Five Roads To Texas (Book 10): Salvation

by Gamboa, Allen

  “Waiting for a fucking invitation? Get your asses inside!” Foz and Dutch gave each other a quick look then scrambled into the Escalade. Dutch in the front and Foz in the back. Once both men were inside, Reese stepped on the gas, tires screeching, the SUV pulled away from the ambush site. Rounds still peppered the vehicle as it roared off down the road.

  “Now was that a grade A cock block or what?” Reese grinned. “Fucking didn’t see that one coming. Trash people really caught us with our hands on our dicks didn’t they?”

  “We lost the crew and all our shit.” Foz said from the back seat. “Webb, Hobbs, Zap.” Dutch slowly shook his head.

  “That was truly an unfortunate turn of events for sure. But it’s not one we can’t overcome. We’ve been down before fellas. There’s still a golden lining in our little shit storm.”

  “How’s that?” Dutch asked. A tinge of anger and sadness in his voice. He was annoyed at their leader’s cavalier attitude. Of course that was Reese, nobody was going to rain on his parade.

  “We still have Ramacher.” Reese punched him in the shoulder. “ We’re not down to sellin our asses yet Dutch. Not unless that kinda thing turns you on.”

  “Whatever.” Dutch said almost under his breath.

  “Hey Dutch, want a smoke?” Foz asked, the arrow shaft still prominently embedded in his shoulder.

  “What the fuck. Sure.” Dutch took the proffered cigarillo. “Why not. Been a shitty day. Can’t get any worse can it.”

  “Hold on to your cojones fellas. Days not over yet.” Reese said looking down at the Escalades dashboard.

  “What now?” Dutch asked as he struck a match. “Ladies, I’m afraid we're losing fuel.”

  “How is that possible?” Foz asked.

  “Those garbage eaters must have hit the gas tanks. We now have less than a quarter tank.” “The spare fuel cans are back there in the truck.” Foz grumbled.

  “Nice.” Dutch lit the cigarillo and took a long, thoughtful drag, which tasted like ass. He pulled another drag from the cigarillo then leaned back in the seat. “Well, ain’t this a perfect end to a shitty day.”

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  JESSE

  Salton City, AZ

  Sergeant Woo-Jinn had hobbled his way through the streets in a desperate foot pursuit of the American Ramacher. The Korean soldier had dodged the roaming infected and wild arms fire from the Americans in the town and Lieutenant Kang’s helicopter. It had almost warmed his heart when he heard the firing stop and the aircraft crash and explode. Something that would definitely brand him a traitor among his people, but the only thing that mattered to Woo-Jinn was the capture of Ramacher.

  Woo-Jinn couldn’t believe his good luck when he limped around and saw the two Americans standing about 50 feet away from him. Almost dropping his pistol, he raised the weapon as far as his mangled shoulder would let him and fired two rounds into the dark-haired woman whose back was to him.

  The bullets struck Jesse just under her body armor causing her to fall to her knees and drop hard onto her left side. Jesse let out a low grunt as she collapsed to the asphalt. The Glock cluttered to the ground as it fell from her open hand. Clearly Woo-Jinn’s poorly aimed shots had hit the woman in a vulnerable spot. He’d totally missed the American’s armor and struck her body.

  “Jesse!” Ramacher screamed as he bolted to where the younger woman lay. “Jesse!” Ramacher knelt down beside her and pulled his wounded partner closer to him, ignoring the Korean soldier that still held a pistol on him.

  “Jesse!” Ram could see she was bleeding heavily from her abdomen. The two rounds had entered right under her vest. One had exited the front while the other was somewhere still inside her.Ram quickly put pressure over her wound with his left hand and held her head with his right. “Come on Jesse!”

  She looked up at him with glazed eyes and spit up some blood. “Ram… it’s okay…”

  “Whamacher!” Woo-Jinn shouted. “Whamacher!” “Jesse, hold on!”

  “Ram…” She coughed and gave him a weak grin. “ Fuck this… go find your family. I’m sorry I... I ...couldn’t go with you. Pops…” Jesse’s eyes suddenly rolled up in the back of her head, she let out a breath and then she was gone.

  “Jesse!” Ramacher held her tightly. “Jesse!”

