Origins twc-2 Read online

  “Makara, pull over!” Samuel said.

  “No.”

  “Pull over, goddamn it! She’s coming with us whether you like it or not!”

  Makara slammed on the brakes, causing us all to rock forward in our seats. The seatbelt pressed into my neck, constricting my breathing. On the LCD screen, the headlight grew brighter and brighter.

  Anna was going to crash into us.

  Anna veered off and flashed by the Recon’s right side in a speedy whir. She circled around to the Recon’s driver’s side and halted, shutting off the engine. Her face was calm and implacable. To her, a couple brushes with death in ten minutes’ time were all in a day’s work.

  Samuel and I got out of the Recon, but Makara and Lisa stayed in. Outside, the air was sharp and dry. The sun had lit the land dull red from behind the equally red clouds. The mountains towered in the distance to the east, and the desert of rock and sand stretched flat to meet them. Behind us, Raider Bluff sat on its cliff, dark and brooding in the early hour.

  “I’m coming with you,” Anna said simply.

  Her eyes flicked up to meet mine. In them I saw determination, and the unwillingness to take no as an answer.

  “You know,” I said, “if you wanted to come with us, all you had to do was ask. You didn’t have to audition or anything.”

  “Did Char send you?” Samuel asked. “Makara will give me hell if I let you into the Recon.”

  “No, Char did not send me. That’s why I met you at the gate. He wouldn’t want me to come. But Char is selfish, and you guys need me. The terrain is dangerous, and I’m the only one in Bluff who can lead you to the Great Blight.”

  “And nearly got yourself killed in the process,” I said.

  “I’m hard to kill,” Anna said. She turned to Samuel. “I’m telling the truth. You’ll die without my help. My bike can be stored in the cargo bay until I need to return home. It’s capable of high mileage, so getting home shouldn’t be an issue, even if I can’t find water.”

  At that moment, Makara jumped from the Recon and walked up to Anna.

  “You are not coming,” she said.

  “You are wrong.”

  Makara’s eyes cut dangerously at Anna. It looked as if things were going to come to blows.

  “I don’t want you here,” Makara said. “End of story.”

  “You do want me here. You just don’t realize it, yet. As I was telling Samuel, you will need a guide to get you across the Boundless. Before I moved to Bluff, the Boundless was my home. I survived there for years, even with the hostile Desert Tribes roaming around. Trust me, you’ll want my guidance.”

  Makara’s face reddened. Her hand, out of habit, made its way to her holstered handgun. The movement didn’t escape Anna’s eye.

  “Don’t even try it,” Anna said. “I’m here for one reason and one reason only. You’ll never make it past the Boundless to the Great Blight without my help. It has nothing to do with annoying you, I promise.”

  “We don’t need your help.”

  Anna stepped forward, her eyes challenging. “You don’t? Spoken like someone who has never seen the Boundless. Do you know where the Desert Tribes camp? Do you know where to find water? Do you know which mesas are safe to hide behind in a dust storm? A dust storm in the Boundless is a thousand times worse than one in the Wasteland.”

  It looked as if Anna could go on, but Makara held up a hand. “I admit, you might have a point. But I promise you this. If you don’t leave voluntarily by the time we reach the Great Blight, I’ll make sure you leave by compulsion. Is that understood?”

  Anna gave a slight smile. “If this mission is anything like what Char says it is, trust me; I’ll be out of your hair by then.”

  “Fine,” Makara said. “Let’s move out.”

  Makara went back into the Recon, followed by Lisa.

  “Don’t say anything to incite Makara,” Samuel said to Anna. “If you’re going to be with us for the next few days, I want the trip to be as peaceful as possible.”

  Anna nodded. “I know. I’m sorry. I know this is last-minute, but I believe you guys will need my help. But after the Great Blight, you’ll be on your own.”

  “We need to get moving,” Samuel said. “We can’t get bogged down on who doesn’t like whom. We have a mission to finish.”

  Once the cycle was stowed, the rest of us piled into the Recon and we continued our journey. As the day brightened, the crimson Wasteland fell speedily behind us. It was amazing how fast this thing could go.

