by Dalton Wolf
“No. I’ve had her for almost a decade and never even thought of a name. It is right that she should be called Paddy Wagon, I think. Maybe I’ll call her Patricia, and say it’s a nickname.”
“You know Paddy Wagon is spelled with two Ds, right?” Scaggs asked.
“But you can’t tell they’re Ds when someone says it. Could just as easily be two Ts. Besides, you’re one to talk, miss silent gee,” he shot back with a broad grin.
“Touché,” she grinned back.
“Here, Gus. She is yours—temporarily. Take good care of her.”
“Don’t worry, Quinn. I’ll treat her as if she were Calvin’s.”
When the big man’s eyes narrowed in puzzlement, Calvin filled him in.
“Gus doesn’t have nice toys. He plays rough. He uses things until he breaks them. But he’s really good at taking care of toys that belong to others because we make him pay for what he breaks.”
The big red-bearded man laughed a laugh that for a moment made the day seem brighter and Calvin felt very happy he had invited him to join them. Quinn brought a stoic acceptance to their plight without the drama or cynical smartassiness so many in his group felt was necessary. The older man set a good example and he was still here when he could have pointed his truck at either coast and kept driving.
“Thanks, Quinn,” Calvin shook the man’s hand and held his eyes. “For everything,” he added.
“A deal’s a deal,” the big man said with a wink, somehow guessing Calvin’s mind.
The group of friends headed back out, the Hedgehog in the lead with Trip behind the wheel again and the Paddy Wagon taking up the rear with Gus under helm. They weren’t a block away yet when the doctor called.
“Fortress to Adventurers. Fortress to Adventurers.”
“Adventurers to Fortress. Go ahead,” Calvin replied, sharing a concerned squint with Tripper.
“Calvin, I’ve been monitoring your discussions. I think since you are so close that you should come by and take Brick with you,” the doctor sounded concerned.
“Why, what’s up?” Calvin asked, his squint deepening into a worried frown.
“Well, I think he should really be under your watch more than mine.”
“What do you mean, Doc?”
“I’ll explain when you get here.”
“Ok, Scaggs,” Calvin said into his mic. “It looks like someone cancelled their appointment. The doctor will see you now.”
“Shit.” She muttered, hiding her crooked fingers under her armpit and leaning back in her seat, tears of fear sliding silently down her pale cheeks as Gus turned them onto Burlington, heading for the Fortress.
A Touch of Madness
“Your turn to take watch,” the doctor informed Sarah. She grimaced at Athena, who would now be left to finish the sandwiches alone. “I need to make a few calls. Brick should be resting in the basement for a while.”
“Don’t worry. I can make them myself,” Athena assured her, eying the remaining loaf of bread and piles of food. “It’ll take me a half hour or so.”
“Good, because that’s how long my watch is going to be.”
Athena sent her a query with a hitch in one eyebrow.
“Calvin says he wants us fresh. Half hour watches for those on duty for now, and four hour maximum sleep cycles for us all until we get everyone safe. Or unless we can’t go out for an extended period. And if that happens, he’ll assign us each our downtime.”
“He’ll assign?” Athena started to get riled.
“Hang on, girl,” Sarah put a hand on her shoulder. “You know he doesn’t want leadership any more than he wants to be eaten by a zombie. But he’s the leader. And the leader has to make rules. He’s just taking charge because he knows we expect it. And he’s good at it…most of the time.”
“I know, but…it was Valentines Day Again again. It was our first time spending it alone, and it was great, and now it’s turned into this freaky nightmarish…thing. And there’s no escape. I’m not going to wake up and find out that it’s all a dream. It’s real and it’s scary. And I thought the one thing I might be able to cling to is Calvin. But he’s going to be so busy keeping everyone else alive that I won’t get any time with him.”
“You know how to solve that problem, don’t you?” Sarah asked with an impish grin.
“How?”
“Make sure you’re useful out there,” she pointed out to the city with a nod. “Be a good second-in-command and he won’t get worried that you can’t take it.”
“I don’t know if I can take it,” Athena admitted.
