Tomorrow Land Part 10

She looked up Chris. "Wow," she remarked, not sure what else to say. "Do you think that's what happened to Mrs. McCormick?"

"I'm sure of it," he replied, taking back his deck. "And I think we should investigate."

"Investigate?" Her father's warning came back to her. Don't trust anyone. But that was stupid. Wasn't it?

"Yeah," Chris pushed. "Like, let's go visit a hospital. See if they really are full."

She bit her lower lip, thinking. "But then we'd be exposed to the disease, right? If there really was one?"

"We already were exposed if that's what Mrs. McCormick had," he reminded her.

"And besides, I have some respirators. We used them when painting the house last year. And we won't get too close to the hospitals, just in case. We could just go and have a look."

She considered. "But what are we looking for? What will going to a hospital prove?"

"Well, these reports, for one. It'll give us a better sense of what's really going on. I mean, forums are one thing, but I want to see first hand." He paused, then added, "Wouldn't you want to know if there's really some kind of deadly plague floating around that could kill us all?"

She sighed. Of course she wanted to know what was really going on. But she'd heard a million conspiracy theories in her day, thanks to her dad, none of which had ever panned out. Most non-government-sanctioned media outlets were just glorified rumor mills, after all. So some people were sick. Some old people were dying. That wasn't exactly enough to prove a coming apocalypse. Though her father would claim it was.

"Okay," she said. "I'll go with you to check out one, at least."

She would have preferred to head over to Avery's for a round of Basketball Dayz; she was going to be totally left behind if she didn't get some practice in. And, of course, there was her nightly training with her father. But she knew Chris was really concerned, and she felt like she owed him something after him cheering her up yesterday. So what the h.e.l.l; she would go with Chris and check things out. Get back just in time for training. Then the two of them would be even.

"We'll start with Mt. Holyoke. That's the one they were supposedly taking Mrs. McCormick to, right?" Chris suggested. "I'll go home and get the respirators and meet you there in an hour."

Peyton nodded reluctantly. She had to be crazy to have agreed to this. "Okay. Fine. See you there."

She watched him walk away, part of her shrieking to call the whole thing off. Her new friend was turning out to be just as crazy as her dad.

Just go to the hospital, check things out, she told herself. They'd see for a fact that there was nothing going on, and she could say "I told you so" to both of the conspiracy theorists in her life. Boy, would they feel like total bunglers when they realized their so-called killer plague was nothing more than the common cold.

Chapter Sixteen.

Even after years of thievery, not to mention the looting that had occurred just before the end, the Walmart still held an enormous quant.i.ty of supplies, and Chase made good on his promise to get everything gathered for their trip. By the time Peyton awoke the next day, he had a.s.sembled backpacks large and small, stuffed with essentials. He also had a few saddlebags packed to the brim with dried food, first aid supplies, and bottled water. (Tank had, Chase informed her, set up a rainwater collection system outside so they never wanted for a drink.) "It's not everything we'll need," he admitted. "But it'll get us started. And I figure we'll be able to pick up some stuff along the way, too. Whatever wasn't looted at the beginning or eaten by the Others over the years. Even if the stores are bare, we can always try houses."

"Right." She didn't relish the idea of pawing through dead people's property, but it was certainly a better option than starving, worst come to worst. She looked over the supplies, then threw him an approving nod. "This looks great. Thanks."

He shrugged modestly. "The horses are outside. I collected them earlier. I'm going to go saddle them up. Be back in a minute."

As much as she'd originally hated the idea of this group tagging along, she had to admit it was nice to have someone else take over the reins for a bit. As Chase had pointed out the night before, while she might be a good fighter, thanks to her father's enhancements, he definitely brought other things to the table. She'd been sheltered, living underground with her mom all these years. She had no idea what the world outside was really like. As much as she didn't want to admit it, it was a relief to have Chase on board.

The kids, on the other hand, were likely to be millstones. Chase was all gung-ho to be Disney-bound, but the others weren't exactly thrilled with the idea. They were leaving the only safe home most of them had ever known. And while Peyton tried to be patient and understanding, she was about ready to strangle the lot of them. After all, she was doing them a favor-literally risking her life, slowing herself down in order to protect them-and there was absolutely no grat.i.tude. They just whined and complained and demanded she allow them to take useless items. She was at her wits' end when Chase finally came back from readying the horses.

"Chase!" whined Darla. "She won't let me take my pony."

