The Doomsday Series Box Set | Books 1-5

by Akart, Bobby

  “Will, tell these people to lower their weapons,” began Frankie. “We’re unarmed and you know us.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Alpha’s voice boomed from behind Delta. “And it’s not his call to make.”

  Karen tried to reason with Alpha. “I’m his ex-wife, and his son is in the backseat. He’s badly injured and we shouldn’t be treated this way.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” began Alpha before Ryan tapped him on the shoulder.

  “Let me take it from here, big guy,” whispered Ryan, who then turned to Delta. “I know this is family, but for your sake, and everyone else’s, let me handle this per protocol. Okay?”

  Delta stopped and nodded his agreement. He did move aside for Ryan to pass, and to create a little space between him and Alpha.

  Alpha made eye contact with him, scowled, and shook his head side to side. Like Blair, he wasn’t one for inserting unnecessary drama into the Haven.

  “Hello, folks. My name is Ryan. I’m sorry for the weapons, but we have procedures to follow. Now, if you’re in agreement, we need to search you and your vehicle for weapons. If there are any, please tell us now and turn them over. If you refuse, you’ll need to leave immediately. Do you have a problem with that?”

  Frankie spoke up for the group. “We’re unarmed. You can search all you want.”

  Ryan bristled at the man’s attitude but continued because this was Delta’s family, dysfunctional as it was. He nodded toward the guards, who brought the German shepherd over to the SUV to conduct their search.

  While Karen was being patted down by one of the female gate guards, she turned her head to the SUV. “Come on out of the truck, Ethan. Show your father what happened to you.”

  Ethan gingerly exited the truck, revealing his bruised face and arms.

  When Delta saw his battered body, he rushed to the gate to get a closer look. “Son, what happened to you? Who did this?”

  “Um, hey, Dad. I got into trouble at a gas station in Richmond. These dudes just decided to beat on me.”

  Karen was loaded for bear. “He’s lucky he’s alive, Will, and you should be ashamed for putting him in that position. Look at him! He was barely alive when that family found him.”

  “It wasn’t like that, Mom,” yelled Ethan. “All of that was on me, not Dad!”

  “Enough!” shouted Alpha. “Let my people do their job without this soap opera or I’ll send you all packin’.”

  Ryan turned and winked at Alpha. Then he leaned in to whisper to the no-nonsense head of security, “I need to get Blair down here. I suspect we’re gonna need to make a decision.”

  Alpha turned his back to the new arrivals and walked briefly with Ryan, who made his way behind the Ranger. “You’re not gonna let them in, are you? They can’t even get along with the bars separating them. What’s it gonna be like when they can actually slug it out?”

  Ryan laughed. “It’ll be like an episode of Jerry Springer. We could call it Friday Night Fights.”

  Alpha managed to laugh, as Ryan successfully eased the tension built up in his top security guy. “Okay, maybe that would be worth watching. Listen, boss, I’ll do whatever you say. But this bunch has the potential to screw up a pretty good thing. You know?”

  “I do. Let me get Blair down here so she can assess the situation with me.”

  Ryan raised Blair on the radio, and while he waited, Delta focused his attention on Ethan’s injuries. The security team gave Alpha an all-clear after a thorough inspection, and the travelers were allowed to lower their arms. Frankie and Karen nervously kicked at the gravel, waiting to learn their fate.

  Blair pulled up on her Kawasaki Prairie, her AR-15 resting in the gun clamps mounted to the front bracket. She quickly hopped off and spoke with Ryan behind the Ranger. She asked her signature question as she approached him.

  “What kind of fresh hell is this?”

  “This is the former Will Hightower family, plus one home-wrecker—the former SWAT partner.”

  “Fabulous. So why are they still standing there? Tell them to get the hell off our property or we’ll shoot them.”

  Ryan spontaneously erupted in laughter. Of course, he knew Blair was serious in her statement, and he’d come to expect that level of blunt honesty from her. Because he loved her so much, he never tired of her delivery. He was certain that if he told the security people to get out of the way, Blair would march up to the front gate, pull the charging handle on her AR-15, and tell the trio of travelers they had three seconds to vacate the premises, or prepare to die.

