Rabid (5 page)

The group pulled into a compound surrounded by walls topped with barbed wire and parked. Rathbone directed half of his people to inspect the safehold, and the other half to carry the dead bodies outside the walls to keep the stench from spreading. When the work was done, the gates were closed, and the soldiers gathered in the courtyard to rest.

Rathbone gathered Pippa's group for a meeting. “We're going to have to return to the mountains,” he told them. “This facility had five times the number of men I did. If they failed, I'm afraid we may all be in trouble. We need to return home to protect our people and get you the supplies you need to create this cure. We'll scavenge this base for food, water, and weapons, and then we need to get out of here.”

Rathbone stood on the seat of his four-wheeler to address his people. “Listen up,” he bellowed. “We're leaving in two hours. Gather up food supplies, fill your water canisters, and grab what weapons and explosives you can carry. Eat as you scavenge. We need to get back to the mountains, and it's a long way off. Let's go!”

Two hours later the entire group was back on board the four-wheelers, ready to head for home. Rathbone had let Salvatore and Aiden have their own vehicles, with Abby riding behind Salvatore and Pippa behind Aiden. Jack rode with Rathbone.

“Let's roll,” Rathbone yelled. Abby wrapped her arms tight around Salvatore, pressing her cheek into his back as she closed her eyes. She lowered her head as the hot wind filtered through her hair and wiped away the tear she'd been fighting to hold. She swallowed back down the beast that had been clawing its way up her throat for hours.

The crew of nearly three hundred started their engines and flowed through the gates in two lines. When they hit the highway, they arranged themselves into a four-abreast formation and powered up to cruising speed. They were headed for a base a few hours from Phoenix, unsure of what they might find. The unspoken thought in everyone's mind was that if Phoenix couldn't resist the feral onslaught, neither could the next base. And the ferals had a head start, but how much of one no one knew. Rathbone pulled away slightly, and the rest of the convoy increased speed in response.

Abby continued to fight the battle brewing inside her. She clutched Salvatore tighter and pressed her hot face against his back.

“You okay?” Salvatore shouted above the sound of nearly three hundred engines.

“I'm fine,” she yelled, but her voice was ragged.

Salvatore peered over his shoulder and saw her pupils go from perfect circles to elongated slits before returning to normal. He turned back to the road, saying nothing, but he felt his heart sink. He was losing her. She was changing, and he knew that before long she'd be rabid. He wouldn't tell the others. He'd do his best to protect her, but deep down he knew he could only fail.

The desert landscape was transforming into a more mountainous terrain. Rathbone called a break, and the company pulled off the road and entered the ruins of a small, abandoned town. In the town center, or what was left of it, the troops parked at random and switched off their engines.

“What is this place?” Jack asked Rathbone after they got off the four-wheeler.

“Nothing.”

“What?”

“Nothing. That's the name of the town.”

“Good name,” Jack said, looking around. There wasn't much to see.

Rathbone nodded. “We'll break for an hour, stretch our legs, and eat.”

Jack rubbed his forearms, which were red and itchy from sunburn. Rathbone dug through a pouch attached to his vehicle and threw the doctor a long-sleeved tan jacket. “Put that on before you fry, doc,” he said.

“Thanks, Major,” Jack replied.

The troops and their charges ate a meal of jerky and bread they had scavenged from Phoenix. Pippa, Aiden, Salvatore, and Abby stayed close together, and the doctor conversed with Rathbone. There wasn't a lot of other conversation, and Pippa noticed that Abby wasn't eating.

“Better chow down, sis,” Pippa said, but Abby kept her eyes focused on the ground. “What is it, Abby, what's wrong?”

Abby looked up. Her eyes were vacant, and a line of drool was sliding down her chin from a corner of her mouth. “Help me,” Abby whispered.

As Pippa reached for her sister, all hell broke loose.

“Ferals!” someone yelled, and in an instant the entire camp was in an uproar. The troops ran for their vehicles, but the ferals hit them before they could even start their engines.

