Getting to her feet, she looked around trying to make sense of the junkyard of furniture and other machinery spread out around her. The smell bothered her, but she needed to escape. She also needed to find Mo, who was still scared, wherever he was. She briefly closed her eyes and concentrated on her surroundings. She got a strong feeling that he was about twenty yards from her.

  She crept forward, keeping low against pieces of broken furniture, moving through a maze of rubbish from a world that no longer existed.

  Grunts and the incessant smell came from an area not far from her. Creeping forward she glimpsed through a mess of wires and metal to see a large clearing, full of the creatures she saw before. They were standing and sitting around a fire, which was burning in a tin barrel. If the cascade hadn’t happened, she would have thought she was watching the living space of some homeless people, gathering together for food and heat, but she was the only human inside the cavernous space she was sure of that.

  Whatever these E.L.F’s were, they were far in advance of any others she had seen intelligent wise. They were using the inventions of humankind in a way that was useful. Nothing she had seen was random, their actions had purpose.

  Mo felt close to her but she still couldn’t see him. She looked at a small passage between the broken pieces of furniture and appliances and crouched to fit inside it. Shuffling forward as quietly as possible on her knees, she moved closer to the clearing, then stopped to look through any available gaps.

  She gasped. Mo was in a cage. Worse still she could see the source of the smell. Some kind of large beast had been carved into sections and was lying on a rack that sat over the flames coming from the barrels.

  Are they planning to eat Mo? Are they planning to eat me?

  She had to suppress the frustration she felt for not being more careful back at the lumberyard, or trying to escape when she had the chance. She thought these creatures were different, that they could be communicated with. That was now looking like a fatal mistake.

  She counted at least eighteen of the creatures broken up into small huddles. The main creature she saw in front of the office building wearing trinkets and other shiny metal was also there.

  If he or she was their leader she needed to convince it that she was no threat, and better still she’s not to be eaten, or Mo.

  She focused on the ape like creature, that had its back to her. Then she closed her eyes, and allowed her mind to expand from the confines of her skull. She imagined being inside the head of the creature, and tried to fill its brain with her own thoughts and feelings.

  Even though she couldn’t see, the E.L.F she was concentrating on started to rub the back of its neck, and then turned around as if it thought someone was watching it. It then clutched its head with both of its clawed hands.

  The others around it started screeching and moved towards it, but before they could get too near, it lowered its hands and stood. It then grunted at those around it.

  Abbey opened her eyes. All the creatures were looking at her.

  She moved back, but instantly came up against obstructions behind her.

  Mo starting hissing and hitting the cage. The creatures briefly looked at him, and then back to her.

  The main creature grunted something, and two of the others nodded and swayed their heads and moved to Mo’s cage. He moved back as they approached.

  Each of them held a long sharpened metal pole, but one pulled on some latches and pulled the cage door open.

  Mo looked unsure of what to do.

  The creatures grunted and waved for him to come out, which he did, squeezing his wings through the too small doorway. They then lowered their spears, and waved him towards Abbey.

  She looked on as all this played out, not knowing if she should try and run or just hope that they hadn’t actually seen her. She chose neither.

  She pushed further forward through the mess around her, and emerged into the clearing, just a few yards from the nearest creature.

  The creature in charge waved for Mo to move forward, which the winged creature did.

  “This way, Mo, over to me,” said Abbey waving her pet towards her.

  Mo’s wings spread half way, then receded back again as he hesitantly hopped towards her, eventually ended up just to her side.

  Some of the creatures in front of them both, then walked backwards, forming an obvious space in front of them all.

  The ornately decked out of them grunted in Abbey’s direction, and then raised his clawed hand towards what seemed like a route to freedom.

  “You want me to leave? Okay I can do that.”

  She took one step forward and stopped. She suddenly realized it felt wrong just leaving. Feeling in her pants pocket she probed for something which she put there a long time ago and had mostly forgotten about, until now.

  Found it.

  Slowly she pulled out the small metal computer keyring which Zach had given her many months earlier, and held it out in front of her towards the creatures leader.

  “For you.”

  Some of those around grunted.

  He took a few steps forward, and cautiously reached forward taking it from her. He studied it, grunted then hung it with the others that hung around his broad neck. The others grunted as well, stamping their feet and waving their arms.

  Abbey then walked past him smiling with Mo behind her. It wasn’t long before she was outside. The sun was almost completely behind a nearby heavily forested hill. She looked at Mo. “Where the hell are we?”

  Have to get back to the lumberyard and get my stuff.

  “You up for some flying?”

  He stretched his wings and flapped them a few times, lifting off the ground a little.

  “Good, let’s go.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  “Even if you’re right, what the hell are we meant to do with him? Or his wife or kids? Take them with us to Boston? We don’t even know if we’ll make it out of this city!” Harper voiced what some of the others thought.

  They all sat on the smart well designed chairs in a part of the restaurant that was slightly further back from the large glass windows.

  “I’m not leaving a woman and children with some guy that abuses them,” said Fiona.

  “We don’t know the full situation yet,” said Zach.

