“What’d ya want, kid?” Tom asked.
“I wanted to see if Frostmourne was done yet,” Tank said.
“It is,” Tom said. “You caught me at a bad time. Those Vindex asshats want these blades attached to the rims of their vehicles, only it’s not as simple as just welding them on.”
“Vindex?” Tank asked.
“You know,” Tom said, “all those men driving around in those armored rigs.”
“Who are they?”
“Some private contracting group hired by the government to help out with security and such. At least that’s the only explanation I can come up with.”
“So you’re not sure why they’re here?”
“Nah, and I don’t care. The more guns we have protecting us, the better.”
“Do you know anything else about them?”
“Why are you so interested?”
“Just curious.”
“The large man with the big red beard is their leader. He goes by some silly name that I can never remember. That’s all I know. Now, you want your sword?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Follow me,” Tom said, heading towards an office in the back of the large room.
Tank followed Tom as he stopped beside a table with a large sword laying on it. It was Frostmourne, and it looked almost exactly like the one in the game—the hilt with the demon head on it and the jagged blade near the base narrowing out at the tip. The thing looked completely badass. Tank bent down, taking a closer look. The detail was exquisite, from the runes etched into the blade to the demon’s horns wrapped around the crossguard. But the closer he looked, the more he realized there were a few differences. The crossguard was less bulky and was scaled down in size, not as enormous as the replica. The pommel had also been changed to a short point, and the grip was simply wrapped in leather and missing the metal ridges.
“Wow,” Tank whispered. “How did you get this done in a couple days?”
“Are you kiddin’ me?” Tom asked. “That’d be impossible.”
“Then how?”
“It was gonna be Jared’s birthday present this year…” Tom took a deep breath, composing himself. “I was gonna throw it away until you came into my shop.”
“I can’t take this.”
“You sure as hell will, and you’ll honor my boy by using it to make the world a better place for when you have your own children.”
Tank was stunned by Tom’s sudden intensity and the emotion in his voice. If he took this sword, it wouldn’t be a small thing. He’d be making a promise to Tom and honoring his son’s death. Why did everything always have to be complicated like this?
“I’ll take it and do my best to honor your son’s memory.”
“Good. Now, some things you should know. The blade is custom-ordered carbon steel and will be able to stand up to a beating. It’s the same design as the original sword, but the whole thing is scaled down, which makes it shorter and a lot lighter. That way it’ll be much easier to wield. The hilt is all stainless steel, but I downsized the whole design there even more, dropping over a pound of useless weight. I also sharpened those small blades going off on either side above the crossguard and added a glass breaker to the pommel.”
“Wow,” Tank said when Tom finished.
“I’ll show you how to properly sharpen and care for it, but just remember, it’s not a toy. It’s a weapon.”
“And I’ll treat it as such,” Tank said.
An hour later, he left the shop with the sword in a custom leather sheath and a bag full of the items he’d need to take care of the blade—a whetstone, oil, rag, and such. Tom had him swing it a few times and he was amazed. It was way lighter than the replica he’d used back in Fort Collins. This one was also much sharper and a whole lot easier to wield—a real instrument of death. He should be ecstatic right now, but what Tom had said earlier about making the world a better place was in the forefront of his mind. Up until that point, it’d been all about staying alive until the next day. He had those he loved and he’d protect them, but what Tom had told him to do was taking that to the next level. Could he live the kind of life that inspired others? Was he selfless enough that he’d truly give his life for another?
He didn’t really know.
~~~
James waited outside the gate to the infirmary. The rest of the gang was up at the Bootlegger Saloon already. He couldn’t help the nervous butterflies that rose in his stomach at the thought of seeing Alexis again. True, he’d seen her just a few hours ago, but he was still excited. He’d never had a girlfriend before and certainly not someone like her. At a little after six-thirty, Alexis walked out of the front doors with Dr. Nelson. James felt a brief pang of jealousy, but he shook his head, knowing that was foolish. Those thoughts completely left his mind a moment later when Alexis saw him and her face lit up with a smile. There was nothing to be jealous of. Stopping at the gate, they checked out with the guards and Alexis collected her gun belt.
“Hey, James,” Alexis said as she walked up to him.
“Hey,” he said, wrapping his arms around her in a hug.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Dr. Nelson said, heading off towards the Mess Hall.
“See ya,” Alexis said to Dr. Nelson and then turned back to James. “I was hoping you’d be here.”
“Of course,” James said as they walked across the street towards her house. “I want to spend every second I can with you.”
“You’re such a romantic.”
James shrugged. “Everyone’s at the saloon. I figured we could all get together tonight and have dinner up there.”
“That’s a good idea. I just need to change.”
Ten minutes later, they were walking hand-in-hand towards the saloon on the northwest side of town.
“Wait, is that a tattoo?” Alexis said, grabbing James’s right hand.
“Oh, yeah,” James said, showing her.
