Emperor of a Dead World (38 page)

Chapter 31

Before sunup, the men had a hearty breakfast and barely spoke a word. While the others ate, Brad checked his route with the drone and found that the road was clear. Of course, he still expected the creatures to attack but as long as they kept moving, they should be fine.

After saying good-bye to Tyrone and Rudy, he noticed Lisa approaching. “I thought you were not going to see me off,” he smiled.

“You knew I would come.”

“Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”

“Just make sure you come back and don’t stay away too long.”

“When I met you - the reason I met you - is because I was trying to find my parents.”

“I know,” she said with a sigh, “and I understand. But that does not mean I have to like it.”

“Then you are okay with me going?”

“No, but you need to do this so I will accept it.”

“Thank you.” He kissed her and the baby then led his men off.

To get out of the fortress they had to pass through two steel gates. Between these gates was a security area thirty feet wide and eighty feet deep. After a guard opened the interior gate, the vehicles passed through then stopped in the security area until this gate closed. They then waited for the exterior gate to open. This gate had an electrical interlock and would not open until the interior gate closed. If any creatures got in during this process, the guards shot them after the vehicles left the area.

When the exterior gate opened, four SUVs raced out. Half a dozen creatures had noticed the motion of the gate and when the vehicles came out, they chased after them. These things were faster than the original ones were but they were still not as fast as an ordinary man was and most people could outrun them.

As they drove down the street, many creatures stood in the road and challenged the vehicles. Without slowing, the drivers pushed through them with the plow. If they had to slow due to road conditions, the creatures would grab onto the security bars but most fell off after a few seconds. If any made it up onto the roof, the drivers removed them by swerving or braking. Throughout the entire trip, they had to contend with this nuisance and when they got to the marina, they parked in front of the dock and prepared to fight their way to the boat.

When Brad gave the word, everyone jumped to action. Two men ran ahead and opened the gate then stood guard while Brad, the sailor and 2 other men grabbed supplies. The remaining men formed a corridor so the men carrying the equipment could pass in safety. At first, there were only a few creatures to deal with but others quickly arrived and by the time they had all the equipment on the boat, they had killed more than thirty of these skinny pathetic things. Fighting them was not as bad as it had once been. They were faster than the original ones but most were not very strong due to their sparse diet making them easy to overpower.

Now that everything was on the boat, eight men fought their way back to the SUVs and returned to the fortress while the others hurried to get out of port as quickly as possible. All the commotion had stirred these things up and they were swimming after the boat.

“Get a move on it,” Brad shouted as he crushed in a creature’s skull with a bat. He found this a better implement than a sword in conflicts like this because the bat would bounce off the cracked skull after he hit the thing whereas the sword would tend to stick in and he had to kick the creature off. With a hundred of these things trying to climb on board, every second mattered.

While five men stood along the sides of the boat beating the monsters back, the sailor pushed the throttle as far as he dared in order to pass safely. He needed to get away from the creatures as quickly as possible but if he hit something and crashed the boat, it would mean death to everyone onboard. As he worked his way out, there were so many in the water that it was difficult to get through them.

Once he made it to the open channel, he eased the throttle forward and plowed his way through. Getting out of the port proved to be an exhausting battle and the men were relieved when they finally got out to sea and could take a break. No one spoke a word for several minutes as everyone sat and tried to catch his breath. Brad alone thought about what he would find on the island and as he reflected, he suddenly became concerned that they would not make it.

“Do we have enough fuel?” he asked the helmsman

“This baby holds seven hundred gallons and it is nearly full,” the man smiled. “We should have more than enough to make it even if we cruse at thirty knots. We made a good choice with this one.”

“What about getting back,” another man asked.

“There are several marinas along the way,” the sailor replied. “Refueling will not be a problem.”

Brad nodded and asked, “What time should we get there?”

“Sometime before dawn,” he said. “Sit back and enjoy the ride.”

Brad reached over to the cooler and pulled out a beer and one of the sandwiches Lisa had packed. While he ate, he watched the shoreline drift past. It seemed so calm and peaceful that it was impossible to believe horrifying creatures now roamed the land. He closed his eyes and shook his head when he considered that men had created this situation. His father’s generation had always believed Man would blow up the world with nuclear weapons but no one had ever imagined anything like this.

As he reflected on his father, he hoped his parents would be on the island and he grew excited as he thought he might see them in just a few hours. He tried to imagine the look on their faces when they learned he had founded two communities. He remembered the disappointment on his mother’s face when he told her he was not going to college. The news of his accomplishments would surely erase that look and make up for everything. He was also sure she would approve of Lisa.

“Do you see anything?” he heard someone ask.

When he glanced over, he saw a man watching the shore with binoculars while another man looked on.

“Nothing to speak of,” the man replied. “There are just a bunch of those ugly things walking around going nowhere and looking for food.”

Brad closed his eyes and leaned back. He needed to put these things out of his mind and rest. While he relaxed, his thoughts slowly turned to dreams and he had just fallen asleep when a nearby splash awakened him. At the sound of the noise, he sat up and his heart almost stopped.

“What was that,” he exclaimed.

“A whale,” the helmsman said. “Just over to the port side.”

