I rolled my eyes, then cracked a smile. “Never tried it, but shouldn’t be too difficult. It’d have to be an old car, mid-90s or later.”
Truth be told, my dad has shown me how to hotwire when I’d help him work on cars he was restoring. Though, all the junkers he picked up were made before the 80s, back when you could hammer a screwdriver in the ignition to turn it over. It’s different for every car, but if I could get into a car’s steering column, then it’s just checking which wires went to the battery and starter.
Thinking about Dad sent a pang of worry through me. Burying that feeling, I got to my feet. “I’m going to check the back for an exit. If we’re lucky, some A-hole must be parked back in the alley. Knowing this neighborhood, no one should be able to afford anything made before 2005.”
“Let me go with you,” Judge offered, but I stopped him.
“No.” I glanced at the trio; they still spoke amongst themselves. “I don’t trust them, still. They’re not armed, but they could overpower a single person if they rush. If anything happens, just shout. Or shoot. Either or.”
Judge spared them a glance, then nodded. Grabbing my flashlight, I gave him a friendly cuff as I passed. Sure enough, as I approached, the elf threw on an ugly scowl and squared herself off to me.
I pointed at myself, then stuck a thumb over to the back room. Before anything could leave the elf’s mouth, the beauty settled her hand on her shoulder. She simply shook her head, then the elf sighed and stepped back.
“Thanks,” I said as I passed.
From what the flashlight offered, the backroom was an absolute mess, looking like a scene from an episode Hoarders. The musty smell confirmed water damage at some point. Initially, it looked as though the store owner was just a lazy bum with how haphazardly everything was loaded onto the shelves. But boxes were ripped open, things were knocked over, and a lot of fancy rings, watches, and other fine jewelry littered the floor. The wizard and beauty must’ve been looting, but why did they leave everything? Assuming that ruby she had was from here, the sheer weight of all the gold alone from everything else would be thousands of dollars.
Too weird. I definitely don’t like them.
Dismissing the mess, I went over to the back corner when my flashlight illuminated a busted exit sign.
Of course, that would’ve been too good. When I went to push the panic bar, the door opened maybe an inch before stopping. I panned the flashlight lower and saw a heavy chain welded to the steel that was wrapped around a pipe next to the wall, a heavy padlock securing the loop.
“Son of a bitch.”
From how old and beat up the door was, I could gather people tried more than once to break in. Instead of upgrading, the bastard jimmy-rigged a hillbilly security measure. It was a three-quarter-inch chain, too. Even if I could find bolt cutters in this mess of a storage space, I wouldn’t be able to open it.
Just for shits and giggles, I decided to look around for anything useful. Maybe some poor sap pawned off everything in his garage for a quick buck. Didn't so much as find a hammer in the quick search.
God forbid someone pawns a Sawzall. Well, I guess we’re not in a position to make noise, anyways.
I quit searching through junk and gave the room a slow three-sixty pan. In the corner near the ceiling, the flashlight illuminated the rungs of a ladder. Sure enough, a roof hatch. Nodding to myself, I went back into the office.
The trio of strangers ceased their talk as I stepped through the doorway. They resumed as I passed.
What the hell are they even going on about?
“Well?” Heath inquired. The liquor was just at the bottom of the label line the last I checked. It was about an inch and a half lower now.
At least he’s pacing himself.
“The jagoff who owns this place has the rear exit chained shut,” I informed. “But there’s a roof hatch. We’ll need something to reach the rungs. I figure one of us can hop up there and see how things are looking on the street and in the alley.”
“I’ll leave that between you and Judge. I’m still sore from that damn run.”
Heath was only twelve years older than Judge and I. At thirty-three, he’s barely out of his prime. But he has been in the Army for most of it. Good thing the VA provided healthcare for veterans; service really fucked up your knees and back carrying your weight in gear.
Deciding to forgo looking for a stool or something, I just boosted Judge up to the rung, and then he pulled himself the rest of the way up. Sunlight formed a spotlight over me once he got the hatch open. He took a moment to look around, then crawled onto the roof.