  “We should be there in a few days, right?” I said.

  “Now is the easy part,” Makara said.

  As the day wore on, large dunes replaced the flat and rocky ground. It was difficult to pick our way past them. Anna pointed the way. I could not tell how she discerned one dune from the other.

  By midday, our progress slowed to a near standstill. We were doing twenty-five miles an hour over the dunes, Makara doing her best to keep us going east.

  “We made it to the Boundless,” Anna said. “No trick here, just keep heading east.”

  After we slogged through the dunes a couple more hours, I saw a long jagged line in the distance.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “Looks like a canyon,” Makara said. “Does it head the right way?”

  Anna didn’t answer for a bit. “I’ve never seen it before…”

  “You’re the expert here,” Makara said with biting sarcasm. “Are we going in, or what?”

  Anna hesitated a moment. “Yeah. Go in. My mind’s eye was just ten miles north of where we actually are.”

  I spoke up. “I don’t know if it’s from some book or a movie I saw, but I think going in there is a really, really bad idea…”

  No one answered me. Makara headed for the canyon. A few minutes later we entered its gaping entrance. As we headed deeper within, the jagged brown rock on either side rose higher and higher. It zigzagged back and forth, making it difficult to see too far ahead. We were doing forty miles an hour. Finally, we made a turn, entering a long, wide stretch where sheer cliff rose up on either side.

  I guessed this might have been a good idea.

  Just as I thought that, a bullet splattered into the Recon’s windshield.

  Chapter 9

  Wild-haired men appeared along the rim of the canyon, aiming rifles down at the Recon. Bullets dinged the metal and cracked the windshield. Makara sped up, weaving through the canyon.

  A bullet hit where it shouldn’t have — one of the back tires. There was a pop as the thick rubber was reduced to uselessness. As the Recon ground to a halt, I reached for my Beretta.

  “Hold on!” Makara yelled.

  Makara spun the wheel, facing the vehicle sideways to our attackers. More bullets riddled the frame on Anna’s and Makara’s side. The other side would offer us cover.

  “Get out the other side,” Makara said.

  We rushed to get out as more bullets ripped into the Recon’s side. Beside me, Lisa knelt on the ground and snapped a scope onto her sniper rifle. Once done, she put it to her eye, scanning the rim of the canyon on the Recon’s safe side.

  “This side looks clear,” she said.

  Anna peered through the Recon’s windows to the other side. “It looks as if some of them are coming this way.”

  “Who the hell are these people?” Makara asked.

  “One of the Desert Tribes,” Anna said. “Not sure which.”

  “Really?” Makara asked. “I wouldn’t have guessed that. I thought you were supposed to be our guide.”

  “Usually Char keeps this area clear,” Anna said. “Normally, the Tribes wouldn’t attack outright like this.”

  “Stop fighting,” Samuel said. “It isn’t helping.”

  At the top of the canyon, a man showed himself from behind a rock, aiming his rifle down. My ears nearly split when Lisa’s sniper rifle fired. The man’s head burst like a melon and his body plummeted into the canyon.

  Makara looked at the mang
led tire doubtfully. “The jack and the spare are both in the cargo bay. If we go in through the back we’ll be out in the open.

  “So how do we get that tire out?” I asked. “It won’t fit through the cab.”

  Everyone thought for a moment. Thinking, however, was a difficult thing to do under enemy fire.

  “We need to get that tire and not get killed in the process,” Samuel said.

  “Maybe Lisa can snipe them all out,” I said.

  “Yeah?” Lisa said. “By the time I set up a position they will have sniped me out.”

  “Not if you’re inside the Recon, with the window cracked just enough to aim your gun out. The glass is bulletproof. As long as you can look out the glass with your scope, you should be safe and able to fire on them. That should give everyone else enough cover to get the tire.”

  Lisa thought a moment. “That…might actually work.”

  “Get to it,” Samuel said. “And be careful.”

