"Help me get this guy out of the open." I nodded to the man Rec had taken out.
"We can toss him in right next door here. Buildings empty." He gestured and then moved to pick up the man’s legs.
We tossed him inside, and after a quick look around, headed down to join the others. We made it halfway down the stairs to the mess hall when we heard commotion on the other side of the doors. We both rushed down and pushed through.
The Brit had gotten free and was dragging Zoe towards the kitchen with a knife dug into the spot between her neck and shoulder. That eerie grin still in place. His bow on the floor out of reach. He slowed when he saw us come in and then smiled bigger.
"Seemed a little too easy though didn't it?" He shrugged and squinted at me. "Brandon, get over here." The redhead pulled out of Bud's grasp and trudged over behind the Brit, cutting his ties loose with a knife from his shirt sleeve. "Seems we're at a disadvantage here. Clearly out numbered. Obviously, I'm going to need a minute to think it out." The Brit rolled his head on his shoulders and cracked his neck.
"Add complete pussy to that list you're making." Mer spit out.
"That right?" The Brit laughed.
"Grab a girl to use as a shield. Total pussy move." Mer stepped forward aggressively and Tom grabbed his arm to stay him.
"Just let her go. You aren't getting out of here alive if you don't." Tom said in a shaky voice.
"Not doing that. And if I see one more of you try to sneak a weapon out I'm going to drive this damn blade into her spine." He dug the knife into her shoulder and she winced. "Now here lil' Robin is being so brave and you're going to go and get her killed."
"Alright." Ria pulled her hand from behind her and raised her hands up.
"How many of you are there?" Brandon asked, looking around uneasily.
Right now the only ones in the room were Bud, Ria, Tom, Mer, Zoe, Boe, and myself. Boe had been silently and slowly moving closer to the Brit, and from where we were standing, I could see that someone was in the doorway behind the buffet table. Presumably waiting for the right time to come out.
"More than enough." Mer scoffed, taking another aggressive step forward.
"Keep stepping and she's dead!" The Brit snapped his cool demeanor faltering. Zoe squeaked when the knife finally gouged her, drawing blood. "I don't think Tweedledum there wants that." He jerked his head towards Tom who was shaking with his fists balled up.
"How do you think this is going to end?" I asked quietly.
Boe paused and I silently cursed myself for drawing attention. Luckily neither of them turned towards us and I was ignored. Bud clapped his hands together loudly and Boe used the distraction to move several steps closer to the Brit.
"You were asked a question teapot!" Bud yelled and took several steps forward, causing the Brit to step sideways. His back now almost to Boe.
Brandon had propped himself on his elbows against the buffet and was looking bored. The door behind them was now open several inches. Wide enough for someone to slip through.
"Like the Titanic. You know? Everyone dies-" His voice cut off when the sound of Rec's faulty walkie clicked from the open doorway. We all froze. And then everything seemed to move at lightning speed.
Chapter 6
Enemy of Our Enemy
NEVADA JUNE 7TH 2029
Boe rushed forward, striking out with his kirpan. He sliced the Brit's forearm, knocking the knife away from Zoe's neck. She immediately dropped her weight and the Brit surged forward. Zoe used the momentum to flip him over and she twisted his arm planting her boot on his chest.
Boe stomped on his wrist before he could plunge the knife into Zoe's leg. Rec had come in, his rifle now trained on Brandon. Brandon just raised a brow at him and turned back to the rest of the room faint music still coming from his headphones. Boe dipped down and took the knife from the downed man.
"He should plunge that into your throat." Zoe growled twisting his arm again.
"He should, yeah." He said emotionlessly.
"Well it's certainly exciting down here." Brandon said with a dumb grin. "Sure would love to stay a while."
"You aren't welcome here." Viktor said from the doorway.
"We'll just be on our way then." The Brit said from the ground with a mock salute.
"Let him up." Viktor gestured to the man on his back as he moved to sit at a table, keeping his eyes on the floor.
Everyone moved to the tables and Viktor sat in the middle on one side, the Brit was shoved into a seat opposite him when he indicated. The others filed into the room after Tom went to get them. Len was quiet as he moved to stand behind the Brit.
