by Joyce, Anne
“Good, we’re getting close.”
Boom! The truck jolted to the left and fishtailed across the road. Joshua gripped the wheel with both hands and fought to steady it. They could hear the girls screaming and flopping around in the back. Joshua cut the wheel to the right and slammed on the brakes. They came to a jerking stop.
“What the hell was that?” Julio gasped.
“A tire must’ve blown out.” Joshua grabbed a flashlight. “Get your gun and come outside with me.”
Julio walked around the front of the truck with his rifle while Joshua went to investigate. The rear door opened and Paola, Danisha, and Maria came out. “I need a bathroom break,” Paola said.
“Me too.” Danisha slid out and stood holding onto Paola for support
“Stay close. It’s pitch black out here,” Maria called. She got out of the truck. “Did the tire burst?” She walked over to Joshua.
“I think so. Hold the flashlight for me,” He handed it to her. “Was anyone hurt… I mean more than they already were?” He crouched beside the tire.
“Xiomara hit her head. She’s complaining about the pain, but she doesn’t appear to be injured. I’m sure her headache will pass,” Maria replied.
“What was that? I think I heard footsteps.” Joshua glanced behind.
“I don’t see anything.” Maria shined the flashlight around. “Oh, my God!” she gasped when the light hit the shredded tire.
“Julio, get everyone inside,” Joshua called.
“Why?”
“Just do it! Now!” Joshua pulled his pistol from its holster.
“My rifle’s in the back of the truck,” Maria whispered.
“You should keep a firearm with you at all times,” Joshua hissed.
“I thought I was just going to help you change a tire. I can’t do that while holding a gun,” she retorted.
“Stay beside me.” Joshua looked around and stepped toward the front of the truck.
Shots rang out in Julio’s direction followed by a loud thud.
A searing pain ripped through Joshua’s right shoulder. A yelp of surprise escaped him. He dropped his gun and fell backwards. Blood ran down his arm. He stared at the small four-bladed weapon that was stuck in his shoulder. It looked like several sharp instruments fused together like the weapon embedded in the tire. Maria grabbed the handgun and fired in front of her.
A man screamed and fell with a thump. She bent down to pick up the flashlight. Its position on the ground was giving her away and showing her nothing. She froze at the sound of approaching footsteps. She looked to the left, but saw only black night. As they drew closer she spun around and aimed her weapon.
“Maria, it’s me. Don’t shoot!” a voice whispered.
“Danisha, what are you doing?” Maria hissed.
“I went to use the bathroom, but I heard gunshots. Are they dead?”
“I think so. I don’t hear anything.”
Danisha leaned on her cane, picked up the flashlight, and shined it into the darkness. The light revealed the body of a filthy, Cro-Magnon looking man, wearing a necklace made of teeth. Danisha stepped forward to get a better look at him. Her wide-eyed horrific expression told them just who this man was.
“Turn it off!” Joshua hissed. “We need to get to the back of the truck, get the rest of our guns, and make sure Julio’s okay.” He struggled to his feet.
Maria staggered to the truck in the dark with Joshua and Danisha trailing behind. Julio met them on the other side.
“Drop it!” a low voice shouted. The silhouette of a giant man stepped forward. He was holding Paola. “Put your guns down or I’ll cut her head off.” He pressed a knife against her throat.
“Get your hands off her, Punto!” Maria screamed.
“Do you think I’m bluffing?” the Neanderthal yelled.
“Don’t hurt her.” Xiomara crawled across the truck’s floor with Maria’s rifle and laid it down beside her. “I’m not going to shoot you.” She held up her hands.
“Throw it to me,” Neanderthal said.
“Xiomara, don’t be stupid. He’ll take that gun and shoot us all,” Julio shouted.
Xiomara picked up the rifle and lifted it above her shoulder.
“Shoot him,” Cassidy whispered.
“It’s too dark. I’ll miss him for sure and he’ll kill her,” Xiomara hissed.
“I want everyone’s guns now!”
