Sanctuary's Aggression Box Set

by Maira Dawn

  But Rocky had a particular hatred for a yellow lab two doors down. When that lab walked anywhere within Rocky's sight or smell, Rocky tensed and stilled, eyes zeroed in on that dog and that dog alone. Fur stood all along the ridge of his back, and a low, barely perceptible growl came from his throat. If Rocky hadn't listened to Calvin so well, there would've been yellow lab dog guts all over the yard.

  Calvin eyed Tony. He wasn't sure the man would listen as well as the dog. Tony had tracked the boy since they settled in this spot.

  Calvin wasn't the only one who noticed. Frankie frowned and said, "No hurtin my boy!" wisely reneging on his invitation for Tony to give the boy a couple of licks. In Tony's current mood, a couple would be all it would take to do in the slight boy. Tony didn't respond.

  Calvin approved. Good for Frankie, sticking up for his kid. A man should always take care of his family, no matter what. I hope the kid makes it.

  Calvin glanced at Jesse before giving Frankie the once over. Taking in the father's hungover, haggard appearance, he doubted the guy had what it took to bring Tony down. Calvin would have looked forward to the match if there was more sport in it, but he could already see Frankie's crushing defeat.

  Poor kid. What's coming for him isn’t going to be easy.

  29

  Deserted

  Skye and Curt took lookout, each looking down opposite sides of the road.

  Dylan pulled her shoulder, "Hey, can you make out that thing there?"

  "You have the best sight I've ever seen. If you can't, I doubt I can."

  "Just see what you see." Dylan stepped behind her, extending his arm over her shoulder and pointing to what he was talking about.

  It was a tall, red, slim structure. "To me, it looks like -- I don't know, perhaps a statue of some kind? But roughly made, like someone made it after, not before. Ask Jesse. He has the youngest eyes."

  "Hey, Jesse, come over here and take a gander," Wade said. "Maybe your eyes are not all used up yet."

  Jesse skipped to Wade's side. "There's holes in it."

  Wade turned to Skye. "Put some binoculars on the list." Skye agreed. It was an excellent idea.

  Dylan paced a little. "I don't like it. Means people are there, or have been there, for long enough to build that thing."

  All eyes shifted from Dylan to Wade, waiting for him to offer his opinion. "Yeah, but they could be gone. Or it could just be a couple people down there."

  "Or it could be twenty or thirty.”

  "Naw. We'd see that many."

  "Maybe not, it's a big store." Dylan threw out his arm. "We got the woman and boy with us. It's too big a chance. We don't need this stuff that bad."

  Skye bristled. ”Hey, don't use us as an excuse. We knew what we were getting into. We can handle it. And we do need that stuff."

  Dylan stopped and stared at her. "Really? I know you don't want to put the boy in danger after what just happened in Colton. I can't watch all ya."

  Irritation flared in Skye. "Can you have a little confidence in us? You're the one who's been training us after all."

  Dylan strode over to Skye. "Well, it's my job to protect you."

  "And it's ours not to need your protection one hundred percent of the time."

  She put a hand to Dylan's chest. "I appreciate you wanting to do that, Dylan. But you can't --." Skye noticed the raised eyebrows and elbow nudges around the group. Their conversation entertained the group a little too much. "Okay, this is a conversation for another time. We are here now. We need this stuff, if at all possible. Is there somewhere closer we can watch the place?"

  Dylan huffed and walked a few paces away.

  Wade shrugged. "Not as good, but maybe good enough."

  The group moved to the spot Wade suggested. While they could no longer see the entire square of the building, they did have a better view of the store's front doors. Propped open, the glass entrance seemed to offer an invitation to enter. It was clear someone had been there. And if Dylan was right, they could still be.

  They could now see the unidentified structure for what it was, a work of art. Handmade, it towered over the parking lot. A lift in the corner of the pavement explained its height. Someone had spent weeks building it.

  Still unsure, Dylan went to scout it closer. While everyone waited for Dylan's okay, Skye watched Jesse terrorize some ants while the men kept an eye out.

