by Hunt, Jack
“Tease, you mean?” Nate asked. “Hasn’t anyone told you about poking a wasp’s nest?”
“We didn’t tease her. We came over to check that the kid was okay and she turned on us. I swear that bitch was high or something because her strength was inhuman. Anyways, you caught up with us minutes after that. We were on our way to the cop shop.”
“I bet you were,” Nate said in a disbelieving tone.
Danny stopped cutting. “Look man, I don’t need to help you.”
“Ah forget it. Im sorry. I’m just exhausted and want to get out of here.”
“I hear yah.” He glanced at the table. “Having a tea party, were you?” He snorted and continued cutting. “After you took off with her, I followed. I figured shit would go south and I was right.”
Nate frowned. “So why did you wait until today?”
“Ah, I got a little sidetracked with the cops. Sorry about that.”
“What?” he said just as his wrists were freed. The comfort of not having rope cutting into his wrists was exhilarating. Danny moved on to his ankles.
“Looting. They’ve had me on their radar for some time since I hit up one of the stores with a group of my pals.” He stopped cutting. “I know what you’re thinking. Look, I’m not proud of it but we have to survive and the city isn’t exactly helping. Though I would have gladly served up that loony bin of a girl to them on a silver platter. Can’t have someone out there putting mine or my pals’ necks at risk. There’s enough danger as it is.”
Danny continued to rattle on about how he’d managed to survive so far. He had just got done cutting the rope around his left ankle when Nate saw movement in the corridor.
“Danny!”
He turned just as Mariah shot into the room and brought a large ornament down on his head. Nate lunged forward with his wrists and one leg free and plowed into her, driving Mariah across the room into the wall. His right leg was still attached to the chair so that came with him, clattering behind and causing him to stumble and land on top of her.
The fight was on.
Her face was enraged as he pressed her wrists to the floor and tried to hold her there. It was like trying to wrestle a wild animal. She tried to buck him off her using her hips but he had her pinned. He turned his head to shout for Danny only to have her latch on to his ear with her teeth. Nate let out a scream as she sank her teeth into the lower part of his earlobe. He’d never felt so much pain. It was pure agony. Nate saw red at that point. As blood streamed down the side of his neck, he switched gears and wrapped his hands around her throat and began to squeeze. Her eyes bulged and went bloodshot. Mariah clawed at his chest but he wouldn’t let up for even a second. It seemed to take forever for her to die. Minutes passed but slowly and surely Nate watched the life in her eyes disappear. Convinced she was gone, he rolled off her, exhausted, and lay there, staring up at the ceiling. Danny moved and clambered to his feet sporting a gnarly gash on his forehead. He looked down at them. “She dead?”
Too tired to respond he answered with a simple nod.
Danny cut away at the rope around his ankle and Nate breathed a sigh of relief.
As they came out of the house a neighbor across the street looked at them in horror. They were a mess with blood coating Nate’s neck and Danny’s forehead.
“I told you she deserved it.”
Nate looked at him and shook his head. “Let’s get to the hospital.”
“Hospital? But it was just a knock to the head.”
“Trust me on this.” His thoughts turned to Erika as they staggered south.
27
The shotgun angled at Maddox was rigged with a tightly wound pantyhose around his neck so that if he attempted to run or swipe at it, it would only quicken his death. In addition, Tyler had secured his wrist to the gun to ensure that if anyone shot him, unless they got lucky with a head shot, he wouldn’t be dropping the gun. It was just one of several tactics he’d set into motion, including having Bennington watching his six. It would have been a lie to say he felt no fear as they strode up to the settlement, but he figured that it would give Jude one hell of a dilemma. Which son was he willing to risk losing? As far as Tyler saw it, he had one hell of a bargaining chip.
He stopped fifty yards from the gate and waited.
“You got eyes on them?” he muttered into the comms.
Bennington replied. “Of course. They’re agitated, that’s for sure.”
The gate pulled back and a number of Jude’s men fanned out, rifles aimed at him. No one said anything until Jude appeared, squeezing his way through the curious onlookers. “Tyler. Glad to see you’re safe,” he said walking towards them.
“That’s far enough,” Tyler said when he was roughly twenty-five feet away. He scanned the men to his left and right that were arching around him. “That goes for your men. They get any closer and you’ll be picking up brain matter, and I’m not talking about Maddox here.” That got Jude’s attention. His eyes bounced from Tyler to the hilly forested landscape. He could only imagine what was going through his mind.
“Where is he?”
“He? You think I’d be brazen enough to walk up here with only one sniper?”
Jude surveyed the hillside. “Don’t play games, Tyler. Allie told me how many there were.” He turned his attention back to him and lifted a hand. “What are we doing here? Huh? Let him go and let’s talk about this.”
“We are done talking. I was wrong about you. I wanted to believe you were different. That you weren’t playing both sides of the fence but I know now you are.”
“It’s called survival, Tyler. I think you know a thing or two about that.”
“Is that how you justify supporting raiders who pillage and have killed good people in Whitefish?”
