Catharsis: Outbreak Z: Books 1-4

by Roberts, EM

  “You,” he said, pointing at the bad man, “Come out here.”

  The man stood, his arms crossed over his chest, and stared at Amos coldly.

  “Why? What do you want?” he asked.

  “I’m going to give you a chance to escape,” Amos told him.

  “You mean you’re going to kill me?” the man replied.

  “Nope, I’m not going to shoot you. I’m going to give you a chance to walk out the door. I heard you’re a big, tough guy, so prove it,” Amos taunted. He’d been bullied before, and he was calling on that experience to taunt the man.

  “I can tell you’re not very smart, boy. So, I’d say you probably should just let sleeping dogs lie.”

  “I may not be smart, but my mammaw always said that sometimes you have to kick the dog out of the house,” Amos invited, opening the door wider.

  The big man, confident in his ability, walked through the door. Amos shut the door behind him and locked the other men back inside.

  “Amos, what are you doing?” Izzy yelled, as she came around the corridor and saw what was happening.

  “I’m doing what needs to be done,” Amos replied, his voice strong and firm. He knew he needed to kill the bad man, but he needed to make it fair.

  “He’s escaping, and I’m stopping him the only way I know how,” Amos continued, knowing Izzy would understand. He didn’t know how he knew that, but he just did.

  “Oh,” she replied, her voice very small.

  “So, you want have a go, you dummy, do you?” the bad man asked, circling around Amos.

  Amos smiled in invitation as Hector threw a punch which landed in Amos’ gut. It hurt, Amos wouldn’t lie about that, but he knew how to take a punch. Amos knew he was tough and that people underestimated him because he was quiet and childlike. Every punch this man threw at him, he could take. He could take it because Ella was his friend, and he needed to avenge her.

  The man threw another punch. This one hit Amos in the face and snapped his head to the side. He spit blood onto the hallway floor and smiled at the bad man again. Amos was biding his time. He knew he had to make it look like the man had attacked him.

  “Amos, what are you doing? Fight back! Hit him,” Izzy yelled in the background.

  Amos ignored Izzy because he was sticking to his plan. He would let the man get in one more good punch, and then he would avenge his friend. Amos was under no illusions. This was a fight that would only end in death. And, it wouldn’t be his. He was confident of that much.

  The mean man smiled at Amos. That was it. Amos had taken his last punch. He swung at the man’s face, all of his anger and aggression, going into the punch. Teeth and blood went flying against the pristine white of the wall. The man fell to his knees looking up at Amos.

  “This is for my friend Ella. I want you to die knowing that,” Amos said, reaching down and grabbing the man by the head. In a motion, he’s seen only in the movies, Amos gave a massive twist and broke the man’s neck. Amos was surprised that he felt no remorse or guilt for this act. The mean man had gotten what he deserved. Amos could not allow the man to live and do to other people what he’d done to Ella.

  Amos looked up to see Izzy running to his side. She stopped and looked down at the man. Looking up at Amos, she smiled and hugged him.

  “Don’t feel bad, Amos. It was the right thing to do. He was trying to escape and attacked you. You had to defend yourself,” Izzy explained, as Amos saw Parker and Jax enter the hallway.

  “What’s going on, here?” Parker asked.

  “I guess Hector somehow picked the lock and attacked Amos. Amos was defending himself. I threatened him, but he just kept hitting Amos,” Izzy explained to Parker. A part of Amos wanted to tell Parker the truth, but maybe it was better to just go along with his plan.

  “Is that true, Amos? Did he escape and attack you?” Jax asked.

  Mammaw, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I’m kind of telling a lie.

  “Yes, he did, and I had to stop him the only way I could,” Amos replied, not looking at either Parker or Jax.

  “Well, I guess that takes care of that,” Parker said, clapping Amos on the shoulder.

