Children of the After: The Complete Series: A Young Adult Postapocalyptic Action and Adventure series (24 page)

“I do apologize for my delay, however, I have found an interesting new discovery because of you three,” Darvski said, approaching Tammy’s friends’ cage.

“What’s that?” Jack asked, putting on his kindest smile.

“Well, to be honest I don’t know yet. Yes, I have determined that you are human, and your friend is obviously not, but I found anomalies in your DNA sequencing.”

“What’s that mean?” Sam asked.

“It means, that you are suffering some sort of breakdown or alteration of your DNA from an outside force. I’ve seen similar gene mutations near radiological hazards, and supposed I should have guessed as much if your story was true. You see, all of the people here have been treated for radiation. When the aliens attacked with whatever the blast was that destroyed most of everything, it left a lingering energy in the air. It’s not the radiation we are used to seeing from the sun or even nuclear power sources, but something different. Have you been feeling ill or having headaches?”

“Yeah,” Jack answered.

“Me too,” Sam said.

“Yup,” Will added.

“I guessed as much. We can offer you some anti-radiation medications such as iodine, but much of the damage seems to have been done already. Whatever symptoms have manifested are likely permanent, or soon to be. The mutation cannot be reversed by any means that I am aware of. I cross-checked your DNA to my own and Cole’s, and neither of us show any mutation so it has to be due to the fact that you were so close to its source there in Chicago for so long a time without treatment. I am afraid that I don’t know the extent of the damages or what challenges it might pose upon you. For all I know, you might not make it another week. We’ll have to wait and see together, and if you need treatment in the future either I or Dr. Burch can assist you,” Darvski stated, dialing in the combination on the padlock to their cage. “The least I can do for now is let you out of this cage.”

Tammy watched as Darvski yanked on the lock as it opened with a click. Pulling it free from the cage, he pulled the door open wide as Jack stood and stepped through.

“And what about her?” Jack asked, motioning in Tammy’s direction.

“She shows signs of DNA degradation and mutation too, but don’t you worry about that, I intend to study her and keep her alive as long as I am able,” Darvski admitted, turning to look at Jack as he spoke to him.

During their brief conversation, both Sam and Will stepped free of the cage as well and waited, listening patiently. Tammy watched as Sam nodded to her older brother from behind the scientist and Jack’s arms reacted instantly. Shoving their captor backwards, Jack forced the man to fall backwards where Sam bashed him with the door to the cage, changing his direction. Nearly regaining his balance, Dr. Darvski tripped over the kneeling form of Will on the floor and fell through the door and into the same cage he had kept them as captives.

Thinking their plan exposed, Tammy jumped as sirens split the air around camp just as Sam snapped the lock back into place on the cage. Retrieving their packs, Jack used the small pry bar they had brought with them to remove the dial from the lock on Darvski’s cage. Now he could not simply unlock it through the bars. The sirens blasted louder.

Picking up his pipe, Jack lodged it into the lock on Tammy’s cage as she rose to her feet. She watched as he leveraged his weight against the metal of the lock and jerking down on the pip there was s snap as the lock fell away, broken. Pushing the door open Tammy hopped out, wrapping her arms around Jack’s neck before releasing him with a smile. He was a good friend.

Racing down the aisle to her pack and discarded shoes, she pulled them on and waited for Jack to tell them what to do next.

“Kids. Kids. Don’t be silly. Don’t make this mistake. The camp is under attack again, it isn’t safe out there for you. Let me out and we’ll write this all off as a misunderstanding,” Darvski shouted.

Under attack… Their escape had not triggered the alarms.

For a minute there, Jack had thought them caught, but not now. Darvski had labeled the sirens’ warning as an attack. The bug creatures were back again, and he was right, that made it even more dangerous to escape, but it also provided the cover and confusion they needed. He couldn’t have planned it better. Watching both Tammy and Sam take Will’s hands, he began down the aisle between the rows of cages before stopping. It wasn’t enough to just leave. He couldn’t free one prisoner and not the others, but some of them
were
dangerous. Turning, he retraced his steps to the previous row where several man-like people stood with long three fingered hands wrapped about the bars of their cages. They watched him approach intently as he neared the first cage.

“Can you understand me?” Jack asked the bulbous-eyed man in the cage.

It nodded.

“I am going to free you. It is up to you to free the rest that you can safely. Understand?”

It nodded again.

Jack shoved his pipe through the lock on its cage and yanked down hard, feeling it give beneath his weight. With a snap the lock clattered to the floor as the door swung open. Raising his pipe once more, he held it out to the newly freed prisoner who took it from him gingerly. It understood what it had to do.

Taking the lead once more, Jack led them out of the room and into the laboratory they had entered through earlier. Carefully navigating the room, his eyes darting this way and that, they made their way to the door. Jack paused.

“Sam. You and Will go straight to ole Bessy. Tammy and I will get that cart out of the way so we can get back to the road. From there, all we can do is hope to put some miles between us and here.”

