The Life Beyond (20 page)

Bobby moved to my side. His face was frozen in fear. Alexis joined us while Mom, Karen and Tyler took their places on the left.

“Are you okay?” I asked Bobby, sensing his trepidation. “If you feel that you can’t fight, lock yourself away in one of the houses. Honestly, Bobby.” I put my hand on his shoulder.

He straightened, some of the fear replaced by determination. “No way. I’ll fight.” I squeezed his hand as the army drew closer.

Roars rose from the Weepers as they reached the headlights’ glare. It reflected off their eyes, made them look even wilder. My heart tried to jump out of my chest but my grip on the gun tightened. The army careened over the beach, sending sand flying. I could feel the pounding of their feet through my body, as if they were on full attack mode now.

The first Weeper reached the minefield. A bang filled the night air and the shock wave raised the hairs on my neck. After the sand had settled, I could make out dark chunks and black stains on the beach – the remains of the Weeper. The explosion had torn a hand off another Weeper but the army didn’t stop. Another explosion thrust sand our way. I closed my eyes as grains pelted my face and body.

Another boom. Very close this time.

A few Weepers had reached the cars and catapulted themselves over the roofs before I’d even registered that the fight had actually started. More booms followed. Soon the mines would be gone.

I swung my head around and focused on the Weeper closest to me. His eyes flashed in the dark and the red glow of the collar looked like a mist of blood on its body. My fingers tensed as I pulled the trigger and the dart shot out, hitting the E.M. in the chest. It stared down, blinking as if it couldn’t believe what had happened, before it sank to the ground and began spasming. I turned away as it curled into a ball on the roof of a car. Breathing hard, I fumbled for the next dart. Three tries later it was placed into the gun and I fixed my next target.

Shouts and roars filled the night but no explosions.

Their speed, that’s something we hadn’t taken into consideration. The first Weepers reached the wharf before we could fell them. They thrust themselves forward, landing on the wooden boards and making them creak from the force of the impact.

We backed up, never ceasing to shoot our darts.

Someone cried out – a human scream. It went through me like a knife. My eyes darted around, trying to make out who it had been. The voice had been male. Bobby was still behind me and Quentin beside Joshua.

I spotted the body, its throat mangled, and went cold. It was Larry, his glasses askew on his nose, eyes wide in death. Karen let out a wail and tried to get to him but Geoffrey grabbed her. My chest constricted, stealing my breath. More shots rang out and the smell of blood filled the air.

“Careful!” Joshua screamed.

The warning came too late. Several more Weepers jumped onto the wharf. The wood rattled and groaned under the assault. Boards bent beneath my feet.

People scattered, darts and bullets sliced through the air. Another cry. A Weeper took down an Undergrounder, tearing at the body. Blood spewed everywhere.

Bobby let out a strangled gasp.

I whirled around, worried something had happened to him. He wasn’t hurt, just chalk-white and scared. “You okay?” I asked.

His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something, but I never heard his words. I whirled around and something smashed into me and Bobby, colliding with my side. I heard my ribs cracking and the air was forced out of my lungs. We went through the balustrade, breaking it in two, splinters boring into my back and arms a moment before we hit the water. A shock shot through me from the cold – like a thousand icy daggers slicing through my body.

I tried to stay above the surface. Where was Bobby?

“Bobby?” I gasped for breath. “Bobby!”

Then I spotted a shadow under the water. I dove and kicked my feet to gain momentum. The Weeper clung to Bobby and dragged him down. Bobby was screaming, bubbles tearing from his mouth and rising up to meet me. There was panic in his eyes. I swam faster.

Bobby’s arm was extended and I gripped it but the drag was too strong. I kicked at the Weepers head. Once. Twice. The Weeper held fast, though it seemed close to losing consciousness. Another kick. Its eyelids drooped, mouth going slack. My lungs threatened to burst and the first gulp of water went down my throat. I gasped and more followed.

Our feet hit the seabed and Bobby crumpled down into a heap. Sand whirled up, stealing my vision. I slashed at it, trying to disperse the murkiness. After a moment I could make out Bobby. The Weeper’s grip was loosening as its eyes turned back in its head. I knew that was my chance.

