Sleepers Read online

  Randy flung open the door and the rest was such a blur.

  I felt as if I weren’t even in control of my movements. Did Beck have me? Alex? Both? I didn’t know. I was moved with urgency out the door, across the porch, down the steps and to the van.

  It was seconds. Mere seconds from the church to the van, but I was able to catch a glimpse just as Beck pushed me inside.

  I saw Michael. I saw the mob, and then after a few more shots, Michael disappeared within it. The massive amounts swallowed him.

  Just before Beck closed the door, I heard him whisper out, “Thank you, Michael.” Then he, too, jumped into the van.

  Alex sped off before Beck’s door was even closed.

  “Hold the baby,” Alex warned as he made a sharp turn.

  Had Danny and Jessie not been next to me, I probably would have slid out of the seat.

  I couldn’t see what was going on. I could hear the thumps and bangs against the van. It rocked some even as we moved.

  Finally it seemed as if we broke free.

  “Randy?” Alex called to him. “What’s behind us?”

  Randy was in the back and he peered out the rear window. “They’re running but not catching us.”

  That was good to know, good to hear, but I still didn’t feel any sense of relief in the van. We were all still tense and reeling from what just occurred.

  After twenty minutes we were on the highway. Alex finally stopped the van in the middle of the highway in the middle of nowhere on top of a high bridge.

  Far enough from anywhere, he reasoned, that the Sleepers wouldn’t come. It was there we took an hour to absorb all that had happened.

  I stepped out of the van to take it all in. The sun was about to set, and the entire valley below was peaceful and quiet.

  Not a sound or soul was heard.

  It seemed as if there was nothing left, but that was far from the truth.

  We made it to a truck repair station a few miles down the road and away from civilization. We moved the van inside the garage and all took turns keeping watch in case we had to make an escape.

  We were so used to being in that church, settled and calm, we forgot how to run.

  Like a bad habit, though, it came right back.

  We waited through the night in the dark, staying silent but keeping the radio on. Waiting to hear something from New Jerusalem.

  But no one called.

  31. Contact

  “Calling Alex Sans, 22, this is CSCM, do you read us, over?”

  A brief pause.

  “Alex Sans, are you there? Over.”

  The radio cut through the silence of the garage in the early morning as Alex flew from his spot at the window to the radio.

  It could only be one thing. One place.

  The New Jerusalem.

  “This is Sans, I read you.”

  “Sans, this is an official from the government rebuilding site, we hear you have a group of survivors.”

  “Roger that,” Alex replied. “Seven of us.”

  “What is your approximate location?”

  “About fifty miles inside Idaho, off of Highway 26.”

  “Are you mobile?” the man asked.

  “We are.”

  “Are you able to refuel if needed?”

  “Yes, sir,” Alex said.

  “We’re gonna see if you can make it to us; if not, we need to get you in chopper range. We are on fuel conservation. Need you to head straight on highway 26 until it meets up with 84. At that junction go east on 80, and avoid Salt Lake City; it is infested. I repeat. Infested.”

  Alex paused, before saying anything. “Then what?”

  “Remain in contact. Let us know when you get close to the Colorado border. We’ll arrange a pick up if need be. Once you hit Colorado, we’ll be able to tell you a safe route.”

  “Where in Colorado are we going?” Alex asked.

  “Colorado Springs.” There was a delay and the man came back on. “Is it true you have a small child with you?”

  Another hesitation, yet Alex did reply. “Yes. He was born after the event.”

  “What is the state of his health?”

  “He’s fine and very healthy.”

  “That’s good to hear,” the man said. “Be safe in your journey; this channel will be clear for you. Let us know if you run into problems; our doors are set to automatically close in three days so we need to get you in here. Out.”

  And that was it.

  That was the radio transmission. Probably similar to the one that Miles received. Of course, Miles was probably the reason they used all their fuel.

  I didn’t understand why, when we had the child, they weren’t coming for us as they did Miles. Maybe they felt because we were such a small group that we could trek across the godforsaken land easier than five hundred people.

  Beck deducted that if we were headed to Colorado Springs that could only mean one place.

  NORAD.

  They were hunkered down, alright, in the safest place in the world.

  But the doors were closing and sealing. Why?

  We didn’t have time to question. With the hope of our journey ending soon and finding a home in New Jerusalem, we packed up and made our way east.

  31. CLOSER

  It was apparent to me that Beck was a great father and that he truly suffered a loss when his children were taken in the event. He took an immediate liking and protective mode to Jessie and Phoenix, well, that went without saying. Although it seemed everyone was Phoenix’s parent.

  We stopped for the night without any instances. It was a pretty clear drive and we made as much distance as we could. I finished reading the Doctrines up until the entrance of the New Jerusalem.

  I felt the need to speak to someone about what I read, but Beck didn’t want to know and Alex stated he was ready.

  Ready for what? Everything had changed from what occurred in the Doctrines. Suffice to say, further outcomes would change as well. They had to. With Beck and Alex still alive, there was no way we would be overrun by Sleepers and placed in a compromising position.

  Pastor Mike was also gone. According to the Doctrines, he self sacrificed when we were encompassed and waiting for the New Jerusalem to arrive.