  Forty-five minutes later, Dylan came back. "People have been movin around down there. Hard to tell if it was a group or family. But, if we're going to do this, let's get it done."

  Dylan and Skye took the lead. Dylan continuously scanned their surroundings as they drove down the hill to the store parking lot. Skye eyed the colossal statue as they drove under it. It was a statue of a man or parts of one. Every time Skye looked at it, she swore it was taller.

  Maybe it was its size and shape, or that such a strange piece of art stood in this unexpected place, but it was eerie.

  Painted blood-red, its body was created from piecemeal scraps of metal and wood. Poorly made, it stood on two twisted, misshapen legs. One arm reached out entreating passersby for help. The other limb went only to the elbow. With the rest of the arm in a jumbled pile on the ground below.

  The face was the most finely constructed part of the piece. It contained more detail than all the rest of the creation put together. It showed a man in agony, eyes wide and mouth screaming.

  Though roughly made, it was art. There was no doubt it represented the disastrous state humankind now found itself in. It both frightened and deeply saddened Skye. She shivered.

  "Strange," Dylan mumbled.

  "Yeah."

  At the market's front doors, they parked and exited their cars as quietly as possible. Once inside, every scrape of a foot, every shift of weapons, and even a sniff echoed throughout the dark, deserted building.

  Used to seeing the store bustling with light, people, and energy, to see it like this brought back the weird feeling Skye felt near the statue. Her mind flashed to every horror movie she'd ever seen. Putting her arm around Jesse, she pulled them both closer to Dylan.

  People had been here. The checkouts sat to the left side of them. Notes along with money covered the conveyor belt left by honest-hearted people hoping things would get back to normal one day. The pile was covered with a thin layer of dusty dirt. No one cared -- money was worthless now.

  To the right, the fresh fruit and vegetable section sat empty, not even an apple left. It was just as well. The smell of so much rotten food would've driven them out. A few broken jars of garlic lay scattered on the floor. They’d left a strong aroma but nothing else. Ahead, the shelving still contained a surprising amount of items on them. It gave the group hope they would find everything they needed.

  Dylan gestured for Aaron and Curt to go with him to check out the aisles, while Wade, Jesse, and Skye would stay near the cash registers. The three men made it to the end of the rows then gave the all clear.

  Each person grabbed two buggies to fill. Skye winced at the clamor as they clanged and screeched across the floor.

  Lord, I hope no one is within miles of this place.

  30

  Headlines

  Skye stifled a giggle. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen anything so absurd as the large men speeding off with their buggies while shouldering their guns and bows.

  Dylan swept a muscled arm through a shelf, dumping its contents directly into the metal cart. He looked up at her, frowned and gave a sharp nod in the direction she was supposed to be going.

  "I know." Skye looked contrite.

  "Then get."

  Skye playfully rolled her eyes at him. His tone hadn't been as harsh as his words.

  Skye turned the opposite way of Dylan at the next cross-aisle and headed to the part of the store that held personal items. Each person had designated items, and she had assigned herself this area. Skye had no faith the men would even remotely know the right soaps or anything else to get. And there were a few extras she hope
d to sneak into the buggy.

  On her way to personal products, she passed through the toy section and grabbed a couple of games Jesse requested along with all the model car kits left. She spied a red remote-control car and tossed it in the buggy too. Books, paper, pens, and pencils flew into the cart. They were back in high demand now devices weren't used as much.

  In the personal section, she stuck to the essential things first like toothpaste, shampoo, soaps. When she claimed all they needed, Skye turned to luxury items. Moisturizers, conditioner, face masks, a couple of nail polishes just for fun, makeup, a brush all for herself, hair ties, and the many other things that a woman needs or wants after being deprived of them for so long.

  Skye was losing breath by the time she was done. Though she would've loved to take time to peruse the aisles, Skye scooped up products as fast as she could, happy she wasn't a picky person.

  Her eyes were on the cart looking over her haul as Skye whisked around the end of the aisle and almost colliding into Wade, Dylan and Jesse's buggies.

