Survival Rules Series (Book 3): Rules of Darkness

by Hunt, Jack

  “Ah, pleasant.”

  They stood by as Corey walked up to a gate that had rolls of barbed wire curled around the top. The property itself had all the signs of someone who had taken great measures to secure it. The front door had steel paneling, the windows were covered in bars and the roof had wood with nails punctured through. They weren’t taking any chances. Tyler noticed a curtain pull back slightly before a slat on the door slid open and a gun muzzle poked out. Corey froze. The gun went off, a round lanced into the ground near Corey’s feet and Tyler and Allie reacted defensively. Tyler raised his rifle and took cover behind a tree.

  “That’s as far as you come, Ford,” a gravely voice said.

  Corey lifted a hand. “Dirk Bennington. Buddy. My old pal.”

  “Don’t you old pal me. Where’s that money you owe me?”

  “I got it right here,” he said, his hand sliding down.

  “Careful!”

  “Look, it’s fine,” Corey said slowly pulling out a wad of green notes. “Not that I can see this being of much use to you now. But it’s all here. Twenty-two hundred.”

  “Place it on the truck and get the fuck out of here.”

  “Can’t do that, bud. I need some help.”

  Bennington laughed. “Shit. Doesn’t everyone. Cry me a river and get the fuck out.”

  Corey remained. “I didn’t sleep with her.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “I’m telling the truth, man. It was just a prank. Wayland set it up. And your missus was pissed at you so she went along with it.”

  “You’re still sticking to that story?”

  “It’s not a story. It’s a fact.”

  “Yeah and it’s a fact that I found you in the sack with her, butt naked.”

  “I wasn’t naked. And why would I do that? I was engaged.”

  “Because you enjoy fucking people over.”

  “I brought your money, didn’t I?”

  “Yeah, and you waited until it was of no value.”

  “And yet you took it.”

  Corey looked over his shoulder at Tyler. Tyler raised his eyebrows and jerked his head to get him to leave. This guy was clearly off his head. Absolutely cuckoo.

  “Who’s that with you?”

  “My brother and his friend.”

  “Oh, and let me guess, they’re just tagging along. Please. I know you, Ford. You want me to come and collect the money and then you’re going to steal what I have, aren’t you?”

  “Believe it or not, I don’t need what you have. I need what you can do.”

  “Always the smooth talker. I bet you smooth talked Angela right into those sheets, didn’t you?”

  “Oh my God. Are we back to that?”

  “We never left,” Bennington said.

  There was a long pause.

  “Ella’s dead,” Corey said. “She was pregnant too.”

  He waited for a response but got nothing.

  “Look. Maybe I got this wrong. Sorry to take up your time.”

  He began backing out with his hands up then turned and started heading towards Tyler.

  “Ford. FORD!”

  Corey stopped but didn’t turn around.

  The door cracked open and out came a guy who was half the size of Corey. He had to have been the smallest Marine in history. No bigger than four foot eight, the minimum standard for the Marines. If that wasn’t enough, below his right knee was a prosthetic leg. He wearing a white muscle shirt, a pair of black shorts and sneakers. He had a long mullet that came down to his shoulders. Corey turned around. Dirk came out and took the money off the truck and pocketed it.

  “What does it involve?”

  “Killing people,” Corey replied.

  He stared back then broke into a laugh. “Then why the hell didn’t you say so? C’mon in, and you two,” he said turning and striding back in with all the confidence and swagger of someone who wasn’t missing any limbs.

  Tyler’s eyebrows shot up and they followed.

  Corey turned to Tyler and Allie as they got closer to the door. “Don’t speak out of turn. He’s been known to change his mind on a dime.”

  “I heard that,” Bennington said. “Don’t believe him. I haven’t changed my mind about you and Angela.”

  10

  Andy didn’t expect anything less. The irate manner in which Ferris delivered the news would have made anyone think it was his truck that was stolen. Andy quickly reminded him that it was Ford property and while he didn’t agree with his son taking it, he figured he must have had a good reason.