“Okay, I’m putting it down.” Maria set her pistol on the ground. Julio caught a glimpse of Neanderthal in the moonlight straining his thick neck. He wrapped his sweaty finger around the trigger. His bullet pierced Neanderthal’s right temple. He fell to his knees and let go of Paola, who ran screaming to her mother. Neanderthal collapsed face-first in the dirt.
A little smile came across Julio’s face but then a blow hit the top of his head. It felt like a bolt of lightning struck him and spun his head around. He tried to fight the darkness seeping into his consciousness, but he stumbled and hit the ground.
Maria knelt and stretched her hand out to her daughter. Before Paola could reach her a hand clamped over Maria’s mouth and pulled her backwards. She flailed her arms in a panic and her pistol discharged. Another man took the gun and pointed it at Joshua. Maria writhed and kicked at her captor. He wrapped his arm around her neck and squeezed until she felt dizzy. She stopped struggling and her body went limp. The brute with the gun ordered Joshua, Paola, and Danisha against the side of the truck.
The man who struck Julio walked to the back of the truck with his gun. Xiomara held the rifle in her trembling hands. “You don’t even know how to use that thing. Give it to me,” he said.
“Don’t do it,” Cassidy hissed.
“Stay away from us,” Xiomara shouted. She rested the rifle against her shoulder and fired.
Chapter Twelve
The sun crashed through the tiny basement window, illuminating the metal bars that surrounded them. Joshua watched as Julio sat up, holding his head. Cassidy lay on the dirt floor next to him, sleeping. Her skin was as white as paper and her breathing sounded labored. Danisha and Paola were huddled in the corner. Danisha was curled up in a fetal position with her hands over her head, as if she refused to accept what was happening. Joshua, Maria, and Xiomara were in another cage across from them.
“Julio, are you all right?” Joshua whispered.
“I guess so. What is this place?”
“This is the looter’s home, I suppose. It’s not far from the truck,” Joshua replied.
“Why is there a bandage on your shoulder?” Julio pointed.
“The bastards hit me with a four-bladed flying knife. Xiomara removed it and patched me up.”
“Where are they?” Julio struggled to his feet.
“We haven’t seen them since they forced us down here at gunpoint. I think they’re upstairs sleeping,” Maria said.
“I thought looters killed everyone that crossed their path. Why did they bring us here? Why did they did let you take the first aid kit? None of this makes any sense.” Julio ran his fingers through his shaggy black hair.
“I’m still trying to figure out how they overpowered us. We were the ones with guns. This never should’ve happened. I failed you all; I’m sorry,” Joshua said.
“It’s not your fault, Josh. It was too dark to see them coming. We couldn’t have known the tire was punctured on purpose. I was wrong before when I blamed you for what’s happened. The water barons and their Purifiers are the assholes. They put us here,” Xiomara said.
“It doesn’t matter whose fault this is. We need to start thinking about how to get out of this shithole,” Julio interjected.
“These bars are heavy and embedded into the ground. There’s no way to break out of this cage,” Joshua shook them.
“How many of them are there?” Julio said.
“Four, I think,” Maria replied.
“We took out five Purifiers,” Julio said.
“We also had weapons,” Maria retorted.
>
“We’re not going to be stuck in this cage forever, are we?” Paola whined.
“Of course not, sweetie.” Maria leaned against the bars.
“I don’t get what they want with us,” Julio said.
“I don’t think I want to know,” Xiomara replied.
“I’m scared. There’s blood on the walls. They’ve killed people here!” Paola pointed to a spot on the wall.
“Don’t look at it. I know it’s scary but try to get some sleep. Julio will watch over you,” Maria told her.
Paola whimpered for a while and lay down beside Danisha. She closed her eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.
“Josh, you’re a good man. The world would be a better place if there were more men like you.” Xiomara sat down beside him.
“Thank you. That’s a sweet thing to say.” Joshua was surprised by her statement.
“Maria and Julio, you’re the bravest people I’ve ever known. You’re all family to me.”
“Xiomara, don’t do this. Don’t sit here and say goodbye.” Maria turned to face her.
