by Ison, S. A.
He wondered what they’d run into today. He didn’t like killing, it made him feel sick inside, but he’d not let anyone hurt Dawn or Tomi, Perrin or Linda. Jack and Norman might well turn out to be liabilities and that might put the rest of them in peril. He’d have to watch Jack, especially. The man was stupid. He was also a ticking timebomb, the man needed to lose weight.
He got the fire going and looked over at Tomi, who sat up. Perrin also sat up and his hands scrubbed his face viciously. Silently, Liev walked to the streamlet and filled a pot with water. He’d been so glad that Linda’s store had carried the instant coffee with the camping food. Christ, he’d be sorry when it ran out.
Walking back, he set the water on the fire to boil. Tomi was adding sticks too the fire. He looked like hell run over.
“I’m getting too old for this shit.” He mumbled and Liev laughed softly.
“What’s getting, I think you’re already there.” He sniggered softly. He got a silent middle finger. He went to his pack and dug out a granola power bar and instant oat meal. He pulled out a small metal bowl and waited for the water. Dawn groaned and sat up, her dark long braided hair was askew and fine hairs stood on the top of her head. She looked adorable, and he grinned.
“Are you always this damned happy in the morning Liev? Christ, if I’d have known that, I’d have left you behind.” Tomi grouched and Perrin snorted beside him.
“Water’s almost boiling big baby, you’ll have your coffee soon.”
“Thank god.” Both Perrin and Tomi said simultaneously and all grinned.
“Can you guys be quiet, I’m still trying to sleep over here.” Jack complained loudly, waking Linda and Norman.
“It’s time to get up Jack.” Tomi announced.
“Give me another hour, it isn’t even light out for Christ’s sakes.”
That got a loud laugh from the others and he shot them all a filthy look. Liev stood and walked over to the man and looked down at him grinning.
“That’s okay Jack, you can stay and sleep. But we leave out, with or without you.” He laughed when he heard Jack mumble asshole.
“Dawn, why do you have blue lines on your face?” Linda asked, suppressing a laugh.
“What? What do you mean?” She asked, startled, her hands going to her face. She looked horrified at Liev, who grinned, his head shrinking down in his shoulders like a turtle withdrawing his head. He opened his blue eyes very large and fluttered his lashes.
“I just wanted us to be matchy matchy.” He said in a small voice.
“Oh my god! You’re such a knucklehead. I should beat you blue.” She said, laughing, trying to wipe the marker off.
“You guys are sickening.” Tomi laughed. Liev shrugged and poured the boiling water into the cups. The group emptied their instant coffee powder into their cups. Silence surrounded them as each curled around their cups, enjoying the morning wakeup.
=
Tomi wiped the sweat from his brow. He’d already rolled up his sleeves. It was hot in the midafternoon. They’d stopped twice, roughly every three hours of walking. Jack was having a difficult time, and Tomi wondered if the man would have a stroke. He turned to Perrin and nodded to the back, his mouth flat.
“Let’s take a break, I guess.” Perrin said resigned. Tomi lifted his hand and everyone stopped, taking off their packs. He walked over to Liev, who’d been walking with Dawn.
“Give me the crossbow, I’m going to go ahead and do a little hunting while everyone rests.” Tomi announced. Liev turned, giving Tomi his back. Tomi unhitched the Crossbow and grabbed three short arrows.
“I’ll look around for about thirty minutes, that should give everyone time to eat a snack, do their business and drink and relax.”
“Sure thing, Bossman. You sure you don’t need company?” Liev said, a worried look on his face.
“Naw, I’m good. Keep an eye on Jack. He doesn’t look good.”
“That’s cause he’s stuffing his face. When he thinks no one is looking, he eats those energy bars. I don’t think you’re suppose to eat so many at once.” Liev said in a soft voice.
“Hey, you guys warned him. He’s a big boy, literally.” Dawn snorted, unsympathetically.
“See you all in a few.” Tomi said and left the group and the road. He walked out into the woods, quietly. Linda seemed to be holding her own as did Norman. They looked tired, but better off than yesterday. Norman seemed to gravitate towards Linda, they were building a friendship. He figured the breaks were helping. They’d passed a few people, but no one bothered them. They’d gotten looks. An old timer on a horse had passed by and nodded but went on.
There had been constant traffic, people walking, but keeping to the far side of the road, giving the group a wide birth. He froze, he heard something, his eyes scanned, his heart racing. Slowly, he loaded the crossbow and found his target, a turkey. It was in a small clearing, scratching around. He pulled the trigger and the arrow hit home and dropped the turkey. He grinned, turkey for dinner and no salt laden food, that should go a long way in helping Jack, and protein was good for them all, with all the walking.