“It's an ambush,” Rathbone shouted. “The ferals must have been hiding downwind.”

Rathbone's werecats morphed and regrouped. They were skilled and experienced fighters, and they knew no fear. They fought back ferociously, and the ferals' losses began to mount.

Pippa's crew battled just as fiercely. Jack swung Excalibur in one hand and the fire saw in the other, cutting down any feral that came near. The attack had snapped Abby out of her sickness, and she, Pippa, Aiden, and Salvatore split apart, going to the aid of any soldier in need. The battle raged on.

Out of the corner of her eye, Pippa saw Abby changing with every kill. She was covered in blood and shrieking like a banshee. She looked as if she enjoyed the bloody work. Abby was losing herself, and Pippa knew that this battle would send her over the edge.

Abby lost her balance and slipped to the ground. Pippa raced to her aid, but another werecat reached Abby first, bending to grab her arm and pull her back to her feet even as a feral tried to bite him.

Abby rose up and ripped a claw down the torso of the werecat who had rushed to her aid, ripping out his stomach. There was madness in her eyes as she bit deep into the werecat's neck and tore out his throat.

“No!” Pippa screamed, but Abby had switched sides. The ferals had begun to retreat, and Abby was going with them, pulled along by a tall, grotesque specimen with long black hair. Pippa watched her blood-soaked sister disappear from view with the enemy.

Soldiers were firing shotgun blasts and shooting arrows toward the fleeing beasts. A group of stragglers fell, but the other ferals disappeared into the sand and rocks. Pippa caught a glimpse of her sister as Abby turned and locked eyes with her. A maniacal grin crossed Abby's lips, but her eyes were screaming out for help.

“I'll come for you,” Pippa said. Then she fell to the ground and wept.

The soldiers burned their dead. They stood before the blazing funeral pyre, watching fifty of their comrades, their friends and relatives, turn to ash. The fire burned itself out, leaving only charred bones and cinders. Someone said a final prayer, and the troops returned to their vehicles.

“May their souls rest in peace,” Rathbone said before heading for his four-wheeler. He saw Pippa and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked small and broken. “We'll get her back, Pippa,” he said. “I promise you.”

She nodded and took her seat behind Aiden on the four-wheeler.

They were bound for Kingman and reached it in a few hours without further attack. The base had been hit, but the damage was minimal. The ferals had come and gone. The group stopped in front of a long, low metal building. A few of the men opened a pair of wide doors, and a small group drove their four-wheelers inside. They returned a few moments later and nodded to Rathbone.

The entire crew drove into the building, which housed large military vehicles and two small airplanes. Rathbone pulled a whistle from a silver chain around his big neck and blew it. The whistle made no sound, but a moment later a large metal door on the floor of the building opened. Men packing guns emerged and scanned the area.

Moments later, a petite woman with light-brown cropped hair came through the hole in the floor and approached Rathbone. “Meatwhistle, what a surprise.”

Jack, who was standing beside Rathbone, raised an eyebrow. “Meatwhistle?”

“Becka here gave me that stupid nickname because the ferals are attracted to the sound of this whistle.”

“Sound?”

“You can't hear it,” the woman said. “It's too high for human ears, and werecats can hear it only when they morph. Anyway, Meatwhistle here blows his little feral call and they come running. Then he turns them into ground meat.”

“How many did you lose?” Rathbone asked.

“We all survived,” she said. “Our scouts caught sight of them, but they were running scared, and acted as if they had another destination in mind. We picked off a few as they went by, but as soon as they caught wind of us, they fled into the hills. There seemed to be only about fifty or so of them, so I pulled everyone into the bunker and started prepping for a larger attack.”

“It's good to see you, Becka,” Rathbone said.

“You too, Rath,” she replied.

“Pippa Reyes, Aiden, Dr. Jack Tanner, Salvatore, this is Captain Rebecka Hayes. She leads the supply bunker. Finest commander I've ever known—besides me, that is.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Jack said, reaching out his hand.

