“How did you find me?”
I ignored her and looked at the looped chain wrapped around her waist. “The only way to get this off is to shoot it. But when I do somebody is gonna hear it.”
She nodded that she understood.
“Can you walk? There’s a truck outside.”
“Yeah…they didn’t hurt my legs.”
I frowned. Someday, another day I might ask her what happened, what had been done to her. But now it was too painful. My emotions where tangled like a spider web and not only did I cringe at the thought of what could’ve have happened, I felt guilty that I’d ever thought she could’ve deserved it.
“What about the rest of them?” Cindy asked.
I looked around at the other women. Some were no more than teenagers, scared and wide-eyed. They didn’t deserve to be there, but I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t a hero, if anything after all I’d been through, I realized I was a coward.
But I didn’t want to be a coward anymore. I wanted to stand for something, I wanted to help. I couldn’t continue to just be here. I may not have been a hero, but I’d convinced myself I was a survivor.
“We take them with us,” I replied. “As far as they want to go.”
Some of them had been awake, watching and listening to us. Others seemed completely disinterested. A few of them didn’t look like they’d be able to walk alone and I knew they would need help, but one way or the other, I’d get them out.
“I’ll be right back.”
One by one I made my way to each of them. I was quiet and many of them looked terrified as I approached, but the promise of freedom from that hell hole was all they needed to hear.
“We won’t have much time,” I told them. “Once I fire the first shot someone is gonna come running if they’re not already on the way. Stick together.”
They all nodded with determined looks on their faces. I turned back to Cindy and pulled the chain tight against the block.
“You ready?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
With a trembling hand, I aimed the pistol. I took a deep breath and braced myself then squeezed the trigger.
Nothing.
I jumped and stared at the gun through squinted eyes. Was it even loaded? I hadn’t even thought of the possibility that the gun might not work.
“The safety,” Cindy whispered.
I smiled and flipped the small black lever on the side of the gun. Swallowing, I aimed again then fired. The sound was deafening, but a chunk of the block exploded and the chain fell to the ground. Cindy smiled and sucked in a deep breath of freedom.
Nine more shots and everyone was on their feet. I handed Cindy Benson’s knife then made the universal symbol for keep quiet.
Moving slowly, I crept toward the curtain and poked my head outside. The coast was clear and I waved for them to follow me.
“Come on,” I said lowly and stared back at the shadowy, confused faces.
Turning back around, I stepped outside and looked up just in time to see Tucker flying at me with outstretched arms. One of his hands smooshed into my face, the other hit my shoulder and his momentum sent us sailing back inside.
I hit the ground hard and the gun slid from my grip. My head bashed into one of the shattered cinder blocks and I blacked out for a split second.
“You piece of shit!” Tucker roared and began to pummel his fists into my head.
It took me a moment to realize what was going on, but I wasn’t very skilled at resisting either way. I flailed my hands in his general direction, making it bit harder for him to aim. I even managed to catch him in the face once or twice, but it was ineffective.
“You’re a dead man!” he shouted as he continued his assault.
The women in the tent were in a frenzy. I lost sight of Cindy in the mayhem and couldn’t make out any of the faces in the dark. There was a lot of screaming and I thought maybe Tucker had brought more people with him.
Another punch collided with my forehead and I grabbed his arm and held on for dear life. He yanked away, but as he did I caught a glimpse of Benson’s knife right before it sliced a path down his back.
Tucker roared in pain. Cindy stepped around him then sliced at his neck, silencing him forever. Blood sprayed everywhere, but I didn’t have time to be squeamish.
Rolling over, I grabbed the handgun from the ground just as another man barged inside. I aimed at his silhouette and squeezed. The bullet caught him in the stomach and he folded over and fell to the side.
“Let’s go!” I shouted.
I looked back and Cindy had mounted Tucker and was slicing at his face in a frenzied rage. His blood dripped down her face and covered her arms like sleeves, but it seemed to only intensify her attack.
“Cindy,” I called.
She didn’t let up. I rushed toward her and caught her arm in the air. She paused and looked up at me with death in her eyes.
“Cindy, he’s dead. We have to go,” I said as calmly as I could.
I could see the reason coming back to her face. She looked down on her crimson-stained hands then to Tucker’s lifeless body. Dropping the knife, she nodded then slowly pushed herself to stand.
I tucked the gun into my waistband and grabbed her hand. She leaned on me, blood and all, but it was good to feel her touch again, good to feel needed.
Beneath all of my anger and resentment, there was a love there. There were years of a bond that I thought could never be so much as threatened. Maybe it was repairable, maybe after all of this, there was a future. As mad as I was, Cindy had my heart, she was my heart.
Another gunshot outside brought me back to reality and I snapped my head around. We still weren’t safe and the longer we stayed, the more likely we were to end up changed in that backyard. We needed to get moving.
“Come on,” I said and waved my hand toward the opening.
With Cindy close by, I stepped through the slit and checked from side to side. Silently, I motioned for the other girls to follow and we headed down the side of the house to the front.
