Apocalyptic Beginnings Box Set

by M. D. Massey

2

  Angus pulls onto the road, and I barely look at my piece of junk when we drive past it. Good riddance.

  “So you gonna tell us your name or what?” Axl asks from the backseat.

  “Vivian,” I say. “Vivian Thomas.”

  Angus gives me that creepy grin again. “So where you comin’ from, Vivian?”

  The way he says my name sends a shudder through my body. Not to mention the fact that his eyes haven’t once focused on my face for more than two seconds.

  “Kentucky. Outside Louisville.”

  He laughs and shakes his head. “You thought that piece of shit was gonna get you all the way to California? I’ve seen some desperate folks the last few weeks, but that takes the cake.”

  “I had to try,” I say flatly.

  “What’s in California?” Axl leans forward.

  There’s a straightforward vibe in everything he says, unlike his brother. Angus tries to make every word out of his mouth sound light and teasing. Smooth. He’s anything but smooth.

  I turn to face Axl, really studying him for the first time. He’s got to be twenty-four, maybe twenty-five. His hair is longer than his brother’s, which is buzzed, and it looks soft and feathery. A nice dirty blond. He has a one-inch scar on the left side of his chin, almost reaching his lips, and his eyes are a startling shade of gray. Dark. Stormy like a rain cloud.

  “My daughter.” Axl’s eyes have me so mesmerized that the words are out before I realize it. I press my lips together and silently curse myself while twisting the strap of my purse between my fingers. That was stupid.

  “Then what’s in Kentucky?” Angus asks.

  I pull away from Axl and look straight ahead. Can’t get away from the truth now. “My life. Where I was living.”

  Angus raises an eyebrow. Might as well just go for broke. Who cares if they know? If this really is the end of the world, what does it matter anymore?

  “I grew up in California. I moved to Kentucky when I was eighteen, but before that I had a baby I gave up for adoption. I haven’t seen her since she was born. I just figured with everything that’s going on I should go meet her. She’s four now…”

  Angus purses his lips and nods. “Makes sense. You have any problems gettin’ travel papers? Hear it’s hard.”

  My heart drops to the floor. I twist in my seat to face Angus.

  “Don’t you have papers?” My throat is so tight that the words are barely a whisper. I have family in California, that’s the only way I was able to get travel papers. It was easy, once I paid the $500 for my physical and the $400 for my papers. Anyone without family is screwed. They’re not allowed to travel

  Angus laughs and narrows his eyes on my face at the same time. “Don’t worry. We ain’t infected.”

  “Where are your papers then?”

  Axl leans forward, practically sticking his face between the seats. His mouth turns down slightly in the corners. “We got papers, they just ain’t quite legitimate. But we ain’t infected.” His words ooze annoyance, but I don’t give a shit.

  “I want you to stop the car.” My body shakes. This isn’t how it ends for me. Being murdered by a pair of rednecks is one thing, but the virus is another.

  “Calm down,” Angus growls. “We got a physical and we were clean. We just didn’t have any reason good ‘nough to drive ‘cross the country. So we had to purchase some papers.” He narrows his eyes at me even more. “Under the table.”

  He’s lying. I don’t trust a word that comes out of his mouth. Not with that monkey grin he keeps flashing me.

  I face Axl. For some reason I believe those stormy eyes will tell me the truth. “You swear? I can’t get sick. Not now.”

  Axl nods, but Angus answers, “We’re clean.”

  My heart is still racing. Should I trust them? I twist my purse strap tighter around my finger. The weight of my gun presses on my legs. It helps keep me from panicking. I don’t have another option. Who else is going to give me a ride?

  “What’re you so worried ‘bout?” Axl’s voice is tight. Why is he so irritated by my presence? “They got this thing contained anyways. Saw it on the news.”

  Angus laughs and shakes his head. “That’s my kid brother, always lookin’ on the bright side.”

  I shift in my seat so I can see Angus, even though the bulge in his lip makes my stomach churn. He spits into an empty soda can and wipes his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt.

  Swallowing against the bile in my throat, I say, “You don’t think it’s contained?” Obviously I have my doubts or I wouldn’t be on this trip, but I’m curious what other people think. There are a lot of rumors out there.