Bud drug Brandon over and put him in a seat next to his friend. The tense silence sank in after everyone either stood close or sat down nearby. I took a seat next to Viktor and Cer sat on his other side.
"Let's start out with honesty." Cer started. "Plan went to shit didn't it?" He leaned forward and rested his hand on his fist, looking entirely too childlike.
"Completely." Brandon mumbled and the Brit slapped him in the back of the head, earning a slap from Len. "Don't touch me, Tracy." He snapped at the Brit.
"Don't be so damn stupid." Tracy snapped back then turned back to Cer. "Half of what was supposed to happen did."
"And the rest?" I asked.
"We can make it go away." He crossed his arms over his chest and sat back.
"Let me guess." Cer said pointing at him and squinting. "You were supposed to get word out as to how many of us are down here?"
They both kept their mouths shut. I heard someone behind me and Tracy started chuckling in that direction. I glanced back at Ria who was clearly trying to hide how much pain she was in.
"Come on then. Say something. I know you're dying to." Tracy goaded her, stifling laughter. "How's the shoulder?" Glitch moved in from the back and punched him in the side of the face.
"Plenty of us wanna take a swing mate." Neptune spoke from the side of the table. "Keep giving us reasons."
"And you." Tracy laughed. "How's your-" Another punch from Bud this time. "Damn ham fisted bastard." he muttered shaking his head and blinking rapidly, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Yeah." Brandon said on a sigh. "Head count. Supply list. Ask politely for some information." He ran a hand over his face. "That's what we're here for."
Tracy glared at him and he shrugged. Boe sat bottle of water in front of Brandon and stepped back again. Brandon raised his brows and spoke again.
"The vehicles to the west of here are empty. There's no one out there." He was rewarded with a bowl of chili left over from lunch.
"Sodden traitor." Tracy shook his head in faux disappointment. "We thought it was just the mouse and her buddies here." He said turning to us. "There's only eight guys to the north." He was given water. "And Phyn." He said with a wink at Nep."
"Oh boy.” Neptune let out a breath and sagged in his chair.
"We were supposed to wait a few hours, see if anyone came out. We were going to leave the aggs’ behind and come back tomorrow." Tracy finished.
Boe set a bowl in front of him and Tracy smiled. He pulled a spoonful out and paled dropping the spoon back into the bowl. He shook himself and picked up the water gulping it down.
"Thanks, but no thanks." Tracy said.
"Priceless." Brandon laughed around a mouthful.
"What's the matter? Doesn't whet your appetite mate?" Nep asked. "Maybe you wanna gnaw on my other stem?" He plopped his foot down on the table in front of Tracy.
"Neptune that's gross get your foot off the table." Zoe pushed his foot down and slapped his arm.
"No no. Ah, it's too funny." Brandon chortled.
"Hilarious." Zoe said rolling her eyes.
"He's a-" Tracy shoved him out of his seat onto the floor, sending him into a fit of laughter.
"What the hell is going on?" Cer demanded.
Tracy glared at him for a minute and then, pushing the bowl away, he spoke. "Something in there looks like meat." He al
most gagged on the last word.
"Jackrabbit. Raise 'em myself." Boe said proudly.
This time Tracy did gag.
"I don't understand." Zoe said.
"He's a damn vegetarian!" Brandon bellowed. "Meat makes him sick." He took deep breaths to stop his laughing.
"That is funny." Nep said with a slow grin.
"How does that work out for you, Tracy?" Cer asked, stifling his own laughter. "Being the cannibal king's right hand and all?"
"I kill 'em. I don't eat 'em. And I ain't his damn right hand." He grumbled. "I don’t get where people get that." That earned some scoffs and raised brows.
"Only reason we always get sent in first." Brandon said returning to his seat. "We don't eat people. It's our penance."
At everyone's disbelieving grunts and gestures he smiled and took another bite. He poured Tracy's share into his bowl and started eating again. Boe set a plate with a cut up tomato and cucumber in front of Tracy.
"Caged canary's." Viktor said. "They send you in and wait for signs of trouble."
