The Long Night Box Set

by Kevin Partner

  Solly opened the front door and helped Ross inside.

  "It stinks!" the boy said.

  "But it's not so cold," Solly responded. "Here, help me get him onto the couch and I'll see if I can get the fire started."

  The hearth was full of the ash from the night the previous occupants had died, so Solly swept it away and stacked some logs into a pyramid shape before reaching for the firelighters.

  "You want to use some kindling on the bottom," croaked a voice from behind him.

  "You're awake then," Solly said without turning around. "Now we've done all the hard work."

  Ross, who'd been holding the flashlight, made his way over to Hammond. "He's shivering, Sol."

  "Pile on some more throws," Solly said, gesturing behind him. So far, it looked as though they'd struck lucky here—these folks had been prepared for snowfall and their uninvited guests would be reaping the benefits. "Will you head upstairs and find the bodies? They're probably in the bedroom—shut the door so we can breathe. No, leave the flashlight here."

  "How am I supposed to find which room they're in?" Ross said, sounding every bit the teenager he was.

  "Follow your nose."

  By the time Ross returned, the living room was filled with dancing amber light. Solly was using a painting he'd taken from the wall to block up the window he'd smashed.

  "They were in the master bedroom," Ross said quietly. "And one of the smaller rooms. I think … I think it might have been a baby's room."

  Solly sighed, turned, and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Sorry, son. But the smell's lessened already and I reckon we can stand it now. Come on, let's see what supplies they had in the kitchen."

  Five minutes of searching yielded a few cans of vegetable soup which Solly poured into a saucepan and held over the fire for a few seconds before his hand burned. "From one extreme to the other," he said, before nestling the saucepan to the side of the hearth to warm up gently.

  "I'm going to get our packs," he said.

  "Now?"

  Solly shook his head. "No, but when the sun comes up—I don't want anyone else stumbling on them. Doesn't look as though these folks have been disturbed since the Long Night, but if someone finds three packs in the snow, they're going to figure out where we went pretty quickly. You stay here and watch over Wally."

  It was still dark when Solly awoke, but he sensed that dawn wasn't far off. He felt warm and comfortable, and even the smell from upstairs had largely dissipated. Either that or he'd gotten used to it. The last thing he wanted to do right now was go out into the cold again, but it had to be done.

  He'd made up a bed on the couch opposite the one Hammond was snoring on, while Ross slept in a padded armchair covered in the blankets that littered the living area. With a sigh, he emerged from his nest and walked over to the remnants of the fire which he stoked back to life, dropping on a couple of logs to keep the place warm for his return.

  Solly looked out of the window into the deep gray pre-dawn. The snow had stopped, thank heavens, and he felt his spirits lighten a little. He put his boots on, wrapped himself up in his coat, and pulled his fur-lined hat down before opening the door and, as quickly as possible, shutting it again.

  A few inches of snow had been left on the outside of the door, but there was no sign of any footprints approaching the house. He headed for the gate and pushed it open. The air was still and almost silent, the only sound the chatter of birds in the bushes to either side.

  There was only one route they could have taken, and it looked as though they'd been pretty lucky as they'd clearly walked along a straight and flat drive to reach the house. He turned back when he was halfway along and saw that their shelter was a two story cabin that looked, to him, like a holiday retreat rather than part of a working farm. He planned to rest up for the day and assess Wally's condition, though he hoped to be able to free the pickup from the ditch before it got dark. He'd feel a whole lot more comfortable with a means of escape parked on the drive.

  There they were! The packs had been left under a tree and the top half of the pile stood out, black against the snow. He turned his head quickly, sensing movement in his peripheral vision. It might have been a bird, but he didn't think so, too low down.

  Solly picked up his pace, pausing a few feet away when he saw that one of the packs had been ripped open and its contents scattered. Foil ration packs had been ripped open and, around it all, paw prints. He drew his handgun and scanned the bushes. Nothing was moving.

