Brink of Extinction | Book 2 | Stay Alive

by Shupert, Derek

  “How far away is Jessie’s place from here?” I asked, driving around a late-model panel van that blocked a portion of the street.

  Cindy chewed her lip, biting at the dry, crusty skin. “Not sure. He lives more in the downtown area. Maybe twenty minutes or so.”

  We blew through the traffic light. I hugged the corner and pulled onto the street. We drove down the stretch of road, plowing through the carpet of ash that concealed the street.

  The buildings lining the road had little to no foot traffic in front. Light gleamed through some of the storefront windows while others sat powerless and dark.

  “It’s the Palace Inn on the corner,” Anna said.

  “They might be open but not sure from the looks of things,” I replied, scanning both sides of the street.

  “Doesn’t matter. We’ll improvise. Besides, they have a covering toward the back half of the property that we can park the SUV under. Keep it out of the ash. It’s close to the room I use when I stay there.”

  We drove a bit farther, then pulled into the parking lot of the motel. The headlights of the SUV shone over what few cars parked in front of the rooms. We followed the drive toward the main office and stopped.

  I shifted the SUV into park, but kept it idling. Darkness loomed from the interior of the office. I couldn’t spot any shadowy figures lurking about.

  “Doesn’t look like anyone’s at the front desk, but it’s hard to tell with the power out,” I said. I cracked open my door.

  “I got this. You wait here. I know where they keep the keys for the rooms.” Anna pushed open her door and hopped to the pavement. The whistling wind rushed inside the SUV, stealing what little warmth we had. Shadow followed, jumping down behind her.

  Anna walked toward the door with the Glock down at her side. She shielded her face with her free arm. She peered through the glass, then looked side to side. Her hand grabbed the black-metal door handle and tugged. The door opened with ease. She turned, looked over her shoulder at us, then shrugged.

  Shadow tested the air before walking in. Anna kept the Glock lowered with her finger resting against the trigger guard. The German shepherd took the lead. Anna followed.

  Cindy sat in the passenger seat, silent and tapping the tips of her fingers against the door while muttering something under her breath. She stared through the windshield with a blank look, still shaken from the ordeal she’d been through, then glanced over at me.

  “Nervous habit I do when stressed,” she said, removing her hand from the door. “I know it’s annoying, but it helps me calm down and think. Most people hate it.”

  I held up my hand. “No need to apologize. I get it more than you know. You’ve gone through a traumatic ordeal. I’d be surprised if you weren’t rattled from what you experienced.”

  Cindy tucked her hand under her leg, then nodded. “I’m not sure how to process everything, to be honest. It still feels surreal. Almost like it didn’t happen and maybe I’m dreaming. I know I’m not, but it feels that way. Do you know what I mean?”

  I bowed my head. “I do. It’s that surge of adrenaline flooding your body. Fight or flight taking hold. You’ll be riding that wave for a bit.”

  Cindy glanced at her trembling hand, then balled her fingers into a fist. She lowered her arm and rubbed her palm up and down the fronts of her jeans. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess.”

  “No need to apologize,” I replied. “Like I said, it’s understandable.”

  Anna pushed her way through the office door, then ran for the back seat of the SUV. She slung open the door. Shadow climbed inside the cab with Anna close behind.

  “Man, it’s chilly out there. Feels like the temp is still dropping.” Anna slammed the door behind her, then blew into her hands.

  I turned in my seat and glanced back at her. “Did you see anyone in there?”

  Anna shook her head, blowing into her cupped hands. “Nope. The office behind the counter was empty. Looks like they might have bailed and forgot to lock up.”

  “You got the key to the room, though, right?” I asked.

  Anna flashed me the key wedged in her palm, then pointed ahead of us. “Go straight through here and head to the far side of the complex. It’s room 20B on the bottom floor.”

  I turned about face, shifted the SUV into drive, and pulled out from under the covering. We drove across the parking lot, past the few cars, toward the far corner of the motel. The shades in most of the rooms had been drawn. A door to one of the rooms sat open, allowing the gray ash to blow inside.

