The Aftermath Trilogy (Book 2): The Aftermath [Town of the Dead]

by Smith, Daniel

  He stared at the short black hair on the top of her head with the sides shaved off.

  “Strange haircut,” he thought.

  “What are you going to do,” she asked sullenly. He smirked.

  “It's not what I'm going to do,” he said.

  Causing the face of Captain Jones to screw up in puzzlement.

  “Strip,” he commanded.

  Captain Jones eyes went wide at his statement as several audible gasps came from the watching crowd of the big rig truckers and self-defense force members.

  “You can't be serious,” Captain Jones started immediately as he cocked back the hammer on the forty-five pointing directly at her face.

  “You either do-it-yourself or I strip your dead corpse,” he said coldly.

  Captain Jones started shaking as she looked at him. Dan motioned the forty-five towards her feet.

  “Start with the boots,” he stated.

  She hesitated only a second before she slowly bent down and started untying the laces on her boots stepping out of them.

  “Tie the shoelaces together for easy carry,” he commanded.

  She did so before looking up to stare at him.

  “Socks in the boots,” he stated.

  She slowly removed her green socks stuffing them into the boots. Before standing to glare hatefully at him. Dan made an impatient motion with the pistol.

  “What are you waiting for,” he stated coldly.

  She turned her head to look at the crowd moving slightly forward staring at the self-defense force members and truck drivers laughing at her predicament. She slowly reached up to buttons on her camouflage blouse.

  Larry looked out the windshield of the black Mac truck at the scene unfolding in front of him.

  “Is he making her strip,” he asked questioningly.

  Katrina diverted her green eyes from watching the show to look at her brother.

  “I think so,” she said, seemingly unconcerned.

  A large grin, revealing white teeth appeared on Larry's face.

  “Why is he doing that,” he asked jokingly.

  Katrina shrugged and turned back to watch.

  “I will ask him later,” she stated.

  Captain Jones was about to toss her blouse on the ground.

  “No the military taught you to fold your clothing properly,” Dan stated.

  Captain Jones stared at him for a second before slowly starting to fold the camouflage blouse neatly. Bending she placed it on the ground next to her boots and socks. Standing now in only her camouflage pants and green T-shirt. Dan made a motion with the pistol. Staring directly at her glaring eyes. She reached down to start undoing the tan belt that held her pants on. Undoing the belt she slowly started unbuttoning the camouflage pants before letting them drop to the ground stepping out of them. She pick them up folding them neatly then placing them next to the blouse.

  Tears were forming in her eyes as she stood there in a set of beige woman's underwear and her green T-shirt. Dan motion with the gun as a tear started falling down her cheek as she reached for her T-shirt.

  “Don't you think that's far enough,” the soft voice of Commander Hudson stated.

  Dan did not turn to meet the gray eyes staring at him.

  “No she shot me once I will make sure she cannot do it again,” he stated staring into her eyes.

  “We have already searched her,” Commander Hudson’s soft voice countered.

  The cold smile crept onto Dan’s face.

  “Yes now I am,” he stated coldly as he motioned for her to continue.

  The tears were flowing from her eyes as she slowly started pulling the green T-shirt up. Revealing a small beige bra with the handle of a derringer sticking out of a holster clipped to the bra.

  “Stop,” Dan commanded as his finger tighten on the trigger of the forty-five.

  “Oh damn she has a weapon. We are so going through retraining,” a voice of a self-defense force member carried over to them.

  “Toss your T-shirt slowly and if your hands even go for that pistol you are dead,” Dan stated.

  “There'll be no retraining I watched you search her and I did not correct you,” Commander Hudson soft voice said.

  Captain Johnson slowly pulled her green T-shirt off folding it while glaring angrily at him. Tears streaking down her face. She let the folded T-shirt fall onto the pile of her other clothing.

  “Using one hand only let the bra fall to the ground,” Dan commanded.