“Pleased to meet all of you as well,” Rebecka replied. “So, you two boys don't have last names?”

“If I ever had one, I've never known it,” Aiden replied. “I was raised on the streets of New York.”

“And I've never had any name at all until recently,” Salvatore added.

“So, Becka, you gonna invite us into your playhouse or make us sit out here and behave?” Rathbone asked.

“Everyone can come in, but you, you old dog.”

“Excuse me,” Pippa said.

Rathbone and Becka stopped their bantering and looked at her.

“Something's been bothering me,” Pippa continued. “I thought humans and werecats generally stayed away from one another. In fact, I thought they were natural enemies. But here are two humans leading a group of werecats and humans, mostly werecats. I don't understand.”

“What gave you the idea that humans and werecats don't get along?” Rebecka asked. “You seem to be getting along with Dr. Tanner.”

“I was raised to believe it.”

“Sounds like you were raised wrong,” Rebecka said.

“Out here, humans and werecats stick together,” Rathbone said. “If we didn't, we'd all be dead by now.”

“Come on,” Rebecka said. “Let's get below.”

Rebecka waited as everyone descended and caught Rathbone's hand before he could pass. “Pippa Reyes?”

“You heard me right,” Rathbone replied. “Piper's daughter.”

“What about her other daughter?”

“She was with us, but something happened to her. She went nuts, and now she's with the ferals. And we're going to have to get her back.”

“I wish Piper hadn't left last year for New York.”

“I just hope we can get these girls back to the safehold in one piece. I'd hate to be the one to tell Piper Reyes we lost her daughters.” Rathbone sighed and then descended into the bunker.

Deep underground, Rathbone's and Rebecka's military groups joined together for a meal and strategic planning. Rathbone and Jack Tanner sat on either side of Rebecka, and each told her about the events they had experienced over the past few months. It was decided that the entire contingent would leave to track the small group of ferals. They'd also use the two airplanes to send a scouting party to the Olympic Mountains.

“I know you don't want to hear this, Pippa,” Rebecka said, “but I say we don't leave until morning. Your people need some rest, and mine need to prepare.”

Pippa frowned.

“She's right, Pippa,” Rathbone said. “Our best chance to get your sister back is to have our team refreshed and our heads on straight.”

“I know, but I'm just worried about what they'll do to her.”

“You were rabid for nearly a week before we found you,” Aiden said softly. “She's just going rabid now. She's become like them, so she won't be in any danger, even if it takes a few days to get her back.”

Salvatore listened to Aiden's words and rejected them. He couldn't wait until morning—and he wouldn't. The moment he could slip away, he'd take a four-wheeler and continue on alone, regardless of the fact that a secret pack of more than three hundred hyenas had been counting on him to infiltrate their group and gain their trust—a secret that he planned to keep from Abby her entire life, because, unaccountably but undeniably, he had fallen deeply in love with her.

Pippa lay awake through the dark hours of night, which were lit as bright as day in the underground bunker. She felt guilty for waiting, knowing her sister was getting farther away from them. She was up before dawn, before most of the troops. Aiden was already up and waiting for her.

“We'll find her,” Aiden said, as if reading her mind. “One thing I know about ferals is that they're usually territorial, which means they're probably holed up somewhere close.”

“These aren't like the ferals back home, Aiden. They're smarter. They're purposeful. We may never find her again.”

“We'll find her, Pippa. You're a different person now, and so am I. I can still smell Abby's scent, and I know you can too, because you made me a part of you. We'll find her together.”

Pippa nodded. “We'll find her together.”

Around them, the sleeping soldiers began to stir and awaken and prepare for the day ahead. Before long, Rathbone appeared.

“Time to go,” he announced. He approached Aiden and Pippa. “There's some bread, jerky, and fruits on the tables over to the left. Grab something and eat it while you head upstairs. We're not wasting any more time.”

