The Tide: Deadrise (21 page)

It plunged into the water just behind the Zodiac. A wave crashed over the stern of the craft and soaked the Hunters. The river swallowed the Goliath. One massive fist reached up out of the current. But its claws soon disappeared into the murky water.

As they left Mount Vernon behind, Rick’s screams followed them. Tied next to the wharf, he stood no chance against the onslaught of Skulls. The monsters tore into him with claws as sharp and crooked as those he’d once used as garish jewelry. His reign of terror was over, but Dom wondered how many others were out there like them, taking advantage of other humans, helping the Oni Agent destroy humanity.

Kara watched, unblinking, as he disappeared under the writhing monsters. It took Dom a moment to realize why the look on her face, hard and haunted, was so familiar. He’d seen it in the mirror and in the faces of his Hunters after an op gone bad.

“What now, Chief?” Miguel asked.

Dom paused for a beat. Truthfully, he didn’t have a plan. Just a goal: take back the
Huntress
. As it stood, they were completely unprepared to regain control of the ship. “Let’s find somewhere to rest. Figure out our next course of action.”

“You got it.” The wind whipped over the Hunter’s face, tousling his dark hair, as he steered the Zodiac.

Around another bend, Dom spotted a house overlooking the water. The house had expansive glass windows and a small pier that would be perfect for docking the Zodiac. But the sight of those enormous windows dissuaded Dom. If they were going to hide somewhere, he wanted actual shelter. He didn’t want to be on display to the Skulls—or any wandering humans—like a fish in an aquarium.

“Keep moving,” Dom said.

Next, they saw a line of smaller houses along the bank. Dom figured it would be too risky to camp out in an area that had been heavily populated before the outbreak. Too many people to turn into Skulls. They rounded another bend. There, a lone house rose above the river. Its windows were large, but heavy curtains obscured whatever lay inside. Dom estimated it to have at least four bedrooms. There was a gravel path leading to an empty dock. No vehicles were parked in the long driveway.

“There,” Dom said.

Miguel directed the boat toward the dock. Renee hopped out once they reached it and secured the mooring lines on the pilings.

“Before we unload our gear, I want the house cleared. I’ll stay here with Spencer, the girls, and Navid. The rest of you, make a sweep.”

The Hunters loaded their weapons and grabbed a few extra magazines. They were well-trained and moved fluidly, but Dom could tell by the looks on their faces and their uncharacteristic silence on the journey here that they were exhausted. He prayed the house was clear. They needed to recover from the battles with the Skulls and marauders. Sleep and food would do them a world of good. He waited with an arm wrapped around each of his daughters and his SCAR-H at his feet. Maggie was licking Navid’s face. He seemed not to mind as the dog tended to his wounds.

After almost ten minutes, a voice crackled over the comm link. “We’re clear,” Meredith said.

The Hunters returned to the boat, grabbed their packs, and marched back into the house. The group dropped their bags near the door and began exploring their temporary shelter. They had entered a large living area with a long couch. Other loveseats and armchairs were scattered next to a wall filled with shelves of books. Miguel walked over to the stove. “Gas,” he said. He flicked it on. The pilot light was out so it didn’t ignite, but the hiss of gas was evident. He rummaged through drawers and drew out a set of matches, lit one, and then held it near the burner. A small circle of blue fire formed around it. “Anybody up for some chow?”

There was a chorus of cheers, and Miguel started scrounging through the cabinets for any canned food. The place had not been ransacked, and he discovered several cans of soup, beans, and vegetables. He combined them into a stew that wouldn’t even make it into a Michelin-rated restaurant’s dumpster, but it didn’t matter. The food was hot and nourishing. They demolished the meal with only a few slurps to break the silence.

“Everyone get some sleep,” Dom said. “Plenty of bedrooms upstairs, so take your pick. I’ll do first shift on guard duty.”

The group seemed reluctant to head up the stairs.

“I think I’m going to grab a mattress and bring it down here,” Renee said after a moment.

“Safer if we stick together,” Spencer said.

Soon enough the living room floor was covered in cushions and mattresses. Sadie snuggled with Maggie, and the Hunters took up the rest of the makeshift beds. It wasn’t long before snores filled the room like sawblades.

