The Remnants

by T A Williams

  Jess

  “You sure about this?” Wash asked.

  By the expression on his face he obviously didn’t think she was making the smartest decision.

  “Positive.” She answered.

  “So I take it this is the guy you’ve been sneaking out and spending time with?” He shook his head at the surprised look on her face. “I might not be around all the time but trust me I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

  “He is. He’s a good person and I, we, trust him.”

  Wash looked to Ally who shook her head in agreement.

  “He can be a bit…disruptive at times but I agree he seems like a good person. If at any point in time you all change your mind or run into any problems come back here, ok?”

  “We will.” Jess gave the man an awkward handshake. He saved them from starving to death and for that she would be eternally grateful.

  Wash looked behind her and his expression hardened just slightly. Jess looked back and saw Gruff slowly approaching, his snow white beard waving slightly in the wind.

  “You watch after these two, understand?”

  Gruff came up behind Ally and ruffled her hair. “Been doing that for quite a while, no need to change now.”

  The two men stood there staring at each other for what was only a couple of seconds but felt more like a couple of minutes. Finally Wash straightened up and gave Ally a little wink. “Take care of yourselves.” With that said he turned around and headed back towards the military barracks.

  “That wasn’t awkward at all.” Gruff said chuckling to himself. “Alright short round, go grab your stuff and let’s head out.”

  They didn’t have a lot of things so moving out consisted of nothing more than grabbing a couple bags of clothes, Ally’s bow, and themselves. They threw their bags in Gruff’s house and like always they went out into the woods.

  The heat and humidity normally insured they always had a layer of sweat covering their body but today it was slightly more bearable. The wind was blowing just enough that the small amount of sweat managed to keep them cool.

  Ally ran ahead of them, like always, with her bow and arrow in hand waiting for some poor animal to show its face so she could take it out. Tiger followed along nipping at her heels and waiting to grab up whatever she managed to kill. Gruff and Jess followed along in silence enjoying the spectacle.

  “So you regret not heading to one of the camps yet?” he asked.

  “Nope, you regret inviting us to move in with you?”

  “Give me a day or two.”

  They cut through the woods to an open clearing where Ally had been having luck shooting squirrels. The sun, which had been partially blocked due to the tree tops, poured through the clearing and sure enough there was a small squirrel that had chosen a bad time to come to the ground looking for nuts. Ally froze in place and immediately lifted her bow as she started to aim Gruff placed his hand on her shoulder and stopped her. Before Jess could ask she could hear it as well, movement and not that of a small animal.

  A man shouted something from behind them but it was in a language she didn’t understand. She swung around and the only thing her mind could focus on was the barrel of an assault rifle. The look in the eyes of the Asian man that was behind it left no doubt in her mind he was willing to use it.

  Again he shouted something she couldn’t understand but this time he swung the gun in her direction. Jess reached to grab for Ally but she was already hiding behind Gruff who had one arm behind his back on Ally and the other held up in front of him.

  “Calm down buddy, we’re no threat.” He said calmly.

  Only now did Jess notice the man was dressed in military fatigues but these were different from the ones Wash and his men wore. While they both were a dark green color this man’s uniform had red and yellow patches on his collar that had some kind of medal attached to it. This man was a part of the military but it didn’t appear he was part of the United States Military.

  The Asian man swung the gun back to Gruff and shouted something at the top of his lungs and in the distance they heard an answering cry.

  There were more of them.

  “Jess, I’m positive of two things. One, this man doesn’t understand a single thing I’m saying and two this man is not our friend.” The man motioned with his gun for them to get on the ground but Gruff didn’t move. “When I make my move I want you to grab Ally and head back to the military base you understand me?”

  “Gruff don’t, just do want he says.”

  “Listen to me girl. His friends are on their way and based on his get up I don’t think they are here for peace talks. I’m pretty certain they came looking for a fight and we’re about to become collateral damage.”

  This time the Asian man stepped forward and touched the barrel of the gun on Gruff’s face. Gruff lifted both hands up in surrender and looked away. “I’ll meet you at the base later.”

  Jess started to object when Gruff grabbed the barrel of the gun and pushed it away from his face. The assault rifle fired off several rounds and the sound reverberated in Jess’s ears causing her to lose her bearings and sent Tiger fleeing into the woods. When she collected herself again Gruff and the man were pushing against each other fighting for control of the rifle.

  “Jess!” Ally screamed as she scrambled to her.

  Jess reached down and picked the girl up still watching the fight. Gruff caught sight of them standing there and screamed. “Get the hell out of here now!”

  Her body instantly went in motion; with Ally in her arms she made a run for the trees on the opposite side of the clearing. Just as she got to the other side her feet got tangled up in the surrounding shrubs and she fell face first. Ally went flying forward and hit the ground with a loud thud. The young girl rolled and got back to her knees and didn’t appear hurt. Jess turned towards Gruff who was on the other side of the clearing and now appeared to be winning the fight. The man was still fighting for the gun but he was now on top of the soldier. For a brief second she thought about telling Ally to stay where she was and to run over and help him, but then the soldier’s friends arrived.

