“Don’t say that.”
“Just hear me out.”
Grant nodded.
“Someone will need to vouch for Xavier if the Depot finds you guys. And…” Jenny exhaled, her voice became downhearted. “...if the S.A. for some reason makes it here or whatever, then Xavier can act like he took you prisoner or something. The step beyond that… I don’t know.”
“Well, if I’m staying put,” Xavier said, “then take this.” He offered his Steyr AUG rifle over to Matt. “Here.”
Matt passed the binoculars back to Jenny and shimmied his way from the booth. He took an awkward once-over of Xavier’s rifle, clearly not familiar with some of its features. “I… This thing looks… kinda weird.”
They all work basically the same way, Matt. Come on…
“Here, let me show you.” Xavier motioned for Matt to follow him to the other side of the dining area with the jerk of his head. Jenny set her long gun across the tabletop—double-checking a firearm was never a bad idea, especially when surrounded by increasing unknowns.
While working her M4 carbine, she couldn’t help but eavesdrop on Xavier’s instruction. He had obviously been through extensive training since joining the Second Alliance. His confidence. His newfound expertise. Wonder if he forgot all his maintenance training to make way for all that knowledge. Easing the charging handle back, she confirmed a round sat in the rifle’s chamber. Then, she checked the magazine. Filled to the top. The steel selector switch dimpled her thumb, pushing ‘Safe’ to ‘Semi.’ Once satisfied with her firearm, she hung it over her shoulder and moved toward Matt and Xavier.
Jenny observed Matt’s tentative handling of the Steyr rifle. His expression muted, he listened to every word Xavier shared. Jenny offered nothing. Didn’t need to. Xavier had it covered. If his loyalties still lie with us— If… Stop second guessing him. Grant’s right. It is Xavier. He’s with us again. I can’t keep blaming him for what happened. He didn’t really have a choice, right? Besides, with that training, he’s an asset—his story, his experience will help convince the Depot of what’s coming. He’s still one of us. You gotta quit doubting him.
“Oh, it’s just like… I see.” Matt chuckled, his face taking on a comfortable glow of familiarity which helped allay Jenny’s reservations upon seeing his initial contact with the rifle. “It’s really no different than the others I’ve used. Just never seen a rifle like this or a built-in scope like that.” He studied it for a few seconds. “Where do you adjust it?”
“Don’t think you can. Or, at least I wasn’t shown how. If you don’t like the scope, there are iron sights across the top there. Personally, I like it, but I’ve been training with it for awhile.”
“No, I’ll be fine.” Matt knelt. Lodging the rifle into his shoulder, he aimed it through the broken glass door, steadying it on something in the distance. “Pretty amazing.”
“It’s a pretty versatile rifle. My trainer—”
“What trainer?” Jenny asked.
“I’m in training to be a scout for the S.A.”
“You were in training,” Jenny mocked him.
“You know what I mean.”
“I know.” She smiled, and he returned the same.
“Glad you kiddos are gettin’ along now, but we need to get this show on the road. No tellin’ when the S.A.’s gonna catch up. They had to know we was comin’ here. Had to.” He looked to Jenny. “So, what you got for us, girlie?”
She’d never seen it before, but Grant sought something from her. Direction. Advice. Leadership. Finally, here it was, lining his eyes, and she felt it—being taken seriously—being treated as an equal. Not being a fighter, Grant saw in her what he never could be. Someone to lead the offensive. Someone to take back control of their fate. Doubt escaped her. She could do this.
Jenny took another cursory scan of the parking lot. Nothing different. “Let’s go, you guys.” She led Xavier, Grant, and Sherman to the manager’s office in the back. “Hang tight here, and we’ll be back soon.” Jenny handed Sherman’s lead to Grant and motioned for Matt to give up the pistol and leg holster he’d been carrying since their rescue.
Xavier looked it over. “This was Danny’s?”
Matt offered a solemn nod. “Be good to it.”
