by Dawn, M. K.
The Boss thought about that for a moment. “And how exactly do you know all of this? Or is it just some crazy speculation?”
“I assure you, it is one hundred percent accurate.”
The Boss swirled his drink. “How did you come across this information? You some kind of scientist or doctor, perhaps?”
Sloan pressed her lips together. She should have kept her mouth closed on the subject. “Um…”
“We met someone,” Archer intervened. “A doctor. He was at some sort of government facility when all this started. Told us all about the infested—zombies as you call them.”
If he doubted Archer’s story, he hid it well. “Too bad the doctor isn’t with you. We’re in the market.”
“You don’t have a doctor?” Axel raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
As was Sloan. A place as safe as this would, one would think, house such a professional.
“We’ve had a doctor from time to time, but none seem to last long.”
“Why’s that?” Sloan asked without thinking.
Archer turned to her, eyes wide. “Maybe we shouldn’t pry into their business. We’re new, after all.”
The Boss waved him off. “No, no. Most people want to know what about this place when they arrive.”
Archer took a sip of his drink. His relaxed posture made it seem like he didn’t have a care in the world. But Sloan knew better. The stress of the situation was bound to be weighing heavy on his shoulders. “The thing is—”
“Let me stop you right there,” The Boss interrupted, “I know what you’re going to say.”
Archer frowned. “Do you now?”
“Of course. Everyone who arrives wants to know the same things.”
“And that is?” Axel asked.
“First, what sort of job they will be assigned. Then, how long it will be before they can pick their own place.”
Sloan couldn’t imagine those being the only questions newcomers had.
“What if we don’t want to stay?” Archer hung his head and stared into his glass.
The Boss narrowed his eyes. “Why wouldn’t you want to stay? You’ve been out in the world and have seen what a horror show it is. We’re offering you food, shelter, and protection. What more do you want?”
The word freedom touched Sloan’s lips, but she kept it to herself.
Instead, Axel spoke again. “The thing is, as nice as all that sounds, we have friends waiting for us in California.”
“My people told me.” The Boss rubbed at his chin. “And how do these friends know you’re on your way? Or coming at all, for that matter. Did I miss the news that the postal service is back up and running?”
Archer forced a laugh. “Good one. And does it really matter? Us leaving would mean more resources for the people already here.”
“You staying would mean more help around here. Now, back to these people waiting for you. Why aren’t they with you?”
“We got separated,” Sloan blurted out. “When our farm was attacked. California was the agreed upon meet up place.”
The Boss held Sloan’s gaze. “What if I send a few of my people to California with a message. Let them know you’re here and safe and that you want them to join you.”
Archer’s hand made a tight fist, the patience he held on to obviously fading. Anger burned in his eyes as he scowled at The Boss. “Listen, man. I get where you’re coming from. Safety in numbers and these sort communities don’t run themselves, but you can’t really think that you’re going to hold us here against our will?”
The Boss shook his head with a sinister smile. “Never. What sort of people do you think we are?”
A good question Sloan had no desire to see answered.
“All I’m suggesting,” The Boss continued, “is that you stay for a short while and get a feel for the place. Hell, you might find it a better solution than where you’re heading.” He stood and stretched his arms over his head. “It’s been a long day, and I’m not sure you’re thinking clearly at this point. Get some rest and we’ll reevaluate the situation in the near future.”
He turned on his heels and left, snatching a dessert off the cart the chef wheeled from the kitchen.
The chef placed a small chocolate cake in front of each of them. “Enjoy.”
The children dug in, but not the adults.
Sloan suspected Axel and Archer were experiencing the same kind of panic as she was.
An overwhelming need to flee this place and the uncertainty of if that was even possible suffocated her to the point that she thought she might pass out.
“Why aren’t you eating your cake, Aunt Sloan?” Molly asked with chocolate-lined lips. “It’s so good. I love it here. We should stay.”
Sloan's heart sank, but she said nothing.
Axel stared at his daughter, eyes tender but full of fear. “Baby, we don’t know anything about this place.”
“They have dessert.” Blake lipped his fork. “That’s better than the farm.”
These people knew how to find weakness and lure in unsuspecting victims. If they hadn’t gone through so much horror with the Children of the Apocalypse, maybe they, too, would have been naiver.
Children had a way of seeing the good in people, and after all the trauma they’d experienced, of course, a place that served chocolate cake and promised no school would sound perfect.
“Are you folks done?” a deep voice asked.
Sloan glanced up to Mammoth standing at the end of the table. For such a large man, he sure was quiet when he wanted to be.
Mammoth cocked an eyebrow. “The three of you don’t want your dessert? That’s a bit rude considering the state of the world. The Boss will be disappointed.”
Sloan made a snap decision. The only way they would get out of here would be to play by their rules. “We want it but are entirely too full. Going without a decent meal for so long has shrunk our stomachs. Do you mind if we take it back to our rooms so we can enjoy it later?”
Mammoth kept his face free of emotion. “I don’t see why not. We don’t waste food around here. That’s another important rule you should know.”
