And there was no escape.
Aby was watching Tex torture the woman with a knife when she began to convulse on the floor. Tex watched in confusion as the woman clutched at her chest, her eyes bulging out of her head. He stood up to watch her, cocking his head in curiosity. When she went still, he checked her pulse and sighed.
“Looks like she had a heart attack,” he murmured. “She’s dead.”
Aby was beginning to shake again. If the woman was dead, what did that mean for her? Would Tex finally sleep, giving her some hope at getting away? Would he go out to find another victim? She prayed that he’d just leave her alone…
But he turned to her with a smile. He bent down at her feet and began to remove her socks.
“Well, there’s no harm in hurting you a little...just so long as you live to see me torture my next victim...and the next...and the next,” Tex whispered cunningly. He took her sock off, revealing Aby’s toes. She suddenly knew exactly what was about to happen to her. She’d seen it happen to the other woman.
He was going to slice off her toes, one by one.
“No passing out this time,” Tex hissed with a smile. “I want you to feel this…”
Aby screamed louder than she’d ever screamed before as he picked up his knife. But before he could touch her, the door opened and someone entered the room. They aimed the gun in their hand and shot Tex straight through the chest.
He recoiled, choking as blood made its way up to his throat. He clutched at the wound and fell flat on his back, gasping in disbelief. Aby felt nothing but fear rising inside her. Just because someone had killed Tex for her, it didn’t mean she was safe. She knew enough about people now to know that good ones were rare.
“Please…” she whimpered. She had no pride left. She couldn’t just let it all end now when she’d fought so hard, seen so much, felt so much fear. She was shaking as Tex’s killer approached her, stepping into view properly.
It was a very tall, muscled woman. She had a stern expression and she stared at Aby for a long moment before she bent down to untie her ankles. Aby was crying hard, unable to tell if she was being rescued or just dragged away toward the next horror. But as the woman gently untied her hands, Aby began to feel like this wasn’t a sinister moment. Once she was freed, she got unsteadily to her feet and backed away from the woman, her back against the wall as she stared her down. The woman didn’t move, clearly trying not to spook Aby further.
“You look exhausted,” the woman commented quietly. “I think I got here just in time.”
“Who are you?” Aby whispered. The woman shrugged.
“No one. Just a survivor like you. I heard a scream...I just couldn’t walk on by.”
Aby’s legs were shaking so much that she felt like they couldn’t keep her upright for long. The woman looked her up and down, obviously taking in the mess that she was. Aby couldn’t even believe that she was free. She was far too shaken to think that it was all over.
“You need to get yourself out of here,” the woman told her. She reached in the deep pocket of her overcoat and produced a pistol. Aby flinched, instinctively thinking the woman was going to use it on her, but she simply checked the bullets and then offered it up to Aby.
“Here. I looted this along my way. Do you know how to use it?”
Aby nodded, hobbling forward to take it with her good hand. She only felt safe once it was in her grasp. Sniffling to herself, she attached it to her belt before looking back at the woman.
“I don’t know how to thank you…”
“You don’t need to. I’m just doing what any decent human being would,” she said. She glanced at Tex who was now still on the ground where he fell. The woman sighed. “I get the feeling you haven’t met many of those lately. Stay safe.”
With that, the woman turned her back on the scene and walked out of the house. Aby had to stop herself from begging her to come back. She didn’t want to be alone again. She wanted someone to protect her, someone to have her back…
But she was alone again.
She looked over at where Tex lay dead. She felt so much hate inside her that she had to resist the urge to spit on his body. He’d taken her to hell and back, but now it was time for her to get out. She had to take everything she could and make it back to Peaches’ house if she could.
She didn’t want to spend another second inside the house, but she forced herself to look around for useful supplies. Tex seemed to have a lot of food, plus his gun. It was difficult trying to transfer all of the supplies over to the car with her hand in so much agony, so she had to stop for a while and bandage it up. She found a first aid kit and was able to clean the wound, but she was worried about what would happen if it got infected. Her anxiety was through the roof and she kept expecting something else to go wrong, but for a while, she was safe.
By the time she’d made it back to Tex’s truck with everything she needed and his keys in her hand, she felt sick. She looked at the house where she’d spent the worst part of her life. She had wanted to take Peaches back with her to bury her somewhere, but she was too weak to carry her. She wiped tears from her eyes as she started up the engine and drove away from the place, silently saying sorry to Peaches for leaving her behind.
As she hit the road, she tried to concentrate on the route back to Peaches’ home. It seemed like the sensible place to go, knowing she had supplies there. Plus, it was closer to where she started out. She was more likely to find Megan and Jake there…
But Tex’s voice rang out in her head. Telling her she’d never find Jake again. Aby rubbed at her throbbing head, driving one handed because of her hurting hand. Tex had been right. He was inside her head now. He was dead, but he wasn’t gone. He lived within her.
So maybe Aby would never truly be alone again.