Kara joined her dad as he sat on the porch. “Can’t sleep,” she said in answer to his raised brow.

“You want to talk?” he asked.

She was silent for a moment. “No, not really.”

He put one arm over her shoulder and brought her close. There were so many things he wanted to say. Mostly, he wanted to apologize. He’d dragged his daughters into this mess when he took them aboard the
Huntress
. He’d thought he could protect them. He cursed his own arrogance. Kara, Sadie, and Maggie should be at Kent with the other survivors where they could enjoy fresh air and the company of other kids. It was probably the most normal life possible during the end-times. The little towns on the island were still intact, and the people there had been nothing but fiercely generous and determined to hold out against the Skulls. He pictured the rescued midshipmen he’d left there, Rachel and Rory. They, too, had selflessly defended civilians at the Naval Academy and now lent their services to protecting Kent.

What was he thinking of, bringing the girls aboard a ship made for war? Did he think they’d really be safer on the open seas? The world’s oceans were nothing more than a wet desert. Water you couldn’t drink. No oasis in sight for hundreds of miles. And endless enemies, both domestic and international, to be fought.

The soft, rhythmic breathing of sleep drifted from Kara now. Her eyes were closed, her face softened and younger looking. She’d already been an independent young woman when she’d started college, but the events of the past weeks had shifted her transition to adulthood into overdrive. He saw traits of himself in her, for better or worse. The wrought-iron willpower and unwavering loyalty to friends and family. The overwhelming desire to help those who could not help themselves, even at the risk of her own life. Dom had always thought it was noble to sacrifice himself for his own crew, but when Kara did it, he felt angry and panicked.

Thankfully Kara was like her mother, too. Compassionate and curious. A deeply creative, intellectual side that boded well for her survival in a world where the laws of nature and man had bent toward the unexpected and unpredictable.

Watching her small frame curled against his barrel of a chest, he knew he’d never quite see her as an independent woman the way he did Meredith or Jenna or Renee. He’d never say it aloud, but she and Sadie would be his little girls until the day he died. And he’d be damned if that day came before he ended the Oni Agent plague.

There was no clear path forward. No map leading to the cure or whoever had truly caused this mess. Those tasks loomed before Dom like a brick wall the size of Everest. Most sane men would probably give up. But Dom reminded himself to focus on the next step. Find a handhold in that seemingly insurmountable wall and grab on. Then find the next one. He jumped when a hand tapped him on the shoulder. Kara opened her eyes and jolted upright.

“Sorry to disturb you, Captain,” Renee said. “Thought I’d relieve you of guard duty.”

As Kara settled back in to sleep, Dom shook his head. “No worries. I can stay on watch an hour or so longer. I need time to think.”

***

S
hepherd felt the heat of a sunburn on his face. He tried to shade himself with a hat, but the sun glinted off the waves and toasted his skin even after he wrapped an extra shirt over his face like a shemagh scarf. Practicality and survival had become more important than decorum.

The waves grew choppy as the wind beat against their small sailboat. Dark rings had formed under Rachel and Rory’s eyes. Rachel’s fingers would tremble if she held still too long, and Shepherd could practically see the weight dragging Rory’s eyelids down. He had asked the midshipmen if they wanted to rest, but they’d given him a vehement no. They wouldn’t sleep until they reached Kent. Each time they passed a new civilian ship on the water, they tried to spread the word about Kent Island. More people than he’d expected had taken to the sea to escape the Skulls on land. Many of them promised they would check it out if they felt they couldn’t survive the open water any longer. Some waved them off with trite dismissals and others with loaded firearms. And on several boats, there was no sign of life at all.

An unspoken excitement seemed to buoy their moods as they neared Kent. Soon they’d be safe on dry land again. Shepherd could use Rachel’s radio to contact Captain Holland’s ship and warn them of Kinsey’s suspicions. He’d also contact someone at Fort Detrick to see how they’d fared. From there, he could figure out his next steps.

Something glinted on the horizon. Several somethings.

Shepherd pulled a pair of binoculars from one of the bags and held them to his eyes.

“Ships,” he said, adjusting the focus.

“Coast Guard, it looks like. What are they doing?”

“Headed to Kent?” Rory offered hopefully.