…
Matt and Jenny made their way back outside through the busted-out door, rifles drawn, scanning toward the back side of the restaurant. A sharp wind burst across their bodies. Matt started to raise his kerchief back up and over his mouth and nose. “Can’t,” Jenny said, “they have to recognize us from the roof.” She pulled her hair out from the back of her coat, letting it rest upon her shoulders. “We need to make it obvious that it’s us or this will never work.”
“I know… I just—” The zipper on his coat shook—his body already trembling from the wind. Jenny felt it too, although not to that point. “I swear I can feel icicles forming from the end of my nose it’s so damn cold.”
“You nervous?” she asked.
Matt broke eye contact, glancing toward the ground for a split second. His tell. How she knew when the next words would be a lie. Before he could offer the fib, she raised onto her toes and kissed him. Passionate. Deep. He pulled her in. The clack of their rifles, unnoticed. The wind stilled. The cold gone. Heat between them. They pulled away, both smiling with eyes wide.
“I lov—”
She put her gloved finger over his lips. “Don’t. That’s not good-bye just foreplay.” Jenny offered a coy smile.
“I do, though.” Matt wouldn’t break eye contact.
“I know you do.” She took a step toward the rear parking lot, but Matt grabbed hold of her rucksack.
“That’s it?” His lips bent into a disappointed frown. “All you’re going to say about it?”
“Do I really have to say the words?”
“It’d be nice.”
“You’re acting like this is the end, Matt. All we have to do is walk over, let them see us, and we’re in.”
“What if it’s not that easy…” His eyes read nervous.
“It will be that easy. At some point, shit has to turn around for us. Everything has happened for a reason. We can’t let it all be for nothing.” Slightly agitated, Jenny broke from the conversation, raised her rifle level—the muzzle leading her past the drive-through and into the back side of the McDonald’s parking lot.
They crouched behind a vehicle, and Jenny flipped the binoculars to her eyes. “We’ll have to take the approach wide.” Each rifle visible along the Depot’s roofline remained tilted toward whatever it was in the parking lot below them. “Going in at this angle will be too dangerous unless you’re seeing something I’m not.” Jenny handed the binoculars over to Matt to get him involved, to get his head right.
Expelling a deep breath, he glassed over the Depot. “I swear if it weren’t for all those damn trucks, we’d be able to tell who it was from here.” He took a moment before continuing, “You’re definitely right about a wide approach. We’ll probably need to take it from that side, maybe from over there.” Matt indicated the eastern half of the Depot’s parking lot, but then flashed the binoculars along the back side of the car wash and the strip mall to their immediate right, opposite the target area. “I think if we slide back that way, we should have the angle to see whoever’s standing out there.” He returned the binoculars. “What do you think?”
“Sounds like a good idea.”
They stole for the first car wash bay nearest them and past the remaining five, beating the snow into slush with the soles of their boots. Continuing in this manner, racing in and out of cover behind the strip mall, they finally emerged on the far side, slipping behind a row of yew bushes—barely a breath between them.
“Almost there,” Jenny huffed. “Here, I’m gonna—I’m gonna take a look real quick. Take the ruck so I can get through here.”
Matt hoisted the rucksack onto his back as Jenny dropped into a prone position and wriggled beneath the shrubs. “What do you see?
” he whispered.
Jenny ignored him. Shit… A group of men, not Second Alliance, stood in formation within the maze of abandoned cars. Two facing the Depot with rifles angled toward the ground. Three others behind them holding the same, but toward their rear. The last of the men remained in the middle, handling the unknown conversation with the Depot. Who are these guys? No uniform, just coats, blue jeans, bags strapped across their back. Dressed like anyone else. Nothing to indicate who or what they represented. Never seen anyone come at the Depot like this before. What the hell could they want? Who the…? Then, she knew. Her heart sank with worry. Griffin’s people. They came here for me. Shit! The Second Alliance and now, these guys. She retreated back through the bush.
“Well?” Matt’s voice impatient.
“More trouble,” she said before squatting down.
Matt dropped too. “Who?”
“Not sure exactly, but I think it’s the people Griffin planned on giving me to.” Jenny began drawing in the snow, mapping out the lot, the cars, the men. “That’s the only thing I can think of right now.”
