eyes fluttered. When she sat up, her expression was confused and alarmed. Henry rushed to her side.
“You’re okay,” he said. “You just passed out.”
“Who…?” She pointed at the new arrivals, unable to finish the sentence.
“Don’t you remember? They’re here to rescue us.”
Frowning, Sarah shook her head. “Everything… everything is messed up. I can’t think straight. What’s wrong with me, Henry?”
“Stress? You’re tired. I don’t know. But we’re safe, Sarah. Once we get onboard their ship, you can get lots of rest. And I’ll watch over you.”
Smiling, Sarah touched his cheek. “You remind me of… Kevin. He would have liked you.”
Henry opened his mouth to respond, but a shadow fell over them. He glanced up, and Gail stood there, holding several black garbage bags.
“Put these on,” she said. “You’ll have to tape or tie them around you.”
“What for?” Henry asked.
“To keep yourself from getting infected. You’re both clean now. We need to keep you that way until we get to the ship.”
“Make no mistake,” Novak added. “If either one of you comes into contact with the fungus between here and there, we’ll have to leave you behind. I don’t like saying that, but you deserve to know it before you go outside.”
The tower trembled and groaned again, silencing further debate. It listed to the side, and this time, it didn’t right itself.
“Jesus…” Gail whistled. “We need to go. This thing won’t hold much longer.”
“You two prep,” Novak said. “Gail and I will finish with the supplies. You guys will carry them, while we take the front and the rear. We’ll take care of anything that crosses our path. You think you’re up to hefting supplies, Sarah?”
She nodded. “I’m better. I promise.”
He studied her carefully, and finally said, “Okay.”
While Novak and Gail finished packing, Henry and Sarah covered themselves in plastic. They taped the bags around their ankles, wrists, waists and necks. Then added smaller bags to cover their hands. Then they fashioned ponchos out of more trash bags, covering their heads. When they were finished, only their eyes and noses were exposed. Novak and Gail helped them shoulder the packs.
“We appreciate what ya’ll are doing,” Henry said. “But I’ve got to tell you, it don’t feel right going outside without a weapon.”
“Understandable,” Gail said, “but can either of you manage a weapon and the supplies?”
“I’ve got a Taurus,” Sarah replied. “It’s a short barreled .357, and I can holster it over the plastic.”
“How about you?” Gail nodded at Henry.
“Just a hatchet,” he said, “and this here knife. It belonged to our friend, Mr. Garnett. I reckon I can tape the knife to my hip and carry the hatchet.”
“Okay,” Gail agreed. “But understand—if those things are close enough to fight off with a hatchet, then chances are you’re going to get infected. And we won’t hesitate to fire.”
Henry nodded. “Fair enough.”
He and Sarah quickly armed themselves.
“Ready?” Novak asked.
They nodded.
“Then let’s do this. I’ll take point. Gail will bring up the rear. Stick close. If we get spread apart out there, they’ll be on us in seconds. Just let me clear a path with the flamethrower, and then follow right behind me.”
He opened the door and stepped out onto the stairwell. Swallowing hard, Henry followed. He heard Sarah rustling along behind him, and then the light disappeared as Gail shut the door.
Henry said, “Oh shit…”
CHAPTER 75
The rain fell like nails and sheets of mist curled up from the ground far below. It was hard for Henry to see anything on the landing, but he assumed that one or more of the creatures must have made it back up the stairwell, because Novak unleashed a gout of flame and shouted at him and the women to fall back. The liquid fire lit up the dark, and something inhuman shrieked.
“Back inside,” Novak yelled.
“We can’t,” Gail hollered. “I shut the door already. We fall back now and they’ll have us trapped. We’ve got to push through!”
“God damn it.”
More fire erupted from the nozzle of the weapon, and was followed by a second shriek. Henry closed his eyes against the sudden flare of brilliance. The heat from the blast brushed against him. He smelled something like burning hair, and hoped it wasn’t his. When he opened his eyes again, there were spots in his vision.
“Okay,” Novak said. “Stick close.”
The tower buckled and swayed as they made their way down the stairs. Henry gasped when he saw the extent of the damage to the steel beams and girders that held the structure aloft. They were overgrown with white fuzz, and twisted and bent in places where the metal had grown soft and started to liquefy.
“Jesus,” Sarah gasped behind him. “If we had stayed here any longer…”
She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t have to. Henry felt the same way. The imagery in his head was of the World Trade Center towers collapsing on 9/11. He’d been younger then—elementary school—and while he hadn’t understood all the implications of that fateful day, he remembered being awestruck that the support beams in the skyscrapers had melted and liquefied. The same thing was happening now, only at a much slower pace.
“I’ll turn you soft, motherfuckers!” Novak released another gout of flame, bathing the landing below them. More creatures howled.
“Careful,” Gail said.
Henry turned around and saw that she’d been cautioning Sarah, who had almost brushed against the hand railing, which was covered with the sickly-pale fungus.
“Thanks,” Sarah said, shrinking away.
Henry smiled. She still seemed cowed and unsteady, but at least she wasn’t freaking out anymore. Maybe they’d get through this after all.
His hope and bravado faltered when at last they reached the ground—because he wasn’t sure it qualified as ground anymore. The mold grew thick, covering the rocks and trees and soil. Tendrils of it hung from the underside of the ranger station, swaying in the rain like vines. He sidestepped, avoiding one particularly low-hanging bit, and then froze as one of the fungal zombies crawled toward him on its hands and knees. It paused, reaching for him, and then melted before Henry’s eyes, quickly transforming into a watery pool of muck. The liquid trickled toward them.
“Don’t get it on you,” Gail warned. “Novak?”
Nodding, he complied by training the flamethrower on the remnants. They evaporated within seconds.
“How do we get to your boat?” Henry asked. “That stuff is everywhere.”
“I made a path on the way in,” Novak said. “But you can see how quickly it grew back.”
Frowning, he strode forward, sweeping the weapon back and forth, and burning a pathway for them. Swallowing, Henry trotted along behind him, hurrying to keep up. Sarah and Gail followed. A moment later, Gail’s rifle boomed.
“They’re coming in behind us.”
“I’ve got them up front, too,” Novak yelled. “Henry, Sarah? How’s the sides?”
