Before the Dead Walked, page 20
Out of curtesy and respect, the others stayed still and quiet.
Lupita got up and joined Hatch by the snow-filled entrance.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“You should be,” she responded. “How dare you embarrass me in front of those men? You had no right.”
He hung his head, but said nothing.
Alvarez leaned against him. “You just can’t think of me the way you do, Robert. I have somebody special at home, waiting for me.”
“Then all the more reason to let me watch over you,” Hatch countered.
Lupita relinquished finally. “You’re right. I’m sorry, but no more signs of your affection. It’s hard enough to focus on our situation, without having to worry about hurting your feelings.”
“Okay,” the colonel said. “Now let’s get some sleep.”
She leaned up against him and quickly fell asleep.
That night, safely out of the howling winds and whipping snow, the eight people had a chance to eat and get sleep in relays. Sometime during the night, the storm ebbed away and finally ceased. By morning, the sky was incredibly blue and the team ventured forth. While searching the store, Specialist Thomas found packs of new socks. Everybody changed.
Ramirez wiggled his toes. “Damn, that feels good. I thought I was going to get frostbite.”
His buddies all agreed.
“Where do you think we are?” Sergeant Ramirez wondered.
“How the fuck should I know?” Sergeant Stillwell countered. “I didn’t see a green sign.”
Let’s check out the gas station first,” Specialist Powers suggested. “It looks undamaged, so they probably have some basic supplies and maybe we can find a better map.”
“Take it easy, Johnny,” Specialist Thomas warned. “Let’s do this by the book, okay?”
Darby grinned. His men were still disciplined enough to remain cautious. “Spread out. Support fire brings up the rear.”
The town was small, but there was a tackle and bait shop, as well as a hardware store. In Alaska, that meant rifles and ammunition.
“We’ll commandeer some vehicles, load up with supplies and head southeast, by the compass,” Darby was still in command. “We’ll come out of Alaska into British Columbia, before crossing over to Alberta. With winter, it might prove difficult to get across the Rockies.”
Colonel Hatch nodded his agreement. “Once we get to Canada, we should avoid the authorities. They’ll be highly suspicious of our motives anyway and I’d rather dispense with any embarrassing questions or international complications.”
“You said that right,” CWO Collins chimed in. “The damned Canucks aren’t going to believe us anyway.”
The Rangers set about ransacking and looting the gas station and hardware store. There were MREs, sleeping bags, pup tents, lanterns, and all sorts of camping equipment. They also gathered all the weapons and spare ammunition. It was decided to stock 2 SUVs, one white and one black, and then divide the team equally.
Not surprisingly, Colonel Hatch insisted that Ensign Alvarez remain with him. After all this time, the Rangers assumed they were an item.
“I don’t think he trusts us,” Sergeant Stillwell said quietly.
“Well, she is pretty hot,” Ramirez said. “I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t trust us either.”
First Sergeant Darby put the strength of firepower situated in the second truck, while the lead vehicle acted as scout, keeping a 300-yeard lead.
The first fifty miles proved uneventful. Every time they stopped for gas or searched for supplies, each Alaskan small town was completely empty, not a living soul around. The soldiers helped themselves to snacks and refreshments, while also relieving themselves. Colonel Hatch always escorted Lupita to the nearest women’s restroom and waited outside, arms crossed in open defiance.
Once everybody was ready, they boarded the vehicles again and the two Chevrolet Suburbans set off down the road, always heading southeast. The roads hadn’t been ploughed, of course, so sometimes the drivers had to guess where the pavement was if they could see it. However, with snow tires and chains already attached, they made good progress anyway.
It was important to avoid any sizeable population center, even in Alaska. Darby was insistent. Still, it was eerie that they never once encountered another living human being, but did occasionally come across piles of frozen bodies, all stacked rather neatly.
There were always more questions than answers, but for the most part, the group members didn’t talk about what they had seen. They were afraid of the conclusions they might reach.