  “I know what I saw,” she looked at Hayes who looked like he wanted to disappear into the increasing gloom of the setting sun. “Well?”

  “He was definitely lying about the injury to the girl. And he seemed to be very domineering with them, the mother couldn’t get a word in,” said Hayes.

  “The whole situation felt off, how do we know they are even his family? Maybe he kidnaped them. We all know the Cascade has turned a whole lot of people crazy,” said Fiona.

  “We’ll talk to the woman and kids away from this, Rory, tell them that they can talk freely and that we will protect them. If they tell us, he’s holding them against their will or doing things he shouldn’t, then they come with us,” said Zach.

  “And what do we do with him?” said Freeman.

  “We leave him here.”

  “It’s not going to be easy trying to protect the woman and her kids, while trying to stay alive out here,” said Bower. He continued before Zach could reply. “But if that’s what needs to be done, then we have no choice, I agree with Fiona.”

  Harper shook her head. “Sir, what if we take them with us, and they are killed? Whereas, whatever was happening to them here, at least they have shelter, food and water.”

  “I’ve made my decision Harper, if they are in trouble, they come with us and we protect them best we can.”

  “I guess we’re staying here the night then,” said Harper.

  “Looks that way private. I want a two person patrol around the clock, now Diaz has got her energy back.”

  The privates and Freeman acknowledged their orders.

  “I’m going down there now,” said Fiona.

  “I’ll come with you,” said Zach.

  Soon they were standing outside the family’s apartment door. Crying could be heard coming from the other side.

  Zach and Fiona looked at each other, and both drew their handguns.

  Zach knocked, then nodded to Fiona.

  “Rory, Ada? It’s Fiona from up—”

  The sound of latches being slid to one side and chains falling came from the door, which then opened. Ada was standing on the other side, her mousey blonde hair looking even more bedraggled than before. Her dress was also covered in blood.

  Fiona and Zach looked at a woman whose eyes looked doll-like.

  “What happened?” said Fiona, trying to look past the ghost of a woman. “Where are the kids? Where’s Rory?”

  The sound of crying came from within the room. Zach pushed past Ada. The two kids were sitting on the sofa consoling each other. Rory was nowhere to be seen.

  “I had to do it. Had too.”

  Fiona hugged the five-foot four woman, who was mid-thirties but who looked at least ten years older. “It’s okay, you’re all safe now.”

  Zach kneeled in front of the two children. “Where’s your father?”

  “He’s not our father,” said Emilia.

  The little boy slowly raised his hand, pointing to the hallway.

  “Okay, stay here,” said Zach getting to his feet. He then slowly walked along the corridor. The door to the first room he came to was open, and Rory was lying headfirst on the bed, half clothed. Zach couldn’t see the wound, but most of the sheets on the bed were a deep crimson. Zach walked forward and put his fingers on Rory’s neck. He was dead. Zach looked about the room, grabbed a large jacket and threw it over the body. He then walked back into the living room. Ada was now sitting with the kids, with Fiona close by.

  Zach subtly shook his head as Fiona looked at him.

  “You need to get your things together for traveling,” said Fiona holding Emilia’s hand.

  Zach looked down at the children. “You both ready for an adventure?” he said smiling.

  “Yeah,” said the boy, while the girl still looked sad.

  Fiona looked directly at the woman whose eyes were still somewhere else. “Ada?”

  She slowly looked at Fiona. “Yes?”

  “You did what you needed to do.“

  She nodded and looked back down at the floor.

  “Okay, Reed and Emilia is it?”

  They nodded.

  “I need you to put clothes and anything else you want to bring with you, in a bag. You can have one big bag each, got that?”

  They both nodded.

  “Go do that now.”

  They both looked at Ada, who nodded at them, and they sprung up and ran into the hallway.

  “I’ll make sure they’re okay,” said Zach to Fiona, following them away.

  Ada went to talk, but Fiona interjected. “It doesn’t matter how it happened, it’s done, and now you’re leaving with us.”

  “Okay. Are we going back to the camp?”

  “Not straight away, we need to complete our mission and keep moving north-east to Boston. Like Zach said, pack a large bag with clothes and whatever else you want. If you have water and food you can bring them, although mostly bring the water if it’s a choice between both.” Fiona stood. “Come on, I’ll help.”

  *****

  Reed and Emilia slept on some blankets behind the large bar which ran along the wall at he back of the restaurant. Ada sat close by watching them, leaning back on her large padded bag. Hayes and Harper were on patrol within the building, while Freeman and Diaz got some rest. Zach, Fiona and Bower sat around one of the larger tables. A few candles burned.

  Bower looked at the wall behind the bar. “That’s a lot of fine liquor.”

  Fiona smiled. “But no drinking while on duty eh?”

  “That’s the problem with the damn Cascade, when are we ever off duty?”

  Zach sat watching the void beyond the glass windows.

  “You gonna sit there all night, waiting for your fairy lights?” said Fiona.

  “Yup.”

  Fiona stood. “Well, I don’t regard myself as a part of the military, so I’m going to see just what high grade whiskey they might have back there.”

