Molters, page 13
part #1 of The Molting Series
“Sometimes we need to be reminded,” Jonah said.
“I wasn’t completely honest with you when we first met,” Henry said. “That day on the road. I could tell how desperate you were, but I didn’t want to help you. Didn’t want to help anybody. I got sick of it. Didn’t understand the Molters’ life cycle then, and didn’t want you following me either.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Jonah said.
“The only reason I let you into our town was because of that day. I always regretted it. I wished I would have helped you.”
“I understand.”
Henry looked down at him. “Do you?”
“Yeah. I figured you’d end up…you’d be…”
“What? Alone? Seclusion does things to a man. Don’t you think?”
“I do.”
“Looks like we’ve both come a long way.”
The others continued to cover the fences with remains from the enemy.
“I have guns,” Jonah said. “I could go get them, bring them here.”
Henry furrowed his brow, back to being the leader who he was. “How easy would it be to access them?”
“Not too much trouble if I had another vehicle to load into.”
“How far away are they?”
“A few miles.”
“Two or ten?”
“Around ten, maybe a little farther. Less than twenty, I’d say.”
“How much do you have?”
“Quite a bit.”
“How do you know they’re still where you put them?”
“Because the truck they’re in is buried under the snow, and I’m the only one who knows where it is.”
Henry pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Go ahead and wait on that. A few miles in these conditions can be like a hundred.”
“Not the way you guys drive.”
Henry smiled. “That’s only because we know the area so well. We get beyond five miles or so and it’s a different story. We’re heading out in a while. Something we do regularly. I’d like you to go with us.”
“What’s the mission—or plan?”
“You can call it a mission if you want. There’s only so much civilian you can squeeze back into a soldier.”
Jonah smiled.
“We’re going down the road…to search.”
“For what?”
“Not what, who.”
Jonah’s smile was gone. “How long have they been missing?”
“Some a few months. Others, weeks. This town is about half of what it used to be.”
“Where are we going?”
“The surrounding area. A few miles out, no more.”
“Tonight?”
“No. First light. I’ll have you set up in the guesthouse down the street.”
“Thank you. I’ll get my gear ready and see you in the morning.”
“See you then,” Henry said.
CHAPTER 31
Jonah was up and ready by the time Henry knocked on the guesthouse door. He looked surprised, then impressed, when Jonah opened it before the third knock.
“We’ll take my truck,” Henry said.
Normally Jonah would avoid going out unnecessarily, for anyone—the chances of finding somebody alive after being missing this long were infinitesimal—but Henry had that quality that made you want to follow him, like a few soldiers he’d known while he was in the military, and he never wanted to be somebody who squashed hope.
The truck Henry drove was the same one he had on the road when Jonah had first met him. It was perfect for this new world, practically a tank on wheels with plenty of room for people plus storage space in the back. Jonah glanced in the bed, curious to see if Henry still had all of those guns he’d seen. There were some, but not as many. He’d probably stored them in the armory or lost them during battles. Jonah had picked the same type of truck, the one he’d crashed and had to abandon.
Jonah opened the passenger door to find Doreen sitting in the middle. He had to take an extra breath. “Hi,” he said.
She flashed him a smile. “Hi.”
Jonah climbed into the heated cab and shut the door. It was too hot, actually. He’d been acclimated to the cold for so long. Henry got in the driver’s side, jostling the entire truck with his weight.
“Mind if I crack the window?” Jonah said.
“Go ahead,” Henry said. “No fresh snow last night. Roads are going to be icy. We’ll drive slow today.”
Jonah rolled the window down half an inch and settled into the seat. “Are you warm enough?” he said to Doreen. “I can roll it back up if you want.”
“It’s fine,” Doreen said. “I’ll let you know.”
Jonah hadn’t been this close to a woman in a long time. He was trying to remember when, but he couldn’t. He wanted to ask Doreen something, anything. He opened his mouth to do just that but an alarm went off.
“My truck’s mad at you,” Henry said. “Put your seat belt on.”
“Oh, right.” Jonah grabbed the seat belt and pulled it across his body, touching Doreen’s leg with the back of his hand. “Excuse me.”
“You’re excused.”
As they pulled out onto the main road, Henry cracked his window too. “Hot in here.”
Jonah felt Doreen looking at him, and he turned toward her and smiled. She was a beautiful woman. She had shoulder-length brown hair and wide-set, blue eyes. They had a lovely warmth, something rare in his life lately. He wondered why she’d come along. It felt like he was being set up with her, like on a date. Then he stupidly remembered why they’d headed out in the first place.
Jonah rebooted to focus on the task at hand, except he choked on some spittle that sent him into a coughing jag.
Doreen patted him lightly on the back. “You OK?”
She was touching him. Jonah cleared his throat, feeling himself blush. It was so embarrassing. He put his face into his arm. “Yeah”—cough—“sorry.”