  Lisa jumped into the Recon and took up position behind the second window. A few bullets were fired from the rim of the canyon. A moment later, the loud crack of the sniper rifled echoed off the rock walls. Lisa fired again, again, again…

  The bullets from above stopped raining down.

  “They’re hiding,” Lisa shouted. “Now’s your chance!”

  Makara and I ran around the side of the vehicle, only to have a bullet ricochet off the ground at our feet. We hopped into the cargo bay before any more could fire at us. The tire was mounted on the wall on the right side. We grabbed the tire and jack. We quickly jumped back out with the tire, dropping it next to the group.

  “Let Makara work,” Samuel said. “You stand guard.”

  From time to time, Lisa’s sniper rifle fired, sending a deafening blast throughout the canyon. Anna stood nearby with a pistol out, looking unsure. She was much more at home with the blade still sheathed on her back.

  The Recon was already lifted from the ground. Makara had the mangled tire off in less than a minute. She was fast.

  “Brings back old times in L.A.,” Samuel said.

  “They’re running away,” Lisa said, jumping out of the Recon, sniper rifle pointed skyward. “I think they’ve given up.”

  Makara was lowering the jack. The new tire was on, and we were ready to resume our journey.

  “All done,” she said. “Get back in so we can…”

  An otherworldly bellow permeated the canyon, causing me to cover my ears.

  “What the hell was that?” Lisa asked.

  “In the Recon, now!” Samuel yelled.

  We rushed to get inside. Makara turned the key in the ignition. Behind, I could hear the ground shake. Something really big was charging for us.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Just go, go!” Samuel said.

  As the Recon tore through the dirt, Makara clicked on the LCD screen. It revealed a giant creature, at least fifteen feet tall. It had a stooping frame and ripped muscles. Its sickly pink skin gave away where it had came from — the xenovirus — but it was like nothing I had ever seen. It was bipedal and had angry narrow slits for eyes. It reminded me of Kari, the giant creature we had fought at Bunker 114. Only this one was bigger. And angrier.

  It charged forward, nearing the vehicle.

  “Alex, do something!” Makara yelled.

  “Do something? Against that thing?”

  “The turret!”

  The Recon surged ahead as the creature’s extended claws scratched the back of the vehicle. We gained a bit of distance, but the respite wasn’t to last. The creature closed the gap, nearing the Recon once more.

  “Alex, man the turret!” Samuel yelled. “Go, now!”

  I got up and ran to the back, climbing the short ladder to the turret. I opened the hatch and stepped through, trying not to let the bumps throw me off balance.

  The giant machine gun was waiting for me.

  It was pointing ahead, so I wheeled it around. The monster was closer than ever, just a few strides away. Its grotesque face was open, revealing rows of razor-sharp yellow teeth. Its all-white eyes burned fiercely. Upon seeing me, it gave a roar and charged forward, faster.

  I had a few seconds to figure out how the turret worked, or the monster would kill me.

  “Here goes nothing.”

  I squeezed the trigger.

  Nothing happened.

  The Behemoth reached an arm back, its eyes igniting in bloodlust.

  Anna popped out next to me.

  “Try turning the safety off.”

  She clicked it off. I squeezed the trigger.

  A hail of bullets issued from the end of the gun, splattering the legs and abdomen of the monster. It bellowed in pain, but the skin was thick. I only seemed to piss it off and make it charge for us faster.

  “Aim for the eyes!” Anna shouted.

  I swiveled the weapon upward, holding it steady. I let the Behemoth have it again, and the bullets entered its neck and face. It gave a horrible wail, falling to its knees. I kept shooting. Somehow, I was able to train the gun on its face, and more bullets entered its head. The thing fell into the dirt and was inert. I didn’t stop shooting. I wanted to be sure it was really dead.

  Anna grabbed my arm, making me release pressure from the trigger.

  “It’s dead,” she said.

  Indeed it was. The thing was slumped on the ground, purple, sticky liquid gushing from the holes I had made in its face.

  We stood there a moment as the Recon kept driving. The cold wind chilled my face. My hands were still glued to the gun.

