Caldera | Book 12 | Kingdom Come

by Stallcup, Heath

  Davis gave her a mild shrug. “Chihuahua, Mexico?”

  “Any particular reason?”

  Another shrug. “That’s the only city in Mexico I’ve ever been to.” He gave her a sheepish smile. “I’m pretty sure there are plenty of places there we could hide.”

  She nodded firmly. “Chihuahua it is, then.” She stepped away from the pair. “I’m going to spread the word to the others.”

  Andre watched her for a moment then turned to Davis. “How dangerous will this be?”

  Davis gave him a cautious look. “Make no mistakes about this, Doc. We’re running for our lives. If they catch us, odds are they won’t be kind.”

  “Understood.” He glanced out of the front glass at the soldiers hurriedly crating gear. “Perhaps along the way you could give us pointers on how to use your weapons.” He turned back to Davis and raised a brow. “Just in case.”

  “Sorry!” Herman called back as the RV’s suspension bottomed out on a rut along the dirt road. “Sometimes I can’t see these things until I’m right up on them.”

  “Just please go easy,” Veronica said as she held Simon’s hand. She watched as he winced and his body tensed as spasms of pain jolted through him.

  “I got him, Vee.” Hammer set his cane to the side and hovered over the man’s body, spread out on the dining table that had been converted to a bed. “I won’t let him slide off.”

  “Just help Herman look for road hazards, would you please? It’s the jarring motion that causes him the most discomfort.”

  Hammer raised a brow before slowly nodding. “Sure, doc. I got this.” He gripped his cane and swayed with the rocking motion of the RV as he made his way forward. “Slow this motherfucker down, will ya?” he shouted as he fell into the front passenger seat. “Doc says it’s better to go slow and gentle. You don’t want Simon to snap awake and come up here and kick your ass, do you?”

  Herman gave him a go to hell look. “You wanna prop your wrinkled old ass into this seat and take over? I’ll gladly sit over there and bitch about your driving, if you want to.”

  “My ass ain’t wrinkled,” Hammer huffed as he pulled his bum leg up and crossed it over his good one. “My nutsack is, though.” He smiled at him through crooked teeth. “Kind of reminds me of your mug.”

  “You’re nasty, you know that?” Herman shook his head as he continued to drive. “I don’t reckon you know which way it is to the trauma center we’re headed for?”

  “Look for the blue ‘H’ signs on the road. If they got a hospital, odds are there’s a trauma center there.”

  Herman slowed, and the RV behind him laid on the horn, alerting him that they weren’t happy with his driving. “I don’t know why they all decided to pull up roots and come with.”

  Hammer sighed and glanced over his shoulder to Vee, still clinging to Simon’s hand. “In case they need more blood. Or someone to run and get something.”

  “Why bring their damned trailers with them?” Herman muttered.

  Hammer gave him a ‘duh’ look. “We have no idea how long it will take him to recover. We can’t know if they’ll need more blood later. Hell, we could be there for months.” He shot Herman a look that was totally missed. “You want to sleep in a hospital waiting room for a month? Try to shower your nasty old ass with alcohol? I doubt the plumbing’s still working.”

  Herman’s face twisted and he flipped Hammer the bird. “You made your point.”

  “And I’m about to snap yours off and shove it up your—”

  “Boys!” Veronica called out. “Please, that’s enough. You two are fighting like an old married couple.”

  Hammer’s mouth fell open then he quickly closed it. He glanced at Herman who smirked at him. “Fine. If we’re an old married couple, you’re the nagging wife.”

  Herman chuckled then glanced in the rearview mirror to see Veronica still hovering over Simon. He reached into his lap and cupped his genitals. With a whispering voice he told Hammer, “I got your old woman right here.”

  Hammer grinned at him. “Finally. Something we can agree on.”

  Lana watched from the low scrub as the wagon train of RVs made their way down the mountain. She pushed farther through the brush when she saw the RV that she and Simon had driven out there crest a hill and make a slow approach.

