Maggie glanced at the last few shops as they went past, looking for Variants. The generic shops you would find in most western countries. Bakeries, telco, clothing. They all stood, silent and untouched. No one had the time or desire to loot when man-eating monsters were lurking in the shadows.
She caught their reflections as they walked past the walls of glass. Her dark hair poked out in wispy strands from under the cap. The children between her and Alice reminded her of a bunch of street kids from a Dickens novel. Sighing, Maggie hoped that the red coveralls she and Alice were wearing would fool the local creatures too.
Maggie followed Alice out from the relative cover of the shopping street, and onto the wooden jetty, which jutted three hundred feet into the harbour. At the far end sat a small green building, facing the harbour entrance and the open ocean beyond. As they drew closer, the large sign nailed to the side became legible. Bay of Plenty Game Fishing Club.
Despite the danger, the children ran to the edge of the wharf and peered over, looking into the water, laughing. Maggie considered telling them to be quiet, but with no signs of any Variants, she let them have their fun.
Alice turned towards her. “What do you think? One of these boats?”
“Yeah. I guess we just try and get one of them started. How far is it to this Mayor Island?”
Alice shrugged her shoulders and gestured out towards the open ocean. “I’m not sure. It’s just out past the Mount there.”
Maggie looked to where she was pointing, but all she could see was a big hill at the end of a long, low stretch of land. Dotted along the coast were tall apartment blocks and wealthy-looking houses.
“Mount?”
Alice pointed to the big hill. “Yeah, sorry. The Mount, as in Mount Maunganui.”
“Oh right. Any idea on how long it would take?”
“I’ve never actually been to the island, but I think about three to four hours?”
Maggie tried to do the math in her head for how much fuel they needed, but with no idea on the tank size or range of the available boats, she gave up. She glanced out at the multi-coloured yachts moored in the harbour. “You don’t know how to sail, do you?”
Alice followed her gaze. “Not really, no. I know the principles.”
“Boat it is, then. You keep an eye on the kids, I’ll find us a ride.”
Alice nodded and turned, walking over to the kids.
Leela looked up as she approached. Spotting Maggie, she ran over. “I’m hungry, Maggie.”
Maggie crouched down and hugged the little blonde-haired girl. “Tell you what. You play with the other kids and Alice. I’m going to get us a boat. Then we can eat. What do you think?”
Leela twirled her fingers together before reluctantly walking back over to the other kids.
Maggie watched her go, more driven than ever to get her, Becs, and the others to safety. She couldn’t help her daughter Izzy when she was sick, but she could help these kids. Maggie felt her cheeks flush. Not for the last time, she cursed those responsible for the situation she found herself in.
She pivoted and headed for the nearest fishing boat. Wafts of its working life assaulted her nose as she jumped in. Diesel, oil, and fish; the pungency of the smells surprised her.
Maggie opened the pilot house door, taking the cabin in. It was a simple room with a large, comfortable-looking seat and a tiny steering wheel. A small curved window faced out to the water, and below it, a wood-veneer dashboard ran the width of the cabin. Dotted near the wheel was an array of radios and instruments. Maggie’s heart soared at the sight of the radio. She reached out and clicked it on. Nothing. No lights, nothing. She looked at the ignition, hoping for keys. The slot lay empty. A quick search of the cabin proved fruitless, and Maggie moved on to search through the other moored boats. None had keys, and she couldn’t get any of the radios to work.
She finally stood on the last fishing boat, holding her hand over her mouth in an attempt to not gag on the stench of rotting fish emanating from the hold. A large motor launch bobbed up and down with the swell at the end of the jetty. She could just make out its name, Sea You Later, painted in bright blue on its white hull.
Last chance Larry. She made her way over to it, smiling at the children, who all lay on their stomachs watching the fish swimming under and around the jetty poles. Alice sat with them, rifle clutched in her hands. Her head swivelled around, watching for any movement. Maggie grinned. She admired Alice’s resolve. She had never told Maggie what had happened to her, but here she was, focused on protecting everyone.
Maggie jumped over the gunwale of the boat, landing softly on the deck. She quickly brought her rifle up and headed into the covered area. Flinging open the door, she could see that it had been well lived in, and recently too. In the wheelhouse, Maggie spotted the keys, tied to a yellow plastic float, dangling from the ignition. She pumped her fist. Finally, some luck. Tentative, she reached out and turned the key. An orange light next to the ignition came on, splashing light over the gauges. The fuel gauge read nearly empty. Maggie clicked off the ignition. She didn’t want to drain the battery for nothing. She turned and went back onto the deck. She scanned the jetty, looking for a fuel tank. Spotting a grey tank with rusty streaks nestled against the green building, Maggie jumped out of the boat and jogged over to Alice and the kids.
“Found us a ride, but it needs fuel,” she said, indicating the white boat and the grey tank.
Alice grinned at her. “You get them on board. I’ll see if we can get some fuel.”
The children had lost interest in the fish and were beginning to mill around. Maggie crouched down, looking at them. “All right. Who wants to go for a ride in the boat?”
The kids all turned to where she was pointing, their cheeks flushed from their fish-watching activities.
“We do,” they answered in unison.
Maggie reached out and took Leela’s hand, walking her over to the white and blue boat. She jumped over the small gap and lifted Leela in after her. Becs jumped in after, and took Leela’s hand.
Maggie pointed to the cabin. “Take them in there. Thanks, Becs.”
Becs nodded, leading Leela and the other kids into the cabin.
Maggie turned, searching for Alice. She had unhooked a hose and gas pump, and was bringing it over to the boat. “Look what I found.”
Maggie smiled. “Thanks, Alice.”
“All good. You put it in the tank, I’ll pump. There’s a manual hand pump on the side.”
“Sounds good. Really, thank you.” Maggie held Alice’s gaze for a moment. As much as she thought and knew herself to be a strong independent woman, she was thankful for Alice’s company. She wouldn’t have kept her sanity or her anger in check if it hadn’t been for Alice. The last few hours together had proven how determined Alice was to survive, and help those in need.
Maggie watched the fuel rise to the top of the tank. It just needed a few more minutes. A shriek bounced over the water. She swivelled her head, seeking the source. The creature was perched on the roof of the building across the road from the jetty. Several more Variant heads popped up and howled. They were looking out to sea, raising their heads as if sniffing the breeze. The thumping of feet on the boat deck caused her to turn. Becs was running towards her.
“Maggie, there… there’s boats coming!”
Maggie frowned and grabbed her hand. “Show me.”
She signalled to Alice to stop pumping, and ran with Becs into the cabin.
Her mouth dropped open at the sight. Half a dozen boats were cruising their way between the Mount and the long flat island on the other side, and several men with guns dotted the decks. Maggie raised her carbine so she could get a better view through her scope. Standing on the deck of the lead boat stood the biggest Variant she had ever seen. It was at least seven foot tall. It had bark-like skin, and spiky bones protruded from its shoulders. With the aid of her scope, she could see children’s heads mounted on those spikes.