Brad and the others watched and soon two more breached the surface. For a rare moment, life was normal again. They were not fighting for their lives or preparing for an attack. They were just a bunch of buddies out whale watching.

“I hope they are not infected,” one man joked.

“If they are then we are in serious trouble,” another responded.

Back to reality,
Brad frowned. “I think the sea is undisturbed by our problems,” he added aloud.

All the men became silent. They had had a brief moment to forget their woes but now the horrors of the world came back to haunt them.

Brad searched for another whale but the show was over. One short reprieve was all they got. He sat down, closed his eyes and he was soon back in dreamland. When he opened his eyes, he looked toward the sun and realized he had slept for over an hour. He glanced toward the helm.

“Did I miss anything?” he asked the sailor.

The man shook his head. He was not even sure what Brad had asked. His mind was on some happy memory in his distant past.

Brad stepped to the bow and looked out over the ocean. To his left a school of dolphins was swimming along with them. These things had probably not seen a boat in years and they welcomed the company.

“Would you like me to take over for a while?” he called to the sailor.

“No sir. I prefer to do this myself. It relaxes me and it has been a long time since I have been able to partake in this pleasure.”

Brad shrugged then went below to take another nap.

When he came up on deck, the sun was low and this gave him an anxious feeling. He was getting closer to his destination and closer to his parents. He sat on the bow and watched the sun descend into the ocean then turned and gazed as the moon rose over the hills to replace it. He could not have planned the trip better had he tried. The moon was full and its rays glistened off the waves lighting the water so they could see into the darkness before them. Only a few more hours and they would arrive at the island. He lay back with his hands behind his head gazing at the stars and waiting for the minutes to tick by. Even with a full moon, the stars were spectacular and he searched for all the constellations he could find. Soon minutes turned into hours and hours turned into memories as he lay in awe staring at the mysteries of the universe. As he gazed into the infinite space beyond he wondered if someone up there was admiring a constellation in which his star played an integral part. If there was, he hoped that that person’s world was at peace. Finally, the silence surrounding him broke with words he longed to hear.

“Land ho,” the sailor called.

Brad immediately jumped to his feet. In the black distance ahead, the moon betrayed a barely visible object before them. His excitement quickly turned to anxiety as he thought that his parents might not be on this island. In fact, they might not even have survived. Desperately, he pushed this thought from his mind. They had to be here. They had to be on this island. He grabbed the binoculars thinking that somehow he would see them through the darkness.

“We will anchor on the lee side,” the sailor announced.

Brad turned to the man and for a fleeting moment, his heart sank. He could not understand why they could not go ashore now.

“The coast looks rocky and I cannot chance taking her in if I cannot see,” the sailor responded to Brad’s questioning look.

Brad turned back and tried to study the shoreline in the moonlight. At last, he conceded and sat on the deck. He could wait a few more hours. Surely, his parents would not leave before he could get to them.

Chapter 32

With the morning sun shining upon him, Brad opened his eyes and wiped the dew from his face. He had no idea when he had fallen asleep or even where he was. When he sat up, he saw water all around and it took a moment before he noticed the island. At last, he remembered and jumped to his feet. Seeing that the others still slept he shouted, “Rise and shine.” After this, he looked toward the shore and saw two men staring back. When he waved, they returned the gesture. Once again, he called for the others to get up.

“Ready to go ashore captain,” the sailor responded.

The others slowly came up from below yawning as they came.

“It is barely dawn,” one said. “Are they accepting visitors already?”

“They will accept us,” Brad assured the man.

The sailor pulled anchor and headed over to the island. When he got as close as he dared he told one of the men to inflate the raft so they could go ashore. Once the man finished, the six got in and paddled over.

On the way, Brad could barely breathe. He was more nervous than he had been when he stood face to face with a fierce creature. As soon as the raft bumped against the rocky shore, he pulled himself up onto the island then walked over to the men that had watched him approach.

“Hello,” Brad said with a big smile. “It is wonderful to have found other survivors.”

“Are you the one with the little airplane?” one of the men asked.

“Yes I am. My name is Brad.”

“Welcome,” the man returned. “I am John and this is Paul.”

Brad introduced the others then asked, “How did you get to this island?”

“I would rather hear your story first,” the man replied.

“I do not know where to begin. My story is a long one filled with many triumphs and tragedies.”

“Why don’t you begin by telling us what it is you want,” the man said. “Do you come for asylum or is there something else you desire?”

“I know of four safe places in which good and honest people abide,” Brad assured the man. “This makes number five.”

The man did not reply.

“I understand your being leery,” Brad smiled. “I am the same way with newcomers.”

“You have not said what it is you want,” the second man pursued.

Brad pulled a picture out of his pocket. “Do you know these people?”

The first man took it and both looked it over. “Who are they to you?”

“My parents,” Brad said. “They went to the capital a long time ago and I have been hoping to find them ever since.”

The two men exchanged glances. “I know them,” the first man said as he tried to hand the picture back.

Brad fell to his knees and tears filled his eyes. “Please tell me they are here and safe,” he said after he composed himself.

“Perhaps you should come inside and speak to the others.”

“Whatever the news is I need to hear it now. Are they alive?”

“It is not that simple,” the man replied.