Resurrection (23 page)

Chapter 55

Cautiously they made their way to the valley floor; Ethan used the scope to check for any signs of movement.

“I don’t see anything down there, not one this is moving,” Ethan said.

“When we encounter the creatures, and we will the only way to dispatch them is to shoot or stab them in the head or to sever the head completely. Do not under any circumstances let one near you their bite is fatal; you will die and become one of the inhabitants of this valley forever,” Warlock said.

“Wait I see something,” Ethan said.

“Let me see,” Warlock said. “They can smell us, we will have to ride as swiftly as we can and maybe get most of the way across before we encounter the horde.”

Once in the valley Warlock gave the signal to ride and they burst into a full gallop. Wasters came out from everywhere and the men slashed at them with their swords. Several latched onto Andrew’s horse nearly dragging it down and warlock spun around and dispatched the monsters.

“There are too many of them what do we do now?” Aaron shouted.

“Follow me, up into those rocks above,” Warlock said pointing the way with his sword.

Once above the valley floor they got a respite from the onslaught as the Wasters were not able to climb out of the valley.

“Well that certainly was fun.” Aaron said. “But we’ve got a ways to go before were across.”

“Follow the trail there on the other side of those rocks back down into the valley and we’ll be ahead of this group.”

Following along behind Warlock they rode back down into the valley at full speed and into an area free of Wasters. They were able to put quite a bit of space between them but then Warlock spotted something ahead.

“Look ahead Señores.”

They stopped in their tracks for out onto the valley floor rode a Waster on a light-green horse followed by a colossal multitude of Wasters.

“Behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him,” Warlock said making the sign of the cross. “We are in some deep shit now Señores.”

“I say we run right across in front of them straight across the valley,” Aaron said.

“Ride as fast as your mount will carry you in as straight a line as possible and may God be with us,” Warlock said.

The men spurred their steeds at a heart stopping pace across the floor of the valley. The Waster on the horse pulled a sword from his side and waved it in the air over his head and the throng raced forward.

The sound the Wasters made was deafening and the dust the mob kicked up filled the air. The men spurred their mounts onward but the mass of dead flesh edged ever closer to them. Then Aaron’s horse stumbled and went tumbling across the rocky landscape. Aaron flew through the air and landed a few feet away from the animal.

Warlock who was following behind raced to where he lay. Aaron crawled to his horse’s side and tried to get it to stand.

“It’s no use its back legs are broken,” Warlock yelled. We haven’t much time, climb aboard.”

Aaron turned just as the mob pounced upon the terrified horse. They rode a short distance but with the added weight it was evident that Warlock’s horse would not be able to keep up and a huge mass of Wasters were approaching fast from behind.

“I need you to hang on Señor Aaron with all you have, no matter what happens don’t let go of me.”

Warlock pulled from a bag over his shoulder a metallic ball about six inches in diameter. He pushed his index finger into the top of the ball and a red light began to blink. He placed the sphere into a sling and slung it around and around his head, releasing the orb it sailed into the sky in a high arc.

“Go and don’t stop!” Warlock yelled to Ethan and Andrew who had stopped a short distance ahead. “Hang on!” He shouted to Aaron

He spurred his horse hard and the animal took off at a lumbering pace while the two brothers raced ahead. The metallic ball flew high above the Wasters on the desert floor and then began a gradual descent. Suddenly a light brighter than the sun lit up the entire valley and a fierce heat seared the faces of the riders.

Then a shockwave raced across the valley and an earsplitting and thunderous explosion rocked the valley floor knocking the feet from under all the horses. Horses tumbled and the men were thrown to the rocky ground.

When Ethan opened his eyes he saw an enormous cloud rising into the atmosphere and then he fell into unconsciousness.

…

The shockwave rolled across and out of the valley to the mountains beyond, while the thunder ball rose ever higher into the sky. Aaron stood up and looked out over the landscape now empty of Wasters.

“What the hell was that Warlock?”

“A little something from my bag of magic tricks Señor; now we ride.”

They reached the other side the valley and climbed up and out just as the sun was setting.

“Look, our destination on that mesa there, we’ll rest up here tonight and in the morning we’ll begin again.”

They would have built a fire but there was nothing to burn so they ate dried meat and biscuits and sat around in the dark. No one had much to say as the day had proved to be too stressful so they each lay with their thoughts in silence.

The next morning they rode slowly toward the mesa barely clinging to their horses. They were out of water and out of vigor. They were midway through this journey and it had almost beaten them and they were not certain that the next leg would not be the death of them.

