Day One (Book 3): Alone

by Michael McDonald

  Erin stopped as ordered, but he would not put the question to rest and kept pushing for an answer. “Marcell, what is it? Tell me dammit!”

  Marcell spoke. “Just hold on a minute… let’s just keep calm and talk about all of this.”

  “Talk about what?” Erin asked.

  “I’m sure we can work something out if we try hard enough… he’s just a kid for god sakes, no more than eighteen years old,” Marcell added.

  Erin was totally lost at this point. None of the things Marcell was saying made any sense to him. Who was he referring too that was near his age? Keep calm about what? “Please, tell me what you are talking about?”

  Marcell turned his head to Erin. There was no longer a look of fear in his eyes, as anger had taken its place. “Get away from here!”

  “But…”

  “I said get the fuck out of here, now go!” Marcell ordered this young kid.

  Erin was about to walk away when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye and looked to see the female officer taking up a better firing position at the corner of the house. Her pistol was trained on him and he knew that he’d never get his rifle up and aimed before she shot him down. “Oh, shit.”

  Marcell looked to see Erin looking toward the rear of the house. He followed the kid’s gaze and came to the female officer, giving me more than enough time to get to my feet and better see both of my targets instead of just one.

  “I found the cop, Marcell,” Erin said.

  “And I found her friend,” Marcell responded, pulling Erin’s attention towards his friend to see me now standing with my SBR leveled at them.

  “Don’t even think about it, kid. We’ll burn you down before you can even get that rifle into your shoulder,” I said sternly, hoping that the kid took the warning and kept his hands and rifle where they currently were. I didn’t want to shoot him because he was so young, although if pushed me into a corner, then I’d have no choice but to come out swinging.

  Rachel’s voice cut through the wet silence. “Put the rifle down, kid, nice and slowly.”

  Fear enveloped on Erin’s face and his fingers began to twitch, showing the nervousness he was surely experiencing at this moment in time. “What are we gonna do, Marcell? They got us surrounded and I don’t think I can get both of them!”

  “Erin,” Marcell said. “Put the gun down like she said.”

  Erin shook his head furiously. “No! You aren’t going to shoot us down like unarmed dogs!” He shouted.

  Marcell knew how grave the situation was and at any moment either of the two strangers could start shooting. If he wasn’t able to get the rifle out of Erin’s hands, and fast, he’d be shot for noncompliance. “Erin, listen to me. You have to put the rifle down… just put it down.”

  I had the kid dead to rights if he didn’t drop the gun. I felt my finger touch the trigger and knew that it would only require a few pounds of pressure before the chunk of lead exited the barrel and hit the kid in the right side of his head. He’d be dead before hitting the ground and the older guy would be next. Still, with all of this pent of frustration I had for Morris and what he’d done in the last few hours, I didn’t want to have to kill a kid. I don’t think I’d be able to handle the guilt that came with that, in a bad situation or not.

  I had kept from killing Smith’s son, and he had put a hand cannon to my head and threatened to blow my friggen brains out, where this kid you could tell was simply scared and thought we were going to do both of them harm after we disarmed them. I could see Rachel becoming annoyed at the kid, telling him several times so far to put the gun down without success and wondered how many more times she’d demand him before pulling the trigger.

  Marcell was doing his best to get Erin to drop the gun. Rachel had even threatened to shoot him if he was unable to get the kid to put the weapon down.

  “I’m doing the best I can, lady!” Marcell shouted to Rachel.

  “You better get him to drop that fucking rifle!” She shouted, turning the gun back toward Erin. “Drop the god damned gun, kid!”

  I pushed forward and shoved Marcell out of the way. I stopped in front of Erin and let my short rifle fall earthward. His eyes watched the rifle until all the slack was taken up and the rifle stopped. He looked at me and I was smiling at him.

  “Whatever is going through that mind of yours, it isn’t going to happen,” I told him. “We aren’t here to hurt you, to rob you, kill you or anything else to that degree. But I do need you to put the weapon down for a few minutes and let us sort all of this stuff out.” My words were soft and gentle and stayed that way as I continued to talk. “I know you’re scared, I am too and I promise you that after we get this worked out you can have your gun back… I give you my word on that.”

  Erin watched me put my hands as far away from my rifle as possible. He stared into my eyes a few brief seconds and I could see his fingers begin to stop twitching. After a few moments he released his death grip on the rifle. “You promise me you aren’t going to steal my rifle?”

  “I promise you I will not take your rifle,” I said to him. “I have one of my own and know how valuable they are. No one will take your rifle.”

  Slowly he handed me the rifle and I quickly took a step back opened the breech and cleared the chamber before setting it on the wet grass. From there my attention and demeanor turned and changed toward Marcell. “What the hell were you thinking?” I demanded to know from him. “We were in the middle of the street minding our own damn business and you sick your bullseye shot her own us… and for what?”

  Marcell said nothing at first; all he could do was stare at me as if he had no idea what I was saying to him. That silenced look is what was starting to piss me off even more than I already was. It flooded my veins like gasoline and a single spark would ignite an explosion.

