Nelson shot up out of his chair. He marched over to Ray, his temper rising.
“I don’t know where you were when Mike’s house was getting burned to the ground, but I’m the one who pulled him out of the fire. If I hadn’t been there to pull him out, he would have died.”
The words came out in stinging, harsh whispers. Nelson was right in Ray’s face, and Ray grabbed hold of his collar.
“The only reason you were able to pull him out was because you were tucked away in your house. I saw you out there on the lawn. I saw you walk away,” Ray said.
Nelson grabbed hold of Ray’s shirt. The two men locked together. Ray’s body hit the floor as Nelson pulled him from the couch. The commotion caused Anne to run from the hall into the living room.
“Enough! Stop it, you two!” Anne said.
She peeled them off each other. Ray sat propped up against the couch, his leg lying at an awkward angle.
“Now is not the time to start this. Am I clear?” Anne said.
The two men nodded, looking at one another, each breathing heavily.
“Sorry,” Ray said.
“It’s all right,” Nelson answered.
Then when the door to the cabin opened and Nelson looked up, he didn’t think it was real.
Katie’s face was smeared with dirt, and her tattered business clothes were filthy. She almost looked like a stranger, but her green eyes staring back at him were familiar territory.
“Katie?” Nelson asked.
Her name left his lips like a whisper. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there before he jumped to his feet and rushed to her. He held her, kissed her, afraid letting go would stop making the moment real, as if she would dissipate into the night air like she had in so many of his dreams.
“Sean? Is he okay?” Katie asked.
“Yes, he’s fine. I just put him to bed.”
Nelson noticed Sam standing there in the doorway behind her, looking unsure of whether he should say anything.
“Sam?” Nelson asked.
“Hi, Nelson,” Sam answered.
“He helped get me out. I wouldn’t have made it without him,” Katie said.
Sam extended his hand, but Nelson embraced him in a hug.
“Thank you,” Nelson said.
Sam patted him on the back.
“Can I see him?” Katie asked.
“Of course.”
Nelson led her to the bedroom where Sean was sleeping. When he opened the door to let her in, she took a moment just watching him sleep. He was still, peaceful.
She walked to him and knelt down by his side. She ran her hands softly along the length of his small arms and legs—a feather’s touch.
Nelson saw the smile spread across Sean’s face when he opened his eyes. Sean jumped up and threw his arms around Katie.
“Mom!”
“Hey, baby,” Katie said.
Nelson left them alone. There would be time for words later. For now, seeing his wife with his son was all that he needed.
Sean fell asleep in Katie’s lap in the living room. She didn’t want to move him; she just let him sleep and brushed his hair with her fingers.
Jung had joined Anne, Ray, Sam, Nelson, and Katie in the living room. The six of them were sitting around, trying not to speak too loudly to wake Sean.
“We thought the relief center would be safe, but it didn’t last very long. All of the hospitals, Red Cross locations, or public welfare stations giving out food rations were looted. It was chaos everywhere,” Sam said.
“Did you guys hear anything about the rest of the country? Is there any spot that’s safe?” Anne asked.
“No, none of the authorities we spoke with had any information,” Katie answered.
“Nobody mentioned anything about Cincinnati?” Jung asked.
“Cincinnati?” Katie asked.
“We have a radio. It works and we heard a broadcast come through,” Anne said.
“It said that Cincinnati was the rallying point for the power coming back on in Ohio. A woman’s voice came through and said that there was food, shelter, protection,” Nelson said.
“Sounds too good to be true,” Sam said.
“That’s what I said,” Ray said.
“I don’t think they’d be able to set something up that fast. And even if they did, there’s no way of knowing if the place is already overrun. I’m sure whatever was set up had good intentions, but people are desperate now. Good intentions will get you killed,” Sam said.
“Where’s Mike? What did he say about all this?” Katie asked.
Katie watched everyone’s eyes shift around awkwardly. Everyone seemed to look at Anne, but Anne focused on Katie.
“Kalen disappeared this morning. Mike went to go find her,” Anne said.
“Oh my God. Anne, I’m sorry,” Katie said.
“Mike wanted us to stay put. We have enough supplies to last us a while, and we just set up an agreement with a local hunter for fresh game. Leaving now would be too much of a risk. We’d lose more than we’d gain,” Anne said.
Jung stormed out of the living room, heading to his room at the end of the hallway.
“It’s a bit of a sore subject with him,” Ray said.
“His wife was shot on the way here. The antibiotics we have aren’t helping with her infection. She’s not doing very well,” Anne explained.
Anne got up from the chair she brought in from the kitchen.
“I’ll sleep in Kalen’s room. You and Nelson should take my and Mike’s room,” Anne said.
“No, Anne, we can’t do that,” Katie said.
“It’s fine. It’s going to be a long night for me anyway, and I probably won’t get much sleep. You two take it. You need the time alone,” Anne said.
“Thanks, Anne,” Nelson said.
The rest of the group headed to bed as Katie scooped Sean up in her arms and let him down in Freddy’s room. She kissed him on the forehead and slowly shut the door behind her.