  She saw the uniform of another soldier emerge from the trees and then the air was filled with the sound of a gunshot. The force of the shot threw Gruff backwards off of the original soldier and onto his back where he slowly rolled to his knees. Out of the woods came three more soldiers and they surrounded him.

  “What are they doing?” Ally had gotten to her feet and was watching.

  Jess pressed the girl’s face against her chest knowing what was about to happen. “Don’t look honey.”

  The soldier in the middle approached Gruff and yelled something out. The soldier that Gruff had been on top of got to his feet and grabbed his weapon from the ground. He walked up to Gruff and opened fire from mere feet away. Jess closed her eyes as the bullets shot forth and the last image she had of Gruff was his body shaking as bullet after bullet tore through his body.

  As the sound of the gun firing filled the air she grabbed Ally and fled into the woods. She kept expecting to hear bullets whizzing past them but instead she heard a loud siren that reminded her of the tornado warning sirens she used to hear as a kid. It took her a second to realize it was coming from the military base.

  They were under attack.

  Alec

  They couldn’t stop the fire. The house that Trevor had been hiding in was totally engulfed and the fire would soon spread to the other houses. The remaining townspeople didn’t cry out in anger or anguish, they didn’t really react at all because their safe haven had disappeared when the first shot was fired. The few of Revis’s men who escaped would probably return, but this time with more men and more firepower, so they knew they couldn’t stay there any longer and expect to live.

  Gretchen came out of the house across the street with the last rifle slung over her shoulder. She was pale and looked like she was hanging on by a thread but she didn’t appear hurt.

  Alec ran up to her and gave h
er a hug, after a few seconds she returned it.

  “Thank you Gretchen, you saved my life.”

  Her eyes came back into focus and she gave him a nod.

  Trevor and Jamie came up and the man gave Alec a sharp slap on the bike. “You alright kid?”

  Alec nodded.

  “Nicely done.”

  Alec smiled. “You too.”

  The rest of the town came out of their hiding spots and stared at the carnage around them. Alec stepped forward.

  “The offer stands,” he announced to all of them. “This place isn’t- wasn’t ever really safe. I know it can be hard to let go. A little over a year ago I lost my mother to cancer. After the world went black my father and youngest brother were killed by men like these.” A few of the people turned their attention away from their burning town towards him. “My sister was taken from me and I have been searching for her ever since, that is why I am here.”

  Trevor came up behind him and placed his hand on his shoulder giving it a firm squeeze.

  “Things change. It’s not easy to accept and it’s even harder to experience, but they do. This was the place you lived but it wasn’t your home. Your home consists of the people you care about. Some of them share your blood, others an unspoken bond.” By now all of the people were standing in the street listening to him. “You all came together and managed to survive as the rest of the world crumpled around you. That is strength. That is family. I’m sorry this happened and I can provide you all with another place to build houses and together you can make it a home.”

  The people watched him, some with tears in their eyes others with blank expressions. The decision was up to them now. Things happen in life and sometimes you have to realize that there isn’t anything you can do to stop it. Alec was still struggling to accept that he couldn’t get angry when others struggled with that same concept. They had to come together or they would fall apart.

  Trevor had gotten Malcolm to his feet and the man seemed to be coming to. “Margie is she-“

  “She’s ok.” Trevor answered. “She’s with the cars waiting to go.”

  Malcolm began to cry. “Thank you.”

  Alec turned to Trevor. “Let’s head over there and get ready. We can swing back through here before we leave and give anyone who doesn’t follow another chance.”

  Trevor nodded and headed towards the barn on the outskirts.

  Before Alec followed he looked out at the horizon. He was headed home. He was bringing with him a small town full of people but the one person he was supposed to bring back he hadn’t been able to find. She was out there somewhere and he prayed with every ounce of his being that she was ok.

  Jess

  The closer they came the harder it was for Jess to catch her thoughts due to the blaring of the sirens. When she finally caught sight of the military base she was immediately filled with dread. She saw smoke rising from the middle of the encampment and through the blaring sirens she could make out the sounds of gunshots.

  “Jess, what’s happening?” The same fear that Jess felt was reflected on the young girl’s face.

  “Just stay with me honey.”

  “Where did Tiger go?”

  “He’s safe,” she lied, “just follow me.”

  Jess took off towards the base dragging Ally behind her. She had to find Wash, he would be able to protect them from whatever was happening. She heard the sound of a helicopter approaching and fear filled her again when it rose over the tree lines in the distance and opened fire into the base.

  They approached the western side of the basewhere the civilians were housed and also happened to be where they snuck in and out of the base. They slipped through the small opening in the fence and were met by chaos.

  Several of the trailers nearby were on fire sending dark plumes of smoke into the air and reducing the visibility. Her nose was filled with the smell of the burning buildings, her ears were overwhelmed with the blaring sirens, screams, and gunfire, while her eyes witnessed the bloodshed firsthand.

  Jess held Ally close as several people ran by screaming, several of which had clothing that were stained in blood. She had to find Wash and she needed to find him fast.