  The self sacrifice was already made.

  Phoenix, Bill and I were the only ones to arrive in New Jerusalem. But that was after a huge battle and the Doctrines stated, ‘While the technological man fought with diligence, a paler snatched the Phoenix child from the confines of the mother’s chest, lunging its teeth into the infant’s flesh. The mother challenged and won in a fight with the Paler, regaining the child. However, the Phoenix child was not without deep injuries.’

  All of that couldn’t be deciphered and thwarted because all of that had changed.

  Right after we stopped for the second night, Alex made radio contact with New Jerusalem, informing them that we had crossed the Colorado border.

  We felt confident that we would make it before the doors sealed.

  And New Jerusalem felt confident that we would arrive. They were waiting.

  The highway route kept us out of any major cities and there was only one, unavoidable city we had to encounter.

  Denver.

  Just before that, while still safely on the highway, Alex and Beck stopped the van to do a weapons check. Everyone, including me, was armed and ready. We were to be ready to disembark the van if need be. Phoenix was positioned in the carrier to my chest.

  We hadn’t a clue what we’d run into.

  New Jerusalem stated that Denver was bad, over run, drawing attention from other areas. Sleepers were congregating there. I only hoped they left the highway alone.

  We had followed directions precisely. We were there, almost there, just outside of the suburb of Thornton Colorado when the van just died.

  Thornton was about eight miles north of Denver.

  Could it be fixed? Were we just out of gas?

  The white steam from the front end c
onfirmed Alex’s fears.

  “Engine block is cracked. She was running hot, but I thought we’d make it,” He said. “This is the end of the road. She isn’t going any further.”

  “What now?” Beck asked.

  “We radio and see. We should be in chopper range,” Alex answered.

  It seemed safe, from the highway point of view, until Danny indicted to the area just to the west.

  There were Sleepers, lots of them.

  Beck paced back and forth. “Everyone think. Look. Spot somewhere to go. This isn’t good.”

  I peered around, as did Randy and Danny.

  “What about there?” Danny pointed across the highway.

  A building five or six stories high. It would be a jaunt, we’d have to go back to the exit and possibly run all the way there. But it appeared as if very few sleepers were in that area.

  Beck nodded. “It’s a hospital. Yeah. It’s day light. Not a lot of Sleepers. Let’s do this.”

  Alex raced to the radio; he sent a message out stating where we were, what had happened and where we were headed. He also stated he would try to take the radio but if he had to, he would lose it.

  We would be inside, and we would head for the roof so the choppers could pick us up.

  No one replied.

  We couldn’t let that stop us. We were sitting ducks on the highway. Open, nowhere to go. It wouldn’t be long before the massive amounts of sleepers spotted us. How could they not? We were life and what they sought.

  We stayed close and moved at a quick pace. Beck took the front, Alex in the rear. We cleared the highway without incident and encountered only a few a we headed down the ramp.

  They reached for us, moved our way, but it wasn’t threatening.

  The medical center was in plain sight and not that far away.

  The area it was located wasn’t the best, but I didn’t see a soul. A sleeper here and there. I felt confident, I really did.

  Until we turned the bend off of a side street and more toward the Medical center. No sooner did we hit the lot, we stopped.

  There were hundreds, if not thousands of Sleepers. The main entrance of the hospital, not more than three hundred feet from us, could have been a mile.

  “Back it up,” Beck ordered.

  “Not an option,” Alex replied. “We have them behind us.”

  I thought, this is the attack, this is the big one Bill talked about. I cradled Phoenix tight.

  “Fuck!” Beck blasted. “Ok, listen. We have to run for it. As fast as we can. Alex and I will lay fire to try to clear a path. No matter what, don’t look back, keep moving, and run fast.”

  “What if they’re inside?” I asked.

  “I’ll try to get there before you,” Beck replied. “On my call.”

  We were ready to bolt, ready to run, and all I could think about was when did one of the sleepers grab Phoenix from my grip. With that in mind, I lifted him quickly from the carrier and extended him to Randy. “Take him. Hold him. Tight. Please.”

  Randy knew. I could tell by his eyes, he knew why I handed Phoenix to him. He nodded.

  Beck hollered “Now!” and with that he opened fire.

  I latched on to Jessie, telling her to run. Just run. I searched for Danny as well. He kept up, but like Alex and Beck he kept shooting.

  I felt crushed between all the men, but I forged ahead. There were so many, I don’t know how we moved across and through them.

  They reached for us, clawing out, gnawing with their jaws. Just as we got to the end of the parking lot, I was grabbed by two.

  Danny fired, then Beck.

  The short distance seemed like it took forever. The salvation of the main doors wasn’t that far.

  But the Sleepers pursued and did so with vengeance and diligence.

  We broke free of the pack just at the end of the parking lot, keeping up a faster pace than they could. The front doors of the medical center were closed and signs were posted saying ‘we are closed to new patients.’

  Beck tried the door. It was locked and he did the only thing he could. Telling us to step back, he broke the glass then cleared the way.

  It wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but it was our only option to get into the building quickly.

  It did tell us one thing: If the doors were locked, there weren’t many Sleepers inside.

