Age of Z: A Tale of Survival (15 page)

“What'd he find?” Alexa asked, barely daring to breathe or risk missing the answer.

“He
thinks
,” Blake stressed the word heavily, “that there might be living people in the Saint Francois Mountain range. Possibly around the Taum Sauk peak, but it's hard to say. He reports having seen smoke once, and signs of human life. He also stressed that he decided to steer clear of the area, just in case.”

Alexa nodded grimly. As a practiced solo traveler, unless she had a reason to inspect the settlement, she would have done the same thing: approached cautiously, or avoided it altogether. Just because there were no zoms did not mean the people were safe. There were roving bands of thieves and brigands these days that largely survived by killing and stealing from their fellow humans.

It was not unheard of for smaller settlements with relatively low numbers of people to simply be overtaken, and the thieves to move right on in. it was also not unheard of for wayward travelers to approach these dangerous settlements and never leave them again.

It sounded dangerous... but it was also a lead. She hadn't had a lead in months, not since she checked out that settlement in Florida, only to discover it had been completely eradicated. She'd even checked the bodies that remained there, terrified every time she turned over a corpse, but she'd recognized no one, and had obtained no answers ever since.

Casey frowned at the news. “How is it possible that nobody would even know these people are here?”

“Easier than you might think,” Blake said with a shrug. “We're talking a lot of square miles and elevation, and Missouri is the 'cave state' for a reason; there's hundreds of places in the mountain range where people could hide. The mountains have running water and game for hunting, and with a little ingenuity they could get gardens growing as well. A small group could be fully self-sustaining and remain isolated from any other forms of society for years, if they had to.”

“That range is barely three hundred miles from where we lived!” Alexa said excitedly. Things were sounding more plausible by the minute. “They could have gotten there, in the outbreak–dad used to go camping all the time, he'd know about it, I'm sure–this is perfect! They've got to be there, they have to be–”

“Alexa!”

Alexa froze in the middle of her rambling to glance up at her friend. Blake was staring at her with a very serious expression on his face, and said sternly, but not unkindly, “You need to deal with this realistically. I hope they're there, I really do, but don't take stupid risks. There's a very high probability that they aren't and this is a dangerous area.”

“I know. I know, okay? But I still have to look. I have to try. I can't just not.” Alexa clenched her fists on her knees, determined now that she finally had a goal again.

“I know that,” Blake told her, very patiently, “But that's not going to stop me from worrying, got it? I'm getting sick of watching people I know die, Alexa, I just want to look out for you.” His expression flickered for just a moment, looking bitter and sad and far too old for his face, but when he spoke again it was more serious.

“Just keep the important things in mind, okay? Even if this camp is there, searching the mountains won't be easy–that's a lot of space to cover, and it's a long trip to get there. Don't get yourself stuck out there in mid-winter. And that's not even taking into account the journey there–you know that central U.S. is still crawling with high concentrations of dead heads. Take things slow, think things out, and don't die.”

Alexa offered him a weak smile again. “You don't have to tell me to be careful, Blake.”

“I know I don't. I am anyway.” Blake gave her a firm look. “You still going to go?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Alexa snorted. “I'll need to spend tomorrow resupplying, but I need to get out of here as fast as I can. Still need to beat the weather. If I'm lucky I can make it to the colony closest to the mountains before winter–”

“Uh-uh.” Blake shook his head firmly at the both of them. “You're not going anywhere for a week. According to my satellite hacks we've got a large number of big thunderstorms heading our way. You're holing up here until they've passed and I give you the okay.”

“Oh, come on, Blake–”

“Don't
come on
me. Getting stuck out in a storm like that is a potential death sentence. You know that,” Blake told her, with an accusing edge to his voice. “You've got shelter, so you're staying here until I say otherwise. Don't forget–you can't get out of here without my permission. Lewis's security protocols are a lot better than they used to be–you try to leave, I'll know it.”

Casey raised an eyebrow at that. Until now he'd been silent, watching the back and forth between the two. But when Alexa spluttered indignantly at Blake's outright order, the clone said challengingly, “Oh yeah? And what are you going to do when you know, huh? Watch her walk away?”

Blake's expression changed, becoming a wicked smile, but there was just a touch of a hard edge to his eyes–enough to know he wasn't playing around. “I've still got a jail here, you know. Most of the cells have been converted to dorms by now, but I've still got ways to make sure you don't wander out and kill yourself.”

“You wouldn't–”

“I would, and you know it,” Blake said. “Not gonna let you risk your life, sorry. Or, you can agree to behave yourself and stay here with me for the week, instead. I'll make sure you get as fully resupplied as possible and send you on your way when I say it's safe.”

There was a tense moment of silence, but then Alexa laughed softly, and the weak smile returned to her face. “I'm always rushing ahead, aren't I?”

“Wouldn't be the first time. You can see why I get worried,” Blake said, but he, too, was smirking a little. Casey looked back and forth between them, not getting the joke and looking rather confused again. “So. You gonna stay?”

“Sure. We could use the break, I guess. Been going non-stop for a while,” Alexa said, settling back into the couch again. She felt... relieved. Even if she was being forced to wait a week, she had a new objective, a new course to act upon. There was hope again. And that put her more at ease than she'd felt in a long time.

Chapter 8

Blake looked about to inquire further into their travels, but the door cracked open again, and Lewis stepped back through. There was a basket in his hands that he dumped unceremoniously in Alexa's lap, before striding back over to the wall closest to Blake, once again leaning back against it watchfully.

“I picked up dinner rations,” he explained flatly, as Alexa, stunned, began pawing through the basket. “Most of it is for
Blake
,” he added in a warning tone.

“S'fine, I don't mind sharing,” the young leader said brightly. “Not feeling all that hungry right now, anyway. Too much on my mind.”