Cough.
Jonah inhaled slowly and finally, thankfully, exhaled without any more trouble. Doreen stifled a giggle.
That people were missing from town could mean many things, but it usually only meant one. Jonah didn’t want to mention that, though. There was no point. It was obvious. No doubt Henry and Doreen were close to them.
Jonah cleared his throat. “Anything I should know about the ones missing?”
Henry stared ahead as he drove. “They went out for a supply run but never came back.”
“What kind of supplies?”
“Food, water, tools. Anything useful from nearby abandoned homes.”
“Will we head to where we killed the Behemoths? Where they killed each other, I mean? Actually where one killed one and we killed the other?”
Doreen tittered.
“No, the opposite direction. We’ve covered most of that area already.”
“What if we encounter another Behemoth?”
“Not likely during the day, but if we do, then we’ll know which direction to head when we need more of them for the fences.”
“How many times have you been out searching?”
Henry looked over at Doreen. “We’ve gone out…what?”
“About ten times,” Doreen said.
“Luckily, we haven’t encountered any random Behemoths we weren’t already aware of. Unluckily, we haven’t found our people. There used to be more of us that went out to search, but they’ve given up. I haven’t. I can’t.” Henry looked over at Jonah. “I know what you’re thinking, but we have to try.”
“I’m just glad to help.”
*
They drove around random back roads and made small talk, trying to get their minds off of what they were doing there. When they went through random towns, looking for any sign of life—even the kind that violently took life away, like Molters—they found none. They even drove around the town Jonah had stayed at before going to Henrytown. He hoped that the Molters they’d killed there hadn’t been the people they were now searching for. Jonah didn’t mention that.
All in all, the outing was pleasant. The morning was crisp and refreshing, as winter could be, and the sun glinted off the icy snow. Doreen had been leaning her knee against Jonah’s knee for about the last half hour and hadn’t taken it away. There were ways women let men know when they were interested, and sometimes Jonah couldn’t be sure when that was, but making excuses to touch him seemed like one of those ways.
It felt good to touch knees. It felt wonderful to be near Doreen, period. It was also nice to stay busy. Even though they were doing what they were doing, having something to do was essential for sanity, especially in a world full of those bloodthirsty creatures. Jonah hadn’t felt his depression creep up since he’d arrived at Henrytown.
“How long has it been since we met on the road?” Jonah said.
Henry thought a moment. “Why?”
“When we met you spoke of changes. Not just the emergence of Molters, but the world too. I can feel it even more now. I think we all can.”
“What’s your point?”
“I’m just wondering what these changes mean.”
“Sounds like you need to talk to Sven more.”
Jonah chuckled. “Right.”
Henry looked down at Jonah’s and Doreen’s touching knees. “Will it change how you live your life?”
Jonah glanced at Doreen. “No.”
Henry shook his head. “Me either.”
The rest of the drive was mostly in silence. Henry stopped and got out of the truck at random places to have a look at whatever had caught his interest, but instead of heading back to Henrytown, he would just get back in the truck and they’d drive more. They’d been out all day, and it was starting to get dark.
Jonah could sense Henry’s impatience. He wanted to find his missing people very badly and actually thought he would. There was nothing that could be done, no other way for Jonah to help him other than being here, just quietly allowing him to try to figure out what had happened to them and where to go next.
*
Henry slammed the truck door. His brow was furrowed; he was obviously thinking about the people he was searching for but that were still missing. His tightly clenched teeth made his jaw visible even through his thick beard stubble. Without the commotion of the townsfolk getting ready to turn in for the night, Jonah might have heard his teeth grinding.
He really thinks he can still find them alive.
“You all set for sleep?” Henry said.
“Yes,” Jonah said. “Thanks again.”
“Thank you. All right, see you in the morning. Sleep well, Doreen.”
“Thank you, Father. You too.”
“Father?” Jonah said.
Henry gave him a half-smile as he left. Now it made sense. That was why Henry had come to this town. It was likely where he was headed when Jonah had met him on the road. He had been searching for his daughter. And granddaughter.
Doreen glanced up. “The stars are out.”
Jonah looked up. No wonder it was so cold. Clear nights usually were. The stars were as bright as he’d ever seen, even with the lanterns around town. They sparkled brightly, and the longer Jonah and Doreen stared, the more stars appeared to them.
“It’s pretty,” he said.
They stood there a few minutes, two adults staring up at the sky, wanting to talk to each other but not sure how. Jonah could tell Doreen wanted him to say more to her, but Jonah didn’t think it was the time or place considering where they’d just been, and why, and who she was: he had just found out she was the daughter of Henry, someone who could kick him out of this town and might still want him to leave.
“Good night,” he said.
Saying it stung.
Doreen hesitated. “Good night.”
Then she walked to her house.