  “Okay, let’s talk about it, shall we?” Ryan tried to calm her down, knowing that shooting them wasn’t an option.

  Blair was incensed. “No, Ryan. Why should we talk? We told Delta that we can’t tolerate this soap-opera crap. We took in his kids because he’s a valuable member of our security team and he had no other options for them other than to leave altogether. Then the older kid steals a car and takes off. Now he brings mommy and the home-wrecker, your words, to create an episode of Modern Family inside the Haven? No f’n way. Not gonna happen.”

  Ryan had a hard time arguing with her logic, but he had a weakness, a kind heart, and a constant desire to help others, even if it placed himself in peril. “Okay, let me say this first. The boyfriend, Frankie, is persona non grata. He’s got law enforcement skills that would most likely be used against us if he and Delta got into a serious disagreement. That’s an easy decision. With respect to Ethan, we let him in once. Arguably, we could let—”

  Blair raised her hand. “Hold up. He stole the old man’s car off that farm to the north of us, bringing the sheriff and his posse right to our front gate. We should’ve kicked them all out for that reason alone.”

  “However, Delta stayed loyal to us and didn’t chase after Ethan. Apparently, the kid got beaten up pretty badly for his efforts.”

  Blair was having none of it. “What’s to keep him from pulling the same stunt again?”

  “He might, or maybe he’s learned his lesson. I believe in second chances.”

  Blair exhaled and looked around the Ranger at Karen. “What about her? Do you wanna let her in, too?”

  “She’s kinda mouthy,” said Ryan. “She laid into Delta pretty good the first chance she got.”

  “Oh, let me guess,” began Blair. “He lost his father-of-the-year award because his petulant brat teenager decided to steal a car and run off.”

  “Plus, he got the snot beat out of him in the process,” added Ryan. “Yes, that was all Delta’s fault and she let him know about it. Now, to Ethan’s credit, he just took responsibility for what he did and defended Delta.”

  Blair rolled her head on her shoulders and wandered around the back of the Ranger for a moment. She closed her eyes and shook her head side to side. After exhaling, she returned to Ryan and delivered her opinion. “Okay, Frankie hits the road. I don’t care how much everybody pisses and moans about it. He’s not comin’ in. Ethan can stay, but he doesn’t get any more passes. First screwup, no matter how insignificant, and we’re tossing him in the river. Got it?”

  “Yup. What about the mom?”

  “Well, mommy dearest needs to make a decision. Is she gonna stay at the Haven and take care of her kids, or is she gonna leave with her boy toy? If she stays, then I’m gonna read her the riot act. No arguments. No cold-shoulder attitude. She becomes a productive, good-natured, no-scrapping-with-ex-husband member of the Haven, or she’ll get tossed in the Henry River, too.”

  Ryan smiled and reached to squeeze Blair’s shoulder. “I’ll let them know.”

  “Nope, you’re too nice,” said Blair. She immediately walked away and marched toward the gate, where Ethan, Karen, and Frankie moved closer to hear the Smarts’ decision.

  “Who are you?” asked Karen.

  Immediately, Blair didn’t like the woman’s attitude, but she let it go. “My name is Blair and you’ve already met my husband, Ryan. Here’s what we’re gonna do.” Blair paused and then turned to Ethan.
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  “Ethan, you can stay. But know this. One screwup and you’re out of here. No arguments. We’ll throw you out on your own, and trust me, the world is a far more dangerous place than it was a few days ago when you left. My guess is that you can’t disagree. Am I right?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll stay.”

  Blair turned to Frankie. “You’re not family and we don’t have room for anybody else. You have to leave.”

  “What? We drove all this way.”

  “Don’t care,” replied Blair. “Nobody told you to come here. Our decision is final. You have to go.”

  “What about me?” asked Karen, who wrapped her arm through Frankie’s. “We’re together.”

  “You gotta make a choice, Mrs. Hightower,” said Blair with emphasis, drawing a glare from both Frankie and Karen. “Your children will be here and they’re safe, assuming they don’t run off like that one did.”

  “Yes, but I can’t—” Karen’s demeanor changed, and she’d become more humble.