Upstairs, the metal building was alive with people. Engines were roaring on large camouflaged vehicles that could hold dozens of men in the back of each. The propellers on the two small airplanes were already spinning, and Rebecka was directing the pilots outside. After the planes taxied out, the vehicles followed. They began forming in a line, a convoy ready to roll.

Jack found Pippa and Aiden outside in the throng of humans and werecats. “Has anyone seen Salvatore?”

Pippa and Aiden shook their heads.

“We should find him,” Jack said. “Rathbone and Rebecka expect the four of us to ride with them in their Jeep. They said our protection is top priority, even during the recovery of your sister.”

“That's funny,” Aiden said, sniffing the air. “I can't smell Salvatore. I'll check below again and meet you guys at the Jeep.”

“I'll look for him up here, just in case,” Pippa said.

The two split up to search for their friend as the line of vehicles continued to exit the building. Soldiers were climbing aboard four-wheelers and forming the vehicles into two lines, one on each side of the convoy, to serve as escorts.

Pippa's search was fruitless, and when she saw Aiden return from his own search with a worried look on his face, she felt sick.

“He's not down there,” Aiden said.

“He's not up here, either.”

“He went for Abby,” Aiden said. He went to tell Rathbone the news. They both knew their friend would most likely be dead before they found him.

The planes taxied to a short runway and took to the air, one flying ahead to check the ground for ferals, the other heading on to the safehaven in the Olympic Mountains. Pippa was transfixed by the flying machines and stared at them until they disappeared. As she started to climb into the Jeep, she caught sight of an old woman who reminded her of Mother Frances. The woman was trying to climb into the back of one of the bigger vehicles. Surprised that no one was helping her, Pippa ran to her aid.

“Let me help you, ma'am,” Pippa said.

“I'm fine, child, but if you want to give me a hand, you're more than welcome.” Pippa looked into the woman's eyes and realized she was blind. She reached out to take her hand to steady her as she climbed the steps, but the moment she touched her, the woman gasped.

“It's you,” the woman rasped. “You're one of the snow leopards from my vision all those years ago. It's your sister we seek. Listen closely, child, each of you holds the key to saving the world from the ferals.”

The old woman squeezed Pippa's hand, more tightly than Pippa would have thought possible. “It's in your blood,” she whispered. “As well as your bite.”

Pippa was speechless. Rebecka approached and saw the shock in Pippa's eyes.

“Is everything okay?” Rebecka asked.

Pippa turned to face her, but the old woman held tight to her hand.

“Calm down, Ruby,” Rebecka said. “It's all right.”

“Rebecka, it's her, it's the girl from my visions. She's come to save us!”

Two men appeared from the depths of the tarp-covered vehicle and gently removed Ruby's hand from Pippa's and then helped the old woman into the back. She continued to cry praises to Pippa as she disappeared under the tarp.

As Rebecka pulled a shaken Pippa away, they heard the old woman shout, “Your sister is safe. They won't harm her. They think she's their new leader.”

“Ignore her,” Rebecka said. “She's just an old senile woman we found wandering the hills about a year ago. We felt sorry for her so we took her in.”

“Is she human, or—?”

“She claims to be an old werecat, one of the few remaining alive that was originally turned by the virus, during the Fallout. But I've never seen her morph. I think she's just lost one too many marbles.”

“That may be, but she said things that shocked me. Has she told anyone else about her vision?”

“Everybody,” Rebecka replied. “She says she had the vision years ago, right after the Fallout, before she went blind. She says she dreamed of two girls born between a human and a werecat, born to die, chosen to live. When she awoke, she was completely blind.”

Pippa walked quietly to Rathbone's Jeep, but chills were running down her spine. She looked over her shoulder and saw Ruby's dead eyes staring at her. The woman was mouthing the words, “Bless you.”

Pippa climbed into the back of the Jeep to sit with Aiden. The space was tight, barely able to accommodate four. Rebecka stood and braced herself against the metal roll bar of the open-topped vehicle.

“Reach under the seat and hand me the rifle,” Rebecka said to Aiden.

