by Hunt, Jack
He broke an arm and a rib in the fall, and Cole then rearranged his face and sent him a clear message — if he wanted to keep the rest of his bones intact he would either get the fuck out of Keene or operate as a distributor for him. Of course he opted to remain and take a measly percentage. Right up until the shit hit the fan, he was one of Cole’s best dealers. He’d already earned the trust that money couldn’t buy and in these parts that meant a lot. Nervous people didn’t deal with those they didn’t trust even if they dangled coke in front of their nose.
“So who then?” Cole asked.
“You need someone who has influence, who works in a place of power, someone who has earned the respect of residents. It might not be here, Cole, but if not here maybe try Lake Placid. Maybe Damon would know,” Devin said.
“Right, use him to find out.” He shook his head. “It’s a little too late for that now you’ve killed his girl’s parents and burnt their fucking house down!” he said glaring at Magnus.
Sawyer piped up. “What Devin said might work once we are established and are trying to edge into another town but until then we might have to give Magnus’ way a try.”
“Yeah, and what if they turn on us?” Tyron asked.
“They won’t!” Magnus said. “Do you see her turning on us?”
“She doesn’t have a gun in her hand, dick head. Eventually we are going to need to arm them. You want to arm someone who you have doubts about? People aren’t going to follow us just because we stick a gun in their face. That’s called wishful thinking. Make-believe. They’ll turn the first chance they get,” Cole said. “No, I say we try what Devin said. It takes just a small rudder to steer a boat. It’s easier to control one man than to try and control a group. So I want you all to come up with some names. Put the feelers out, find out who was running the show in Keene before all of this happened.”
“And Damon?” Magnus asked.
Cole snorted. “Leave him to me.”
Sawyer pulled back the blinds that covered the main window. “Good. Because he’s just arrived.”
Chapter 7
Damon tucked his gun into the back of his waistband and readied himself for the worst. The truck rumbled outside the low-slung tavern. The roof was covered with a thin layer of snow. To the left of it was a two-car garage, and the entire lot was framed by rolling hills. The first thing he noticed as they pulled in was the sky blue 1979 Scout with the white stripe.
“Wait here,” Damon said eyeing the windows that were covered by blinds. He saw someone peeking out. He tilted his head from side to side making a cracking sound.
“You’re not going in there alone,” Jesse said.
“This is between me and him.”
“Yeah? And what happens if it goes south?”
“Then you get the hell out of here.”
Maggie reached over. “Reconsider, Damon. You don’t have to go in there.”
“Yes, I do. I’ll be okay.” He gave a strained smile and pushed out of the vehicle. He had no idea what the outcome would be but driving away wasn’t an option. This had been a long time coming. There were two doors at the front of the cream clapboard structure with a green roof. He glanced at a faded American flag flapping in the breeze before he ventured in.
“There he is!” Cole said loudly with his arms out. “The prodigal son returns.”
“Where is she, Cole?”
He snorted. “What, no hug for an old friend? Come, have a drink with me. We’ve got the whole place to ourselves.” He studied him and remained where he was. Cole shook his head. “Oh God, Damon, she’s fine. I wouldn’t touch a hair on her head.”
“So why did you murder her parents then?”
He got a pinched expression on his face. “That wasn’t me. I’ll give you three guesses who that was.” He walked over to the bar where there were already two shot glasses on the counter. Damon took in his surroundings. Sawyer already had a firm grip on his handgun and was sitting at a table. Tyron was leaning up against the fireplace, his hand resting on his holster while Devin was keeping tabs on their truck outside. Cole began pouring bourbon into two clear glasses. He motioned with his head. “Come on. Have a drink. She’s fine. You’ll see her in a moment. I promise. This whole thing has been a big misunderstanding.” He picked up a drink and held it out for him. Now Damon knew Cole well enough to know that despite his numerous downfalls, he was a fairly levelheaded guy. He wasn’t rash like Magnus or Sawyer and for that reason alone he ambled over to the bar and took the glass from him. He waited until Cole knocked his back before he downed his. Cole got this big grin on his face and leaned in and hugged him.
“Man, it’s good to see you. Really.”
“So good that you couldn’t take the time to come and pick me up?”
“Right… about that. Something came up and by the time I was available, the power had gone down.”
“Convenient.”
He was lying, but that was in the past now. All that matter was ensuring Sara remained safe and the best way to do that was to keep his cool and stay calm. Cole poured out another two drinks and then offered him a cigarette. He took it and Cole lit it with a cheap BIC lighter. Damon inhaled and did another scan of the room. Where was Magnus? Cole hopped onto a stool and scrutinized him.
“So how was New York?”
Damon hesitated before responding. “What are we doing here, Cole?”
“Having a conversation between two friends. We’re still friends, aren’t we?”
Damon didn’t bother responding to that. Instead he took a sip of the bourbon, eyeing him over the rim. It burned the back of his throat but was slowly putting him at ease, which was exactly what Cole wanted.
“It was jail, what do you expect?”
He leaned against the bar. “You know, Tyron had you pegged as someone who was going to rat us out, isn’t that right?”
