Fall of Houston Series | Book 4 | No Surrender

by Payne, T. L.

  Savanah’s feet could not move fast enough. She pumped her arms harder and took bigger strides, but her energy level was low. She felt like she was moving in slow motion. Her heart drummed in her ears, drowning out the calls from Jason and Karson to wait. She just kept running.

  “Dammit, Kylie. Come out from under there. You cannot take those dump kittens. You know you can’t carry them. Let’s go,” Kendra was saying as Savanah ran toward them. She was yelling. Loudly. She was scared. She was also mad as hell. Kendra was normally a kind and patient child. It took a lot to get her mad, but when she did, she’d let you have it.

  “Kylie. Stop being a little brat and get out from under that shed. You heard the bell. We have to go. You’re going to get us all killed.”

  “Go away! I’m not going,” Kylie yelled.

  Savanah stopped about one hundred feet from the Bertrands’ shed. She was drained and out of breath. She bent at the waist and gulped some air, feeling lightheaded. This was not good. Suddenly, things got dark. Savanah fought to stay upright and not pass out.

  “Get the hell out here now, Kylie. Do not make me crawl under that filthy, bug-infested shed to get you. If I do, you are going to be so damn sorry.”

  “You’re cussing me. I’m telling Mom.”

  “I don’t freaking care what you tell her. You better get your freaking little butt headed to the house so we can get the freaking hell out of here before the Chinese soldiers kill us all.”

  “Kendra!” Savanah tried to yell. It came out as a mere squeak. She didn’t want her frightening Kylie any more than she already was.

  “I want my daddy!” Kylie cried. “I’m waiting here for Daddy. I’m not leaving.”

  Savanah straightened. Her head swam and vision blurred, yet she pushed on, one step at a time, more feeling her way across the rough sod than seeing. Derek wasn’t coming. He’d been killed after Will had been captured and the military rolled through Vincent. She hadn’t yet told Kylie that. There just never seemed to be the right time. Now, it appeared they all run out of time. She needed to get to her girls. Things were getting out of control. Kylie could slip out the back and run off into the woods behind the Bertrands’ house. It could take hours to find her.

  “Kendra! Stop!”

  “Let me go!” Kylie screamed at the top of her lungs.

  Kendra had hold of her. Savanah prayed she had a tight grip. Kylie was so strong for her age, and if she were fighting to get away, most of the time, she could.

  “You're not doing this to Mom. You hear me, brat. You are not going to stress her out like this and hurt her feelings on the day she has to leave our home. She has enough to... Ouch! You bit me!”

  “Oh no!” Savanah said. “God, no!”

  Eleven

  Will

  When he’d arrived at the rally point on the front lawn of the homestead, Karson had told him about Kylie. He’d run straight for the Bertrands, passing Isabella and Cayden exiting one of the campers, both with their arms full of small children.

  “I have to help Savanah find Kylie. I’ll meet you,” he said, pointing back over his shoulder.

  Isabella’s eyes grew wide.

  “They won’t leave without us,” he called over his shoulder.

  He found Savanah seated on the ground fifty feet from the Bertrands’ shed. Kendra was standing next to the door with one of Kylie’s shoes in her hand and a stunned look on her face. She stared down at her mother with her mouth open wide.

  “Which way?” Will yelled.

  Kendra looked up but didn’t seem to register the question.

  “Kendra! Which way did Kylie run?”

  Savanah turned her head in his direction.

  “Will,” she whimpered.

  “Are you all right? Are you hurt?” He stopped briefly by her side.

  “No. And no. I’m lightheaded. I’m not hurt,” she said. “Will, find my baby.”

  “I’ll get her,” he assured her. “Kendra, help your mom back to the house. I’ll get Kylie and meet everyone there.”

  Will didn’t wait for a reply. He rounded the shed and took off as fast as he could run toward the canal. That’s where she’d have headed. He’d seen her playing there earlier in the day. She had to be there.

  The weakness in his legs concerned him. He was using a lot of energy. The energy he needed for the road march on which they were all about to embark. They would need to move quickly in order to outpace the advancing enemy army.

