The Decaying World Saga (Book 1): Tribes of Decay (21 page)

“Move yourself around like I am.”

“Why?” Jonah asked.

“Just do what I say,” Rowan snapped. He looked from Erin’s motionless body up to Garret. His eyes were on the bank of moving pictures on the screen across the room. Rowan heard Jonah get up and start to turn around. “Make sure your hands are close to mine.”

“They’re surrounding the entire thing,” Garret said, his eyes still glued to the screen. “They just keep circling.” He glanced down at Erin before glaring at Rowan. “What if they’re waiting for…?”

The pause was enough to break Rowan’s concentration.

“Waiting for what?”

“Don’t you remember what she said?” Garret asked, nodding back at Erin’s cage. “There are more hordes coming, some from the south and another from the west.”

Rowan had forgotten the warning. It was hard to believe the infected were capable of planning such a thing. He slowly shook his head, deciding none of it would matter if they were all going to die in their cells. He leaned back against the bars.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“I think so,” Jonah replied.

Rowan found Jonah’s hands then felt for the ties around his wrists. “I’m going to try and pull one side of these off,” he explained. “This is probably going to hurt like hell,” he admitted. Jonah kept quiet. “Brace yourself.” Rowan slipped his index finger between the bind and Jonah’s wrist. “On three.”

He counted down then leaned forward. Rowan used all of his weight as pressure and felt Jonah’s hand pull through the bars behind him.

“Pull away from me,” Rowan instructed. “Push off of the bars with your feet.”

The response was immediate and so was the pain. Jonah grunted and groaned, but he never cried out. Rowan felt the bind slip up to the thickest point of Jonah’s hand. He dropped to his knees, nearly dislocating his shoulders in the process. The struggle lasted for what felt like an eternity, but in the end, they were rewarded. The bind slipped off Jonah’s hand and Rowan had to turn his body in order to keep his face from slamming into the other side of his cell as he fell forward. Rowan shifted on his knees within the tight space and got back up to his feet. He spun around and found Jonah rubbing at his bloody wrists, his hands freed from one another.

“Now what?”

Rowan didn’t have time to consider the boy’s question. The sound of the door sliding apart grabbed everyone’s attention and none of them were prepared for what stepped through the opening.

21

Mia was utterly lost. Jacob’s expression relayed his concern about their guide’s recent lack of conversation. Connor stopped talking immediately after they left the colony’s perfect city view. There was something to Mia’s revelation that the remains of the Cheyenne Tribe would never be allowed to see the world above. The sting of that admission and the weight of what it meant gnawed at her gut.

“You knew we were there,” she said, almost mistakenly aloud. “You’ve had to have always known.”

“What’s that?” Connor asked without stopping. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

He was leading them down another tunnel, this one much longer than the last. Mia was certain that they’d gone down in the elevator and now they were walking at a slight descending angle.

“You said yourself that the colony and its commission have been here since the infection began,” Mia clarified. “So, you had to know there were other survivors. Cheyenne is only a day’s walk from here.”

“They had limited resources once they lost connection with the other—” Connor stopped himself.

“Other colonies?” Jacob asked. “Are there other surviving colonies like this one?”

Connor ignored the question and instead motioned up ahead.

“This is what we call the crossing point,” he said. “This next section holds the power and supply levels for the entire colony. Beyond it are the administrative and support sections.”

An armed guard stood on either side of the entrance, neither paying attention to Connor nor his party. Mia and Jacob stepped through the opening and came to a stop. A narrow, grated catwalk was the only thing between them and an endless fall. The darkness underneath them swallowed a dizzying drop with countless catwalks dotting the view above and below.

“The central core sits directly beneath us,” Connor said before urging them to walk ahead of him. “There are dozens of chambers surrounding this section.”

Mia hesitantly stepped forward. She and Jacob were forced to lean toward one another in order to walk side by side down the narrow way. The gentle tap of Connor’s boots on the grates followed them. They were unable to see what lay beyond a dim opening on the other side of the lengthy catwalk. Jacob asked what Mia was thinking.

“I thought you were taking us back to our quarters?”

“You’ve asked so many questions,” Connor said, his tone souring. “Don’t you want to find out as much as you can about our inner workings?”

The oddness of the reply was enough to cause Mia to look back at their guide. Connor grinned at her then urged her to continue with a head nod. Her eyes went to the grates below her feet and she discovered they were not the only ones out on the catwalks. Several figures dotted the walkways below them, most of them hauling items from one side opening to another.

“Why aren’t they in the housing areas?” she asked.