Tomi walked over to the bird and picked it up, hefting it, he was glad it was a heavy bird. If he could get another, then that would be plenty for them all to eat well. Where there was one turkey, there was another. Laying the large bird down, Tomi continued to walk. It was peaceful, and cool in the woods. The birds were subdued, the heat of the day was affecting them as well. He paused, drinking from his water pack. Tomi looked around and turned. He slowed, he could hear gobbling from more turkeys. He grinned. He loaded the crossbow and slowed his step. He saw them, but didn’t have a clear shot. He stepped sideways and took the shot. He got it!
He grinned, they were going to eat good tonight! He walked over and picked up the bird. He pulled the arrow and grinned, holding this one up as well. Heavy and delicious. His head jerked around, a shrilled scream filtered through the trees. Dawn or Linda? What the fuck? Tomi ran toward the screaming, jumping over deadfall and low bushes. His heart was slamming in his chest, and his mouth had dried to desert sand. Where were the guys? Had someone taken them by surprise? He’d not heard any gunshots.
He broke through the trees to the road and saw a woman, on the ground with two shit heads. One had his jeans down, his egg white ass pumping. The woman was shoving him off and he crawled back on and was kicked. The man fell back, cussing and came back at her, with a fist. Tomi pulled his Sig, dropping the bird at his feet and aimed. It had been a long time since he fired a gun, but he aimed anyway, walking quickly and getting closer. He pulled the trigger, he’d meant to hit the man in his back, but the bullet blew half his head off.
The other man screamed and scrambled up, his pants around his ankle, along with dirty gray underwear. His member quickly shrinking. Tomi took aim, this time walking quickly and shooting. The man dropped like a stone. Tomi ran to the downed woman, she was pulling her pants up and saw him and screamed again. Her eyes swollen nearly shut. The son of a bitch had beaten the shit out of her.
“Miss, it’s okay, I won’t hurt you. I shot the bastard. Please, I won’t hurt you. They’re both dead.” Tomi said loudly, over the screaming. She had a gash down her cheek and was bleeding from her mouth.
“My friend, my friend, is she okay?” She whimpered, her shaking hands zipping her pants.
“I’ll see, I’m coming close, don’t be afraid. You’re safe. Okay, you’re safe.” He assured her, she was now sobbing and snot was running down her swollen lips and down her chin. He walked closer, and she tracked him, so she could see. He could barely see her eyes, so swollen was her face. He walked passed her and kicked the dead man. He didn’t move. He went behind the stalled vehicle. He saw legs, bloody legs of a woman and his heart dropped in his gut. He went around the car and looked down.
FOUR
Liev and Dawn were sitting on the ground, their legs stretched out before them. Linda was lying in the grass, resting her head on her backpack. Her soft snores ma
de Liev smile and he nodded to her, Dawn turned her head and smiled.
“I think she’s doing pretty good. She’s not lagged behind nor has she bitched like Jack. Christ, I thought he was a whiner at FCI, but my gosh.” She shook her head. Jack was now laid out in the shade, several empty wrappers around him. He’d passed out and was snoring loudly. Norman was sitting in the road, leaning against his pack. He was dozing, his head nodding and jerked up, now and then. Perrin was walking up and down the road, looking into cars. He popped the trunks and dug around in them.
“Yeah. I have to say, though, I am glad to stop from time to time. As much as I worked out, walking is something else with a heavy pack on your back.” He smiled.
“You’re still not forgiven about the blue marker. Don’t think you are.” She said, though her voice wasn’t sharp.
“I couldn’t resist, you were just so darn cute, sleeping. It makes you look like the warrior you are. And we match.” He grinned. He jerked when he heard a gunshot and jumped to his feet. Perrin whirled around as well. Then they heard another shot and both men took off running. Linda sat up and Liev heard Dawn order the others to stay put and he heard her running behind them. He drew his AR15 down across his chest.
He wondered if it were Tomi or someone else. They’d been hearing gunshots echoing all day. The shots had been well in the distance and so not a concern. These two shots were close by. He and Perrin covered the road quickly, and they wound their way around the dead cars. The road curved and they followed the yellow lines. They were all breathing hard when they saw a man and Liev realized that it was Tomi. He was standing by a car, talking to someone he couldn’t see. He picked up his speed, but saw that Tomi was in no immediate peril. He slowed down, breathing hard.
Tomi looked up and lifted an arm for them to come forward. They were a hundred yards away and they stopped running, and walked quickly. Within a few moments, he, Perrin and Dawn reached Tomi and saw a woman, sitting on the ground, leaning against a car. Christ, she’d been beaten and there was a dead man with half his head blown off. Another man was ten feet away, bare-assed and dead. The beaten woman was weeping. Tomi looked like he needed help and he waved to Dawn to come forward.