  “No…” she murmured. “I killed that stupid bastard dead.”

  She fell to the ground and did a belly crawl closer to the road. She slid up alongside the base of a tree and cautiously moved a low hanging branch away from her eyes. She couldn’t make out the driver, but she recognized the old biker, Hammer, sitting in the passenger seat closest to her.

  She watched as the RV’s brake lights flashed and the truck and trailer behind them laid on the horn. The others slowed, forming a delayed reaction that crept all the way back up the hill and to the other side.

  “Where the hell are they all going?” she whispered to herself.

  She fell back into the scrub and patted the ground beside her. She found Tony’s wrist and gripped it, pulling his hand close to her mouth. She swung the dismembered limb around and sank her teeth into the thick flesh of his bicep. As she tore off a piece of the sweet meat, she chewed only slightly before swallowing the chunk whole. “Too bad you was such a pussy.” She bit off a chunk from the back of the arm as the last of the RVs drove by, the dust from their tires obscuring them from her vision. “You might coulda made a good alpha, if you had any balls.”

  She pushed up from the ground and swung the limb up and over her shoulder, letting it dangle as she pushed her way through the brush and undergrowth. When she emerged into the clearing, she swiped the dirt and debris from her clothing then pulled the door open to Tony’s truck. The bloody smears soaked into the seat didn’t matter to her as she hopped into the cab and twisted the key.

  She took another big bite from the thick tricep muscle then tossed the arm out of the window. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand then put the truck into gear, spinning the wheel as she floored the accelerator, whipping the ass end around and pointing the nose of the truck towards the dirt road where the RVs had disappeared.

  She smiled to herself as she pulled out and slowly made her way down the mountain. She didn’t know where they were going, but she knew one thing for certain…she was going to find out.

  7

  Hatcher woke with a start, his hand instantly slapping at his hip where his pistol should be. “Whazzat? What’s happening?” He sat up so abruptly that he startled Rich.

  “Easy there, Sheriff.” Rich reached for his hand and slowly lowered it. “I just got off the horn with Larry. Willie and the boys are loading up and burning rubber this way.”

  Hatcher sat on the edge of the couch and wiped at his eyes. “How long was I out?”

  “Not nearly long enough.” Rich sat across from him and gave him a cautious look. “You need to rest more.”

  Hatcher slowly shook his head and tried to come to his feet before his body revolted and he fell back onto the cushions. “What’s wrong with me?”

  “You’re not awake yet.” Rich slowly came to his feet. “Everything is okay, bud. Just…why don’t you lay back and close your eyes. I’ll make you a coffee.”

  Hatcher nodded groggily and slowly slid along the back of the couch until his head hit the armrest. He closed his eyes and Rich noted that he was snoring before he’d walked out of the living room.

  Making a mental note to be quieter, he slipped from the living room and out to the garage. He glanced at the darkening sky and ground his teeth. If he had an army of infected, he’d wait until it was dark and hit his target with everything he had.

  He spotted Roger talking with two other men and slowly approached. He waited until the others broke away and nodded to Roger. “That Hatcher sure is a light sleeper.” He twisted the cap from a bottle of water and took a long pull. “Poor guy is wiped out.”

  “He has a tendency to push himself.” Roger stretched his neck and squinted at t
he horizon. “It’s nearly dark.”

  Rich nodded knowingly. “If I were them, I’d use that to my advantage.”

  “That is, if they know where we actually are.”

  Rich raised a brow. “After cutting us off on the street and putting on their little display of force, do you really think they don’t?”

  Roger checked his magazine again then slammed it home in the magwell of the rifle. “One can hope.”

  “We’re going to need more than hope.”

  “Speaking of…” Roger trailed off.

  Rich nodded. “Willie and the guys are loading out and…” he glanced at his watch, “I’d bet they’re on the road already. Not sparing any horses, either.”

  “Good.” Roger breathed a slight sigh of relief. “How many are you?”

  Rich rubbed at his jaw. “I can’t guess if Will would arm up the younger men.” He gave him a sideways glance. “We got a lot in that fifteen to nineteen category.”

