Sanctuary: A Postapocalyptic Novel (The New World Series)

by G. Michael Hopf

  Before the lights went out, Brittany was a stay-at-home mother and before that, her only professional experience was waitressing. Her deceased husband had been a truck driver. They had lived paycheck to paycheck, and when they did have extra money, he put it into the car they were now driving. Without training and without resources, Brittany had survived so far. Of course her luck was about to run out when those men had come for the car and for her those many weeks ago, but in the past few weeks Gordon had been continually impressed by her survival skills. When she was given the opportunity to “show up,” she delivered time after time, proving that she was capable and smart. She balanced him, not unlike Samantha did. Brittany was deliberate, intuitive, and when trouble presented itself, she acted.

  In Gordon’s eyes, there were three different types of people in the world: the helpers, the freezers, and the runners. Whenever something traumatic happened, the helpers would run toward the danger, the freezers just stood, and the runners would sprint in the opposite direction as fast as they could. Brittany had proven to be a helper. Even though she lacked training, she was not afraid to put herself into harm’s way. He respected that, and after spending weeks with her, he could now say he trusted her with his life.

  Brittany also proved to be an adept nurse. The cut on his face that Rahab had given him was still healing, and Brittany took care to make sure it healed as best as it could. Nelson’s stitching had been good but the wound had gotten infected. She had cleaned the wound and replaced the stitches. When it finally healed there would be a large, thick scar, a constant reminder of that traumatic event. To Brittany’s credit, she didn’t even ask about the source of it. And Gordon didn’t volunteer the information, trying to avoid reliving that terrible time.

  The wind was now gusting so hard that Gordon had to point his head toward the ground as he walked. He lifted his head when he thought he heard a scream mixed in with the sounds of the wind. He paused. A second scream confirmed his suspicions.

  Gordon dropped the armful of candy and chips and ran toward the car. When he cleared the tractor trailer he could make out a truck, the car, and four people. He charged toward them with his pistol drawn.

  The man and woman didn’t notice Gordon until he was ten feet away. The man looked stunned when Gordon ran up. He pulled Tyler closer to him and placed a revolver against his temple. The woman leveled the shotgun at Brittany’s back.

  Gordon quickly measured up the scene and came to the conclusion that these two people weren’t part of a gang and probably didn’t have backup on the way. He looked at Tyler, whose green eyes were full of fear.

  If these people wanted Tyler and Brittany dead, they would have killed them by that point. He determined that they likely weren’t killers by nature, but they would kill if they had to. In these desperate times, the need for food, shelter, or a vehicle could turn someone into a murderer.

  Gordon didn’t have many choices. His instinct told him to shoot the man first, and if his guess was right, the woman would hesitate, giving him time to shoot her too. Doubt filled him—an unfamiliar feeling for someone who was decisive to a fault. What if he shot the man, but the woman was committed and pulled the trigger on Brittany?

  “Put the guns down! I won’t kill you if you just put your guns down. We both can go our way,” Gordon yelled out.

  “You put your gun down!” the man yelled back.

  “Yeah! There’s two of us. I’ll kill this bitch!” the woman yelled.

  Taking a slight risk, Gordon moved a couple of steps closer to gauge their behavior.

  The man reacted by tightening his grasp on Tyler. The woman’s eyes widened when Gordon took those few steps. She wasn’t sure of what to expect from him.

  Those reactions told Gordon what he needed to know. He took his final risk and began to squeeze the trigger.

  The crack of the pistol sounded almost muffled against the heavy snow and wind that engulfed them. Gordon placed one well-aimed shot at the man, the bullet hitting him directly below the nose. The man dropped quickly, blood pouring out of the back of his head, darkening the pristine white snow.

  The woman let out a loud yelp, as if she herself had been shot. “You bastard!” she yelled at Gordon.

  Brittany sensed her opportunity. She quickly stepped away from the woman and pivoted around, simultaneously grabbing the barrel of the shotgun, a trick that Gordon had taught her.

  Gordon took aim on the woman and squeezed a shot off, missing her.

  The woman lunged, wrestling with Brittany for the shotgun.

  Gordon ran toward the two women. “If you drop the shotgun, we’ll let you go!” he yelled.

  The woman pulled hard and broke Brittany’s grasp on the barrel.

  Gordon took aim again, quickly pulling the trigger twice. This time the bullets hit her, one in the chest and the other in her stomach. She groaned and fell backward from the impact, hitting the truck. The force of the blows caused her to pull the trigger on the shotgun, which was pointed directly at Brittany.

  Brittany yelled out in pain and fell to the ground. Gordon ran to her and knelt by her side, his face twisted in anguish. Tyler stood where he had been, frozen in shock.

  Brittany was breathing very heavily. Blood poured freely from the large wound. She stared blankly into the gray sky above her.

  “I’ve got you! You’re going to be okay, I promise!” Gordon exclaimed. He examined her wound and discovered that most of the blast hit her in the upper shoulder, although she had some small pockmarks in her neck, right arm, and chest.

  She had been hit with number-7 birdshot, but at close range, the spread of the shot was concentrated. The damage to her right shoulder was severe but survivable, if she could be treated quickly.