  We hurriedly made our way in. The hospital was dark and reeked of death.

  As we rushed through the lobby, Beck and Alex looked for the stairs. For a moment, just a moment, there was peace.

  After they spotted the stairwell, the Sleepers broke through and poured into the lobby.

  There wasn’t time to think, we had to just move. Beck led the way. I followed, pausing only when I heard Alex call out, ‘Just go. Go, I’ll catch up.”

  I didn’t know what he was doing, or what he was up to.

  We had made it to the third floor when I heard the bang of the staircase door and Alex raced through below us. He held an ax but he wasn’t alone.

  Multitudes of Sleepers lunged after him and he ran at top speed to catch us. He fought them off wielding the ax and laying fire.

  The Sleepers gained on us and the distance between us grew smaller.

  Reaching the top, Beck pushed the rooftop door.

  It wouldn’t budge.

  “Open it,” Alex stated with a rush. “Hurry.”

  “I’m trying,” Beck said, pushing against it. “Something is against the door.”

  Alex joined him in pushing on the bar.

  The Sleepers grew closer, from a few flights of stairs below us to only two. Against what I wanted, Randy handed me the baby and joined forces in pushing the door.

  They struggled. I pleaded for them to try, to hurry and just as the first of the Sleepers reached us, Jessie flung forward snarling out at them.

  They stopped.

  Her head tilted as she growled and snarled out this long whining cry as if to say, “Stop. Just stop!’

  And they listened. I reached for her, fearful they were going to get her. But they were stunned, halting their pursuit.

  She held them at bay long enough for the door to finally be freed.

  I was grabbed; Beck took hold of the back of my shirt pulling me away from Jessie and to the door. “Go.” He said.

  Just before I crossed the threshold to the roof, I handed Phoenix over to Beck as I stepped through, sun in my eyes, only to be faced with a Sleeper.

  He reached out viciously, clawing down and ripping the carrier from my chest.

  A single shot from someone tore through the Sleeper’s skull and he flew back.

  I looked at the tattered and torn baby carrier then turned back around.

  Randy was putting his gun away. “You okay?” he asked.

  I nodded, looking for my children.

  Danny was on the roof; he now had Phoenix. Jessie was safe too, and Alex and Beck bodily held the door to stop the Sleepers.

  How much longer they could hold them back I didn’t know. The items that had barricaded the door earlier were scattered about. I ran to them, pushing what I could find to help Beck and Alex, items that weren’t too heavy.

  Then Randy grabbed the downed Sleeper and dragged him to the door. He tossed him on top of the items.

  Everything and anything was used as a barricade. The heating unit, ax, roofing repair supplies, a Sleeper body.

  Everything.

  It took several minutes, but it was holding. The door moved; the Sleepers on the other side kept trying, but not with any luck.

  We finally had a moment to breathe.

  But we were stuck. Trapped.

  Alex walked to the roof’s edge and peered over. “Going down this way is useless.”

  “Can we radio?” Beck asked.

  “I had to drop it.”

  Beck lowered his head.

  The noises of the Sleepers from beyond the roof door, the ones on the ground were loud, too loud and almost unbearable.

  We were a
t a standstill.

  Until Randy called out, “I did it. Connection.”

  We all turned. He had his computer unit out.

  “New Jerusalem?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” He shrugged and within seconds, a three-dimensional figure appeared.

  “Randy? You’re safe,” the man said. He was older and looked worn.

  “Barely,” Randy stated. “Tell me. Are you at New Jerusalem?”

  “Yes, we both are,” he answered.

  Randy lowered his head. “Thank God. Demetrius, we’re trapped. A whole group of us are on the roof of a medical center just outside of Denver.”

  “So you are with them?” Demetrius’ voice lowered. “Did you find the Phoenix Child?”

  “Yes.” Randy answered. “We did. But we’re trapped. And as of right now, he is not injured.”

  “That is good news. Randy, they are on their way. They tried to radio back but didn’t receive a response.”

  “See if you can get in touch with them,” Randy said. "There is a heliport here.”

  “I will do that. I will see you soon, my friend. I am so proud you found him. And Randy, it’s good you are found now. The Reckoning takes place in four hours. You need to be in here for safety’s sake.”

  “I don’t understand. How can we assume to know when God does the Reckoning?”

  “Because it is not God. It’s man. All major cities first, then over the course of the next week, the smaller ones. Wiped out. It is the only way to get rid of all the Sleepers.”

  “Nuclear weapons?” Randy asked. “That would mean people would have to stay underground or sheltered for a while.”

  ‘No,” Demetrius answer. “Because the Sleepers are alive, they’ll be using oxygen bombs. So whatever you do, make sure the Phoenix child gets on the helicopter.”

  Randy nodded.

  End of transmission.

  Oxygen bombs? I turned to Beck. “What is he talking about? Oxygen bombs?”

  Beck ran his hand over his face. “The explosion takes place in the air just above each city. Creates this huge fireball and sucks all the oxygen out of the air. Anyone in or around them will die. The buildings stay the same.”

  Alex added. “Sleepers will die along with any survivors left out here, unless they are far from the city or in a remote area.”