Bypassing Juno altogether, the two SUVs slowed down as they neared the Canadian border. Naturally they were on edge, wary that Canada might have a hostile reaction to anyone trying to leave Alaska. There were five border crossings, but Sergeant Darby was convinced each station would be heavily guarded. The most sensible choice was the portal between Hyder, Alaska and Stewart, British Columbia.
Once the convoy reached the outskirts of Hyder, they found a good place to park the vehicles, concealed from the main part of town or the Canadian border. Then on foot, they used several tree lines to get closer.
To their dismay, Darby’s worries were spot-on. The border crossing had been permanently closed, with cement barriers across the highway, the pavement ripped up, and barbed wire strung across the blockade. There were armed Canadian troops and several Armored Personnel Carriers situated with great fields of fire.
Darby handed his binoculars over to the colonel. “There must be over a hundred men at that crossing, sir. They’re dug in and have machine gun emplacements too.”
Hatch studied the crossing carefully. There was no doubt that Canada was safeguarding her border. Things must be pretty bad to warrant a commitment of so many men at such a seemingly insignificant location.
“Your thoughts, Sergeant?” the colonel asked politely.
“Well, we can’t go through them and I don’t feel much like shooting Canadians,” Darby replied. “I think we need to find something Collins can fly and just hope we can make it to Washington, Idaho, or Montana.”
The CWO scooted closer. “Did I just hear my name, First Sergeant?”
Darby nodded. “We need to find some transport you can fly that will hold all of us.”
“You do realize that we could stay right here and probably never encounter one of those zombies,” Powers suggested.
Hatch nodded. “We know that, Specialist. Ensign Alvarez feels it’s vital to get our information to someone who might be able to change the course of things.”
“Yessir,” Powers said.
Hatch didn’t say anything further, but flopped over to look at Chief Collins. “Do you think there are any airports or local airfields around?”
The CWO shrugged. “We can look through Hyder and see if there’s anything nearby. Otherwise we’ll have to backtrack towards Juno.”
Darby didn’t like that option. “Let’s go take a look around.”
Collins, Hatch, and Alvarez went to see if there was a library, which there was. Just like every other town they had encountered, there were no people to be seen. Once inside the foyer, Chief Collins headed straight to the reference section.
However, before he made it to the shelves, Lupita called out, “Hey Chief, there’s a floatplane base here. Look.”
He followed the direction of her pointed index finger.
Up on the wall was a poster: Sightseeing Tours – Hyder Floatplanes
He grinned. “Let’s head for the ocean.”
After gathering up the troops, they drove towards the sea. Before going even a mile, they saw signs for the floatplane base. It was an easy trip.
The Hyder Seaplane Base had one seaplane landing area designated N/S with a water surface measuring 10,000 by 1,000 feet. There were two floats for seaplanes, one along the shoreline and another within a protected cove with a concrete launch ramp. The floats were shared with vessels that also docked at the base.
To their utter surprise and delight, there were two Cessna 185 floatplanes tied up at the docks. Everyone piled out of the SUVs and started unpacking the gear.
“Even considering perfect flying weather, sir, we won’t get very far on the fuel these planes carry,” Collins explained. “The best we can do, under the circumstances, is put these clunkers down somewhere in eastern Alberta, and make our way to the border in cars or trucks.”
“Wouldn’t be easier to just fly to coastal Washington?” Sergeant Stillwell inquired.
“By distance, maybe, but the wind currents are hell and I’m worried about Canadian defenses near the coast,” Collins answered. “We run a greater risk of being detected.”
Neither airplane was very big, but they would get them to the other side of the Rocky Mountains and into Alberta. After that, it would be a matter of tracking down transportation to the US border.
Floatplanes were tricky bastards to handle. The floats themselves were very heavy, adding to the takeoff weight of the airplane, but also messing with stability. Since the floats hung down from the actual airframe, they added drag, which increased the possibility of stalling, and were generally a pain in the ass.
