Eaters (Book 2): The Resistance (25 page)

"That asshole won't last long," Mark said with an air of triumph.

"How can you be so sure?" Cheryl asked.

"If the ranks at O.N.E. cared anything for him, they wouldn't have shot at the chopper he piloted. He's just another pawn in their game where everyone is expendable."

She noticed that Mark was putting all of his weight on one leg as he talked. The other leg, bent at the knee had blood oozing down the calf.

"You've been hit!"

"It's okay," he said. "I'll be fine."

But, Kai made a horrible face when he saw the wound a few minutes later. Mark bit down on his rolled up shirt as Kai dug the bullet out and disinfected it with the last drops of whiskey Diego had stashed in his pack.

After Mark was bandaged up with some strips of cloth, they remained on top of the bluff, watching and listening for any sign of Jake's return. More than an hour later, when it seemed that he wasn't coming back for revenge, they decided to bury Edmond. After finding it impossible to dig in the hard-packed, red soil, they buried him like they'd buried Deanna, placing rocks over his body until it was fully covered.

"I'll miss him," Cheryl said. "Despite some of his annoying habits, he was sort of our comic relief, wasn't he?"

Several nodded in agreement.

"Rest in peace, amigo," Zach said, laying the last rock on top of the mound.

It was the kindest thing he'd ever said to the man. From the tone of his voice, Cheryl knew Zach was going to miss him too.

There was no rush to descend the bluff after the burial. A few of them sat down. Others paced. It went without saying that their plan to head up to Provo was caput. Omaha, their original destination, still seemed such an unfathomable distance away (with no guarantee of a secure fort once they got there) that it might as well be on the moon.

"What do we do now?"  Cheryl asked, looking to both Mark and Aidan.

A hawk soared high over their heads, circling the bluff before it disappeared

"We should just go back to Jeremiah's," Kai said. "We've got nowhere else."

Aidan shook his head. "I don't believe his
divine luck
is going to hold out. O.N.E. may have spared him so far, but they've got his number."

"So we just spend the rest of our lives running and hiding?" Diego said. "I can't keep living like this."

"None of us can," Cheryl said.

"O.N.E…." Mark said, drawing a triangle in the dirt with a stick then wiping it out. "I think it stands for 'One New
fucked up
Earth. Where can we possibly go that might be safe? Safe from the zombies and safe from some insane group that thinks they now own the place?"

"There's only one place I can think of."

They waited—the pregnant pause almost reaching the bursting point before she gave her ominous recommendation.

"What do you have in mind?" Aidan asked.

Mustering a spark of bravado from deep inside her, she said what she believed was the difficult, but unshakeable truth.  "If this is ever going to end, I think it's time for some offense."

Mark tilted his head, already seeming to know what she was going to say. "What? No…"

"
Yes.
We're never going to turn things around unless we get to the heart of the problem and find out how to reverse the course of things."

Aidan sucked in a breath. "You're saying we go—"

"Yeah," Cheryl said. "
'Bloody hell, yeah'
, as Edmond would say if he was still with us. We're going straight into the hive…"

Chapter 18

They decided to delay their heated discussion until after they'd hiked down the bluff, so they could find shelter from the intensity of the wind and the sun. Aidan and Jordan helped Mark limp down. And once they found shelter on the east side of the formation, squatting in the shade to discuss Cheryl's proposal, things got ugly.

Kai was the first to vote for retreat instead of heading into more danger. "I don't want to go with you. I want to go back to Jeremiah's."

Cheryl couldn't contain her disappointment when Jordan said the same. Her voice came out venomous. "And what if they're gone? Or dead?"

"We'll take our chances," Kai said. There's just no way we're going anywhere near these O.N.E. people. It's suicide."

"Is that what you think too?" Cheryl asked, directing the question to both Mark and Aidan.

"I can just tell you…
I'm tired
," Aidan said with a yawn and a stretch. "I'm tired of running around like chickens in a shooting gallery. But, if there's anything we can do to eventually bring some peace back to life, I'm all for it."

Mark sounded more defeatist. "Look…This was all a holocaust—a planned, mass scale extermination by a large, obviously well-organized group. Why do you think our little unit could do anything….
anything at all
…to turn things around?"

"Because I refuse to believe otherwise. If it's all completely hopeless, why not just end it right now? Throw in the towel? Give up?" Her voice rose to a screech as she rose to her feet and began to pace. "What kind of life is this? This isn't living!"

Mark bowed his head and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before looking up at her again. "You're not going to be able to just march into town. There are probably thousands of
Jakes
in there, ready to knock off any outsiders."