I grabbed Bobby by the arm again. It was too dark to see anything. My lungs constricted and it felt like a knife sliced through my chest. I started moving my legs and arms but Bobby was too heavy. The surface didn’t seem to be coming closer and numbness crawled through my body. At the same time fogginess took over my mind. More water entered my lungs and I closed my eyes as unconsciousness nibbled at me.

There were no cries, no blood down here. It was peaceful.

Hanging on to reality, forcing my arms to keep moving, it seemed near impossible.

And then our heads broke through the surface and air rushed into my lungs. What should have felt good only added to the pain. I didn’t know where I was. Everything was dark and a haze hung over my eyes. I coughed up water. It shot out of my mouth and nose. Bobby gasped for breath beside me – it was the best sound I’d heard in a while. Slowly, I swam us toward the wharf.

Someone threw a life-saver my way. It landed a few inches in front of my face. I put it over Bobby’s head but he was too weak to hold onto it. I didn’t have any other choice than to squeeze in beside Bobby and wrap my legs around his body. Geoffrey and Mom slowly hoisted us up. Their faces were so pale they seemed to glow. My legs grew heavy but I didn’t let go of Bobby.

Finally we reached the edge of the wharf. Geoffrey pulled Bobby up onto the boards first, then it was my turn. Mom’s lips moved but water filled my ears and drowned out the noise. For a moment, I allowed myself to catch my breath.

In the corner of my eye shadows moved. The fight was still going on – without me. I struggled to my feet.

Mom was crouched beside Bobby. He would be safe with her. There weren’t any more Weepers on the wharf – they lay on the boards either dead or changing.

A wave of sickness washed over me but I swallowed it back. Turning my head, I saw Joshua, Tyler, Quentin, Alexis and Geoffrey on the beach, fighting five Weepers who’d backed them up to the edge of the water. I climbed over a car and stumbled over the beach toward my friends. If this was the end, I’d die at their sides.

They must have been out of darts and bullets, for now they brandished knives, baseball bats and axes. I stopped beside Joshua and built a protective line with the others, facing the Weepers. Joshua’s face was smeared with blood from a gash on his forehead. I checked my gun. Only two bullets left.

The Weepers seemed to wait for something, as if they were communicating with each other. Suddenly, as one entity, they catapulted themselves forward. My gun hand darted up and I pulled the trigger. It took two bullets to bring the Weeper down. I drew the knife from the holster around my waist and ran toward Alexis who was keeping a Weeper at bay with a baseball bat. Alexis swung the bat at its head but lost her balance and fell backwards. I thrust myself toward her attacker and slashed my knife across its heels, cutting the cords. It yowled and tipped over.

Alexis jerked to her feet. “That was close.”

I turned in time to see Joshua drive his knife into the back of a Weeper now hunched over Tyler. I cried out and stumbled in their direction. “Tyler?”

Joshua and I pushed the Weeper off Tyler. He seemed to be in a state of shock. The claws of the Weepers had torn the skin on his shoulder to shreds but he was still breathing.

“Watch him,” Joshua said before he joined Quentin and Geoffrey in their fight against the last Weeper.

I perched at Tyler’s side, clutching my knife. “It’s okay,” I told him, but the shaking in my voice said something else. His eyes flickered toward me and I slowly helped Tyler sit up.

“Sherry!” Joshua screamed.

I looked up. A Weeper threw himself at me, eyes beyond crazy and teeth bared. It crashed into me and I brought up the knife, hitting something. We landed in a heap on the ground. Its heavy body crushed me, its blood soaking my clothes and running over my face and into my lips and ears. It was everywhere. I gagged. To my relief I realized it was now still. My hands shook as I tried to push it off me. I heard voices, and somebody heaved the creature away from me. I lay there, too exhausted to move.

Joshua and Quentin hovered over me, Joshua’s face contorted into an expression I’d never seen. He dropped to his knees beside me and put my head on his lap. “Oh no, Sherry. Please no.”

I turned my head to look at him, laughing quietly. “It’s not my blood,” I whispered. “At least not all of it. I’m fine.”

His hands glided over my body, making sure. Then he relaxed and pressed his lips to mine forcefully.

“I thought it had killed you.”

“I’m alright.” I buried my face in his neck. “We did it. We beat them.”

Joshua’s arms tightened around me.