After five minutes, he climbed back down, being sure to leave the hatch open to give us some much-needed light.
“How we looking, Judge?”
“There’s a big group of them mulling around streetside at the far right end,” he said, wiping some sweat from his forehead. “And I’m not hearing any gunfire in the distance.”
Hopefully, they just retreated.
“All the more reason to boost a car. How we looking on that end?”
“Alley’s clear. No cars, though. But I did see a couple parked in front of the Vienna Beef on the adjacent street. They look pretty shitty, so they should work, right?”
“Shitty’s good. And who knows, maybe we can snag a couple of dogs?”
Judge chuckled and gave a confident smile. Things were looking up.
Jude’s smile diminished when he looked at something behind me. Turning around, I saw the elf, who slowly approached and looked up at the hatch.
Turned out she wasn’t too much of a bad-looker herself in direct light. She was shorter than her contemporary, maybe five-six. Her complexion was darker than the beauty’s fair skin, bearing an almost Latina appearance. However, the light did highlight a white slash of a scar on her right cheek just below her eye.
She returned those steel-blue eyes to me and cocked her head to one side.
Suddenly, I realized they might have been discussing the same thing the boys and I were. They must’ve no doubt saw that the backdoor was chained shut, and with the monsters lurking about the front, they might’ve been weighing their options. Not like any of us can stay here forever.
I still don’t like them because they are the polar opposite of normal. But so what? There was already a heaping problem on our plate because we got left behind. Playing twenty questions with a bunch of people who like they stepped from a book about rings and a dark lord wasn’t going to help.
We’re in the same boat.
Stepping forward, I regarded her with a steady gaze, then looked skyward. I pointed to her and her friends, then pointed to the hatch, arching an eyebrow so she’d catch the question. A long moment of silence followed, but before I could repeat the gestures, she nodded once. Knowing that we had a mutual need to escape, I proffered my hand, extending an olive branch so we’d be able to get outside without any fuss. Acting far more civil than she let on earlier, she accepted my hand with a firm and respectful grip.
“Judge,” I said quietly, “grab our stuff and give Heath the plan. I’ll look for something we can step up on.”
He nodded once and got to it. The elf was exchanging hushed words with her friends, looking far more relaxed than she did earlier.
A quick look around the room didn’t reveal anything immediately useful like a step ladder, but I saw an old trunk and a tall dresser that would provide enough elevation for us to get up to the ladder with our gear.
The wizard saw what I was doing and offered a hand; together, we got the dresser under the hatch as quietly as possible. I thanked him and was able to lug the trunk into place just as Heath and Judge came into the room with the gear.
The hatch wasn’t big enough for us to climb with our packs on, so after a little back and forth, we decided to use some of our paracord to hoist our things up. Some tacky fur coats were using wire coat hangers that I fashioned into a crude hook, and then Heath secured the knot with paracord.
As we wo
rked, the elf about to climb up, then I waved her down. She gave a hard look, but relented. Pointing to Judge, I mimed his rifle, then pretended I was holding binoculars. Her flat look meant my meaning went over her head, but the beauty said a few words that seemed to clear up the misunderstanding. Sighing once, she stepped back.
Judge climbed up to scan the area. After a few minutes, he looked down the hatch to give the thumbs up, and then dropped the rope and hook. Working fast, we got all three of our packs up in only a couple minutes. Wanting to be fair, I gave a bow and extended my hand to the mysterious trio. The elf went up without sparing another look, the beauty gave an appreciative smile, and I could hear the wizard’s knees popping as he stepped up the trunk and onto the dresser.
“Making friends now?” Heath asked as he went next.
“Obviously, they’re connected to what the hell is going on in some way,” I responded. “But I don’t see how stirring up any trouble with them is going to help us any. Plus, it’s our fault for bringing those things here and blocking off the front door. They can do whatever the hell they want once they’re on the ground.” I patted the pistol holstered at my hip. “Not like they’re even a threat to us.”