“Then get used to waiting here while he goes out.”
Athena nodded. ‘You’re right, of course.”
“The Dead are waiting!” the doctor’s booming voice echoed down the hall, and with another grimace, Sarah darted from the room to her post on the patio.
Athena took another look at the sandwich fixings and let out another sigh. “Might as well get to it; sandwiches don’t make themselves,” she said in her best Calvin voice.
She loved the smell of sandwich fixings. Something about it always reminded her of her of being a kid again. As she worked a chill made its way up her spine, but she shrugged it off. She had taken her chain mail jacket off because it didn’t fit the task at hand and she now stood slightly stooped over the table in a thin, tight pink t-shirt and her chain mail leggings. She had been spreading mayonnaise, slapping meat, tomato, lettuce and other items between the slices and wrapping them for so long she was in shock when the last two pieces of bread appeared before her. An even bigger shock came when a pair of hands slid quickly up her sides and then firmly grabbed both breasts.
“What the fuck?” she shouted. She knew it wasn’t Calvin; he always made sure his hands were warm, first.
“Easy,” Brick whispered into her ear, pulling her close.
She reached for her M-16, but his hands tightened on her breasts and powerful arms pulled her away from the weapon.
“Brick, what the fuck? Let me go!”
But he didn’t let her go. One strong arm held her tight while the other continued fondling a breast.
She tried to pull an arm free, but both of her arms were trapped under his.
“C’mon, Athena. You know you’ve always wanted it.”
“Brick. You better let me the fuck go, now!” she wriggled and squirmed, trying to free an arm, but he had clearly practiced this move a lot, and knew just how to hold someone immobile.
“Oh, you pretend to be in love with Scooter, but I’ve seen you looking. I see you blush when you see me working out or with my shirt off.”
Leaning into her and twisting one arm behind her back, he forced her towards a work bench on the opposite wall, far away from her rifle. He knew he could move her in any direction he wanted her to go with very little effort.
“Brick,” she moaned.
“Ooh, yeah. You like that, don’t you?” he purred.
“No, it hurts,” she cried. “Please stop.”
“Oh, I’ve got something that’s gonna make you cry,” he promised, pressing himself up against her back so she’d know exactly what he was talking about.
She looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. She spied it. He was forcing her forward, now they were at the bench and he was trying to bend her over the surface while attempting to unbuckle her grieves with his free hand, a task at which he was failing miserably. So lifted her up and slammed her bodily onto the bench, forcing the breath from her lungs, shooting pain through her entire upper torso and stunning her long enough for him to let one hand go and force one of her arms beneath her chest. He then put all of his weight on her back with the flat of one hand and repositioned himself above her. Slowly he twisted her ‘free’ arm against her will, pulling it down to the buckle so he could make her unbuckle her own grieves. It was all about control, power. But she had a free hand now. Even though it appeared to be stuck underneath her body on the bench, she had moved it just where she wanted it to be
as she was thrown down, just above the second shelf, and her only hope. As her mind cleared she began feeling around the shelf under the table top in desperation.
“Stop struggling, slut!” he grunted in her ear. “Or do you like it rough? Ooh, is that it? You like it rough? I should have known a tasty whore like you would be kinky.” He grunted and flexed his muscles, stuffing her face into a box of used cleaning rags.
“Please,” she gagged and coughed.
“Shut up. You had your chance to talk. Now you’re going to do everything I say. I’m gonna make you my personal whore,” he promised in a menacing hiss.
Her searching fingers finally wrapped around the blade of the rusty fillet knife she’d spied on the shelf.
“Damn, I’ve always wanted to bang a chick in armor before. I just thought I’d be the one in the armor,” he let out a high pitched laugh, nearly a cackle. “And I never thought I’d get to bang you, Athena. I can’t believe you went down this easy,” he crowed like a rooster at dawn. “I just knew you always wanted it.”
