Yield (79 page)

“
Okay,
”
Chris says in his most soothing voice. He looks back at Terra with wide eyes.
“
Maybe we shouldn
’
t see how Izz is doing.
”

“
I
’
m pregnant,
”
Isabel chides.
“
Not a status update.
”

Terra lets go of Chris
’
s waist and puts her hand gently up to Isabel
’
s shoulder.
“
Can I help?
”
her soft voice whispers.

Surprised, Isabel looks back at the normally silent teen.

Terra
’
s hand peeks out from the rolled-up white sleeves of Chris
’
s letterman jacket, her fingers outstretched. She lifts the bag strap up and over Isabel
’
s shoulder with surprising strength. The teen puts it over her own without a word, settling the weight behind her.

“
Girl, if I could reach you over the top of this beach ball,
”
Isabel says, rubbing at where the thin strap had been digging into her skin,
“
you
’
d have to fight off some
serious
huggin
’
.
”
She sighs, grateful for the twenty pounds she just shed.
“
Don
’
t suppose you can do anything about this one?
”
Isabel runs a hand over her enlarged belly.
“
I love kids, but this oven is so done, honey.
No más
. My husband
’
s Chiquita banana can find a new damn pastime!
”

The teen slowly smiles back.

“
Can I get that?
”
Chris points. His own chivalry is suddenly gnawing at him.

“
I
’
m fine,
”
Terra says, clutching the bag strap. A growing strength flashes in her eyes.

More and more survivors join them, continuing south down the freeway. Hours drift on. Time itself seems to slow while the rhythmic march of tired feet ticks away. The procession of the walking hopeless grows. Bodies seem to double and triple at intervals while teeming over the fractured landscape.

Fiery clouds still fill the sky, blocking out all blue from above. They haven
’
t seen that color in days. It
’
s as if the world itself will never again feel the uncorrupted touch of the sun
’
s gleaming kiss or taste the cool cut of winter pushing under a cloudless day. Instead, the wind rustles out of a darkened sky through the groves of browning trees they pass. It creates a steady
noise
,
h
arsh and uninviting. The leaves wither and fall, billowing unseasonably all around them.

Jacob cocks his head. A familiar sound echoes in the distance.

“
What?
”
Devin asks.

“
Maybe nothing,
”
Jacob says. He looks unsure. His eyes scan the sides of the mob, looking for gaps.

Sierra
’
s feet shuffle tiredly alongside him. She glances up. Her grandfather
’
s grip continues to tighten around her hand.

A buzz soon begins to ripple across the crowd. Murmured words spread like wildfire. The unintelligible excitement grows, gasping like life itself.

“
What
’
s going on?
”
Devin asks, tapping the woman
’
s shoulder in front of him.

“
Sounds like there
’
s a camp being set up for refugees ahead.
”
Renewed energy fills her face.

“
‘
Bout bloody time!
”
Devin says. He cranes his head to the side, trying to peer around the sea of bodies. Pointed shapes are faintly visible in the distance. They
’
re surrounded by the sparkle of something metal.
“
I was beginning to think we
’
d be walking the whole blooming way to Portland.
”

Feeling an iron grip on his bicep, Devin turns.

The general looks intently at the sky. One of his ears is turned upward, trying to hear above the growing choir of voices all around them.

“
Jacob?
”
Devin asks. His stomach sinks as he looks into the old man
’
s eyes.

T
he scream of jet engines
suddenly
roars overhead. The sharp sound seems to come from every direction. Echoes bounce, again and again, back from the horizons. The engines
’
cry fades away behind the clouds.

The crowd jumps when the sound waves slam into them. Slowly at first, a halfhearted cheer erupts to welcome the unseen reinforcements.

“
Thought the cavalry forgot about us,
”
Devin says, smiling back at Jacob.

The general
’
s eyes are sharpened steel.
“
That
’
s not our cavalry.
”

Explosions flash from behind them, blasting pieces of the defenseless crowds apart. Chunks of concrete are thrown into the sky. They land with crushing force down onto the packed rows of people just below.

Chris and Terra are shoved forward into the others as survivors begin pushing desperately for their lives. All around them, the crowd begins to run as one for the camp gates. The weak and infirm are thrown violently to the ground
,
their cringing bodies trampled without a second
’
s pause. The embattled trek soon becomes a stampede of the savage and terrified.

“
Stop!
”
Devin screams. But more bodies continue to force their way through.
“
Get to the side!
”
he shouts to Chris and Terra. The fireman snatches Isabel
’
s left hand, pulling her toward the side of the freeway and a small pocket of space beyond. Isabel clutches her pregnant stomach protectively with the other hand. She winces in pain as limbs slam into her over and over again.

