Brink of Extinction | Book 2 | Stay Alive

by Shupert, Derek

  I sighed. “Crap. No map in here or anything else of use, so we’re going to need to grab one at the next town we come across.”

  “Did you grab the paper that had the coordinates where Lawson’s plane was last?” Jackal asked. “They could’ve crashed like we did. I’m not sure how anything could stay in the sky for long with what’s happening.”

  “I did and that’s true. We’ll need to get a map so we can figure out where the hell we are, so we can get our bearings,” I answered, irritated.

  Jackal rubbed his eyes, then pointed at my pant pocket. “Have you tried the phone? You could be lucky and get a signal.”

  I dipped my chin down to my tattered slacks that had soot and dribbles of blood stained on them. “Battery’s dead. It didn’t have much juice left when we got on the plane back in California, and I forgot to charge it. Besides, I doubt I’d get a signal way out here in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Do you think Mr. Coleman’s going to be pissed that we haven’t checked in with a status update?” Jackal asked. “You know how he likes to stay informed and up to date on the jobs he’s hired out.”

  I shrugged. “Not much we can do, so I guess he’s going to have to just deal with it. Our job parameters haven’t changed, just the destination.”

  Jackal nodded, then pointed ahead of us. “I think I see the path they took.” The headlights sliced though the low light, revealing a set of tire tracks among the gray dirt and bushes.

  “Good deal. Hopefully it’ll lead to the main highway.” I grabbed the bar in the corner of the jeep as Jackal took the rig down the steep side of a hill to the base. Tin cans and other junk rattled about in the back seat.

  The ground evened out and opened to a large plot of land free of any rocks or vegetation in our path.

  Jackal spun the steering wheel, cutting the tires and skirting past a large boulder that sat on the corner of a dirt road.

  The back end fishtailed. Jackal mashed the gas pedal to the floor. He straightened out the jeep and followed along the narrow road that snaked through the wide-open expanse of the desert.

  The muzzle of the rifle clattered off the dash, grating on my nerves. I grabbed the black-painted tip and pulled it back toward the seat.

  Jackal switched the radio on. The face lit up with an orange glow. Static hissed from the speakers. He thumbed through the stations for a broadcast or any sort of signal. The white noise crackled inside the cab.

  “Here. I’ll mess with that.” I pointed at the road. “You just focus on where we’re going.”

  Jackal removed his hand from the knob, then adjusted his body in the seat. He pursed his lips and scrunched his brow.

  “You all right?” I asked, sifting through each channel with the hopes of hearing a voice bleed through the static.

  “Oh, yeah. I’m solid. Just a bit banged up from that crash is all. Neck hurts a little and my ribs are sore,” he answered, rubbing the back of his neck. “Nothing a bottle of whiskey and a few lady friends keeping me company wouldn’t cure.”

  Every station checked had the same annoying static feeding through the jeep’s speakers.

  I turned the volume down, lessening the white noise, but kept the radio on in case a broadcast came through. “We’re pretty fortunate to have survived. Though, my aching bones and muscles would probably disagree with me considering how much they hurt at the moment.”

  “No time for pain, right?” Jackal said, removing his hand from the back of his neck.

  “Is there ever?” I replied.

  “You know, I think we should renegotiate our contract for this job. I know I’ve mentioned this already, but I think we should consider doing it,” Jackal said, looking over at me.

  I glanced his way and shook my head. “That’s not the way we do business. You know as well as I do, we go back to Mr. Coleman and try to pull more money from his pocket after we’ve agreed on a price, it’s going to damage our credibility and put us sideways with one of the more powerful crime bosses in the country. That’s bad for business and our general well-being.”

  “Are you that afraid of him?” Jackal asked with a raised brow as we tore down the dirt road. “I know his pockets are deep, and he’s got a stock of mercs at his disposal, but we’ve faced greater threats and prevailed. We’re no slouches ourselves and can handle anything that comes our way. From him or anyone else.”