"That's the jist." Tracy said, picking up a tomato wedge. "Tank didn't partake either. He also didn't believe in violence." He said the last bit with a glance at Rec.
"Wish we coulda met him." Rec said sarcastically.
"So a vegan, a Buddhist, and a...?" Cer gestured to Brandon.
"Would you eat a person?" He countered with a scowl.
"How is it you hold your own then?" Mer asked. "Antrim seems to run a tight ship."
"I’m a trigger man, Brandon is a handyman, and Tank was Phyn's brother." Tracy said.
"Brother?" Rec asked, finally looking affected.
"Indeed." Tracy nodded.
"She's going to want to kill you first." Brandon said. "She hated Tank. Antrim wouldn't let her kill him. You took that from her." With a telling look at Nep he said. "She doesn't like things being taken from her."
"She got me back!" Neptune hissed.
Brandon nodded in agreement and stayed quiet. Everyone turned their heads when the door to the med bay creaked open. Neffery stepped out and tucked his hands in his pockets, limping forward to sit at a table away from everyone.
"We didn't know it was just a kid." Tracy muttered.
"AND THAT MAKES IT OK?" Len screamed.
Len started punching him in the face, knocking him to the floor, and Tracy took it with his arms out in submission. No one said anything and the crunch of fist on face echoed through the room. When Len started sobbing, Dom and Bud pulled him off and took him to his bunk.
"When I turn." Nef spoke from his place at the far table. "They're gonna lock me in a room with you. And I'm gonna tear you apart." He stood abruptly and followed after his brother.
The room was still and hostility pulsed through everyone. It seemed at any moment these two men would meet their ends. Tracy still lay on the floor, Brandon kept his eyes on his hands clasped together on the table.
I still didn't feel I had been around long enough to make suggestions for our next step, but with the enemy on the horizon, time wasn't ours to squander. There simply wasn't another option.
"We need to keep our focus. This works in our favor. Are the vehicles west mobile?" I asked Brandon.
"All accept the blue truck." He nodded. "Ran out of gas."
"It'd take them what, an hour to get to those vehicles?" I mused aloud.
"We got here in an hour and a half on the bikes from the west side. As fast as we could go, but we were pulling hog tied munchers along the way." Tracy responded. "We know the desert and we're conditioned for it. You make a run for those vehicles and they see you? It's over."
"What would you suggest?" I asked him.
"Oh, like we're going to listen to him?" Mer snapped.
"Quiet." Viktor scolded. He turned back to Tracy. "Speak."
"We tell them the mouse and her friends are dead. I piss off Phyn and they leave us behind. You're in the clear. They won't expect us to head back right away and they won't come looking for us." He looked from Viktor to me and back. "But I'll only do it if you take us with you."
"Hell no." Mer said.
"Not happening." Rec agreed.
"We won't provide supplies to you." Cer said.
"Wait, you can't expect us to actually take them?" Zoe scoffed.
"Two able bodied men willing to escort us in our cause. There's no debate." Cer gave her a cold look and turned back to Tracy. "Do anything other than stated and we won't kill you, but you will suffer."
"Noted." Tracy gave a salute and finally got up off the floor.
"How will you speak with them?" Viktor asked.
Tracy looked over at Rec and gave him a smirk. Rec glared back and pulled the walkie out of his pocket, walking it over to Viktor. He gave him their walkie and handed me ours, then left to the rec area. Everyone but Ria and Cer following.
"Showtime." Cer said, rubbing his hands together.
"Our walkie works both ways, once I open the line, be quiet because they can hear everything on this end." Tracy explained, taking the walkie from Viktor.
"Got it." Cer nodded.
Tracy punched in a code on the walkie and hit the call button. It beeped twice and then clicked. A sultry voiced woman came over the line and we all seemed to hold our breath.
"What'd you find, Peter?"
Cer sat at the ready, anticipating betrayal.
"They're all dead you cow." Tracy snapped.
We let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Where are the other two idiots?" Phyn asked in a bored tone.
"Hey, Phyn." Brandon drew out.
The line was quiet for a moment and Tracy paled a little.
"Tank?" Phyn asked.