“Uh-huh.” He grunted as he pulled himself onto the first rung. “Not like you have an ulterior motive,” he said with sarcasm drier than a saltine.
“I wouldn’t turn down a ‘thank you’ kiss from the foxy one,” I said with a chuckle as I made my way up.
It was toasty in my combat uniform, but sunshine always felt good. Judge was posted low behind the wall overlooking the street. I held my arm into the shape of an L and arched my fingers, then formed a visor over my eyes. He pointed somewhere out of sight with his thumb pointing down, and index finger extended, then gave me a three and a zero.
Thirty hostiles? Son of a bitch.
I made the question sign again and asked if they were close. Thankfully, he shook his head. I waved him other, and together, we approached Heath and everyone else squatting in the middle of the roof. Pressing a finger to my lips, I looked at the strangers, who nodded their understanding. The boys and I conveyed the plan in gestures and went to work.
The pawnshop was only a single story, so we were able to load Heath down over the edge overlooking the alley. With him hanging from our hands, he dropped down ten feet without much trouble, and then we proceed to throw down our packs. With the utmost care, I tossed down Heath his M240. That being the last of the gear, I inclined my head to the others. Making a gesture to Judge and myself, I instructed we were going to help them down. They shared a look, then nodded. Wanting to get the heaviest person first, I pointed to the wizard. Next was the beauty, which I took extra caution with. The elf stayed quiet and kept any nasty looks to herself.
As soon as she dropped down, Judge blew a bead of sweat off his nose. “Rock paper scissors?”
“You’re so predictable that it wouldn’t be fair,” I said with a smirk. “Go on. You were the first up, anyways.”
Keeping him steady while he swung his first foot over the edge, I coaxed him down until he could drop softly on his feet. That only left me.
Dropping down solo shouldn't be a problem, so long as my fingers don’t slip. Fifteen feet doesn’t sound bad, but it doesn’t take all that much to blow out a meniscus if you land wrong.
I slung my M4 across my back and was about to start over the ledge when I heard a fluttering behind me. Shooting a look over my shoulder, I froze.
Standing on a floating carpet was the same figure I thought I blew into oblivion.
Whatever dark cloak it wore before was mostly burned away, revealing a portion of charred and blackened flesh with a missing arm on the left side of the body. The other side was a powdery white, and the remaining arm still held that terrifying scepter. Piercing blue eyes set in pools of black stared at me. Most of the flesh on the left side of its face was gone, exposing facial muscles and teeth, producing a truly demonic scowl.
In one motion, I swung my rifle from the sling and jumped off the roof, emptying the magazine as I fell.
Chapter 3
My back slammed into concrete first, followed by my head, which would have resulted in a mean knock if not for the helmet. My elbow slammed hard on the ground, but the pain shifted to a dull tingle as I rolled out of my fall and hopped onto my feet, a new magazine loaded and charged for the hostile above.
Moving like a wayward balloon caught in the breeze, the figure lazily hovered away from the roof on its carpet. Thirty rounds. Thirty fucking rounds at point-blank range, and it did absolute jack. Experience and conditioning kept my sights steady, but my heart kicked harder than a bass drum during the breakdown of a death metal song.
This thing took a tank blast; what did I hope to accomplish?
The staredown between me and the thing lasted only a few seconds when the very ground in front of me erupted. Stone appeared to flow like water, twisting around itself and parting apart like the jaws of a Venus flytrap, the floating figure dead-center in the stone maw. The stone mouth locked shut with a mighty clack, and then the slithering stone retracted into the earth like a sandworm from Dune.
I remained in my crouch, rifle still sighted at the ground where the crispy figure disappeared. The wizard was the one who pulled me to my feet, though he struggled with the effort because I couldn’t get over the shock of what just transpired before me. It didn’t happen. It couldn’t have happened.
“Lawe!” Heath barked, snapping me from the brink. “Head in the fucking game!” He dumped my pack at my feet and smacked the back of my helmet.