  “Your best guess?”

  Rich thought for a moment. “I’d say sixty shooters. Minimum.”

  Roger did some quick math in his head. “Good; that’s good. Every bit counts.” He gave Rich a curious look. “And if he brings the teenagers?”

  “Eighty. Maybe more.”

  “I can definitely work with those numbers.” Roger sighed as he watched the reinforcements for the wall sentries make their way to their stations. He pulled his radio and pressed the talk button. “Remember, keep all lights to a minimum. They may not know our location, and there’s no sense in broadcasting it until we have to.” He glanced at Rich and gave him a tight lipped smile. “It’s going to be a long night.”

  “Just keep the coffee coming. We’ll make do.”

  Roger handed him his thermos. “Reinforce the gate guards. I’ll relieve you in a couple of hours. We won’t get a lot of sleep, but a few winks here and there is better than nothing.”

  “Copy that.” Rich gripped the thermos and turned for the gate. “If we’re lucky, they’ll be here by dawn.”

  Roger paused and stared at him. “I thought they were in Utah?”

  Rich nodded, a slow smile forming. “Willie likes his motorcycles. And he loves to go fast.”

  “Understood.” Roger glanced at the new guys nervously watching the gate. “You might spread the word to the guards what to expect come morning. They should be relieved we have support coming in.”

  “You got it boss.” He gave Roger a mock salute then turned for the gates. “God help them if Willie runs into the bastards before they find us.”

  “Make sure you get all the munitions before you hit the road,” Davis told the men. “We can’t risk any civilians getting their hands on military weaponry.”

  “Yes, sir.” The sergeant saluted as Davis spun on his heels and climbed into Molly. “We won’t be more than a day behind you, Lieutenant.”

  “Good to know. If we run into any trouble, we’ll try to radio. Otherwise, keep your eyes on the road. If we can’t contact over the air, we’ll leave an obvious sign.”

  The sergeant saluted again as Davis started the truck. “See you in Salinas, sir.”

  “Be careful. And keep your convoy tight.” Davis gave him a knowing nod before putting the truck into gear and pulling away from the compound.

  Andre leaned toward him and lowered his voice. “How did you convince them not to come with us?”

  Davis sighed heavily. “I lied.” He kept his eyes straight ahead as he maneuvered the oversize transport. “I told them that the major ordered us to bug out ASAP. Then I told them that they were to pick the compound clean of all military equipment and bring it with them.” He glanced at his watch and smiled. “The four men I sent out earlier should be a good distance from us by now.”

  Andre raised a brow at him. “The men with the trackers?”

  He nodded. “I sent them out about an hour ago in a civilian vehicle. They’re going to stick to the highways and run like hell for Canada.”

  “And once they get there?” Carol asked.

  Davis gave a slight shrug. “I left that to them. If they wish to stay, they have my blessing. If they want to work their way to California, they just need to dump the trackers on the other side of the border first.” He glanced at her and gave her a soft smile. “Either way, I wish them nothing but the best.”

  “You’re a good man, Lieutenant.”

  “I’d like to think so, ma’am.” He glanced to the rear view and saw the other researchers rocking and swaying with the truck’s movements. “What about them, ma’am?”

  “What about them?”

  “Are they aware of what we’re doing?”

  She glanced to Andre then nodded. “Fully aware, Mr. Davis.”

  “And they’re okay with running?” He glanced back at them then back to the road. “They realize the ramifications?”

  “None of them were comfortable with weaponizing this thing.” She swallowed hard. “In their own words, they’d rather die trying to escape then live with something like that on their conscience.”

  Davis nodded as he switched gears and turned for the interstate. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, ma’am.”

  Hammer lowered the handheld CB radio and glanced back to Veronica. “Hey, Doc, Junkyard just called in. He’s followed the signs into Santa Fe and found that Saint Vincent Regional.” He gave her a knowing look and slowly shook his head. “He’s says it was nearly burnt down.”