  Chapter 9: The Decision

  It was their second night completely locked in the facility. The headcount was seventy-eight people. The third day they’d been here, Jax, Izzy, and her new boyfriend had gone into several of the surrounding towns putting flyers up on billboards letting people know to come to the facility. A few more of the people who’d been in Adams’ original group had also arrived. Parker had explained to the people the conditions of staying in the facility. Because the last year had taken such a toll on the survivors, many had felt this was the only viable choice.

  Parker had also explained that he wasn’t their leader. He’d informed the people that a governing council elected by the people would run the facility and make the rules, but that it would be rules that everyone could live with. Ella was proud of him. She was happy to stand with him and welcome the people into the facility. They’d slowly gotten to know each other better over the last week, and she was falling more in love with him every day. He truly did have such a kind, loving heart.

  The men who’d been with Hector were banished. They’d discussed it with some of the others, and it had been too risky to give them a second chance. It had been a hard decision because Ella knew that it was human nature to dole out second chances, but overall, the group had felt it was too risky to have the men stay. They’d given them plenty of supplies, and right before the doors closed, they’d sent the men on their way.

  Ella had read Roe’s diary, and she was somewhat at peace with her friend’s departure. She would never forget Roe and their special relationship, but she knew she had to move on and heal. She knew that was what Roe would have wanted. Roe would have been glad to hear that Ella was building a relationship with Parker.

  The biggest surprise had come when the doors had closed and the other sections of the facility had automatically unlocked. One of the locked doors had opened, and Ella’s brother had walked through. Ella had almost fallen over in shock! She’d never imagined Eli had survived in a million years. The two had fallen into each other’s arms, crying and hugging, past hurts and arguments forgotten.

  She’d learned that his wife Margot had been killed by the terrorist group that had stolen his work and turned it into a biological weapon. Eli had learned that his mother had turned into one of the creatures and that his father had passed several months back peacefully in his sleep. They both had come to terms with being alone in the world, and it was amazing to realize they now were not.

  So far, they were still exploring the facility, but it truly did have everything needed to jumpstart humanity. It had its own power system, and Ella wasn’t sure how that worked, but Eli had explained that it would continue to work for them. There was a place for farming with special lighting and irrigation. The facility stretched for several miles beneath the mountain and surrounding area. There were buildings full of supplies, medicines, and foods.

  It was a new beginning for everyone. There was no government anymore. Next week, they would have an open election for a council who would govern the facility. She didn’t know what would happen, and there was beauty in that. There was a form of beauty in starting over and trying to do better. She just hoped they did—do better.

  A soft knock came from the door, and Ella crossed the apartment unit she’d taken and answered it. She smiled, seeing her visitor. Parker was dressed casually in the clothing that had been provided. There had been plain tee shirts and pants that were reminiscent of hospital scrubs. She supposed the government thought fashion was not a requirement for survival. Roe would have disagreed with them on that score.

  “Hey there, you’re looking good, sporting the new clothes,” she told him, as she gestured for him to enter.

  “Well, I want to save my good clothes for special occasions so they don’t wear out right away,” he reasoned, taking a seat.

&nb
sp; “Oh, and this isn’t a special occasion?” she asked, flirting with him.

  “Well---“ he stuttered, and Ella laughed.

  “Relax, I’m hardly dressed for the part, either.”

  “You always look good,” Parker smiled at her.

  Ella walked over and sat down on Parker’s lap, surprising them both. This last week had been a series of small affectionate kisses and getting to know each other. They weren’t in any big hurry to take their relationship any farther. Ella thought she might be ready tonight.

  She took Parker’s face into her hands and looked into his eyes. She placed her mouth on his, kissing him deeply and with all the affection and longing she was feeling.

  “You’re sure about this? I’m happy to wait—hold your hand—that sort of thing,” Parker mumbled in between kisses.

  “I’m fine. I want you to replace all of the ugly memories with beautiful, new ones,” Ella told him, kissing him once again.