  “Hell no, it ain’t contained,” Angus barks at me. “If it was contained do you think they’d be makin’ us see a doctor before lettin’ us travel? And what about this martial law bullshit? If this thing was even close to bein’ contained, why wouldn’t they just lock down them cities? Why put the whole country under martial law?” Angus spits so violently I’m afraid he’ll miss the can. Thankfully, most of it hits the mark. Only a few drops stain his hand.

  He has a good point.

  “The news said they haven’t had any new cases outside the locked-down areas. Not since they declared martial law six weeks ago.”

  Angus studies me with one eye, the other one on the road. “You gotta know I’m right or you wouldn’t be on this here trip.”

  “I wanted to see her, just in case.” I shake my head. I don’t want to talk about my daughter, not with this disgusting redneck and his brother. “What about you? You obviously don’t have family or you would have been able to go get papers. Where are you going?”

  “We’re gettin’ the hell away from the virus. That’s where we’re goin’,” Axl says.

  I look him up and down, trying to size him up. He’s hard to get a read on. “Thought you believed the government?”

  He shrugs. “Don’t hurt to take precautions.”

  “That’s right.” Angus nods. “Hell yeah. No way anyone is gonna tell the James brothers they can’t drive to California if they want.”

  “Got that right,” Axl says.

  For a brief second the exchange strikes me as sweet: them against the world. Then it hits me. What would they be willing to do to stay together? A shiver runs down my spine and I grip my purse tighter. Gun or no, getting in the car with these two probably wasn’t one of my better ideas.

  The world flies by in a blur. It almost makes me dizzy how fast it all disappears. Angus plays with the radio, constantly changing the station. He finds a song he likes and leaves it on long enough for the song to end before he starts searching again. This thing has a six-CD changer. Why doesn’t he put a CD in? I doubt he has an iPod; he doesn’t really seem like the type. I have one, but there’s no way my taste in music is the same as his. I picture him as a Billy Ray Cyrus type of guy. Not exactly my speed.

  In the back, Axl starts to snore. He’s stretched out across the seat, looking cozy. I’m jealous. My eyelids are heavy and the constant flipping of the radio is oddly soothing.

  “I’ve been awake for about fourteen hours now,” I say with a yawn. “I’m going to have to get some sleep.”

  “Go on ahead.” Angus doesn’t even glance my way.

  He still makes me nervous, but maybe he isn’t as disgusting as I originally thought. Maybe he just likes to put on a good show for other people.

  “Thanks.” I grab my jacket off the floor and roll it into a ball, so I can use it as a pillow. The fabric is stiff and scratchy, and not the least bit comfortable, but even before I close my eyes the world starts to drift away.

  Emily is in front of me. I haven’t seen a picture of her since she was nine months old, but I know it’s her. She has my golden blonde hair. My real hair, not the bottled stuff. And my eyes. They are big and round, soft brown and turned up slightly at the corners.

  Her mouth morphs into a wide smile, and she dances across the room, singing a silly song while she spins. It’s a dream. I
’ve been having the same one for weeks now.

  She sees me and stops. Her small face lights up. She smiles, revealing a dimple in each cheek. Just like me.

  “Hi.” Her voice is soft and musical. It breaks my heart. A tear rolls down my cheek but I’m too shaken to wipe it away.

  “Hi.” I take a small step toward her.

  “Wake up!” she screams at me, her voice deep and masculine.

  My eyes fly open and a small sob bubbles up in my throat. I cover my mouth with my hand as I turn my face toward the window. My cheeks are moist from tears and I quickly wipe them away. I don’t want Angus to think I’m weak.

  “Check point,” he says.

  He’s not looking at me. His body is tense and he grips the steering wheel tightly as the car slows. I don’t blame him for being nervous. He should be if his papers are fake. Hopefully they don’t slow me down. I have to get to California.

  “Axl!” The words comes out like a growl.

  His brother shoots up in the backseat. He sputters and makes sounds that are probably supposed to be words. They are not.