  Solly stepped forward and lifted the two unbroken packs by their handles, swinging one onto his back and holding the other in his free hand. The third pack, the one belonging to Ross, would have to stay here as he needed to keep his gun hand free.

  He went to head off and found his way back blocked. A large black dog padded into view and stood, growling at him. The dog was flanked on one side by a German Shepherd and on the other by what looked for all the world like a wolf. Shapes detached themselves from the early morning shadows and took up positions around him.

  These were no longer the beloved pets of the people who'd lived here; they were entirely feral and Solly saw unmistakable hunger in their eyes as saliva dripped onto the snowy path. He pointed the handgun at the lead dog—perhaps if he shot it, the others would scatter. But they didn't give him time. A shape leaped from his right, lunging for Solly's arm. He screamed as its teeth dug in deep and the others were upon him, forcing him to the ground.

  Solly kicked furiously at the black dog and was able, finally, to shake off the one that had grabbed his arm. He swung the weapon around to point at it, but he couldn't close his fingers on the trigger, they felt like they belonged to someone else entirely. So he used the handgun as a club, thrashing away with arms and legs as the dogs tried to move close enough to attack.

  The big black dog finally evaded his kicks and leaped onto him, straddling his chest. Solly cried out as spittle covered his face and the beast's jaws descended.

  There was a sudden crack and the dog fell forward onto Solly, pushing him into the quickly reddening snow. Another crack and the dog to his right had been taken out. And then the animals were running, pursued by shots as they tried to escape.

  Solly grimaced as he felt his arm where the teeth had penetrated. A hand appeared in his line of sight and he looked up. "I thought I told you to stay behind."

  "Just as well I didn't," Ross said, reloading the shotgun with a smile.

  Chapter 3

  Bella watched as the dusty sedan slowed to a halt and Al walked forward to talk to the driver. Though she was now used to the routine, she hated to see her father expose himself to such danger. The barrel of a gun poked through the half-open window and Al raised his hands to show he was unarmed.

  "Take it easy," he said, coming to a halt a few yards from the door. "We're friendly. If you want to just drive on, we won't stop you. But if you're interested in a trade then pull over. Keep your weapon if you want."

  Al had changed the layout of the barricade so that there was an obvious escape route. Anyone who wanted to could veer off to the right and accelerate away, so it stood to reason that if they chose to drive up to where he stood, they wanted something. It was a far cry from the set-up Skulls had employed when they'd first met him here—the first she'd known was the banging of the tires as they were shredded by his trap.

  They'd returned to the little community at the intersection for want of any other plan after rescuing Maddie. She was kept out of sight along with Luke, who'd revealed himself to be the son of the President of the TLX. Bella, Al and Skulls had agreed that their best plan was to lie low for a few days as the roads were likely being watched, but they still hadn't decided what to do to keep Maddie safe. Staying here in the long-term wasn't an option as the TLX would be spreading this way soon enough, but they couldn't agree on where it would be best to go. So, they stayed here for now.

  The door opened and a woman got out, still pointing the gun at Al's chest. "I got nothing to trade," she s
aid, "but my baby needs milk. Do you have any formula?"

  Al called across to Bella. "This here's my daughter, Bella, she'll see to you."

  Bella's chest tightened as the gun swung towards her when she came into view. She understood the suspicion but was acutely aware that this woman was on the edge of a breakdown and didn't want to be in the line of fire when it happened.

  "What's your name?" Bella asked.

  The woman seemed to have to think about it for a moment, as if struggling to recall. "Alex," she said as she lowered the weapon nervously.

  "I'm not going to hurt you," Bella responded. "I know it's tough to trust people these days, but we're not in the business of hijacking cars. We've got enough of our own." She smiled and gestured at the car dealership behind her with its rows of vehicles displaying their now irrelevant sale prices.

  "Look, I'll get you some formula if you don't want to come with me, then you can be on your way."