“That’s so dorky,” Alexis said with a chuckle. Then she looked at his face. “Not in a bad way. It looks awesome. It’s just totally dorky, which is how you are. So it’s fitting.”
“Oh,” James said, recovering.
He hadn’t realized how such a small comment from her could make him feel so… intensely. He usually prided himself on not caring what other people thought. Not with her, apparently.
“All three of you get them?” Alexis asked.
“Yeah, but they’re all a little different.”
“That’s sweet. So, my day was exciting. Mark was admitted to the infirmary. Did you know he was taking drugs?”
“Actually, Connor and I are the ones who found him passed out in an alley.”
“I was wondering how he got caught.”
“Why was he taking them?”
“I think all this is a little too much for him. He kept talking about wanting to have an escape from reality. I don’t think he can handle everything he’s been through.”
“I guess that makes sense. Where did he get ‘em?”
“They were Randy’s.”
“He must’ve gone through Randy’s stuff when he died. I didn’t even think about checking for that.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I know, but still. I just wonder how long he’s been on them, and we let him stay with the kids.”
“Well, at least we found out before he hurt anyone, himself included.”
“Yeah, and I’ll make sure to talk to Cpt. Miller so he gets moved somewhere else.”
“I think that’s wise. What’d you do with your day off?”
“Cleaned and prepped our gear, got tattoos, and just got done talking to your dad about our runs for the rest of the week.”
“I thought you reported to Cpt. Miller.”
“We did, but he put your dad in charge of all the runs so we report to him now, which is nice. It’s a lot more relaxing, and I know your dad won’t steer us wrong.”
“Good
, I’m glad dad got a job. He’s just been making himself look busy, but now he actually has something to do.”
“He’s also training some of the other survivors on how to make runs so we can have a rotating schedule.”
“It seems like everyone is putting roots down.”
They arrived at the saloon.
“How do you feel about that?” James asked, pausing outside the door.
“I’m not sure. I want to feel safe here, I really do, but something is holding me back, and until I get past that, this place won’t feel like home.”
“I agree. You didn’t do anything to get into the basement today did you?”
“Nope,” Alexis said. “I told you, I’ll be careful.”
“Good.”
“You’re the one we should be worried about,” Alexis said and stepped closer to him. “You’re the one going out on runs.”
She gave him a quick kiss and then slipped inside, leaving him standing outside the door. Smiling, he shook his head and entered the saloon. Connor, Tank, and Chloe sat at their usual table in the corner, and there were to-go boxes stacked in the middle. Alexis was already with their friends, sitting down next to Chloe, which left a seat open between his brother and his girlfriend. Three of the people he cared about most sat at that table, and he couldn’t help but smile.
Enjoy each moment like it’s my last, he thought. I can do that.
He walked over and sat down.
“I see you finally decided to show up,” Tank said.
“Emmett’s not coming?” Connor asked.
“He said he had work to do tonight,” James said. “He may show up later.”
“Can we eat then?” Chloe asked. “I think I’m about to turn into a zombie over here.”
They all laughed as Tank passed out the Styrofoam boxes.
“Cook said we owe her at least two dozen cans of Coke now,” Tank said.
“I figured,” James said, taking a bite of his food.
“Tell James what you told me,” Connor said, looking at Tank.
“So you know those men in the black uniforms?” Tank asked and James nodded. “They’re mercenaries working for a company called Vindex Corporation. Tom, the guy in charge of the mechanic shop, said that he thought the government hired them as extra muscle.”
“Really?” James asked. “Any idea why they were outside of Sheridan too?”
“Nope,” Tank said. “But maybe they’re all over the country tryin’ to help.”
“You think so?” Alexis asked.
“No,” Connor said. “There’s more to them, but at least we know who they are now.”
“I wonder why they’re the only ones guarding the infirmary,” Alexis said.
Tank shrugged. “Oh, and check this out,” he said, pulling Frostmourne out of the sheath draped over the back of his chair.
“That’s sick,” James said. “How did he make that in a couple days?”
“He’s been working on it for a year,” Tank said, sheathing it after a look from Durt, the owner, and bartender that night.
“Really?” James asked.
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later,” Tank said. “For now, we need a round of drinks!”
“Just two for me tonight,” James said.
“You overdo it the last time?” Alexis asked.
“Just a little,” James said.
She laughed.
Durt came over and took their order, returning a minute later with their drinks.
“To us,” Tank said. “The world may be goin’ to hell, but at least we’re all together!”
“Cheers!”
James took a large gulp of his Captain and Coke, and then set it down, glancing over at Alexis. She was having a hushed conversation with Chloe, a smile on her face. His heart soared. How, at the end of all things, had he found someone like this? It was truly amazing how everything had worked out. Looking at his friends gathered around him, he realized maybe God did have a plan in all of this.
