He looked at his phone. Then put the phone back to his ear.
“No. The city won’t be safe. You have to come to me. If the virus reaches New Zealand, it’ll turn bad real quick, desperate people and all that.”
“I think it’s already here. Th… there’s been conflicting reports. Jack, I’ve never been to where you are, and regardless, walking along the Kaimai Ridgeway to our cabin would take too long. I think you should come home.”
Jack thought quickly. “Yes, you’re right, sorry darling. Okay… ummm, fill up as much water as possible into any available container, get your bug-out bag, and fill up your car with as much food as you can. I think our cabin is isolated enough until this blows over. And, darling?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you, I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Love you too baby, thank you. Hurry!”
Jack’s phone garbled. “And lock up!”
But, looking at the screen, he could see no bars. Damn it!
Emptying out his pack, he found his headlamp. His heart pounded in his chest, and he could feel the tension building, like in a horror movie. He hurried over to fill his water bladder up at the basin, catching his reflection in the mirror as he did. He ran a hand through his dark hair and couldn’t help but notice the worried look in his blue eyes.
Pack light, for we travel far and swift.
Glancing over his trail map one last time, he decided to take the shorter, but steeper, track down to the carpark. This is going to be a hell ride, thought Jack as he slammed the hut door behind him.
Jogging down the trail, he thought back to the day he and Dee had met.
It was the height of summer. A hazy glare bounced off the trees in the valley, and Jack could see and smell the pollen coming off the poplar trees. Taking in a breath, Jack heard two excited voices coming up the trail, the roar of the waterfall and the gurgling of the stream no match for the high-pitched excitement. Looking, he saw her for the first time. Petite, pixie-cut brunette hair, bright blue eyes behind glasses, gorgeous smile. And when she turned toward him, he could see a tattoo of flowers creeping up her arm.
Jack turned away shyly, but still managed to smile at her.
Enjoying his lunch, he listened as the two girls took in the view, snapped photos, and chatted. He was quite pleased when they sat close by to eat their lunch.
He was readying himself to leave when he felt the air change. “Do you know how far that trail goes?”
The voice was almost sing-song, its sweet tones music to his ears.
Jack looked in the direction Pixie-hair was pointing. “As far north as north goes.”
Pixie-hair laughed. “Isn’t it ‘as far south as south goes’?”
Jack smiled. “Yeah, but I know nothing.”
Pixie-hair stuck out her hand. “I’m Diana, but my friends call me Dee.”
Jack grinned, his cheeks hurting. “James, but everyone calls me Jack.”
It was hard going. Down, down, down. He hated down. His knee joints were grinding now. Fighting through the pain, he could feel the lactic acid building with every step. The trail finally flattened out as he came up to the swing bridge. Without even glancing at the view, Jack jogged on. Only one more hour. Those countless times he’d hiked this trail were really helping him now.
Arriving at the carpark, Jack fumbled for his car keys as he ran up to his car. Finally getting them in hand, he unlocked the door and jumped in. Jamming the key into the ignition, he started the car, engaged the gear, and sped off, tires spinning in the loose gravel.
I’m coming darling. I’m nearly there.
With one hand on the wheel, he turned on his phone. Tapping the phone icon, he put the phone on speaker. Nothing but garbled sound emitted from it. Looking at the bars, Jack swore in frustration. “CRAP! SHITTY SHIT SHIT!” He leant over and turned the volume up on the car stereo. A strange monotone beep emitted out. Frowning, he scanned through all the FM stations. Nothing. His pulse quickening, Jack switched to AM, and heard an emergency broadcast. He listened to it a few times, but got no actual details of the virus. It was just the announcer advising people to stay indoors. Jack ran his sweaty hands through his hair. Letting out a breath, he turned the radio off in frustration.
Jack sped on through the night, the road twisting and turning as it followed the undulating countryside.
He could see the orange glow of a fire not far in the distance. Slowing down, he wound down the window. Acrid smoke wafted in, causing him to cough. Deciding caution was best, he slowed down to 50 kilometers per hour. As he rounded a bend, he suddenly had to slam on the brakes. Cars lined the road on both sides, their occupants milling around. He closed his eyes and blew out a breath. If he’d been going any faster… Opening his eyes again, he took a better look. About 100 metres away, he could see a jackknifed milk tanker strewn across the road, its ends tangled in farmers’ fences on both sides. It was engulfed in flames, thick black smoke pouring out over the land.
Alongside his car, a family sat waiting in their car on the shoulder of the road.
Winding his window right down, he made eye contact with the driver. “Hey, how long have you been waiting?”
“About an hour,” replied the man.
Jack could see him quite well in the light from the blaze. He looked about 40-ish and had on one of those flat caps the English wear — or the hipsters. The woman sitting alongside looked frazzled. Hearing the bickering of kids emanating from the back seat, he could understand why. Both parents looked terrified, too.
Jack turned his attention back to Flatcap. “Any sign of the emergency services?”
“Nope, not yet. It’s pretty crazy out there. The roads are jammed up.”
“Hmmm. Is it this virus thingy?”
“Yeah. They announced it on the news, told everyone to stay home from work, only essential travel. That was yesterday. We decided to go and stay with family, get out of Auckland. I guess everyone else had the same idea.”
Jack nodded his head, contemplating the new information. Looking out at the tanker, the fire raging out of control, and all the cars jammed up, he knew that if he wanted to get home to Dee, he’d have to go the long way around. Making his decision, he turned back to Flatcap.
“Thanks mate. I’m going to try a different way. I really need to get home to my wife.” He cranked the car up and shifted it into gear.
“Hey!” called out Flatcap.
“Yeah?”
“Can we follow you? We don’t know this area, and with phone reception out we can’t look up Google Maps.”
“Sure, where are you headed?”
“Cambridge.”
“Cambridge? Hell, you’re way out! I’m going to Hamilton, so I can point you in the right direction.”
The lady, who had not uttered a sound until now, turned and looked at Jack. “Thank you. It’s madness out there. People are acting all crazy, driving like maniacs. We just want to get to my Mum’s and keep our babies safe.”
A high-pitched scream echoed through the night. Jack and Flatcap exchanged a look.
Squinting into the glare from the fire, Jack could just make out the source of screaming. A couple were running down the road toward where he was stopped, terror sharpening their features. The woman let out another primal scream as a black blur slammed into her. The couple went down in a tangled mess of arms and legs, just a few car lengths away.
He stared at the creature, terror freezing him. It looked like a monster straight out of his worst nightmares. His heart hammered in his chest, sending adrenaline pumping through his body. Jack struggled to comprehend what he was seeing. The creature crouched over the woman. Jack watched, dazed, as it plunged its head down and tore out the woman's throat. He gasped. Spurts of arterial blood coated the creature’s face. It turned its head toward him, as though it could see him watching it, and licked its strange, sucker-like lips. Letting out a horrible screech, it returned to its meal. Jack’s hands started to shake as he continued to stare at this abomination, unable to look away despite the horror.