Cindy stared into the carport as we passed, but didn’t say anything. Benson’s body was laid out on the ground, blood soaked the grass all around him. None of them deserved to live.
We piled into the truck and Cindy squeezed in next to me. Some of the girls climbed into the bed. Shock had dulled their senses to the point that the cool breeze outside had no effect.
I could still hear the battle inside, spilling across the house as I put the truck into reverse. The sounds of gunshots rang out and people cried in rage and pain. I imagined the collateral damage and thanked God that I’d made it out. But so many others didn’t and all I could do was mumble an empty prayer under my breath for them.
I could only do so much and I had a truck full of people depending on me. So, without looking back, I spun the tires and shot off down the road. A cloud of dirt and rocks bloomed in my wake, obscuring the dingy white house that had terrorized so many. We were free and for now, we were alive.
CHAPTER 26
RECKLESS DREAMS
I drove through the night, only stopping once to let them wash up in the restroom of an abandoned diner. As the weather cooled we squeezed the remaining girls into the truck, which alone raised the temperature in the cabin at least five degrees. It wasn’t much, but outside it had to be in the thirties.
Every now and then we would pass a lone car, another lost wanderer, hoping to survive this. It was odd seeing anyone at all. I come to accept that we were the only ones still alive, even though that wasn’t true. But we’d pass by someone and not even look twice. My senses were dull, jaded by the constant stream of misfortune that seemed to haunt every wrong turn.
“Thank you Max,” Heather, one of the rescued woman said.
She was a sleek, middle-aged woman with alarming, red hair and freckles. She was the headmistress at an all-girls school back in Bellville. The other women, were teachers and some even students. There were no words to comfort or assuage them af
ter the horrors they’d been through.
“I wish I could’ve come earlier,” I told her. “There’s a shopping plaza off the next exit. I think we can find you all some clothes there.”
She smiled and wrapped her arm around one of the teenagers. “It’s all just unbelievable. One day I’m helping these girls with college applications, the next day we’re running from tornadoes. And then…then…We were evacuated. They told us we’d be safe. Those thugs killed everyone.”
“Any idea what you’ll do now? We are heading to Wyoming, there’s a sort of refugee center there… it’s government ran. You can come with us, at least until you figure things out.”
“I don’t know. It’s a lot to take in. I just…what about their parents, you know? They’ve just been through so much.”
I nodded. I didn’t know what else to say so I turned my attention to the lonely road. I pulled off of the highway into Lincoln, Nebraska and followed the warped signs to a rundown outlet mall. It had probably been in disarray before the world started dying and now it looked like ground zero for a nuclear attack.
A few cars were still in the parking lot, but had been burned and smashed into each other. Many of the stores had caved in and the roads around the place were cracked and riddled with wide, deep gashes.
“I don’t know about this place,” Cindy said lowly.
She’d been quiet the entire ride until then. I could feel her moving uncomfortably throughout the night against my arm, probably questioning if she’d crossed some imaginary line or at what point I’d fall back into my fit of rage.
Her betrayal had hurt. There was no way around that, but I was starting to think losing her might hurt even more.
“That outfitters store at the corner doesn’t look that bad,” I replied.
I drove the heavy Ford truck across the uneven lot, testing out the limits of its suspension. The girls jostled about as we rumbled over the cracks and mounds like we were in one of those dune buggies in Baja. But otherwise it was uneventful and I pulled up next to the crumbling walkway and parked.
“I’m gonna go inside first and check it out,” I said.
Opening the door, I stepped my foot out and felt the frigid temperature bite against every bare piece of skin I had. It must’ve dropped 20 degrees since I was last outside and I was standing around still wearing cargo shorts, boots and t-shirt.
“Stay put,” I said with a laugh before completely exiting the truck and swinging the door back.
“Max,” Cindy called.
I caught the door before it closed and turned around. She was leaning her head out of the truck with a half-smile on her face.
“Yeah?” I said with a slight shrug.
“Be careful in there and...and I love you.”
“Ok,” I replied then closed the door.
I could see her press her face against the window. I waved then turned around and headed for the store.
Jogging across the shattered pavement, I started to think about what Cindy said. I didn’t expect that out of her and my reaction was almost automatic. What I should’ve said, what I wanted to say was that I loved her too, that I always loved her. But my pride was hurt and that wasn’t easily repaired.
I hurried through the shattered doors and sought shelter between a turned over rack and a rolling cabinet. It was dark inside and most of the store had been looted, but I was certain I could find a good amount of clothing.
The tile floor rolled up and down like a shaken rug. Parts of the ceiling had caved in and there was soot and charred wood in the back where a fire had raged unchecked for hours. Disaster had left its fingerprints everywhere.
Shivering, I rummaged through the pile of clothes next to me. Most of it was accessories like gloves and hunting vests, but I managed to find a thick, camouflage jacket that fit me well enough. I pulled it tightly and soaked in its warmth for a moment.
After that I grabbed a hiking bag and started to fill it with all the women’s clothes I could find. When I was done, I looked around for shoes, but all I found was the left foot of an orange pair of Crocs.