“I’ve never driven before,” Sam protested.

“That’s not true. You had a battery powered pink Corvette at Grandma’s for years. It’s an old truck. Pump the gas, turn the key. When it starts hold the brake and shift into drive. The rest is self-explanatory. You can do this.”

“Why don’t you drive, and I go with Tammy to move the cart out of the way?”

“Because I’m stronger, Sam.”

And that was it. End of discussion. Reaching up, Jack took the handle to the door and twisted it slowly. Pushing it open, he poked his head outside as sirens blasted and people’s screams were punctuated with the buzzing sounds of their attackers. From behind them, he heard the shuffling of feet. The alien escapees were coming too. It was time to move.

“Stay low and stay close, we’re gonna run for it. Sam, we already know they like Will for some reason.”

“I know,” Sam replied.

Then they were outside the door, crouching low and running as best they were able towards the makeshift wall surrounding the compound. Just as before, there were fires lit outside the compound’s walls, and shadows danced eerily, making even the paved ground seem alive. In all directions people shouted and yelled as creatures plummeted out of the sky to attack them. In the fire-lit darkness, Jack watched as a woman fended off an attacker with what appeared to be a leaf rake, as a small boy behind her shouted and waved a hammer over his head.

In the big picture of things he wasn’t certain that what they were doing was right. He couldn’t help but wonder if they would be better off staying and fighting alongside members of their own race. It made sense to do so. But at the same time, he felt in his gut that this was the right choice. These people had made decisions out of fear and prejudice that they would not change now. It was not safe for Tammy here, and she had proven herself time and again. She was not the enemy.

Crossing the halfway point between the hangars and the surrounding wall, Jack waved off Sam and Will, taking Tammy’s hand in his own as they continued on. She was as afraid as he was, he could feel her shaking through her hand even as they ran. Guiding her along through the semi-darkness, he angled them towards the cart that blocked the road beyond.

* * * * *

Sam could already see the old white pickup truck ahead. Holding tightly to Will she led them towards it as fast as she was able, while keeping low to the ground. It was a risky plan, expecting her to drive them out of the compound, but Jack had been right, his strength was needed at the cart. She only wished she had more experience than driving a toy car when she was Will’s age. It couldn’t be
that
hard. Could it? Even Jack had a learner’s permit, and everyone knew his grades were barely good enough to keep him in track.

Rounding the truck she pulled Will towards the driver’s door as a loud buzzing sounded overhead. Instinctively she dove towards the ground, dragging her little brother with her. For a moment the buzzing continued as she looked all about for its source, but without finding it, and eventually the sound faded amongst the yells and screams from all around them.

Cautiously she rose, helping Will back to his feet, before testing the handle on the truck’s door. It was an older style she wasn’t familiar with, but pressing in the button with her thumb, she pulled the door open with the handle as it creaked loudly. Looking all about as Will jumped in and climbed across the seat, she hopped in beside him and yanked the heavy door closed. Unexpectedly, the whole truck shook when the door slammed closed and Sam used that second to run through the directions Jack had given her earlier. She wasn’t an idiot, but she had never driven a car.

First thing first, pump the gas. Reaching out with the toe of her boot she pressed the pedal to the floor three times. Check. Put on the breaks and turn the key. Shifting her foot she felt something odd, and peering down found a dilemma. There were three pedals, not two. Which one was the brake? Looking up again to the steering column she found there was no shift lever. Where the emergency brake was in both Mom and Dad’s cars was a big lever with a rubber boot that stuck up through the floor of the truck. It had a manual transmission. Seriously? What was she gonna do now?

She had seen people shift the things on television, and in movies, but never paid any attention. She didn’t even think that these types of cars were made anymore. If they were, they certainly weren’t popular. But none of that mattered. Jack, Will, and Tammy were relying on her to get the truck moving and that is exactly what she planned to do.

Mashing both of the left-most pedals to the ground, she turned the ignition key and listened as the starter whined somewhere underneath her. Then, with a cough of smoke and a shake the engine roared to life, sputtering and chugging. With a huge grin, Sam released the pedals. Not behaving as expected, the truck surged forward several inches before dying. Sam released the steering wheel and mashed the pedals before she turned the key again. Ole Bessy roared back to life, more quickly this time, and again Sam released the pedals and held the steering wheel so tightly both hands showed white knuckles. As before, Bessy leaped, sputtered, and died. She didn’t know what she was doing. Jack’s plan was doomed to fail.

* * * * *

Will’s head hurt. His tummy was growling. And he now had a scraped knee to add to the list. If that were not enough, Sam was jerking them around like a pair of rag dolls, and they were going nowhere fast.

“What are you doing, Sam?” Will demanded, perhaps a bit too harshly.

“I don’t know how to drive this,” she replied, with tears in her eyes and defeat in her voice.

“I do!” Will yelled.

“How on earth would you know how?” Sam asked in disbelief.

“Grandpa used to let me sit on his lap and shift and steer while he worked the pedals.”