  He spotted the clearing where he’d seen Kylie earlier and pushed himself harder. His breaths came in gasps as he took them with his mouth wide open, trying to draw as much oxygen into his lungs as possible. He spotted movement through the undergrowth, and his heart lifted. And then…

  Kylie’s scream pierced his heart like a dagger. He saw her being lifted into the air but couldn’t make out by whom. He wanted with all his heart to believe it was someone from their group, but everyone was already gathered on the lawn, ready to go—everyone but Walker and the Bertrands. For a moment, he relaxed, convinced it was Walker. But Kylie would not have screamed like that—not with Walker. They were buddies.

  It was the muffled cries that convinced Will that Kylie was indeed in trouble. She was still struggling and fighting to free herself from the man’s grasp as Will broke through the brush. The dark-haired man dressed in blue uniform fatigues, narrowed his eyes at Will as he clenched her tighter to his chest, a knife pressed against her tiny throat.

  “No!” Will screamed. He held out his hands, palms out, showing he had no weapons. “No. Don’t hurt her. You don’t have to do that. I’m not armed. You can just put her down and let her run away. Nothing is going to happen here. Nothing has to happen.” Will pleaded with the man but could tell by his hard stare that he wasn’t going to give her up easily. Will racked his brain. He had a knife. It was in his front pocket. There was no way he could pull it out, open it, and attack the man before he sliced his niece’s throat with his own, very large tactical knife. Will’s eyes focused on the man’s blade. A trickle of blood seeped out underneath it.

  “Please. I beg you. She’s just a little girl.”

  His black eyes were cold and hard. Will took a quick glance around to see if the soldier was alone. Maybe he was. Maybe he’d gotten separated from his unit and he was just scared. Will thought he could work with that scenario. He could promise him safe passage in exchange for Kylie.

  “Are you alone? Do you need help? We can help you. I have a vehicle up at the house. You could take it and get to where you need to go.” Will lied through his teeth. He hoped—he prayed—the man somehow believed him.

  The soldier shifted and looked towards the Bertrands’ house.

  Yes!

  “It’s in the barn. It’s old. It will run. It has plenty of fuel in it too.” Will stepped back, pointing in that direction. “Come on. I’ll take you to it.”

  The man took a step forward, bent slightly to get a better look through the low-hanging branches, and then straightened suddenly. He stiffened, and Kylie cried out.

  “Will!” Walker yelled as he ran.

  “Walker! Stop!”

  Will turned to the soldier. “No. It’s okay. He’s a friend. He won’t hurt you. He’s just concerned for the child. It’s okay. We can still go get the vehicle, and you can be on your way.”

  Will turned his body in such a way as to block the soldier’s view of Walker. He wanted all the man’s attention focused solely on him. “Listen, all I want is the girl. I don’t care about you or what you got going on in the least. I just want to take my niece and get out of here. I will trade you the girl for the vehicle. You can ride out of here. No one has to get hurt.”

  Will focused on the man’s hand. He seemed to loosen his grip slightly. It could have been wishful thinking, but Will thought he was about to put her down.

  The soldier tried to look around Will. He was still concerned about Walker.

  “Walker. We need a minute. Can you meet me back at the Bertr
ands? I’m having a conversation with Kylie.”

  “Will?”

  “Walker, please, man.”

  “Okay. I’ll be in the house if you need me.”

  “Thanks, bro.”

  “Okay. Now, just lower the knife, and we’ll walk out of these woods to the barn. The keys are in it and ready for you.”

  Will shifted his weight to turn, and the man freaked. He stabbed the knife in Will’s direction, shouting something in Chinese. Will was sure the man understood English, but maybe he didn’t speak it—not well.

  Will lowered his voice and tried with everything in him to sound calmer than he felt. “Settle down. It’s okay. I was just going to lead the way. You can go first if you like.”