"You're getting a real pony, Darla," Chase answered, ruffling the girl's head. "And if you'll be quiet for two seconds, I'll even let you name him."

"Chase!" cried Starr. "I can't fit my makeup in my bag."

"I'll carry it in mine," he replied, gesturing for her to throw the bag in question in his direction. "After all, I'm strong like bull." He gave her an exaggerated flex of his muscles, causing her to break out into giggles.

One by one, he had answers for everyone. Peyton marveled at how he handled them all. It was almost effortless: sometimes teasing, sometimes flattering, sometimes authoritative. And the kids listened. In the time it had taken her to get them to even acknowledge her presence, Chase had them dressed, packed, and on the horses, ready to go. He was like the world's number one Scout leader. It wasn't something she would have expected from him, and she had to admire it.

"Hey, Peyton, I got you something," Chase said, pulling her aside. She raised her eyebrows, wondering what it could be. He reached into a bag and pulled out a black leather jumpsuit. "I hit a fetish shop down the road," he said with a bashful smile. "It may look a bit seedy, but they have the best leather stuff. It'll protect you from getting bitten if you get into a scuffle. Not that you've had much problem yet, but... well, we don't know how many we'll meet out there or what sort of situations we'll be in."

"Thanks," she said, grateful. She wouldn't have even thought about that. Again, his street smarts were proving invaluable. "I'll put it on right now." She stepped behind a shelf display for modesty's sake, then undressed, sliding on the leather pants. They felt soft and luxurious on her bare legs. She slipped into the top and zipped up before stepping back into view. "Perfect fit," she announced, feeling more than a little self-conscious about the way the leather hugged her frame.

Chase whistled. "d.a.m.n. That's hot."

She swatted him. "Yeah, yeah," she said. But her stomach fluttered. "I'm roasting actually."

"That's not what I-"

"Chase! My backpack's too heavy!" cried Drummer.

"Take out the toy trucks and you'll be fine," Chase shot back. He gave Peyton a rueful smile. "Sorry. Duty calls."

She watched him walk off to deal with the kids, feeling a warmth come over her. It was nice to see him in a lighter mood at least. Perhaps the preparations for the trip had taken his mind off his brother's death. Her own quest had certainly forced Peyton to stop thinking about her mother. Her heart panged as she realized it was only yesterday she'd laid the woman who gave her birth to her final rest. But she shook it off. As her dad said, it wasn't the people who cried who survived, it was the people who spit and went on. Her mother had made her choice. And Peyton had made hers. Her group had a pilgrimage to begin. A world to save. There would be time for mourning the dead later. If they survived themselves.

She followed Chase and the kids out of the Walmart. Six horses stood in the parking lot, looking very out of place amongst the abandoned cars and debris. Chase boosted Darla and Red up first, then instructed the two oldest kids-Starr and Torn-to ride with them. (Red protested loudly that he could ride his own horse, but Chase refused to let him have his way.) Two of the triplets doubled up, and Drummer got his own mare. That left Peyton with a white stallion and Chase shared his own mount with little Sunshine.

"We're off," he proclaimed once everyone was seated and ready to go.

Peyton looked around, nervous. Before, inside the bunker and then in Walmart, nothing had seemed very real. Almost as if she were inside a sim. But now, here they were, heading out into the unknown with no clue as to what they'd encounter along the way. It was petrifying, to say the least, but what choice did they have? What other hope was there, other than this journey? Once again, Peyton felt a pang of relief that she wasn't on her own.

And so the trip began, Chase leading the way, Peyton taking up the rear. Single file they rode down the trash-strewn streets, the clomping of horse hooves filling their ears. No one talked.

According to the databases accessed by her ocular implants and built-in GPS-which, thank G.o.d she had since old-fashioned paper maps were few and far between, just like real books-Peyton had decided the best road to take was old Route 95. The highway ran North-South along the entire eastern seaboard. It'd get them to Daytona, Florida, where they'd pick up Route 4 for the remainder of their trek.

Peyton had hoped the highway would be relatively clear, making for an easy journey. But she'd been deluding herself. Route 95 was much like the Walmart parking lot: a graveyard of rusted-out cars and debris. Broken gla.s.s, downed trees and power lines, unidentified objects strewn here and there-it looked as if a hurricane had swept through. Maybe one had.