  “I don’t give a damn!” Ferris replied. “Until the power grid comes back on, it was one of several vehicles that belong to Whitefish and the county. Now where has he gone?” he demanded to know. A previous conversation with Corey had hinted that he was going to head to Camp Olney to thank Jude but he didn’t tell Ferris that.

  “Do I look like I know?”

  “Useless. All you Fords are useless.”

  It was only the two of them in the corridor when he said it. Under any other conditions he might have thought twice about what he did next. Andy slammed Ferris up against the wall, pushing his forearm into his neck until his face went a beet red. “Now you listen up. I came to your defense over what happened with Ella but I will not have you drag our name through the mud. If it wasn’t for me, or Corey, you assholes would be standing around with your thumb up your ass. So show some damn respect!”

  He held him there for a few seconds more.

  Ferris gritted his teeth and was seething as Andy released him and turned to walk away.

  “You know he’ll bring charges against you if the lights come back on.” Andy looked over his shoulder and saw Hudgens standing in a doorway.

  “Which requires witnesses, proof, and from what I can tell, he has neither.” He knew Hudgens had watched it play out but the guy didn’t have the balls to go head to head with him. He was too valuable to the community, especially at a time like this.

  “He might speak out of line, Andy, but he has a point. Your boy can’t just go charging off with property that we need. And right now, we need that truck. So, can you get it back?”

  “That would require me knowing where he is.”

  Hudgens strolled out with a mug in his hands. Steam spiraled above it. He gazed out the window and walked over to him. “Look, I know you and I haven’t seen eye to eye. It’s no mystery that you don’t like me but no matter how you look at this, we are in this together. I just got word that another two of our officers were shot at the northwest roadblock. If we don’t get on top of these raiders fast, Whitefish will go under. Now I know you well enough, Andy, to say that you don’t want that any more than I do. I thought we could take a defensive approach to this problem but it’s clear we have to be proactive and that means going after these thugs. You and your son are the only ones barring Ferris that I can trust to handle that task but that means wrangling in your son and putting to rest your differences with Officer Ferris. Can you do that?”

  “Of course I can. But whether I want to, that’s another question entirely.”

  Hudgens sucked in his lips and walked over to the window. He nursed his coffee with both hands as he looked out. “People often ask me why I ran for mayor. It’s not like I need the money. I could quite easily step aside and let someone else deal with the shit that comes my way but that’s not why I wanted to be mayor.” He cast Andy a glance. “You and I are a lot alike. Before you say we’re not, let me explain.” He took a sip of his drink. “We both want to be remembered. You by your sons, me by the community. It’s what drives us on, it’s what gets us out of bed. You see money, yeah, it sure can make your life comfortable and even open a few doors that would usually be closed but what it can’t do is give you real gratification. I’m talking about the kind you get when you lay your head down on the pillow at night — I mean, when you really know you’ve made a difference in someone’s life. Hell, I can hand someone a thousand dollars and it might help pay for food
, pay a few bills but all that stuff is surface-level shit. It’s a means to an end. Folks soon forget what someone gave them. But this,” he pointed out at the devastation. “Inspiring people. Championing a cause. Turning this around even if it’s only in this town, that is the stuff of legends. It’s what will ingrain our names in the minds of this city long after we are gone. It’s why Winston Churchill is remembered.” He breathed in deeply. “You ever see those names on plaques? The ones found in parks on benches. You ever wonder what they did to deserve that? No. No one cares and yet generation after generation will sit there and look at that name and know they were a somebody among an ocean of people. They did something of significance to warrant having their names engraved into metal and put up for everyone to see and admire.”

  “Is that what you want, Hudgens? To be seen, admired?”

  “Don’t we all?”