Twenty-Two
Jake
Jake was blind with pain. His eyes were wide open, but he couldn’t see a thing. All he knew was that his body was shutting down. He hurt in every possible way in every possible place. The beating he had received was so brutal that Jake was sure it was going to kill him. Or was he already dead? He couldn’t move, couldn’t see, could barely hear the world around him...it seemed like death to him.
Did he deserve it all? He was becoming reckless, becoming stupid. He’d got them into this situation. He’d assumed once again that he knew better. Now he was lying on the ground, clinging to consciousness and feeling the sticks whacking his ribs once again.
It’s okay. It’ll all be over soon, he told himself.
And then the beating stopped.
Jake couldn’t fathom why they’d stopped hitting him until he heard the gunshot. He half expected to feel the impact of a bullet ripping through him, but he felt nothing. His vision began to clear and he saw the sky above him. Slowly, he managed to turn his head, just as footsteps thudded past him.
He saw Megan holding a gun, facing off with the leader of the gang. The two of them were talking, but Jake’s hearing was muffled. He saw the look on Megan[‘s face and felt like he was looking at a stranger. Where was the sweet woman he’d met back in Pittsburgh? She’d been replaced by an unfeeling machine, ready to fight, ready to win. She was trembling a little, but holding her ground. She was the embodiment of bravery.
How the tables had turned. Megan had become everything Jake wanted to be. Strong, but sensitive. The heart of a human, but the fighting spirit of a robot. She was willing to do what it took to survive now. Even through the pain, even through the fear in Jake’s heart, he realized he was proud of her. He admired her, even. She was going to save them both. She was going to make it okay.
The gang leader began to run at Megan and Jake’s heart jolted in his chest. She aimed her gun and tried to shoot him down, but she missed, the gun recoiling and sending her stumbling backward. Then the man was raising his stick all too soon and whacking it across Megan’s face. Jake had to watch in horror as her face was crushed by the stick, blood flying from her mouth as she took the blow. She st
umbled, trying to remain on her feet, but the man swiftly kicked her in the stomach, sending her sprawling onto her back. Jake could barely breathe. For a moment, it looked like she had the upper hand, but now things were looking bad.
Jake had to help. He didn’t know how when his body felt like it was broken into a million pieces, but he had to try and save her. She’d risked her life for him so many times now and stuck by him. If he died trying to help her one last time, he was okay with that.
He turned his body, crying out in agony at the movement. He managed to get onto his knees. By the time he’d stumbled to his feet, his whole body was giving him some kind of warning alarm, letting him know that his body couldn’t handle what he was trying to attempt. But he stumbled forward with a grunt anyway, moving toward the man as he kicked Megan’s gun from her hand. If he could get the element of surprise, he might be okay. If he could manage to get the man on the ground, he could kill him.
Jake knew the only option was to tackle the man from behind. He ran at the man, ready to throw his body at him, but as he did, the man swung his branch backward, hitting Jake square in the face. He stumbled back in agony, but even though the branch had bloodied his face, he didn’t let it stop him from trying again. With a cry, he ran at the man once again and crashed into him, sending them both toppling to the ground.
Jake’s body was screaming in pain, but he didn’t stop struggling. The man was thrashing out, but without his weapon now, they were almost on equal grounds. Jake managed to lock his hands around the man’s neck and, with all the strength he had left in him, he began to squeeze his throat.
Jake looked down on the man who had tortured him and felt no scrap of sympathy inside him. As the man’s eyes bulged and he attempted to escape, Jake just gripped harder. He thought of the ways the man had hurt him and Megan and smiled as he struggled against his hands. He wanted this man to die. He wanted him to suffer. Perhaps he’d only suffer for a few moments, not hours the way he had, but it was good enough for Jake. Knowing that he’d gotten to kill the man who hurt him so badly was an added bonus.
When the man went limp underneath him, Jake gripped his neck for a little longer. He had to be sure. But he felt the man’s pulse disappear from underneath his fingers and he knew it was over. Only then did all the strength drain from his broken body. He collapsed sideways, lying next to the dead man and a few metres away from Megan. She caught his eye, her face bloodied and tears streaking her cheeks, but there was still fire inside her. He could see it. She knew they’d made it. She knew that they’d overcome yet another challenge.
They were going to be okay.
“Jake…” Megan groaned, trying to sit up. She reached for the gun that she’d dropped and held it close to her, cradling it to her chest like a baby. She lay there for a moment, breathing hard. “You saved me...thank you.”
“I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you,” Jake said, his vision swimming. He’d never been in so much pain, but he had to let Megan know what he was thinking. “Megan...I’m so sorry. Again. I’m sorry we’re in this mess.”
“We’re going to be okay,” Megan said. “They’re gone now. We’re going to pick ourselves up and keep going.”
“I don’t know if I can…”
“You can,” Megan said firmly. “I’m going to make sure of it.”
Megan managed to crawl toward Jake and began to wipe blood from his face with her sleeve.
“We should find somewhere to shelter...somewhere to hide out until you’re recovered. Maybe one of the houses around here is empty.”