She waited patiently, felt him adjust his weight, preparing to pull her grieves down around her ankles. When he leaned back, she used that moment to swing the knife behind her back, hopefully at his throat. But he was a gifted athlete. With a startled yelp, he jumped back and let her go as the blade missed his chest by mere centimeters. Now free, her legs collapsed and she caught herself on the bench and turned to face him, knife held between them in defense.
“Ooh, hoo hoo!” he taunted her. “Little slut’s got a little stinger. You wanna know what I did to the last stupid bitch who tried to pull a weapon on me?” he asked in the most sinister voice she’d ever heard.
She started edging for her M-16, but he stepped sideways to block her path.
“I cut her fucking guts out with a filet knife,” he laughed.
He pointed to the knife in her hand.
“Just like that one there,” he added with a crazed cackle. “And I’m gonna take that away, fuck you, and do the same to you if you don’t give that to me now,” he promised with dead eyes.
Athena believed him.
“You’re sick, Stephen. You need help,” she told him calmly, though that’s not how she felt at all. You need to be put away, you fucking psycho.
“Maybe. I think I am a bit off, now that you mention it. Guess I always have been. You know I’ve had a bunch of their girlfriends at one time or another. I’ve been doing this for years. You know why?”
“I don’t care. Get the fuck out now,” she hissed.
“Because I can! That’s why, Athena. And there’s not a god damned thing you can do to stop me. I can’t believe it took me so long to get to you, you dirty little slut,” he said, taking off his belt. “I think you’re gonna be the best little skank I ever fucked. You’ll never be good enough for Calvin again after all the things I’m going to do to you. You think you’re ready to be my little slut?”
“Oh, you already missed that boat,” she spat back. “You’re lucky you’re still intact, Brick. Why don’t you cut your losses and go now?”
She waved the knife in as menacing manner as she could manage, hoping he couldn’t see how bad her hands were shaking. She had never been more scared in her life, but there was no way in hell she was going to let this asshole touch her again.
“You’re not strong enough to fight me off and you know it. I’m gonna take you just like I took all of the others before.”
“Yeah, you said that already. I’m betting you used drugs you chicken-shit.”
“Oh, like you’re one to talk about drugs. You stoners blaze up all the time. I just put them in a good mood. I had them, alright. And not one of them ever told anyone about me. You know why? Because they loved it,” he hissed, edging closer to her, both hands ready to counter her move and take the knife. “You’re gonna love it too.”
“C’mon, Athena,” he begged. “You know you always wondered. Let’s make it happen. I promise you won’t regret it. You know I’ve always been one of your fantasies. And now you can have me all to yourself. You’ll want to keep the memory a secret just like the rest. And when I’m a rich and famous quarterback you’ll tell everyone how you and I had our little romantic night.”
“You’re deluded, Brick,” Athena said calmly, trying to reason with him. “You need some specialized psychological help.”
“No, you’re the one who’s deluded, bitch!” he hissed, and stepped forward to make his move.
She aimed the knife at him and took her swing, but he was too quick, grabbing the arm and using it to spin her around and pull her close again. Holding her in an unbreakable grasp, he leaned down and began whispering all of the things he was going to do to her as he bent her over the bench once more. With growing horror at just how sick he had become, she screamed. At least she meant to scream, but instead her breath released in a muffled whimpery snort as he waited until just when she took a breath to punch her in the ribs and stuff her mouth into the box of dirty rags again.
With growing disgust and equal horror she realized he must have done this so many times he knew exactly what to expect, and when to expect it. But she wasn’t going to just let any man have his way with her without doing everything she could. When he repositioned again, this time making sure to keep both hands firmly held, she realized he couldn’t block both of her legs. One-hundred-and-fifteen pounds slammed down hard on the ends of his toes through one tiny boot. Though heavy, his leather boots were not steel-toed. Absent the satisfying crunch of broken bones she had hoped for, there was no doubt he was hurt. Brick gasped as pain shot up through his legs, causing him to loose his hold. He fell back cussing and spitting profanities.
He had done it all before, and he had expected her to try to stomp on his foot eventually. That was why he wore thick, padded boots. But he had been expecting heels or sandals or even tennis shoes, not heavy armored boots with metal heels.
