Rapture (Apocalypse Gates Author's Cut Book 1)

by Daniel Schinhofen

  He put his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. He could feel her heart beating in time with his. “You will be safe here,” he told her.

  “If you’re here, then I’ll feel safe,” she murmured into his chest.

  “Eventually I’ll be going out into the world. I need to find others and see what else is happening out there.”

  “I’ll go with you,” she pulled back and looked up at him. Her gaze was determined but tinged with worry.

  “That might not be a good idea,” he started.

  “She shoots better than me, is smarter than me and will not flinch from what needs doing,” David interrupted them. “I don’t like the fact you killed our father, but it needed to be done.” David paused as if saying the words hurt him some. “If she wants to go with you, then you should actually consider it and not turn her away.” Not waiting for a response, David walked into the dining room.

  “I’ll prove I can be your equal,” Becky told him as she took a half step back which still kept her in his arms. “Give me a chance to prove it?”

  Alvin met her determined gaze, measuring her against what he expected to come. “You’re with me today when we go out. We shall see if you can keep up. But first, use this,” he handed her the medkit for her discolored jaw.

  She applied the medkit to her jaw, her eyes blazing with joy as she leaned in to capture his lips with hers. He accepted her kiss, returning the passion behind it, until she pulled away. “I’ll show you how well we mesh, today and tonight.” With those words, she walked into the dining room, leaving him there.

  Taking a moment to adjust his pants, as well as clear his mind, Alvin laughed once. He had been right, she was crazy. Still, if she could do what she claimed then it would be nice to have a companion. Shaking his head, he headed into the dining room to get some food.

  Chapter Twenty

  Breakfast was scrambled eggs and bacon and it disappeared quickly. Alvin was the last one to the table, and ended up with the last two unwanted, charred pieces of bacon. He didn’t mind, he was used to burnt bacon having made it that way himself a lot when he’d been learning to cook. As each person finished, they excused themselves from the table to get things ready for another day of scrapping in Green River.

  Becky ate quickly, excusing herself as well. Alvin watched her go, her swaying skirt catching his eyes as he thought of how impractical it would be for what they were going to be doing today. As he went back to eating, David sat back down at the table. Alvin crunched a piece of nearly-black bacon as he raised a brow at David. “Question?”

  “Susan tells me I’ll be building things. I’ve never built anything outside of bombs or chem experiments. I was hoping you could tell me more.”

  “No idea,” Alvin replied as he took a sip of coffee to clear his throat. “For the buildings to be upgraded or built it requires someone to do the job of Builder. I picked you, to give you a day or two to process the events of yesterday. Head on outside with Susan, maybe she can get more out of the table as an explanation.”

  “You didn’t check last night?”

  “I wasn’t in the best place last night,” Alvin shrugged. “All I really know is that the walls are first on the list, followed by the two rooms for the bunker, and finally the Inn.”

  Sighing, David got to his feet, “Okay. I hope I don’t fuck this up.”

  “You can’t,” Alvin replied, picking up his last bit of bacon. “Anyone can do it correctly, it just takes a body.”

  Frowning, David nodded and left the room. Alvin finished his food and took the plate into the kitchen, setting it with the others in the sink. He drained his coffee cup, setting it next to the others before heading out. Becky was standing in the main room when he came back in. Her usual black skirt and blouse were gone, in their place was a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. He read the text on the shirt and his lips quirked up.

  “Your dad must have hated that shirt,” Alvin told her.

  Becky ran her hand down the shirt, her fingers brushing the lettering, ‘How many licks does it take to get to the center?’ with an arrow pointing down. “He didn’t take it well when I bought this or any of the others. He didn’t like anything I did. He barely cared for anything David did. He was only happy when David was helping him test new bombs.”

  “We’ll be clearing town, so go grab the shotgun your father was using yesterday,” Alvin told her, watching her go back down the hall. His eyes tracked down far enough to see the thick hiking boots she was wearing. He pursed his lips as he considered this practical side he was seeing at the moment. By the time she came back, Alvin was back to being impassive.

  When they exited the bunker finally, David was at one of the walls tapping it with a hammer. Alvin watched him, shaking his head but knowing David must be following prompts from the game. Bill and James were talking near one of the vehicles as Alvin and Becky approached. “We good?”

  “We’re only waiting on you,” Frank told him. Bill was telling James something, his voice low and his face intent. “Bill and James are going to be a team, you and Becky are the other team. I’ll be with the women, guarding them as they load up the truck and the small tow-along trailer we found last night. I think you and Bill are taking the tow trucks down to clear the road, and if you find another trailer we’ll get someone to bring the rig around.”

  “Works for me,” Alvin told Frank as he headed over to one of the tow trucks. He glanced at James, who was nodding at whatever Bill was telling him. “I wonder what that’s all about?”

  “Susan told Bill this morning that she would be sharing a room with James as soon as the inn was up.” Becky told him as they climbed into the tow truck. “You going to teach me things today?” Her tone was innocent, but her eyes sparkled with mischief.

