_Survival (excerpt #2)
Daniel got a sinking feeling as he stood there leaning against some nearby crates for support. He eased his wallet out of his back pocket and dropped it down the side of his leg. He waited until he was sure no one was looking and bent down to rub his injured leg then slid the wallet as far back into the stacks of crates as he could without drawing any attention to himself.
When the alien stopped in front of him and said "I D", he shook his head and said he had lost his wallet in the fall. There was some murmuring between the alien and the guards who had brought him in and then the alien asked. "Name? Occupation?"
"Daniel Mathews, carpenter," he answered. He was pointed towards the right hand door. He started hopping. The next man was a bus driver and was also pointed to the right hand door and he gave Daniel a hand. Soon the door was closed behind them and he saw they were being loaded up into trucks. As the trucks filled up they pulled away. He wondered where they were taking them but was relieved at that point just to be sitting down.
Five minutes later they were unloaded into another warehouse. This was obviously a temporary holding place where they were sent before being shipped out to a camp. The room was filled with large racks stacked four or five high and half of them had men lying in them that were in as bad or worse condition than the new group were. The first request was for food but there was none to be had. A fifty five gallon drum of oily looking water stood near by, this was the drinking water for them all.
Daniel sat first gazing around at all the men, hoping to see one familiar face but they were all strangers to him. He lay back down on the wooden rack with a groan, lifting his injured leg carefully. He stretched out and his tortured muscles spasmed in pain. He spent a few moments listening to the mutters and groans around him then settled into a pain-filled sleep. He awoke a short time later to hearing someone coughing nearby.
He lay there thinking about his situation. It was spring again so that made it two years since it all began and a full year since he had been taken prisoner. He was lucky to still be alive, lucky that he had been taking a short vacation in his cabin when it all happened. He had heard some panicky messages about aliens and an invasion on the radio just before everything was cut off. Within minutes he found out there was no electricity, no radio, cell phone or computer service; no communication devices at all that worked. He had started into town but found the road clogged with cars and people running, screaming down the highway. He backed his SUV back up his long driveway, got out, and took to the woods. He still couldn't believe he'd been careless enough to get caught. He had been sticking to the smaller towns and raiding abandoned farm houses or grocery stores for food. He had occasionally come across other stragglers but they were all headed to the big cities and he wanted no part of them. That was where the largest concentration of aliens resided. The smaller towns were patrolled but only by a few aliens at a time and so far he had managed to skirt around them.
He had been sitting on the floor of a small grocery store that he had been to several times before and had seen no one at all in town. He was eating a can of peaches when they walked in on him. He knew better than to struggle or argue with them, he had seen more than a few men try that and they were immediately vaporized. So he followed them out to their truck and became a prisoner.
They had apparently decided to set up some kind of command center there and the little town was now filled with aliens. He tried desperately to hear what they were planning but he never could make out anything but a bit of mumbling.
He had waited patiently for a chance to escape but no opportunity presented itself. He knew he would have to be very careful before making any moves.
Now here it was a year later. The Army base where he had been held had filled to over flowing capacity so they had taken this group out and sent them to another camp. The only problem was there was no truck to transport them so they were walked. Six guards had accompanied them. Daniel had thought he might try an escape but the guards were too close and too eager to use their weapons. So he had marched quietly like the others.
He tried for sleep again and managed to find a half way comfortable position for his leg. This was not good. He would be laid up for weeks before he could travel on that leg. He hoped he would survive that long. He tore the sleeve off his flannel shirt and wrapped it tightly around his injured leg and hoped that it would help. The bone didn't seem to be out of place but he had heard as well as felt it snap and had no doubt that it was broken.
He had just managed to doze off when he felt a tug on his arm and heard his name whispered.
"Daniel, Daniel, wake up. We've got to get you out of here."
"Huh?" He turned towards the voice and in the darkness could just make out the features of Christopher Reid. "Chris? They got you too?"
"No. I'm free. And I'm going to get you out of here. Come on." Chris tugged Daniel into a sitting position.
"I can't. My leg is broken." Daniel scanned the room quickly to see if anyone was watching them and was grateful that everyone else was still asleep.
"Shit! Okay, we'll deal with it. Come on. Use me for a crutch." Chris pulled him to his feet.