That would have to do. Nothing matched and I doubted much of it would fit well, but it was better than what they had.
I made my way back to the truck like some apocalyptic Santa Claus. As I pulled the door open they all jumped and I offered the hiking bag to them with a smile.
“Here you go. I’ll wait out here for you to get dressed.”
Heather laughed. “Don’t be silly Max. You’ve seen more of me than my gynecologist. No sense freezing on our account.”
I smiled at her and shrugged. “It’ll be easier to get dressed with less people piled in there. Oh, and I put some jacket in this bag.” I said and handed it to Cindy.
She took it with a half-smile and I grabbed her hand. She resisted slightly, but I pulled her into me and wrapped my arms around her as she leaned halfway out of the truck.
“I love you. I’ll always love you,” I whispered into her ear.
“Now get out of those bloody clothes,” I replied.
She smiled then shut the door to get dressed. It didn’t take her very long and after she put her jacket on she climbed out of the truck and waited with me. She didn’t talk, but she stood there, right next to me. I held her close, my mind drifting to dark places that only her presence kept at bay. It was good to have her back around.
The truck rocked from side to side as Heather and the others finished dressing. A few minutes later they stepped out, clad in dark brown or camo pants, t-shirts that promoted bass fishing and windbreakers.
“Sorry I couldn’t fit more in the bag. I figured I’d bring you what I had before I went venturing to far.”
“Oh, no worries Max. This is a big improvement,” Heather replied.
I smiled and nodded my head. “I didn’t see any shoes, but I’ll run back in and look for some thicker jackets then check a few of the other stores.”
“We’ll go with you.”
“You should probably stay here. There’s broken glass everywhere. It won’t take me long.”
Heather tipped her head and turned around then walked back to the truck. I started back toward the store and Cindy grabbed my hand.
“I’m coming with you,” she said.
“Well, at least you still have shoes. Keep your eyes open, it looks empty, but you never know.”
Together we went back inside of the devastated building. The sun was a little higher and I could see more of the messy store. I still didn’t see any shoes inside, but I found some thicker jackets.
I bundled them together into another camping bag and slung it over my shoulder. “You ready?” I turned to Cindy and asked.
“We could use a lot of this stuff. I don’t know for what, but better safe than sorry,” she replied and held up her own camping bag.
“What did you get?”
“Some rope, a sleeping bag…I found a few bottles of unopened water and some gloves.”
“Yeah it looks like they looted this place pretty good before whatever happened here happened. Come on, we need to find the girls shoes.”
“Are they…are they coming to Wyoming? Were you serious about that?”
Cindy had a strange look on her face and it took me a second to recognize it, jealousy. I hadn’t thought about it, but Cindy always had a bit of a jealous streak and the four or five women that were of age definitely took care of themselves. I guess couldn’t blame her, I’d been pressed up against half naked women for the better part of a day.
“I don’t know,” I replied. “I don’t know what to do with them. I just thought I needed to offer.”
Cindy half-smiled.
“Come on, I don’t want to be out here too long.”
With Cindy beside me, I headed through a cluttered breezeway and into the atrium. A circular window towered above us where all the glass had been broken and fallen out. A small airplane wing dangled from the opening, tangled with the bent metal framing. My mind took off, imagining what h
ad occurred, but it didn’t take long to find out.
As we exited the other side we walked into a small courtyard that was centered between seven different stores. The remnants of a small Cessna were interlaced with the side of a brick wall, leaving almost nothing recognizable.
“I hope they died quickly,” Cindy said.
“Or maybe they got out before the crash.”
“Dying quickly is all you can hope for anymore,” she replied grimly.
I looked away from the crash and checked out the rest of the courtyard. There was a fountain in the middle that was split apart and all of the water had long since drained away. It seemed like no place was safe from earthquakes.
There was a collection of trash and debris everywhere I looked. But as far as I could tell, at least almost everyone had escaped with their lives. If people had died here, the earthquake or fire had erased every trace of them.
“Where to?” Cindy asked.
I shrugged and kept looking around. I was stuck in my head, wondering why the world seemed so lonely now. Over the last few weeks I’d been through hell, but I couldn’t fathom the idea that I was alone in that.
I could almost count the number of people I’d seen on my fingers. Where had everyone else gone? In the back of my mind I feared some worst-case scenario, where only pockets of our civilization had survived. With that thought, returned the pressing need to get to Wyoming. That was the only way we’d be safe, the only way I’d find answers.
“Max!” Cindy called out. “Where to?”
“Sorry…this way.”
We left the courtyard and scoured the other stores. One by one, we moved broken shopping carts and barreled through mounds of debris and overturned furniture. Eventually, we found several pairs of water shoes and while they weren’t really made for the frigid conditions, they would have to do.
We returned to the front of the shopping mall weighed down with bags. I was happy to have found so much and I was sure Heather and the others would be overwhelmed to have something covering their feet.
The Mayflower Project: Deconstruction Book Two (A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller) Page 16