  “You can if you want to,” Blair cut her off mid-sentence. “You have to make a choice. There is no way we can allow your friend inside. Delta, um, Will has been with us for some time, and I’ll not subject him to living with the man who stole his wife.”

  “Hey, I didn’t steal her,” protested Frankie. “He drove her off.”

  “Well, that’s not the way I’ve heard the story told, but it doesn’t matter,” said Blair matter-of-factly. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. You’re out. Now, Mrs. Hightower, are you staying, or are you going?”

  “Well …” She hesitated.

  “Let me say one more thing to you. No drama. Do you hear me? No arguments. No scraps. No yelling. If you two can’t be civil to one another, then say nothing at all. The first sign of trouble brewing between you two, and you’re gone. Understood?”

  “I’ll agree to that,” said Delta, who’d been listening intently to the conversation.

  “Um,” began Karen, who looked over at Frankie. “I’m sorry, Frankie. I need to take care of my kids. I’m staying.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  Karen turned to Blair. “Thank you. I will stay and I totally understand where you’re coming from.”

  Frankie reached for Karen’s arm and squeezed it, causing her to recoil. “Seriously, Karen. You’re picking that loser over me?”

  “He’s not a loser!” shouted Ethan.

  “They’re my kids, Frankie. I need to make sure they’re safe.”

  Frankie was infuriated. “Then let’s load them up and take them home.”

  Will inserted himself into the conversation. “Back to Philly? No power. Anarchy. No way. My kids stay here where they’ll be safe.”

  “Shut up, loser!” Frankie rushed the gate and reached through it in an attempt to grab at Delta. The guards on both sides quickly moved in and pointed their rifles at his head.

  Blair turned to Ryan and raised her voice for all to hear. “I don’t know, Ryan. We’re off to a bad start, don’t you think?”

  Karen pleaded with Blair. “No. Please let us in. Ethan and I will behave. Right, Ethan?”

  “Yes, Miss Blair. Let me make it up to you, and to Dad.”

  Frankie was being pushed back toward the Durango. Karen, who made no effort to hug him or say goodbye, had made her decision and cut ties with her boyfriend.

  “Frankie, you can have my car,” she began as she turned her head toward Delta. “I won’t be needing it anymore.”

  Alpha instructed the gate guards to retrieve her luggage out of the back of the truck and to escort Frankie off the Haven’s driveway.

  Karen and Ethan entered through the gatehouse entrance, where they were reunited with Delta. The former family had a tearful reunion, which included apologies and pledges to start over. It was a heartfelt moment that tugged on the Smarts’ heartstrings.

  As the gate was secured once again, the Hightowers prepared to join Skylar at the cabin. Blair spoke to them before they left.

  “Y’all, don’t make me regret this.”

  A tearful Karen replied, “I promise. I’ll never forget how you brought us together again. This is my family. It always has been.”

  Ryan joined his wife’s side. “Good. Then let’s start over. My name is Ryan Smart. Welcome to the Haven.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  North of Charlotte, North Carolina

  Frankie was out of his mind with anger as he raced away from the Haven at speeds approaching a hundred miles an hour. Driving out of control as if he had a death wish, he narrowly missed two people riding their bicycles toward Interstate 40. The near fatal accident shook the anger from Frankie long enough to regain some state of composure, so he pulled into the parking lot of a looted Burger King before he got onto I-40.

  He exited Karen’s Durango and walked around it for a moment, pausing to look skyward, and then buried his face in his hands. He wasn’t completely in love with her. From the moment she fell into his bed during the media turmoil over Will, he enjoyed her enthusiasm and spontaneity. Their trysts were more physical for him than emotional. For Karen, they appeared to be designed as a way to get back at Will for the trouble that had been brought upon the Hightower family.

  In the couple of years since he and Karen had gotten together, there was little talk of marriage. They became more like companions than a couple. Sure, they were intimate from time to time, but the newness and excitement soon wore off. It was replaced by the reality that any long-term commitment to Karen automatically included two nearly grown kids that weren’t his.

  She had no desire to have any more children, so Frankie had little choice but to foresee a future in which he would try to raise Skylar and Ethan as his own. Early on, it became apparent that was never going to happen. Skylar would always be enamored with her father, and she’d frequently given Frankie the cold shoulder when he tried to get close to her.