Jonah took another glance up, a homesick feeling washing over him. Once again that sense of loneliness struck him, and then he turned and headed to the guesthouse.
CHAPTER 32
Everyone seemed to be up already. Jonah had slept in. He hadn’t done that in a long time; he hadn’t been able to. His knowledge of danger only allowed him to sleep a few hours at a time and sometimes only a few hours throughout the night. He guessed his ease was because he felt safe here. Except he didn’t like that feeling. The world wasn’t safe.
The townsfolk milled about in their morning routines. A group speed-walked through town, most likely their daily exercise. They waved or smiled as they passed him, too immersed in their conversations to say hello. The truck hoods were all up, and their owners worked on them accordingly. They did that daily. The schedule of Henrytown reminded Jonah of the military.
Sven had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he examined an older woman’s arm. She raised it and winced, then lowered it. There were still plenty of cigarettes if you knew where to find them, even if they were no longer being manufactured. That was because there weren’t as many people left to smoke them.
Heike and another little girl chased each other. Doreen was chopping wood. Jonah thought about going over and asking her if he could help, but he saw only one ax, and Doreen seemed to be the type who did the chopping.
Jonah blew on his hands. The cold bit harder in the early morning, before the body got the chance to get used to the cold, especially after emerging from indoor warmth. Henry was talking to Bernard.
“He’s awake,” Bernard said. “I’ll let my cooking take the credit.”
“I’ll gladly give it to you for more delicious meals from your kitchen,” Jonah said.
“You don’t look so tired,” Henry said.
“I don’t think I’ve slept that well in years. Anything I can do?”
“You are motivated,” Henry said, and thought for a moment.
“I have to get back,” Bernard said. “Breakfast is over, Jonah. Stop in for some lunch if you want. Spicy chicken today.”
Jonah’s mouth watered. “I will. Thank you.”
“Spicy chicken?” Henry said. “I’ll be there too.”
“Give me until after noon,” Bernard said. “Spread the word, please.”
“I will,” Henry said. “You could do a perimeter check,” he said to Jonah, “considering your background. Check our defenses?”
“Alone?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No. Not at all. It’s just that when I think ‘mission,’ I think a two-man team. It was drilled into me.”
“I understand.”
“How about a woman?” Doreen said from behind them.
They spun to see her walking up, and Jonah felt his stomach flutter.
“I’ll practice my English,” she said.
“Ich spreche Deutsch,” Jonah said. Everybody wants to speak English.
When Doreen blushed Jonah realized he’d missed the hint.
“Yeah, sure, go ahead,” Henry said. “I’ll watch Heike.”
Even though Jonah took the responsibility seriously, he was thrilled at the idea. Not just because he had a mission, but because it meant he’d be able to talk to Doreen, and he wanted to get to know her better. She was very attractive—nice too, and always seemed to be looking in his direction. Jonah thought it was because she was curious about him.
They borrowed guns from the armory—Jonah chose his shotgun, Doreen a bolt-action rifle—getting a wide-eyed look from Jacques that they ignored.
They passed Behemoth heads as they walked the fence. Large and still scary when beheaded, their faces were permanently scrunched in the pain of death, wrinkled and decayed, the horror of them far from what dwelt within Henrytown.
They walked close together. Jonah wanted to talk, to say a lot to her actually, but being in her presence was making him so nervous that he couldn’t think of anything to say. He hadn’t felt nervous around a woman in a long time.
“Have Molters been spotted lately?” he said. Today’s version of “Come here often”?
“Yes,” Doreen said, “but not very close.”
“So they”—he motioned to the Behemoth heads—“really do work?”
“So far.”
“What about Infectors?”
“They tend to only come around after a Behemoth birth. And there haven’t been too many of those around here. We’ve been fortunate.”
“What did you do in the army?” Jonah said.
Doreen gasped. “How did you know that? Who told you?”
“No one. I can just tell. Can’t you?”
“Yes…I can.”
“How many years were you in?”
“A few.”
“What was your job?”
“Transportation.”
That was all she said about it. Jonah understood operational security and respected it, even if he’d been kicked out of the military. So he didn’t pry, even under these extreme circumstances that no longer related to how things used to be.
“What was your job?” she said.
“I was just a soldier.”
“For how long?”
“A little over two years.” Jonah looked over at her. Though he was nervous, it was the exciting kind of nervousness, and he was feeling as comfortable around her as if he’d known her his whole life. “I got kicked out.”
“For what?”
“Selling drugs.”
“You were an addict?”
“No. Just a dumb kid.”
“You needed extra money?”
“No, it wasn’t that either.”
“What then?”
“I’m not sure why I did it. Funny thing was that in the back of my mind, I thought I could do whatever I wanted, because I’d done so much in the war.”
“You had to kill?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.”
“You don’t regret being a soldier? Even after what happened to you?”
“What I did to myself, more like it. No. No way. That was after. I’m proud of what we did.”