  Andy snorted. “No. I don’t give a shit about that. The ones who have stood out in history weren’t the ones that were necessarily liked, they were often the ones that were hated the most but stood their ground. They went against the grain, the status quo and popular opinions of their time. They were real history makers. Caring more about the moment than their legacy.”

  “You don’t think people want to be remembered?” Hudgens asked.

  Andy nodded. “Oh I believe most do, but at what cost? Becoming someone you’re not? It’s not for me. Too many are bent on aesthetic appearances. Smiley faces, squeaky clean images, untainted reputations and cozying up for the approval of others. No, it’s bullshit. Like I used to tell my boys, give me scarred souls, those who dance with tears, wrestle with heartache and make love to struggle. Give me rejects, renegades and rebels. Give me soiled hands from clawing out of life’s trenches. Give me feet marred by tough roads, and I’ll show you passion and resilience that can set a world on fire.”

  Hudgens’ lip curled. “That’s why we need you. So? Do we have your support?”

  “Why not just wait for him to show up?”

  “Because with every hour that passes, it’s getting darker out there, and I’m not talking about the lights. We need to give this town some hope, inspire them in their darkest hour before we lose everything we have worked so hard to build.”

  Andy frowned studying his face, trying to determine if he was being genuine or if this was another attempt at getting what he wanted without giving anything in return. “I will find my son but I can’t guarantee he will help or that he’ll hand that truck back.”

  “I understand.”

  Something in his response gave Andy a sense that he was grateful. As Andy turned to leave, that was when he dropped the ball. “Though one thing, Ford. I need you to take Ferris with you.”

  Andy frowned. “You what?”

  Hudgens cleared his throat. “He’s not doing us any good around here. Take him with you. He can help.”

  “He also pisses me off.”

  “Andy.”

  “No, I work alone.”

  He lifted his hand. “Fine.”

  “You’re good with that?” Andy asked.

  Hudgens smiled and narrowed his eyes. “Of course.”

  Andy turned and walked off down the corridor.

  After visiting Corey’s home, the cabin and Ella’s grave, he concluded that he’d gone to see Jude. That was next on his list. He could have waited. Sat back, had a few beers at the cabin and let Hudgens sweat it out, but he was right. If the town fell, eventually so would his cabin. Even though he lived a good distance outside of the main town, looters had already begun a series of home invasions and it wouldn’t be long before his place was targeted. Knowing that Jude would be anything but friendly, he opted to spy on the camp from a distance. It would also give him a chance to see what he’d done with the place. Andy had put his heart and soul into that project when he was younger, back when he considered Jude his closest friend. So much had changed. While he couldn’t blame Jude alone for Dianna’s infidelity, he expected better of him.

  Andy saddled up a horse, bringing along one of his high-powered rifles, plenty of ammo, enough food to last him the next forty-eight hours and a backpack full of survival gear. On the journey north he thought back to those earlier days. Finding friends was hard, finding one that had as much in common with him as Jude seemed too good to be true. It turned out it was. He recalled laying out the plans for Camp Olney in front of Jude and enthusiastically sharing his vision for the future. It would be used year-round as a preppers retreat. Back then they only had five bunkers and had taken out a large loan with the bank to fund it. Any money earned from those who attended went right back into developing bunkers or paying off their debt. It didn’t take long before people came from miles around and different states, and they began leading workshops on survival, bringing in speakers like military snipers, special ops and those with in-depth knowledge in living off the grid. Their every waking hour was spent working on the camp, learning new skills or developing the curriculum. It was at one of the many events they held that he first met Dianna. He saw from the start she was a troublemaker. She stood out from among the crowd with her fiery red hair and sense of humor. She was absolutely captivating in every way. It wasn’t long before they were introduced and he discovered she wasn’t seeing anyone. He knew right then if he didn’t jump at the chance someone else would. To his surprise she said yes. It was as if he’d caught lightning in a bottle. She could have been with anyone but she accepted his request to take her out for a meal. One thing led to another and they were soon married. She moved from Idaho to Montana and joined him in the work. A companion, a friend and a lover, she was the anchor in his life. Two years later Corey was born. Things couldn’t have been better. But like anything, the honeymoon period wore off, and as calls came in from all over the country to have him teach in different states, Andy jumped at the chance. It was more money but that wasn’t the reason he took the offers. It was ego. He was young, foolish and trying to make his mark on the world. Trying to prove to his father that he could make it. And make it he did, garnering the attention of preppers across the nation but in the process losing those closest to him. At some point he just lost his way, too caught up, too busy and Dianna just didn’t understand.