"Chris, there's no way I can make it on this leg. And there's no place to go anyway."
"Yes you can, and yes there is. I've got a place. It's safe, there's plenty of fresh water and food." Chris said as he tugged at Daniel’s arm.
"In your dreams, Chris. There's no place like that left on earth." Daniel clung to the wooden rack for support, reluctant to lean on Chris.
"Yes there is and I'm taking you there. Now come on." He refused to take no for an answer and got an arm around Daniel's waist and hauled him towards the back.
"You'll get us both killed. I'm not anxious to meet the business end of one of their weapons." Daniel protested.
"Most of them are asleep right now and the few on guard are busy eating. We can make it if you just come on." Chris insisted.
At the back window they hesitated and Daniel could see there was no guard in sight. "Are you sure about this?"
"I am. They are all around front eating. Come on." Chris eased the window open, sat on the sill and slipped outside. "Sit," he ordered and Daniel managed to sit down on the sill and slip both legs outside. Chris got an arm around his waist, helped him down, and they hurried off towards another group of buildings across the way.
"This is crazy, Chris. We'll never make it. You can't haul me all the way out of here."
"I've been thinking about that and I think the sewer is the best route."
"The sewer?" Daniel wrinkled up his face in disgust.
"Uh huh. There's an access three buildings over that way but that's pretty close to where they are all sleeping. There's another down at the end of this block and over one. It's a lot farther but it's not patrolled as heavily. I think that's our best chance."
"And once we get into the sewer, where do we go then? The air and water are bad enough up here; I can't see living for any length of time in a sewer."
"The sewer is our new super highway. They don't seem to know about it or care about it. No one has ever seen any of them investigating the sewer system."
"There are others? Free, I mean?" Daniel asked.
"Sure there are – a lot. But most of them want to stay in the cities, try and hook up with friends or family. Big mistake. Sooner or later they all get caught."
"So this place of yours isn't in the city?"
"No. It's a long way from here but I have transportation once we're out of the city. Come on now, walk." Chris pulled him along.
They made their way passed building after building, sneaking across alleyways and into the next building until they came to the end of the block.
"We're about half a block away now and it's all outside from here on. We'll stay close to the buildings and should be able to make it without getting caught."
"Okay. Lead the way." Daniel said after taking a good look around and not spotting any guards in the area.
When they got there, Chris helped Daniel to sit and he worked the manhole cover carefully off and sat on the edge of the hole. "I'm going to go first to make sure it's OK. I'll be right back up to get you." Then he disappeared down the ladder into the darkness.
Daniel shivered as he waited. The pavement was cold beneath him and his leg was throbbing. He should have stayed where he was! This was crazy! They would never make it. Chris was crazy if he thought he could pull something like this off. And even if they did get out, where could they go? He didn't believe for a minute that Chris had some mythical place with plenty of food and water. There was no way out of this mess that Mankind had gotten itself into. His mind filled with frightening thoughts but there was still enough of the cop left in him that he hated to give up without a fight.
When the alien stopped in front of him and said "I D", he shook his head and said he had lost his wallet in the fall. There was some murmuring between the alien and the guards who had brought him in and then the alien asked. "Name? Occupation?"
"Daniel Mathews, carpenter," he answered. He was pointed towards the right hand door. He started hopping. The next man was a bus driver and was also pointed to the right hand door and he gave Daniel a hand. Soon the door was closed behind them and he saw they were being loaded up into trucks. As the trucks filled up they pulled away. He wondered where they were taking them but was relieved at that point just to be sitting down.
Five minutes later they were unloaded into another warehouse. This was obviously a temporary holding place where they were sent before being shipped out to a camp. The room was filled with large racks stacked four or five high and half of them had men lying in them that were in as bad or worse condition than the new group were. The first request was for food but there was none to be had. A fifty five gallon drum of oily looking water stood near by, this was the drinking water for them all.
Daniel sat first gazing around at all the men, hoping to see one familiar face but they were all strangers to him. He lay back down on the wooden rack with a groan, lifting his injured leg carefully. He stretched out and his tortured muscles spasmed in pain. He spent a few moments listening to the mutters and groans around him then settled into a pain-filled sleep. He awoke a short time later to hearing someone coughing nearby.
