Riposte (The Redivivus Trilogy Book 2) (37 page)

Reams heard him mumble something that he could not make out.

Although muttered under his breath, John thought he understood the strange man’s words.

“What did he just say?” Reams asked, a puzzled look on his face.

John stood with a bemused smile, thinking that he had not told the old man that he was a doctor. He paused before saying, “I’m not entirely certain, and I don’t think I could explain it if I was.”

Reams seemed to accept his answer because he did not question further, as the three turned and walked back to the truck.

Driving along the route marked by the enigmatic old man, Reams was surprised by how few revs they encountered. Each of them had been quietly dreading this last part of their journey, knowing that Atlanta’s high population density meant they were likely to face an ungodly number of infected. While they were certainly out there, scattered amongst the wreckage of a fallen civilization, they were never in numbers large enough to pose an unmanageable threat. It just seemed too easy, a fact that caused Reams to fix John with a look of apprehension to which he had no answer. John was merely thankful they had finally caught a small break.

As they passed Hartsfield International Airport on Atlanta’s south side, John was awestruck by the devastation he saw. While the fence around the airport was intact on their side, the grounds within teemed with the infected. They pressed in toward the terminal buildings leading John to wonder if there were survivors inside.
Could Lin be trapped in there?
If so, he could not see how anyone would be able to help them escape the besieging horde of revs that numbered in the thousands.

Like a crumb of food being swarmed by a colony of ants, the wreckage of a small jet on the tarmac was almost completely covered by the infected. Its tail fin jutted out of the seething mass of bodies near the main terminal building. A short distance away, the top of the air traffic control tower lay on its side atop the Boeing 767 that had collided with it. None of them had seen destruction on that scale, and it forced them to accept the sobering reality of how bad the large cities likely fared during the outbreak.

After a minute, John forced himself to look away. The sight of the chaos at the airport made him seriously question whether Lin was still alive or if she ever made it to the city. He had no idea when the airport was destroyed or if the facility had even been part of Lin’s travel plans. If it was, he only prayed she got out before the airport fell.

Bearing witness to the death and destruction that only intensified as they moved deeper into Atlanta caused what little hope John had left to dwindle considerably. Troubled by all that he had witnessed at the airport, John was happy to focus his attention on the map while Reams drove. Still, he could not help but think about something the old man had said.
“You are bound to see things that will make you question your decision.”

With his doubt about their chances of reaching the CDC at an all-time high, John could not agree more. He felt like all he had done was question his decision from the moment he made it, but never more than in that instant. Even so, they covered what they expected to be the worst fifteen miles of the trip with comparatively little difficulty following the route the strange man had indicated. John decided to trust the old man he neither knew nor understood; he had not steered him wrong so far.

Driving north along Briarcliff Road, Reams suddenly jammed on the brakes. John’s head shot up, and he immediately saw the reason for Reams’ action. An enormous group of revs filled the road less than one hundred yards ahead, barely contained by a barricade that looked woefully inadequate to hold back such a large number. He imagined the only reason the barricade had not already collapsed was that nothing had caused the revs to surge against the flimsy chain link and sandbag barrier. If they did, the obstacle would do little but slow them down.

“Holy shit,” Reams said.

John’s head sagged at the sight of the revs jostling to be closest to the chain link fence and the prey they sensed on the other side. Although he had not said anything, John had secretly worried their good fortune would not hold out. Reams scanned the area around them, looking for any way around the infected swarm.

The barricade was strategically placed at a point where the road crossed a large creek. While this certainly made the meager barricade more defensible, it also left them with no apparent options going forward. Crestfallen, they stared at the insurmountable group of revs standing between them and their goal. None of them noticed when the fence began to buckle under the weight of the horde that had clearly taken notice of their presence.

In his despair, John was unaware that Kate had removed the map from his lap. When her frantic voice called from the back seat, he barely heard it.

“Reams, back up! Emory Road should be about fifty yards back on the right. It won’t take us all the way there, but it will get us to within less than a mile by foot. Hopefully the creek has kept the number of infected in the area to a minimum, and the barricade might slow the others enough to buy us some time. Aside from pushing straight through the horde or taking a major detour, I don’t see any other good options,” Kate said.

Reams had the truck in reverse before Kate finished talking. The road was there just as Kate had said, and he followed it until it began to curve away from the CDC campus. Reams slammed on the brakes and threw the truck into park. No sooner than they stepped out of the Hummer, the clattering sound of the fence collapsing and the chain link being trampled under countless shuffling feet echoed through the distance. None of them were surprised to hear the proof of the barricade’s impotence.

Moving quickly, they each gathered what they could carry and set off into the woods. They encountered a few revs scattered amongst the trees, but there was enough space between them to make most fairly easy to avoid. Those they could not, they dispatched without trouble. After nearly a quarter mile of slow jogging, Kate saw the creek snaking through the forest ahead.

Coming to a stop at the edge of the bank, Kate stared down at the tangle of revs standing in the chest deep water. Others protruded from the steep, muddy walls as if they had been carried downstream after a heavy rain only to be buried as the water receded. Glancing in both directions, she saw that the rest of the creek was alive with movement as well.
I guess we know why there aren’t many infected in the forest…

Kate noticed a section of the creek that appeared to be free of revs, and considered crossing there. When she saw the way the water churned in the area, however, she reconsidered the wisdom of going into the water at all.
I’m guessing that’s not a turtle. Can revs swim?
The thought of plunging into the murky water only to be taken down by a submerged rev sent an icy chill through her body. In the distance, beyond John and Reams’ heavy breathing, Kate thought she heard the faint groans of the horde in the woods behind them.