“I think you’ve asked enough questions for one day.”

They reached the other side of the catwalk and stepped into an area much different from anything they’d seen so far. Gone were the sterile surroundings, replaced by a musty, dank space that reminded Mia of a number of abandoned buildings she encountered in the city. The floors were marred with dirt and the air was difficult to breathe.

The walkway split, widening directly ahead, and continuing on either side as it wrapped around the wall. The open space between the central walk and the surrounding paths looked down on a floor two stories below. People were hard at work, some assembling items, others moving containers in and out of view. They’d reached the midway point of the catwalk when Connor explained the scene before Mia had a chance to ask.

“Not everyone gets to experience paradise.”

Mia was lost on the view of an elderly woman struggling to carry her load and failed to notice Jacob. The old man turned to face their guide. Mia looked up in time to see Connor draw his gun and point it at them.

“It was bound to happen sooner or later,” he said.

“I don’t understand?” Mia said, looking from Connor’s gun up to his stone-cold expression. “Why did you bring us here?”

“This place was never meant for outsiders,” Jacob guessed. “They only brought us in to do their bidding.”

Connor snarled and raised the gun until he had the barrel on Jacob’s head.

“You think you’re so damn smart, don’t you.”

Jacob took a step forward, placing himself between Connor and Mia. He cocked his head enough to glance at her then shouted as he started to move.

“Run.”

Jacob launched himself at Connor. The old man’s maneuver surprised the soldier as well as Mia. He slammed into Connor and wrapped his arms around his chest. The men danced across the catwalk as they fought for control. Mia’s legs froze until the distinct sound of a gunshot filled the air. She was across the walkway before she looked back. Her last vision showed Jacob sliding to the ground then falling over the side as Connor called after her.

“Get over here.”

Mia sprinted through the opening between the sections and found herself on a wide platform, ending at a split stairway, one section winding down and the other section leading up. She started up as Connor’s boots echoed behind her. She reached the next platform before her pursuer breached the entryway.

Mia hesitated for a brief moment, considering the way ahead. Her indecision allowed Connor to gain ground, starting up the stairs after her. Another gunshot spurred her forward, bypassing the stairs. She was instantly overcome by the immensity of the adjoining chamber. Massive crates lined a space so large it felt like she’d stepped outside. Stale air clung to her nostrils as she dashed down a set of stairs and into a maze of containers. She was sucked into dark shadow as her footsteps were swallowed by a wave of sounds echoing from several entry points. She ran blindly, at times only able to see a few feet in any direction. Her heart pounded against her chest as adrenaline drove her frantic movements. She wheezed, pushing herself to near madness. Connor’s voice brought her to a chilling halt.

“You’re not getting out of here without my help.”

Mia’s head snapped to one side as she honed in on his direction.

“There is a safe place for us,” Connor said. “The commission has known about the uprising for a long time. The other colonies watched the infected evolve. It’s happening everywhere.”

Mia forced herself to move. She tiptoed forward in search of the other side of the monstrous chamber. A faint light rising up from underneath the walkway edging around the exterior offered hope. She leaned out into an open path between the crates ahead of her and caught a glimpse. A rush of movement followed the brief sight.

“Don’t make me kill you.”

He was right behind her. Mia ran with desperation, losing sight of the dim light as the crates stacked up around her several stories high. She could hear him gaining on her, the sound of his deep, panting breaths nearing with every step. The echo of his growl bit at her ears as he closed the distance between them. Mia’s collar suddenly tightened around her neck. Her head snapped back while her feet continued forward.

“Get over here.”

Mia was lifted from the ground then flung down. Her vision blurred as she tried to right herself in the dark. Connor’s weight came down on her, forcing the air from her lungs. She lashed out at him, taking a harsh blow to her face for her effort. The heat came first, rushing across her cheek a split second before the back of her head smacked the floor. A wave of haze crossed her view of the dark as she tried to remain conscious. Connor took advantage, climbing on top of her and slipping his hands around her neck.

“Get off of me you son of a bitch.”

Mia thrust her hips off the ground, lifting Connor up. The move caught him off guard and forced him forward. Her fingers slid along the side of his face and she dragged her nails across his cheek, taking slithers of skin with her. Her free hand caught the cold, metal barrel of his gun and she grabbed a hold with all her strength. Another thrust of the hips pushed Connor over her head and the result sent him crashing to the ground. The gun ripped away from both of them and then bounced across the floor as Mia got to her feet and ran away.