  "Hey, you done? What the?" Dylan said, giving her his I-can't-believe-you-woman look as his eyes moved from the cart to her.

  Skye looked at her supplies. Silently groaning, she noticed face masks and fingernail polishes on the top of the heaping pile. "Look, I got all the important products they had! Then I got a few things I wanted.”

  "A few things? I'm not sure all that is gonna fit in the cabin,” Dylan mumbled as he flipped through the pile.

  "Stop it. It's not that much." When Dylan didn't relent, Skye said, "Fine. Then dig through there and take out what you think I don't need." Skye looked from her stuff to the two uncomfortable men eyeing the numerous pink and purple packaged items.

  Jesse looked from the men to the buggy to Skye, snickering behind his hands. Skye threw up her arms. "Oh sorry, guys, in case you hadn't noticed I'm a girl!" Jesse went from snickering to all-out laughter.

  Wade turned to Jesse and thumped him in the head. "Have some respect, boy!"

  "Wade!" Skye put out a hand to stop him. "Do you have to be so physical? You know I hate that."

  "Yes, I do. And in case you hadn't noticed, we're boys." The three guys broke into laughter.

  "Boys is right," Skye muttered under her breath as she pushed past them.

  "Hey, you got me stuff!" Jesse pawed through the toys. "What's this?" He turned one of the books from front to back.

  "A book for you."

  "It's a love story." Jesse grimaced and pointed to a girl on the back of the book.

  "It's not a love book. It's a dragon story. See." Skye pointed out the man, the dragon, and the title. "The Dragon Master."

  "I don't know," he drew out, staring at the cover.

  "Oh, for heaven's sake, give me that." Skye tossed it back in the buggy. "We are getting it. I can't even imagine what shopping for real would be like with you guys."

  Dylan urged them back to the front of the store. As they rushed through the men and boy's clothing department, Skye grabbed jackets, coats, and sweatshirts. The men gave quick nods to everything. It was only when she veered to the jeans, they complained.

  "We don't want no new jeans." Wade looked stubborn.

  Skye's raised her eyebrows. "But your old ones all have holes in them."

  "Yeah, and they're just getting comfortable," Dylan said as he threw a few packs of dark thermal tops and bottoms into his buggy.

  Skye tossed some jeans in anyhow, at some point they'd be glad they had them.

  By the checkouts, Wade grabbed several dusty magazines. Dylan picked up one. The headlines screamed Atlantis exists! Leaders talk with President and offer hope for AgFlu! In smaller letters below that, another title said, Aliens take all the healthy to Mars!

  Dylan pointed to the Atlantis headline. "You ever believe any of that?"

  Before all news stopped, crazy reports flew around. One was that Atlantians had the cure for the AgFlu. Major new channels circulated the story along with footage of the supposed underwater people.

  Skye shook her head. "I never knew what to believe."

  "Well," Wade said, "you know we couldn't ever believe what the President told us, that's for sure! And the media just did what he told them to do."

  Jesse piped up. "Well, there ain't a President anymore."

  Wade took a huge breath. Dylan and Skye shared a glance. Wade was about to launch into one of his conspiracy theories.

  Dylan pulled at one of Wade's carts. "Come on now. There ain't time for all your ideas."

  Curt and Aaron ran into the store and traded empty carts for the full ones. "Still got room in the trucks. Let's fill 'em up!"

  "Well, put this in first." Wade pointed to his, Dylan and Jesse's buggies. "If that fills it up, just leave Skye's stuff off." Wade's eyes twinkled at Skye's outraged expression.

  Skye turned to Curt and Aaron. "Every one of those items better be in one of those vehicles!"

  "Yes, ma'am," they said before laughing as they headed out the front of the store.

  "Come on." Dylan waved them to the hardware and sports section. "Since they’re doing that, let's get the rest of this stuff." Tools, nails, and screws in a variety of sizes were all thrown into the buggy. Then all the bullets, arrows and bolts, as well as, knives, fishing gear, and the only two guns left.