  “Whamacher!” Woo-Jinn shouted, handgun shaky in his hand. “You come with me now!” The American slowly looked up at the North Korean who had killed his partner and was now holding a gun on him. The look in his eyes made Woo-Jinn take a step back. He’d never seen

  such anger and rage contained in one person. Before Woo-Jinn could fire, Ramacher was up on his feet and sprinting toward him. It was at that exact moment that Woo-Jinn realized he’d made a big mistake.

  Primal rage burned through Ram as he took three fast steps and leapt onto the Korean, sending him falling backward into the street. Woo-Jinn groaned as he struck the asphalt, the pistol falling from his useless hand. Ramacher had suddenly transformed from a man to a killing machine.

  “Whamacher!” Woo-Jinn screamed in vain as he tried to fight off the enraged American. “Wham…”

  “Fuck…” Ramacher held the Korean down with his left hand and jabbed his right thumb hard into Woo-Jinn’s throat. “You!” The enemy sergeant gurgled loudly as Ram angrily crushed his larynx. Struggling to breathe, the Korean uselessly flailed his arms. Ramacher grabbed

  Woo-Jinn by his shoulders and pounded his head repeatedly into the street until it was a bloody pulp. After several seconds of smashing the dead man’s head into the asphalt he released his grip on the Korean soldier. What was left of Woo-Jinn dropped to the road with a thud.

  Breathing heavily, Ram stood up and wiped some of the Koreans blood from his face. The enemy soldier’s blood had also splattered Ramacher’s clothes.

  “Twat!” Ram shouted and smashed his booted foot down on Woo-Jinn’s remaining head pulp. Ramacher wiped some more of the Koreans blood off him then turned back to where Jesse lay in the street. Ram walked back over to her still body and bent down to scoop her up.

  Ramacher gently carried her in both his arms and slowly headed out of the besieged town. “I’m so sorry kiddo.” He quietly whispered as he fought back the tears.

  Chapter Sixty

  VIOS CON DIOS

  Salton City, AZ

  “I never thought we’d get the hell outta that mutherfuckin hell hole!” Candy said, relief in his voice as the ATV pulled out of the burning remains of Salton City. Both men were covered in grime and soot.

  “No shit. Place was hairy as fuck.” Wez steered the Maverick onto the highway then stopped. “We need to take care of Colin before we head back.”

  “Yeah.” Candy solemnly nodded. He glanced behind them at the silent form of their deceased partner. Candy climbed out of the ATV and quickly rummaged through their gear until he found the body bag. “Sarge.”

  “Okay.” Wez walked to the rear of the vehicle and carefully grabbed the dead Airman by the shoulders. Candy took the man’s legs and they lifted him out of the back of the Maverick and gently set him on the ground. Candy set the body bag next to him and unzipped it. Both men again lifted Harris and placed him inside. Candy knelt down beside the body bag and glanced up at the Tech Sergeant.

  “Any words, Wez?”

  Wez quickly recited the Lord's Prayer then looked down at Candy and curtly nodded. The Staff Sergeant slowly zipped up the body bag and stood up.

  “Vios con dios brother. To better days.” With that, both men lifted up there fallen brother and carefully placed him in the rear of the ATV.

  “Home?” Candy asked.

  “Home.” Wez said climbing back into the Maverick. The senior Sergeant started up the off-road vehicle.

  “I’m getting really tired of all this, Wez.” Candy said as they roared off down the highway.

  “Been non-stop fuckered up moments for months now, I will definitely agree to that. Can’t wait to get back to base and wash all this shit off me.”
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br />   The ATV sped up a small, blind, hill in the highway then it dropped back downward onto the asphalt. Wez suddenly slammed his foot hard on the brakes bringing the Maverick to a sliding skid. Both men and the body bag were jerked forward along with some of their loose gear. “Easy Sarge!” Candy groaned at suddenly being thrown into the small dashboard. “What the fuck?” He rubbed his neck.

  “On the road, Candy. Look.” Wez nodded at the stretch of desert highway ahead of them. “Ah, shit.”