“We wouldn’t dare waste food.” Sloan stood, plate in hand, and Axel and Archer followed suit. “We’re ready when you are.”
“Right this way.” Mammoth led them through the casino and back to their rooms.
They all entered through Archer and Sloan’s room, remaining quiet until they spotted Mammoth and his goon exiting the building through the window.
Archer dropped his plate on the table near the useless TV and lit the candles around the room to give them some light. “That was strange.”
“Kids,” Axel opened the adjoining door, “why don’t you go to our room and get ready for bed while the grown-ups talk.”
Blake groaned. “What are we supposed to do in there?”
“Um.” Axel blew out his cheeks. “I don’t know. Play with your toys or maybe search through all the drawers and see if you can find something. Don’t mess with the candles.”
“We won’t.” Blake rolled his eyes as they headed into their room.
Axel left the door cracked and joined Sloan and Archer on the other side of the room. “Kids.”
Sloan offered him a weak smile. “They handled dinner very well. I half expected one of them to say something that contradicted my story.”
“I warned them not to. Told them that we could get into a lot of trouble if caught lying.”
“And Molly didn’t argue?” Archer snorted. “I’m shocked.”
Axel grinned. “She did a little, but I finally convinced her that sometimes lying to protect the ones we love is the right thing to do.”
“Hope that doesn’t come back to bite us in the ass.” Archer retrieved his cake and dug in. “This is a strange place, right? It’s not just me?”
“Very strange,” Axel agreed, pushing his cake around with a fork. “It reminds me of something...I just can’t place it.”
“What do
we do now?” Sloan closed her eyes for a moment. “What if they don’t allow us to leave? I’m not sure this is the kind of place we want the children to grow up at.”
“Not a chance in hell.” Axel trashed his cake without taking a single bite. “We need to come up with a plan.”
“Well,” Archer reached under the bed, “we always have our—what the fuck?”
Sloan startled at his outburst. “What’s the matter?”
“Son of a bitch.” He tossed the duffle bag on the across the room. “All of our weapons are gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?” Axel dropped to the floor and checked under the bed.
Sloan remained still. She already knew what they would find: nothing.
“Fuck!” Archer slammed the bathroom door. “Goddamn bastards.”
“I assume this is why we weren’t asked about weapons or they didn’t check our bag.” Axel sank on the bed and covered his face with his hands. “Dammit. How the hell are we supposed to get out of here now?”
Sloan rubbed at her tired eyes. “We need to win their trust. Pretend we are fitting in, and then, when they let their guard down, we escape.”
Both gawked at her for a long time, neither saying a word.
She sighed and slouched under the seemingly clean sheets. “If there’s nothing else, I would like to get some rest.”
Axel stood, still wide-eyed and a bit confused if Sloan was reading his face correctly. He opened his mouth to speak but said nothing, instead returning to his room and closing the door.
“Do you think he’s all right?” Sloan had rarely seen him rendered speechless.
Archer settled onto the bed next to her. “I think so. It’s just been a long, confusing, frustrating day.”
“Was my suggestion not feasible?” Sloan thought it could work.
“It is and probably our best option.”
She still didn’t understand. “What’s the problem, then?”
Archer ran a hand down her exposed arm. “Nothing. Just the thought of staying here long enough to gain their trust. Having the kids manipulated by these people for a long period of time. It’s a lot to handle.”
“Oh. I know it’s not ideal, but what other choice do we have? They found our weapons; they’re going to be watching us. At least until they believe we no longer want to leave.”
“You’re right. But that also means we need to keep your profession hidden.”
“I know. If they find out, they’ll never let me leave. Which means we have to make the children aware of this. They’re already feeling too comfortable. I worry what will happen, if they put up a fight, when we go to leave.”
“Yeah.” Archer yawned. “We should get some sleep. We have a long road ahead of us.”
“Yes, we do.”
He leaned down and kissed her before moving around the room blowing out the candles.
It wasn’t long before she heard the soft sound of him sleeping.
As for her, she spent a good deal of the night in and out of sleep.
Several times, she swore she heard the sound of screaming. But if it came from outside or in her dreams, she couldn’t be sure.
Chapter nineteen
Axel
It took some convincing, but after a week of being followed around Vegas, they had The Boss believing that Sloan was a former high school teacher and Axel a nomad biker who made money doing odd jobs. They didn’t trust Archer to join the guard because that would mean giving him a gun, and with this military background, that just wasn’t going to happen.
Jobs were assigned to each of the adults. Archer at the greenhouse, Sloan helped in the kitchen, and Axel pretty much did whatever was asked of him.
Their stolen weapons were never mentioned by either party, which Axel was grateful for. They had come up with a reasonable explanation, in their minds, but were glad they never had to put it to the test.
The kids had nothing but free time on their hands. No school, no chores, nothing…just idle time to get into trouble. Which didn’t sit well with Axel. He refused to allow them to roam free, on their own, making for a very tense situation at home and putting a strain on their relationship.
“I want to go to Circus Circus.” Molly stomped her foot and jutted out her hip. “All the other kids get to go by themselves.”
