(Plea for Rescue)
Alice looked at the group and then back at the woman they had just rescued.
"Perhaps you should take it from the top," she suggested.
The woman nodded. "I'm Sue and my friend there is Linda. We were neighbors back before the infection. We lived on the Northern California coast with our families. Together with our husbands and kids we enjoyed weekend and vacation sailing. We weren't professionals but we were pretty capable amateurs."
She smiled; a smile that was free from mirth. "Part of the challenge, part of the pride, of our sailing is that we never used a motor. In fact, the last boats we bought before the world went to hell didn't even have 'mills', as sail only enthusiasts call engines, on them. The only motor on either of our boats was the required one on the emergency life raft."
"When the word of the infection started to spread we didn't pay it much mind at first. After all, the government kept saying there was nothing to worry about." At the near universal snort that comment received Sue nodded. "We took it with a grain of salt but at the same time we didn't want to panic. But we did start making some general preparations in case things went bad."
She shook her head. "Of course we had no idea at all how bad things were going to get. The rumors were flying fast and the government was still claiming everything was just fine, that any day they would have a cure for what was being described as a 'mild viral infection'. Then cities and after a while whole section first of the country and then of the entire world were falling silent. Even at the very end, when it could broadcast only sporadically the last official radio station told everyone not to panic, things were going to be alright."
"From the sounds of the last broadcast I'd venture to say that in the midst of one last lie that the station was overrun by zombies." She hesitated. "I know this sounds awful but I can remember thinking 'serves them right'. Had they stopped their lying and told the people what was really going on perhaps more people could have escaped to places of safety. Like we did."
"Where did you go?" asked Alice.
"We went out to sea. We packed our boats with all the supplies we could and sailed away. But not too far. We thought that perhaps eventually the infection would burn itself out, as epidemics always have in the past. But whenever and wherever we touched land we found that the numbers of the undead were growing and that if we camped too long they would be drawn to us. So eventually we started remaining at sea longer and longer. We found others like us that had escaped from the mainland. We started carrying off things on our visits to the shore; other boats sure and supplies but anything that would float that we could use to build a haven."
She shrugged. "It was funny. We joked about building an atoll like in the movie 'Waterworld'. What we didn't count on was that there would be 'Smokers' in our world too; motor driven pirates who would start to raid us. After all," her lips twisted, "why build when you can steal?"
"We weren't completely defenseless. We had seen the results of a couple of zombie attacks even before we took off to sea. But rifles and shotguns can only do so much against machine guns and grenade launchers. We finally had to abandon our atoll and scatter. Linda and I and our families decided to stick together. Since most of the attacks had seemed to come from the South we sailed our two boats north."
"And we sailed right into the pirates. Hell we nearly sailed right into their base. Before we even knew what was happening they were all over us. They killed my husband and badly wounded Linda's and took us all prisoner."
"By 'all" I guess you mean your children too?" Jill asked.
"Yes. They separated us but let us see them every now and then. They were hostages for our good behavior. I didn't understand at first why they kept us alive but then I, we," Sue indicated Linda, "figured it out. You can't be a good pirate king without having servants or slaves to lord it over and boast to about how great you are."
The group exchanged looks. All except Chris and Angie had first hand experience as to what happened when people like that managed to gain control of others. Fortunately for the brutalized group of survivors that man had kinged it over them had his goons make the mistake of kidnapping K-Mart to be one of his "wives". Alice and Carlos had tracked their daughter to the "throne room" where the so-called marriage ceremony was about to take place and after eliminating his followers had watched as the remaining survivors had swiftly, and messily, dealt with their self-proclaimed leader.
"So how did you come to be here?" Chris inquired.
"It was a sudden chance to make a break for it. You see, we, and by that I mean not only the people of our old atoll but also other groups who had banded together as well as individual drifters, have always outnumbered the raiders but we had no idea where to find the pirates. They always had the advantage but if Linda and I could gather enough people we could strike them at THEIR base."