  Her shaking right hand slowly reached behind her back fumbling for a second before releasing the clasp on the bra. The derringer’s weight causing the bra to pull forward slightly but not off. Dan motioned the pistol to the ground as she slowly shrugged letting her arms move forward. The bra sliding off her pale A cup breasts with hardening pink nipples. To hit the ground near her clothing.

  “Step back,” Dan stated.

  Captain Jones glared angrily at him, the tears flowing freely now.

  “You have bigger tits then her Roy,” a trucker called out.

  “Is that what you think they are,” someone yelled.

  She heard several more rude remarks made by several of the truckers as she noticed the soldiers under her command now staring at her openly. Dan made one last motion with the pistol as she glared at him, her hand slowly reaching for the beige underpants she wore. She locked eyes with him as she slowly pushed them off, revealing a patch of black hair matching the short black hair on her head.

  “Let them fall to the ground,” Dan said looking unimpressed at the naked captain.

  “Fold them,” he stated.

  Captain Jones slowly reached down to pick up her bra and panties to fold them before placing them with her other clothing her hand slowly moving for the derringer.

  “Unless you want to die leave it,” Dan stated coldly.

  Captain Jones hand stopped. Before retreating as she stood staring at him one arm moving to cover her breasts the other hand moving to cover the black hair at the junction of her legs. Tears streaming down her face as she looked at him.

  “Now what,” her quivering voice broke with emotion.

  Dan raised his free hand to scratch his chin seemingly to ponder this question. Looking directly at her.

  “Why,” he asked.

  Her tear streaked face looked at him in confusion at what he asked. Seeing this he added.

  “Why did you shoot me in Memphis.”

  She looked in disbelief at him as she stood naked on the road. As she struggled for an answer.

  “You made me look bad and you are an asshole,” she spat out at him.

  Her statement brought some laughs form the truckers as his blues eyes regarded her.

  “I was right,” he laughed causing Captain Jones to glare at him.

  “Loren thought it was to keep the lab’s location a secret,” he told her.

  “This has gone on long enough,” Commander Hudson’s soft voice called out.

  Causing Captain Jones tear streaked face to turn towards him with a flash of hope before falling at the sight of his expression. She once more turned to face Dan.

  “Now what,” she sobbed.

  “Run,” he whispered.

  Captain Jones took off like he yelled it. Running across the roadway her pale white buttocks pumping. As she fled across an old abandoned farm field that had been going back to the wild running towards the distant farmhouse.

  “I am impressed,” the soft voice of Commander Hudson said as Dan turned to face the steely gray eyes staring at him.

  “I thought we disarmed her where did you learn that,” he asked.

  Dan releasing the tension on the hammer slipped the forty-five back into his holster.

  “Manny taught it to me years ago. He said it was the only way you can make sure no one has a hidden weapon,” Dan stated.

  Commander Hudson moved his head slightly.

  “That's one-way to do it,” he said almost reflectively before looking at him again.

 
; “I need one of the Humvees and an hour,” he told Dan who shrugged while looking at him.

  “Why tell me,” he stated.

  Commander Hudson shook his head as he looked at the self-defense force members and the truckers.

  “I am heading back to Hope wait one hour, then follow,” he called out climbing into the M one thousand and thirty-eight.

  Dan's gaze torn between the M one thousand and thirty-eight speeding down the road. And the dwindling pale naked form of Captain Jones as she ran across the open abandoned farm field. He started reaching down, removing the derringer from the bra adding it to the pile of clothing as he picked it up.

  He started walking back towards the Mac truck listening to the laughter and jokes of the truckers and self-defense force members as he passed the open door of the baby blue Peter belt.

  “Is that a derringer,” the southern drawl of Mabel asked. Dan stopped to look at her.

  “Always wanted one,” her southern drawl said. Dan grabbed the derringer from the pile of clothing handing her it.