“It’s like riding a thoroughbred racehorse, with weights tied to the steed’s ankles,” CWO Collins tried to explain. “We’ll need every ounce of power and lots of water to get airborne.”
Colonel Hatch patted him on the shoulder. “Flying that piece of junk will be just like my C-130 before I crashed.”
Everybody else looked at him with surprise, before they realized he was pulling their legs.
“Jeez, people, lighten up,” Hatch said.
Lupita playfully punched him in the arm.
In relays, the Rangers transferred only the most useful equipment and supplies to the two floatplanes. Much of the stuff was left behind. When everything was evenly divided and stowed, four people each climbed into the airplanes.
It was cramped, to say the least.
With Colonel Hatch behind the controls of one plane, he requested Ensign Alvarez sit in the copilot’s seat, since she had flying experience. His passengers were Sergeant Stillwell and Sergeant Ramirez, because they would equalize the weight.
At least that was the theory.
CWO Collins would fly the other floatplane, with First Sergeant Darby in the copilot seat and Specialists Powers and Thomas sitting in the rear.
The engines turned over right away and Chief Collins led the procession. The seas were relatively calm, which was a blessing. The first Cessna was airborne, Chief Collins cursing every step of the way.
Colonel Hatch, a little more experienced with airplanes in general, nursed his Cessna into the air without even a moment’s worry.
Both planes banked sharply and headed directly for Alberta. They kept low, skimming vast expanses of forest, then had to gain altitude to clear the Rocky Mountains, which were much higher there than in the USA.
Lupita noticed Robert sweating. “Are you okay?”
He smiled, but it was faked. “The turbulence is going to increase severely soon. Hang on, everybody.”
Sure enough, the wind sheers were dramatic, as they passed over the mountain range. Hatch had to battle the controls and he could clearly see that Chief Collins had his hands full as well. The swells and downdrafts were a bitch, so much so that Hatch started cursing like a sailor.
Fortunately, once clear of the temperature inversions created by the Rockies, the air currents settled down and Hatch relaxed a little.
“We used up a lot of fuel getting here,” the colonel said. “I’m going to start looking for a place to land.”
It was immediately obvious that Chief Collins had come to the same conclusion. He dropped altitude rapidly, heading to treetop height. Hatch followed the CWO’s lead and they maintained treetop clearance.
“There!” Lupita pointed out. “There’s a lake on our starboard side.”
Since they didn’t have plane-to-plane communications, Hatch waggled his wings to signal intent. Chief Collins translated the message correctly and started his descent. Robert grinned and followed suit.
Once they landed on a small unidentified lake, the two float planes didn’t stop until they were beached on the pebbly shore.
Everybody gathered on shore.
“What do we do now?” Sergeant Stillwell asked with disdain. “Do we even know where we are?”
“We hike until we find transportation, Bailey,” Darby said with impatience. “Jesus, you old man, get a set of balls, will you?”
Actually, they didn’t have to go far. It turned out they were actually near Tumbler Ridge, still in British Columbia. Tumbler Ridge was a sleepy ex-coal mining town in the year 2000, when two kids playing near a creek stumbled across dinosaur tracks. Quickly it became the site of international significance with Cretaceous-period dinosaur footprints, bones, fish, and plants, as well as British Columbia’s ancient fossil and dinosaur research center. Tumbler Ridge had even more going for it, because of the enormous picturesque cascades including the namesake Tumbler Ridge Falls, unusual rock formations, and three provincial parks.
Far more important to these travelers was the Port Hardy Airport. The airport was classified as a point of entry by Canada and was staffed by the Canada Border Services. It meant that there were airplanes parked there and that thought gave them hope they could clear Alberta altogether and get closer to the mainland US border, as least reaching southern Saskatchewan.
With the cover of darkness on their side, the eight Americans hiked over to the airport. They halted near the perimeter fence.