  “Are you going to answer me or do I have to sick my dog on you?” I asked pointing towards Rachel and her steady Glock.

  Marcell glared at Rachel with an obvious hate for her that you could see in his eyes. Abruptly he turned to face me and the glare relaxed, but only slightly. “You think your idle threats frighten me?” He asked. “Because if that’s what you think, then you are sadly mistaken, and forming any alliance with that sick fucker will get you killed faster than if I was the one trying.” His finger was pointed directly at Rachel.

  Rachel stared blankly back at Marcell, doing her best to figure out what he was talking about. I could see the confusion on her face and in her eyes; she wasn’t holding anything back from me. She was truly confused as to why he was so angry with her. “What did I do to you?” She asked instantly.

  Marcell captured her face once more and glared at her with utter hate, but said nothing.

  I piped in hoping to get to the bottom of what was unfolding before us. “What did she do to you and this kid? Because the last time I checked, you two dumbasses were shooting at us and we were doing nothing to you… hell, we didn’t even know you two idiots were nearby.”

  Marcell opened his mouth and was about to speak, however, I guess he chose against it and shut his mouth. He simply stood there glaring at Rachel and when I turned slightly I could see Rachel glaring right back at him. Something erupted in my brain and I switched positions where I could see all three of them better.

  A low rumbling came from nowhere and I waited a few seconds for the thunder to increase. It didn’t. Whatever was making that low rumbling sound was not Mother Nature in her full fury. Whatever was making that noise was growing in pitch. It was getting closer. “Do you hear that?” I asked no one in particular.

  Everyone turned their heads just so to increase the amount of sound that their ears could receive, like a radio transmission tower.

  “What is that?” Rachel asked.

  I shrugged my shoulders, still doing my best to listen to its pitch. “I don’t know, but it sounds like it’s getting closer,” I stated.

  “Probably the rest of your sick friends coming to pick you up and take
us back to that hell hole,” Marcell announced loudly.

  I looked from Marcell to Rachel. “Get out there and tell me what’s coming this way,” I said to Rachel who quickly squeezed past our two new guests and headed for the street. I unwittingly watched her as she made her way up the side of the house, into the carport and slowed near the front of the house. Marcell glanced at Erin quickly and took a single step toward me in some vain attempt at knocking me down and running or attacking me. Apparently they thought since I was outnumbered I’d be an easy target, although I had seen the movement from Marcell and as I tried another step I introduced the butt of my rifle into his stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs. He staggered backwards and fell to the ground. I quickly grabbed Erin and tossed him to the ground beside Marcell. “Let’s get one thing straight, right now,” I said to them. “I don’t need either of you for anything, let alone to survive. I can kill you both right here, right now and it will not affect the outcome of my day. Do you understand me?” My voice was booming as the adrenaline pumped through my veins. I was ready to fight… I was eager to fight, and for some unknown reason – at this current moment – I was looking to start a fight.

  The look of pure unadulterated horror was awash in Erin’s eyes. He stared up at me and I, for some strange reason, thought the kid was on the verge of having a massive heart-attack from the events that had just taken place. No doubt, Marcell thought he had a good chance of taking me off my feet or perhaps rushing me and sticking me with some unseen knife he had hidden in his hands.

  “Put your hands out where I can see them,” I demanded of them. “Both of you!” they both complied with my demands and lay there quietly as I eyed them, looking first at one, and then to the other, as if deciding which one to shoot first.

  “Don’t shoot us… please don’t,” Erin begged of me.

  I answered his please by placing a single finger to my lips.

  Rachel was poised at the edge of the house looking down the left side of the street, as far as she could see anyway. There were a few cars parked near the road which made it difficult for her to see very far and she thought about moving out further toward the road, using those same cars as cover to get a better look see. The events of almost getting shot just minutes before, however, kept her firmly planted where she was. She looked back toward me and I offered up both hands, silently asking ‘what is it,’ but she shook her head and told me that she didn’t know.

  “Great,” I said, still watching the two dumbasses on the ground who thought killing Rachel and I would suddenly make the world a safer place. Ah, ignorance is bliss. No. Ignorance must be contagious and I’m pretty sure it hurt in some way, although the one infected with it would be too stupid to even realize such a sensation.

  Rachel returned, letting me know that she had been unable to see anything and wanted to know what our next move was.

  “You stay here and watch these two idiots,” I stated and hurried toward the street. Rachel stepped into my position and pointed her Glock at the two on the ground.

  Erin, once again, begged not to be shot, but this time Marcell cut him off as he glared up at Rachel. “They aren’t going to shoot us… they don’t have the balls for it,” he said snidely. “They’ll take us back to the school and have someone else under them do it.”

  Rachel looked at Marcell throwing him a gander that him believe she was offended by his comment. “Look,” she said quickly. “I don’t know what those people did to you, but we aren’t all bad… in fact, we were chasing after Morris right before you two idiots decided to shoot at us. He’s the one you want. He’s the one that would do such horrible things to you. Him and Smith are the bad guys, not us.”