  “Of course, if it had been on me you would've never found it,” her slow southern drawl said sweetly. Dan looked at her hard for a second before shaking his head slightly to walk silently back towards the black Mac truck.

  “Smart boy,” Mable's slow southern drawl followed him.

  Arriving at the Mack truck. Katrina stuck her head out the open window.

  “Why did you make her strip,” she asked curiously.

  He could see the wide smile of Larry looking at him from behind her.

  “To make sure she didn't have any weapons hidden,” Dan said, reaching for the handle of the door.

  “Did she,” Larry asked jokingly.

  Dan stopped to look at him.

  “Yes she did she had a derringer hidden in her bra,” he said opening the door.

  As a low whistle left Larry's lips.

  “What did you do with a derringer always wanted one,” he asked.

  Dan entered the truck to sit down in the passenger seat next to Katrina.

  “Your mother said the same,” he said as Katrina moved to sit in his lap.

  “And you gave it to her,” Larry asked almost sounding confused. Dan turned his blue eyes to look at him.

  “Yes,” he said as Katrina hugged him.

  “Smart boy,” she whispered in is ear. As an uneasy smile crossed his face.

  The convoy waited one hour before the self-defense force members guarding the soldiers loaded them into the back of the M one thousand and twenty-five. One standing in the turret of the roof mounted fifty caliber machine gun while another drove towards the Town of Hope. Spotting the tall gray steel towers of the suspension bridge crossing the Mississippi River as they drew nearer. The two large blue and white metal shipping containers blocking the bridge entrance had the doors used as a makeshift gate thrown open. Passing he could only see one member of the towns self-defense force. The rest of the people guarding the bridge where regular town folks. They stood waving and whistling as the convoy passed by.

  “Yes sir I understand,” Mr. Pennington said into the satellite phone.

  He started nervously drumming his fingers on the desk as he listen to the phone.

  “No sir we do not know where they went only they have been gone a week,” he said into the satellite phone.

  “I understand sir it could be close or it could be the west coast,” he started saying then stopped.

  “No sir I don’t think it is the west coast,” he said rolling his eyes.

  “What I mean sir is he started in Arizona before coming here and has traveled with some independent truckers,” Mr. Pennington said slowly trying to keep calm.

  “He could be anywhere including Canada,” he finished.

  Mr. Pennington raised his free hand to his temple and started massaging it as he listen to the response on the phone. His face struggling to suppress some emotion.

  “No sir I do not think they are in Canada or know the current conditions there,” he said pausing.

  “We are working on that and it would go a lot faster without the interference caused by Captain Jones,” he said brushing something off his loud colorful Hawaiian shirt.

  “She has taken two Humvees and half our fuel,” he started saying then stopped rolling his eyes towards the ceiling.

  “Yes sir I know how scarce Humvee’s are and fuel is that is why I called,” he said slightly frustrated.

  Rolling his eyes while still massaging his temple Mr. Pennington removed his hand from his temple to spin it hoping to speed the conversation up.

  “Yes sure we tried searching his house,” he said into the phone.

  “What happened,” Mr. Pennington replied amused.

  “The person we had doing it showed up on the street with an arrow in his chest,” he stated.

  Moving his head to look up at the ceiling in a frustration at the response.

  “Murder no sir he was not at home.”

  Turning his head as a slight knock came at the door. He looked up to see a young Lieutenant standing there.

  “Excuse me one second sir,” he said into the telephone as he put his hand over the phone looking at the Lieutenant.

  “What is it, Lieutenant,” he asked.

  “We just received word Sir that they're coming back,” he said.

  “Captain Jones,” Mr. Pennington asked quickly.

  “No Sir we hear it is the convoy from the town,” the Lieutenant said.

  Mr. Pennington turned his attention back to the phone.

  “I just received a report the city convoy is coming back. Hang on one second sir,” he turned to look to the Lieutenant.

  “I assume we still have at least one Humvee still here,” he asked.

  The Lieutenant nodded his head.