  The horse trotted slowly as Andy sighed.

  If he’d only turned back after that big fight, maybe it wouldn’t have happened.

  But it did. While he was away on trips, Jude was at the helm overseeing retreats and workshops with the aid of Dianna. Until that point their relationship had been nothing more than close friends but with Andy out of the picture, it didn’t take long for a bond to form.

  Andy could still see them in his mind, that night he returned home a day early to surprise her.

  He recalled being dropped off by the taxi driver, inserting the key into the lock of their home and making his way up the stairs. Halfway up he heard moaning and grunting. The sound of sex was unmistakable. Pushing open the door and seeing her on top of him. A look of horror on her face, and guilt on Jude’s. It wasn’t rage, he felt just extreme sadness and shock as he walked away. Dianna hurried after him, pleading with him, wearing nothing but a nightgown wrapped loosely around her. He could still recall the smell of Jude’s cologne on her. For years after he couldn’t bear to be around anyone who wore the same scent. Andy left that night, moved out of the house and for several months he spoke to neither one of them until Dianna lifted him out of the gutter one night.

  After sobering him up, she begged for his forgiveness and reassured him that there was nothing between them. It wasn’t love, she said, just a need to be wanted. Although he had his doubts, he loved her too much to let her go. He said he would take her back on one condition; they would have nothing more to do with Jude. They would turn their backs on the camp, move to Whitefish and live out the remainder of their days together. She agreed. Nine months later Tyler was born. As much as he wanted to love and raise him as his own, every time he looked at that kid, he saw Jude — the one person he hated th
e most in the world. He might have tried to convince Dianna to let Jude take him, except that would have been a gift and in his mind, Jude deserved nothing but sorrow, pain and anguish. He wanted him to suffer. And he did. Only on three occasions did he see how much Tyler had grown.

  Out of respect for Dianna’s wishes, Jude never stepped in or told Tyler who he was, although Andy knew one day he would. And sure enough that day had come. For so many years he didn’t think it would bother him. Why would it? Tyler had been a thorn in his side. A constant reminder of his best friend’s betrayal. Was it any wonder why he didn’t feel the same way for him as he did for Corey? And yet for all his pushing and keeping Tyler at arm’s length, he had come to care for the boy. Maybe not in the way he would for his own flesh and blood, or even in a way that made sense to anyone looking in, but nonetheless, he cared. Andy let out a heavy sigh as he came over a rise to the last stretch of the journey.

  11

  “You’ll do it?” Corey asked, a look of surprise on his face. Even though he’d traveled to see him with the hope that he would assist, in the back of his mind he had his doubts. Dirk Bennington could be up one minute and down the next. A man given to liquor, it served him well. He was the only functional drunk Corey knew from the military. He was known to drink even the best under the table. Bennington gave a nod before knocking back his glass of whiskey. He’d spent the past ten minutes bringing him up to speed on the situation in Whitefish, and raiders hitting towns across the county. He figured he’d need time to digest, maybe even consider it, but he shot back a reply instantly. Bennington got up and crossed the room, closing the door to a bedroom where his sick mother was sleeping. “You’re damn right I will. I have been biting at the bit to get back at these assholes since I caught wind of their escapades. Bastards robbed a truck that was bringing in supplies from Kalispell. Besides, being cooped up in here is driving me crazy.”