Over the comms he heard Bennington say that he’d spotted two guys circling around from the west. Tyler looked but couldn’t see them. He figured they must be coming through the forest area. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Hold,” Tyler said.
“What?” Jude replied thinking he was talking to him.
“Unless your two men want to die today, I would advise them now to back off.”
Jude glanced at Warren, a close friend and confidant of his. He’d obviously made the arrangement. “It’s your call. But my sniper never misses.”
Jude turned and leaned into Warren. He got on a radio and mumbled something before looking back at Tyler with a disgusted look on his face.
“You do that again, and Maddox here is going to sing with the stars.”
“Maddox. You okay?” Jude asked. His face was busted up beyond comprehension, a swelling mass of bloody flesh. Both eyes were almost sealed closed, his nose was off to one side and his lips were split revealing two teeth he’d knocked out.
“Oh, he’s just dandy,” Tyler said. “Now I want you to go and get my brother, Andy, Allie and the rest of the group and we’re going to leave here and you can go about your business.”
Jude smirked. “Son, you know I can’t do that.”
“Don’t call me your son. Andy might have stepped over the line more times than I can recall, he may not be winning the father of the year award anytime soon, but he sure as hell knows where his loyalties lie. Unlike you.”
The tension could have been cut with a knife.
Inside the camp, Allie knew this was her window of opportunity. Those that scrutinized her were distracted. If her father was right, they would only get one shot at this. She sought out Caroline in the nursery. There she was watching over the youngest along with several other women. There wasn’t a sense of danger because not once had anyone breached the camp without one of the scouts or tower guards spotting them.
The cries of newborn babies dominated as she entered the large room that extended all the way to the back of the dome. There were four other women assisting Caroline. Some with the toddlers, others with infants and the rest with the younger kids, playing games and keeping their minds occupied.
&
nbsp; Caroline spotted her enter. “Allie?”
“We need to talk. It’s about my father.”
She was holding a young infant in her arms. Caroline was close to her father’s age, early sixties, graying hair but with radiant skin. She was short in stature and was often found helping young mothers in the camp. Caroline passed off the child to another woman and followed Allie into one of the back rooms.
“What is it?”
“You’re aware Andy Ford is in the cell units with my father.”
“I knew Edison was there, not Andy. I thought he was released after his arrival.”
She shook her head. “My father asked you to gather together the group. That now was the time.” The color in her face washed out and she swallowed. “He said you would know what to do.”
“That was a long time ago. So much time has passed, Allie.”
“Were you aware that Jude was an ally of the raiders?”
Caroline shook her head and went to the door and looked out. “What you are asking me to do could get us all killed.”
“I’m not asking. Andy and my father are. He will stand with you.”
There was a look of reluctance on her face. She sighed and appeared torn.
“It’s now or never,” Allie said. “Jude won’t release my father. He’s going to kill him.”
Caroline frowned. “That would break the rule that the ten of us agreed upon in the beginning.”
“I guess he no longer abides by that rule,” Allie replied. Caroline wasn’t easily convinced. It was clear that time had changed her views on Jude and what was important to her. People changed. That which people rallied behind in their early twenties often fell by the wayside when they reached the winter season of their life.
“Look, I told him I would tell you. You decide.”
With that said, Allie turned and exited the room. She knew the guard carried the keys to the cellblock. Getting them wouldn’t be easy. Although a large percentage of the camp was occupied by Tyler’s arrival, the hulking guard stood by the doorway ensuring no one got in or out. She could see the keys hanging from his waistband overshadowed by his enormous frame. There was no chance in hell she could swipe them without raising the alarm. Allie stood near a dome and knew she could kill him with a single shot from her bow but he wasn’t the enemy. She held no animosity for him. He was simply doing his duty, following orders. And forget flirting, that approach had got her in this mess in the first place. A distraction? She rifled through ideas but nothing came to mind.
She had no choice.
Allie scurried to collect her bow and returned minutes later. Eyeing for trouble, she removed an arrow from her quiver and lifted her bow preparing to take the shot. She knew the penalty for murder was death.
Forgive me, God, she muttered.
“It seems we are at a bit of stalemate,” Tyler said. “You want Maddox here, and I want my family and friends back. What’s more important to you, Jude?” He called him by his name because “father” just sounded too weird after all this time.
“What’s important to me right now is you.”
“Bullshit. Don’t lie to me.”
“Son, have I ever—”
“Stop calling me that.” Tyler gritted his teeth.
Jude lifted two hands. “Look, I don’t blame you, Tyler. You’ve been through a lot. Okay. There is a lot more at play here than you are aware of. But you don’t want to squeeze that trigger. It will only end badly for you, Corey and Andy. You hear me?”
Tyler squinted. He wanted answers. As much as it was clear that Jude was involved with the raiders, in his time with him at the camp he didn’t strike him as someone given to supporting causes that harmed others. Hell, he’d built a camp with Andy to provide protection for those who wanted it.
“I don’t get it. Why? Why would you align yourself with them?”