Without even awaiting an answer, Will slid towards his sister across the old burgundy vinyl seat. Crawling atop her lap, he situated himself as he reached up to the dash and pulled the knob that turned on the headlights.

“Push the far left pedal and start it up,” Will ordered, and watched as Sam complied.

Reaching over to the shifter, Will pulled it towards him and felt it give. Then, pushing it towards the front of the truck he again pulled it towards his leg and felt it seat into place.

“OK, now release the left pedal and at the same time give it a little gas.”

Will felt Sam’s legs shift beneath him, and he clutched the steering wheel, hearing the engine roar as he prepared for the worse. Again the truck leapt forward as the tires chirped on the concrete below but rolled to a stop just ten feet ahead, the engine falling silent once more.

“We have to do it again, Sam. This time release the left pedal more slowly and give it a little less gas.”

Outside, people were moving towards them in the headlights, and the insect things were beginning to take notice as well. Sam started the truck again and this time she operated the pedals more smoothly as the truck began to roll ahead. Turning the wheel, Will turned them towards their intended exit and away from the approaching people who now fended off the invaders. Gaining speed, Will strained his eyes ahead, guiding them across the smooth concrete that had once been a runway. Here and there people moved out of their path and for that he was thankful. Then he heard the first shout.

“Stop them,” a voice screamed from somewhere behind.

Will recognized the voice, it was Dr. Darvski. He had already gotten free. Looking out ahead of the truck and out the driver’s window, Will saw several people turn to look behind them as the man shouted orders. Within seconds there would be a mob looking to stop the truck. Time was running out.

“Sam. More gas.”

The truck sped forward, its gears whining, unable to go any faster.

“I have to shift, push down the left pedal again.”

The engine roared, unconstrained as the clutch was pressed. Will pushed the shifter free of first gear and slid it back towards the seat before shoving it towards the passenger door.

“OK, let off the left pedal and a bit less gas too.”

The truck jerked forward and felt as if it would stall, slowing as both Will and Sam were rocked back and forth. Will had somehow passed second gear and went straight to fourth. He yanked the lever back towards him, and the sputtering engine came back to life.

“Left pedal again, Sam.”

He moved the lever forward again and pushed it towards the passenger side.

“OK, let off and give her some gas.”

Bessy hesitated, but began to increase in speed again. Will let loose the shifter and put both hands on the wheel. All he could do now was hold on and pray Jack and Tammy had gotten the danged cart out of the way. If not, this was going to get an awful lot more like a video game than an attempt at escape.

As ole Bessy sped across the concrete, Will brought them around in an effort to locate just where the opening should have been. Peering out though the dim lights it seemed the attack was winding down, but people were now running towards them. Ahead, he could see Jack and Tammy just approaching the cart. They needed more time. Will yanked hard on the steering wheel.

Turning them around, he raced the truck away from the outer wall of the camp as people of various age and size began to dive out of the way ahead of him and give chase behind.

“What are you doing?” Sam cried.

“Jack and Tammy don’t have it open yet.”

Sam didn’t respond back, she simply let him drive, which would have been really odd in other circumstances. Will couldn’t help but smile, even if things weren’t looking good. Leading the chasers to one side of the compound, Will cranked the wheel again and brought them around. Again he crossed the expanse of the compound, gaining yet more distance from those who gave pursuit. The chase was over. It was time to get out of here.

* * * * *

Tammy and Jack pushed with all their might. They were not able to find anything beneath the wheels of the cart, and found nothing that looked like brakes either, but the thing refused to move. All she could figure, is that the thing was just too heavy for them to push. Leaning to put her shoulder into the cart, Tammy prepared to strain herself yet again.

“One. Two Three. Push,” Jack said.

Together they pushed as hard as they could, but the long trailer laden with pallets and barrels, laced with barbed wire and razor wire, simply wouldn’t move.

“Again. One. Two. Three…”

Again Tammy strained her legs and back pressing against the cart and felt it roll, perhaps an inch, before it then rolled back into place despite their efforts. She knew that trying this over and over would get them nowhere, and yet looking around she couldn’t see any alternative.

“One. Two. Three…”

Tammy shoved again, and again the trailer rolled an inch, and pressing harder still to prevent it from rolling back it moved another inch, and then another, but she was spent. She had given it her all and she was already exhausted. She couldn’t push any harder and if she let go she knew it would just roll right back. Then the cart moved again.

Looking to Jack, as the cart rolled slowly but steadily forward, she found that he too was looking back at her with wide eyes filled with disbelief. But then, she realized that he wasn’t looking at her, he was looking past her.

Rolling her back against the cart to continue pushing, she looked opposite of Jack and found something she had not anticipated. There, directly beside her was a man with three long fingers on each hand pushing and shoving along with them, an odd smile on his face. She recognized him as the man Jack had freed. Together all three of them pushed, and the cart continued to roll as light trained across the concrete to fall directly upon them. It was Bessy.