Tyron glanced at him then looked away. They’d never really trusted each other. Their animosity for one another stemmed from the fact that Cole would always go to Damon or Devin for advice even though he’d known him since high school.
“But like I told them. That’s not you. That’s not Damon.” He wagged his finger and smirked. “See, cause I know you’re a stand-up guy.”
He looked as if he wanted Damon to respond but he didn’t. In the eight months he was inside Rikers, he’d thought about the conversation he’d have with Cole once he got out — the questions he’d ask, the accusations he’d make, but all those had fallen by the wayside in light of the situation. Cole continued to direct the conversation.
“So how did you get home?”
“I had my means.”
Cole nodded. “Had a little help, you mean?” He looked over to Sawyer. “Those two in the truck outside, they from Lake Placid?”
Damon gave a nod.
He laughed. “Well why didn’t you invite them in?”
“Look, where is Sara?” Damon said placing down his empty glass and starting to get agitated by the delay.
“I told you. She’s safe and you’ll see her in a minute. Now answer the question.”
Damon’s eyes bounced between him and Sawyer. He felt a single trickle of sweat roll down his back. It was uncomfortably warm inside. The logs in the fireplace crackled and static tension lingered in the air.
“I met them in New York.”
“When did you get back?”
“Around two weeks ago.”
He snorted and put his drink down. “You’ve been in our neck of the woods for two weeks and you didn’t take the time to come by? Now I’ve got to say that’s odd. That’s odd, isn’t it, Sawyer?”
“Yep!” he replied keeping his hand lightly against the gun laying on the table in front of him. He could sense the atmosphere in the room changing, like the shifting of wind. Damon figured it was best to explain.
“The country has suffered an EMP.”
“Well no shit, Einstein!” Cole replied as his mouth wormed into a smile. “You got word on how
it happened?”
“The guy I was traveling with believes it was a nuke. North Koreans.”
Cole turned in his seat to face Devin. “You were right. I never trusted those little bastards. But you know what, Damon,” he said turning back to him, “it proves a point. You don’t need to be as big as Russia to bring a nation to its knees, you’ve just got to bide your time and wait for the right moment to strike. You see, everyone overlooks the little guy. They all think he can’t be a problem. He doesn’t have the means to cause trouble, and… even if he does, we’d see it coming.” Damon had a sense he wasn’t just speaking about the attack but himself. “But that’s why you should never underestimate what a small group of people can do. Isn’t that right, Devin?”
“I would say so.”
Cole breathed in deeply. “It’s good to have you back, Damon. Real nice. Ain’t it, boys?” They all agreed keeping their gaze firmly fixed on him.
Damon cleared his throat. “Anyway. I figured it was safer to stay put for a couple of weeks and then head here.”
“So this guy, the one who told you about the nuke. Is he out there?”
“Nope.”
“So he stayed behind?”
He gave a nod.
“Um. And how many others are there?”
“Look, does it matter? Just bring out Sara and let’s get this shit over with.”
Cole rapped the bar with his knuckles and tucked his tongue against the edge of his cheek. “You in a hurry, Damon? I thought Keene was home?”
He didn’t reply and just looked at him knowing full well that he wasn’t going to let him walk out of there with Sara.
“It is but I’ve got to ask myself. Why is a guy who calls himself my friend holding my girlfriend hostage after killing her parents and burning their home down?”
Cole cleared his throat. “Magnus, bring her out here.”
There was a commotion in the back room and farther down the bar Magnus came into view holding Sara by the arm.
“Damon.”
Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she had a red mark on the side of her face.
“Sara!” Damon said stepping forward to approach. Cole put out his hand and placed it against Damon’s chest. “Whoa. Slow down. There will be plenty of time for that reunion but right now we have things to discuss.”
“Let her go, Cole.”
He chuckled. “Don’t act like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like everyone else out there. Fearful. You’ve got nothing to fear. You’re among friends.”
“Then release her.”
“I will but we have a little problem and an opportunity to discuss.”
He picked up his glass and the bottle of bourbon. “Come on. Let’s sit over by the fire.”
Damon pointed at Magnus. “If you’ve laid a hand on her. I swear.”
“Calm down, Damon, they haven’t touched her.”
He guided him toward the fireplace. It was a small section of the bar area that had been designed to give the place a warm and welcoming atmosphere. On the few times Damon had been there he’d seen it used by those who’d finished their meal and wanted to have a drink.
* * *
Outside, Maggie was beginning to worry. Jesse had kept the truck running and had the gearstick in reverse and his foot on the brake, just in case all hell broke loose. He’d already planned the escape route.
“He’s been in there too long. We should go find out what’s happening,” Maggie said.
“You heard what he said. We wait.”
“And if they’ve killed him?”
“They’re friends of his, Maggie. I hardly doubt they’re going to flush years of friendship down the drain.”
“Really?” she said shaking her head. “They let him take the fall for a drug deal and then killed his girlfriend’s parents and set the home on fire? Um, yeah, those are some real good friends.”
He glanced at her. “What do you expect me to do? I can see one of them looking out.”
“I don’t know, I just don’t like the feel of this.”
“Nor do I but until we hear gunfire we stay put.”