  Ella climbed from Parker’s lap, pulled him up by the hand, and led him down the hall and into the bedroom. There, she stood in front of him and disrobed, or tried to anyway, with only one arm.

  “Well, dammit, I was trying to be all sexy and do a striptease for you, but it just doesn’t work so well with only one arm. It seems more awkward than anything,” she muttered, trying to lift the top over her head.

  “You don’t have to try and be sexy. You already are,” Parker told her as he assisted her in removing the top. He unsnapped her bra next, pausing to kiss each of her nipples in the process. Ella sighed in contentment. After this, Parker knelt in front of her and pulled her pants and underwear down. Standing naked in front of him, Ella was a little self-conscious, so she disguised it with humor.

  “Well, I’m naked, so it’s your turn, mister. You can do the strip tease since you have full use of both arms,” Ella said teasingly.

  “Um, yeah, I’m not real good at that kind of thing,” Parker said, stepping out of the drawstring pants and pulling the tee over his head. Ella looked at him and smiled. He was so handsome, and although he’d always been fit, these last few months had really given him some muscle tone. Ella placed a hand on the caramel colored skin on his chest and squeezed one of his pecs.

  “You’re a real beefcake Mr. President,” she whispered.

  “Yeah, right,” he drawled, grabbing her and pulling her into his arms. She smiled, feeling his erection straining against her.

  “You turn me on. How about that?” she asked, reaching a hand down tugging his underwear off and dropping them on the floor.

  They stood together, skin pressed against skin. Ella’s nipples grazed Parker’s chest, and hungrily she kissed him again, slightly sucking on his tongue.

  “You feel so good,” he whispered, reaching his hand down to stroke her clit. Ella knew she was wet, and all she could thing about was being with Parker.

  She strained against his hand, parting her thighs to allow him better access, and in turn, feeling him slide a finger into her. She turned her head to face him, and kissed him hungrily as he continued to pump his finger in and out of her.

  “Baby, you feel so good. I’ve waited so long for this,” Parker sighed, lifting Ella into his arms and carrying her to the bed.

  He leaned down and grabbed one of her nipples with his lips, sucking softly. Next, he moved to the other, giving it the same treatment. Ella shivered with longing and desire.

  “I want to please you,” she murmured.

  “There will be other times when you don’t have a broken arm or stitches in your face. I’ll do all the work this time,” he whispered, as he reached down and guided his cock into her.

  Ella gasped at the sensation. She grabbed Parker by the ass as he continued to pump in and out of her. She could feel the desire building, and she wanted to prolong it as long as possible. He continued a steady rhythm, allowing the pressure to build for both of them.

  Suddenly, Ella couldn’t take it anymore, and the pressure built to a pinnacle, her orgasm flowing over her and causing her to gasp for breath. Shortly after, Parker gave a final thrust and grunted his pleasure. The two of them lay together for a little longer, savoring the feel of each other’s bodies.

  “That was good,” Ella sighed.

  “Good, I believe it rates better than good,” Parker growled, rolling off and pulling her into his arms.

  “It was wonderful, momentous, perfection, unique, glorious…”

  “Awesome, stupendous, mind-blowing…” he continued.

  She laughed. She hoped this was just the beginning….but sadly it wasn’t… Parker, the love of Ella’s life…died the next week.

  Chapter 10: And They All Lived Happily Ever After?

  The two young women stood in front of the screen containing the timer. It read 23 hours and ten minutes with the seconds dropping away. There was no need for conversation as there was nothing to be said. Soon, the doors to the facility would open, and they would be able to explore a whole new world. They would be able to feel sunlight on their faces and breathe fresh air into their lungs.

  Sara Wallace turned to her companion:

  “It’s amazing, isn’t it? Finally, we’ll be able to see where our parents lived before all of this happened. I wonder if we’ll like it? I wonder what the people will be like out there?”

  “Savages. We’ve seen them on the monitors, and most of them living in the cities are savages. We’ll have to be especially careful,” replied Sara’s best friend, Alice.

