Deadland Rising (part 3 of the Deadland Saga)

Temperance (Chapter 21)

Clutch, Griz, Zach, and I had doused ourselves with no-scent spray made for hunters. We figured it couldn't hurt in case we came across any dogs at the airport. I'd never thought of using the stuff until we found some in the store at Des Moines. I mused if it would also work to mask our scent from zeds.

Jase was pissed that we were taking Zach instead of him, but Clutch had been obstinate. He refused to take Jase, because that meant Hali would come, and if things went to shit, Jase would be distracted if Hali got hurt. Jase denied there was anything between him and Hali, but Clutch refused nonetheless.

"Weren't you being a tad hypocritical back there?" I asked as we walked toward the Humvee, carrying a small cooler. "You're as bad as Jase."

Clutch shot a look at me. "What do you mean?"

"What if something happened to me? You'd be distracted, too."

"Nothing will happen," he said gruffly. "I'll make sure of it.

I shook my head and chuckled drily. "You're such a he-man."

"It's not that you can't take care of yourself," he said. "I know you're more than capable. It's that," he paused, "I want to take care of you."

I let his words linger for a minute before speaking. "I think that's the most romantic thing you've ever said to me."

He didn't smile. Instead, he reached out and pulled me to him. "I mean it," he said quietly.

"No one's getting lucky on this trip," Griz said as he walked around us. "Not unless I'm the one getting lucky."

"You think you'll find some sheep on this trip?" Clutch asked.

Griz flipped him off and didn't look back again as he headed to the Humvee.

I laughed. Griz was a hot catch for any woman. Even with men outnumbering women seven to one in New Eden, women flocked to him. It was likely because he was young, able-bodied, and easy to get along with. Jase and I, though, gave him crap about it. We picked on him that the ladies were intent on finding out if the "once you go black" urban legend was actually true. Griz denied it and said it was his sparkling personality.

Griz dropped his gear into the back of the vehicle before climbing into the driver's seat. Everyone else's gear was loaded into the remaining cargo space. We'd loaded the avgas for the plane yesterday. We had more gear than usual since we had no idea how long the thousand-mile trip could take. Before the outbreak, I could've flown to Moose Jaw in less than six hours flight time, not counting a fuel stop and immigration check.

In the middle of winter, we had about eight hours of sunlight each day. We were planning to make Moose Jaw tomorrow, stopping this afternoon to refuel and camp down for the night. Doing anything after dark was dangerous and a risk none of us were willing to take.

The sun hadn't yet peeked over the horizon; we had a good head start on the day. When we reached the airport, everything was still and silent. No new zeds appeared in the office window. No dogs sniffed around the hangar when Zach pushed the door open. The white Cessna with a yellow and orange stripe sat patiently inside. I smiled and tapped the engine cowl. "Soon, baby. You'll be dancing on the clouds soon."

We pulled the plane out of the hangar. Clutch and I topped off the fuel while Griz and Zach loaded as much fuel as they could fit into the baggage. The rest of our gear would have to sit on our laps. The plane was going to be weighted down. It'd need much of the runway, but I'd done my calculations. We'd get off the ground. On a hot, humid day, we might not be so lucky. But the cold air was a pilot's friend. Cold air was more dense, which meant it provided more lift. An airplane could lift off the ground easier and faster, and that was exactly what I needed for today.

"It's full." I handed Clutch the half-full fuel jug. Before sliding down, I sat on the top wing another minute and watched the tip of the sun break the horizon. It was going to be a beautiful sunrise, one of those fiery orange ones. Movement in the direction of the airport office caught the corner of my eye, and I squinted to make out the dark shapes emerging from the tree line in the distance.

I sucked in a breath.

Clutch held out a hand to help me down. "Ready?"

I glanced down at him, my eyes wide.

"What's wrong?"

"We're being stalked." I pointed in the direction of the animals.

Clutch moved away to see for himself. "Griz, Zach. We need to get a move on. We've got company coming for breakfast."

Griz and Zach were holding the last of our bags, and Griz closed the back of the Humvee. He looked in the direction of the dogs. "Sneaky little bastards."

"They couldn't have smelled us," Zach said.

"They could've heard us," I said as I slid down the windshield to stand on the engine cowl. "The Humvee isn't exactly a stealth vehicle."

"Shit." I glanced over to see Zach drop everything and kick at something. "Get away!"

Clutch grabbed his sword and ran over the same time Griz slammed his machete down on something. Clutch swung and a yelp echoed through the morning air. They each kept swinging until I saw three furred shapes lay lifeless on the ground.

Zach lifted his pant leg and looked up at the other two men. "Did you see them? Were they sick?"

"Yeah," Clutch said.

"Yeah, you saw them, or yeah, they were sick?" Zach asked.

A pause, then, "Both."

Zach swung his fist through the air. "Shit."

"Come on," Clutch said. "We've got to go."

Zach didn't move. "I think I'll sit this one out."

"They'll have a hospital at the capital. They can help."

"The earliest we'll reach them is tomorrow. By then, I'll be dead weight. No, I think I'll stick around here, watch the sun rise, and then head back to New Eden."

After a long moment, Clutch nodded tightly.

Griz patted Zach on the shoulder. "Take care of yourself." He grabbed his bags and put them into the plane.

Zach picked up the bags and handed them to Clutch. "I'll try to get their attention, draw them away from the plane and runway."

Zach looked my way and faked a grin. "Be careful with these two losers."

I forced a smile as well, while tears blurred my vision. "See you when we get back," I lied.

Unable to look at Zach without losing it, I slid off the Cessna and climbed into the pilot's seat. I pulled out the airplane's checklist, which I had spent hours studying last night, and laid it on my lap.

Clutch and Griz climbed in while I quickly went through each of the steps. I engaged the starter, and the Cessna's engine roared to life. The noise spurred the animals into action. No longer stalking, they ran toward the plane, slowing as they approached.

Suddenly, the Humvee sped in front of us, scattering the dogs and wolves in all directions. I taxied forward, using the distance to warm up the engine enough for takeoff. Zach drove the Humvee like a mad man, zigzagging around the airport and throwing the animals off their game.

When we reached the runway, I did a fast run-up on the engine before throttling back. I looked at both Clutch and Griz. "You guys buckled in?"

Clutch held up his thumb, and Griz said, "Let's rock and roll."

I checked the prop and mixture one last time, pressed the throttle in, and the engine roared. The plane moved forward, slowly at first, then quickly picking up speed. Even without Zach, the plane was weighted down, and the wheels didn't pop off until we were two-thirds of the way down the paved runway.

Careful to keep our climb shallow, I looked down to see the Humvee come to a stop, and animals gathered around it, as though waiting for treats. I shivered and fought to stay focused on flying. If I dwelled on the fact we'd lost a man before the mission even started, then I'd be tempted to return to the safety of New Eden.

But I'd made a promise. A promise worth keeping, even if it killed me.