He lay there thinking about his situation. It was spring again so that made it two years since it all began and a full year since he had been taken prisoner. He was lucky to still be alive, lucky that he had been taking a short vacation in his cabin when it all happened. He had heard some panicky messages about aliens and an invasion on the radio just before everything was cut off. Within minutes he found out there was no electricity, no radio, cell phone or computer service; no communication devices at all that worked. He had started into town but found the road clogged with cars and people running, screaming down the highway. He backed his SUV back up his long driveway, got out, and took to the woods. He still couldn't believe he'd been careless enough to get caught. He had been sticking to the smaller towns and raiding abandoned farm houses or grocery stores for food. He had occasionally come across other stragglers but they were all headed to the big cities and he wanted no part of them. That was where the largest concentration of aliens resided. The smaller towns were patrolled but only by a few aliens at a time and so far he had managed to skirt around them.
He had been sitting on the floor of a small grocery store that he had been to several times before and had seen no one at all in town. He was eating a can of peaches when they walked in on him. He knew better than to struggle or argue with them, he had seen more than a few men try that and they were immediately vaporized. So he followed them out to their truck and became a prisoner.
They had apparently decided to set up some kind of command center there and the little town was now filled with aliens. He tried desperately to hear what they were planning but he never could make out anything but a bit of mumbling.
He had waited patiently for a chance to escape but no opportunity presented itself. He knew he would have to be very careful before making any moves.
Now here it was a year later. The Army base where he had been held had filled to over flowing capacity so they had taken this group out and sent them to another camp. The only problem was there was no truck to transport them so they were walked. Six guards had accompanied them. Daniel had thought he might try an escape but the guards were too close and too eager to use their weapons. So he had marched quietly like the others.
He tried for sleep again and managed to find a half way comfortable position for his leg. This was not good. He would be laid up for weeks before he could travel on that leg. He hoped he would survive that long. He tore the sleeve off his flannel shirt and wrapped it tightly around his injured leg and hoped that it would help. The bone didn't seem to be out of place but he had heard as well as felt it snap and had no doubt that it was broken.
He had just managed to doze off when he felt a tug on his arm and heard his name whispered.
"Daniel, Daniel, wake up. We've got to get you out of here."
"Huh?" He turned towards the voice and in the darkness could just make out the features of Christopher Reid. "Chris? They got you too?"
"No. I'm free. And I'm going to get you out of here. Come on." Chris tugged Daniel into a sitting position.
"I can't. My leg is broken." Daniel scanned the room quickly to see if anyone was watching them and was grateful that everyone else was still asleep.
"Shit! Okay, we'll deal with it. Come on. Use me for a crutch." Chris pulled him to his feet.
"Chris, there's no way I can make it on this leg. And there's no place to go anyway."
"Yes you can, and yes there is. I've got a place. It's safe, there's plenty of fresh water and food." Chris said as he tugged at Daniel’s arm.
"In your dreams, Chris. There's no place like that left on earth." Daniel clung to the wooden rack for support, reluctant to lean on Chris.
"Yes there is and I'm taking you there. Now come on." He refused to take no for an answer and got an arm around Daniel's waist and hauled him towards the back.
"You'll get us both killed. I'm not anxious to meet the business end of one of their weapons." Daniel protested.
"Most of them are asleep right now and the few on guard are busy eating. We can make it if you just come on." Chris insisted.
At the back window they hesitated and Daniel could see there was no guard in sight. "Are you sure about this?"
"I am. They are all around front eating. Come on." Chris eased the window open, sat on the sill and slipped outside. "Sit," he ordered and Daniel managed to sit down on the sill and slip both legs outside. Chris got an arm around his waist, helped him down, and they hurried off towards another group of buildings across the way.
"This is crazy, Chris. We'll never make it. You can't haul me all the way out of here."
"I've been thinking about that and I think the sewer is the best route."
"The sewer?" Daniel wrinkled up his face in disgust.
"Uh huh. There's an access three buildings over that way but that's pretty close to where they are all sleeping. There's another down at the end of this block and over one. It's a lot farther but it's not patrolled as heavily. I think that's our best chance."
"And once we get into the sewer, where do we go then? The air and water are bad enough up here; I can't see living for any length of time in a sewer."
"The sewer is our new super highway. They don't seem to know about it or care about it. No one has ever seen any of them investigating the sewer system."