  “Not afraid, just want to play this smart is all.” I kept a tight grip on the muzzle of the rifle. “The last thing we need is to have to look over our shoulders. That’s a distraction that keeps us from focusing on our jobs. His pockets are deep and the amount of heat he could rain down upon us would strangle our business and even cut ties with clients.”

  “Listen, I get the not wanting to ruin our street cred or having to look over our shoulders, but look at all of the crap we’re going through for this payday. We’ve been through tsunamis, earthquakes, gangs, planes crashing, and now whatever this shit is outside. I mean, we’re in the desert for Christ’s sake. I’m just saying the parameters of the job have changed, and with the challenges we’ve faced and are encountering, renegotiating doesn’t seem like an unreasonable thing to do,” Jackal shot back, unwilling to drop the matter. Being equal partners had its advantages and disadvantages at times.

  I let go of the rifle and held up my hand. “I’ll tell you what. Let’s just focus on finishing the job. Once we have Lawson in our custody and take him back to New York, then we’ll go from there. Sound good?”

  Jackal nodded. “Yeah. Just think about it is all I’m saying.”

  The winding dirt road came to an end, giving way to a two-lane paved road that spanned for miles in either direction. The pinging of rocks and dirt pelting the undercarriage subsided as the tires gripped the asphalt.

  Jackal slammed the brakes, bringing the jeep to a skidding halt. The engine grumbled as we idled on the side of the paved highway. “I’m thinking we go left here. That’s the direction the plane was heading, wasn’t it? I’m kind of turned around right now.”

  I rubbed my chin, scanning both long stretches of road for a sign, or lights in the distance, but spotted nothing within the dull murk that hung over us like a cloak. “Yeah. Seems like our best bet to me. It’s as good as any place to start.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CORY

  The SUV tore down the highway at full tilt, hugging the winding roads that snaked through the mountains and valleys of trees. I checked the mirrors every few seconds, looking for the brown truck or headlights in the falling ashfall, but spotted nothing in our wake.

  “You might want to ease off the gas some before you send us off the road and head first into a tree,” Anna said, holding onto the driver and passenger seats through each hard turn. “I’d like to make it to Salt Lake City in one piece if it’s all the same to you.”

  “Yeah. Sorry. Just making sure we put enough distance between us and whoever they are,” I replied.

  The ash thickened. I adjusted the speed of the windshield wipers to combat it. Parts of the highway had patches of silver that blanketed the asphalt.

  “Leave it to you to find trouble in the middle of nowhere.” Anna shook her head. “I think you’re cursed.”

  “Seems that way.” I eased my foot off the gas.

  Cindy slouched in her seat, head resting against the passenger side window. Her arms folded across her chest. A distant looked filled her shiny, red eyes as a river of tears streamed down her face. She didn’t bother wiping them away.

  “Hey,” I said in a soft manner, touching the end of her elbow. She flinched, then gasped, pulling away. “It’s okay. You’re safe. They can’t harm you now.”

  She looked at me, then Anna. Naked fear lurked in her eyes. She ran her fingers across her face, wiping away the tears.

  “I’m not sure how safe I am.” Cindy sniffled. She wiped the back of her hand under her nose and cleared her throat. “I can’t believe he’s gone. That they killed him.”

  “Who
are they?” I asked, looking at her, then back to the road ahead.

  Cindy shrugged. “To be honest, I’m not sure. I’ve never seen them before a day or so ago. They barged into my home, covered my head, then dragged me out to this SUV. Anytime I spoke or demanded answers, they either ignored me or threatened they would rape me.”

  “I heard them asking your husband about where something was. Do you know what they were looking for?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure. They asked me the same thing, but I’m just as lost.” Cindy adjusted the seat belt across her body, then wiped her hands across her face again. The stream of tears refused to yield as did the slight tremor in both hands. “The only thing I can think is it has to do with something my husband might have gotten himself into.”

  “Such as?” Anna said with a raised brow. “It must be something of extreme importance for them to drive the two of you out in the middle of nowhere and to do what they did.”