“
Get away from her!
”
a deep voice booms from the center of the freeway.

Devin turns toward the authoritative growl, knowing it
’
s Jacob
’
s, even in the chaos. The general
’
s chiseled shoulders push and shove against the horde. He throws their bodies aside only to be replaced by dozens more. His head whips around, looking frantically for his granddaughter. The crowd quickly overtakes them just as Jacob lifts Sierra up into his arms. It swallows them both like a
swarm
of locusts.

“
Jacob!
”
Devin shouts. Bodies crash into him from every side, spinning the fireman around. Disoriented, he glances about. His eyes shoot around for the others, but only strange and terrified faces push by.
“
Chris! Terra!!
”

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!

50-caliber machine gun blasts echo in the waning light. Their muzzles spark at the edges of the refugee camp, trailing the skies for enemy attackers.

THUD-THUD
…
BOOM!!

More explosions rip through the scurrying mass of people, detonating new terror into the footrace.

Get her out of here,
a steadying voice rings in Devin
’
s ears. The fireman
’
s trained impulses cut through his confusion like an ax.
You can
’
t save the others
…
The words calm his mind even as his body screams out for his friends. Almost on their own the instincts engage,
driving him forward to protect the two lives still beside him. He can
’
t risk Izz and her baby. He can
’
t risk everything just to look for what already may be lost
…

They have to move. The seething mob will run them down if they don
’
t. The smell of their sweat already sours the air as more bodies shove and slam against them.

“
Come on!
”
Devin yells, pulling Isabel out into the madness moving past. Elbows and shoulders hammer into them. People are everywhere, pulling
—
c
lawing at one another for their right to exist.

The tightly-packed herd pulses across the ground. Their labored motion blurs over the bodies of those not so fortunate. A wavering oasis inches closer and closer.
We
’
re going to make it
…

The fence line sparkles in the setting sun. The camp gates are only a quarter-mile away now, and closing fast.

“
Devin!!
”
Isabel shrieks. She stumbles, going down as the clustering feet step on her own.

The eyes of those in flight are filled with selfishness and a primal savagery vacant of any restraint. Justification hardens their faces. The uncaring mass thrusts against them, forcing its way down the eastern edge of the freeway.

The stampede rips Devin
’
s and Isabel
’
s hands apart.

Survival surges forward again, moving viciously over the pregnant woman.

“
No! Isabel!!
”
the fireman screams. He pushes against the crowd, trying to fight his way back to her.
“
Damn it, move!
”
he pleads. But a new freight train of bodies smashes into him. Pushing with all of his strength, Devin
’
s shaking body is forced back. Step by step, he
’
s shoved f
a
rther away from Isabel
’
s outstretched hand.
“
Isabel!
”
he bellows, helplessness cracking in his voice.

Through the chaos, he sees Isabel curl protectively to save the baby inside her. She cringes in pain. The woman
’
s crippled body disappears again as another faceless legion swallows her.

BOOM!

A shotgun blasts into the air, finally parting humanity
’
s indifference. They scatter from the weapon like cockroaches blinded by light.

The fireman leaps toward Isabel, shooting the gun overhead again to drive back the approaching tide.
“
I
’
m here, Izz,
”
he shouts, glancing down to assess her injuries. Devin doubles over, his stomach aching as if he
’
d fired the shotgun into himself.

Isabel
’
s pupils are fully dilated, her eyelids fluttering. The pregnant woman
’
s body twitches on the ground. Devin stuffs the shotgun muzzle back into his bag and puts two shaky fingers to Isabel
’
s neck. Her weak pulse throbs slowly under the skin, her breathing irregular and ragged.
My God
…

Devin slides his hands carefully under her neck and lower back. He easily lifts Isabel up into his arms. The fireman
’
s emerald eyes dart around, searching frantically for any sign of aid.
“
Help us! Please
…
”
he yells. But the mob just continues on without concern, pushing past even while he begs.

Rage finally drives him forward. Devin cushions Isabel
’
s limp body, forcing his legs to move faster than the burning muscles will allow. He kicks and staggers toward the camp gates.
Please, no. Not her
…

Tears of failure mix with the fear in his eyes. Her paling face is almost pure white now.

*  *  *

Two soldiers, rifles at the ready, man the gate at the camp
’
s razor
-
wire fence line.
“
Slow down!
”
they shout to an oblivious horde. Their eyes are still locked on the skies, searching for traces of foreign fire.