27
Red Wire, Blue Wire
Max whittled on a small piece of sagebrush. He liked how the wood smelled, and it helped put him at ease. It was the only time he was at ease anymore. When he’d first joined with Jezz, it had mainly been out of self-preservation. She made him do things he hated, but some small part of him also liked it. He’d lost sight of who he used to be. At one point, all he’d wanted was to have a family—to settle down and live a quiet life. He’d had enough excitement during his younger years, and now he just wanted to live in peace. Yet here he was, murdering for someone he both hated and loved at the same time. What had his life become?
“Is everything ready?” Jezz asked, walking up to Max.
Her clothing was covered in fresh blood and she grinned, uncaring of the crimson speckles on her face.
“Yes,” Max said in a hard voice.
If he let any of his thoughts into his voice, he’d be dead. She couldn’t know that he was having doubts. And why was he even having doubts? He was here, he was alive, and Jezz would keep him alive. He had to believe that.
“Good,” Jezz said. “We will set the plan in motion tomorrow. Make sure they find it.”
“I will.”
Zeke left the rest of the gathered Reclaimers to join Max and Jezz. “Phase two is coming along,” he said.
“Splendid,” Jezz said.
“I think this’ll work,” Zeke said, glancing at Max.
It’s not like it was Max’s plan. He was just the one put in charge of setting up phase one. Jezz had come up with it so he couldn’t be blamed if it failed, or could he? Jezz walked off to go talk with the others.
“Best make sure you don’t fail,” Zeke said, coming closer to him. “The rest did their part, even said it was easy. Those people were completely unprepared.”
“It’s not my plan,” Max mumbled.
“Oh, it is. The moment she gave it to you to set up, it became yours.”
Max looked at Zeke, noting his hateful eyes. Maybe he should amend his opinion of Zeke. He might even be worse than Jezz. While she was sometimes blind to those who followed her without question, this man seemed to be able to read Max like a book and knew all the doubts he was having. Zeke was dangerous, and he’d have to watch himself.
“It’ll work,” Max said with false confidence. “I’ve done everything like you said.”
“Might want to double check it all then,” Zeke said, walking away with a wolfish grin on his face. “You can never be too careful.”
Zeke walked over to where the other twenty Reclaimers were all standing. Their clothing was speckled with blood, and every single one of them had smiles on their faces, like they’d just done something enjoyable. He was glad Jezz had left him to his own preparations instead of making him join the rest.
Max waited for Zeke and the others to disappear around the corner of the barn before he pulled the piece of paper Zeke had given him earlier out of his pocket. He read through it, checking to make sure he had everything put together right. His eyes searched the page for anything that he might’ve missed. He wasn’t able to visualize exactly what he’d done, so he walked over to the back of the truck. Opening the bed, he examined the small device before him, comparing it to the diagram on the page.
“C4 goes here,” Max mumbled to himself. “Red wire attaches there. Blue wire…”
He spent the next thirty minutes checking and rechecking to make sure everything had been done correctly. Finally, he closed the tailgate and folded the piece of paper, stuffing it back into his pocket. Pulling out his knife, he began to look for a small piece of wood in the dusky light. Everything was perfect. He’d been told many times that he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he’d always been good at following directions. He’d done that now, and he was confident that everything was ready. Finding some dead sagebrush blown up against the side of the shed, he picked out a good piece and began to whittle. Soon, he’d
lost himself in memories of better times before the world had fallen apart.
28
Red River
Post-outbreak day 21
Connor slammed the magazine into his ACR, racking the bolt.
“Time to lock and load,” he said.
“And rock and roll,” James said, climbing into the new and improved Scourge.
Connor looked at the side of the passenger door. Even though Angel looked like he’d made a few bad life choices in his past, Connor had to admit that he was one hell of an artist. He couldn’t believe Angel had done this in a single day. He opened the door and climbed in as Tank started the rig.
“Ready boys?” Tank asked.
“Let’s do it,” James said from the back seat.
Tank pulled Scourge away from their place and drove through town in the early morning light. They drove down North Avenue, heading towards the southern gate out of town.
“Is that Chloe?” Connor asked, noticing someone standing by the side of the road.
“Sure is,” Tank said, slowing to a stop and opening his door.
“Morning, guys,” Chloe said. “I wanted to take a picture with you all geared up.”
Tank looked over at Connor.
Connor shrugged. “Why not?”
“I think a picture sounds awesome,” James said, getting out of the back with his ACR.
Positioning themselves to show off Scourge’s new paint job, they stood decked out in their Kryptek Typhon uniforms, holding their rifles.
“Now smile,” Chloe said as she snapped a few pictures with her phone and then quickly looked through them.
“Connor,” Chloe said, “I said smile.”
“I don’t smile,” Connor said.
“Cut the crap and just smile,” Chloe said.
“Damn, son, you just got told,” Tank said.
They all laughed as Chloe snapped more pictures. “There. Those are good.”
“That all?” Connor asked.
“Don’t you want one with you all stern and angry looking?” Chloe asked.
“I’m good,” Connor said.
Bad Company (The Brother's Creed Book 4) Page 18