  “Tyler,” she whispered. The pain was evident in her trembling tone.

  Gordon looked over his should and saw him still frozen in his spot.

  “Tyler, I need you! Come over here. We need to get your mother inside so I can treat this!”

  Tyler just stood staring over Gordon’s shoulder.

  “Please take care of my boy,” Brittany whispered.

  “Shh! You’re going to be fine. I just need to get you inside,” Gordon said to her softly. He was applying pressure to the wound with his left hand. Looking back toward Tyler he yelled, “Tyler! Get over here!” He then saw that Tyler was pointing at something down the road, his hand shaking.

  Gordon swiftly turned to face the direction Tyler was pointing down. “Shit!” he yelled out once he saw the sets of headlights coming their way. He pulled Brittany up by the shoulders and began to drag her toward the car.

  Brittany began crying out in pain as he pulled her.

  “Tyler, come on! Open the door!”

  Tyler finally responded, running over and opening the rear car door. But before they could even lift her in, three vehicles surrounded them and men poured out of the doors. One of the men hollered out, “Put down your gun, we are Marines!”

  Sandy, Utah

  Sebastian stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Having hot showers every few days was a luxury few knew anymore, and he was grateful for the chance. He ran his hand over the thickening beard he was growing. Even though he had the supplies to shave, he opted to groom his facial hair with scissors. Plus, Annaliese liked his beard, and to him that was more important than any other reason. As his fingers rubbed his face, the gold wedding band on his left hand glimmered in the bathroom light.

  The past weeks since their arrival in Utah had been very eventful. He and Annaliese finally admitted their love for one another and he proposed to her. Her uncle Samuel wasn’t in support of the marriage, and at first neither was her mother. Eventually her mother did come around, and was able to convince Samuel that Sebastian, though not a Mormon, was a responsible man. Their engagement was short compared to engagements before, but these were not normal times. Not
knowing what tomorrow could bring, they decided to get married right away. Samuel agreed to officiate the wedding even though Sebastian refused to convert. This refusal by Sebastian expanded the rift between both men.

  Annaliese had spent a lot of time trying to convince Samuel that her love for Sebastian was more than a young girl’s urges, as he had put it initially. She was physically attracted to Sebastian, but their love was sincere and intense. They had been through a lot together in such a short period of time. In so many ways they had lived many lives. The events they had journeyed through together had shown her the kind of man he was. She could trust him not only with her safety but her heart. Sebastian had shown her that he was a man who could keep his humanity in this new world. That was an important trait. So many were abandoning it, but he had proven he was a man who she wanted to be with.

  Before the lights went out, Annaliese never would have met, much less fallen in love with, a man like Sebastian. The realities of the outside world changed her outlook and challenged her faith. While others ran toward religion for an answer as to why their world had collapsed, she began to believe that God had abandoned his people. She had not given up on God per se; she had given up on the dogmatic beliefs of a religion that in many ways had already acknowledged a God that was hands-off.

  Sebastian was taking his time in the bathroom, soaking up the warmth of the steam from his shower and the feeling of being clean. Soon he’d be back on the road to find his brother. He and Annaliese had many conversations about his departure. While she wanted him to stay, she knew he was determined to reunite with his family. The past few weeks at Uncle Samuel’s compound provided him the time he needed for his leg to heal enough so he could walk without the aid of crutches. The leg was still bandaged and would be for another six weeks, but he couldn’t wait around anymore.

  She had argued to go with him, but he didn’t want to risk bringing her on the road. This was the only thing that he and her uncle agreed on. But Annaliese was strong willed, and continued daily to press the subject about her going. However, Sebastian was not easily swayed and he flat-out refused to put his new wife in imminent danger.

  Sebastian hadn’t been outside the compound since his arrival weeks ago, but he heard reports coming in via Samuel’s ham radio. The reports coming in from all over the country painted a bleak picture. Many of the massive migrations from the east were being corralled in large FEMA camps. However, the survivors soon realized that they weren’t safe zones, but death traps. The government had quickly run out of supplies, so those encamped turned on each other and what government forces were there. The government’s response was weak or nonexistent. Every time a glimmer of hope was broadcast, it was quickly dashed with another report of mass riots and killings. Pestilence and disease were also starting to occur in towns and cities throughout the country. Sebastian lay in bed each night wondering when the bad news would stop.

  The information that Sebastian heard daily expedited his decision to leave as soon as possible. His plan was simple: head north to Idaho, find Gordon, then come back to her. He just needed to know that Gordon and his family was safe, but he didn’t want to risk her on a first-time journey. Samuel had set up checkpoints along the route; each checkpoint represented a friendly group that could be trusted. They’d make sure Sebastian would make it and provide support if he needed it. Though thorough, the coverage wasn’t complete and there would be many miles without a friendly person nearby. Thinking about this, he began to nervously turn the gold band on his finger. The ring had been Bishop Sorenson’s; it was a gift to him from Annaliese’s mother, Sariah. Though she only tepidly supported their marriage, she was grateful that Sebastian had saved their lives, and that kept things friendly enough between them.

  The knock on the door shuttered his thoughts about his journey.