Nelson took Katie’s hand and they walked side by side down the hall into Mike and Anne’s room.
There was a small glow of a candle lighting the bedroom. Katie walked in and sat on the edge of the bed. Nelson hung back at the door.
“I missed you,” Nelson said.
“I missed you too.”
Nelson walked to her. Each step slow, savoring the anticipation of being with her again.
“I thought I’d lost you,” Nelson said.
“I tried getting out sooner, but by the time we realized what was going on, the city was locked down. Sam tried getting a group of us out, but we were picked up by an army reserve patrol. We went with them, but after six days at the relief center, everything just collapsed. There wasn’t enough food for the number of people who were there. People just… turned on each other.”
“That’s what happened to the neighborhood.”
“I saw the two grave markers at the Beachums’. Is that what happened to them?”
“Bessie was the one who started it.”
“What?”
“She organized half the neighborhood to turn on Mike and his family.”
“Mike killed them?”
“No, Ray killed Bessie and—”
Nelson cut himself short. He hadn’t spoken out loud about what happened that day, what he did. He found himself ashamed to tell his wife, afraid of what she’d think. Would she judge him? Would she think less of him knowing that he took someone’s life?
“What is it?” Katie asked.
“I killed Ted.”
Nelson wasn’t sure how long the silence between them lasted. Each second that ticked by sent a stab into his stomach, which turned over and over again.
Then Katie took his hand and brought it to her lips. She pressed it to the side of her face, her cheek running along the back of his hand.
“You kept our family safe. You did what you had to do. There’s no shame in that,” Katie said.
Nelson exhaled. Of all the answers he thought
he’d hear, that was the one he wanted most. He sought affirmation, and she gave it to him. Nelson reached for the candle on the nightstand and pinched the wick, extinguishing the light, letting the room fall into darkness.
Jenna’s breathing was labored. Her face was dripping with sweat. Jung placed the cloth into the bowl of water, rewetting it, and padded her forehead. She was whispering nonsense, delirious from the fever.
When Jung lifted the bandage off her shoulder to look at the bullet wound, he could see the flesh blackening around the bullet’s entrance point. Red dots lined her arm and crept up her neck. He could feel the heat coming off her body.
Jung didn’t know what to do. The medication Anne gave him wasn’t helping. The only hope he had was to get her to the relief center in Cincinnati, but he couldn’t persuade anyone else to come with him.
They didn’t care. None of them were in the position he was. He was the one with the sick wife. He was the one who had to do something now. Nobody was going to save his family. He had to do it.
All he had to do was find the key to the Jeep. With the car he could make the trip in an hour. Even if they did want to follow him, it’d take them days to catch up by foot. He wouldn’t even need to take any supplies with him, just his family.
He just wasn’t sure how to sneak his wife and kids outside without waking up the rest of the house. There was the window, but it was small, and Jenna could barely stay awake, let alone gather the strength to pull herself from bed.
Jenna started coughing. She hacked and convulsed on the bed. Jung tried to steady her, giving her the cloth to cover her mouth.
She fell back against the bed, trying to catch her breath as the cloth fell from her hand. Jung grabbed it and noticed the red, pinkish stains covering the white cloth. He had to do something. He had to get her help. He couldn’t let her die here. He couldn’t let their children grow up without their mother.
Anne paced the backyard, looking up through the branches of the trees into the night sky. Whatever hell she thought she’d been through before didn’t feel like this. Her daughter was in danger. Her husband was about to run headfirst into that danger, and she had no idea if she’d see either of them again.
The cigarette in her hand stayed unlit. She just felt better holding it. It’d been more than fifteen years since she smoked, but tonight she desperately wanted to light it.
It remained pinched between her fingers. Every once in a while she’d bring it to her lips, a motion that felt seamless. She’d let it hang there, dangling from her lower lip, begging to be lit. Then she’d rip it out of her mouth and clutch the cigarette in her hand tightly.
Mike would bring Kalen home. Anne knew that. He wouldn’t let their daughter stay in the hands of whatever creatures were in that town.
A shudder ran through her thinking of what they would do to her if they caught her, of what they’d do to Mary.
Anne just couldn’t wrap her head around why her daughter would leave, why would she put herself in that type of danger? She knew Kalen had been through a lot, but she seemed like she was getting better.
She shoved the cigarette back into the package. She crushed the packet in her hands and tossed it angrily into the depths of the forest.
7
Night of Day 13 (Carrollton)
The town was dark. The only light provided was the reflection of the moon. Mike, Ulysses, Tom, Clarence, and Fay all moved in unison. Mike and Ulysses were up front, while Tom, Clarence, and Fay brought up the rear.
Mike could tell his father was still limping from twisting his knee a few days ago, but he didn’t have the brain power to concentrate on anything but getting Kalen back.
He knew Fay would be able to keep up, and Clarence was a decent enough shot, but the weakest link of the group was Tom. This wasn’t an elite group of fighters, but it was what Mike had to work with.
“You said there were twenty bikers?” Mike asked.