"There are others? Free, I mean?" Daniel asked.
"Sure there are – a lot. But most of them want to stay in the cities, try and hook up with friends or family. Big mistake. Sooner or later they all get caught."
"So this place of yours isn't in the city?"
"No. It's a long way from here but I have transportation once we're out of the city. Come on now, walk." Chris pulled him along.
They made their way passed building after building, sneaking across alleyways and into the next building until they came to the end of the block.
"We're about half a block away now and it's all outside from here on. We'll stay close to the buildings and should be able to make it without getting caught."
"Okay. Lead the way." Daniel said after taking a good look around and not spotting any guards in the area.
When they got there, Chris helped Daniel to sit and he worked the manhole cover carefully off and sat on the edge of the hole. "I'm going to go first to make sure it's OK. I'll be right back up to get you." Then he disappeared down the ladder into the darkness.
Daniel shivered as he waited. The pavement was cold beneath him and his leg was throbbing. He should have stayed where he was! This was crazy! They would never make it. Chris was crazy if he thought he could pull something like this off. And even if they did get out, where could they go? He didn't believe for a minute that Chris had some mythical place with plenty of food and water. There was no way out of this mess that Mankind had gotten itself into. His mind filled with frightening thoughts but there was still enough of the cop left in him that he hated to give up without a fight.
* * * * * *
Survival (excerpt #1)
"Tell me about yourself, Christopher. What was your life like before all this nonsense? You said you were with the F.B.I. Was that an exciting life? Do you miss it?"
"Actually, it was ... exciting at times and some times terrifying." he admitted.
"It sounds all rather mysterious – dangerous."
"It was and it wasn't. Sometimes I loved it other times I hated it."
"I would imagine you miss all that?"
"Not really. I had just quit my job and was going to try and see what it was like to live a normal life."
"Ha!" Parks boomed. "A normal life! I don't think life will ever be normal again; do you?"
"I have no idea." Chris stared into his coffee cup and swirled the dregs.
"Did you lose someone? Leave someone special behind?"
"No. There was no one."
"Ahhh, but you wish there had been."
"I do, at least I did. But I never really had a chance in hell with either one of them."
"And why not? You're a charming young man with that blond hair and blue eyes; rather rough around the edges maybe but of good heart."
Chris chuckled at that. "There are … or were a few people who wouldn't agree with that."
"And these were?"
"Past associates of mine. We trained together, worked together for a time and then on opposite sides for several years."
"Ah, I see. Co workers, friends, rivals, enemies, potential lovers; all in one package."
"That's about it."
"Are they who you're thinking about when you stand and stare off towards the old pass? Are you hoping they will show up?"
"Before … there always was just that little bit of hope. Now I don't even have that any more."
"And why not? They could well be in camps somewhere waiting for you to ride to their rescue."
That brought another chuckle from Chris. "Believe me, I'm the last person either one of them would want to see."
"Tell me about them. Women, men, or perhaps one of each, you rascal?"
"Both male."
"Ah. Into threesomes. Kinky."
"No!" Chris couldn't help but chuckle at that one coming from the oh-so-proper Englishman. "At different times. First there was Sean then a while later Daniel." He grimaced at the painful memory.
"Sean was a runner and had this great body but his main interest was J.J. – as in Jennifer Joan. And Daniel – he was absolutely the sexiest thing on two feet."
"They sound pretty special."
"They are – or were. I doubt if either of them made it. Neither one of them could take orders or even suggestions from anyone else very well. I'm sure they are both long gone."
"At least you have your memories of being with them."
"No, it never got that far with either of them. I wanted to, I wanted to badly but Sean was too hung up on J.J. And Daniel, with him it was lust at first sight and I propositioned him within five minutes of laying eyes on him. I guess my approach was a little too bold or too awkward or simply not to his liking. He told me to get lost and kept me at arms length from then on. And then when I left, well, his dislike turned to hatred. We've worked on a few of the same cases over the years but he was cold as ice. The knowledge that he'd sooner break me in half as touch me, kept me at a distance."
"How very sad. You've carried a torch for two men and neither of them responded in kind. What a sad tale indeed. It sounds like a Victorian novel. Only in that, some rich relative would have whisked you away to his family's estate and married you off to his ugly daughter."
