saw nothing in the driveway or the road. His brow furrowed. It took him a minute to realize the noise wasn't coming from the driveway, but from the sky. He looked up.
A chopper was flying in the distance. John lifted his hand to his head, using his palm as a visor. The helicopter was a mile or so from the property.
His heart filled with hope, then fear. Was it help?
"John? Do you hear that?"
When he glanced behind him, Meredith was running out into the yard.
She sprinted in the direction of the chopper, waving her hands, but the helicopter was too far away to see them. They screamed into the sky until their voices were hoarse, but in less than a minute, the chopper was out of sight. The pilot stayed his course.
"Dammit!" John yelled.
He held his side, fighting for breath. Meredith did the same. While regaining his breath, John studied the sky, hoping the aircraft would return, but there was no sign of it.
"This is good news," John said, after a minute. "This means someone's out there. This means we're not alone."
"Did you see the markings? It looked like the military," Meredith said, her face flushed.
"Where do you think it was headed?"
"It looked like it was flying toward Abbotsville."
Abbotsville, the town adjacent to Settler's Creek, had a population twice the size of the one they were in. Or at least, it had before the infection.
The pair fell silent, then turned toward the house. Quinn was standing in the doorway.
"Did they see us, Aunt Meredith?" the little girl asked.
"I don't think so, sweetie," Meredith replied. "But it looks like they're headed for the next town over."
Quinn's face lit up with hope. "Do you think they'll come back?"
"I'm not sure," Meredith admitted. "But if we can get to Abbotsville in time, maybe we can…"
"…Get the heck out of here," Quinn finished. She smiled.
The little girl's hope was contagious. John couldn't help the feeling that maybe somehow, things were going to turn around. The group stood in a huddle for several seconds, processing what they'd seen and heard. As dangerous as leaving would be, the helicopter was the most promising thing they'd seen in days.
"We have to tell Dan as soon as he gets back," Meredith said. They were almost at the house when John heard another engine. This time it was a car. He caught a glimpse of the SUV coming up the driveway.
"That's them," John said.
John, Quinn, and Meredith walked down to meet them. The sight of the SUV made John grin. Between the metal sheets on the side and the graffiti, the vehicle looked like a ridiculous movie prop, a car fit for the screen rather than the road.
When Dan and Tim pulled up and parked, Dan exited the driver's side, and Quinn jogged over to greet him.
"Did you see it, Daddy? Did you see the helicopter? We're going to get out of here!"
Dan embraced his daughter, but John could tell he was confused. John confirmed Quinn's story.
"A chopper just passed by us." He pointed to the distant skyline. "Meredith said it looked like the military. They were headed toward Abbotsville. Did you see it?"
"No, we didn't," Dan said. John watched his face, which radiated a glimmer of hope. "This is good news. We should probably head out. Try to follow it."
Tim walked up beside them. He looked worried.
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Tim asked. "What if it keeps going? What if it doesn't stop?"
"It's worth the risk," John said.
"I agree," said Dan.
Meredith was grinning. It was the happiest she'd looked in days.
"I don't mean to be pessimistic," Tim said, "but what if it's somebody besides the military? If it turns out to be nothing, we'll all be risking our lives. Maybe a few of us should go and send back help."
"You're welcome to hang here, Tim. But as far as the group goes, we're going together," Dan said. His eyes were filled with resolve.
The others nodded in unison.
Tim looked at the others, then back at Dan.
"If that's the case, I'm coming, too."
PART TWO: DEVIL AMONG
A chopper was flying in the distance. John lifted his hand to his head, using his palm as a visor. The helicopter was a mile or so from the property.
His heart filled with hope, then fear. Was it help?
"John? Do you hear that?"
When he glanced behind him, Meredith was running out into the yard.
She sprinted in the direction of the chopper, waving her hands, but the helicopter was too far away to see them. They screamed into the sky until their voices were hoarse, but in less than a minute, the chopper was out of sight. The pilot stayed his course.
"Dammit!" John yelled.
He held his side, fighting for breath. Meredith did the same. While regaining his breath, John studied the sky, hoping the aircraft would return, but there was no sign of it.
"This is good news," John said, after a minute. "This means someone's out there. This means we're not alone."
"Did you see the markings? It looked like the military," Meredith said, her face flushed.
"Where do you think it was headed?"
"It looked like it was flying toward Abbotsville."
Abbotsville, the town adjacent to Settler's Creek, had a population twice the size of the one they were in. Or at least, it had before the infection.
The pair fell silent, then turned toward the house. Quinn was standing in the doorway.
"Did they see us, Aunt Meredith?" the little girl asked.
"I don't think so, sweetie," Meredith replied. "But it looks like they're headed for the next town over."
Quinn's face lit up with hope. "Do you think they'll come back?"
"I'm not sure," Meredith admitted. "But if we can get to Abbotsville in time, maybe we can…"
"…Get the heck out of here," Quinn finished. She smiled.
The little girl's hope was contagious. John couldn't help the feeling that maybe somehow, things were going to turn around. The group stood in a huddle for several seconds, processing what they'd seen and heard. As dangerous as leaving would be, the helicopter was the most promising thing they'd seen in days.
"We have to tell Dan as soon as he gets back," Meredith said. They were almost at the house when John heard another engine. This time it was a car. He caught a glimpse of the SUV coming up the driveway.
"That's them," John said.
John, Quinn, and Meredith walked down to meet them. The sight of the SUV made John grin. Between the metal sheets on the side and the graffiti, the vehicle looked like a ridiculous movie prop, a car fit for the screen rather than the road.
When Dan and Tim pulled up and parked, Dan exited the driver's side, and Quinn jogged over to greet him.
"Did you see it, Daddy? Did you see the helicopter? We're going to get out of here!"
Dan embraced his daughter, but John could tell he was confused. John confirmed Quinn's story.
"A chopper just passed by us." He pointed to the distant skyline. "Meredith said it looked like the military. They were headed toward Abbotsville. Did you see it?"
"No, we didn't," Dan said. John watched his face, which radiated a glimmer of hope. "This is good news. We should probably head out. Try to follow it."
Tim walked up beside them. He looked worried.
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Tim asked. "What if it keeps going? What if it doesn't stop?"
"It's worth the risk," John said.
"I agree," said Dan.
Meredith was grinning. It was the happiest she'd looked in days.
"I don't mean to be pessimistic," Tim said, "but what if it's somebody besides the military? If it turns out to be nothing, we'll all be risking our lives. Maybe a few of us should go and send back help."
"You're welcome to hang here, Tim. But as far as the group goes, we're going together," Dan said. His eyes were filled with resolve.
The others nodded in unison.
Tim looked at the others, then back at Dan.
"If that's the case, I'm coming, too."
PART TWO: DEVIL AMONG
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