THE ENEMY WITHIN

THE ENEMY WITHIN Chapter 16

16.

The cool ground felt soothing after the fire. Max had no recollection of passing out, but waking with his face in the dirt suggested that's the way it went down.

Rubbing the soil from his cheek, he unsteadily climbed to his feet and looked out on the landscape. Things had changed. Wild flora grew in sunbursts of red, yellow and orange beside him. A few feet away, purple flowers bloomed, their petals so dark they appeared black. Tall plants with red and blue veins and wide red canopy leaves took root between the rocks. Beneath their shelter, red and white saplings curled around the rocks like ivy.

Life. All of this sprang from his hand. He was one of them! Max whirled excitedly. "Did you see?"

"We saw – amazing," Vincent called behind him, but the voice seemed subdued.

Then Max saw Noah's eyes stared up lifelessly into the starry night sky. It took a few seconds for the reality of his friend's death to sink in. "I thought I could help him."

"You did," Jamie said. "He lived to see you come alive. It's what he wanted."

As if in answer, a black bird flew by, settled on one of the plants and then took flight once more. "And now," Vincent said, digging in the earth with a sharp rock, "he'll lie with our home around him forever."

Max and Jamie found large stones and did the same. Despite time minutes ticking away, no one felt rushed as they dug Noah's grave.

After they laid Noah to rest, Vincent stood over the fresh earth. "Noah, you made me laugh. You made all those cold, rainy nights bearable. And you did what you wanted to the end. We'll see this through for you and miss you every step of the way." With that, Vincent threw a handful of dirt on the grave. "Let's finish this," he said.

Max spotted a mini-bottle of Jack Daniels that must have fallen from Noah's pocket. A slight grin sneaked across his lips, knowing Noah had stolen it from the train. "Wherever home is, I hope you find it and find peace. Safe journeys, my friend," Max said, opening the bottle and pouring a bit onto the grave. Then they all took a sip in salute and tossed the bottle down the mountain. He took one last look at his creations and ran his fingers along the tiny purple veins of a newly born leaf. Like the butterfly emerging from its cocoon, he had spread his wings for the first time. The storm had begun.

*

It was just past midnight when they made their way down the switchback toward the lab compound holding the cloud seeding device. No one had spoken about Noah's death after they got in the van. Max wasn't sure what to say either. All he could do was keep playing the brief moments Noah had made him laugh over in his head.

He turned to look outside. Shadowy rock formations jutted out like anguished faces trapped in frozen screams. Max pushed the thoughts away. He couldn't allow everything that they'd endured this far be in vain.

Jamie sat up front with Vincent. Max sat on the van's floor in back as they motored down the switchback. With each bump and turn he was lifted in the air or thrown to the sides. The first few times Vincent apologized. After that, there didn't seem much point.

The compound glowed in the distance. There were no other signs of civilization in the area. As they neared the entrance, Max clocked two guards stationed at the gatehouse. They came out, moving to opposite sides of the van. Vincent just stared ahead impassively.

One guard tapped Vincent's window. Vincent lowered it. "A little late for a delivery," the guard said, his hand resting on his belt above his holster.

"That's not why I'm here," Vincent said.

"This is private property. You're going to have to turn back," the guard said, looking at his partner for guidance.