  Veronica’s face fell and she squeezed her eyes shut. “That’s the only certified trauma unit for…” her voice cracked as she tried to think. “See if he can check out Presby. Tell him to go south until he hits 25 then head west. It should be on the left, just off the interstate.”

  “Gotcha.” Hammer turned back around and keyed the radio.

  Veronica gripped Simon’s hand and squeezed. “Stay with me, sweetheart. We’ll find a place that’s better equipped than my old trailer, and we’ll patch up all those leaks inside.” She kissed the back of his hand and raised her face to the ceiling. “You know that he’s a good man; help me to save him. Please.”

  “Doc, he’s saying that the interstate is jammed up at the interchange. He’s gonna have to take side streets to get there, so it might take a little bit.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her tongue to keep from yelling. “Just do your best.” She stared down at Simon then glanced to the IV swinging beside him. “Just hold on, Simon. Don’t you give up on me.”

  She lowered her head and muttered silent prayers while the RV rocked and swayed with the unevenness of the road. When Hammer called back again, she nearly jumped.

  “Bad news, Doc. He said even in the darkness, he can tell the place has been leveled.” He sighed heavily and peered at her in the gloom of the interior. “Heavily fire damaged.”

  “Of course it is.” She felt her jaw quiver then slowly came to her feet. “His IV is nearly done. I need an O-positive volunteer.”

  “What about the trauma center?” Hammer asked.

  She pinched her eyes shut and squeezed Herman’s shoulder. “Just pull over and let’s get somebody hooked up to him.” She glanced at Hammer and slowly shook her head. “Tell him to find a way back onto 25 and keep following it. It turns more to the south and…” She blew her breath out hard. “I know there are a stack of hospitals just north of Albuquerque, and they go on into the city center. We’ll just keep working our way south until we run out of blood donors or find a place still standing.”

  “Gotcha, Doc.” Hammer brought the radio up and relayed the orders to Junkyard. Then he made a plea for an O-positive donor.

  Time slowed and he stared out the windshield as Veronica invited the donor in and hooked her to the IV. He glanced up at the moon in the night sky and uttered his own silent prayer to any god willing to lend a helping hand.

  For Doc’s peace of mind, if nothing else.

  Lana watched as the RVs all pulled over and she tried to let the truck roll to a stop so that her brak
e lights wouldn’t reflect and catch attention. She lifted the binoculars to her face and could just make out a female jumping from one of the rigs and running to the RV she’d once shared with Simon.

  “That son of a bitch has to be dead,” she muttered to herself. “If he was alive, he’d be stopping them so he could get a fresh piece of tail.” She chuckled to herself. “Hell, if I’d known he wanted to play the field a little, I woulda been okay with that.” She laughed as she lowered the binoculars. “Hell, I would have helped him recruit the girls, if he’d let me watch.”

  She picked at the meat in her teeth with a broken pinky fingernail. She sucked at the errant string of flesh as the motorcade fired up again and began trudging down the highway once more.

  She shook her head at the idea of all of those people just driving off…but to where? She noted the small ball compass on the dash and put two and two together.

  “Oh my god.” She sat up, her eyes wide. “They’re going back to deal with the Cagers.” All the pieces fell into place in her twisted mind and she felt a surge of adrenaline pulse through her. “He must have told those bikers about them and now they blame the Cagers. They got to deal with his army now.” She chuckled to herself as she imagined a group of gray haired bikers, a few old women and a couple of whiney-assed cuckolds trying to wage war, but the idea that even in death Simon had rallied his troops to get revenge had her juices flowing.

  “Oh, baby…” she cooed, “was I wrong about you this whole time?”

  Jedidiah pressed his ear to the door of the theater and could hear the grunts and growls within. He knew that his soldiers were beginning to feel the pangs of hunger again and was tempted to release them and let them do their worse.

  His hand had gripped the polished brass pull of the double doors when he felt the unmistakable presence of the angel of the Lord. He slowly turned and tried to squeeze his eyes shut at the magnificence of light as it permeated his entire body.