Sue looked wretched for a moment. "It was a terrible choice when Linda and I found ourselves out on one of the captured sailing boats. It was a chance to go free and go for help but we had to leave our children and Linda's husband behind. It was a hard choice but we were to the point that if we didn't do something we might never have another chance. Plus," the woman looked very grim, "my oldest daughter is approaching the age of your two girls there. It won't be long before that scum think of her as grown."
Jill and Alice looked at each other. That they understood.
"We had a head start of several hours but unfortunately sails are generally no match for engines when it comes to a pursuit. About an hour ago they caught up to us. We had already turned in towards shore when Linda spotted you flare. I guess the rest you know,"
"Where IS this hideout?" asked Chris, thinking once more as the law-enforcement officer he had once been.
"It's not more than fifty miles to the north in an old mansion that sits on a high cliff over the ocean."
Startled Alice pulled out the map and satellite photos. "This place?"
Sue looked at the pictures. "Why yes that's it. How did you come by these?"
"A friend who still has access to certain satellites. What puzzles me though is he checked the place several times and never saw any sign of activity."
"He probably wouldn't. The cliffside beneath the house is honeycombed with caves and tunnels and corridors that connect them. It's a virtual underground warren. Conversations I overheard indicted that the place has been used for smuggling as far back as Prohibition a century ago. Likewise it seems that the pirates are the descendants of the original bootleggers and as such have developed a pattern of activity for many years, which includes NOT being obvious or doing things during daylight hours. Obviously there would be exceptions," she added, referring to the chase and shoot out that had just taken place. "They don't even occupy the house itself
"Our hopes of contacting our friends were just shot out from underneath us. I am very grateful to you for saving our lives but without your help I can see no way of saving our children. So again I ask for your help."
Alice looked at her friends. All seemed willing but also uneasy. She spoke.
"Your plight touches us. We've even been in your shoes. But we need to know a lot more. How many are there? How are they armed? And most of all won't they be expecting us?"
"I can fill in all those details. They don't follow much in the way of security. In fact they are so sure of themselves that they boast about everything they have. Including," she added almost fiercely, "the location of both of the secret passages that lead from the old abandoned mansion down into the caves."
The discussion became intense after that. There really was no question in the minds of K-Mart and Angie's parents that they would go to the assistance of the children held captive. Claire and Sam fell into line quickly as well. Then the rest of the day was spent finding out everything that Sue could tell them about the layout and the people involved.
Linda had regained consciousness but seemed dazed and withdrawn, unable to offer much herself but corrarborated most of the information that Sue provided. Still there was enough for the group, all seasoned and experienced fighters, even the teens by now, to draw sketch maps and plan out a course of action.
It had added extra weight to their packs but both Jill and Chris had refused to leave behind the night vision goggles that had been brought to LA on the helicopter when Jill and Claire had come to search for Angie. This would have allowed for a simultaneous attack through both entrances to the underground complex but Linda and Sue refused to be separated.
In a way that simplified things. Alice and Chris would lead with the twp former captives right behind them, protected by Carlos and Jill. Claire and Sam would bring up the rear. Silenced weapons would be used as long as they could manage to move stealthily. They would bring their vehicles as close as possible, the satellite map indicating a draw that ran nearly to the corner of the property by a crumbling brick wall and go in on foot from there.
Alice and Jill were firm on one thing and Carlos and Chris backed them up. The girls would NOT be going in with them. They would stay and protect the vehicles. There was an argument but finally K-Mart and Angie surrendered.
Dusk had settled over the landscape when the group made their move. Engines off they had coasted the last few hundred feet, alert for anything that would tell them they had been discovered. Weapons, equipment and radios were checked one more time. K-Mart and Angie were hugged by all and assured of the adults' love. Then the attackers melted into the darkness.
K-Mart and Angie waited, the latter sneaking an occasional look at the luminous dial of the old fashioned wind up watch she had been given by Chris. After ten minutes she nodded to her best friend. Without a word the two teen girls adjusted their pistol belts, picked up their shotguns and set off after their parents and friends
Thinking about the command they had been given K-Mart whispered to herself.
"As if!"
(To be continued)