  Cindy held up her hands, then shrugged. “Like I said, I’m just as lost. My husband and his friend have gotten mixed up with the wrong sort of people in the past, but I thought he left that life behind. Now, I’m not so sure. He’s a good man. Was a good man.”

  Anna looked to the rearview mirror, staring at me. She placed her hand on Cindy’s shoulder, comforting her.

  “When we get into Salt Lake, did you want us to take you to the police station so you can fill out a report and speak with them about what happened?” I asked.

  Anna nudged my shoulder, then cleared her throat.

  “I can’t. When they snatched me from my home, I tried to call 911 from my cell but they stopped me. Broke my phone. They said they had people on their payroll inside the department.” Cindy shook her head. “I’m just thankful my Bryce, our son, wasn’t at home when they took me. I’m not even sure what I’m going to say about his father or what to do about this. Will they stop, or come after me again or my son? I–I just don’t know what to do.” The tears flowed from her eyes once more. She cupped her hands and bawled into her palms.

  Anna continued to pat her shoulder, then rubbed her back while looking at me in the mirror.

  Our eyes locked, but we didn’t say a word.

  Shadow laid in the seat next to Anna, her head rested on top of her front paws. She looked at me, then yawned, opening her maw wide and revealing her fangs.

  Anna tapped my shoulder with her finger, then pointed out the windshield at the sign coming up on the side of the road. “The turn for Salt Lake is close.”

  “I got it,” I shot back, rubbing both of my eyes.

  “Just making sure. Your eyes look pretty irritated. Don’t want you missing it. Did you want me to drive?”

  I held my hand up. “I’m good. It’s not as bad as it looks.

  “Let me know if you want me to, all right,” Anna said, dropping the matter.

  “It isn’t going to be safe for you to go back to your home since they know where you live,” I said, glancing over at Cindy. “Do you have any other place that you can go and lay low?”

  Cindy lowered her hands from her face, then wiped the tears away. “I can probably go where my son is. It’s in Garden City. He’s been staying with Lucas, a family friend of ours. He’s one of my husband’s good high school buddies. He’s like an uncle to Bryce.”

  The turn off for Salt Lake appeared through the ash. I pumped the brake and took the exit at a modest speed. We turned onto the highway and continued on down the long, desolate road coated in silver.

  “That sounds like a plan. How far away is Garden City from Salt Lake?” I asked, swerving past a stalled white sedan in the middle of the highway.

  “A couple hours, I think. William drove Bryce over there most of the time so he could visit with Lucas a bit. I’m not super familiar with Garden City and have only driven it two times or so over the past ten years.”

  Headlights flashed behind us. The gleam caught my attention from the rearview mirror. I peered over my shoulder, then checked the side-view mirror.

  “What is it?” Anna asked, twisting in her seat and throwing her arm over the back. Shadow lifted her head from her front paws, then looked up to Anna.

  “Not sure. Could be company.” My eyes switched from the road ahead to the rearview mirror. I pressed the gas pedal closer to the floorboard.

  Anna cycled a round in her Glock and kept watch out of the rear window.

  “Do you think it’s them?” Cindy asked with a quivering tone. She looked in the side-view mirror, turned in her seat, and looked through the back window.

  The ashfall concealed most of the vehicle, offering glimpses of the grille and bumper. It surged toward us, gaining fast.

  My fingers grabbed the steering wheel tighter. I adjusted my backside in the seat.

  “What color was that truck again? I can’t remember.” Anna looked to me, then Cindy.

  “Maybe beige I think,” Cindy answered.

  “I think it was a dark brown or something like that,” I replied. “It was darker than beige, though.”

  The truck drew closer. Its headlights shined through the rear window. We got a better look at the vehicle. It looked to be the same truck, but I couldn’t be one hundred percent sure.

  Anna trained her Glock at the window, arms steady and free of any tremble.

  “Hold your fire,” I said, studying the approaching vehicle. “It might not be them.”