  Will bobbed his head nervously and even flashed him a slight smile. He felt an almost sickening wave of relief as the soldier lowered his hand to his side. Will took a step back and held his hand out, gesturing for him to advance. The soldier shifted Kylie to his left side and held the knife out in front of him as he neared Will. As he did, Kylie bit down on the man’s loosened hand, causing him to jerk the knife back toward her.

  Will launched himself forward, landing hard against them. They all went to the ground. Will’s sole focus was on the man’s knife. He would do whatever it took to keep him from plunging it into his niece’s body. Whatever it took.

  Will felt the knife graze his shoulder as they struggled for control of it, but it didn’t hurt like he thought it should. He jabbed his elbow into the man’s rib cage as he wedged himself between the soldier and Kylie. “Run, Kylie! Run to your mom!” he yelled. But she couldn’t. Her leg was pinned somehow. He could feel her tugging. He shifted, thinking he was the one holding her down. As he did, he loosened his grip on the man’s wrist and felt the steel of the blade on his forearm. If it cut him, he didn’t feel it. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was freeing Kylie so he could get her back to his sister and her siblings where she belonged.

  She tugged one last time, and her leg popped free from the tangle of the men’s legs. She shot to her feet immediately and began screaming for Savanah. Will thought of Cayden and Isabella as he listened to her voice fade as she ran away. He was spent. He was malnourished and dehydrated. Just running to get there had zapped all his strength. It had been a miracle that this young, strong, Chinese soldier hadn’t overcome him already. Will was resigned to his fate. But still—he couldn’t give up. It wasn’t in his nature. He’d promised Melanie he’d keep Cayden safe. And Cayden was anything but safe at the moment.

  Will felt hands pulling him backward. The soldier’s eyes widened, and then a look of resignation washed over his face. Will heard the boom of the rifle’s report a second after seeing the pink mist.

  Mr. Bertrand stepped into view. “You better get the hell out of here before his compatriots come looking for him. I’m sure they heard that shot.”

  Will stared down at the foreign soldier as Walker pulled him to his feet. Somehow he knew that was not the last dead Chinese soldier he’d see. They’d made it across the Intercoastal and were here at their doorstep. How long before they were in Shreveport or Texarkana? Would Arkansas be far enough away from the fighting? Would they need to push farther into Missouri, maybe even as far north as Iowa? Surely, the fighting wouldn’t make it all the way to Iowa. If it did, the whole country would be lost.

  Will looked back. “Aren’t you coming?” Mr. Bertrand was still staring down at the soldier. His shotgun now resting in the crook of his arm.

  “No. Momma and me are going to sit this one out.”

  Will wanted to turn back and convince him, but there was no time. His family was likely already on the move—or at least they should be. He wasn’t even sure he had the energy left to catch them.

  “You kids take care, and may the good Lord bless your journey,” Mr. Bertrand said.

  Twelve

  Isabella

  Isabella heard Kylie screaming as she ran toward them. She sidestepped around Jason and then Pete looking for Will, unsure what had the girl so frightened. Cayden stepped around her and took several steps toward his cousin.

  “Where’s my dad?”

  Kylie didn’t answer him.

  The boom of the shotgun caused Isabella to jump. In seconds, she was running toward the sound, yelling Will’s name. She felt arms wrap around her, lifting her off her feet. “Let me go. I have to get to him.” Isabella twisted and struggled in Jason’s powerful grasp, but he held firm.

  “You aren’t armed, Isabella. Wait here. Pete and I will go. Stay here with the others.” Jason lowered and released her. “Get them out of here,” he called as he ran toward the Bertrands’ place.

  Cayden took off after him. Isabella yelled his name, but he ignored her. She looked back. Savanah had scooped up her daughter and was rounding up Keegan. The others were rushing toward the gate. It was like Black Friday at Walmart. Children were knocked down, and bags were dropped in the panic. “Stop!” Isabella screamed. “Stop! We have to stay together. Just stop by the gate. We need to stay in our groups.”

  She heard a loud whistle blow. A few in the back stopped and turned. “Just stop. Get into your groups. Parents, grab your children. We need to move fast,” Savanah yelled.

