The Recon’s headlights clicked on. The land before us was eerily calm and quiet. On our right was the thrashing maelstrom.
With the force of a colossal hammer, the wind slammed into us, nearly upturning our vehicle. It spun us toward the south, forcing us to follow that direction.
“We have to make it to the mesa,” Samuel said. “That wind will make us crash into something.”
“Almost there,” Makara said.
I couldn’t see anything out the windshield, so I knew Makara couldn’t, either. She kept the compass on the dash pointed northeast — the direction we had been going earlier to hit the mesa. The wind pummeled the side of the Recon and lightning crackled around us.
That was the worst part — the lightning. I tried not to picture myself getting fried to a crisp from it.
The wind died as we reached the leeward side of the mesa. Makara slammed on the brakes. We slowed to a stop right in front of a wall of rock.
“Well… we made it,” Makara said.
“What now?” I asked.
“It is near nightfall, anyway,” Samuel said. “It’s best just to eat and sleep.”
It was hard to switch gears from running and fighting for our lives to the more mundane activity of eating, but it was a welcome change. I was hungry and exhausted in equal amounts. Makara hooked up a stove to a power source and got started on dinner. While it cooked, I closed my eyes in my seat, not even bothering to take off my seatbelt. The sounds of the raging storm, just inches away through the pane of glass, lulled me into a doze.
The smell of cooking vegetable stew roused me from sleep. Outside, it was dark, windy, and cold. The only light came from the inside of the vehicle.
We ate, the hearty stew warming me. Makara started the Recon again, to charge the battery a bit. Lisa went to the back with her blanket, her wavy brown hair falling before her face, and she ducked into the cargo bay. After a minute, Makara went back to join her, heavy-eyed. Anna was already fast asleep, leaning against the window.
Only Samuel remained awake.
“Get some sleep, Alex.”
“What about you?”
“Don’t worry. I’m fine.” He paused. “What a day, huh?”
I didn’t answer, though. My stomach full, the events of the day had caught up with me. I fell right asleep.
Chapter 10
We had been traveling east for an hour when we noticed a cloud of dust following us.
“It’s not a dust storm,” Makara said. “It’s something else.”
Anna gazed out the window. “Something’s moving inside of it.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“Just give it a moment,” she said. “It’s coming closer.”
A sound soon accompanied the dust — the roar of engines. Within the dust cloud were about a dozen gleaming vehicles moving across the desert flatland. They were too small to be cars.
“Motorcycles,” Anna said.
“Great,” Makara said. “Whose turn is it to man the turret this time?”
“They might be friendlies,” Anna said.
“They might not,” Samuel said. “But whoever’s on the turret will be exposed. I won’t take that chance.”
“What should I do, stop?” Makara asked. “They’re faster than us.”
“Is there a good position nearby?”
“No,” Makara said, with a sigh. “It’s all flat out here. There’s some dunes farther east, but we won’t make it in time.”
“Just stop. And be ready. Let’s see what they want.”
Makara slowed the Recon. It took a couple minutes for the bikers to catch up, the roar of their engines growing louder as they neared. They encircled the Recon.
Finally, their engines were cut. No one moved. One of the men motioned us to come out.
“Stay here,” Samuel said. “I’m going out to meet them.”
“Sam,” Makara said. “I won’t let you go alone.”
“You’re needed to drive in case things go wrong. No need to risk more than one life. If it’s alright, you guys can join me.”
Before anyone could protest further, Samuel stepped outside. His form was lost in the dust the bikes had kicked up. I didn’t know if he was brave or stupid.
“Stubborn,” Lisa said.
Slowly, the fine dust settled back into the land, revealing Samuel talking to a bearded, tattooed man astride a black chopper. All the bikes were remnants of the Old World, and these had seen more miles than they were designed for. They were dusty, beaten, and definitely looked the worse for wear. Still, any sort of bike was a prized possession.
Samuel turned, signaling us to come out. I exited the Recon and stood beside Samuel. The biker leader, whom Samuel faced, had a long red beard that came down to his chest, and a pockmarked, weathered face. His sunglasses were so dark that I was surprised he could even see out of them.
Makara, Lisa, and Anna stepped out to join us. Makara kept her hand on her handgun and Anna looked ready to draw her katana.
“Don’t,” the man said. “That would be very foolish.”
Slowly, Makara and Anna took their hands from their weapons.
“I am Samuel. This is Makara, Alex, Lisa, and Anna. We need to travel across this land.”
“Anyone who wishes to cross the Boundless must speak to us first.”
“Was it your men who attacked us in the canyon?”
The man shook his head. “No. There are those who dwell in the Boundless that attack anyone on sight. We are not savages.” The man paused. “You have told me you need to travel through our lands, but not why. There is nothing in the east but the Great Blight. Your course will take you there within two days. What then?”
“We mean to head east,” Samuel said. “Across the Great Blight.”
The man gave a bitter laugh. “You are fools. Even before you reach the border, you will meet the crawlers.”
“It is our mission,” Samuel said.
“And what mission is this, might I ask?”
There was nothing for Samuel to do but tell the truth. “I’m sure you have noticed the infestations plaguing the land, among which the Great Blight is the largest. We mean to stop them.”
The man’s brows knit together as he leaned forward. “Really. And how would crossing the Great Blight, a span of a thousand miles, achieve this aim?”
Samuel explained what the xenovirus was and how it worked. He said that we were all scientists (more than a slight exaggeration) trying to discover a way to stop it, and that we thought Bunker One contained information that might help us. The man listened the entire time, not saying a word, his expression switching from incredulity to curiosity.
When Samuel was done, the man nodded slowly. “You certainly don’t look like Raiders.” He looked at the women. “These three do. They have their dress.”
“I am their security and guide,” Anna said. “Along with Lisa here. Char of Raider Bluff sanctioned this mission.”
“Char,” the man said, with a low, threatening growl.
“You know him?” Makara asked.