When night gave way to day and the sky blushed pink, we gathered the dead. We buried the humans and burned the Weepers. The beach mirrored the colors of the sky, yellow tinged red from blood.

Karen stood tall at the edge of the waves, supported by Geoffrey’s arm around her shoulder. Her tears were silent. She’d lost the person she’d loved most. I knew how impossible it was to just walk away from something like that.

We’d all lost someone. Dad’s face flickered up in my mind and for once I didn’t push it away, didn’t even try to bury my pain and sorrow. I let the tears flow and with them came a sense of relief.

Twenty Weepers had survived the fight and had been given the cure. They lay in heaps on the beach, curled into themselves. Whimpers and strange whines came from them. Some of them had already changed back to their human form – maybe those who hadn’t been Weepers for long. But their minds hadn’t yet caught up with the change. The noises they made belonged to beasts.

We would help them discover their humanity, would help them get through the trauma and the guilt.

Awakened by sunrise, gulls glided in the sky above us, their cries drowning out the rushing of the waves; they lapped at the red sand until the blood was gone. The ocean sparkled like thousands of stars. As I watched the boat with Mia, Marie, Emma and Zoe glide back toward the wharf, I couldn’t help but hope that this had been our last fight.

Chapter 21

4 days, 6 hours and 23 minutes since we’d defeated the Weeper army. From my position up on the roof, I let my gaze wander over the seemingly endless ocean in the distance and the flash of beige – the site of our last battle.

We hadn’t heard anything more from Joshua’s dad and didn’t know if the military was planning another attack. It was my turn to keep watch and make sure nobody got too close to the mission.

Joshua poked his head through the hatch in the roof. “Want some company?” He grinned as he heaved himself out of the opening and sat down beside me, his arm around my shoulder.

“How’s everyone?” I asked.

Joshua had been helping Karen with the patients. Of the twenty Weepers we had taken back with us to the Mission, eighteen were still alive. Ten were still in the infirmary.

“We’ve released another one but the others are still suffering from high blood pressure and seizures. They’ll all probably have to deal with PTSD for a long time.”

“And Karen?” We’d buried Larry in the cemetery three days ago. It was only the second time I’d seen Karen cry.

“She’s working non-stop. I don’t think she’s slept much since the attack. It’s like she doesn’t allow herself any time to rest.”

“It’s easier to forget when you’re busy,” I said. Memories of Dad’s death always haunted me in peaceful moments.

“I know.”

A distant buzzing broke the calm. I turned my head toward the noise, searching the sky. Joshua tensed beside me and drew his gun. A helicopter was flying toward the mission.

“Oh my god.”

“We have to warn the others,” I said.

But they had already heard. Quentin, Tyler and a few of the Undergrounders came running out of the mission.

“We should stay here,” I said. “We’ll have better aim from further up.”

Joshua nodded. “We can do this,” he said. “It looks like there’s only one helicopter. Whatever is in there, we can take them down.”

Heart pounding in my chest, I aimed my gun, as we waited for the aircraft to fly close enough for us to launch our attack.

Down below, every inhabitant of the mission had begun to gather outside, clutching whatever weapons they could grab; guns, knives, sticks, bats – anything they could get their hands on. Pride surged through me as I realized how united and strong we had become.

The helicopter was now flying directly over Safe-haven, beginning its slow descent. It wasn’t until it was almost level with the roof that I was able to get a close enough aim at the pilot.

Joshua gasped. “It’s my father!”

Shocked, I put down my gun. Tyler stared up at me with a look of incomprehension on his face.

“It’s okay!” I yelled, but my voice was whisked away in the whirr of the blades, making any kind of verbal communication virtually impossible. The draught churned up by the blades tugged at our clothes and hair, kicking up dust so that everyone was forced to shield their eyes.

Quickly, Joshua and I hurried down off the roof and into the courtyard to join the others. Joshua’s dad jumped out of the helicopter just as the blades stopped rotating.

Already Quentin, Alexis and the other Undergrounders looked set to attack.

“It’s okay! It’s okay!” I shouted as we dashed out of the mission. Quentin halted the others uncertainly.

“What’s happening?” Geoffrey asked as we approached the helicopter.

“It’s Joshua’s dad,” I replied.