“What the hell do we do?” Matt waddled backwards to give Jenny more room to continue her sketch. “What if the Depot hands you over?”
“No, I don’t think so. By the looks of it, I don’t think the Depot knows anything about that deal.”
“Why?”
“Cause they’re holding those people at gunpoint. Not letting them move a muscle out there. It’s like a standoff. Can’t you hear them? They’re just shouting back and forth.”
“Well, what the hell are they saying?”
“I don’t know.” Irritated, she swiped across the drawing. “It doesn’t fucking matter right now!”
“Of course it matters!”
“Look…” Jenny lifted Matt’s chin away from the ground. “I trust the Depot now. They’re being careful, especially now with what happened to Danny and Griffin.”
“They probably think the S.A. took us, because we’re outlaws or something.”
“The Depot doesn’t know why they took you. I’m pretty sure nobody saw them head out with you guys. They think the S.A. killed Danny and Griffin. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. I’m sure they’ve noticed you guys missing but have no idea why the S.A. decided to run off with you.”
“We’ll just tell them they took us,” Matt said.
“Exactly. No big deal.”
“Alright, let’s go then.” He stood to leave, but Jenny snatched the sleeve of his coat.
“I’m first. To them, you might look like just another guy with a rifle. I’m one of eleven women in the camp. The guys will definitely recognize me.”
Matt conceded but glared at her.
“It’s true…” she pressed him.
“I know it is,” he grumbled.
Jenny nodded to him with a weak smile, knowing the jealousy hidden in his voice. Alright… Again, she swept her hair free from inside her coat. Can’t afford not to be recognized. Sherman would have been a dead giveaway, but he’d be no use in an all-out firefight. Can’t afford to lose him. I hope this is the right thing to do. Breathing out, she looked to the sky. Danny… get me through this.
“You good?” Matt asked.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I’m thinking we head left to cut off the other group’s view of us before moving across the street.”
The two of them cut through the bushes and along the shop fronts of the strip mall before crossing the six-lane road toward the Depot’s parking lot. Continuing to their left, they managed to remain out of view from the group of outsiders with the assistance of some opportune vehicles.
“Depot’s still not seeing us.” Matt forced the whisper through clenched teeth, clearly upset the plan hadn’t worked now that they were standing well within the parking lot.
“They will. Just—”
“Like I said, we just need to see Griffin!” one of the outsiders shouted.
“Already told you he ain’t comin’ out!” An unknown voice responded from atop the Depot’s roofline. “Says he don’t know who you are. Says you need to identify yourself first.”
“Tell his bitchass to get out here. He missed our damn appointment and forced us to come all this way.”
No reply from the Depot.
Jenny and Matt trudged deeper into the parking lot, careful not to cross into view of the other group.
“Jenny!?” someone from the roof shouted.
“Yes!” she shouted back. “Me and Matt, both!” Reassurance swept over her, but nearly as fast as it came, it evaporated.
Two of the men stepped from behind a nearby car, rifles bearing down on them. “Don’t move!” one of them barked.
Jenny eyed them, gauging an appropriate response. Fuck... seemed all she could muster in the moment. Unfazed by Matt and Jenny’s abrupt appearance, the two men stared at them, battle-proven. What now?
If she moved, warned Matt to do the same, it might not be enough. Even if she were to make it down and behind cover, he might not. The two men’s rifles needed not to convince her more of that reality—one pointed at each of them, freezing them in place. She gulped. This can’t be it...
“Stop!” one of the Depot guards warned the group of outsiders. “They’re coming in. Touch ‘em. Hurt ‘em. We lay all of you down in the snow. Permanently! You’ll rot right there!”
The two seemed unimpressed with the threat of force. Coolly, one swept a piece of blonde hair back underneath his sock hat before pressing his cheek back onto the butt of the rifle, a sinister grin showing, impatience consuming his eyes. His partner glanced back toward their group. Jenny held her breath for what felt like an hour. The man cocked his head sideways. “You sure?” His proud demeanor folded, and he clasped the blonde man’s arm, tugging, signaling for him to let Matt and Jenny pass.
