“Good luck,” Nelson said.
“You, too.”
Ray gave Nelson some cover fire as he disappeared deeper into the woods then checked the revolver, seeing how many bullets he had left.
Two.
He knew his fate the moment he chose to stay behind. Ken had an unlimited supply of ammo within an arm’s reach, and Ray couldn’t hobble more than a few feet without crashing to the ground. He was a sitting duck.
“Hey!” Ray shouted.
The firing ceased. Ray pushed himself off the ground with his good leg, using the tree trunk to help give him leverage. His leg felt like it was going to explode.
“You go back on your deals that quick?” Ray asked.
Gunfire blasted the tree again. Ray ducked, trying to shield himself from the ricochet.
“Guess so,” Ray mumbled.
After a moment, everything was silent. Ray aimed the pistol at the cabin, switching targets between the door and the kitchen window, but he couldn’t see Ken.
“Drop it,” Ken said.
Ray froze. The pistol hit the ground and he put his hands in the air.
“Where’d he go?” Ken asked.
Ray said nothing. He wouldn’t let his last breaths in life betray the people who helped him.
“You think I’m a bad man, don’t you?” Ken asked.
“I think you’re a coward.”
Ken laughed.
“You people. In all of your self-righteous bullshit you think that the act of sacrifice is so noble, that we should all elevate ourselves to your level. Well, this is what you get for your noble deeds.”
The barrel of the gun pressed firmly against Ray’s forehead. It was hot, burning a circle into his skin. Ray didn’t move; whatever pain Ken would put him through he wasn’t going to give him any satisfaction of showing that he was hurting.
“Surviving without a soul isn’t living,” Ray said.
“Neither is having a bullet in your brain.”
Ken squeezed the trigger, and Ray’s body hit the ground.
12
Night of Day 13 (the Town)
Mike wheezed; the pain in his side was sharp. He stood above his father’s body. There were bits of bone and splashes of blood strewn around Ulysses’s head where the bullet entered and left.
The gun Ulysses used on himself lay by his side. His eyes were still open, staring up into the night sky.
Nothing seemed real at that moment. This town Mike was in couldn’t exist. That wasn’t his father dead on the ground. This wasn’t his broken body he was trapped in. That wasn’t his daughter who was almost beaten to death. This wasn’t his life.
“Mike?” Sam asked.
The graveyard where his mother was buried had an empty spot right next to her. That’s where his father should be right now. He wanted to take him home, away from this hell he died in.
“Mike, we need to get you checked out. Your daughter’s over at the pharmacy,” Sam said.
“What?”
“Your daughter.”
“Right.”
He couldn’t dwell on the pain he was feeling now. His daughter was still alive. He still had a family to protect. He still had a job to do.
The town felt quiet after the gunfight. There wasn’t any motion in the town now. At one point in time this place was filled with people enjoying their lives, people with a purpose.
When the biker gang came through, all of that was replaced with fear and death. Now that the bikers were gone, the town was filled with neither fear nor purpose. It was just there, a shell of what it used to be, frozen in time.
Mike’s Jeep was still flipped on its side. On the sidewalk next to it Jung rocked Jenna back and forth in his arms. Mike could see the pain on his face, and when he thought to himself that whatever pain Jung received was justified, he felt no guilt.
Most of the pharmacy was barren. The bikers had come through like locusts, pillaging the stores, stealing supplies, destroying what they wanted.
Kalen sifted through the bottles and supplies thrown on the ground. When Mike walked in, she turned around.
The only thing worse than seeing his daughter beaten and bloody was the knowledge of what she had seen. He knew the bruises would fade, the bones would mend, and the wounds would close, but the violence she’d been exposed to, witnessing evil in its most terrible forms and letting it become a part of you… that was a scar that would leave its mark for a very, very long time.
Mike picked up a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a bag of cotton balls. He led Kalen over to the counter. She hopped on top of it. Mike dumped some of the peroxide onto the cotton ball.
Kalen winced when the peroxide made contact. Mike ran the cotton ball gently along the cuts on her face.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” Kalen said.
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. Grandpa’s dead, you’re hurt, everyone is hurt. I shouldn’t have come here. It was stupid.”
Mike knew whatever words left his mouth now would have a deciding factor in the type of life his daughter would have moving forward. He knew the guilt she was feeling. It was a guilt that could consume her life, send her into a spiral that she wouldn’t be able to come out of.
“You came here because of what these people did. You stood up to those who tried to hurt you and the people you care about,” Mike said.
“Your dad’s right,” Mary said.
Mike hadn’t seen her when he entered. He couldn’t make out the features on her face, but the tone of her voice made her sound older than she was.
“Whatever we lost today, we gained more by not having that gang here anymore. All of them deserved to die,” Mary said.
“When someone pushes you to the brink of killing, when it comes down to your survival or the survival of your family, then you do what you have to do,” Mike said. “No repentance.”
Kalen nodded and leaned into his chest. He hoped the words reached her. It would take time, he knew that, for her to accept it, but he wanted it to be sooner rather than later.