  A road block is set up in front of us. Four military vehicles and a group of heavily armed soldiers. The automatic weapons in their hands make my throat tighten. It’s not the first checkpoint I’ve gone through, but it still makes me nervous. I have too much at stake.

  Only one car is ahead of us. The tension in the Nissan swirls around us, threatening to suffocate me. I play with the hem of my shirt and lean forward, trying to get a better view. One soldier stands at the driver’s side, examining a few travel papers. Four others obstruct the road, their guns aimed at the car. After a few minutes the soldier hands the papers back and waves to the armed men, who step aside and turn their guns toward us. The other car speeds away.

  “Here we go,” Angus says.

  He pulls up and rolls down the window.

  “Papers!” the soldier barks.

  Angus hands them over without a word. I reach into my purse to get mine, but they aren’t there. My heart beats against my ribcage and little beads of sweat break out across my forehead. Where are they? I know I put them here. When I look up, Angus grins at me with his eyebrows raised. The soldier has three pieces of paper in his hand. Angus went through my purse while I was asleep.

  Axl sits forward so he can see between the driver and passenger seats, and I glance his way. Did he have anything to do with this? His hair is messy and his eyes are hazy from sleep. He stares back at me blankly. He doesn’t have a clue.

  “What business do you have in California?” The solider looks through the window. His eyes sweep over the three of us.

  “Family.” Angus sits up straighter, like he’s trying to appear bigger.

  The soldier frowns. “You have a different destination than the other two.” His eyes bore into me, dark brown and intense.

  “My car broke down. They were nice enough to offer me a ride.” I’m shaking, but not from fear. I’m furious that Angus went through my purse.

  The soldier nods. “You will stick to this route all the way to California, understand?”

  “Yes, sir. We are law abidin’ citizens.” Angus’s tone is too harsh. It sounds like an order.

  The soldier’s frown deepens, becoming exaggerated. “Route 66. That’s it.” He looks directly at Angus.

  Angus’s jaw tightens. He doesn’t like being challenged. “We. Heard. You.”

  For a second the two men stare at each other, not moving, but eventually the soldier sighs and hands the papers back. “Move on.”

  Angus takes them and folds them up, shoving them on the dashboard. He nods to the soldier then rolls the window up.

  “Asshole,” he mutters once the window is secure. The soldier must be able to read Angus’s lips, because his face darkens.

  “Shut up, Angus,” Axl hisses.

  Angus glares at his brother in the rearview mirror but doesn’t respond. The second the soldiers move, he slams his foot on the gas pedal. The tires squeal against the pavement as we speed away.

  I dig my nails into my palms so hard I’m sure they’ll draw blood. They’re long and red, fake like the rest of me. My body shakes. I should keep my mouth shut. Angus is already pissed at being challenged by the soldier. But I can’t. Not that I ever could.

  “You went through my purse while I was sleeping?” I say through clenched teeth.

  Angus barely glances at me. “So? I needed your papers for the roadblock.”

  “Don’t you dare!”

  Angus chuckles. “Or what? You’ll shoot me? Better check your purse again, Blondie.”

  My stomach bottoms out and I dig through my purse. My gun isn’t there.

  Now I’m really shaking. “I want it back!”

  My only warning is the tightening of Angus’s jaw. His hand makes contact with my cheek and a crack echoes through the car. It catches me by surprise and I slam against the passenger door. My cheek stings and my ear rings, but I don’t move. It’s not the first time a man has hit me. I’m used to it. If he wants to intimidate me, he’ll have to do better than that.

  “Dammit, Angus!” Axl says.

  “Shut up!” Angus points at his brother’s reflection in the rearview mirror. His face is bright red and a little vein has popped up on his forehead.

  Axl sits back, and Angus turns to me. “Now you listen here, girlie. This here is my car. You wanna travel with me, you play by my rules. Got it?”

  We stare at each other for a second and I don’t blink, but I’m stuck. He must see it in my eyes—the desperation—because he smiles. I dig my nails deeper into my palms, then face the passenger side window. Just a few days. Then I can get away from this asshole and never see him again.

  “We’re gonna stop for the night here soon,” he says.