Everyone fell silent as he made his way toward us. A circle of bodies built around us as everyone waited for something to happen.

“What are you doing here?” Joshua asked, his voice controlled.

Without warning, his dad pulled him into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re alright. I was worried sick about you.”

When he let go, Joshua took a step back. “Did something happen?”

“It did,” Mr. Bender said. “Can we go inside? I have some news for you.”

Mr. Bender waited until we were all settled in the main living-room before he began to explain. I sat between my Mom and Joshua, grasping their hands.

“After your video message was broadcast, the riots increased,” Mr. Bender explained. “They started in Chicago and Philadelphia, traditionally trouble-spots for the government anyway. Luckily for us they didn’t take them seriously enough, and soon the rebellion began to spread. Four days ago I left the lab and met with a rebel group in Las Vegas. We broadcast a message telling people about your defeat of the Weeper army.”

Karen gasped, the excitement evident in her voice. I glanced at Joshua. A look of shock flashed across his face.

His dad went on. “Since then, things have been crazy. I’ve been trying to contact you on the radio for days, but things have been so chaotic it was impossible. The revolution has spread across the entire country. At first the government tried to fight back by deploying their Weeper army. There have been thousands of casualties, but the people rose as a united force. It’s finally happened. You made it happen. You have overthrown the government.”

The room suddenly erupted. Some of the Undergrounders cheered and clapped, and Quentin grabbed Alexis and pulled her into a hug. A babble of voices rose throughout the room; people talking excitedly, clamouring for answers. Mom’s grip on my hand tightened, her face alight with hope. I squeezed back, before pulling her into a hug. A sob of relief rippled through her body.

Mr. Bender stood up. “Wait! Wait!” he shouted over the noise. “There’s still so much to do. The country is on its knees, and many of those criminals from the government are still on the run.”

“What about the Weepers?” Tyler asked.

“People attacked the labs. The Weepers are still being kept there, but humanely. We’re administering the cure to everyone who’s been infected and are beginning to rehabilitate them,” Mr. Bender explained. He ran his hand through his hair and it suddenly struck me how exhausted he looked. “It’s been chaos.”

“But is it safe?” I asked, my voice quivering. “Can we rebuild our life beyond the fence?”

“That’s part of the reason why I’m here. The fence will be taken down, tomorrow at 3pm. The people of America are waiting for you. They want you to be there when it happens.”

It was then that the reality of the situation hit me. I threw my arms around Joshua and squealed. “We did it. We actually did it!”

He held me tightly, laughter bubbling inside him, before he pulled back, cupping my face with his hands. All around us people were laughing, cheering, hugging and kissing, but for that moment, as he looked into my eyes, it was as if we were the only people in the room. He leaned forward and kissed me, slowly and deeply.

“Yes, Sherry,” he said as our lips parted. “Yes, we did.”

That night we set up tables and chairs on the lawn in front of the mission and had a celebratory barbecue. Candles perched on the edge of the fountain, casting their golden glow on everything.

Marty and Quentin had built a barbecue grill from an old shopping cart and a washing drum – like the one they’d used in the drains, only this time there wasn’t rat shish kebab. The heat of the fire dispersed the evening cold. Aubergines, red peppers and potatos were roasting on the grill as some of the younger Undergrounders and Emma and Mia danced around the fire, singing songs. Marie and Mom stood nearby and kept watch.

The smoky scent of burning wood hung in the air. It reminded me of my other life and the many camping fires I’d experienced with Dad and Grandpa. Nostalgia overwhelmed me and from the expression on Bobby’s face I knew he was thinking the same. Dad would be proud of us.

Joshua’s hand on my knee tightened. I glanced at him but his attention was on his father and Zoe who sat on the lawn a few feet to the side. Mr. Bender was talking to his daughter, though she didn’t say much. She still couldn’t speak more than the words yes and no. But somehow he seemed to keep up a conversation with her, a loving, patient expression on his face.

“Why don’t you go over to them?” I whispered. “They’re your family.”

Joshua kissed me softly, before he stood up and walked over to them. His Dad smiled and after a moment of hesitation, Joshua sank down beside his sister. Wordlessly, she held out her hand to him and I saw him smile.