“Sorry.” What little Axel has seen of the other kids, he didn’t like. There were a bunch of disrespectful trouble makers, and no way was he going to let his kids fall under their influence.
“Why not?” Molly threw down the trash bag she’d been holding for him, helping him at his assigned job of picking up garbage.
Blake had gone with Asher to the greenhouses and seemed to enjoy working with the plants.
“Dad,” Molly pressed. “Please. I’m bored and want to have fun like the other kids.”
“Fine.” He’d grown tired of having this same conversation day in and day out. “I’ll tell you what. When we’re done here, I’ll take you over there, okay?”
She pouted her lip. “All the other kids will think I’m a baby if I bring my dad.”
“I don’t care what the other kids think and neither should you.”
Molly had grown too fond of this place, and it worried Axel that when it was time to leave, she might cause problems for them.
Tears filled her eyes. “I want to find a friend and have someone to play with.”
“I get that, and hopefully, you will. But I’m going with you. Now, pick up the bag so we can finish cleaning this mess up.”
She snatched the bag off the ground with a huff but didn’t say a word, even after they finished and dropped the bag in the dumpster.
“Are you ready to go?” Axel tried to pull her into a sideways hug but she moved away.
“Sure,” she snapped.
“Maybe change your attitude or we’ll go back to the room. Do you understand me?”
After another sigh, she changed her tone to a move civilized one. “Fine.”
He forced them to take their time reaching Circus Circus. When they arrived, Axel froze at the sight of the rundown wasteland that use to be the main attraction for kids on The Strip. And he thought this place was creepy before. “Nope. We’re leaving.”
Pain stretched across Molly’s face as she pointed at a nearby parking lot. “Daddy, why are those kids fighting?”
Axel followed her line of sight and at two boys going at it surrounded by a cheering crowd. “I don’t know.”
“This is where all the kids hangout?” Tears laced her voice. “It’s soooo scary.”
“I guess.” The place made his stomach turn and they hadn’t even gone inside.
“Oh, my gosh, Daddy!” Molly screeched. “That poor kid.”
Axel jerked his attention to the brawl. What he thought to be a fair fight between two kids turned out to be much worse.
The smaller of the two, a young Black boy, backed away from the one he was fighting, only to be shoved back in by the crowd.
“Hey!” Axel shouted. A fair fight was one thing, but being forced into one? Over his dead body. “That’s enough. Let him go. Now.” He placed a hand on Molly’s shoulder. “Stay here.”
“What the fuck, old man?” An onlooker threw his hands in the air. “This is none of yo business.”
“The hell it isn’t.” Axel shoved past the group, many of the kids moving out of his way, obviously intimidated by Axel’s large frame and tatted up appearance. He reached out and helped the poor kid off the ground, who was taller than Axel expected. “You want to be in this fight, son?”
The kid hung his bloody head in a clear no.
“All right.” Axel gestured toward Molly. “Get on home.”
The mouthy kid, if you could call him that as he was nearly as tall as Axel, stepped in front of the victim. “Nope. Get your ass back there until the fight is over.”
“I don’t think you heard me.” Axel moved between the two boys. “I said the fight was over.”
The man wannabe s
hoved Axel in the chest, knocking him back a few steps.
That pissed off Axel. He got into the wannabe’s face and sneered. “You might want to rethink actions there, boy. I promise this not a fight you’re going to win.”
The wannabe hesitated but got smart and stepped back.
“Good thinking,” Axel growled. “I don’t want to see you messing with...what’s your name, kid?”
“Isaak,” he muttered the best he could with a swollen jaw.
“Okay. Isaak, get home. Maybe find some other place to hang out from now on.”
“Yeah, Isaak,” the wannabe mocked, with a nod. “Don’t come back.”
Out of the crowd, a mean looking kid stepped forward and sucker punched Isaak in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Molly screamed and Axel scooped the kids into his arms, racing toward his terrified daughter. “Come on, baby. Time to go.”
Laughter filled the air as they hurried away.
What the hell kind of place was this allowing kids to become so out of control? Did The Boss even know this was happening? And if so, did he care or encourage it?
“Is he going to be okay?” Molly cried as she struggled to keep up.
Axel said nothing. Isaak was still unconscious. That couldn’t be a good sign.
“Daddy, where are we going?”
“Back to our room. Aunt Sloan should be there.”
Molly sniffled. “But she’s not a doctor here.”
That was a chance they would have to take.
“Can’t we just tell The Boss about those bad kids and get them in trouble or something?”
“Hurry, Molly. Keep up.”
“What about The Boss? Or Poison?” Molly rarely gave up. “She promised no one would get hurt.”
“I don’t know. We’ll talk about this later.” It took them a while, but they finally made it back to their hotel. Axel kicked open the side door of their hotel, and Isaak shifted in his arms as he made his way up the stairs to their floor. “Try not to move. We’re going to get you some help. Open the door, kiddo, please.”
Molly held it open as Axel eased inside and laid Isaak on the bed. “Sloan!”