  I shake my head and turn back to face him. Getting hit again would suck, but stopping seems stupid. “Why? There are three of us. We can drive straight through and get there in no time.”

  “My car, my rules. Remember?” Angus doesn’t even look at me. He just grins. Like he enjoys bossing me around. Probably does. “Soon as we find a motel or area to camp we stop. I wanna get some real rest. Can’t sleep with the car jostlin’ around like this.”

  I sit back and cross my arms over my chest. There’s no way I can win this argument.

  3

  We don’t find a motel, so we pull over and set up camp on the side of a road. Right next to a crumbling gas station that probably hasn’t been open since the ‘60s. The parking lot is overgrown, covered in weeds that are soft and full. It’s flat. The perfect place to set up a tent.

  Camping on the side of the road probably would have been a big deal in days gone by. Just like the rabbit Angus shot for our dinner. But not now. Pretty much anything goes these days, as long as you have the proper travel documents.

  The brothers are prepared for anything. They have equipment for camping, hunting, fishing. Pretty much any scenario that might come up. Like it really is the end of the world. It makes me think. Maybe I’m not so bad off with these guys. I don’t have to trust them, or like them, but if I can get them to trust me… These are the kind of people you want on your side when the world goes to hell. These are the kind of people who will survive. Who will do whatever it takes to make it. That’s not such a bad thing.

  I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to Axl, so I’m still trying to figure him out. Angus is an open book; there are no surprises with this guy. But Axl is interesting. He doesn’t say much, but when he does he’s blunt. Almost abrasive. When Angus barks orders at him he doesn’t even blink. His brother is the boss. Probably has been his whole life, and he looks at Angus with a kind of reverence that’s almost unnerving. Like he owes him his life, and he’ll do whatever it takes to repay him. But it’s clear just from watching Axl that he can handle himself. Angus shot the rabbit, but Axl skinned and gutted it. When he pierced the body with the metal spit he looked like a pro. He’s probably done this a million times.

/>   We sit around the fire in camp chairs. The brothers barely talk. Barely interact. But it’s like they are hyperaware of each other’s presence. I’m across the fire from them, and I get the impression it was set up this way intentionally. They trust me about as much as I trust them. Something that needs to change.

  “So I think we got off on the wrong foot,” I say as Axl leans forward and rotates the rabbit.

  “You could say that.” Axl glances at me briefly. Even in the light of the fire his eyes are stormy.

  “Look.” I inhale slowly while I push every last bit of pride down. It’s the only way I’ll be able to get the words out. “I get why you took my gun. I don’t love that you went through my purse, but I get it. I pulled a gun on you, so I’m the one who started it. I want to finish it. Right here.” I blurt it out all in one breath, before I lose the nerve.

  “Mighty nice of you to say,” Angus says. “But I ain’t givin’ you that gun back.”

  I dig my nails into my palms. “Fair enough. You just hold onto it until you feel like you can trust me.”

  He gives me a half grin, but it’s there in his eyes. He has no intention of giving me that gun back. Ever. I’ll have to work hard at getting him to trust me.

  Axl will be easier, as long as I can keep his brother from hating me. He’ll do whatever Angus says, but he’s not as hard as his brother. Not quite.

  “So I never asked where you guys were from,” I say, taking a sip of my beer. The brothers have a cooler full of ice and Coors Light. They probably thought it was as necessary as the camping equipment when they packed their car. I’m glad they have it though, it’s cold and having something in my hand helps me relax. I can pretend it’s my gun.

  “Tennessee,” Angus says.

  “Good riddance,” Axl mumbles.

  The rabbit must be done, because he takes out a knife and cuts a big chunk off it. He tosses it on a paper plate and holds it out to me.

  His eyes hold mine when I take it from him. I force out a smile. “Thanks.”

  Axl serves his brother, then gets some for himself. I stare uncertainly at the plate in my hands. I’ve never eaten rabbit, but it doesn’t smell bad and my stomach is growling. It probably tastes like chicken. I take a big bite. It’s greasy and gamier than I expected. More like a chicken leg than a breast. It’s not awful, just bland. But I’m too hungry to care.