Sam helped patch them up as best he could. Most of the injuries would heal over time. When Sam checked Mike out he agreed that one of the ribs punctured a lung, but only time would tell how bad it really was.
Jung was still on the sidewalk, his children on either side of him. His kids were crying, but he wasn’t.
Mike wanted to hurt him, even more than the pain he was going through right now. All of those talks Mike had with Jung about trusting people, about having faith, were all erased by what he did.
Ulysses always taught Mike that he needed to have something to stand for; he needed a line in the sand. Every man did. That value was your guiding path, and no matter what, you never went back on it.
And that was exactly what Jung did. The line in the sand he so proudly towed, all of it was a lie.
“Mike,” Jung said, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Mike said nothing. He simply turned his back and started the long walk back to the cabin.
“You’re just going to leave them here?” Sam asked.
“Yes.”
“What about the kids?”
Mike knew what type of fate he would be leaving them to, but that was his line in the sand. He wouldn’t sacrifice the safety of his family for the well-being of others.
“It’s a father’s job to protect his children. That’s his responsibility. Not mine,” Mike said.
Before Mike left, he wanted to bury Ulysses. He grabbed some shovels from the hardware store and picked a spot on the edge of town by the tall grass. Sam helped him dig the grave, and once they were six feet down, he wrapped his father’s body in a tarp and carried him to the spot. This was as close to a funeral as there was going to be.
“My father was a good man. He loved his family, his work, and the Pittsburgh Pirates,” Mike said.
Everyone gave a slight smile.
“He was a man who always stood up for what he believed in, no matter the cost. He couldn’t
be bribed, threatened, or beaten into anything he didn’t want to do. In his last moments on Earth, he held true to that belief that he was in control of everything he did. He had a choice, and he made the choice to keep his family safe,” Mike said.
The tears started to flow now. All of the memories of his childhood, being with his father, collided with the reality that he’d never see his dad again. He would no longer be able to ask him for advice, to hear his words of comfort and wisdom when he needed them most. A pillar in Mike’s life was struck down, and for the first time he wondered whether he would be able to go on.
“I never knew, or will ever know, a better man, husband, or father than my dad,” Mike said.
The first tear that hit the dirt was followed by a rain that Mike couldn’t stop. He’d never cried like this before. Each sob was a stab digging into his heart.
Kalen came over and wrapped her arms around him. Mike clutched his daughter and held her tight. Just as he had held her earlier, she was holding him now.
Sam began shoveling the dirt back into the hole. After Mike composed himself, he picked up the other shovel and helped.
They packed the dirt tight. Mary picked some flowers she found along the side of the road and arranged a small bouquet. She laid them down on the fresh mound of dirt.
“Okay,” Mike said. “Let’s gather up any weapons and ammo we can find. Grab anything that’s high quality or in good condition. Sam, do you know how to ride a motorcycle?”
“I had one when I was in the Rangers.”
“Good. If we can’t get the Jeep running, we’ll take the bikes back to the cabin.”
“Nelson?” Sam asked.
Mike turned around and saw a man running down the highway toward them. His arms flailed wildly at his sides, and his legs wobbled.
Nelson collapsed in Mike’s arms when he made it to him and brought the two of them to the ground. Nelson could barely speak he was so out of breath.
“Ken… took… supplies,” Nelson said.
“What?”
“Katie… Anne… Sean, Freddy… they’re in trouble.”
Mike closed his eyes. Jung wasn’t the only one going back on his word.
13
Night of Day 13 (the Farm)
It took Ken twice as long to bring the supplies back to the farm than when he left. Beth was still awake when he got home. She helped him unload the supplies and bring them in the house.
“What happened to him?” Beth asked.
“He got away,” Ken said.
“You didn’t kill him?”
“No, but I killed the friend they had at the cabin.”
“He’s going to come back, Ken.”
“Only if Mike’s still alive, which I doubt. Besides, even if he does come back, we have his guns, ammo, and supplies.”
“And his family.”
Ken stopped. He set the case of 9mm bullets on the kitchen counter and turned to his wife.
“You didn’t kill them?” Ken asked.
Beth said nothing. When she turned to pick up the rest of the supplies, Ken grabbed her arm.
“Where are they?” Ken asked.
“I put them in the storm cellar.”
“Goddamn it, Beth, we talked about this. You weren’t supposed to keep them alive.”
“And you weren’t supposed to let one of them get away, but it happened.”
There was viciousness in her words as she jerked her arm out of Ken’s grip and stormed outside to the cart. Ken followed her.
“What happened?” Ken asked.
“I know why we’re doing this, Ken. I do,” Beth said, turning around to face him. “You’ve been responsible for keeping this family safe, but… what if we don’t have to hurt people like we have? What if there’s another way?”
“Did they talk to you? Get in your head?”
“No, but we can’t keep going on like this forever, can we?”
“Of course we can! The moment we let guilt slip into our minds is the moment we start digging our own graves.”
