Chapter 19: City in Flames
"We’re blind down here," Hex said one morning. He gestured to the blacked-out windows of the apartment. They had supplies to last a few weeks, fuel for the generator, and a defensible position. But it was a bubble, a tiny island of perceived safety in a sea of unknowns, and they both knew it. "We have no idea what’s happening beyond a ten-block radius. We’re reacting to threats, not anticipating them. We need to see the bigger picture."
He unfolded a city map on the floor, the paper worn and creased from repeated use. "There’s a radio tower on a hill at the edge of the city. Parker’s Ridge. From there, we should be able to see most of New Havenburg. It’s the highest point for miles."
Quinn studied the map. The route was long, taking them through the heart of the downtown area. It would be their most dangerous journey yet. But Hex was right. They were living moment to moment, fighting a war without any intelligence.
"We go at dawn," Quinn said. "We travel light and fast."
The journey to Parker’s Ridge was a descent into a deeper level of hell. The further they moved from their small, fortified zone around the apartment building, the more desolate the city became. The downtown core was a maze of crashed vehicles and shattered glass. The infected were more numerous here, their bodies piling up in the streets where the fighting had been thickest in the first few days. The air was heavy with the smell of decay and smoke.
Quinn kept Lily close, sometimes carrying her on his back to move faster. He had fashioned a small mask for her out of a t-shirt to help with the smell. He tried to shield her eyes from the worst of the horrors, from the bodies contorted in their final moments of agony, but it was impossible to hide everything.
They moved through the city like ghosts, using alleys and building corridors to avoid the open streets. Hex, with his knowledge of the city’s layout, navigated, while Quinn, with his new fire axe, handled any threats that got too close. His movements were efficient and brutal, wasting no energy. He was no longer just a survivor; he was a predator in this new, savage ecosystem.
It took them most of the day, a grueling, nerve-shredding trek. Finally, they left the dense urban streets behind and began the steep climb up Parker’s Ridge. The air grew cleaner, the sounds of the city fading below them.
When they reached the top, they stood in silence.