  "No," Alex said, her shoulder's sagging. She went around to the other side of the car and lifted out a young child. As she woke the baby, she began to grumble and then the tears began to flow. "She needs milk. I found some cow's milk, but it didn't agree with her. She's getting so thin."

  Bella looked at the child. She looked to be around six months old with pale skin and short blonde curls, in sharp contrast to Alex's Mediterranean complexion and tied-back black hair. "Where did you find her?"

  For a moment, Alex's face clouded over, as if Bella was questioning her right to the child. But it passed as quickly as it had arrived. "I heard her crying when I was scavenging, two days after it happened. I couldn't leave her."

  "What's her name?"

  Alex shrugged. "I don't know what her birth name is, but I call her Shirley."

  "As in 'Temple'?"

  Smiling, Alex gave a little nod. "Not very original, I know."

  "Let's go get you both some food."

  Alex, Bella, Al and Skulls sat at a desk that had been dragged out of one of the offices and set with two others to form the long table they used for eating at. There were a dozen souls in the community here and Al insisted that they all came together for an evening meal. Skulls and his crew were sent out in twos and threes to scavenge food and supplies, which were used to sustain the group and for trade.

  Alex had shrunk away when Skulls had arrived. He was a fearsome looking man, bald headed with a blonde beard and a distinctive skull tattoo on his cheek. He'd softened his appearance a little since Bella had first met him, and he had a disarming way about him that meant Alex relaxed within a few minutes as he fussed over the baby who was now greedily emptying her second bottle.

  "What's it like out there?" Bella said.

  "Grim," Alex said, keeping her eyes on the suckling child. "I come from Houston but wasn't there the night it all happened. When I went back, it was a burning pocket of hell. "

  "The whole city is gone?"

  Alex shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't stay long enough to find out. I guess it can't have all been destroyed, but my home was gone. I guess my partner died that night. I never heard from him. My parents lived just outside the city. They were dead too." She reeled this off in a robotic voice, as if she were reading someone else's testimony.

  "But I found this little one as I was about to leave, and all I've been thinking about since then is keeping her safe. There was this little community called Buck's Horn, to the west of here. We stayed there a while, but it got raided. We thought they'd come to help, but they just took everything we had, and lots of folk went with them."

  Bella stroked the woman's back. "Who were they, do you know?"

  "The new government in these parts. The TLX, they call themselves. They brought military trucks and something like a tank, and we thought they were distributing aid, but they stole our supplies and said anyone who wanted a safe place to sleep that night should get onto the trucks. Most folk did."

  "Well, I guess it depends on what price you want to pay for safety," Bella said. "I've been there, inside their territory, and I don't plan on going back."

  Alex gave a little smile. "I made the right call then, for me and Shirley. We wandered from place to place and ended up here. I ran out of formula days ago and she just throws up cow's milk, so I was going to see if I could scavenge some."

  "You don't need to. Take all you want," Bella said.

  "Thank you. I'm heading east, away from the TLX. I've seen them on the roads south of here, so I reckon it won't be long before you see them too."

  Al exchanged glances with Bella. "Let's see if they're saying anything on the radio," he said before getting up and switching on the black box on the counter.

  "…whereabouts of the kidnappers. The president's son was abducted from his home and his location is currently unknown. The administration is offering a reward of ten thousand dollars and guaranteed citizenship for intelligence leading to the recovery of Lucas Murphy. Anyone found harboring those responsible or who hinder the return of Lucas Murphy will be punished severely."

  Bella offered Alex a bed for the night but, after a shower and a change of clothes, she elected to move on and get some miles between her and the TLX before nightfall. Bella watched as she drove up onto the highway and headed east.

  "We can't delay any longer," she said to Al as Alex disappeared among the abandoned cars and they made their way back to the settlement.

  "Well, Bertha's ready when you are," he responded.

  "Bertha? Is that what you're calling the RV?"

  A smile spread across his face. "Sure, why not? She's got to have a name."