“Specialist Thomas, Specialist Powers and Sergeant Stillwell, I want you to take a look around.” ordered Sergeant Darby. “See what we’re up against. How does security look, are there any airplanes that look promising, or anything else you might think is important.”
“Okay, Sarge, we’re on it,” Stillwell agreed. “We’ll be back as soon as we’ve got something.”
Off they went, the three veteran Rangers sneaking from cover-to-cover, closing in on their intended target. Silent and deadly, the trio slipped onto the airfield and darted closer to the hangars.
Sergeant Darby, along with Sergeant Ramirez and CWO Collins, discussed their plans, while Hatch and Alvarez waited behind some bushes.
“When you kissed me back in Afghanistan, was that only to entice me to take on this mission?” Hatch asked.
Lupita shook her head slowly. “No, sir, I’m unusually attracted to you. I don’t like it and I don’t have an explanation for why, but there it is.”
“You still needed me to complete the mission, right?” the colonel asked warily.
Ensign Alvarez nodded. “Yes, but I can’t lie to you, Robert. You have a way of unsettling me. I think they call it chemistry.”
He smiled.
She put the flat of her hand on his chest. “This isn’t going to work, you know.”
The colonel looked at her intently and asked, “Why not?”
Lupita grimaced a little. “Because you’re too intense and I don’t trust you.”
Hatch stepped in closer. “We’ve already established that. Give me enough time and opportunity, and I will dispense with all of your reservations.”
Ensign Alvarez shook her head. “I won’t let you hurt me. I refuse to fall for you.”
He smiled and took her left hand in his. “That’s okay, Lupita. From now on, you can call me Uncle Bob.”
She was suddenly at a loss for words. How could she tell him how she really felt? How could she be honest, trusting and vulnerable? Every man she had ever known had abandoned her, failed her, and left her out to dry. Besides, he was too old.
Somehow Hatch knew exactly what she was thinking. He took her hand and entwined their fingers. “Shit, Lupita, it’s the end of the fucking world. What have you got to lose?”
At that specific time and place, she wasn’t ready to relinquish her doubts. Ensign Alvarez regained her composure and physically pushed him away. “Do I have to call some Rangers to keep you away from me?”
This time her words dug deep. He was visibly hurt.
“No, that won’t be necessary,” Hatch said quietly. “I read you loud and clear.”
He walked away angry, standing near the other group, but staring off into space.
Then he overheard CWO Collins say, “Colonel Hatch can fly one and I’ll fly the other. Just like before, we’ll go as far as the fuel will take us, which should be Saskatchewan.”
“So the same groups as last time?” Darby asked as a formality.
“No, Ensign Alvarez goes with the CWO,” Hatch interrupted pointedly. “If something goes wrong, we shouldn’t be in the same plane.”
Robert never once looked at Lupita.
“Okay, sir, I understand,” Collins said, aware that the ensign and colonel were having personal issues.
At the same time, Lupita folded her arms and sulked.
It would have been comedic, in certain circumstances, but Sergeant Darby thought the two of them were acting like spoiled teenagers. He rolled his eyes when he realized they were actually falling in love.
“God, that’s all I need,” Maxwell whispered to Collins.
The chief grinned. He thought it was cute, the old man doing his best to woo the hot young woman. The colonel was bound to fail, but Hatch was highly motivated. Specialist Thomas returned in a hurry. “Sergeant Darby, there’s a ground crew getting a Pacific Coast Airlines airplane ready for departure. Why don’t we just steal it and get the fuck out of here?”
Darby, Collins, and Ramirez quickly followed the specialist, while Hatch and Alvarez brought up the rear. They slipped through the gap in the cyclone fence and joined Powers and Stillwell crouched by one of the hangars.
“Look,” Sergeant Stillwell pointed.
Sure enough, it was a Saab 340B with two turboprop engines on a low wing. It was probably a regularly scheduled flight to Vancouver or perhaps Medicine Hat.