  “And you’re sure this place is safe?” I asked, peering inside the dimness of the room as we passed by.

  “It’s about as safe as any place can be, all things considered,” Anna replied through chattering teeth. “We needed a place to hold up for a bit and you got it.”

  I drove to the far end of the motel, passing room 20B. I spun the steering wheel clockwise, turning the SUV toward the row of empty parking spaces that lined the wooden fence.

  My foot pumped the brake. I shifted into reverse and backed under the covering attached to the side of the building. The bulk of the SUV blocked the narrow drive, leaving maybe ten feet or so between the vehicle and wooden privacy fence that had vines growing all around the tops.

  I killed the engine, then pulled the keys from the ignition. I turned and nodded at Cindy, then glanced back to Anna. “Why don’t you take Cindy inside? I’m going to check out the trunk of the SUV to see if they left anything useful back there.”

  Anna peered over the back seat to the cargo hold. “Looks like they do have some stuff back here. A few large, black duffle bags. Can’t make out what’s in them, though.”

  Cindy opened the passenger side door and got out. Anna reached across the back seat, past Shadow who blocked the door. She tugged on the handle, then pushed the door open. Shadow turned, then jumped to the ground. Anna slid across the seat, exiting the vehicle.

  They slammed their doors closed, walked alongside the building, then vanished around the corner.

  I grabbed the gas mask from the dash, pulled it over my head, then flipped the hood of the coat up and over the top of the mask. I stowed my piece in the waistband of my pants, then secured the keys in the front pocket of the coat.

  I pushed the driver’s side door open, got out of the SUV, and closed it behind me. I walked toward the rear of the vehicle and popped the hatch. The door lifted, revealing the duffle bags stowed in the cargo hold. I unzipped the rucksacks and sifted through each, finding a goldmine of various weapons, ammo, and some additional masks.

  Gunfire crackled behind me. I spun on the heels of my shoes, pulled the piece from my waistband, and brought it to bear.

  I spotted no movement in the flurry of ash. Slowly, I made my way down to the far corner of the building, then stopped. I peeked around the corner, scanning the empty parking lot.

  A car sat parked at the opposite end of the motel, facing an opening that went beyond the edge of the privacy fence. Its brake lights flashed red. It pulled away in a hurry, vanishing beyond the wooden pickets. I glanced down the walkway before the row of rooms, but spotted no threats lurking about.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. The eerie presence of someone standing close crawled over me. I listened, then turned my head to the side.

  A pointed object pressed to my coat, poking my ribs. I caught a glimpse of black boots and pants standing a scant inch behind me. An arm reached past me, grabbing the piece from my hand.

  “Where are the keys to the SUV?” the gruff voice asked, short and ill-tempered. “Give them up now and I won’t kill you.”

  “Listen, pal. Just take it—”

  He pressed harder to my side. The tip of what felt to be a blade poked my ribs. “All I want is the keys to the SUV. I don’t want to kill you, man, but I will.”

  “All right. Be cool.” I stood still, avoiding any sudden movements. “I’m going to get them for you, but I need for you to relax.”

  “Don�
��t mess with me,” he said, jerking my body closer to him. “You try anything funny, and I’ll gut you right here. I swear I will.”

  “I’m not messing with you. I have to reach inside my coat pocket for them, though.” My hand lowered from the air. The blade twitched. I dug my hand into the front pocket of the coat, then pulled them out.

  “Come on. Hurry it up.” He grew more agitated with each passing second. The blade wavered from my side.

  I held the keys in the air—out of his reach. He removed the knife from my ribs and reached for them. I leaned to the side and rammed my elbow into his face.

  A cry of pain fled his lips. He stumbled back, giving me space to work. I turned about and faced him.

  He hunched over with his free hand pressed to his head. The thick, brown-suede jacket and hood concealed a portion of his face. I didn’t spot my piece in either of his hands.

  I attacked, going on the offensive.