"Oh God! Spare me." Chris laughed as he got up, took his coffee cup into the kitchen and rinsed it out, then said good night and left for his bunk. He always waited until everyone was asleep so he couldn't hear their chatter and he didn't have to any answer any more of their never-ending questions.
He lay in his bunk and thought about Sean and Daniel. He knew they were gone, he just knew it. But some tiny spark of hope wouldn't die and he found himself wondering what it would be like to find them, to free them and bring them to this valley where they would be safe. Would they think of him differently after seeing what he had accomplished? He thought they probably wouldn't. Sean would whine constantly about finding J.J. and Daniel would just glare at him and keep his distance.
The tears started slipping down his face and he turned on his side and wiped at them with his blanket as they fell.
"Actually, it was ... exciting at times and some times terrifying." he admitted.
"It sounds all rather mysterious – dangerous."
"It was and it wasn't. Sometimes I loved it other times I hated it."
"I would imagine you miss all that?"
"Not really. I had just quit my job and was going to try and see what it was like to live a normal life."
"Ha!" Parks boomed. "A normal life! I don't think life will ever be normal again; do you?"
"I have no idea." Chris stared into his coffee cup and swirled the dregs.
"Did you lose someone? Leave someone special behind?"
"No. There was no one."
"Ahhh, but you wish there had been."
"I do, at least I did. But I never really had a chance in hell with either one of them."
"And why not? You're a charming young man with that blond hair and blue eyes; rather rough around the edges maybe but of good heart."
Chris chuckled at that. "There are … or were a few people who wouldn't agree with that."
"And these were?"
"Past associates of mine. We trained together, worked together for a time and then on opposite sides for several years."
"Ah, I see. Co workers, friends, rivals, enemies, potential lovers; all in one package."
"That's about it."
"Are they who you're thinking about when you stand and stare off towards the old pass? Are you hoping they will show up?"
"Before … there always was just that little bit of hope. Now I don't even have that any more."
"And why not? They could well be in camps somewhere waiting for you to ride to their rescue."
That brought another chuckle from Chris. "Believe me, I'm the last person either one of them would want to see."
"Tell me about them. Women, men, or perhaps one of each, you rascal?"
"Both male."
"Ah. Into threesomes. Kinky."
"No!" Chris couldn't help but chuckle at that one coming from the oh-so-proper Englishman. "At different times. First there was Sean then a while later Daniel." He grimaced at the painful memory.
"Sean was a runner and had this great body but his main interest was J.J. – as in Jennifer Joan. And Daniel – he was absolutely the sexiest thing on two feet."
"They sound pretty special."
"They are – or were. I doubt if either of them made it. Neither one of them could take orders or even suggestions from anyone else very well. I'm sure they are both long gone."
"At least you have your memories of being with them."
"No, it never got that far with either of them. I wanted to, I wanted to badly but Sean was too hung up on J.J. And Daniel, with him it was lust at first sight and I propositioned him within five minutes of laying eyes on him. I guess my approach was a little too bold or too awkward or simply not to his liking. He told me to get lost and kept me at arms length from then on. And then when I left, well, his dislike turned to hatred. We've worked on a few of the same cases over the years but he was cold as ice. The knowledge that he'd sooner break me in half as touch me, kept me at a distance."
"How very sad. You've carried a torch for two men and neither of them responded in kind. What a sad tale indeed. It sounds like a Victorian novel. Only in that, some rich relative would have whisked you away to his family's estate and married you off to his ugly daughter."
"Oh God! Spare me." Chris laughed as he got up, took his coffee cup into the kitchen and rinsed it out, then said good night and left for his bunk. He always waited until everyone was asleep so he couldn't hear their chatter and he didn't have to any answer any more of their never-ending questions.
He lay in his bunk and thought about Sean and Daniel. He knew they were gone, he just knew it. But some tiny spark of hope wouldn't die and he found himself wondering what it would be like to find them, to free them and bring them to this valley where they would be safe. Would they think of him differently after seeing what he had accomplished? He thought they probably wouldn't. Sean would whine constantly about finding J.J. and Daniel would just glare at him and keep his distance.
The tears started slipping down his face and he turned on his side and wiped at them with his blanket as they fell.
©2011-2012 Donna McIntosh