“The sheer brilliance and potential for HBRS cannot be understated. Only through the American defense budget coupled with Aeon Dynamic’s opaque nature could a fraction of this research be made possible. Because of them, this world has been transformed into what it is today.”
–Mother, “Notes on HBRS-15.21”. 6 Years After.
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The truck rolled to a stop.
“How are we doing back there?” Liam asked, his hands locked on the wheel as he scanned the horizon.
“She’s sleeping again,” Evelyn said, rubbing Leah’s head.
The sight of that woman touching his daughter after what happened the night before tied a knot in his stomach. Liam still hadn’t gotten the chance to tell her just how strongly he felt about the unilateral decision she made in drugging Leah. But true to form in this hellhole, there was a time and a place to stand his ground against such lunacy, and this moment was neither.
The morning sun cut through pine glades on the side of the cracked road, reminding them that they had been on the run all night. It had taken less than an hour to reach the hidden truck they loaded with supplies for just this type of emergency, but conditions had greatly deteriorated once they left Cheyenne’s valley, so it cost them the better part of the evening to cover enough ground on streets that were still usable. They dared not stop until Cheyenne was far below the horizon, pushing north towards Denver while clinging to the foothills where they would be harder to see.
But at least for now, they were safe.
Liam leaned back and closed his eyes, his limbs suddenly spent. It seemed that whatever adrenaline that carried him this long had finally been expended. Oh, how he wanted nothing more in this moment than to rest it off. Just for a bit…
“What’s the plan?” Evelyn asked, piercing through the momentary calm.
He grunted and rubbed his head. “We must have gone fifty miles from Cheyenne, and there’s been no sign of our pursuers. I’m starting to think that they don’t have vehicles.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, for starters, we were stuck in those hills for hours, and they didn’t catch us. It’s also become clear that there aren’t many roads still operational, which means the likelihood that they’re driving around through different routes is low. If they’re out there, they’re either just as lost as we are or they don’t have the same means of transport that we do.”
“Cars or not, we’re still not free of them,” Evelyn pointed out. “Rezzers can easily cover fifty miles in a day on foot. Hell, they can do well over a hundred if they’re nourished and know where they’re going.”
Liam nodded. “True. We’ve bought ourselves some time, but not enough to evade them for long.”
“So what’s the plan then?”
How am I supposed to know? He scoffed. “Last I checked, Evelyn, spending the rest of our lives underground was the plan.”
“Right. Which is why we’ll need to retake it from them.”
“With just the two of us? Are you out of your bloody mind!?”
“Keep your voice down,” Evelyn said, shushing their daughter before she could wake up. “We don’t have a choice.”
Liam exhaled before anger got the better of him. “It would be suicide to try to fight them by ourselves. We’d have better luck finding another bunker, if you know of any other end-of-the-world bunkers we could take,” he quipped.
“There’s Raven Rock and the Greenbrier,” Evelyn stated with no hint of catching the sarcasm. “Both are in the Black Zone though, where the nukes got dropped, so we can’t risk it unless you want Leah coughing up blood before she’s two. Mother’s only other candidate was the Diefenbunker up in Canada, but it’s too far with our fuel, and we don’t know what we’d find there.”
Again, Liam rubbed his head. Always a struggle with this one. “Be that as it may, we can’t do anything against rezzers without getting ourselves killed, Evelyn.”
“Well, what do you think we should do then?”
“We should get help.”
Evelyn grunted. “We don’t know who sent these Hunters.”
“We don’t even know if they were Hunters,” Liam countered. “If anything, the lack of vehicles of their own suggests they don’t have Pandemonium’s resources. Did you see any guns, either? I didn’t see any. Only a couple crossbows amongst their ranks.”
She leaned back. “That’s true… Still doesn’t feel right. They knew that you were here. You, Liam. Not anyone else. How else could they have gotten that information?”
I don’t know, but I do know who I can trust. He had been thinking of it all night, ever since that moment when the breach first happened. There was nobody else. They had only one other ally in this world.
“We’re returning to Pandemonium,” Liam said.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Evelyn winced. “If you aren’t right about this, it’s not just your life or mine in danger, but our daughter’s too. You’ll be killing us if you’re wrong.”
Just like you almost did. “It’s like you said, Evelyn. We’re over a barrel on this one and won’t last long out here on our own. We need help.”
He breathed deeply. “We have to find Leah.”
* * *
It took almost a week to make it back to California. Their escape truck was outfitted with bullet-proof plating and had wheels that could roll through the worst of it, but after so much time without upkeep, much of humanity’s infrastructure had given way to the elements. Tunnels were caved in, bridges collapsed, and entire roadways were swallowed beneath landslides. And that said nothing of the herds of hollows that still roamed these wastes. Were it not for the sheer volume of biofuel they stocked their truck with, they would have never escaped Colorado alone.
It did not help that they were traveling as one. Evelyn had never learned to drive herself, leaving the task to Liam alone. He had done well to catch up in such a short time, but his mind could only stay active for so long, and their daughter still had her own needs to attend to. The two of them ended up breaking into shifts, with Liam forced to handle the brunt of the time until he could find a suitable hiding spot to sleep. Nothing short of perfection would do in Evelyn’s eyes, though the two were in agreement for once.