  He stood up straight, then swung the blade at my midsection.

  I grabbed his arm, then hammered his wrist with my fist. The blade dropped and clanged off the pavement. He threw an arching left cross. I blocked the attack with my forearm. I kneed him in the stomach, then threw him against the side of the building. His back slammed against the brick, and he fell forward to his knees.

  A stabbing pain fired in my side, stealing my momentum. I cringed, but advanced just the same.

  He dug his hand into the pocket of his coat. I punched him in the face again, knocking him to the ground. He pulled my piece from his coat pocket, fumbled the weapon in his hands, then dropped it to the pavement.

  I grabbed the heater, then trained the barrel at his face. I towered over the beaten thug, staring at his scrunched nose and furrowed brow from within the hood.

  He quivered, flat on his back. His hands came up, shielding his face. He looked away, then closed his eyes.

  “Get up,” I said, training the pistol at the ground next to him. He didn’t budge. “Get up now, and get out of here.”

  He looked up at me, shaking, and lowered his arm to the ground.

  I took a step back, then nodded. “Go now before I change my mind.”

  The man scrambled to his feet, then ran past the SUV. He kept going, vanishing from my sight. I grabbed the knife from the pavement and slipped it and the keys inside the pocket of my coat. I secured the pistol back in the waistband of my pants, then walked over to the cargo hold of the SUV.

  I pulled both duffle bags out, closed the rear hatch, then made my way to the room. I scanned the surrounding motel rooms and the front entrance near the office for the thug, or any other unsavory types, but didn’t see anyone.

  The door cracked open just as I reached for the brass doorknob. Anna poked her head around the edge of the door. Shadow growled from the dim interior.

  “You okay?” she asked, backing away from the door. “I thought I heard gunfire.”

  I walked inside the motel room, then stepped to the side. She closed the door behind me. I dropped the duffle bags to the floor.

  Shadow sniffed the bags, then glanced up to me. I pulled the hood back, removed the gas mask, then slipped the pack from my shoulders. “Yeah. Not sure where the gunfire came from. I came across a car at the backside of the motel that sped away. Then, some guy tried to jump me and take the keys to the SUV. He said he spotted us rolling into the parking lot. There could be others in the area looking to do the same thing, so we’ll need to keep an eye out for that.”

  Anna walked past me toward the window facing the parking lot. She stood to the side with the Glock clutched in her hand, peeking around the thick curtains that hung over the window.

  “I don’t see anyone out there, now.” Her head moved closer to the window. “Did you take care of him?”

  “Yeah. Not sure where he ran off to, though.” I peered over the motel room, taking in the single king-sized bed, small round table and chairs, and the wide dresser against the wall that filled the space. I tossed my pack to the floor. “Where’s Cindy?”

  Anna let go of the curtain, severing what little bit of light shone into the room. “The bathroom in the back.”

  “Is there power?” I asked, checking the light switch on the wall.

  “Nope. Not working here. She went back there and closed the door. Sitting in the dark for all I know,” Anna answered.

  I grabbed the duffle bags and hauled them over to the bed. I unzipped both and felt around in each, hunting for a flashlight, lantern, or anything else to give us some light.

  Shadow’s silhouette moved in front of the bed, then vanished as she lay down on the floor.

  “Is there anything of use in those bags?” Anna asked, stepping alongside me.

  “There is.” I pointed at the bag in front of her. “That one has weapons and some ammo in it. This one has some gas masks and hopefully a damn lantern or something to give us some light in here.”

  “Oh, nice. Lucky score, then.” Anna moved in the low light, rummaging through the rucksack.

  My hand brushed over something that felt like a handle. I took hold of the black object and pulled it from the bag. I held it up in front of me, then turned to the side where a scant bit of light bled through the narrow opening between the curtains. It looked and felt like a lantern with a hand crank on it.

  “I think I’ve got something, here.” I cranked the handle, turning it over and over again. Light flickered from within the clear-plastic casing. I continued turning for a bit longer. The light grew brighter, illuminating the dark space. “There. That’s better.” I sat the lantern on the bed to the side of the duffle bags.

