Brian Keene: Deluge: The Conqueror Worms II

At first, Sarah didn’t think the older man had heard him. But then Mylon slowly raised his head and looked at them with red-rimmed eyes.

“Uh,” Henry stuttered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were… crying.”

Mylon shrugged. “It’s okay. I reckon you didn’t mean any harm.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Sarah asked.

“Just thinking about my family. My wife and two daughters.”

“Are they… did they?” Sarah wasn’t sure how to phrase the question.

“They died,” Mylon said. “No need to tiptoe around it. They died early on, before the flooding got bad. Remember when the super-storms first started, and those really bad winds were tearing down whole cities?”

Sarah and Henry both nodded.

“Well,” Mylon continued, “one of those gusts hit our house. We were hunkered down in the basement, hiding from the worms, but it sheared our home right off the foundation. My wife and one of my daughters were killed by the debris. The worms took my other daughter soon after.”

“I’m sorry,” Sarah said.

“It’s okay. Like I said, I’ve had time to deal with it. What I’m struggling with is that… I… well, I can’t remember what they looked like anymore. I mean, I have a recollection, but it’s not complete.”

“Do you have a picture of them?” Henry asked.

“No. They got me one of those smart phones last Christmas, before all of this. I stopped carrying my wallet, and had all my pictures on the phone. Once the electricity and phone service went out, I didn’t see the point in lugging it around anymore. Not to mention all this dampness in the air probably gummed it up anyway. Only pictures I have of them are in my mind, and some days, my mind feels like it’s starting to fade.”

“That’s normal,” Sarah said. “I’ve certainly felt that way. We’re scared all the time, half-starved, cold, wet, and exhausted. It’s natural for us to feel a little cloudy.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Mylon said. “It’s like earlier today, when that crab crawled over the side. It’s terrible what happened to Tatiana, but afterward, I got to thinking that she was the lucky one. She doesn’t have to deal with this shit anymore. We do.”

“Not for much longer.” Henry gulped the rest of his water. “If Simon can do what he says, then we’ll be okay. You can even see your family again!”

“And run into another world’s version of myself? No thanks. I reckon I’ll just—”

A burst of static squawked out of the intercom, startling them. Sarah took a deep breath, expecting Novak to announce that yet another monster was pursuing them. Since the crab’s attack, the crew had spotted various dark, humped forms in the water, but Novak had maintained maximum speed, and so far, they’d been able to shake the pursuit. What he announced instead was the last thing Sarah expected.

“Folks, this is your captain speaking.” Novak sounded surprisingly cheerful. “I just thought you might like to know that we’ve just made radio contact with another vessel. We’re talking to them right now, if anybody would like to come up to the cabin and listen in. The man in charge says his name is Kevin Locke. It sounds like he’s got a pretty big group with him.”

“Holy shit,” Henry gasped. “We’re not the only ones left alive!”

“Let’s go,” Sarah said, standing up. “I want to hear this.”

Mylon joined them, and the three made their way to the bridge, where they found Novak and Gail gathered around the radio, while Simon stood to one side, listening. Through the fogged windows, Sarah caught a glimpse of Caterina, standing watch outside in a yellow raincoat.

“You guys can listen in,” Novak said, muting the microphone, “but don’t say anything. We think he might be a little crazy.”

Sarah, Henry, and Mylon nodded. Then Novak keyed the microphone.

“Go ahead, Mr. Locke. Sorry about that.”

“No problem,” the man on the other ship said. “Like I was saying, God told me to build the ark before the rains started. My wife, Taya, thought it was just a dream I’d had, but I knew better. My neighbors thought I was crazy.”

“Who could blame them?” Gail whispered.

“What’s that?” Locke asked.

“Nothing.” Novak shot her an angry look. “Please continue, Mr. Locke.”

“Anyway, we lived in Lafayette, Indiana. I started building it right in my backyard. Eventually, I got Taya, and our neighbor Rudy to help me. Once the rains started, a bunch of other folks pitched in, too. As Lafayette began to flood, our ship just floated up off its moorings. By that time, it was only me, Taya, and Harley onboard. Harley is our dog—a little Yorkie. I don’t know what happened to Rudy or his wife or our other neighbors. But we were safe and dry, and when the water levels reached the rooftops, we floated right out of our neighborhood. Since then, we’ve just been picking up survivors—plucking them off roofs and mountaintops. There’s about thirty of us onboard. Dashiell is the youngest. He’s a toddler. Cute little kid. A Korean lady is our oldest. We don’t know how old, exactly. She doesn’t speak English.”

“And there are thirty of you?” Novak grinned as he asked it.

“Yes.”

“That’s amazing! Where are you guys now?”

“As near as I can figure, somewhere over Illinois.”

Novak’s grin turned to a frown. He muted the microphone again.

“What’s wrong?” Gail asked.

“They’d never make it to Pennsylvania in time.”

“Give them the coordinates, anyway,” Simon said.

“Is there a way you can stall?” Novak asked. “I thought time was crucial?”

“It is, Mr. Novak. And as you said, there is no way they can reach LeHorn’s Hollow before I open the gate into the Labyrinth. But I want you to give them the coordinates anyway.”

CHAPTER 83

“But why?” Novak asked. “It doesn’t make any sense. Unless you…”

One by one, they stared at Simon as the truth dawned on them.

“A sacrifice,” Gail gasped. “You want to use them as a sacrifice? As bait!”

Nodding, Simon stared at his feet, unable to look them in the eyes.

Gail stormed across the rolling deck. “How is that any different than what your captor did to you, Simon?”

“Because,” he said, still not looking up, “this is to save our lives. Leviathan’s monsters are converging on LeHorn’s Hollow, and any other point in this region where we might effect an escape. Leviathan himself can sense my presence. His intelligence is far vaster than our own, but the same can’t be said of his children. Some, like the mermaids or the starfish-men, are quite smart, in their own fashion. But most of them are mere predators, driven by hunger and a need to destroy, than by anything resembling real craft or cunning. Their master has driven them forward. They understand they’re supposed to be hunting a large group of humans in a boat. But they have no way of determining which boat. Mr. Locke’s ark will serve as a distraction.”

“It doesn’t bother you that there are children on board?” Mylon asked.

“Of course it bothers me.” Simon glanced up. “I feel for everyone on that vessel. But I cannot save them. None of us can. Soon, what remains of this Earth will be completely absorbed into the Great Deep. That includes anyone left alive. They will never reach us in time, and I cannot open a door at their location. I can’t save them, but I can save us.”

The group fell silent. A burst of static came from the speakers.

“Novak?” Locke’s voice sounded faint and distorted. “You still there?”

Frowning, Novak keyed the microphone. “I’m still here. Sorry. Just spotted something starboard. Give me a minute.” He released the microphone again and stared sullenly at the others. “I’m tired of being in charge. Hell, I’m just tired in general.”