His initial confrontation with her had also gone far better than expected. He’d only need to see the shame in her eyes to know how difficult it had been to sedate their daughter, and part of him had come to recognize the urgency of the moment. Not enough to forgive her completely, but enough to move past it.
At least for now. Leah’s safety mattered more than everything else.
That was what made this sight such a godsend. A great wall spanned the length of the horizon, formed from a motley of buildings, sheet metal, and storage crates. The streets nearby were freshly paved, with not enough debris for even a mouse to hide behind. Where the rest of the outside world was a ruinous wasteland, the Styx that surrounded Pandemonium still stood firm, an island standing obstinate above a dead land.
Liam rubbed the fog from his visor now that he was alone. The heat was sweltering beneath the clothes he had scavenged, but it was a necessary precaution. Rezzers would be able to detect his scent if given the chance.
It all felt so familiar, marching up to this undead asylum wrapped in far too many layers…
Even Charon remained exactly where he’d been left, still in his corner shop near the gate. His black cloak hung loosely over grey skin that could’ve been carved from stone, with an assault rifle poking from his back. His red eyes flicked Liam’s way as he drew near, but he otherwise remained motionless.
“Haven’t seen you before,” Charon said. “You got papers?”
“I’ve got none,” Liam responded in the deep, gruff voice he had practiced before this point.
“Don’t know where you think you are, but newcomers have to report to immigration before they get in. I could send you an escort if you’d like.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m here to see someone.”
“Who’s that then?”
“Leah.”
It wasn’t easy to make out movement against his hairless scalp, but that seemed to have gotten Charon to raise an eyebrow a fraction of an inch. “That so? Who should I be telling her has come to visit then?”
Who, indeed? They’d never planned this far out. “Tell her I’m an old friend who traveled the country with her.”
“If you say so,” Charon said. “Do me a favor though, and wait back there.”
Liam complied while a couple of Charon’s men stood nearby. The sight of armed soldiers dressed as death incarnate could have been alarming, but he’d had the good sense of leaving Evelyn and his daughter with the truck a mile back, and this would all be easy to explain the moment he had the chance.
The gate creaked open after some time, but instead of seeing his long-lost friend, three militarized trucks barreled through the opening before slamming to a stop nearby. The doors opened, and dozens more black-cloaked soldiers burst into view. Within moments, they had him surrounded, guns aimed to kill.
“Hands where we can see ‘em!” one shouted.
Liam threw his arms up high, the air caught in his throat. What was going on?
Then he watched as another door opened.
Light glistened off the surface of a pair of freshly polished combat boots before revealing the faded jeans that lay behind. A black-gloved hand gripped the side of the door, followed by another on the roof. He caught sight of the sheepskin jacket next, jet black and falling past her waist, this one with an abundance of grey wool overflowing along the trim. Even the buttons stood out, glittering in the midday light, as did the aviator sunglasses above.
But it was the scarf that Liam knew best. That burgundy silk fabric wrapped around her pale face before trailing in the wind behind. It might have been used to cover the wound that disfigured her cheeks, but she had since taken it as her own form of identity. A woman who defined herself through her defiance of the world she’d been given.
Leah stepped forth, the light dancing off the Hunter’s badge atop her chest, now cast in gold. “Well, well. If it isn’t our little thief.”
“What are you talking about?” Liam asked, barely able to keep the gruff tone.
“Thought we didn’t see you driving here with one of our trucks? Please. Watchtower spotted you hours ago. Speaking of…” She turned to one of the soldiers. “Anyone find where he stashed it yet?”
He muttered into a radio before it crackled back. “Looks like the other team’s got it blocked in, though they’re saying someone else is there. They’re armed too, boss.”
“Great, just great. Have them fire off a couple warning shots, but don’t engage yet. I want that truck in one piece.”
“Wait!” Liam shouted before the order could be relayed. “What are you doing, Leah!? It’s me.”
She chuckled. “I know a lot of Mes, but I don’t recognize you.”
Liam looked around – at the dozens of strangers aiming automatic weapons – and had many regrets about how his life had led to this point. “Can you just come over here and talk to me for a minute?”
“Think I’m fine over here.”
Does she really not remember me? “Bloody hell, Leah! Just come over here and look into my eyes already.”
She tilted her head to that and raised a hand. All at once, the soldiers lowered their weapons.
Leah closed in and removed her aviators. Liam swallowed the lump in his throat. Her violet eyes were burning with a vibrant intensity he’d never seen before, almost as if they were glowing of their own accord. Had they always been so bright and full?
Liam lowered his goggles, letting Leah see into his own. A moment passed in silence as she studied his living, human eyes.
The soldier with the radio suddenly stiffened and started to walk over.
Leah grabbed the radio and held it to her ear, though she never broke eye contact. “What’s going on out there?”
“We’re in a standoff with the guy in the truck, but we managed to get a peek inside and… Ugh… You might want to see this for yourself.”
Her violet eyes bugged out as the implication settled in. Again, she looked at Liam, piercing deep into his soul.
“You fucking idiot.”