“I’m just preparing for the worst. It’s safe to say that these peoples’ intentions aren’t good,” Xiomara replied.
“These bottom feeders don’t know who they’re messing with. This isn’t the end. Do you hear me over there, Xiomara?” Julio said.
Xiomara nodded. Her eyes filled with tears and she buried her face in Joshua’s shoulder.
“I know you’re terrified. We all are.” Joshua put his arm around her.
“Hang on a second. Maybe we can get out this way.” Julio pointed to the ceiling.
“What are you talking about? It’s all wood and cement above us. It would take a power drill to blast through it,” Joshua said.
“There’s a spot on my side that looks like it’s been patched with cheap plaster. There must have been a leaky pipe at one time. I could chisel through it and make a hole big enough for one of the kids to crawl through,” Julio said.
“We don’t even know where that leads. The girls could walk right into an ambush. These people have our guns, remember?” Maria said.
“This breed of subhuman sleeps during the day. Paola and Danisha could sneak right past them,” Julio said.
“How are you going to reach the ceiling?” Xiomara sat up and dried her eyes with her sleeve.
“One of the girls can sit on my shoulders.”
“You don’t have anything to dig through the plaster,” Xiomara said.
“There’s got to be something useful in this cage.” Julio looked around.
“The looters could hear the commotion, come downstairs, and shoot us all,” Xiomara protested.
“We’ll likely be dead if we just sit here and wait! I’m going to take a wild guess that’s not pig’s blood on the wall.” Julio pointed to the dried stain.
“It’s not a good plan, Julio. I don’t want the children crawling through the house when the enemy is inside and armed.” Joshua shook his head.
Julio leaned against the wall and slumped to the floor. A long sigh escaped him. “You’re probably right. It sounded better in my head.”
“I think they’re awake.” Maria looked up.
They strained to hear what the muffled voices were saying but couldn’t make out anything. The basement door creaked open and three men came clomping down the stairs. “The lanky man with rotten teeth is the one who took the gun from me,” Xiomara whispered. Beside him were a bald man with an eye patch and a red-haired guy with a full beard.
The red-head took a drink from their water jug and set it beside Joshua, Maria, and Xiomara’s cage. “You can have what’s left,” he said.
“Why are you being so nice to them? There’s still water in that jug! They don’t deserve it,” the lanky man barked.
“I’m not being nice. We need them right now, Danny. There’s not much left anyway,” Red replied.
The eye-patch man opened Joshua’s cage while Red and Danny pointed rifles at them. “Don’t move, don’t breathe. Don’t try to be a hero!” Danny hollered.
His yelling woke Paola. She rolled over, screamed, and shrank back against the wall. Danny laughed. “Get out here. You’re coming with us.” Eye-patch pointed at Joshua.
“Where are you taking him?” Maria demanded.
“That’s none of your business,” Danny said. Xiomara covered her face and sobbed.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” Paola said timidly.
Red walked over to the corner of the room, picked up a bucket, opened the cage, and tossed it inside.
“Gross!” Paola said. Red grinned.
Eye-patch grabbed Joshua’s shirt and pushed him ahead. “Get moving,” he barked.
Danny pressed the end of the rifle to his back and Joshua climbed the stairs. They stepped into a small, outdated kitchen with dusty cooking devices that appeared to be from the 1960s. Joshua was shocked to see a pregnant woman with long, dark hair dropping freshly chopped meat into a pot. “Where are you guys going? Dinner’s almost ready,” she said. She eyed Joshua and turned her gaze to Red as if taking prisoners was a normal occurrence for them.
“We’re going to get the truck,” Red replied.
“All right, make it fast,” she said.
“Hurry up!” The one-eyed man shoved Joshua through the doorway. They led him across the front yard to the Purifier truck.
We drove right to their house and didn’t even know it, he thought.
The four dead men from the night before were gone. There were no traces of them other than the dried blood in the dirt.
“You’re going to change this tire,” Danny announced.