  Both men just stared at the man that was walking down the middle of the hot asphalt. He was about fifty feet away from the ATV, his back turned away from them. The thing that struck both Airmen was the limp body of a woman he carried in his arms. The woman’s long black hair dangled down the limping man’s left side. Wez gave the Maverick a little gas and the ATV slowly rolled up beside the blood covered man.

  “Hey, you need some help sir?” Candy asked. He noticed the man’s clothes were ripped and blood stained. The female in his arms was obviously deceased. The man ignored Candy and kept walking. Wez pulled the ATV ahead of the distraught man and shut it off. Both soldiers climbed out of the Maverick and hurried over to him.

  “Sir, were both in the US Air Force.” Wez said, trying to stop him. “We can help you.” With that the man stopped and stared at both of them. The Airmen could see the depths of despair in his tired eyes.

  “She’s dead.” The man said in the saddest tone either man had ever heard in their lives. It made the sergeants shudder.

  “Let us put her in the ATV.” Wez calmly told him. “We have room.” The man just stared at him as if he couldn’t comprehend what the Airman was saying. “Sir, we can get you back to the airbase. We have medical help there. It’s only about three hours away.”

  “We lost a friend too. Please come with us. We can help.” The man slowly looked over at Candy and nodded. The Airmen respectfully removed the woman from his arms and gently as possible, placed her next to Harris in the ATV.

  “Sergeant Wezinski, my friends call me Wez. That’s staff sergeant Canderlerio, he goes by Candy for short.”

  “I’ll answer to just about anything though.”

  “Her name is Jesse, I’m Ramacher.” The man said slowly. “Ram if it’s easier.” “Ramacher?” Candy scratched his head. For some reason that name rang a bell.

  “You need help getting into the ATV?”

  “No.” Ram seemed to snap out of his despair for a minute. Interaction with the two soldiers brought him back to the reality of having to hold it together. Now that Jesse was gone he had to find his family. “Thanks though. Look, I know a place where you can resupply and refuel. It’s only about twenty minutes from here.”

  “Are you serious?” Wez asked suspiciously.

  “It’s a long story.” Ramacher said, his voice old and tired. “Trust me. It’s a safe place with a shit load of supplies.”

  “Wez?”

  The Tech Sergeant mulled it over for a few seconds then nodded. “Okay Ram. Show us. This day can’t get much worse.”

  “Day of days.” Ramacher quietly said as he limped over to the rear of the ATV and to the Airman’s surprise he gingerly climbed inside. Ram rested Jesse's head against his chest and exhausted, closed his eyes.

  “Trust him?” Candy asked.

  “Hell no, but there’s something about him that makes me want to.”

  “Well, hell essay. Won’t be the first mutherfucker that led us astray.” He slapped Wez on the back. “Let’s see what else this shitty day brings.”

  Chapter Sixty-One

  SURVIVALIST CHRISTMAS MORNING

  Peach Springs, AZ

  “This it?” Wez asked as they pulled up to the locked gate of the water district building. “A maintenance shack?”

  “Yeap.” Ram gently moved Jesse’s body and laid her across the seat next to the body bag that contained Harris. He then climbed out of the ATV and walked over to the gate. The Airmen eyed him with interest and suspicion. “Wait here a minute.”

  “Sure.” Wez nodded as he removed his handgun from its holster. It was now late in the afternoon and would be dark soon.

  Ramacher easily climbed the fence, again surprising the Airmen at how fit he was. Looks definitely were deceptive. Of course they didn’t know he had a super strain of the antivirus coasting through his veins. Ram jumped down and quickly limped over to the big door. As he punched in the code on the keypad, he noticed that no one else had been here since they left the place. This was a good sign. As the big door started to automatically roll upward, the lights clicked on inside.

  “Holy Crap!” Candy said, gripping the M240 and expecting a dozen Korean soldiers to roll out. He relaxed when Ramacher returned carrying a ring of keys. “You see that mutherfucker, Wez? I couldn’t climb that fence as fast as he did.”

  “Yeah, that’s weird.” The other man nodded as he watched Ramacher unlock the gate. Once he’d accomplished that, Ram waved them inside.

  “Just park it out front.”

  “Alright.” Wez slowly pulled the ATV inside the gated area as Ramacher locked the gate back behind them.

  “What is this place?” Candy asked as he exited the vehicle.