  They cut their way through the chaos ignoring the screaming wounded and what Jess was certain was a dead body, and made their way to their old trailer. It was undamaged and the fires had not yet reached it.

  She opened the door and pushed Ally in.

  “Honey,” the panic was still evident in her voice. “I have to find Wash but it’s not safe for you out here, so I need you to hide in here until I get back ok?”

  The little girl shook her head no. “If it’s not safe for me then it’s not safe for you.”

  “I’ll be ok,” she said more to herself than to Ally. “Once I find Wash he’ll be able to find a safe place for us.”

  “I have a bow I can help you.”

  “Ally,” for the first time her voice came out strong. “Stay here. This is not a negotiation. I will find Wash and come right back ok?” Ally nodded and wiped tears from her eyes. Jess grabbed the girl and gave her a firm hug. “It’s going to be ok honey, I’ll be right back.”

  She watched the girl run to the back of the trailer and hide underneath the bed then she turned and ran towards the chaos.

  The civilian area was nothing compared to the rest of the base. She dodged her way through burnt out vehicles and dead bodies, not giving them a second glance. The fight, which appeared to have once been focused in the middle of the base, had moved to the eastern side based on the gunfire she was hearing.

  As she ran past what she assumed was another dead body it reached out and grabbed her ankle sending her sprawling onto the hard ground. Her right shoulder hit the ground first causing pain to shoot through her entire body and also causing her right arm to immediately go numb. Jess started to get back up but the person still hadn’t let go of her ankle. She looked over and saw the body belonged to one of the ladies she washed laundry with.

  The woman’s eyes were glazed over and a large amount of blood was running from a wound on the top of her head. “Please…please save my daughter…I think she is hurt.”

  Jess only knew the lady from their time together during their daily chores but she remembered meeting the woman’s daughter once. There was a body laying a few feet from the wounded woman and Jess recognized the young girl. She fought back tears and grabbed the woman’s hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll find your daughter and I’ll take care of her for you.”

  The woman’s eyes watered and she squeezed Jess’s hand tightly. “God…bless you.” She then closed her eyes and Jess watched as she stopped breathing.

  The same helicopter Jess saw previously rose over the eastern portion of the base and opened fire until a white streak shot up from the ground and struck the helicopter causing it’s midsection to erupt in fire. For a brief second it seemed to float in the air and then just as quickly it came plummeting down out of sight.

  There on the hard cold ground Jess realized there was no way she was going to be able to find Wash. If the man was still alive he would be in the middle of the firefight and there was no way she was going to be able to get in and out of that and survive. Even if she managed to find him what could he do? The base, the place that had once been her safe haven, was crumbling to the ground all around her and there wasn’t anything that Wash, or her, could do about it.

  Without a second thought she got to her feet and ran past the burning debris and dead bodies until she got to her old trailer. Still under the bed hiding was Ally who was back in her arms before she could say a single word. She wasn’t going to fail this little girl.

  “Ally, we’re going to get out of here.”

  A large explosion rocked the base towards the main entrance as they slipped back out of the base the way they came and headed south. Far in the skyline she could see more smoke rising in the distance, battles were raging all throughout this area.

  They pushed their way through the wood
s until the sound of the siren suddenly shut off. She had gotten so used to the constant blaring that the sudden silence was almost like a blow to the head. For a few moments all she could do was stand there and wait for her ears to stop ringing. The ringing was replaced by Ally’s scream.

  Jess turned and saw two enemy soldiers standing there, rifles pointed right at them.

  “No move.” The one in front shouted.

  Ally hid behind her.

  “We won’t move, please don’t shoot.” She pleaded.

  The second soldier came around and grabbed Ally pulling her out from behind her. Jess grabbed his shoulder and he swung around, one of his elbows connected with her jaw sending pain throughout her body and causing her to fall to her back. She heard Ally scream and then the soldier yell out in pain. When she looked up she saw the soldier’s hand in Ally’s mouth. The soldier pried his bloody hand from her mouth and backhanded the young girl sending her violently to the ground.

  As she watched the girl lying motionlessly on the ground something in her snapped. All the fear she had built up since the world ended turned into anger. She rushed the soldier who was beginning to raise his rifle in Ally’s direction and plowed into him from behind. His gun went flying in one direction and Jess sent him went flying in the other. The soldier attempted to catch his balance but went sprawling into a nearby tree trunk. The sickening snap that emanated left little to the imagination.

  Jess looked for Ally but the little girl wasn’t there anymore, but she did see the second soldier. The man stood there stunned at what he had just witnessed and then he locked eyes with her, aimed the gun, and pulled the trigger.

  The first bullet hit her in the right shoulder, the second just below her right breast, after that her world was nothing but pain. She fell back onto the ground and the air left her lungs taking away her ability to scream. The pain started in her shoulder and chest and then radiated throughout her entire body and the world began to dance around her. Just as she began to feel like she was going to be sick the pain lessened and the world started to get hazy. She could hear the sound of her heartbeat and the sound of the air returning to her lungs but everything else seemed to be far away.