Jude sighed. “I can’t explain that. In time you will understand but there are things that need to happen first. Important things that affect all of us including you.”
“Stop talking shit and just tell me the truth. I’m so goddamn tired of people lying to me.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t.”
Tyler shrugged. “Then I guess I’ll just put a bullet in Maddox’s head. How about that, Maddox? Your father would rather you died than release a few people.”
Some of Jude’s men were waiting for the word to shoot him.
“Tyler, just wait!” he said extending a hand and trying to bridge the gap between them.
Allie felt the tension in the bow, and aimed for the heart. It would be a swift death. She’d make sure of that. As soon as he dropped, she would rush in, drag his body back, take the keys and release her father. Her fingers trembled. She was a split second away from releasing the arrow when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Allie,” Caroline said. “Don’t. Let me.”
She lowered her bow and watched as Caroline stepped out into the main courtyard and crossed to the cellblock. The guard saw her coming. She stopped and spoke with him and glanced over at Allie. Caroline pointed to the gates but Allie couldn’t hear what she was saying, however, she could see. Caroline lifted the keys off the guard’s belt with all the skill of a pickpocket. She held them out and Allie knew instantly. She rushed in keeping her back to the dome and snatched the keys from her hand, pulling back into the space between the domes while the guard followed Caroline over to the gate. Her sway with those in charge was strong because she was one of the original ten who had established Camp Olney. Few argued with them. Their word was gold.
Allie moved in fast, unlocking the door and entering the cellblock.
“Allie,” her father said rising from his bunk and gripping the bars.
“We don’t have much time. Tyler is outside.”
“Tyler?” Corey and Andy came forward and peppered her with questions.
“No time,” she said, unlocking their cell.
As Markowitz passed her, he glanced but said nothing. She didn’t expect a pat on the back or thanks. All that mattered now was arming them and turning back the tide before Tyler was swept away by the approaching storm of Jude’s men. Would they kill him in order to save Maddox? She hoped to God not but Jude was a wild card given to do anything to survive.
As soon as they were out, one of the original ten met with them, leading them around the dome to an area where they had gathered together rifles. The rest of the core group that established the camp were waiting. He didn’t need to explain what the situation was as Caroline had already briefed them. Andy had lived his life by rules and some of those were unbreakable. When he’d established the camp there were some that they all agreed upon if and when one or more of them were to lose their way. Jude had lost his way at least in the eyes of those he once called friends. They knew what needed to be done but whether they would do it was to be seen. Andy’s greeting was short-lived as the sound of yelling outside the camp brought home the urgency of the present moment.
“Andy, follow me,” Janson said leading him into a dome where another thirty people were waiting. Familiar faces that he hadn’t seen in over twenty years stared back — those that he had brought into the midst of them — those he had helped, supported, laughed and even cried with. “Thank you for coming,” he said. “I know I left you all with many questions. And in time I will provide answers but what I’m asking you to do now is for the longevity of this settlement. Will you stand with me?”
He knew his words might fall on deaf ears but he was surprised by their response.
“We never walked away,” said one of them.
Their words cut him to the core as he knew that his decision many years ago hadn’t just affected his son or Jude, but it had torn away at the friends he’d left behind. To hear that now brought home how much he’d missed them.
“Are you going to kill him?” Devlin asked referring to Jude.
“Not if I don’t have to.”
Marching out as one army, Andy felt a swell of
pride marred by the harsh realization that he could be leading them to their deaths.
Tyler saw them before Jude did. A smile formed on his face.
“I need you to rethink what you are about to do,” Jude said still concentrating on preventing Tyler from squeezing the trigger.
“I could say the same for you,” he replied with a nod to the swarm of armed men and women now pointing their weapons at the rest of Jude’s men. Jude turned, a look of shock on his face.
“It’s over, Jude,” Andy said eyeing the crowd. “No one needs to die.”
Jude looked bewildered as he scanned the faces calling out names. “Janson? Caroline. Why?”
Caroline stepped forward. “You broke the rules.”
“Rules? Everything I have done has been for you all,” he said. “The only reason you are alive is because of me. And now you turn and bite the hand that feeds you and choose to stand behind this man. The same man that left us? Who was there to pick up the pieces to keep this place going?”
“All of us,” Janson replied. “It was never just you, Jude.”
The tension was palpable.
“What, so you’re now going to follow him?”
“They’re not following anyone,” Andy replied clarifying. “We built this place together; we’ll move forward together.”
Jude laughed. “Now you decide. Really? Now?” He shook his head and removed his rifle from his back.
“Disarm,” Andy bellowed.
“Never,” Jude replied. “And those of you who agree. Follow me.”
Eyes darted between faces. Hesitation. Reluctance. Confusion. It was all there.
But like any who had given their lives to a cause, to a leader, there were those who still believed in what Jude was building. A large number of people from the camp stepped out, backing away with their fingers on triggers ready to engage. It would have been a slaughter fest if any one of them made the fatal decision to shoot.