  “A friend of mine set a bunch of safe houses up. Though he didn’t really know who for.” Ram waved them inside. “Go have a look. It’s safe. We’re the only ones here.” He moved to the rear of the Maverick and gently lifted Jesse off the seat. He walked past Wez and Candy, through the big open door.

  The two Airmen watched him go then grabbed their rifles and cautiously followed Ramacher inside.

  “Mutherfuck!” Candy suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, amazed at what the building held inside. “What is this?”

  “Some kind of staging area.” Ram told them as he headed toward the bunks. The room looked the same as they had left it. Ramacher carefully laid his partner on the bunk, covering her with a sheet. Wiping the tears from his eyes he slowly shook his head.

  “Sorry I let you down Jesse. I will find me family, I promise you kid. You were like a daughter to me, Jesse. I hope you know that.”

  “See all this shit. Food, fuel, ammo!” Candy said excitedly moving from box to box.

  “There’s showers and coffee too.” Ram said, stepping out of the bunk area. “Take what you need. I don’t think the guys this was built for are going to show up.”

  “We need to fuel up the ATV.” Wez told him.

  “There’s about two hundred gallons in those barrels, you just have to hand pump it.” Ram walked over to one of the cases of MRES and rummaged through it until he found what he wanted. He tore the package open and removed the pound cake. “There’s a couple of sand rails with gun mounts and a couple dirt bikes if you want to switch up.”

  “Jeez. It’s like fucking survivalist Christmas in here.” Wez said, almost overwhelmed by all cases of supplies.

  “Yeah.” Ram said, taking a bite from the pound cake. “Help yourselves gentlemen. Whatever you need. I have something I need to do.” He shoved the rest of the food into his mouth and walked over to one of the rows of pelican cases. He popped one open and removed a folding shovel. Ram opened the tool up and headed out the big door.

  There was a dirt area inside the gate about 25x20 feet. It was more space then he needed as he angrily began digging into the hard dirt. Wez and Candy had followed him outside and asked if he needed any help. Ram politely refused their offer and continued digging. When he was done he had a 6x3, 6-foot deep hole dug in the hard pack. Sweating, he tossed the shovel to the side and pulled himself out. Ramacher walked back inside the building where the two men were loading up the ATV.

  “I need your help.” “Sure.” Wez nodded.

  “I’ll be right back.” Ramacher said as he went to the bunk room and retrieved Jesse’s body that he’d carefully wrapped in a sheet. Wez and Candy quietly followed him out to the grave.

  “Can you hold her?”

  “Yeah!” They both nodded and took her from his shaky arms. Ram
then climbed down inside the hole.

  “Go ahead and hand Jesse down.” The Airmen then gingerly placed her in Ramacher’s arms, who then gently laid her on the cool dirt floor. It was dark now and the light from inside the building's open door cast an eerie glow. Ram gave his partner one last look before he climbed out of the grave.

  “I’m sorry Ram.” Wez told him. “You need us to do anything?”

  “No.” Ramacher reached down and grabbed the shovel. “I owe her this much. Thanks.”

  Wez just nodded and followed Candy back into the building. Ram dug the shovel into the newly excavated dirt mound and started to slowly bury Jesse beneath it.

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  IT’S HIM

  Peach Springs, AZ

  “Man that sucks.” Candy said as he pumped some of the fuel from the barrel into a gas can. They could hear the chuffing sound of the shovel as it dug into the dirt mound.

  Wez just nodded as he popped open a water bottle. They’d lost many brothers and sisters during this whatever you wanted to call it. Harris unfortunately was the latest fallen brother. The Tech Sergeant felt for Ramacher, fresh grief sucked, it didn’t get any easier, just different. “Wez, I know who Ramacher is!” Candy said excitedly as if he’d just lost his virginity.

  “Yeah, some poor civilian that just lost his partner.” Wez took another swig from the bottle. “I’m going to take a shower, wash some of this shitty day off me.”

  “Wait hermano. I know who he is.” “Who?”

  “Hold your horses Wez.” He set the gas can down and hurried over to the Maverick. Rummaging through his gear, he finally found what he was looking for and sprinted over to where Wez stood deciding if he should shower or not.