After a bit, Chase stopped his horse. "G.o.d," he muttered, as Peyton came up beside him. He surveyed the scene, hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun. "This is going to be a long trip."

"I got to go to the bathroom!" whined Darla.

Peyton raked a hand through her hair. She felt a little like Pilgrim, in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, one of the only books her mother had brought down into the shelter. In that book, a guy named Pilgrim had made his way from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, undergoing terrible hardships and traps all along the way. In the end, he'd managed to get to his destination. She hoped she was as lucky.

Of course, Pilgrim didn't have eight grumpy children in tow. And though it had been a h.e.l.l of a journey, there were no zombies after his a.s.s. The guy had had it easy when all was said and done.

Peyton shook her head, remembering what Avery had always said back in the day. Negative people were doomed to fail. If she wanted to survive, she'd have to become Mary flecking Sunshine. She'd have to shut down the side of her that was like her father and be more like Avery.

Though look what happened to Avery. Optimism hadn't gotten her very far.

"This is stupid. I want to go home!" cried Red. Peyton squeezed her reins in frustration. Rose-colored gla.s.ses were easier to imagine than actually use. She should have had her father build a setting into her implants.

"Okay, that's it. Everyone dismount," Chase commanded. She glanced at him, a little irritated. They'd already wasted too much time. She wanted to get some miles in today, feel like they'd made some progress.

The kids slid off their horses. Chase jumped off his own mount and reached into his bag. He pulled out a bunch of sungla.s.ses and started pa.s.sing them around. "Okay," he said. "Make sure you all put these on." One by one the kids slid the gla.s.ses over their eyes. Peyton watched, curious.

"These are magical gla.s.ses," Chase told them in an ultra serious voice. "Just like Peyton's implants. And they're going to help us see Disney World."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. Surely the children weren't going to buy this. Especially the older ones.

But Chase was not to be dissuaded. "Do you see it?" he asked when each had donned their gla.s.ses. He pointed down the highway. "The trail of pixie dust? Isn't it beautiful?"

"I think I see it!" cried Sunshine. "I think I do!"

Sure enough, the rest of them chimed in. Peyton couldn't believe it.

"That's the path we need to take to get to the Magic Kingdom," Chase continued. "Some very smart magicians are building a new society there, and we'll all get to be a part of it. Just like the princes and princesses in the storybooks."

"I see it, too," the thirteen-year-old Starr said, obviously playing along. A big smile broke out across her freckled face. "Way out there."

"Yes. It's very far," Chase agreed, still in his serious voice. "But we can make it. Right, guys?"

"Yeah!" they chorused, completely under his spell. Peyton gazed at him with admiration. He was amazing. Absolutely amazing, the way he handled them. Hadn't his brother been calling him a screw-up?

"Okay, guys, let's do our tribe's dance and then we'll start our journey," Chase commanded. "Remember the one Rocky taught us when he gave you your war paint?"

The children cheered, and Chase broke out into a wild dance, twirling in circles and waving his arms. He looked so silly, even Peyton had to smile. Soon the children joined in, giggling and screeching. They were a group of mad whirling dervishes on a lost highway. Peyton watched from her horse, feeling awkward and a little left out.

Then she felt a tug on her leg and looked down. Darla was standing beside her horse, looking up at her with her big eyes. "Come on, Peyton," the little girl said. "You gotta do the tribe dance."

It was a waste of time. It was stalling the journey. And everything inside of her said she should just say no, force them back on their horses and move things along. That's what her dad would advise.

But then she remembered her mother. And what she'd once said to her, long, long ago.

If the end of the world does come, I want you dancing by my side.

You got it, Mom. Making her decision, she slipped off her horse and grabbed Darla's hands, whirling her around in a circle, like her mother used to do to her when she was that age. Darla squealed in delight.

"You're one of us now!" she declared, looking up at Peyton and grinning from ear to ear. "You're part of the tribe."

Peyton felt embarra.s.sed at how pleased the idea made her. Part of the tribe. One of the group. No longer alone. She knew her dad would be scolding her right now, telling her she was wasting valuable time. But she thought maybe her mother would have approved.

Chase was found his way over to her. "D'you mind if I cut in?" he asked Darla. He took Peyton's hands and, pulling her close, slowed down the dance to a waltz. She allowed him to lead, following his steps and wondering where he had learned. His hand was firmly planted against her back, the other grasping her hand. Forward, back. Side to side. She felt his hot breath on her cheek. Breathed in his musky scent. Felt his thigh accidentally brush up against hers. She sucked in a breath and- -stepped right on his foot.