"We'll have to find a way to get in, because there's no way to fight against an enemy you don't know. Right now, they've got all the power, because we're in the dark and know nothing about them. So, I say we get as close as we can to their operation and figure out what they're up to."

"So, basically…just
wing it
, you mean. Sounds like a great plan."

Aidan rubbed his beard, staring at her with his vibrant green eye. "Even if we could get inside…then what?"

"We watch…and we wait. No matter how slick this operation is, there's got to be a chink in their armor somewhere."

"How are we going to blend in? If Jake was afraid to approach any of them outside of Sedona, it sounds like they're the type to shoot first and ask questions later."

"If we all put our heads together and—"

Mark scrunched up his face and folded his arms. "Maybe it would be better if I stayed on the outside. You know…as a contact in case anything goes wrong."

Cheryl's heart sunk. Really?
Really?
He was willing to let her face this alone?

"Because…you know…with my leg, I might be a liability. There's no way I could run right now."

Aidan nodded. "That's true. And…
no offense, man
…but with your scars, you've got
infected
written all over you."

"What about your eye?"

"I don't think it would automatically give me away as an outsider," Aidan said, adjusting his patch. "I've seen more than one of their troops with eye damage. Must be a hazard of the job."

"What about the rest of you?" Cheryl asked.

Kai said, "I'd probably better stick with Mark. His leg may get infected."

"I'll go with you," Jordan said. "I'd rather die trying to do something positive than keep running or sitting on my ass."

Zach and Diego had no hesitation. They were chomping at the bit to embrace a new adventure and fight for any cause that would restore the world to its former state.

Looking at Zach's overly muscular body and Diego's caveman appearance, Cheryl wasn't so sure. "Both of you aren't exactly the
blending in
type. Let's be realistic. We might not all be able to infiltrate the town. We're going to have to take whatever opening we can get. So, let's play it by ear."

There was some grumbling but they all eventually agreed.

When they were ready to go, Zach and Diego supported Mark, acting as his crutches and Jordan carried his pack, so Mark could at least see Cheryl to the border of the town. Then, they began to head north, towards Sedona.

If they'd thought it was slow going before, their pace was excruciatingly slow now. No one seemed to mind. In fact, Cheryl thought that some of them might be taking their time on purpose, because of their fear of what they were heading towards.

The closer they got to the town, the more activity they saw on the road leading into it. They tried to stay hidden from the traffic by keeping behind the trees and shrubs.

On one of their rest breaks, Mark said, "That weird bird we saw flying overhead by the bluff. I don't think it was any kind of hawk. It looked like a drone."

"Watching us?" Cheryl asked with a nervous glance up at the sky.

"Possibly. If I had to guess, I'd say it was just doing general surveillance."

"But, if it saw us, that means they know we're out here."

"Can't rule that out."

They'd only gone another fifty yards when Aidan motioned for them to stop. "Actually, I think there's some very
high tech shit
going on out here."

"How do you know?" Jordan asked.

"See the hole in that twisted juniper rover there? I think there's a camera in it."

Cheryl sucked in her breath, worried that they were going to be stopped before they ever got to the wizard's city. "Maybe we should wait until dark to go any farther."

"That'd be a good idea, unless their cameras also have infrared," Mark said. "In that case, we're screwed no matter what we do, because they'll be able to see our every move just from our body heat."

As they tossed their worries around, their suspicions that they were being watched were confirmed. A Jeep pulled off the highway and began to blaze toward them in a cloud of dust. They ran as fast as they could, looking for somewhere to hide and eventually decided upon a rain-carved crevice that was just big enough for all of them to squeeze into, lying on their stomachs. Barely able to breathe in the tight space, they stayed there as they heard the Jeep roar past. It came back for two more passes a short while later, keeping them glued in place.

The sun was setting in the west in a fiery glow of red and orange when they ventured back out. They remained where they were until the long shadows merged into an enveloping darkness. Then, they carefully made their way to a ridge overlooking the town.

Stars twinkled above them like jewels on black velvet when they reached the edge of Sedona. Jordan took a pair of binoculars from his pack and sucked in his breath as he looked down at the valley below. "That's Grand Central, all right. The place is lit up like Christmas, and there are armed guards everywhere." He passed the binoculars to Mark.

"Damn that Jake," he cursed. "Taking our weapons…
if I ever see him again
…"

Cheryl hoped they never did, because their anger outweighed their fear of that traitorous letch. She still felt sick, remembering how she'd ridden behind him on a motorcycle. In hindsight, her hands should have been wrapped around his throat instead of his waist.

