Aftermath (13 page)

The mall ended at a dirt field, just on the outskirts of the city.

“The entrance is across this field,” she whispered to the others, pointing out across it into the darkness.

“I don’t see it,” Trevor whispered back.

“No. It’s hidden behind some rubble, so it just looks like all the rest of the junk out there,” she whispered in reply.

“How far?” Valerie asked.

Paige shrugged. “Couple hundred yards, maybe.”

Paige started to go, when Lucas caught her hand. “Wait,” he whispered, looking around the sky.

Paige sank back down. “Drones?” she asked.

Lucas nodded. “Yeah. They’re harder to spot at night.” He looked around some more, and finally nodded. “I think we’re good.”

Paige took off across the field, with the Outlaws in tow. They sprinted along, hunched over, to create as little of a silhouette as possible against the dark backdrop.

They finally reached the rubble maze surrounding the tunnel bunker, and ducked behind it.

“It’s right over there,” Paige whispered, nodding to the nondescript concrete bunker.

Paige scanned the field one last time, to make sure they hadn’t been followed, then she headed over to the bunker door and tugged it open.

***

Paige scrambled down the last of the rungs, and into the same damp tunnels she’d left just days before. The lights were still on, dangling from their cords strung along the ceiling.

“Well check this out,” Trevor exclaimed, hopping down from the last rung. “You guys even have a generator.”

“Not too shabby,” commented Lucas, taking a look around the area. “How far back do the lights go?”

“Just to the generator,” Paige replied, “but we have some flashlights.”

Paige led them to the generator, several dozen yards back from rungs. She fished around behind it, pulling out the flashlight. “We also have guns,” she added, tugging out the duffel bag they’d stowed away the guns inside.

She unzipped the bag, and the boys’ jaws about dropped.

“You got a freaking machine gun,” Trevor exclaimed, checking out the machine gun Paige had taken from the Patrol officer.

“Yup,” Paige smiled.

“Girl, you are officially my hero,” Trevor added, patting Paige on the back. “Can I?” he motioned to the gun.

Paige nodded, handing him the machine gun. He was like a kid on Christmas morning, or more accurately, a video game nerd who just woke up in his favorite game. He aimed it down the tunnel, checking out the sights, and getting a feel for it.

“New game idea,” he grinned, still aiming the gun down the tunnel. “I call it stupid alien invaders who screwed with the wrong species.”

Paige and Valerie exchanged looks, for about the zillionth time that night. Where did she find these guys? Valerie just shook her head in amusement.

“Have you explored these tunnels?” Lucas asked.

Paige shook her head. “I was only here one night. We stayed in this area.”

Lucas looked up and down the tunnels. “That should be East,” he nodded in the far direction of the tunnel. “We need to give Falcon a general idea of the coordinates.”

“That’s your militia buddy?” Paige asked.

“Yeah. He’s the leader.”

“Ask them about your friend,” Valerie interjected. “The one you’re trying to find.”

The boys looked at Paige. “What about him?” Lucas asked.

“The guards took him,” Paige replied. “He had a knife wound in his leg, and the nurse at the infirmary said his records had been sealed.”

“Oh shit,” Trevor mumbled, exchanging looks with Lucas. Paige could feel a knot build in her stomach.

“Why? What is it?” Valerie asked.

“It’s not good,” Trevor replied, shaking his head.

“Tell me,” Paige insisted.

Again, the boys exchanged a look.

“They’re doing something to people,” Lucas finally added.

“What? What are they doing?” asked Paige, that knot in her stomach growing.

“Do you know what genetic recombination is?” asked Trevor.

Paige just shook her head. Whatever it was, it didn’t sound good.

“It’s when they go in, and alter the DNA in something. In this case, people,” Trevor continued.

Paige sank to the ground. Valerie sat down beside her, put her arm around her shoulder.

“There’s these things,” Lucas cut in, “like creatures. I haven’t seen them, but one of our friends did.”

“You mean, Tony?” Valerie asked.

Lucas nodded. “Yeah. Tony’s one of the soldiers, but he’s like us. No implant.”

“So what’d he say?” Paige asked, already feeling her dinner welling up in her throat.

“He said they’re like these monsters,” Lucas continued, “but they have some characteristics that are human. Especially in the face, and eyes.”

Paige leaned over and heaved up her dinner. Valerie gently stroked her hair, while the boys exchanged sympathetic looks. “I’m so sorry, Paige,” Valerie whispered calmly.

“Hey, it might not be too late,” Lucas offered. “You never know.”

“It’s still worth looking for him,” Trevor added.

Paige finally sat up, wiping her nose. She nodded her thanks. “So why are they doing this?”

The boys just shrugged. “Because they can,” Lucas responded.

“Same reason the Nazis did their experiments. Just pure sadism,” Trevor added.

“They don’t see us as intelligent beings,” Lucas pitched in. “We’re just rats in a lab to them.”

“Fuck them,” Paige snarled, clenching her fists, and taking a deep breath. “I’m going to kill them.” The fierce look in her eyes let everyone know she meant business.

“Hey, we’re with you girl,” Trevor nodded. Valerie and Lucas both nodded in agreement.

“And we’re about to have that militia out there on our side thanks to you and these tunnels,” added Lucas.

“Let’s do this!” Trevor was getting pumped. “Outlaws, baby” he pledged, and the rest chimed in, “outlaws!”

***

The pledge was still echoing in her mind, as Paige and her new Outlaws companions headed from the bunker, and into the surrounding field. The night felt warm, compared to the cool dampness of the tunnels.

Then from the across the field they heard voices. They quickly ducked behind some rubble.