Suddenly, there was a noise from inside the house. Megan turned, alert all of a sudden. They watched as the owner of the house appeared in the doorway, dragging himself along on his bloodied leg. He was clutching another gun, his face like thunder. He raised it with a lot of effort and pointed it right at Megan.
“No!” Jake cried. Somehow, he found his way to his feet at the bullet ripped through the night. He tossed his body like a rag doll in front of Megan’s. Pain like he’d never known before hit him as the bullet pierced his arm. He cried out, his voice echoing in the night. He saw Megan pick up her gun and shoot back, striking the man down, but it was too late for Jake. He’d already been hit.
“Jake! Jake, talk to me!”
But words failed him. His eyes began to shut involuntarily. He was slipping away. His last thought was of Aby before his body entered a black pit of darkness.
Twenty-Three
Aby
The drive back to Peaches’ house was long and stressful. Aby hadn’t realized how far they’d driven away from it until she tried to recreate the route back home. She made several wrong turns and ended up in places she didn’t recognize. Then she had to backtrack and try to find the right way again, all while worrying about the dwindling levels of gas in the tank.
Her entire body hurt. Her heart hurt. She just wanted to get back to Peaches’ home and rest her head, but she wasn’t sure she’d even be able to sleep. Her traumatic experiences seemed to replay in front of her eyes as she tried to get back to the house, another hurdle to overcome. But Aby knew she had to fight through it. She’d made it this far and she couldn’t give up now.
The roads were quiet. Silent, even. She didn’t see a single other person. It occurred to her that with the amount of death she’d seen over the past few days that humanity was quickly turning in on itself. How long would it be before they all killed each other? How long would it be before they were all so untrusting of one another that they’d kill strangers on sight? Aby knew that in her current state of mind, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone who tried to approach her. The woman who saved her at Tex’s house was an exception to the rule, but Aby kept thinking about how many people she’d come across who wanted to hurt her. She thought of all the people who had died at the hands of madmen. Aby gripped the steering wheel with her good hand until her knuckle turned white. She needed to toughen up. If she was going to survive, maybe she needed to become more like them.
Maybe she needed to be a madman too.
Eventually, the road began to look familiar to her. She realized that she’d travelled around this part of the woods on foot as well as on the road. She was nearly back. She took a deep breath, feeling relieved. But she knew she had to stay vigilant. Peaches’ house was filled with supplies which made it a target for looters. She had to be prepared to come across someone inside.
But the night was silent as she parked up outside Peaches’ house. She guessed it was her house now. She felt disrespectful as she unlocked the front door and let herself inside, but she hoped that Peaches would want her to be there. She’d tried so hard to save her. All she had wanted was for her and Peaches to make it out of there alive. But as she stood alone in the quiet house, she knew that she couldn’t blame herself for what happened to Peaches. If she did, it would drive her crazy. Tex was the one with blood on his hands, not her. Aby did her best to get them out of there...it just so happened that her best wasn’t good enough.
Aby was overwhelmed by her own exhaustion, but she knew she had to secure her supplies and the house before she even tried to rest. It was a nice distraction in some ways, unloading her loot from the car and making sure the house was as safe as possible. She put a heavy cabinet in front of the doorway to make it more difficult to break in. She told herself that the following day she’d get to work on securing the windows too, if she had the energy. But by the time she had finished up her work, she knew she needed to let her body rest. She took a few painkillers with water to stop her body from hurting so badly, but there was nothing she could do about the images of torture that continued to flash before her eyes. She was messed up. She’d once considered herself to be a stable before, but now, she was shaking as she crawled into Peaches’ bed. She was slowly coming undone, and it was taking all of her strength to hold herself together.
But in Peaches’ bed, she could almost pretend for a minute that things were okay. As the drugs began to kick in and her body didn’t hurt s
o much anymore, she sank into the bed, realizing how comfy it was. She knew that she could close her eyes if she wanted to and she’d wake up if anyone tried to break in, but she lay there for a long time, staring at the ceiling. She pretended that Jake was lying beside her, and the more she pretended, the easier it was to imagine the sound of his breathing next to her. She imagined that the landing light was switched on and that her electronic alarm clock she kept on her nightstand back home was emitting blue light, showing the time. She imagined that she could hear the sound of pipes in the house and the buzz of a lightbulb hanging above her head. She knew she’d never experience electricity again, but she could dream of it, at least.
The longer she lay there, though, the harder it was to pretend that things were normal. When she turned on her side to look at the opposite side of the bed, Jake wasn’t occupying the space. There was nothing but silence around her. There wasn’t even a slither of light with the curtains closed. This life that she was living now was nothing like she’d ever known. She’d been chased, tortured, intimidated, lied to and isolated. How had she gotten through the horrors at Tex’s house alone? How had she made it back to the house and made herself safe all by herself, all while dealing with the injuries Tex left on her body?
The End of the World Series | Book 3 | Survive The Destruction Page 13