  Anna pulled various pistols and a sawed-off shotgun from the rucksack in front of her. She sat them to the side of the bag. “So, what’s going on here?”

  “What do you mean?” I replied, removing the masks from the bag.

  “The woman in there. This situation we seem to have ourselves wrapped up in. What are you thinking? I know you’re plotting something.” She ejected the magazine from one of the handguns.

  I set the masks on the bed, then turned to face her. “I’m thinking we can’t just leave her alone. You know as well as I do those people who killed her husband aren’t going to just let her and her son walk away from whatever it is they’re wrapped up in.”

  Anna slapped the magazine back into the well, then set it down. “And how is that our problem? If I do recall, you have your own shit you need to be concerned with.”

  “Believe me, I haven’t forgotten about it.” I nodded toward the restroom. “But I’m not sure I could live with myself after handing her off to the wolves. Us ditching her and bouncing would be just that. With the way things are, the police have bigger issues to contend with and will be no help. The rule of law has already slipped. We saw that back in LA with the gangs running rampant through the streets. Who knows if it’ll be that way across the country.”

  “Okay. You still haven’t answered the question, though,” Anna shot back. “What do you plan on doing? What’s the endgame here?”

  I scratched at the coarse stubble on my chin. “I figured I’d go over to that Jessie’s place and see what he knows while you stay here with Cindy and Shadow. Shouldn’t take too long. If he doesn’t know anything or nothing comes of it, then, we’ll leave and take her to her husband’s friend’s place.”

  Anna nodded and continued to sift through the firearms stowed in the duffle bag. “You know, guilt’s a dangerous thing. It can put you in a bind and before you know it, you’re screwed. Don’t let it swallow you, Lawson. We’ve got to play things smart now, more so than ever before.”

  “I haven’t forgotten what’s at stake,” I replied. “Getting to my family is job one, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help those in need along the way. Besides, I’m not the only one chasing after something, am I?”

  Anna racked one of the pistols clutched in her hand, then glanced my way.

  The door to the restroom opened. Cindy stepped out, sniffling, and wiping her h
and across her face. She paused, then glanced at the duffle bags and weapons laid out on the top of the bed. “What’s going on here?”

  Anna set the pistol down next to the others.

  I glanced over to Cindy. “I have a plan.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  SCARFACE

  The morning drew on as we closed in on Elko. Only five miles separated us and civilization.

  My head stayed on a swivel, checking the side-view mirror every other second for any vehicles breaking through the wall of falling ash.

  Jackal checked the rearview mirror, then glanced over at me. “You still think it’s a good idea to stop up here? There could be more of those men who were in the town. You heard the transmission from that two-way radio. They had to be somewhat close by and this town seems to be the only one in the area.”

  “We don’t have much of a choice.” I stared out of the windshield at the fluttering ash. “If the weather keeps getting colder and the ash continues to fall like it is, we’re going to need proper gear. We also need to see about getting some gas. What we have in the tank isn’t going to get us to Utah and our payday. Besides, I’d rather not break down in the middle of nowhere if at all possible.”

  “You and me both.” Jackal drove around another car that sat in the middle of the highway.

  “We’ll just get what we need and move on,” I said. “Try to keep the jeep out of sight as much as we can in case any armed patrols roll through there.”

  A large sign materialized through the falling ash on the side of the highway. Welcome to Elko.

  Jackal followed the curve of the road toward the small town. The buildings in the near distance emerged through the dull-gray sky. No big skyscrapers or sprawling luxury complexes caught my eye, just an array of various-sized local businesses that lined the road on both sides of the street.

  The traffic lights swung back and forth in the wind—powerless and dead. The businesses we passed had their windows boarded up. Closed signs hung on the fronts of the doors. It was a ghost town with no hint of life.

  I skimmed over the buildings, hunting for a gas station or shop for us to procure some proper gear, but found nothing more than useless businesses that wouldn’t satisfy our needs.