There are three of them and they’ve never even changed a tire?
“We’re going to need a tire iron and a jack,” Joshua replied, amazed by their ignorance.
“Get in there and start looking for one. Don’t try anything stupid or I’ll shoot your friends,” Danny ordered.
“Does your truck have anything useful in it?” Joshua pointed to a rusted, decaying pickup truck on blocks beside their dilapidated house.
“That thing was here when we moved in. There’s nothing inside. None of us has ever owned a car. We didn’t grow up in nice, suburban neighborhoods like you people,” Red snarled.
Joshua crawled around the cab, searching for the tools while the three looters stood beside the truck.
“Why don’t we go someplace else? We’ve got the transportation now. We could move to an area where there are more people,” Danny suggested.
“What would we do with the prisoners?” Eye-patch said.
“That’s a minor detail we can figure out, Deric,” Danny replied.
“That might not be a bad idea. The house is falling apart anyway,” Deric mused.
“No way in hell! Cynthia could give birth any day. I’m not risking my baby’s life because you want to take off on a whim. We need a safe place to raise this child,” Red interjected.
“Don’t you mean Alan’s baby?” Deric retorted.
“Watch your mouth!” Red stepped in front of him and shoved a finger in his face.
“You know those two were screwing for months. She passed herself around the whole group. If we’re better off somewhere else, I don’t see why we have to stay here for that slut and her kid,” Deric said.
“You son of a bitch! You’re just mad because she didn’t want you.”
“I couldn’t care less about her. Danny and I can go off on our own. We don’t even need you.”
“You morons would be dead if it wasn’t for me!” Red shouted.
“Don’t flatter yourself!”
Joshua watched as the two men pointed and shouted at one another. Danny eyed Joshua but turned his gaze to Deric and Red when their yelling got louder. A pair of pliers on the floorboard shined like a gem. Joshua slipped them into his pocket without anyone noticing. Their pointless bickering came to an abrupt end when Danny stepped over to the cab and pointed the gun at Joshua’s head.
&nb
sp; “Did you find the tools? What’s taking so long?” he demanded.
“I found them.” Joshua held up a jack and a tire iron.
Deric and Red lifted the end of the truck with the jack while Joshua changed the tire and Danny kept his gun on him.
“Good job. Get in the back,” Danny ordered.
Joshua climbed in the back of the truck and sat down. Without warning Danny whacked him in the face with the butt of his gun and slammed the door.
***
Maria paced the dirt floor of their little cage. “What are they doing with him?”
“Stop it. You’re making me even more nervous,” Xiomara said.
“They won’t kill him. The red head said they need us. He’s got to be okay,” Paola’s voice was anxious.
“Those knuckle draggers came down here with a mission. They’ve found some use for him. I just can’t figure out what it is,” Julio mused.
Maria’s heart skipped a beat when she heard the basement door open. “Josh!”
A bloody Joshua trudged down the stairs with Red and Danny behind him.
“What did you do to him?” she gasped.
“He’s fine. It’s just a little nose bleed.” Danny smiled.
Red opened the door and pushed Joshua back in the cage. He picked up the water jug and offered it to Maria. “Here, take it.” His hands trembled so much that it made the water swish around. She gave him a nervous look and snatched the container from him. He locked the cage and went back up the stairs.
“Wait! Can’t you put Cassidy in here with us? She needs medical attention. I’m a nurse,” Xiomara called.
Danny stopped and turned around to face her. “You’re breaking my heart,” he mocked. He chuckled as he hurried up the staircase.
“What an asshole.” Julio spat on the ground.
“Big asshole,” Joshua groaned.
“Come here and let me look at you.” Xiomara knelt to face him.
“I’m fine,” he said.
Xiomara pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, wet it, and placed it on Joshua’s face.
“They gave the three of you water, but not us. That was nice of them,” Julio scoffed.
“He gave Maria the water. The red-haired guy likes her. Did you see how his hands were shaking when he got close to her?” Xiomara smeared some antibiotic ointment from the first aid kit on Joshua’s face.