They hadn’t intended to become heroes, they had never wanted to be but this is something that was thrust upon them by circumstance. If the choice had been theirs they would gladly be sitting beside the fire listening to the grandfathers tell stories of how it once was. They would have been glad to have left the Lazerites and the Lazerines and the Wasters and Warlock closed up inside a jar of myth and mystery where separated by glass the danger seemed not to be real.

But the danger was real and they all knew that now. Aaron, his skepticism turned to a faith by the realization all is not as it seems and there are things bigger than self and Ethan’s faith had been tested and found lacking as what he saw both in himself and the world he found

Andrew became sick later that day, it seems that somewhere in the valley he had been bitten by one of the Wasters and had kept this fact from the others. He fell ill and could not continue on the journey so his twin brother stayed behind with him.

“We’ll be back for both of you, you hear me Andrew?” Ethan said kissing his brothers forehead.

“Sure Ethan, I’ll be better by then.”

Ethan hugged him and tried his best to hold back tears for he knew the truth and that this would most likely be the last time he would see his little brother. As the days passed Andrew became so weak he was hardly able to speak but did manage to say one thing before he fell into a coma.

“Promise me that when the time comes you’ll take care of me, don’t let me end up like those things.”

Andrew lingered comatose for days; he muttered senseless words and screamed. His body contorted and sweat poured from him. Aaron did what he could for his brother but mostly watched him helplessly.

Then Andrew awoke, he was still very ill but he was awake.

“I told you I would get better,” he said forcing a smile.

After several days he was well enough to ride and he and Aaron set off following Ethan’s trail.

Chapter 56

“Is this the end?” She said.

“It’s the end of this place that’s for sure,” he said.

“Are you here to help me?”

“Yes, and we haven’t much time so gather what you need and let’s go.”

“You’re but a boy why should I put my trust in you?”

Just then a man burst through the door and grabbed her but no sooner had he tightened his grip on her than she felt it slacken. The man slumped to the floor with an arrow through his chest. The boy stepped forward and pulled the arrow from the man and wiped the blood on his pants leg.

“Does that answer your question,” he said.

“Yes,” She said.

He took her hand and led her out of her house and out into the gravel street. Fires raged in several places and a disconnected and monotone voice kept a dispassionate countdown through a series of loudspeakers located throughout the camp.

“At the tone eighteen minutes to self–destruct and sixteen minutes to point of no return; beeeep, bong, bong, bong.” The timer continued counting down the seconds.

Gunfire erupted at one end of the camp and stray bullets zinged around them as they ricocheted off the ground. He pulled her into a storage building and closed the door.

“Can you tell me what is happening?” She said.

“My friend and I found out more than we were intended to know about this place and now all hells broke loose.”

“He’s dead isn’t he; your friend I mean.”

“Yes he’s dead; the colonel killed him.”

He closed the door and sat down with his back against the wall. He studied the girls face and then pulled a small light from his pocket and illuminated her with it.

“Did he discover what he was seeking?” she said.

“What do you mean?”

“Did your friend find the answers he was looking for?”

“He found himself.”

He cracked open the door and eyed the perimeter fence and deduced that it was more than likely powered off and decided to make a break for it.

“Take my hand and don’t let go of it no matter what do you hear me?”

He ran out of the shed and across the compound yard and to the corner of the fence. He pulled a grenade from his pocket, pulled the pin and rolled it against the fence. He pushed the girl to the ground and covered her with his body.

The grenade exploded covering the pair with dirt and opening a sizable hole in the barrier. He helped her through and then followed behind as they ran out into the desert and over a small rise where he gently pushed her to the ground and peered over the hill to make certain that they were not followed.

“At the tone seven minutes to self–destruct and five minutes to point of no return; beeeeeep, bong, bong.”

“I need you to keep up with me and no matter what we can’t stop and don’t look back; we have to find someplace safe before this place blows.”

“I understand,” she said.

She placed her hand in his and smiled at him and he smiled back at her. He fairly pulled her along behind him as he hurried across the barren landscape. The girl stumbled at one point and he helped her get to her feet and then was off once more.

“At the tone three minutes to self–destruct and one minutes to point of no return; beeeep, bong, bong.

The girl stumbled once more and he picked her up and carried her.

“At the tone two minutes to self–destruct and zero minutes to point of no return; beep, bong, bong.”

This time he stumbled and fell dropping the girl to the ground. “I’m sorry,” he said picking her up again.

“At the tone one minute to self–destruct; beep, bong, bong.”

He found a deep ravine and dropped down into it and crouched down with her next to a large boulder. He pulled his coat over her and covered her with his body.