"Ow!" he cried, dropping his hands and hopping up and down. "Forget the razors. Your feet are deadly weapons."

"Yeah, yeah." She laughed, then caught herself. Put a hand over her mouth.

He grinned. "See?" he said. "I told you you'd laugh eventually. Life goes on." He turned back to the children. "Okay, mount up, Mouseketeers," he commanded. "It may be a small world after all, but we've still got to get through it."

"Wait," Peyton cried, her laughter interrupted by a warning siren in her head, triggered by her ocular implants. She'd set them to go off if they picked up any heat signals in the vicinity that weren't part of their group. And sure enough, they'd registered something down the road, behind what appeared to be at least a ten-car pileup. She motioned for the children to be quiet as she allowed the nanocomputer to scan the perimeter.

Chase held a hand above his eyes, squinting into the sunlight. "I don't see anything," he said, looking at her in question.

She blushed, embarra.s.sed by her robotics, even though they had probably just saved their lives. Without them, they would have gone barreling ahead, unprepared, into an ambush, and there was no telling what would have happened.

"My implants are registering live bodies just beyond that accident scene," she informed him. "There's at least twelve Others roaming about."

"You're sure?" Chase asked, his face going a bit white. He hurried the children back up on their horses. "They're definitely Others? Not people?"

"The zombies register hotter then regular humans," she explained. "Their body temperatures must be higher or something."

"Okay," Chris said, biting his lower lip, pacing the ground. "At least they haven't spotted us. That's something."

"Not yet anyway. But there's no way we'll be able to slip past them. There's just too many." She threw a reluctant glance back in the direction from which they'd come. "I guess we could go back to that last exit..."

Chase shook his head. "That exit was over a mile back. If we go around we're going to lose at least three hours' time-pretty much the rest of the daylight. And there's no telling what might be off that exit either. For all we know, it could be worse."

He was right. But what else could they do? There were too many zombies for even her to take on. And even if Chase could grab one or two himself, the children would be left in danger. This was exactly the kind of thing she'd been afraid of. Why she'd thought it would be better to go alone. Then, at least, she could calculate her own risks, take her own chances, without taking into consideration the safety of others in her care.

"Stop thinking that," Chase admonished. She looked up, surprised.

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to. I know what you're thinking. If you hadn't taken us along, you could have slipped by unnoticed. But you don't know that. Not for sure. Alone you could have very easily become zombie dinner and your trip could end right here. Together we have a better chance."

She let out a frustrated breath. "And how is that?"

He yanked a nearby antenna off the roof of an old beater, using it as a pointer in the dirt. "I'm going to create a diversion," he informed her. "Bring them all over here. Once they're distracted, you go around the other side with the kids. I'll meet you at the next exit."

She stared down at his crude battle plan. "But what if you can't get away? What if they catch you?"

"I told you," he said, throwing her a c.o.c.ky grin that didn't quite meet his eyes. "They call me Chase for a reason. I may not have any neato cyborg abilities like you, but I can run away with the best of them. And so can Betty here," he added, patting his horse. "She used to be a Kentucky Derby horse, back when they still had that kind of thing. And I know she still has what it takes."

Peyton considered this. She didn't like it. Chase putting himself in danger made her feel queasy inside. "Maybe I should do the diversion," she suggested.

"No." Chase shook his head. "I need you to be with the kids. If the zombies get the jump on any of them, you're their best bet for a rescue." He'd obviously thought of everything.

"I don't need no rescuing," Red exclaimed defiantly from his position on his horse. "I can take down ten zombies with one hand tied behind my back." He mimicked a sword fight.

Chase patted his leg. "I wouldn't doubt it. But you have a special mission. I need you to look after Sunshine for me." He boosted the little girl up onto Red's horse. "Make sure she gets to safety."

The boy grinned, puffing out his chest with pride. "Leave it to me," he declared, giving Chase a salute. Then he turned to Sunshine. "Don't worry," he told her. "I'll keep you safe."

Sunshine stuck a thumb in her mouth and smiled.

"Okay then," Chase said, mounting his brown mare. Peyton wondered if the horse really was a former Derby winner or if he'd just made that up on the fly to further his cause. Either way, she prayed the horse wouldn't let them down. "No time to waste. Let's do this."