  “And if it is?” Anna said without looking back at me.

  “We’ll deal with it,” I replied.

  We passed a few more cars sitting on the highway collecting ash. The tires squealed, seeking traction on the soot-covered road as I swerved to miss a few of them. I blinked and rubbed my eyes again while working the steering wheel side to side.

  The trailing vehicle got within a car length away. Anna remained steadfast, keeping the Glock trained at the light that shone in through the back window.

  “I’m not liking this,” Anna said.

  I glanced to the rearview mirror. The truck swerved to the other lane on the driver’s side and punched it. Anna faced forward in her seat, then turned toward the window next to her.

  I checked the side-view mirror, watching the SUV pass by alongside us. It looked to be a Ford Explorer. “Don’t fire. It’s not them.”

  “Are you sure?” Cindy asked, her voice thick with worry as her body pressed against the passenger side door.

  “Yeah. They had a brown truck, not an SUV,” I answered.

  The Explorer sped past us. The passenger side windows had a dark tint to the glass, hindering our view of the occupants. They continued on down the highway, pushing past seventy with ease. I slowed down a bit, allowing the Explorer to put some distance between us.

  “That could’ve been interesting,” Anna said, working her way toward the middle of the bench seat in the back. “They came pretty close to receiving a few rounds through the windshield.”

  I breathed a bit easier, but kept a vigilant watch out just to be on the safe side. “Yeah. Not sure where they’re heading in such a hurry.”

  Cindy sighed, then rubbed her trembling hand over her face. She whimpered, then pressed the back of her hand under her nose.

  “You okay over there?” I asked, looking at her.

  Cindy removed her hand. “I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life wondering if they’re coming for me or Bryce. I don’t think they’re going to just cut their losses and let us be, and I’m not so sure that I can handle that sort of stressful lifestyle.”

  “What are you saying, then?” I lifted my brow, curious to see what she was getting at.

  “What if I tracked down whatever it is they want and gave it to them. They would leave us alone then, right?” Cindy glanced to me, then Anna, seeking validation. “I mean, at that point, they’d have no reason to bother with us anymore.”

  “Well, aside from the fact that you know what they look like, they kidnapped you, and killed your husband. That’s more than enough g
rounds for them to want to keep you quiet,” Anna said without missing a beat. “I mean, it could work.”

  The life drained from Cindy’s face.

  “Really?” I said, glancing over my shoulder at Anna.

  She shrugged. “Listen. All I’m saying is that even if you do locate whatever it is they’re looking for, they may not let you go after giving it to them, so you need to keep that in mind. Besides, how are you going to track down something that you have no knowledge of?”

  Cindy chewed on Anna’s words for a few moments. “William’s old partner, Jessie, might know about it. He mentioned some weeks back about speaking with him about some work opportunities. I thought it might’ve been a legit job. Now, I’m not so sure.”

  I held up my hand, stopping her for a moment. “Slow down for a second. Do you know if these people know about Jessie? I think it’s safe to assume that they do if they nabbed your husband.”

  Cindy shrugged. “I’m not sure if they do or not. I don’t recall William mentioning Jessie to them back at that dreadful house, but everything happened so fast that I could’ve heard him speak about it and not remember. The whole thing has me frazzled pretty good.”

  “I’ll tell you what. Let’s find some place to lay low. Figure everything out,” I said. “You can mull this over a bit more and make sure it’s what you really want to do. These sorts of people are not to be toyed with. The deeper in you get involved, the greater the risk. More so than what you’ve already dealt with.”

  Anna parroted my response with a tilt of her head.

  “Who exactly are you two?” Cindy looked at me, then back to Anna. “You talk as if you’ve had dealings with such people before.”

  Anna glanced to the rearview mirror at me, then looked away.

  “We’ve had our fair share of run–ins with these sorts of folks,” I answered after a few seconds of awkward silence. “Do you know of any other place that we can stop in the city to figure things out?”

  Cindy shook her head. “Not really. Just my house, but you said it isn’t safe to go there.”