“Not sure, but I think they’re anchored. I see a few Coast Guard ships surrounding a single gray one. Weird hull on that one, not a ship I’ve seen before.”

“What?” Rachel said. “Can I see?”

Shepherd handed her the binos. She scanned the horizon and then froze. “I think that’s...Rory, check this out. I want you to look before I say anything.”

She passed the binos to the other midshipman. “That’s the
Huntress
!” Rory said.

“I thought so.” Rachel brushed her hair back from her face. “There’s no mistaking that Visby-class corvette anywhere.”

“Yeah, you can say that again,” Rory said. “Why do you think Dom’s mustered the Coast Guard?”

“I’m not sure Dom mustered anybody.” Shepherd took the binos back and scanned the
Huntress
as they approached. Several men and women moved above decks on the
Huntress
with guns at the ready as if they expected a fight. “If I were to guess, they’ve got the
Huntress
in their custody.”

Rachel buried her face in her hands and let out a long sigh. “We’re too late. We didn’t even get a chance to warn Captain Holland. Kinsey got to him first.”

“What do we do now?” Rory said.

Shepherd shook his head. “We still go to Kent. We have no idea what’s going on, and we won’t know anything until we actually do our due diligence.”

“We should avoid the Coast Guard,” Rachel said. “I mean, what if they’re looking for us?”

“Agreed. Rory, take us closer to the western shore. I want to give them as wide a berth as possible.”

“Yes, sir,” Rory said, manning the tiller again.

“Rachel, tell me about that radio Captain Holland gave you.”

“One line goes directly to their electronics workshop. Another reaches their medical bay. And the emergency line goes to the Hunters’ open channel comm links.”

“Okay, good,” Shepherd said. He settled into a seat near Rory, and Rachel joined them. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We get back to Kent. Those men who took you before might be looking for you again. So we sneak into your quarters, grab the radio, and lay low. If—and this is a big if—the ship’s being controlled by Kinsey’s people, calling the electronics workshop isn’t our best move. Probably not great to call the medical bay either.”

“But the open channel comm links...” Rachel said, catching on.

“Exactly. We’re throwing a Hail Mary, but if the Hunters are able, they’ll respond.”

“Seems like it’s worth trying,” Rachel said.

“Worst case scenario, we get no response,” Shepherd said. “But we need to make it our mission to contact a Hunter, any Hunter, because if we don’t...well, we’re running out of allies.”

––––––––

W
hen Kara woke, the Hunters were already crowded around the dining room table, speaking in hushed voices. At some point during her nap, Dom must have carried her inside, because she was now snuggled next to Sadie and Maggie. Navid lay on a nearby sofa. She felt as if she had been relegated to the children’s table at their family’s Thanksgiving dinner. She wanted to be part of the plan. She could wield a gun, she knew her way around the Skulls,
and
she wasn’t injured like Spencer.

Huffing, she stood and marched to the table. Meredith gave her a nod of acknowledgment. Her father used his smartwatch to project a map of the Potomac on the dining room wall and pointed out various locations along the winding river. “We might find another craft here or at least refuel,” Dom said. “The Zodiac isn’t going to make it all the way to the
Huntress
, assuming it’s even still anchored in the Chesapeake.”

The other Hunters offered suggestions regarding the safest marinas along their course. Kara realized there wasn’t much she could offer, but she listened anyway.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Kara said abruptly. “But can we do something about Adam? I know we don’t have a body, but we should pay our respects somehow.”

Renee bobbed her head. “She’s right, Captain.”

Dom’s lips thinned, but he nodded his agreement. “Let’s take thirty. We can at least organize a small ceremony.”

“Can I...can I take the lead on this?” Kara asked. “I didn’t know him as well as you all, but he saved me and my sister more times than I can count. I owe him something, you know?”

“Go ahead,” Dom said.

The other Hunters stood and stretched, leaving the dining room. Kara roused Sadie and Navid. Maggie woke up too as they stirred. She told them her plan, and they followed Kara outside.

They trudged to the riverbank. She chose stones that had been polished by the tossing currents, and Navid helped her carry load after load up the pathway to the steep yard overlooking the river. There, she and Navid arranged the stones.