When Mark handed the binoculars to her, she saw the cause for concern. There were armed guards all right. They carried automatic weapons and were posted at stations all around the perimeter of the city.  Beyond them, on the other side of a heavy wire fence, there were more figures mulling about.
This other layer of defense looked much deadlier.

Hundreds of Eaters with thin limbs and bloated bellies patrolled this external ring. They were outfitted with heavy helmets—gear that looked thick enough to be bullet-proof and presumably hid the black boxes affixed to their heads. It looked like they were being used in lieu of canine protection. Instead of barking, they'd snarl and send out ear-piercing moans, alerting the soldiers at the first scent of anyone approaching. Using them like super soldiers in such a manner was genius, albeit a scary tactic, and made any attempt at entering the town unnoticed seem ridiculously futile.

Cheryl's eyes drifted towards the center area where there was a bustle of activity. Floodlights highlighted the pyramid foundation where human workers operated machinery while infected slaves did the grunt work, helping to position the giant blocks of limestone. It was a slow business, but they were focused like a programmed network of robots.

When Aidan took a look, his mouth gaped open. "Holy—"

"Still want to go through with this?" Mark asked Cheryl. "They got that place locked down tighter than a monkey's butt sewn shut."

Before she could answer, Aidan swiveled to his right and looked towards a formation on the edge of the town. "There's something going on over there."

He passed the binoculars back to Cheryl. After a second, she was able to focus on what he'd seen. On the ridge adjacent to them, there were silhouettes moving, backlit by the silvery light of the moon.

"What is it?" Zach asked, obviously agitated that he hadn't had a turn yet through the looking glass.

"It's a group."

"Eaters?" Diego asked with a hint of alarm.

"I…I can't tell. I don't think so. They're moving in a line like they're hiking somewhere."

"A moonlight hiking club?" Kai said, jokingly.

"I doubt it," Cheryl said, passing the binoculars to Zach. "They're wearing robes of some kind."

"Whoa…" he said after taking a look. "I think we should get a closer look. See what they're up to…"

"I'm not climbing up there," Mark said. "I don’t think I could even if I wanted to."

Aidan took a look again and said, "How about you all stay put? I'll take Zach and Diego."

"I'm going with you," Cheryl said.

"You don't have to," he replied. "We'll come back and tell you what we saw."

"I don't want a secondhand report."

"Well…" he said with a
la-de-da
shake of his head. "I guess the lady knows what she wants."

Seeing Mark glaring at her, Cheryl bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "Stay here. We'll be back."

"And if you're not?"

"Then…" she said, feeling some gravitas about the idea of parting with him. "Then…I'm either dead or I found a way in."

She stood to go, and he grabbed her arm. "Hey…if something happens…"

"We'll meet at Jeremiah's, okay?"

"Yeah…okay."

He handed his gun to her. "There are only a few rounds left." Then, he pulled her close and kissed her. It was a deep, heartfelt kiss, making Cheryl wince because she knew Aidan was watching and because it felt wrong to feel uncomfortable.

"Love you," she said over her shoulder as they parted. He didn't return the sentiment, but as she walked away, he got in the last word.

Be careful.

Mark's deep voice registered in her head like a banner waving in her inner space.

The men said their goodbyes, and she followed Aidan, Zach, and Diego towards the ridge, not looking back.

It was almost a mile hike towards the area where they'd seen the hikers. They lost them, but spotted them again a few minutes later when they were closer. Hiding behind some shrubs, they watched the long procession of people, wearing long, black, hooded robes. The group chanted something as they walked, but Cheryl was too far away to hear what they were saying.

Aidan whispered in her ear. "What are they…Druids or something?"

"Don't know," she whispered back. There was definitely a very dark vibe about them, and whatever they were up to…it didn't seem like they were on their way to celebrate something as benign as a birthday party. That hunch was confirmed when she saw a man stumble across the rocky soil in bare feet. Hunched over and wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, his wrists were tied behind his back. At first, Cheryl assumed he was an Eater who had recently turned, and they were leading him into the wilderness to put him down. Then, seeing the way he lifted his drooped head from time to time, taking in his surroundings, he looked more like a lucid but broken man, who was allowing them to lead him along because he was resigned to his fate.

Sticking to the shadows, they crept higher to keep up with the group as they led their captive to the top of the hill. When they reached the pinnacle, the blue light of the moon washed over them, and two of the figures shoved the man towards a long rock slab.

"They're going to kill him!" Cheryl said.

Aidan shushed her. "There's like sixty of them. It would not be a good idea to try to intervene."

"It's already a war," she mumbled under her breath. All sorts of dismal scenarios popped into her head as she shuddered, wondering what they were going to do with the poor man.
Stoning? Firing squad? Decapitation?
And what had he done to deserve such a fate?