Tracy cleared his throat. "He uh-he didn't make it."
"Didn't. Make. It." She repeated, clearly irritated.
"Good girl, Phyn." Brandon mocked. "You were listening."
"WHERE THE HELL IS HE?" She screamed.
"Dead." Tracy stated simply.
"How?" She said in a false calm.
"The geek got him from behind. Knifed him." Tracy said coolly.
"But they're all dead now?" She asked.
"Yeah." He replied. "We'll be back to you in thirty. Wait for us."
"No. We're coming to you." I could hear the smile in her voice.
Tracy looked from Viktor to me, shaking his head, unsure what to do. It was only seconds, but it felt like hours. Brandon quickly recovered and spoke up.
"Even better beautiful. My legs are sore from riding that damn bike. I call shotgun."
"Oh, no. I didn't say we were coming to get you." She snickered and then there was a silent pause. "Peter? You're far too agreeable when you're lying." The walkie clicked and beeped twice, the call ended.
"We are in the shitter now aren't we?" Brandon said with a dumb grin and over dramatic annunciation.
"Balls." Tracy ran his hand down his face. "What do we do now?"
"We get ready to fight. There's only eight of them against all of us." Cer said with confidence.
"We're here to follow your lead now. Tell us what you need us to do." Brandon said as he sat up to attention.
"We've got to lure them into the station. The big red building across from us. We have a plan." I said.
"I'll update the others." Cer said.
"You two are going to wait topside with Rec for cover-" I started.
"Nope. Lil Red. I don't trust that wanker." Tracy said quickly.
"Alright fine. We don't have time for arguing. Let's get up there." I said standing from my seat.
"I'll send Zoe." Viktor said from his seat, his eyes shifting.
"You sure?" I asked.
"I'm ok right now." He nodded and turned for the bunks.
"Alright, I'll have Rec watch the monitors. He'll flip the switch when it's time." Cer dismissed himself.
Tracy, Brandon, and I headed for topside. Brandon scooped up his hat on the way out. I could see now that it was a Ninja Turtle hat and rolled my
eyes.
I explained how the building was rigged up and showed them the door that would lead them safely outside after they lured the cannibals in. Back outside the two climbed up the side of the upturned truck in the center of the training area. Neither seemed worried about what was coming.
Zoe came out and tossed Tracy his bow without looking at him. She gave me a nod heading directly to the top of the general store. I took a post on the roof of the station and got low. We could already see the dust of two vehicles coming in from the north.
"Hey, Red! I've got three toxics for ya if you tag Phyn's remaining eyeball!" Tracy tittered from the truck as he loaded his bow with red tipped arrows.
She just glared down at him and turned away. A heartbeat later the power to the station came on and Jonny Cash's 'Ain't No Grave' rumbled from the speakers inside set to loop. Tracy and Brandon shared and look and shook their heads.
"Far too fitting." Brandon chuckled.
We watched the horizon and my nerves became more frazzled as it seemed to get darker and darker, though sunset was still more than two hours away. Tracy and Brandon began to arm wrestle, both of them far too relaxed.
Once we could hear the engines of the approaching vehicles, Zoe and I hunkered down and kept our eyes open. A large red jeep pulled around the corner of the bunker hall and slid to a stop, kicking up dust. There were no vehicles coming from any other direction.
"That's my God damned jeep." Tracy cursed.
He and Brandon hopped down from the truck and Tracy readied his bow. There was a flash of light from the driver's side window and they both dropped to the ground and took off for the station. A spray of bullets on their heels all the way to the door.
"They're here, get down!" Tracy yelled as they burst through the doors.
A small truck pulled up to the jeep and two men exited each of the vehicles. I looked to Zoe and held up four fingers with a questioning look. She gave a quick nod and shrugged. The noise continued from the station below and I hoped the men would still enter rather than just shooting up the place.
The windows were blacked out, but once they broke, the aggs’ inside would go ballistic spoiling our plan. Someone heard my prayer because the men charged ahead at full speed. Tracy and Brandon flew out of the back door and up the steps to join me on the roof.
Apocalypse Chronicles (Book 1): SunDown, Part 1 Page 8