  Alvin pursed his lips, “While we’re working, you need to keep your mind focused on the task at hand.” He watched her lips turn down slightly before he continued, “Later, I’m sure we can exchange notes.”

  Her lips quirked back up, “I hope so. I never did get my thank you for yesterday.”

  Alvin started the truck and considered her seeming lack of empathy for her dead father. He wasn’t much better though, he didn’t feel anything over the act, either. He considered it again and he knew it wasn’t true. A part of him did feel some emotion over shooting Will. The darkest part of him felt happy at being able to kill another abusive prick. Alvin looked in the mirrors, making sure the others were behind him as he drove into town.

  He noted the truck turning off where the scrapping team had left off yesterday. Pulling his eyes back to the road, Alvin led the way to the pile up on Main so they could start their day. He left it idling as he got out, followed by Becky.

  “Okay, Gothy, watch what I do,” he told her as he grabbed the chains, releasing the catch on them to pull them to the first car. He hooked the first car, getting back to his feet. As he did two quick blasts rang out from Becky’s shotgun. Alvin drew his gun, scanning for other threats as he went to her side. He looked at the thing she had just killed, puzzled by what he was seeing. “What the hell was it?”

  Becky kept scanning the nearby buildings, “Mostly dog-like, but nothing I’ve seen before.”

  Bill and James joined them as she replied to him. “Did you see more?” Bill asked, his Thompson held ready.

  “No.” She lowered the gun slightly. “Just the one, and it was hard to see until it left the shadow of the building as it came onto the road.”

  Alvin stepped towards the body slowly, his gun up ready to fire. The body didn’t twitch and blood was coming from the two wounds on it. Kneeling, he grabbed it by the ruff. When it didn’t move or seem to breathe he tilted the head to get a better look. It was dog-like, but definitely not a normal dog. The lips were pulled back, revealing multiple rows of shark-like teeth. The jaw was larger than he would expect on something that otherwise looked like a Labrador, to accommodate all the teeth. There was a collar around the thing’s neck. Shemp was the name on
the tag, along with a number. Alvin pulled the collar off and took it over to Bill. “Any idea?”

  Bill looked at it, then began to nod, “Gregor’s dog is named Shemp. He runs an outdoor adventure place up near the river on the north side.”

  “Well, that isn’t a normal dog,” Alvin told him, describing the differences. Bill and James went over to see for themselves.

  Bill came back with a frown, “That is Shemp. It has a scar on the left back leg that I remember him getting as a pup.”

  Alvin pursed his lips, recalling having seen Shemp before, “I think I caught a glimpse of it when I got the doc his car. I shot at a black shape that had been chewing on the bodies.”

  “We should go check on Gregor,” Bill added after a second.

  “Just turn north from here?” Alvin asked as he went towards the trucks.

  “Down a street then north will work,” Bill replied, following. “Let’s clear the wrecks that way as we go.”

  They spent next hour dragging cars. Becky stood on watch, perched on the back of Alvin’s truck where she could see in all directions. Bill and Alvin each stayed in their trucks, James hooking cars up to each one in turn and unhooking them as they were dragged aside. James rode on the back of Bill’s truck between groups of vehicles. Once they had gotten to the street Bill wanted they turned north, clearing the few cars on the road before them as they went. It was down that road that they found zombies again.

  Alvin put the truck in park, jumping out to kill some of them, when he noticed the changes to the zombies. A dozen of them were coming forward, but now they were moving a little faster and most of them were carrying debris as weapons. “I think they’re evolving or something,” he told the others as they came abreast of him.

  “Not the best news,” Bill spat as he shouldered his gun.

  “Take them down before they get too close.” All four opened fire, mowing down the group of zombies in short order. “This is not making me happy,” Alvin said as the echoes died away. “Zombies that use weapons do not make me happy. Mutated shark dogs, do not make me happy.”

  “We may have to reevaluate the threat level,” Bill grunted as he stretched his shoulder that had been taking abuse from the Tommy gun.

  “Should we turn back?” Becky asked as she flicked the safety of the shotgun on to reload it.

  “No, we still need to check on Gregor,” Bill replied.

  Alvin nodded as he handed a medkit to Bill, “Fix your shoulder, then we’ll go.”

  Bill nodded his thanks, applying the medkit to his shoulder. “Now that is just downright strange. Never encountered any drug that makes pain go away that fast. I could get used to that.”

  “It’s the way the world is now,” Alvin said as they went back to their trucks.

  After a few more blocks, they came to a large parcel enclosed with chain link fence. The sign for Colorado Expeditions was slung on the fence near the gate, which was open and off its track. They drove into the yard. noting the zombie corpses littering the ground. They parked a few feet from the door. Bill got out first, “Gregor, you in there?”

  The curtain on the second story twitched aside a few inches, “Bill?”

  “Glad you’re alive, Gregor. Anyone with you?”

  “I got nine plus me and the wife,” Gregor called back. “The zombies have been acting strange today. You seen any yet today?”

  “Killed a dozen of them on the way up. Come on down here so we can talk.”