  She handed Kylie to Kendra and picked up Keegan. The four moved quickly toward the crowd. Isabella rushed in behind them and grabbed a little blond-haired boy dressed only in a soiled diaper. She couldn’t see his mother anywhere. Isabella hoped she had her other two children with her. They didn’t have time for tracking down any more kids. Their time had run out. That shot had to have meant that the enemy had arrived. Will would never have fired otherwise. It would attract unwanted attention.

  People paused and waited for slower members of the groups to catch up, and things looked much more orderly as they turned out onto Sugar Cove Road. The sun was high overhead, and their shadows were short on the pavement as they quick-walked west toward the Sugar Hill community. They’d turn before reaching it and cross Jeremiah Guidry’s field, a shortcut that would take half a mile off their trip. It wasn’t much, but with the number of miles they would need to cover each day, every step saved would add up.

  Savanah had pushed herself to the front of the pack and was setting the pace for the groups. That would have been Pete’s son’s job. Pete’s wife, daughter, and grandchildren were among the families in the front group. Beau wasn’t with them. Isabella hadn’t seen him take off after Pete and Jason. Where was he? Where was Rob? The whole plan seemed to be falling apart. They’d practiced for weeks. Everyone knew what to do. But the plan relied on certain members to be there to lead the way and to scout ahead to secure safe resting places. Was that where August and Rob were? Had they gone out to survey the route ahead of the community? That was the plan, right? Her mind was going fuzzy on the details now. All the stress was getting to her as the reality of the situation set in.

  Isabella couldn’t help but look over her shoulder continually. Her mind went to all kinds of bad places as she waited for a glimpse of Will and Cayden. She was kicking herself. She should have run after Cayden. Will would have wanted her to stop him, but he was with Jason and Pete. They were armed. He’d be all right.

  Will is okay. They are all fine. They had to be. They’d all catch up with them at the first rally point.

  Isabella couldn’t imagine her life without Will and Cayden. She’d only known them for two months, but there was something about an apocalypse that brought people together in a closeness that she’d never experienced before. If something happened to them now, how could she possibly go on? This new world was so harsh and difficult. Life without Cayden and Will would not be a life.

  The group would rest there in the big white barn before crossing the interstate and pushing north. Will would meet her there. They’d go north together. She had to believe that.

  Isabella’s right arm was burning from holding the toddler. She shifted the boy to her left hip as her eyes roamed the group for his mother. Finally sp
otting her, Isabella quickened her pace to catch up. The young mother’s frightened eyes appeared to look straight through Isabella, and then slowly, she registered her son’s face. The mother stopped walking and gasped. Her mouth dropped open and formed an O. Her eyes widened, and she lowered the child she held to the ground, snatching the blond-haired boy from Isabella’s grasp, and squeezing him tight to her chest. The child began to cry, and she spoke softly to him. Her gaze returned to Isabella.

  “I cannot begin to tell you…” she began.

  “No need. You have your hands full. I’ll take this one.” Isabella reached down and took the tiny hand of the little girl clinging to the young woman’s leg. She yanked her hand away and wrapped her arms around her mother. She was no more than three years old and much too heavy for the woman to carry them both. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I just want to hold your hand while we walk. We’ll stay right here next to Mommy.”

  The child looked to her mother questioningly. The mother nodded, and Isabella took the girl’s hand in hers. They continued walking, picking up the pace to catch up with the rest of the young woman’s group, which consisted of another family with small children. The wife held a child on each hip, and the father had a little boy on his shoulders.

  Isabella and Will had talked about the perils of moving the group north. Traveling with small children had been difficult even when there’d been motorized transportation, and was overwhelmingly hard under the current circumstances. They’d be forced to move much slower than would be prudent normally. The parents, who were likely even more exhausted than Isabella, couldn’t carry the children very far before needing to stop to rest. But with the current threat, Savanah wasn’t allowing for breaks. She was pushing them hard and fast, wanting to put as much distance between the group and the enemy soldiers as possible.