“You fucking bitch!” he hissed, hopping in a circle of pain before once again lunging for her. But she swung in the blade in the correct arc this time, forcing him back to protect his throat. He faked another lunge and she jabbed. She was staying defensive and would be much more careful from now on, he was sure.
“You had two chances, Brick. You don’t get a third,” she spat.
“I don’t know. Don’t they always say three’s a charm? I bet I get inside you this time. The longer you make me wait, the more imagination I’m gonna use on you.”
Just go away! She screamed in her mind. “Get the hell out of here or I’m going to kill you, Brick,” Athena assured him in as confident a voice as she’d ever used.
“Hey, Athena!” Sarah called from down the hall. “It’s your turn on watch!”
Brick instantly composed himself, stepping to the opposite side of the room and turning his back on Athena, leaning confidently against the big steel double-doored fridge. Athena lowered her knife arm as Sarah stepped into the room. Her friend looked between them, at Brick’s back and Athena’s face, then down at the knife clutched in fingers so tight they were pure white. She raised the M-16 almost imperceptibly and Brick slowly turned to face the entrance.
“Hey, Sarah. How you doing today,” he beamed his brightest smile.
“Fuck you, Brick,” Sarah spat, taking the safety off of her rifle and staring at him coldly, as if willing him to make a move so she could kill him. And that may in fact have been her thoughts.
Athena quickly dashed over to grab her gun from the sandwich table and turned. For the briefest of moments, a shadow of fear appeared in the corners of his beautiful blue eyes and he appeared genuinely scared. Both women eyed him with frozen masks bereft of noticeable emotion for what seemed an eternity to him. But when that eternity had passed, he was still alive. And with that knowledge, he regained his confidence.
“Ooh, I’m so tired. I think I need to get back to my nap,” he mumbled meekly and slipped past Sarah and down the corridor.
“We’ll talk some more later, Athena!” h
e promised.
“Athena, did—” Sarah started to ask a question, but Athena cut her off.
“—I’d better get up there on watch!” Athena coughed and exited the room in the opposite direction of Brick’s retreating back. “The sandwiches are done! Can you put everything in the fridge?” she called down the hall as an afterthought.
Sarah could tell her friend was fighting back tears as she pushed past, but she let her go and instead started picking up the sandwich condiments and putting them away. When she’d properly disposed of all of the fixings, she sat down and slowly ate a sandwich, silently crying to herself for several minutes. Eventually she realized the sandwiches weren’t going to put themselves away. She stood up, wiped her eyes and began stacking them on a tray and walked them over to the fridge. But the faint scent of cologne wafted into her nostrils. Fear gripping her, she reached for the M-16 and turned.
“That will not be necessary,” the doctor said from the doorway. “They will be returning now for a short visit.”
“Who? What? Why?” How long have you been standing there?
“I’ve been monitoring the others. I had a little talk with Brick and since he seems to not want to sleep, I called Calvin. I think they need Brick for the trip to your Plaza.”
“Well, help me get some of this stuff down to the lobby, then. They can all grab a bite on their way out.”
“My thoughts exactly,” the doctor informed her.
The two shared a direct stare, both knowing there was more going on than the other was telling them, but with a nod, the doctor began stacking sandwiches on a silver tray and Sarah grabbed the pitcher of tea Athena had made and placed it on another tray with a stack of red Solos.
Brick was waiting in the inner lobby when they arrived. He gave Athena a cold, merciless glare that promised immediate fulfillment of everything he had promised if she mentioned anything to the others. Athena managed to completely ignore him after a brief glance to ensure he was going to remain leaning ‘innocently’ against the white stone wall.
The two vehicles pulled up in front of the library without confrontation, Gus backing the Paddy Wagon up to the pillars and everyone else climbing over the passenger seat and crawling through the two gates to get to the showers in the portico. The doctor had rigged permanent shower fixtures to the outer building for them to use before coming inside, so from that time on a line would immediately form, at least for those who had been in the streets battling. The gunners always seemed to remain clean for some reason.