  The two girls were only three months apart in their ages and had been best friends since their births. Sara was the first child born in the facility. Shortly after, Alice had arrived. Their mothers had placed them in the same crib, and the two had turned out more like sisters than just friends.

  “Your mom is sad. I don’t think she wants to go out into the world,” Alice mentioned, as she turned away from the monitor and prepared to go back into the common area.

  “I think mom is sad because the outside world reminds her of my father,” Sara stated bluntly.

  Sara had never met her biological father, but she’d heard all about him from her mother and the rest of the original survivors. She knew that Parker Wallace had once ruled the vast country out there. Her father had lived here in the facility for almost two weeks. He’d been the last of the survivors to contract the mutated virus. Her mother had been the one who’d had to free him from the disease. There had been no happily ever after for the two of them. It was hard to love a man she’d never met, but she loved him through the stories and the memories her mother had given her.

  Alice left her friend in the common area and made her way to the unit she shared with her mother, stepfather, and brother. Opening the metal door with her own personal code, she made her way into her home. It was a three bedroom unit, and it was the only home she’d ever known. She knew her mother had tried to make it homey and reminiscent of the farm she’d grown up on in Tennessee, but with the limited items in the facility, it had been difficult.

  Still, the handmade blankets and the plants scattered throughout the unit made it more personable. Also, her mother had added touches of art here and there, made by Alice’s Aunt Jem and various other creative people in the facility. Her mother was a big promoter of the arts. She often told Sara it was a way for them to express their humanity.

  “Hello sweetheart, where have you been?” her mother asked, walking into the living area.

  Sara smiled. Her mother was so beautiful. Even at fifty-eight years old, her mother still looked and acted like a much younger woman. Her red hair now held streaks of gray, but she was fit and strong. She liked to tell Sara it was because she had to be that way to keep up with her and her brother. Sara knew it was because her mother took care of herself.

  Sara reached out and placed her hand on her mother’s cheek, covering the puckered scar there. It hadn’t always been there, she knew. Her mother didn’t really like to talk much about her life during the Outbreaks. She’d suffered so much pain and
loss during that time, and Sara didn’t want her to relive it.

  “It would have been much worse than it is if Sully hadn’t arrived and fixed me up at the last minute. I hadn’t expected to see him ever again, and he suddenly appeared like an avenging angel,” her mother murmured, as she took a seat on the couch and pulled a blanket up around her.

  “I know he likes to tell me all the time about how he almost missed out on this glorious existence underground,” Sara smiled as she took a place beside her mother on the couch and snuggled next to her.

  “Tomorrow, the door will unlock, but there are things you should know about the people out there,” Ella told her daughter.

  “Mom, I’m not some teenage kid. I’ve read books. I know there are bad people who do bad things,” Sara moaned. Her mother always liked to coddle her and her brother, and sometimes she still treated Sara like a teenager instead of an adult.

  “On my way here, twenty five years ago, I was raped repeatedly and almost killed by bad people like the ones you’ll meet out there. Your uncle Amos killed the man who did this to me. I think that’s the only time I have ever seen him out of control,” her mother confessed.

  Sara was stunned. Her mother had never, ever mentioned this to her. She knew her mother had been involved in a helicopter crash which had resulted in the scar on her face, but her mother had never mentioned a sexual assault.

  “You never said…” Sara trailed off.

  “Because I couldn’t talk about it, and I still can’t. All I can say is that it is the one time in my life that I felt inhuman and not in control. I felt like an animal,” her mother smiled wanly.

  Sara knew the conditions on the outside were rough. They still had a couple of satellites working after all of this time, and those feeds had shown people scavenging and murdering each other. There were very few people to be seen, and there were still creatures here and there sporadically, letting them know that the virus hadn’t disappeared. She felt bad for the survivors because they hadn’t the luxuries or opportunities she’d had inside the facility.