  Ethan, who’d become rebellious and somewhat out of control after Will left for Atlanta, became more of a burden to Frankie than a potential son. Frankie was always there to bail Ethan out of trouble, but Ethan never seemed to fully accept him as a father figure.

  As a result, there were many times that Frankie considered leaving to find another girlfriend. The cruise that cost him a month’s salary was intended to rekindle the old sexual flame the couple had shared when they were sneaking around on Will. Other than a couple of alcohol-induced romps, the fire wasn’t relit.

  Despite the fact his relationship with Karen was likely doomed, Frankie was still furious that she chose Will over him. He’d lost sight of the fact that her children were involved, and his anger reappeared as he suddenly walked around her truck, kicking the door panels and fenders, leaving it full of dents.

  He gritted his teeth and spoke aloud to an empty parking lot. “Ungrateful. Thankless. Selfish. Arrrrgh!”

  Frankie reached down and grabbed a handful of gravel, then angrily pelted the small stones against the side of the SUV. He spun around and pounded his right fist into his other hand, emulating what he’d do to Will, Karen, or both, if he ever got the chance.

  He made his way back inside the truck and slammed the door shut until he was engulfed in silence. He exhaled and looked around.

  “Now what, Frankie, my man?” he asked aloud.

  He started the car and checked his fuel gauge. He had less than half a tank that wouldn’t get him back to Richmond, much less all the way to Philadelphia. He didn’t have a map and the Durango wasn’t equipped with a GPS option. He’d found his way to the Haven with Ethan’s guidance.

  He sat there for a moment and then thought about a friend he had in Charlotte. It was a guy who used to be on Philly SWAT with him before taking an administrative job with Mecklenburg County.

  “Wedgewood,” muttered Frankie. “Yeah, I remember now. North end of the city. He lived near a park. Um, Hornet’s Nest Park, if I remember correctly.” Frankie remembered how he and his pal had joked about leaving inner-city Philadelphia only to m
ove to a neighborhood next to the Hornet’s Nest.

  Frankie shrugged, fired up the Durango, and headed east on I-40 toward Statesville and Interstate 77 southbound.

  He’d driven a little over two hours and the fuel gauge had dipped toward empty. He’d just crossed through the I-485 interchange when things began to look familiar to him. His buddy had picked him up from the airport and used the loop to get to the north part of the city.

  Frankie recognized the Northlake Mall exit that would take him to his friend’s house adjacent to the park. Frankie navigated down the ramp onto W.T. Harris Boulevard, a road named for the founder of the Harris Teeter grocery store chain.

  Ordinarily, the mall would be bustling with shoppers loading up their cars with packages from Macy’s or Belk. Others would be enjoying a late lunch at TGI Fridays or Olive Garden.

  Today, the streets were practically deserted, and stores like Best Buy were boarded up. Frankie drove slowly down the once-bustling shopping district to observe what societal collapse looked like.

  Damaged storefronts. Abandoned cars. Trash strewn about. Very little human activity.

  He recognized the Lowe’s Home Improvement store as the location where he was to turn left toward Hornet’s Nest Park. He eased through the intersection because the traffic signal was not operating, and wound his way past a couple of crashed cars. He’d cleared the wreckage and turned onto Reames Road when suddenly a group of thugs ran out of the woods toward him.

  One man smashed his windshield with a lead pipe while another tossed a gallon of white Valspar paint on the glass to obscure his view. Frankie reacted by pressing the gas pedal to the floor, causing the SUV to lurch forward.

  As he did, he was unaware of the sheets of plywood lining the street in front of him, containing dozens of nails sticking up. Seconds later, all four tires on the Durango were flat and Frankie was creeping along on a tangled mess of mangled rubber and metal rims.

  Dazed and confused, Frankie tried to make sense of it all. However, his attackers were on him too quickly. As he tried to exit the SUV to see what had happened, he was jumped from behind and dragged to the ground. He attempted to curl into a fetal position, seeking protection for his vital organs as several people kicked him, causing him to roll over and over until his back made contact with the nail-laden sheet of plywood.