“I guess I’ll go,” I said, and I heard Wes let out a sigh. I dragged my feet over to the rope and snapped my sheath shut. I grabbed the rope.
Tyler pressed a warm hand against my back. “Use your legs and walk up. You’ll find your rhythm soon enough.”
If I hadn’t had over twenty pounds of gear on me, it would’ve been easier. I definitely never found the “rhythm” Tyler had spoken of. Even though I was diligent with my workouts, I never had much upper body strength. Every vertical foot was a clumsy struggle, especially as I approached the railing and there was less slack in the rope. Two pair of hands reached down. I grabbed ahold of Jase and then Griz, and let them pull me the rest of the way. Below me, Wes was just getting started, and he was faring only slightly better than I had.
“Geez, Cash. I thought you were going to take a nap on the way up,” Jase joked.
I flipped him the bird.
Griz helped me to my feet. “Don’t listen to the kid. You did good, girl. It takes a while to get the hang of rope climbing.”
I knew he was just being nice, but it still made me feel better. I unsheathed my machete. “Help the others. I’ll stand watch.”
A couple minutes later, we all stood on the deck of the Aurora II. It had three windowed levels above the deck, the second level half the size of the first, and a small high-sitting bridge on top. Anyone could see there were no zeds on the deck.
“The bridge will give us a three-sixty view of the area. It should be the most secure place to hole up for the night,” Tyler said as he set down a huge duffle bag with a thud.
“The crew quarters should at least be comfortable when it gets colder,” Griz said.
“Where’s that?” Tyler asked.
Griz pointed. “I’m guessing either the first level or below decks. I’ve been on bigger boats. Towboats are new to me.”
“This boat wasn’t empty when the outbreak hit,” I pointed to the round, first-level window as a shadow lumbered by.
“We’ll start on the top and work our way down,” Tyler said. “I’m thinking we’ll set up common housing in the barges. They’ll be drafty, but open enough to have fires running for heat should we have to stay into the winter. Our first imperative is to get this boat cleared so we can get some power turned on.”
“Then, let’s do it,” Griz said.
“Yeah, I’m getting hungry,” Nate added.
“What are you making us tonight?” I asked.
Nate scowled. “MREs are all we have for tonight. The real food is still boxed up.”
“C’mon, then,” Griz said. The seven of us walked across the deck and climbed the first stairs.
“This room looks to be a good area for Doc’s clinic hospital,” Tyler said as he peered inside.
“It was probably the captain’s quarters,” Griz said.
The sun was beginning its descent, casting a softer glow on the wide river. Except for the road and bridge to the north, all I could see was water and trees for miles. “The view is really beautiful from here,” I said, climbing the second stairs.
“Yeah, a regular vacation getaway,” Jase said drily.
I grinned at his sarcasm but my smile faded as I kept focus on the task at hand. We slowed as we approached the bridge. It was a good sign that I saw no zeds in the windows. Since zeds rarely sat down, it meant that if there were any in there, they were either under three feet tall or in bad shape.
Tyler was the first to walk up to the window. He stood for a moment, and then turned to face us. “We don’t want to stay in the bridge tonight.”
“Why not?” Wes asked, and we all moved closer to look through the window.
Inside, three bodies lay sprawled on the floor, each one with a gunshot wound in the skull. A single revolver lay in the hand of one. They’d been dead for some time, with how their discolored skin clung to their emaciated forms.
Zeds were easier to deal with than corpses. I could convince myself that their humanity was gone, but corpses…they reminded me of what I was doomed to become someday.
“All right. Let’s check the next level,” Tyler said.