Noticing that she had me to herself, Mia climbed on my lap and rested her forehead in the crook of my neck. I had a feeling everything would be alright.

Mr. Bender transported me, Joshua, Quentin, Tyler and Alexis in his helicopter while the others drove by car. We didn’t talk during the flight; the buzzing of the blades was too loud. I glanced out of the window, watching the deserted plains, abandoned high ways and burned down houses pass below us. The last time we’d crossed this area, I’d been desperate, afraid and anxious but this time a kind of nervous excitement filled me.

Eventually, the fence appeared on the horizon, sun glittering off the metal. A knot tightened in my stomach but then I saw the mass of people waiting beyond the fence. Dozens of cars were parked behind it. How far had people travelled to witness this?

The crowd stretched for miles and miles, and as we flew closer I could see camera crews beyond the fence, tables laden with food and drink – there was even a band playing in the distance. All of the carcasses had been cleared from the fence, leaving just a scaffold of steel. I couldn’t believe that a site of such misery had been transformed into a place for celebration in such a short period of time.

We touched down on our side of the fence. A wave of dry heat hit me as I got out of the helicopter. In front of us, the roar of thousands of people, cheering and applauding us, filled the air. Standing on the ground, the crowd seemed even bigger.

Joshua squeezed my hand. This was unbelievable.

The cheering grew louder as we moved toward the fence. The constant buzz of electricity that had haunted the fence was gone.

“All of the spring guns have been deactivated and we’ve cleared this whole area of mines,” Mr. Bender explained. “It’ll take a while for us to do the entire fence though.

We stopped a few feet from the fence. Across from us people were clapping, cheering, some were even screaming. Voices called across to us, talking excitedly all at once, asking questions and congratulating us. I didn’t even know them. My eyes darted to one of the camera crews nearby; they were filming us.

“Quentin!” screamed a voice in the crowd. Someone was waving their arms and pushing their way to the front. It was Mo and a few other Undergrounders that we’d lost during the flood in the drains. Quentin rushed toward the fence and linked his fingers with Mo’s through the metal. They were so close, but still the fence separated them.

A rumbling carried over the jumbled conversation. People in high-visibility jackets began working their way through the crowd, and gradually, the sea of people parted, making room for a huge yellow digger. The sound of a helicopter circling the sky carried across, but in place of the black government aircraft, this one was emblazoned with the logo of a TV news channel.

“Stand clear,” Mr. Bender said, ushering us further away from the fence. With the digger fast approaching we backed up hastily. One of the reporters on the other side of the fence was brandishing a megaphone, and had begun a countdown from ten. The noise of the crowd was slowly building to a defeaning crescendo.

Joshua wrapped his arms around me and joined in the countdown. “Three! Two! One!” we all yelled in unison, as the digger lowered its shovel and pushed against the wire. The fence groaned as it bowed under the pressure.

“I wish Rachel could see this,” Tyler whispered.

I took his hand. “I know,” I said. “This is for her.”

“And your dad,” Tyler said with a sad smile.

Joshua extended his arms so they were around Tyler and me. “They’re here with us,” he said simply.

The cheering of the crowd rose as the fence gave in and tumbled to the ground. A cloud of dust rose up and cloaked us. Slowly the veil of sand settled and we watched as the digger crushed the remains of the fence as it rolled over to our side.

Immediately people began streaming through the gap. We were engulfed in a wave of cheering and singing. People patted our backs and hugged us. People I’d never met welcomed us back like long lost relatives.

Tears trailed down my cheeks, and my arms were filled with the most blissful ache from shaking so many welcoming hands.

When Mom, Bobby, Mia and the other Safe-haven survivors pulled up in their cars, I was flooded by a wave of happiness. I still had a family I could share this moment with.

The celebrations continued long past nightfall. People started campfires and fireworks erupted above our heads, turning the desert into an ocean of color.

I wrapped my arms around Joshua and we watched the night sky bloom pink as another rocket exploded. He stroked his hands through my hair and leant in to whisper something in my ear. “Hey, Sherry. Do you want to know a secret?”

“What,” I said, kissing his neck.

“I think everything will be alright.”

He kissed me back then, deeply, and tiny shivers of joy exploded through me.

“You know what,” I said, as I pulled away. “I think you’re right.”