest with Big Billy, a 300lb schoolteacher from Oregon. She had won, hands down. Tonya wasn’t afraid of anything, and that had earned Kenn’s respect–something women didn’t get from him.

Kenn responded to the greetings and gratitude of those around the flames being teased by chilly wind, but he stood by himself. He hoped this fuel trip would secure his place in Adrian’s chain of command. Kyle and Neil were tied for second. Doug was in third, but to Kenn’s selfish mind, they weren’t Marines. Kenn didn’t think it would take long to get what he wanted, just more hard chores. No one held the XO position here and Kenn had found himself longing for it. Then the birds had come and helped.

Kenn passed on the bottles and joints going around the fire, noting the lantern was out in the tent he shared with Charlie. Good. As Kenn grew closer to Adrian, the time he spent around the teenager reminded him of the secrets he was keeping.

Kenn stared into the dark, unable to pick out the surrounding mountains. His mind returned to Tonya. She wanted Adrian in a way that was almost an obsession. His name was always on her pouty lips. Kenn felt a sharp connection to her because of that. It wasn’t a sexual thing for Kenn. I just need to be near Adrian and the authority he represents.

Others felt it. Kyle and Neil did, and Doug too, but Tonya was the only one to pursue Adrian openly. She was often humiliated by him and the camp as punishment for it.

Kenn spied a flash of flame red. He studied Tonya as she came through the crowd of drunken, unfriendly people with an air of haughty contempt.

Everyone shifted, whispering, staring at her.

Tonya held her chin up, glaring at some of them when the whispers became too loud.

Each time, the person fell silent. They all knew Tonya would back up her challenges.

Kenn felt a new bolt of desire for her. Those skintight black slacks caressed her long legs and her red net top made men consider breaking rules. It also caused the women here to hate her for making them feel plain.

Kenn was disappointed when she slipped into her tent. He almost had to force himself to stay where he was as conversations resumed. The camp had mostly accepted him, but the Eagles were hoping for him to cross even the smallest line and be denied the position he was aiming for. Kenn wouldn’t ruin his chances here on a piece of ass, no matter how hot. It would be a betrayal of Adrian, but worse, of the wife in Ohio he’d spoken of. That would be unforgivable, thanks to Adrian’s strict but simple moral code: Do what you want and be shunned or do the accepted thing and be welcome. Both types lived here, but only one held any power.

“You wanna hit this, man?”

Zack, a truck driver, was holding out a thick blunt. He was unarmed, alone, and carried himself like a fellow controller. Arm in a white sling, the driver smelled new. It took a while for that to fade. Kenn assessed him. Like Adrian, he would also need a right hand. Is this it? “Sure, thanks.” Kenn hit it hard, keeping it for a long moment, waiting. He wasn’t disappointed.

Zack eyed Kenn’s arm and wrist tattoos. “I hear you handle the big man’s shit and your own. Interested in some backup?”

Kenn handed over the smoldering blunt, stubbing out the part of the cherry that had fallen and landed in the trampled needle grass. “I’ll get back to you on that.”

Zack’s green eyes darkened.

Kenn could tell the prematurely graying trucker was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it.

“And in the meantime?”

Kenn shrugged, turning away. “Anyone who wanted to watch my six would have to be an Eagle, and in charge of his team. That’s a deal breaker.”

3

Kenn was in his sleeping bag three hours later, cold, uncomfortable, and sure his past was catching up. He could feel Angela hunting for her son at night, searching the vast darkness for their location. He was livid that she wouldn’t answer him, even though she’d heard him calling. He was no stranger to what she could do. Kenn had done his homework before trapping her, but he couldn’t accept it with her in control. She couldn’t come here, not ever.

She’s already on her way, his mind insisted brutally. When she arrives, she’ll not only rock your boat, she’ll sink it. Adrian will find out what kind of man you were before, how you dishonored the Corps repeatedly. You’ll be banished.

Kenn hated Angela for the worm of fear growing deep in his heart. If she makes it to this camp, I’ll lose everything.