  Marcell perked up when he heard the names Morris and Smith. But still in his mind he was convinced that Rachel and I was still part of that delightfully warped crowd. “Yeah, I know those two, but you’re wearing the same uniform honey, so good try,” he countered.

  “You think what you want; I could give a shit less. Those two assholes had his son, and then tried to use him and his daughter as experiments. And as far as the uniform goes, I was a security guard at the school before all of this happened, which explains why I was there in the first place.” Rachel’s words came hard and harsh. “Shooting people down in the street, to whom you know nothing about doesn’t make you any better than Morris or Smith. Murder is murder, no matter who you are.”

  Erin turned to Marcell. “We were going to murder people?” He asked somberly.

  Marcell shook his head. “No! We are keeping this neighborhood safe from the likes of those people,” he replied.

  Rachel nodded her head. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. You’re no better than Smith or Morris… in fact, you’re just as bad as they are. Maybe even worse, especially since you brought a kid in on your demented adventure.” She shook her head and glared at Marcell. “It’s people like you, Smith and Morris that the world has gone to shit! All you assholes hide behind a religion or a fucked up belief and torture those of us that don’t see things your way! You scream for equal rights, yet you don’t have the courage or brain power to realize that you are doing the same thing you’re whining about!”

  Marcell had nothing to say to Rachel’s words. Maybe it was because he knew she was right and deep down he didn’t want to admit it. Or maybe he was nothing more than a whack job like Smith had been, performing incredible acts of evil while hiding behind the excuse of good intentions.

  The thundering rumble slowed and faded to just that of the falling rain. It was eerie sounding as Rachel, Marcell and Erin listened for the inevitable to come, although only light thunder roared a single time and fled.

  Rachel turned to look at where I had gone. I looked at her and shrugged my shoulders before turning toward the street once more, still enthralled with what had made the ambient foreign noise.

  I took another look around and was satisfied that whatever had made the noise was now gone and had probably been a part of the storm in another part of the town, maybe even several miles up the road. I turned and was about to head back to Rachel when I spotted someone coming around the back of the house out of Rachel’s sight. I threw my hands up and was about to yell to her when I felt a twin pinch in my neck, felt a reasonable amount of force, then suddenly my whole body tensed and I could feel pain surge through me like rushing water crashing through open flood gates. I was frozen, unable to move or even defend myself from the unseen attacker. The world darkened and everything went black. Only the sound of the rushing wind screaming past my body and the earth shattering collision with the ground rattled out… then nothing but silence.

  Johnny placed the last few items he had in the rear of the chopper and took a few steps back to admire his handy work. Unknowingly his right hand slipped down to his waist and he felt the hammer of the revolver exactly where it should be. The distinct sound of falling rain hitting the metal roof called to him and he began to wonder if flying was such a good idea. There were no thunderstorms in the area, at least none he could see in the distant or hear. That didn’t mean that when they took off he wouldn’t be faced with a massive storm cell – a wall of powdery death he could neither fly above or outrun. “I don’t know about this… I just don’t know if I’m doing the right thing,” his voice echoed across the expansive hanger. “He could be dead for all I know… I saw him fall.” Yet the more time had passed the more something deep inside told him that what he had seen was not really what had happened.

  People have fallen from higher altitudes and survived, so why couldn’t Brandon?

  A slight noise pulled him from his thoughts and he turned to see Kember standing at the bottom of the stairs looking at him. “Bye, bye,” she said, realizing in her tiny little mind that they were about to leave.

  “Yes, baby girl,” Johnny said. “We are about to go bye bye.” A smile crept across his face as he looked at her and saw the smile form across her face. She must have been thinking that they were going to get her daddy, which
she had to have missed more than anything. Johnny felt the lump in his throat at the thought of searching and not finding him or finding him and having the worst revealed with certainty.

  He wasn’t a very religious man, but Johnny closed his eyes anyway and quickly sent a prayer to the heavens above, asking that whatever they were going to find would be easy for both of them to accept, and that they were safe in their flight.

  A low rumble quickly formed and Johnny prepared for the pounding thunder that was sure to follow, yet even after several long seconds he was still desperately waiting for something that wasn’t going to come. “What is that?” He asked, crossing the hanger to the large metal wall. Once there he swept a few of the cobwebs and dirt out of the way and slowly placed his ear to the cold steel. There was nothing at first, other than the blowing wind and falling rain. “Great, now I’m hearing shit,” he said and was about to move away when the noise came again, but this time it remained constant and he was able to partially track its origin. “What the hell is that?”

  The noise grew in intensity as quickly as the uneasiness sprung to life within him. Something was coming. He spun and raced for the chopper, trying his best to cross the large hanger as fast as humanly possible. From the corner of his eye, on the right, where once there had been a white door that led to the front parking lot, suddenly there was the darkness. “Holy shit!”

  The End.

  If you’ve enjoyed this book and would like to see how things wind up for Brandon, Kember and the many other characters I have forgotten to mention, as well as all of the crazy shit that could possibly go wrong with the world at its utter end… then please stay tuned for the fourth book in the Day One series. Coming soon.

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