* * *
Damon gazed into the fireplace. Flames licked up blackened brick. Cole had been explaining what they’d managed to establish since the lights had gone out. They had more than enough liquor and a chef who they brought in at night to cook them a meal, and enough ammo to ward off anyone who thought of taking what they had. Out of the one thousand residents, many had died or fled. They were still assessing the situation and trying to determine how many remained.
“And that’s where you come into all of this. You see, we can go out there and drag a few people out of their homes and force them at gunpoint to assist us but that isn’t going to get us anywhere, except an early grave once they have a gun in their hand. We need more people, Damon. That’s the road to riding out this shit storm. We can hunt in the surrounding forests for food but that’s hard work when there are only five of us. We can scavenge for fuel, ammo and supplies from surrounding towns but that’s only going to get harder as others defend what they own.” He took a deep breath, downed the rest of his drink and set it down. He pulled out his pack of cigarettes and rolled around a cigarette in front of his face. “I thought that food, bullets, water and creature comforts were the new commodities but that’s not the truth. Trust and respect is,” he said cutting him a glance. “If you have those the rest will come. And right now that’s what we are looking at — ways to thrive not just survive this.” He leaned forward in his chair and placed the cigarette between his lips and lit it. “And you’re going to help us with that.”
“I just want Sara and then I’m out of here.”
Damon looked over to her and gritted his teeth.
“Where you gonna go?”
“Away from here.”
“Lake Placid?”
“Maybe. Maybe somewhere else.”
“And why would you do that? She’s not even with you anymore. She did tell you that, right?” A bemused smile flickered on his face.
Damon kept his gaze on Sara. Cole turned in his seat. “Eight months changes people, Damon. Sara, tell him who you’ve been screwing since then. Go on.”
“Enough, Cole,” Damon said.
“Oh, I would have thought out of anyone you’d want to know who she’s been spending time with.” He looked back at Sara. “Liam Shaw, isn’t that right, Sara?”
She didn’t respond, her chin dropped. Damon was fully aware that she might have been seeing someone while he was inside. He wouldn’t fault her for that. Neither did it come as a surprise to him. They’d dated others between the times they’d been together. And he didn’t expect her to wait for him. Pressure from her father probably factored into it. Liam Shaw was a clean-cut guy, someone that attended the same church as her. She’d probably been set up by her old man.
“Anyway before we get back to what I need you to do, there is a slight issue that must be resolved, and that’s the death of Austin and Trent. You see, Magnus here is real torn up about it and while Trent was an asshole — no offense, Magnus — they would have come in real handy with building connections in Lake Placid. Now I’m down two men and out of pocket. I can’t let that slide. So I figure with you being in Lake Placid for the past two weeks, you might be able to shed some light on what happened. So?”
“I don’t know shit. If they’re dead, they probably brought it on themselves.”
“Well that’s what I told Magnus but you know how he is about kin.”
“Can’t help you.” Damon got up and motioned with two fingers for Sara to come over to him. Magnus grabbed a hold of her arm.
“Sit down, Damon,” Cole said in a stern voice.
“Let her go!”
“She’s not going anywhere, and neither are you until we reach an understanding.”
Magnus withdrew his sidearm and cocked the gun.
Damon couldn’t believe these were the same people he�
��d left behind — friends he’d relied on, shared drinks with and gone out of his way to help. At one time they’d been a tight group. Now all he felt was animosity.
Damon looked down at Cole and balled his fist. If it wasn’t for the fact that they were armed, he would have gone nuclear on them. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d had to fight five guys. That had become a regular way of life inside Rikers. It was rare that anyone got attacked by one guy. It might have started that way, but it always morphed into a group attack.
Chapter 8
When the call came over the two-way radio for assistance, Elliot couldn’t ignore it. He’d spent the last hour erecting signs around his property in different spots in the forest and rolling out fencing with barbed wire. Some might have seen it as over the top and perhaps it was, but it was work that kept his mind occupied. In New York there was never a moment when he wasn’t thinking about how to survive so this just felt like a natural extension of the past year. The only difference was small-town living was less distracting. City life kept him from spending too much time overanalyzing his issues or thinking about Rayna and the kids. Now he just wanted to take measures to ensure they stayed safe above and beyond the shelter.
“Elliot, come in,” Gary said. Static crackled over his voice. He sounded like he was on the move.
Though he hadn’t officially told him that he’d help with town issues, Gary had taken it upon himself to assume he would pitch in. Two weeks ago they had a team of about ten officers. It was a small department, but it was enough to handle the general problems. That was before the power went out. It had only taken a couple of weeks for chaos to ensue and the town’s infrastructure to buckle beneath the weight of the challenges. Garbage was no longer being hauled away so there had been an increase in wild animals rifling through dumpsters and black plastic bags on the streets. And that was just the beginning. With grocery stores being looted and resources running in short supply, it didn’t take long before self-perseveration kicked in and fighting broke out. There were even rumors that neighbors had formed small groups that would work together to take what they wanted. Though most of the emergency services had remained operating, others had done what anyone in their right mind would do, and eventually left town so they could focus on saving their own ass.