  Anna put her hands on mine, and one by one released each of my fingers from the grips. She held them for a moment, looking into my eyes.

  “You alright?”

  “Yeah. Fine.”

  “Let’s get inside,” she said. “Don’t want Makara to get lost.”

  After I clicked the safety back on, we went back into the cargo bay and closed the hatch above us.

  When we reentered the cab, everyone was ecstatic.

  “Good job,” Samuel said. “Couldn’t have done it better myself.”

  “Yeah,” Makara said. “Hopefully it’s clear sailing.”

  The ground rose, leading us out of the canyon and back onto the arid, dune-ridden Boundless. Hundreds of dunes spread in all directions, stopped only by lines of jagged mountains far in the east. It would be hell trying to get through those. It was late afternoon, and the light was already failing.

  But the dunes were not what worried me most. In the distance to the east a low, menacing wall of cloud tumbled toward us.

  “Dust storm,” Lisa said. “And nowhere to hide.”

  “First an ambush,” I said, “then a troll thing, and now a dust storm? It’s as if something doesn’t want us to get there.”

  “Just bad luck,” Anna said. “Dust storms become more common the farther east you go. More sand, and less water.”

  “Where do we wait it out?”

  Samuel pointed toward the left. “Let’s head to that mesa. It’s maybe a klick out.”

  “That’s fine,” Anna said. “We’re out of options, anyway.”

  “Good to know they have Devil’s Walls out here, too,” Makara said. “Hopefully we’re not too late.”

  “If we stay on the mesa’s leeward side, we should be safe,” Anna said.

  Makara was going full throttle, racing against the cloud advancing toward us. The red, bulbous mass expanded ever outward, stumbling over itself. It seemed malevolent, as if it existed only to harm us, thundering and crashing with Jovian force. Lightning flashed in its interior. It was still about a mile out, and would be our deaths if we were caught in it.

  One by one, the dunes in the distance were lost as the wall of cloud overtook them. We were close to the mesa. Only I didn’t know if we were close enough.

  Finally the dunes ended, and a large flatland separated us from the mesa. The dust was on our right, shooting toward us, just seconds away.

  “We’re
not going to make it,” Lisa said.

  “Hold on tight,” Makara said.

  The Recon’s headlights clicked on. The land before us was eerily calm and quiet. On our right was the thrashing maelstrom.

  With the force of a colossal hammer, the wind slammed into us, nearly upturning our vehicle. It spun us toward the south, forcing us to follow that direction.

  “We have to make it to the mesa,” Samuel said. “That wind will make us crash into something.”

  “Almost there,” Makara said.

  I couldn’t see anything out the windshield, so I knew Makara couldn’t, either. She kept the compass on the dash pointed northeast — the direction we had been going earlier to hit the mesa. The wind pummeled the side of the Recon and lightning crackled around us.

  That was the worst part — the lightning. I tried not to picture myself getting fried to a crisp from it.

  The wind died as we reached the leeward side of the mesa. Makara slammed on the brakes. We slowed to a stop right in front of a wall of rock.

  “Well… we made it,” Makara said.

  “What now?” I asked.

  “It is near nightfall, anyway,” Samuel said. “It’s best just to eat and sleep.”

  It was hard to switch gears from running and fighting for our lives to the more mundane activity of eating, but it was a welcome change. I was hungry and exhausted in equal amounts. Makara hooked up a stove to a power source and got started on dinner. While it cooked, I closed my eyes in my seat, not even bothering to take off my seatbelt. The sounds of the raging storm, just inches away through the pane of glass, lulled me into a doze.

  The smell of cooking vegetable stew roused me from sleep. Outside, it was dark, windy, and cold. The only light came from the inside of the vehicle.

  We ate, the hearty stew warming me. Makara started the Recon again, to charge the battery a bit. Lisa went to the back with her blanket, her wavy brown hair falling before her face, and she ducked into the cargo bay. After a minute, Makara went back to join her, heavy-eyed. Anna was already fast asleep, leaning against the window.