Relieved with the immediate change in fortune, they tore through the snow, dipping between vehicles, not leaving anything to chance. Not giving the outsiders the opportunity to reconsider and grab them. Weighed down by Jenny’s rucksack, Matt slogged behind her. She looked to him, but he waved her on. “Just go. I’m com—”
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Gunfire sent Jenny spiraling into the snow, clawing for cover behind an oversized SUV. “Matt!” Her immediate concern. She slid her rifle into a low ready and hunched alongside the vehicle. Crack! Crack! Crack! Glass showered her from above. Crack! Crack! She slammed her body against the door frame. Fuck! Edging her eyes beyond the partition, through the broken window, she caught glimpse of the outsiders pinned down—their position perhaps worse than hers. She looked to the roofline. Their attention, too, was drawn away from the parking lot. “Matt!?” Her voice barely rose over the trill of gunfire.
Fear passed through her. Where the hell is he? Their paired footprints split barely twenty yards back—his trail cutting to her left, away from the firefight, between two sedans sitting bumper-to-bumper. Closing her eyes, she focused, listening to the panic in the air. Screams. Cries for where the shots were coming from surrounded her. Through joint terror, the outsiders and the Depot seemed to be coordinating their effort.
Crack! Crack!
“Damn it! Matt!” she screamed. “Answer me!”
“I’m good! I’m good!” he shouted above the volley of additional gunfire. “Stay down! I’m coming to you!”
“Where?! Where are you?!” She caught his stare over one of the hoods of a sedan. He appeared shaken, eyes wide. “Be careful!”
Crack! Crack! His head disappeared.
A lull in the gunfire and Matt leapt from between the cars. The rucksack rose up and then fell against his back, the weight pushing him forward, spilling him into the ground.
“Hurry!” Jenny shouted, relieved to see him in one piece.
He scrambled to gather his gear, collecting his rifle from the imprint left in the snow. A few more shots skimmed overhead. Another pop and crash of a car window in the distance. Come on! Come on! Her attention bounced from Matt and the
collapsing scene behind her. She dropped her ass into the snow, back against the front wheel. Her eyes affixed to his. “Just a little further!” His boots slipped, feet to knees to feet, skittering toward her. Finally, his back met the rear wheel of the SUV. They exchanged fleeting smiles, each of their chests heaving.
“What’d you see? Anything?” Jenny asked between breaths.
“Their shooting—shooting at something. Can’t tell what.” Matt swallowed. “Not sure they know either.” He pointed to the Depot. “Up top there. They—they moved too, all of them moved to the far side.”
“And?”
“And what?” Matt gave her a look of disbelief.
“Never mind. Just—” Another pop of glass, the ping of metal interrupting her as the familiar sound of gunfire erupted again. The rattle sent both cowering further into the side of the vehicle. Jenny felt her cheeks twist into a frown, worry. She drew in a breath, the largest she could manage. Her lungs felt as if they would burst. Closing her eyes, she let it out in a slow leak.
“You’re not hurt, are you?” he asked.
“No!” Jenny said, forcing the last bit of air from her lungs. “Gimme a sec.” Gathering her nerves, she stood then inched back toward the busted window. What the hell happened? She snuck a peek—the outsiders still occupied with a threat in the distance—the Depot’s guards all on the far side as Matt described. “You didn’t see anyone else?”
“Already said no. Nothing.” Matt puffed. “It’s gotta be the S.A. though, right?”
“We just need to find out where they are.”
Another shot rang out before an absurd silence spread across the parking lot. The stillness, eerie, not even a scream. “Is it over?” she whispered to Matt.
“I don’t know…”
It took only a few more seconds for the welcomed silence to shatter—a cry for help. Not a crack of gunfire in response. She snuck another few peeks through the broken window. One of the outsiders sprawled out in the snow. Another at his side, pumping up and down upon his chest. Might not get another chance. Think, Jenny, think. Look at the outsiders, their position. Shots keep coming this way from that angle. That angle places the S.A. in the far corner, right? Or at least over that way. Only misses from over there would rip through here like that.
Almawt Virus Series (Book 3): Days Since...Jenny [Day 986] Page 15