  “Have you seen Shemp?” Gregor asked as he opened the front door and stepped out. Several people could be seen in the room beyond him, all of them watching the newcomers warily.

  Bill pulled the collar from his pocket, “We found him.”

  Two guys with rifles stepped out onto the porch, taking up stations to either side of Gregor. Both of them looked hopeful at seeing other people. A woman came rushing out to Bill, a short Hispanic woman with graying hair. She paused as she took the collar and wiped at her eyes. “The zombies?” she asked in a thick accent.

  Alvin, James and Becky joined the group on the porch while Bill considered how to tell her. Alvin, seeing his indecision, spoke up. “No. He was shot when he came after us. He wasn’t normal anymore.”

  The woman jerked back as if he’d slapped her and began to speak in rapid Spanish, her eyes wide with anger and sadness. Gregor put his arm around his wife, then looked at Alvin with narrowed eyes. “Bill, what is he saying?”

  “Shemp, mutated somehow, Gregor. His mouth was broader and full of sharp triangular teeth. He blended into the shadows like he was part of them until he stepped into the sun.”

  Gregor didn’t seem to want to believe them until James spoke up, “We can take you back to the body.”

  Nodding, Gregor turned back to the others, “Stay here, I’ll be back.”

  “Alvin, you wait here with James,” Bill said as he motioned Gregor into the truck.

  “Roger,” Alvin replied. “We’ll be waiting.”

  Half an hour later Bill drove back into the yard. Gregor got out, retrieving the dead body of Shemp from the back of the tow truck. He carried it over to the side of the house, setting it down gently and grabbed the shovel that was nearby. His wife ran out, kneeling beside the dead dog, crying as she talked to her husband in Spanish. He said only a few words back to her in a terse tone, pointing at the body. At that point she finally looked at the body and gasped out an expletive aimed at god.

  Alvin walked over, picking up another shovel. He began helping dig the grave Gregor was working on. Gregor looked up at him before giving a single nod of thanks. The other people inside the house came out to find out what was going on. Gregor’s wife got to her feet with one last glance back at Shemp’s body before she went back inside. A moment after that, Bill spoke up to the group.

  “Folks, my name is Bill Hankok. My place is a few miles outside of town. We’ve started to build a Settlement there. We’ve been cleaning up the town as much as we can and doing our best to make it a bit safer around here. I’m extending an offer for you all to come with us.”

  Gregor paused in digging to speak up, “I suggest we all go with him. He was telling me about how they’re fixing his place up to be able to better help more people. Unless you would rather try to hold this place or go find something else. The wife and I will be going with Bill, after I bury Shemp.”

  Alvin kept digging, “If you want to go start getting ready, I’ll get this done and have it waiting for you.” Alvin looked over at Bill, “Have them bring the truck over so we can load up as much as we can from here. The station wagon, too.”

  Becky took the shovel from Gregor, “I’ll help Alvin. James and Bill can take the tow trucks and bring the other vehicles back.”

  Everyone agreed with the plan. The others from the Expeditions building went inside to grab their meager belongings while Gregor and Bill left in one truck, James in the other. Alvin and Becky dug the grave a good three feet deep before calling it done, right as Bill and James came rolling into the yard. Bill was in the rig, with a flatbed trailer they’d found. James was driving the station wagon. Alvin’s hands were aching as he and Becky set the shovels aside. Gregor’s wife brought them a pitcher of water and cups.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Alvin told her as he poured Becky a cup then one for himself. He downed the first cup quickly some of it splashing down his chest. Becky drained her cup almost as quickly. He poured again for them as they sat on the bench under the awning of the porch while everyone else started hauling things out of the house. Becky sipped at her third cup of water, her face contorted slightly with pain. “Problem?” Alvin asked her.

  “Feet are starting to hurt, been awhile since I had to put my boots on,” she said before looking at her hands, “also a few small blisters.”

  Alvin looked at his own hands, noting two blisters forming, “Blisters suck, but not going to use my medkits on them. Your feet are another issue. Are the boots tight?”

  “No, they just aren’t as comfor
table as my normal shoes. A day or two and I’ll be used to them again. Before the divorce we would do camping trips as a family. Boots were mandatory for those trips, after a day my feet would adjust. That was when we were small kids, we didn’t know he was beating her then.”

  “That was the first time he hit you?” Alvin asked.

  “First time he slapped me around others. He was always big on corporal punishment when we were kids. He would spank us a lot, sometimes it would leave bruises, but we didn’t know any better at the time. It might also explain a few of my peculiarities.” She frowned for a moment before shaking her head. “He would beat mom blue, just short of her having to go to the hospital, which she never did out of fear. She finally decided to leave. She took her stuff and moved out while we were at school and dad was at work. She left town, then filed for divorce. She said she was afraid he would stop her if she tried to take us with her. When he slapped me last night, all I could see was mom, bloodied and laying on the floor sobbing.” Her hands shook as she finished speaking, she leaned against him, “You won’t hit me like that, will you?”