  “Yes Sir,” he stated.

  “Well get it ready we are going into town if the convoy is coming back.

  I hope Captain Jones will not be far behind,” he said before turning his attention back to the phone.

  “Every try since then has failed,” Mr. Pennington said into the phone.

  “News travels fast,” Larry said looking out the windshield of the Mack truck at all the people standing on the street next to City Hall.

  The black Mac truck pulled up behind the balky looking Humvee with the 50 caliber machine gun mounted on it, parked on the street. Giving them a good view of the self-defense force members climbing out of it. Lining up the disarmed soldiers to one side under guard.

  Dan started to climb from the truck hearing cheering people as names where called out from family and friends. Katrina climbed out next to him putting her arm around his waist as he limped forward slowly, feeling uneasy at the noise and crowd. Leaving Larry to start disconnecting the trailer from the truck on the street. Turning their head hearing their names called.

  Looking about the crowd they spotted Doctor McGee moving towards them.

  “Dan, Katrina your back,” she said with a warm smile crossing her face.

  Katrina smiled back as he could find no words to say just nodding his head in greeting. Noticing him limping she looked down at the torn pant leg spotting the white gauze wrapping his right leg underneath it. Her smile fading slightly.

  “What happened to your leg,” he heard concerned enter her voice.

  “Nothing,” he said making a dismissive gesture with his hand as she move forward.

  “I want to see it now,” she started to say before voice distracted her.

  “Doctor McGee,” he heard Sara call out as he spotted her coming up fast to the crowd wearing the first responder medical vest he had given her for her last birthday.

  Sara stopped giving him a strange look as Katrina stood next to him with her arm around him before waving slightly turning her attention back to Doctor McGee.

  “We have injured you need to look at immediately,” she said turning and moving off through the crowd. Loren turned to look at them.

  “I am fine,” he said.r />
  “You come to the clinic or I will come after you,” she said starting to turn. Dan smiled as Katrina answered.

  “I will see that he gets there,” she told a smiling Loren.

  Her eyes went wide at that stamen as she stared into Katrina’s green eyes. She made a motion with one finger between the two of them as Katrina nodded slightly. Loren’s smile growing as Dan missed all of the exchange.

  “I will come,” he thought. “With more coffee then she can possibly drink.”

  Mr. Pennington sat in the seat of the Humvee as the Lieutenant drove. Past the chain link gate separating the occupied part of town from the uninhabited towards city hall.

  “Lieutenant do you find it strange there was none of Commander Hudson’s troops there. Just a police officer and some people from town,” he asked turning in his seat to look out the rear window.

  “Given how efficient Commander Hudson set up is. I would say yes it is strange,” the Lieutenant replied.

  Turning onto main street nearing city hall the Humvee slowed because of the milling crowd and big rig trucks stopped on the street. Mr. Pennington looked at the crowd watching as the truck driver started unhooking trailers as Police officers took up positions on the street. The milling crowd outside the window still blocking their way. Looking puzzled he turned to the Lieutenant.

  “Get us there quickly,” he told him.

  The sound of their rumbling engine doing nothing to move the crowd.

  “I will just inch forward they'll move,” the Lieutenant said.

  “Be careful not to run them over,” Mr. Pennington added.

  “I do not need that headache.”

  The crowd moved slowly out of their way allowing them to inch forward.

  “Use the horn,” Mr. Pennington suggested.

  The Lieutenant pushed on the horn letting out a long blast the crowd simply ignored them still slowing their progress. The Humvee managed to pick its way through the crowd getting closer to city hall. Were more trucks and people blocked their way.

  “Just stop here,” Mr. Pennington said frustrated.

  The Lieutenant pulled the Humvee to a stop in the middle-of-the-road as Mr. Pennington carefully opened the door gently having to push people out-of-the-way to exit the Humvee. The Lieutenant and another soldier managed to get out regrouping around Mr. Pennington who stood scanning the crowd.