John and Reams must have heard them as well, because they put on a burst of speed as they neared Kate’s location. She whirled, signaling for them to slow down, as she was unsure if either man saw the creek.

John slowed immediately. Whether Reams did not notice her signal or merely because of the physics governing his momentum, he continued charging ahead. As if finally seeing the creek at the last second, he came to a screeching halt, teetering on the edge of the ravine.
“Son of a…
” was all Reams managed say between gasping breaths. He felt as though his heart might explode in his chest as he stared wide-eyed at the hungry maws and reaching hands waiting below.

“How are we going to cross? I think there are revs submerged in the water,” Kate said with a note of panic creeping into her voice. Desperately looking for a way out, they searched in every direction but behind them; none of them ready to acknowledge the horde relentlessly pressing toward them.

Less than thirty yards away, John saw something that filled him with a renewed sense of hope. “Quick, follow me. I have an idea,” John said as he raced along the bank. The infected below cried out in succession as if they were sports fans doing the wave as the three passed.

Reaching the spot, John used a long branch to snag the thick rope hanging from a sturdy branch jutting out over the creek below. With the realization of what John had in mind, Reams immediately began to protest. “No way! There’s no way my big ass is gonna swing out over that creek,” Reams said as he stared at the infected below that seemed to be goading him to give it a shot.

“Reams, what other choice do we have?” John pleaded. “You can hear them as well as I can. They will be on us any minute now, and there are too many to fight. We’ll be forced into the creek.” John saw that Reams knew he was right, despite the fact that the big man was shaking his head.

All Reams could see was the branch snapping under his substantial weight, with him suspended over the little river of death running below. When he hit the muddy bottom, he would sink so deep that all he would be able to do would be wait for the painfully slow revs to squirm and wriggle their way toward him as he watched their agonizing progress.

His terrifying vision was interrupted by the creak of the rope against the tree branch as Kate swung out over the fifteen-foot ravine like Jane of the Jungle. She landed with a thud.

The rope sailed back across to John’s waiting hand. “Reams?” he said, as much a question as anything else.

With a sigh, Reams said, “John, that old ass rope probably doesn’t have the strength to support me.”

“Only one way to find out,” John said, and forced a smile.

With the sound of the approaching horde increasing in the distance, Reams said, “Okay, but you first.”

John gave him an appraising look before slinging his rifle, grabbing the rope, and sailing across to the other side.

As the rope swung back, Reams thought he heard it let out a groan of protest over what was about to happen. “You and me both,” he said, as he snatched the rope out of the air. He looked at it with pleading in his eyes, and muttered, “All right, rope. Get me across this one time, and I swear I’ll never be back.” Knowing he would talk himself out of it if he waited any longer, Reams bounded forward, whizzing through the air over the rev’s outstretched arms.

John watched the thick branch bend under the weight as Reams passed the midpoint of his swing. As he began the upswing toward their side of the creek, John watched in horror as the tree branch snapped straight as it was suddenly relieved of all the weight. It took a moment for John to register that the rope was no longer attached. Looking to the spot where he expected to see Reams hurtling toward them, John saw only thin air and the frayed end of a rope disappearing into the creek below.

Having backed away from the edge of the bank to make room for what they anticipated would be a hard landing, both John and Kate raced forward. When they looked down into the creek bed, all they saw was a clump of infected fighting over the end of the rope. Reams was nowhere in sight. Not caring if she called every infected within earshot down upon them, Kate screamed, “Reams!”

Momentarily confused, the revs in the creek turned to investigate the sound coming from above. Just as Kate was about let loose with another cry, a voice called out from outside her field of vision:

“Do you have to let every damn one of them know we’re here?” Reams barked.

Moving closer to the edge, John and Kate saw Reams clinging to the steep, slippery bank a few feet above the water level. While the closest revs were hopelessly mired in the creek’s muddy floor, several others slogged through the turbid water making it look as though a feeding frenzy of hungry piranhas approached. They were still ten feet away but steadily advancing on the floundering man.

The lead rev had been a young female, and it moved a little easier presumably because of its smaller stature. Its right ear was attached only at the earlobe, and it swung wildly with every step like a ridiculously long earring. It wore the threadbare remains of a long-sleeved blouse, the left sleeve torn away completely. Stained a bloody red, nearly the entire humerus bone was exposed where the skin and muscle had been gnawed away. The arm swung lifelessly as its side, like a counterweight to the dangling ear.

As the revs struggled, their groans sounded like grunts of exertion that were no less unsettling. In addition, the sound of sloshing water drew the attention of other revs nearby. Digging his heels in, Reams clung to an exposed tree root above him. Although he was stable for the time being, he knew he was in a bad spot. Any sudden movement could send him crashing into the water that churned menacingly as if something wicked awaited him just beneath the surface.

Cautiously, he shifted his weight to the root, hoping to free his feet to climb. This seemed to work until he transferred his weight back to his feet, which sent him sliding even closer to the water’s surface. Poised like a cat, he barely breathed for fear even that might cause his precarious perch to crumble entirely. Steeling his nerves, he readied himself to fight with tooth and nail.

Clink…clink. Clink.

Out of the corner of his eye, Reams saw the dark red blood mist fill the air as the top of the closest rev’s skull exploded. He heard a sound like that of a brick being dropped into the water as it crumpled into a lifeless heap. The second rev joined the first, giving the appearance of a small oil spill in the muddy water.