“Shit, what the hell are they doing here?” exclaimed Trevor.

“The drones, man,” replied Lucas. “The drones must have tracked us.”

“We can’t let them find these tunnels,” stated Paige, turning to the others.

“I agree,” Trevor nodded, along with the others. “So what’s the plan?”

Paige thought about it for a minute. The sounds were getting closer. “Okay,” she finally said. “You guys go back in the bunker, and wait there… oh, say fifteens minutes. I’ll see if I can lead the guards out of the area.”

“How are you gonna do that?” Valerie asked.

“Run?”

“You got balls, girl. I’ll give you that,” Trevor added.

“Just make sure you wait in there long enough for the guards to leave,” she said.

Valerie threw her arms around Paige. “Be careful,” she pleaded.

“I will,” Paige said, nodding her thanks. “Okay, let’s do this before I chicken out.”

Valerie, Trevor, and Lucas started sneaking back to the tunnels. Lucas turned, giving Paige a nod. “Don’t get shot.”

Paige shot him a grin. Then she took a deep breath. This was it, she thought. She waited until they’d closed the bunker door, then she bolted out from behind the rubble and raced across the dirt field at an angle to the soldiers.

“Hold it right there!” the guards hollered from across the field. The plan was working, albeit with her as the decoy. She sprinted as fast as she could, as bullets began ricocheting across the ground all around her.

Up ahead was one of the canals which supplied water to the alien city. She had also seen these in the cornfields, feeding water into the irrigation ditches. She sprinted for the canal, leaped over the edge, and came down with a splash. Lucky for her the water was only about knee deep, but it still made running difficult. But she managed, splashing her way along.

Behind her, the shouts of the soldiers grew closer. Paige sped up her pace, gasping for breath as she trudged through the water. She was approaching a long tunnel where the canal ran beneath the city. At least the soldiers would be forced to chase her through the water.

As she passed through the tunnel, she was plunged into complete darkness. None of the phosphorescent stones to let her see where she was going. But the guards would be at the same disadvantage.

***

It felt like she’d been running forever, and every muscle in her legs ached. Fortunately for her she’d trained for track back in her pre-rebel days, and Brad’s jock genes had seemed to run in her family.

She had finally reached the end of the tunnel, where it spilled out on the far side of the city near the cornfields. Paige scrambled up the banks of the canal, now caked in mud, then sped off into the cornfields.

She barely had time to duck down a row, when she heard the shouts of the soldiers scrambling from the canal maybe a hundred yards behind her.

She dashed down the row to one of the irrigation ditches. These ditches, which criss-crossed the enormous field, had been dredged into the dirt. She leaped down into the ditch, which was maybe five feet deep, and had about two feet of water at the bottom. She frantically dug at the mud along the side, scooping out a small opening. She lay down, and squeezed the best she could into the small opening. She then scooped more mud across herself. Arms, legs, face, tunic. The only parts not caked in mud were her eyes and mouth. Then she froze. The guards were here.

Paige could hear their voices on the path just above her. They were close, she could hear their heavy breathing. Other voices could be heard in the distance, as the guards fanned out across the field.

She held her breath, as the voices above her moved down the path. They hadn’t found her. She said a silent prayer, as she lay there, unmoving, afraid the smallest movement might dislodge the mud from her body.

Moments ticked by like this, till Paige felt her muscles starting to cramp. Un-freaking believable, she grumbled to herself, but she had no choice, but to give it time for the guards to get far enough away.

Finally, after what had felt like an eternity, the voices and sounds were gone. Paige slowly rolled from the small indentation in the ditch wall, and into the water. She staggered to her feet, rubbing her legs.

“You,” someone whispered from the path above her. Paige froze momentarily, before slowly turning towards the voice.

A guard stood there, looking at her, but his gesture wasn’t menacing. He looked to be about Brad’s age, with a solid athletic build. “Are you with Valerie?” he asked.

Paige nodded, afraid to speak.

“Get out of here,” he whispered to her, “but do it quietly.”

Paige nodded, climbing from the ditch. It was then she realized something. “Are you Tony?” she asked.

He nodded, taking a worried look down the row. “Go. They’ll be back,” he whispered.

Paige nodded again, whispering a “thank you.”

Tony nodded, before hurrying off down the row in the direction the rest of the guards had headed.

Paige took off at a jog back towards the city, her poor legs too worn out to sprint.

The Summons

The door to the apartment clicked open, and Paige stumbled in, completely exhausted, and caked in mud. Trish looked over from the top bunk. “What happened? You’re all muddy,” she asked.

“Long story,” Paige responded, as she stepped into the shower, tunic and all. She turned it on, allowing the cool blast to wash off the mud.

“So how’d it go with the Outlaws?” Trish asked, standing just outside the bathroom.

“It went. And then I got chased,” Paige responded, turning off the shower, and shaking off the water.”

“The guards?” Trish asked.

Paige nodded. “Yeah. Can we talk about it in the morning.”

“Okay,” Trish nodded, as Paige squeezed past, then slumped down on the floor. Wet tunic and all.

Paige closed her eyes, and was just drifting off, when a noise outside caught their attention. Her eyes opened. It was that deep boom of the fog horn-like sound welling up over the city.

She was awake. She climbed to her feet, and headed over to the window with Trish, staring down at the mall below.

Once again, dozens of people were flowing out from the buildings, and shuffling off down the mall. All of them in that trance-like state.

“Wait here,” Paige instructed, heading for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To see where they’re going,” Paige replied, closing the door behind her on her way out.

***

The eerie fog horn sound continued its deep boom, echoing through the city. The mall was filled with a flow of tranced people, all shuffling in the same direction.