  “Yes?” he called out.

  “Can I come in?” Annaliese asked.

  “Sure.”

  The door creaked open and Annaliese stepped inside and closed it. She was wearing a long nightgown.

  Sebastian watched her come up behind him in the reflection of the mirror. He smiled ear to ear as she embraced him from behind.

  “You smell . . . clean,” she said as she began to kiss his neck and right shoulder.

  “I’ve been thinking,” he said. The smile on his face vanished.

  “You’re always thinking,” she snickered as she continued to kiss him.

  Her comment brought back the smile to his face. “I’ve been thinking that I want . . .”

  She turned him around so they were looking at each other face-to-face. “Shh,” she said, putting her index finger to his lips. With her other hand she pulled off his towel and let it fall to the floor. “All I want you to think about is this,” she said as she pressed her warm body against his.

  Sebastian gave in to her desires and kissed her passionately. He could think about logistics later—all he wanted to do now was enjoy the company of his beautiful wife.

  Eagle, Idaho

  “No, no, no!” Haley screamed. She turned away from Samantha and slammed the door of her bedroom.

  Samantha stood staring at the closed door. She didn’t know what to do with Haley. It wasn’t long after they had arrived in Idaho that she had begun to act out. Without her father there, Samantha had felt alone in her ability to parent. Nelson and a few of the others in their caravan had helped, but nothing could take away the pain of Haley losing a brother, then her father.

  After burying Hunter, their group had proceeded toward their destination, Idaho. When they crossed over the state boundary from Utah, others cheered and celebrated. For Samantha, there was no longer a cause for celebration. Her only son was gone and her grieving was made all the more difficult by Gordon’s inexplicable abandonment of the family. She had been with him long enough to know that he was a helper, not a runner, during a time of crisis. She oscillated between feeling sympathy and anger toward her husband. She was angry with him for not coming back when she and Haley needed him. But during the sleepless nights, her anger would melt to empathy. Did he witness what happened to Hunter? Her mind constantly filled with horrific visions of Gordon being forced to watch the murder of their beloved son. She imagined that he found himself responsible for Hunter’s death, and that he probably felt he could not face her until he served justice for Hunter. That was Gordon’s way. But above anything, though, she wanted him to be there, with her and Haley.

  The group had made it to Idaho, but not to their planned destination of McCall. The snowy mountain roads caused them to stay put in the town of Eagle, at the base of the mountains. Without maintenance services to clear the roads, they wouldn’t be able to continue toward her cabin until late spring. Samantha had worried that if Gordon was on his way back to his family, he wouldn’t be able to find them. This thought only added to her depression.

  Nelson had taken charge of the group for their journey, and for that, everyone was grateful. He was a calm leader, and full of good humor. When they realized they couldn’t move on to McCall, he quickly set out with Eric to identify a spot in Eagle for them to stay. Fortunately for them, they found a group living in a small community who were willing to take them in. The leader of Eagle’s Nest, Scott Welk, encountered Nelson and Eric looking around the community fence line. After a brief, tense moment, they were able to convince Scott of their intentions, leaving him feeling confident that they weren’t a dangerous group. Nothing came without cost, though—some of their ammunition, food, and Nelson’s medical skills were bartered in exchange for a home to squat in.

  Only a dozen homes were inside the gates of Eagle’s Nest, half of them vacant. Scott let them come in and take over two houses. The integration had proven to be a success, and besides some minor personality conflicts, no problems had arisen between the two groups. The biggest conflict that was noticeable, though, was between Samantha and Haley. Nelson, who shared a house with Samantha an
d her daughter, bore the brunt of this tension. He understood that Samantha was grieving, but her short temper with Haley and her subsequent depressive moods often put him in an awkward position. Haley would often gravitate toward Nelson, which only seemed to irritate Samantha more. Such was the case now, as Samantha attempted to get Haley out of the room.

  Samantha stood staring at the thick alder door; Haley’s screams reverberated through it. A touch on the arm jolted Samantha.

  “Is everything okay?” Nelson asked.

  Samantha snapped at him and said, “Does it sound like it’s okay?” Frustrated, she turned on her heels and went into her room.

  Nelson walked up and placed his ear against the door. Haley’s screams had given way to sobbing. Nelson knocked.

  “Go away!” she screamed.

  “Haley, it’s Nelson. Can I come in?”

  “Leave me alone!”

  “I’m coming in, but don’t throw anything at me,” Nelson said, then slowly opened the door.

  Haley was curled up in a ball on her bed, crying. Nelson walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Haley kicked at him and yelled, “Leave me alone!”

  “Haley, I’m here because I need your help.”

  Her crying had subsided but her face was still buried in her pillow.

  “Macintosh needs you.”

  Macintosh, a palomino quarter horse, lived in the barn of the house they occupied. Haley had grown attached to the horse and spent every day caring for him. But now Macintosh was sick; he had developed an abscess in his left front hoof.

  Haley lifted her head out of the pillow and looked at Nelson. Her eyes were swollen and red from the crying. She wiped away the tears with her hand and used her sleeve to wipe her runny nose. The mention of Macintosh broke her tantrum. “Is he all right?”