The wizard was frantically babbly as I got my pack on. He jerked on my arm, and when I looked over to yell at him, my tongue froze at the sight of the blood gushing from his nose. The other two girls rushed over, both spitting out words like a person having a stroke. The rapid barrage of gunfire caused them to flinch.
Judge was shooting off bursts down the alley. I understood why at the sight of a mass of charcoal-grey creatures filing in. Several bodies dropped at the front of the advancing pack, tripping up the others who jaunted forward like addicts too high to see what was in front of them.
“We’re ditching the plan,” Heath barked, then fired off a few bursts while Judge reloaded. “Just run like hell, and we’ll hunker down at the nearest safe spot.”
Before I could get a word in, the wizard clapped his hands together, the sound loud and crisp like the pop of a starting pistol. He took a great step forward and swept his hand under and over the air and finished with another sharp clap. The ground quaked and rumbled as a rough wall of stone punched through the ground in front of the advancing horde of monsters, sealing them off from the rest of the alley.
The wizard crumpled over in a coughing fit, hacking out a couple of mouthfuls of blood onto the ground. The girls swept down on either of him. While they tended to him, I stared at the wall with my mouth open, then slowly dropped my gaze to the wizard, feeling an absolute terrifying sense of disbelief.
Heath came over and seized my shoulder. “Let’s move before we get boxed in from the other side.”
I nodded once and started to jog, moving with Heath. I stopped after a few steps when I didn’t hear Judge coming. Looking behind, I saw him standing with the wizard using him as a crutch.
“What are you doing?” Heath demanded.
Judge grunted and swung his rifle forward on his free hand. “Helping,” he said simply.
“We don’t have time for them!” Heath barked back. “I only humored Oliver because helping them outside wasn’t any skin off our backs. You want to take them with us?”
Judge walked forward with the wizard hopping beside him, the girls flanking either side at the same pace. With a firm countenance, Judge recited, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to act.”
“I’m ordering you to drop him,” Heath growled.
“Then you’re going to have to shoot me,” he responded easily.
I watched
as a vein throbbed in Heath’s forehead, his body trembling like his anger was about to reach critical mass. With a curse, he vented his volatile air with a sigh.
“You’re getting court-martialed when we get back.” He turned heel and began marching down the other end of the alley.
With a growl of my own, I adjusted my sling with my rifle held in my left hand, then went over to help up the wizard on the other side.
“You fucking goody two shoes,” I said with a grunt. His only response was a sideways smirk.
“Delo tay,” the elf said from my side.
The hooded lady said the same thing from Judge’s side. From the look on their faces, I think they thanked us — an empty gesture to me. The only reason I’m helping was so we don’t move like two old people fucking.
The two of us partially carried the wizard as we moved at a brisk walk. Wasting any more time arguing would only screw us further.
Judge always went out of his way to help. It pissed me off.
As we reached the end of the alley, Heath put up his fist, then carefully hugged the wall and peered around the corner. Staying low, he stepped out onto the sidewalk and gave the street a thorough scan. To confirm the clear, he stood and waved us forward. The putrid smell of the dumpster we passed wafted into my nostrils, adding to my building agitation. The additional weight of the wizard was making my back grow stiff.
As I went to take the first step, the ground thumped once. It almost felt like someone dropped a one-ton weight near my feet. I would’ve thought I imagined it if it weren’t for Heath going deathly still with a pale face, the others doing the same. Another thump, this one stronger, making legs wobble and pebbles on the street roll. Then another.
I licked the salty sweat off my upper lip and turned my head to the elf. She was facing down the alley, her silvery eyes unblinking. Turning my head further, I saw earth from where the stone jaws ate the figure forming a hump. Another thump and the hump became a pronounced bulge.
No. Fucking. Way.
“Haul ass,” I breathed out and got a firmer hold around the wizard’s side. Judge slipped out of his stupor, no doubt seeing what I saw, and we jogged out into the street while Heath kept a bead on the alley.
Heart of the Resonant- the Soldier's Tale Page 4