  "But why Bertha?"

  "I knew a Bertha once," he said. "Fine figure of a woman. She could crack walnuts between her thighs."

  Bella put her arm around her father. "TMI, Dad, TMI."

  They returned to the makeshift canteen to find Skulls sitting down and talking to a big man in faded blue denims. Helm had been the right hand man in Skulls' operation before Al had arrived, and he'd been a sullen presence ever since. Skulls arranged for him and his partner to be out scavenging as much as possible.

  "Ah, you are here," Helm said. Despite having been a US citizen for over twenty years, his German accent was still unmistakable. "Please, sit down."

  "What's going on?" Bella said to Skulls as she took her seat. The big man simply shook his head slowly.

  The door opened and Maddie walked in, looking as pale as a ghost, followed by Luke who had his hands on his head. The lean figure of another of Skulls' gang was leading them in at gunpoint.

  "Come in, come in," Helm said, pulling a handgun from his pocket and waving the newcomers to the table. "Now my friend Buster is here, we have the complete party."

  Skulls went to get up, but Helm pressed the barrel of the gun to his forehead. "Just give me an excuse," he spat. "Oh, how I would love to spray your brains over the wall, but they want you all alive for questioning. If you resist, however, my finger might slip."

  "What have you done, you schmuck?" Al said, pointing a bony finger at Helm.

  "Keep your mouth shut, Jude," Helm said. "You think you are so clever, do you not? Making your little community. Showing how much people can achieve when they work together. Well, you are a fool. It is dog eat dog. Every man for himself."

  Helm turned to Buster, who was hovering by the door, his gun sweeping the room. "Get the radio. Tell them we are ready."

  "Tell who?" Bella asked.

  "Your friends in the TLX. Ten thousand dollars and citizenship— you heard the broadcast. We met them on our last scavenging trip and they were very cooperative."

  "You'll fit right in."

  Buster came back into the room and handed the radio handset to Helm. "I didn't tell you to bring it here, idiot! I said to let them know."

  "I don't like speaking into it," Buster responded in a voice that seemed far too deep and labored for such a small frame.

  Helm rolled his eyes, swapped the gun to his other hand, and pressed the call button. "Raging Bull,
Raging Bull, this is Berliner, do you receive?"

  The response came through almost instantly. "This is Raging Bull. Do you have the package? Over."

  "Yes, all secure and ready for collection, over."

  "Acknowledged. We will send a retrieval unit. Estimated arrival time: 1510 hours. Out."

  Bella looked up at the clock on the wall. They would arrive in just over twenty minutes. She glanced at Skulls, who was tensing himself, but Helm was pointing the gun directly at his temple.

  It was Luke who acted first. With the speed of a striking cobra, he leaped backwards out of his chair, sending it flying as he threw himself at Buster. Helm swung the gun round, and as he moved Skulls rose like an avenging angel, grabbing his arm.

  A gunshot rang out, but Bella didn't turn to look as she was on top of Buster, battling to keep his weapon pinned to the floor. Luke had been thrown off, his mouth bleeding, and Maddie helped him to his feet as, another crack and the room filled with the smell of burning sulfur. Luke kicked the gun out of Buster's hands, picked it up, and stood over him. Al was pointing Helm's gun at the German's head, as blood spread over the carpet.

  "Skulls, are you alright?" Bella said, kneeling beside the big man. He was gripping his leg and grimacing.

  "I'll survive," he responded through gritted teeth. He rolled onto his front and, with Bella's help, got up and staggered over to where Buster lay, looking up at the barrel of the gun in Luke's hand. He spat at the man, added a few choice curses, and took the Ruger from Luke.

  "Don't kill him in cold blood," Bella said as Skulls aimed.

  "Oh, I don't mean to, not just yet," Skulls responded. "This piece of filth is going to patch me up …"

  "I can do that…"

  Skulls turned quickly to her. "No, you must go. There is no time."