  “Don’t go too crazy with that stuff,” said Zach watching her walk to the bar. She waved her hand at him.

  As he looked at the nothingness outside, his mind drifted to Abbey. Where she might be or what she might be doing. Is she in Boston already? Bower said something which he only just about heard. “Uh?”

  “I said, we will find Abbey.”

  “I know.”

  He patted Zach on his shoulder. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about her, is that she’s one resilient woman.”

  Zach looked at Bower and smiled. “Yeah—” Something out in the black, something far, caught his attention.

  Bower tried looking where Zach was looking. “What is it?”

  “There’s a light out there, above the city.” He picked up the binoculars which had been sitting on the table, and ran closer to the east facing window. He then looked in the direction of the light that was sparkling, adjusting the focus to get a clearer view.

  “What is it?” said Bower standing just behind him.

  “It’s hard to see, there’s—”

  The light zipped upwards and disappeared.

  “What the fuck,” said Fiona standing behind both of them with a small bottle in her hand. “You saw that right?”

  “Yup,” said Zach.

  Bower rubbed his chin.

  Fiona moved closer to the window, her nose almost touching the glass. “That wasn’t any chopper.”

  “No,” said Zach, still scanning the sky with the eyepieces.

  “Can you see anything else?” said Fiona.

  Zach went to reply, when two more lights appeared where the first one used to be.

  “There! Look!” said Fiona.

  Bower turned looking for the crate they carried up. “We got a high quality scope around here somewhere.”

  Freeman and Diaz both slowly walked over to the windows.

  “What’s the fuss about?” said Diaz.

  “Look,” said Fiona pointing.

  “What are they?” said Diaz.

  Zach looked at her. “You sensing anything out there?”

  “Well, yeah, there’s lots out there, why?”

  “Anything—”

  “What!” said Diaz as another of the lights flittered upwards into oblivion. “That’s some UFO shit.”

  Zach turned away from the window. “I have to get closer.”

  Bower walked back to the window, with a long scope in his hand. “Closer to what? Those things? Out there?”

  “I’ll go alone, it will be safer.”

  “Hell you will,” said Fiona.

  “Sir, there’s plenty of bad out there right now. I can sense them all around us, and it just gets worse the further into the city,” said Diaz.

  “I’ll be fine, I’ll stick to the buildings.”

  Fiona stood in front of him. “You’re not going alone.”

  “Okay fine.” He turned to Bower. “I’ll stay in contact with you on the radio. I’m just going to go a few miles further in, then I’ll return.”

  “Okay…”

  Diaz looked concerned. “Sir, let me come with you.”

  Zach shook his head. “You’re needed here.”

  He then put his jacket on, threw his rifle over his shoulder and checked his pockets for a flashlight and extra ammo.

  Bower leaned back into the crate and pulled out two flash bang grenades and handed them to him.

  Zach smiled and put them in his jacket pockets. He looked around the others that were silent. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

  He went to leave when he saw Reed looking at him from the back of the bar. “I’ll be right back, kid.”

  Reed nodded.

  Zach and Fiona descended the stairs, coming out into the absolute black of the lobby. He switched his flashlight on, keeping it pointed down, and they both navigated their way through the main doors and into the parking lot. The air was cool and full of exotic noises.

  They both leaned against the Humvees.

  Zach leaned closer to Fiona. “Follow me, keep close to the buildings and yards along the sidewalk.”

  She nodded, and they both set off, running to the sidewalk and then keeping tight up against the nearest walls.

  A loud shriek rang out around them, and Zach ducked down turning the flashlight off. He could hear his and Fiona’s breathing even amongst the sounds of nocturnal things. He reached back until he felt Fiona behind him, then grabbed her hand and pulled it against the wall that they were crouched against.

  “Lets go,” he whispered.

  Letting their hands trail against brick and wood, they managed to move forward even without the light from the flashlight. At one point Zach fell slightly when they got to a curb, but he kept going and they both reached the other side, pushing themselves up against whatever vertical barrier was there.

  He briefly turned the flashlight back on to get his bearings, then kept on running. It wasn’t long before they had traveled a few hundred yards, and homes were now on both sides of the street.

  “I can’t see the city from here, we need to get to the back of one of these buildings. We need to cross the street.”

  “Okay.”

  He grabbed her hand, and they both sprinted across the asphalt, jumping up on the sidewalk at just the right time. He then turned the flashlight on and off to get a glimpse of the closest building. In the fraction of a second it was illuminated, a large multi-story house with a triangular roof became visible, with a sloped driveway.

  “This will do,” said Zach. He tentatively felt for the railings that ran up to the front door, then walked quickly up the steps, to the entrance. He then pushed on the door, but it was locked. Fiona crouched down on the steps trying to see into the darkness around them. Even though both of their eyes had adjusted, it was still only possible to make sense of a few feet ahead.

  “Going to have to break it. Get ready to get inside fast,” he said.

  He stepped back a few feet, then rammed his shoulder into the wood paneling, which shuddered but did not break. His other shoulder started to ache, but he stepped back and repeated the procedure, this time the door fell open, and they both ran inside and closed it behind them.