Desolate The Complete Trilogy

Seven



The van broke down on the A-1 about fifteen miles east of the city. Once it got up to highway speed Howard noticed a very unhealthy vibration coming from the steering wheel. That was accompanied by a temperature gauge in the red and a burning odor filling the cabin.

It was a shame, because once they got onto the open road Howard was actually starting to enjoy himself. It felt like forever since he’d driven anything, and after his long trek through the jungle the easy speed of tires on pavement was satisfying. Despite having to occasionally weave through or around pileups of corpse-filled cars, burned out buildings, and rotting bodies on the side of the road, Howard almost felt like he was on a road trip with friends.

That fleeting fantasy came crashing to a halt when the van shimmied to a stop, let out a pitiful groan, and died. Howard tried the ignition a few times but it only stuttered and wouldn’t turn over.

He turned around to face the others. “Looks like we’re on foot from here.” He nodded at Dave and asked Soo, “How’s he doing?” Dave’s head was tilted back with his mouth open and his chest was a bloody mess.

“I gave him a few painkillers but I really need to clean these cuts. Who knows what kind of nasty bugs those things are carrying around.” She wiped off Dave’s sweaty forehead with a handkerchief. “The last thing we need is an infection.”

“Nasty bugs?” Ann asked. “That’s a good description for those f*cking things in general.”

Howard wanted to tell Ann to watch her language in front of Emily, especially since she was a minor herself, but kept his mouth shut. They were reluctantly living in an R-rated world where he had just pulled the skin off a dead woman’s legs. A little harsh language was the last thing he needed to worry about.

“F*cking A,” he said, immediately feeling old and uncool. He looked out the window. “We could have broken down in worse places though. Check it out.”

A brick driveway behind an elaborate gateway across the highway looked welcoming. A sign above the gate read “Royal Gardens Beach Club and Spa Resort.” It was a typical sight on the coastal highway: multimillion-dollar resorts within walking distance of concrete peasant shacks that had no glass in the windows.

“We should check it out.” Howard looked up and down the road and squinted in the harsh midday sun. There were no signs of any other cars or people. More importantly, no signs of Ann’s nasty bugs. “Might be a safe place to hole up for a few days and let Dave heal. Not to mention me.”

“Let’s go,” Ann said. “I’m getting antsy sitting out here in the middle of the road.”

“I can’t even see the building from here.” Soo craned her neck out the window. “I think it’s probably too far for Dave to walk right now.”

“Hold on.” Howard rubbed his hands together. “Maybe I can get a few hundred yards out of this baby yet.”

He put his hand on the key and said a silent prayer before turning it. The starter motor whined for a second before the engine sputtered to life. Everybody in the van cheered. Howard quickly shoved it into first and popped the clutch. The van lurched forward and he cranked hard on the wheel, heading right for the driveway. The iron gate was partially open, probably mechanized but not locked. The van easily crashed through and headed up the driveway, spewing black smoke along the way. Howard tried for second gear but that seemed to be officially out of the game.

The hotel came into view as they came around a bend. It was a pristine white three-story building surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens. A shuttle bus and a few construction trucks were parked in front. The van made it to fifty feet from the main entrance and officially bought the farm for good. Black smoke poured out of the front and flames started licking through the gaps in the hood.

“Oh, shit. Everybody out!”

Howard scrambled out of his seat. The smoke quickly found its way into the van as they all tumbled out. They grabbed their packs and meager possessions and watched as the van went up in flames.

Dave stood on unsteady legs and scowled at the blaze. “What the holy hell just happened?”

“Little car trouble,” Howard quipped. “Give it a break. It really got us out of a tight jam.”

“Good,” Ann added. “It stank anyway.”

Howard watched the thick cloud of black smoke rise and spoil the clear blue sky overhead. “Well, so much for being inconspicuous. This will give us away for miles.”

“Shit’s been burning in every corner of this island for weeks,” Dave said. “Don’t worry about it.” He winced as Soo took his arm to steady him.

Howard glanced around. “Hey! Where’s Emily?” He caught a glimpse of her near the corner of the building just before she slipped out of sight. He ran after her and was relieved to find her standing on tiptoe against a gate overlooking a swimming pool.

“Wow!” She turned her head and grinned at Howard with excitement. “Can we go swimming? Pleeease?”

“Hey, you can’t go running off like that, okay? You scared me. We have to stick together until we know this place is safe.”

Her gaze dropped to the ground. “Sorry.”

He lifted her up so she could get a better look. “It is a pretty nice pool though, huh?”

Pretty nice was an understatement. It was an infinity pool, creating a seamless visual edge between the crystal clear pool water and the sparkling Caribbean Sea beyond. Comfortable lounge chairs circled the pool and a swim-up bar under a thatched tiki-style roof filled one end. An elaborate artificial rock waterfall would have emptied into the pool. With no electric pumps running, the falls were dry of course, but it didn’t take much imagination to picture the peaceful setting. The others approached them from behind.

“Damn, this beats dat grocery. Good job.” Tre slapped Howard on the back.

“Don’t congratulate me yet. Let’s see if we can find a way inside. You doing okay, Dave?”

“I think this one,” he pointed at Soo, “gave me enough painkillers to make a horse high. I can walk but I ain’t operating any heavy equipment.”

The main front doors to the resort were locked, so they went through the pool area to the back. A large stone patio, dotted with more rows of lounge chairs, overlooked the beach. Six sets of French doors led from the patio to the hotel but those were all locked too.

“There’s something weird about this place,” Ann said.

“I know what you mean.” Soo shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up at the bedroom balconies above. “There are no signs of anybody around. No bodies, nothing broken or looted. That’s all we’ve seen lately.”

“It was probably closed.” Howard pointed to the far side of the building. “Look, those windows are boarded up and they were starting to set up scaffolding. I’ll bet they were shut down for renovations when the plague hit.”

One of the doors at the end was replaced by a flimsy sheet of plywood. Howard gave it a few tugs and pulled it away from the doorframe. He stepped inside to find a ballroom in the early stages of demolition.

He poked his head out and smiled. “Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we’re ready to check in for the evening.”