“Yeah, could be more though. I only got a look at a handful of them, but there were a lot of bikes parked out front at the motel,” Ulysses answered.
The five of them took time to scan the streets on the edge of the town, hiding in the tall grass. If Mike could swing it, he’d like to get his daughter back without having to fire a shot, but the doubt of that happening was growing in the back of his mind.
If the bikers saw or heard him before they were able to get Kalen out, they’d hurt her. Mike couldn’t take that chance.
“Okay, here’s the plan. Fay, Clarence, and Ulysses, you go and set yourselves up on the second story of one of the buildings across from the motel. You have enough ammo to provide a lot of cover fire. I only want you to shoot if you hear someone else shooting first, understand?” Mike asked.
“Of course,” Clarence said.
“Got it,” Fay replied.
“I should be coming with you,” Ulysses said.
“Dad, you’re still limping from the other day. Whoever goes into get the girls will have to be mobile, and right now you’re not.”
“I’m on the ground with you?” Tom asked.
“You stay on my tail the whole way in. You have the silencer I gave you?” Mike asked.
“I got it,” Tom said.
“If the girls are dead,” Mike said, pausing after the last word left his mouth. “Then I’m going to draw the bikers out. And I want to bury all of them. If you have a problem with that, then tell me now.”
The others didn’t say anything.
“Let’s go,” Mike said.
The group took off. Ulysses, Clarence, and Fay headed toward the other side of the street, keeping low until they found a good spot across from the motel.
While Mike tried to be as quiet as possible, Tom marched behind him like an elephant stampeding through a field.
“Try and keep it quiet,” Mike said.
“I am.”
Mike counted the bikes out front. Ulysses was right; there were at least twenty of them. If they doubled up when they rode here then there could be even more.
“We’ll check the first floor and work our way around. I’ll check the windows. You just make sure no one sees us,” Mike said.
“And if someone does?”
“Kill them fast.”
The first few rooms were empty. When they got to the end of the hall and started making their way to the other side, one of the doors opened. Mike and Tom jumped behind a staircase to hide.
The biker never looked their way as he headed through the courtyard. Mike stayed put, making sure he didn’t come back, then made his way to the room he just left.
Mike kept the barrel of the rifle buried in the crack of the door and slowly turned the handle. The inside was dark. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see the room was empty.
They left and continued checking the other rooms as they passed them. A few of them had bikers inside, making Mike and Tom crawl for a few feet below the window, but Kalen and Mary weren’t anywhere on the first floor.
The second floor wasn’t any better. All of those rooms were empty. Wherever the girls were, the bikers weren’t keeping them at the motel.
Mike sat on the edge of the bed in the last empty room they checked. The dim light of hope that his daughter was still alive was fading.
Then he heard two voices coming up the stairs outside. Mike raised his rifle, poised to shoot, aiming at the door.
Tom’s head was on a swivel as he kept glancing between the window and Mike. He slowly moved to the back of the room.
Mike positioned himself in the right front corner next to the window so he could get a clear shot.
“I wish Jake hadn’t beaten them up so bad.”
“Yeah, they would’ve been a good lay if their faces weren’t all fucked up.”
“Did he say what he wanted to do with them?”
“They’re supposed to stay alive for now. Jake thinks they got help from people staying in a cabin nearby. We’re going to check in the morning.”
Mike watched the patches on the backs of the bikers’ cuts fade out of view along with the sound of their voices.
The girls were hurt, but they were still alive. The bikers were coming from somewhere, now he just had to find out where they were coming from.
Mike cracked the door and saw one of the bikers turn into a room a few doors down while the other kept walking. He waited until the other biker disappeared into his own room.
“Mike,” Tom said.
“We’ll go down and ambush him. But we have to keep him quiet. I’ll hold him down while you gag him.”
“Mike, listen.”
“What?”
“If we know they’re alive and it looks like most of the bikers will be heading out for a search party in the morning, why don’t we just wait until then to look for them. There’ll be less chance of us getting caught.”
“Because they might not be alive in the morning.”
Tom didn’t have kids. He wasn’t a father. If he could do something to get his daughter out, then he was going to explore every opportunity that presented itself, and right now one of them was less than a hundred feet away from them.
Mike counted the rooms off quietly in this head. One. Two. Three. He could feel his pulse quicken. He checked the window. The room was empty, but the bathroom door was open.
Mike opened the door quietly, keeping the handle turned when he shut it to avoid the door clicking when he closed it.
He set the rifle on the bed and motioned for Tom to do the same. The sound of the urine hitting the toilet was followed by the groan of relief. Mike put his back to the wall just outside the door, and when the biker came out Mike covered his mouth and held him in a headlock.
“Grab the zip ties out of my bag,” Mike said.
Tom pulled two zip ties and grabbed the biker’s legs, taking a boot to the face in the process but eventually tying him up.
Mike replaced his hand with the biker’s bandana, shoved it in his mouth, then zip-tied his hands behind his back.
Surviving The Collapse Super Boxset: EMP Post Apocalyptic Fiction Page 24