Ken grabbed one of the rifles out of the back of his cart along with a box of ammo. He started loading bullets into the rifle’s magazine.
“What are you doing?” Beth asked.
“Your job.”
“Ken, the boys, they’re no older than Joey. You ca—”
“It’s them or us, Beth. There can’t be both.”
“What if they come back? What if they managed to kill the bikers? We’ll need a bargaining chip.”
Ken stopped. On the slim chance that Mike did manage to kill the bikers, he would come looking for his family. Mike didn’t strike him as someone who forgave easily, and with the knowledge of how prepared he was, Ken figured that Mike knew how to handle himself in a fight. He set the rifle back down on the cart and grabbed a box with first aid supplies.
“We give it one day,” Ken said.
The only light in the storm cellar was a single candle. It was a small, cramped space, not meant for an extended stay, and Anne had no idea how long they’d be there.
The boys finally fell asleep, but she, Fay, and Katie couldn’t. Anne twirled her wedding ring on her hand, watching Freddy’s slow breaths.
“Mike will come back,” Fay said.
“I know,” Anne replied.
That’s what she kept telling herself. He would come back. He wouldn’t let them suffer a fate like this when he had the ability to save them. She knew her husband better than any soul on Earth, and the one thing she learned about him a long time ago was he never quit, no matter what. As long as Mike had air in his lungs, then they had a chance of getting out.
“I’m sure Nelson will be back too,” Anne added.
Katie hadn’t said much after they were put in the cellar. Anne was worried about her. She knew what it was like to have your family back and then immediately be ripped away from them, not knowing if you’d ever see them again.
“Why are they doing this to us?” Katie asked.
“Because they’re assholes,” Fay replied.
“They think this is the best way to survive. They think it’s the only way to survive,” Anne said.
“What is wrong with people?” Katie asked.
“They’re assholes,” Fay answered.
“Fay,” Anne said. “Please.”
Fay crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall. Anne sat and watched the flame flicker. The orange and yellow light danced in the darkness, causing shadows to drift over their faces.
“What do you think they’ll do?” Katie asked.
“I don’t know,” Anne said.
Anne had been trying to answer that question since Beth threw all of them in here. She just couldn’t make sense of it. The family didn’t seem desperate or in need of anything. In fact, it was Mike who came to them for help in the first place.
Whatever fate would fall upon them, Anne only hoped Freddy would be okay. Maybe she could bargain with them, strike a deal to keep him alive.
“You know, I never thought I’d see him again,” Katie said.
Katie was looking at her son, Sean.
“A part of me wishes I never did,” Katie added.
“You don’t mean that,” Anne said.
“I know, and I feel ashamed for saying it, but there’s a part of me that does mean it. When I first came back to the house after Sam and I finally made it out of the city I thought, ‘This is it. They’re gone,’ but when I finally saw the letter there was a hope that burned inside of me. The hope that I could see them again, and it raged within me, propelling me to keep moving forward, to keep pushing, no matter how hard it was.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Is it? It did keep me going forward, and, yes, I did find my family again, but how many of us let that hope burn and consume them? How many never find what they’re looking for? It can lead you on an endless quest of pain.”
Maybe Katie was right. Letting a false hope fuel you could be more dangerous than the alternative, but
that meant taking away every chance, and Anne couldn’t do that. She had to believe. She had to take every chance she could.
Billy’s parents didn’t see him watching them argue from the second-floor bedroom window. He knew they were bickering about his mother letting the family live.
When his mother came and woke him up to ask him for his help, he dreaded what she would make him do, but then when she told him her plan of keeping them alive, he felt a burst of pride rush through him.
He might have actually gotten through to her. Maybe she was starting to understand what he was telling her.
They couldn’t keep going on like this. Sooner or later everything they’d done would come back to haunt them, he was sure of that. But he also knew it wasn’t too late for them to change. He could still save his parents from the violent fates they were heading toward.
Billy thought of his brother and how much he idolized their father. If he could change his dad, then his brother would change too. It could be done. He could do it.
14
Dawn of Day 14 (the Farm)
The sky was lightening. The sun would be coming up soon. Mike wanted to use the darkness to his advantage, so he’d have to move in quickly.
He knew if Ken was going hunting, he’d be up by now, getting things ready, but if he had to haul the supplies back by himself, it would have taken him most of the night, so there was the chance he was still asleep.
Even in the physical state Mike was in, between himself, Sam, and Nelson, he was confident they’d be able to take Ken out. Sam could probably do it singlehandedly, but Mike wasn’t going to let one man be the deciding factor in his family’s fate.
Mike made sure everyone was loaded down with weapons. He gave a pistol to Mary and Kalen but told them they had to stay hidden.
Kalen didn’t argue. Mary simply nodded. After everything that happened, now wasn’t the time to question him.
“Where do you think they’re keeping them?” Nelson asked.
“Wouldn’t they just be in the house?” Sam asked.
Surviving The Collapse Super Boxset: EMP Post Apocalyptic Fiction Page 29