♦

The entire room went silent as all eyes turned toward the door. A figure pulled away from the darkness, his massive shoulders filling the entrance. Several long strides brought him into the light and no one could take their eyes off him. His clothing was impeccably white, a long coat tightly fitting his enormous physique.

Rowan involuntary pushed back against the bars attempting to remain as far away from the man as possible. The reaction had less to do with the new arrivals build and more to do with the unexplainable fear he exuded. What remained of his hair was combed to one side of a disfigured face. The skin was blackened and bloated, rising up on his cheek and continuing through the back of his head. One eye glared at the room in a socket opened impossibly wide.

Jonah gasped at the sight, leaning in behind Rowan. The sudden interruption nearly caused him to reveal his newfound freedom. Rowan regained his composure quick enough to tap the boy on the hands and remind him to keep them behind his back. The man stepped into the room and revealed Himu’s slight figure behind him.

“…it’s like nothing we’ve ever seen,” Himu said.

“There’s no time,” the immense man said in a slightly garbled baritone while searching for something on one of the central tables. He glanced up at the scene on the screens. “Damn them all to hell.”

“Dr. Olric, if you’ll give me a—”

A sharp stare from the doctor quieted Himu. The assistant’s gaze fell to the floor in complete obedience. The doctor held the glare long enough to make his point then extended an enormous paw.

“Give it to me and then go fetch my son,” he said.

Himu slid something into his hand and scurried around the tables to the console below the video screens. The doctor held up a syringe filled with blood, released a tiny amount onto a slide and placed it under the microscope. The tall figure standing over the small device was a comical sight. His reaction to what he found through the eyepieces was similar to Himu’s. Dr. Olric checked and rechecked the view as if doubting his eyes then pulled back and glared at the cells.

“Which one?”

Himu finished what he was doing then quickly ran to the doctor’s side. He held up a bone thin finger, pointing it directly at Rowan. The doctor’s good eye swept across the sad lot, and the protruding eyeball focused squarely on Rowan. He slipped a clear top on the syringe and slid it into his coat pocket.

“Take him with us,” Dr. Olric said then turned and headed for the door. “Be quick, there’s little time to waste.”

“And what of the others?” Himu asked.

Dr. Olric didn’t spare a moment of thought on his decision.

“Dispose of them.”

Himu immediately turned his attention on to Jonah.

“Wait, don’t do this,” Rowan shouted.

Garret kicked at his cell door, yelling at Himu through the bars.

“Leave him alone.”

Rowan pulled against his binds with all his strength, desperately trying to break free. Himu fished a small card from his pocket and held it over the panel at the edge of Jonah’s cell. Rowan didn’t remember that the boy was free until Himu grabbed the cell door.

“Now,” Rowan yelled. “Fight Jonah, fight!”

Jonah gave the door one violent kick and it sprang open. Himu was surprised by the move and the door hit him square on the chin, leaving him sprawled on the floor. Jonah was out of his cell before Dr. Olric ever turned around. Rowan yelled directions.

“Grab the card.”

Jonah’s eyes jutted from Himu, to the doctor, and back to Rowan. He swept the card off the ground and slid it across the panel on Rowan’s cell then quickly moved on to Garret and Erin. His last step left him at the end of the row. He peered up at Dr. Olric as he lunged toward him.

Jonah shrank back and tried to leap away. Rowan and Garret spilled out onto the floor behind him. Jonah grabbed the bars of Erin’s cell, pulling the door open with him. His backside hit the floor and the door swung out. Dr. Olric’s momentum carried him forward and he hit the gate with enough force to bend the door back on its hinges. The jarring strike caused the syringe to pop out of his pocket.

Rowan got up and headed for the closest table, kicking Himu across the bridge of his nose along the way. He leaned back against the corner of the tabletop and urgently rubbed his binds over the metal edge. His eyes found a familiar object in the center of the floor. The binds snapped then separated as he yelled out new instructions.

“Grab the needle.”

Garret put himself in between Dr. Olric and the boy. Jonah hesitantly leaned down and picked the syringe up off the floor. The doctor got up on his knees, blood flowing from his mouth. He ground his teeth as he grabbed the bars and stood up. Rowan snatched a small knife off the table and in two steps, sliced through Garret’s binds then slipped his arm around Himu’s neck and forced him to stand. The proud assistant’s nose was badly broken.

“Give me that syringe you fool,” Dr. Olric demanded. “You don’t know what you have.” He looked past Garret at Jonah and pulled a gun from inside his coat. He leveled the barrel on the boy. “I won’t ask you again.” His bulging eye glanced across the room for a moment. “Our time is up.”