Lewis did not look happy to hear that, but didn't comment on it for the moment. Instead, he said quietly, “I changed the guard shifts around tonight. I'm on duty here, in the complex itself. The closest guards are down by the gate. They are all trustworthy and are under orders to not approach unless there's an absolute emergency. We're secure.”

“Great! Then we can get down to real bus–is this milk? I haven't had milk in ages,” Alexa interrupted herself, pulling the bottle free from the basket. Cows were hard to come by out in the wilderness after all. “And cheese? And fresh bread? Geez, Blake eats like a king, huh, LS?”

Alexa calmly tore off some of the bread for herself, and handed another big chunk to her still confused-looking traveling companion. Both Blake and Lewis looked confused as they eyed Casey with new interest, and Blake mouthed slowly,
LS
?

Alexa grinned at him, swallowed a bite of her bread, and then said, “Guess we should do some re-introductions... guys, allow me to introduce the one and only LS dash thirty-two, likely product of the Liberty Project.” And she gestured with a dramatic, over-the-top flourish at Casey, who gave Alexa a partly surprised, partly exasperated look.

For a moment, neither Blake nor Lewis said anything at all. They just stared at Casey, Lewis with the same studying expression as before, and Blake with his head cocked slightly to the side, as if trying to figure out a puzzle. Just as before, Casey tensed under the scrutiny, although he seemed a little less uncomfortable than last time, probably because he was now familiar with the people observing him.

But after a minute Blake finally broke the silence. “I thought you seemed a little odd,” he told Casey slowly, “but I get that feeling a lot these days, with all the eccentrics through here... But you're...”

“No reason to jump to conclusions,” Lewis said flatly. “He could just be crazy.”

Casey ground his teeth so hard Alexa could hear it, and said slowly, “No, I'm not. I'm a clone.” And a bit coldly, to Alexa, “Why are you telling them this?”

Lewis did not appeared appeased, by this explanation. “I'm still not buying it,” he said bluntly. “A
clone
? Maybe a few years ago I'd have humored that story. Now?” He snorted, and then his eyes narrowed. “So what is it you're really here for?”

Casey's eyes narrowed right back, and he looked ready to fight again. Alexa reached over hastily and put a hand on his shoulder to keep him still, and grimaced slightly at how tense the clone's muscles felt under her hand.

“Trust me on this, Lewis,” Alexa said slowly, coming to her friend's defense. “I know it sounds really crazy, but it's real. If you'd seen some of the things I've seen LS here do, you'd believe me. Unless
you
can pick up entire motorcycles and throw them at zoms?”

Lewis's look softened just a tad, eyes flickering with hesitation, and Alexa pounced on it, voice serious. “He's saved my life loads of times. Lots of times using abilities he couldn't fake. You know I wouldn't lie about this. I meant what I said earlier, I trust him with my back. He's good.”

Lewis took a deep breath, and seemed to grimace a little. After a moment, though, he turned his head to the side and muttered, “Sorry...
Casey
. Just... can't be too careful, these days.” he wasn't looking at the clone when he said it, and Alexa barely kept from smirking; Lewis was almost as bad as Casey was when it came to apologizing.

Casey was glaring daggers at Lewis's head, but after a moment, sat back again in the couch and muttered, “It's fine. I get it.”

“Well,” Blake said, cutting through the tension with just a tad too much energy to be natural, “Now that that's out of the way...”

“Right,” Alexa said, catching the cue. “LS, to answer your question from earlier, we're telling them this because they've found stuff before and can probably help.”

Casey still looked a little irritated at the lack of an actual answer, but after a moment his eyes widened, and Alexa could tell he was putting the pieces together. “Found... hacker...” His eyes flicked to Blake, and he said flatly, “You've found out about other genetic projects.”

“Bingo,” Blake drawled, but he was grinning at the same time.

Casey smirked faintly, before his gaze swapped to Lewis. “What do you have to do with it though?” he asked bluntly.

Alexa winced, expecting it to start another tense argument, but Lewis only shrugged. “Not much,” he said. “But any family I may have is still in on the West Coast, so if this is going to involve Blake it's going to involve me.”

Casey looked thoughtful, but after a moment the clone nodded. “How did you end up here on the East Coast?”

For a moment Lewis looked pained, and his eyes had a very far-away expression, like he was looking into the past. When he spoke, his voice was flat and emotionless, as distant as he could possibly make it.

“I was nineteen when Z-day hit. It got messy fast, so my dad forbade me from getting too heavily involved. I tried to help anyway, but we ended up getting split up in all the mess. By the time I realized what was going on it was too late; the cities were already pretty much overrun. I didn't want to give up though. So I started heading east.”

Lewis snorted and shook his head. “Then I met this crazy kid out here coming up with the most insane plan I'd ever heard of... taking over an island and turning it into an impenetrable fortress. I figured, if this brat can think up a lunatic plan like that–”

“Hey!”

“–then I could at least lend him my strength to get it done. So I stuck around. Been helping with security ever since... and keeping an eye on him, since he won't do it himself.” Lewis shot another dirty look at Blake.

“And... your dad?” Casey asked slowly.

“What about him?”

Casey frowned. “Don't you want to know what happened to him? Try to contact him?”

“He's smart, when he wants to be,” Lewis said. “He could've survived, maybe. But I'm a realist if nothing else. He's probably dead.” He sounded dead too, when he said it.

Blake looked pained. “We don't know that, Lewis,” he said. His words were optimistic, but his voice sounded a bit strained. “There are any number of reasons he might not have gotten in contact. There's no way for him to know you're over on the East Coast. Even if he did know, if he's still on the West Coast where you saw him last... that's all government and military occupied. He could just be keeping a low profile.”

“Maybe,” Lewis said. He still sounded empty, like he didn't really believe it.