Aiden found the rifle, a black automatic, and handed it up to her. She locked it in place in a device that had been welded to the top center of the roll bar and then grabbed a nylon strap from the side. She stretched it behind her and secured it to the other side. “This way, it won't knock me down if I have to start shooting,” she explained.

Pippa realized that the small cylinders on the metal belt that hung down to her side were bullets. Rebecka locked the end of the ammo belt in place and nodded at Rathbone, who nodded back and accelerated out of the building. The leaders took their place at the head of the convoy, and it took off toward the highway. Pippa wondered if the road was destined to be her permanent home.

Within ten minutes, Aiden picked up Abby's scent. The ferals were still hours ahead, but the convoy would easily catch up, as long as they weren't ambushed again. Pippa and Aiden sniffed for any trace of Salvatore, but only a hint of his scent still hung on the air. The scent of the ferals masked it. Aiden and Pippa both prayed that he would have enough sense not to attack a group of ferals by himself.

As the morning drifted away, the stench of the small pack of ferals grew stronger. The smell was so strong it bothered Aiden.

“There are a lot more than fifty together now,” he said.

Pippa nodded.

“How is it that you two know that, when none of my bobcat sniffers are picking it up?” Rathbone asked.

“Aiden and I aren't the same physically as any of the werecats in your group,” Pippa said.

Rathbone didn't pursue the topic.

“We're heading toward what's called the Hoover Dam,” he said at length. “We have sentries posted there. Years ago, there was a main bridge down from the dam, but it was destroyed in the final cataclysm. There are also huge chunks of concrete missing from it, which allow tons of water to pour through. The river below is pure whitewater.”

“It sounds dangerous,” Pippa said.

“It is. Dangerous as a wounded feral. But the Hoover is our main passageway from here to our home, so we keep it heavily guarded. There are several parapets that extend out from the top of the dam over the water. Our guards watch over the area and pick off any ferals before they reach the dam, so it's possible they could wipe them all out before we reach them.”

“Then my sister is in danger!”

“That's why we're racing to beat the ferals to the dam. I've tried to radio ahead, but I haven't received a response. Our best chance to save your sister is to catch up to the feral pack and eliminate them before they reach the dam.”

To Pippa, it seemed as if the next thirty miles took hours. The stench of ferals began to be pervasive. Everyone kept a sharp lookout, peering into the surrounding overgrowth. Now and then a shadow slipped by, but no one could be sure if it was feral or animal.

“Hoover Dam is just a few miles off,” Rebecka said. “We should've caught up to them by now. Get prepared, in case—”

Without warning, a massive swarm of ferals emerged on all sides of the convoy. The soldiers on the four-wheelers, serving as escorts, had no time to react. Most of them were killed in the first onslaught.

Rebecka opened fire with her automatic, and werecats fully morphed, bounding from the tarp-covered military vehicles and launching themselves at the attackers.

Pippa saw her sister and screamed her name. She morphed and sprang from the vehicle. She heard someone else yell her sister's name and saw Salvatore riding like the wind on a four-wheeler. He veered toward her, and she leaped onto the seat behind him. He swung back and raced toward Abby, but she fled with the remaining pack of rabid creatures, and they disappeared from view. Pippa cried out in anguish when they lost sight of Abby.

“There's a dam up ahead,” Pippa screamed over Salvatore's shoulder as the wind whistled past her ears. “We've got to reach her before she gets there. The dam is guarded, and they'll shoot her down the minute they see her!”

Rathbone's men fought like savages against the ravening beasts and quickly gained the upper hand. The ferals abandoned the fight and fled toward the dam. Rathbone and Rebecka charged after them, directing their convoy onward, after the fleeing monsters.

Salvatore rode like a man possessed, chasing Abby and the gigantic feral with long black hair that clung to her. It turned once to howl at them, and then took off again.

“Don't lose them,” Pippa screamed.

“We're going to save her, Pippa,” Salvatore yelled back. “Nothing can stop us now.”