  The four shot smiles at each other. They had everything on their list and then some.

  Getting it packed in the vehicles took some doing. And they were reduced to laughter by the time the last item made it in the truck. After banging up the final tailgate, they turned to see six rough strangers advancing on them, weapons drawn.

  31

  My Boy

  Calvin and Frankie stood on the hill overlooking the large store. They observed Dylan's group as they rushed in and out of the building filling their vehicles with supplies. Tony and Pete had made a case to corner Skye and Dylan's group while they were still in the building before going to look for a suitable ambush location. But why do that when Calvin could let them do all the work and take the fully loaded vehicles when it was done? Then Calvin and his men could find a decent house and hole up for the winter somewhere.

  Frankie scraped his shoe in the dirt and stones alongside the asphalt road. He was clearly working up his courage, and Calvin was pretty sure why.

  Frankie heaved a heavy sigh. "I don't want Tony touching my boy. He's got more than a beatin in mind."

  "That's not what you promised him earlier. The boy took something from him, and it's only fair he gets something in return." Calvin eyed Frankie then turned his gaze back to the store as if he were bored.

  "That was the alcohol talkin. You know as well as I do, Tony wants more than that, he wants to kill him."

  "Tony is a kinda rough guy. His reaction isn't surprising." Calvin waved his hand, he was done with this conversation.

  Frankie wouldn't be brushed off. "What's wrong with you? That's my kid, my flesh and blood! You think I'm gonna stand by and watch someone take him out?"

  Calvin watched another trip in and out of the store. Those people were like bees in a hive.

  "Have ya ever had a kid?" Frankie said. That got Calvin's attention. "Would you've stood by and let someone murder him?"

  A white bolt of shock shot through Calvin at the question. He'd run down the parent of every kid that called his son a bad name. No, he would never stand by.

  Calvin bowed his head at the memory of his lost children, his heart heavy. He turned to Frankie. "Look, I get it. But I can't take away from Tony what I promised him. You're new -- you might not even stick with us. Tony's been with me from the beginning." Calvin stared at the woods and pursed his lips before glancing back at Frankie. "But I'll tell you what, if you can get the boy away. I won't stop you."

  Frankie looked at Tony as he hobbled out of the trees. "Look at him, he's all muscle." Frankie glanced down at his own skinny frame and threw up his arms. "How am I supposed to do that?"

  Calvin's eyes narrowed. "You do what any go
od father does. You protect your child by any means necessary."

  Frankie settled and nodded. "I ain't been a good father. The drinking -- it makes me someone I don't wanna be."

  "Well, that's an easy fix. Stop drinking." Calvin stared at Frankie. "Be a better man before it's too late, and you don't have a boy anymore."

  The words seemed to resonate with Frankie. He grimaced. Calvin couldn't help but wonder if it was from his sorrow over being a less than stellar father or a future without a drink.

  Calvin crossed his arms. "I'll do what I can if you promise to do what you can." He waited for an assurance that Frankie would, at least, make an effort to take care of his child.

  "Yeah, okay, Of course, I will." Each word Frankie said became more determined.

  "I'm not helping you with that woman your boy is calling mama now. She's getting her due. Just the boy."

  "That's all I'm askin for."

  Calvin glanced back to the store. "Well, now. It might be out of our hands." Calvin and Frankie watched as six men came out of the woods from the left of the building. Their guns aimed at Dylan's group. "Well, they almost made it out."

  "We gotta save Jesse!" Frankie paled and raced to the car.

  "And get that stuff." Calvin scanned the area, coming up with a plan as he headed back to the vehicle.

  32

  Hope

  Skye trembled, shaken to the core. She didn't utter a word, but her lips shaped a silent 'no.' With one hand, she reached for Jesse, dragging him over to her. With the other, she grabbed Dylan's shirt, moving closer to him.

  Loaded with weapons, the six men oozed menacing attitude. Hard, rough men, their mismatched, dirty clothing looked like a rock band gone wrong. They stopped, smirks on their faces. They knew they had the upper hand.