“Dawn, can you help her? Guys, help me. We need to bury her friend.” Tomi said and turned and walked around the car. Liev was shocked and stunned to see a woman, dead, blood pooling from in back of her head. Her neck had red marks. She’d been strangled or her head bashed in on the road. Liev felt sick and felt his eyes sting. He followed Tomi and Perrin behind him. They all pulled their fixed knifes and went into the woods. Liev saw the turkey by the road. Looked like Tomi had good luck in hunting a part of his mind commented.
They found an area with no trees and all the men got to their knees. Taking their knives, they began to dig out a rough grave. It took an hour to get something deep enough to lay the woman’s body in. Tomi got up and Liev followed him. He saw that Dawn and the other woman had redressed her body. Tomi gently picked the dead woman up and Liev helped him. They carried her to the shallow grave. Gently, they laid her into it. Liev heard the soft weeping of the woman.
“Watch over this pour soul, oh Lord God of Mercy.” Tomi said softly. They began to fill in the grave, moving loose dirt over the woman. Liev stood and walked to a small two door car and began to roll it over.
“I’m going to put this car over the grave, so nothing can dig it up.” He said and Dawn got in and steered the wheel, while Perrin and Tomi helped moved the car. Once in place, Dawn got out and walked over to him. He placed his arm around her and hugged her to him. He saw that she’d been crying. He felt anger well up, from what these bastards had done.
“This is Iris McClain; she and her friend had been heading to Lexington when their car stopped. They’d been walking when those two bastards jumped them. Her friend was Belinda. She’d come for her grandmother’s funeral.” Dawn said softly.
“I’m sorry for your loss Iris.” Liev said softly and Tomi and Perrin echoed the sentiment. The woman nodded, wiping at her face.
“Iris, you’re welcome to join us. We’re heading to my uncle’s home. He lives deep in the woods and forest and it’s safe there. Or, if we can take you some place along our route. We’re trying to get away from people.”
“Do you know what’s happened?” She asked, her voice slow, thick with emotion.
“The country was hit with some kind of weapon, it took out all electronics and it won’t be coming back.” Tomi gave her the bleak short version. The woman shuddered and then nodded.
“Can you walk?” Perrin asked her and she nodded again.
“I’m going to go get the other turkey and I’ll join you all back and we’ll go ahead and make camp there. We’ll call it a day.” Tomi said, sadness lacing his voice.
“I’ll take them back, don’t worry, and I’ll take that turkey and get started plucking it. Did you see a stream or pond while you were hunting?” Liev asked.
“Yeah, it’s a small pond, but looks like the water is okay. It’s just a little west of where we’d stopped, about half mile inland.” Tomi said and turned and went back into the woods.
“Come on Iris, we’ll get you cleaned up.” Dawn said, her arm around the woman. The blood on her face nearly matched her hair, it was a deep red, almost a copper red. It had been in a ponytail, which was now askew. She had a backpack and a purse. Liev took the backpack from her and she tried to smile up at him. Her mouth trembled and he smiled gently at her. They walked slowly and Perrin brought up the rear, keeping an eye out for any dangers.
“Thank you for helping me. I don’t even think I would have lived. Those sons of bitches were high and drunk. I’m glad your friend killed them.” She said, anger lacing her voice.
“We’re glad too Iris. Don’t worry, you’re safe with us, you don’t have to worry.” Dawn said, patting the woman’s back.
=
Tomi found the other bird and began walking back to the impromptu camp. He’d been stunned and horrified at the brutality that those men had done. Christ, they’d beaten that poor woman to death and that fucker was about to do the same to Iris. He shook his head. He was numb, so stunned by the events. He walked back toward camp, pulling feathers as he walked. His anger lent to the task and by the time he got to the camp, the bird had been plucked clean. He gutted the bird away from the camp, he’d not want predators to visit them.
He saw that the group had pulled back into the woods. It was still early, but they’d built up a fire. He saw the woman sitting on the ground, staring into the flames. His heart broke for her. She shouldn’t have had to experience that kind of viciousness, no one should. He was afraid, it would be the order of the day now. With no phones to call the police and no police to respond.
Her face had been cleaned up and the blood had been washed away. He thought Dawn and Linda had tended to her. He was thankful that they’d brought the various first aid kits from the store. Each had a kit, he had two trauma kits as well. The gash in her face had been sealed, by the medical sealant he was sure. He walked over to Liev with the plucked and gutted bird.
“Hey, I’ve dug a hole and lined it with kudzu leaves, put your turkey in with the other and I’ll cover it up with more leaves and then we’ll move the fire over it. It will take a couple hours, but I think we should have some fine baked turkey.” Liev grinned.
“Alright, let me make a few cuts into the breast and drumsticks, so the heat can get down into the meat.” Tomi suggested. He didn’t think any of them needed getting sick on half cooked bird. He squatted down and stuck his fixed knife into the fire, letting the flame sterilize it. Satisfied, he cut down into the meat of the birds. Liev covered the birds over with the leaves and then raked the fire over the mound. He added more sticks to the fire, building it up.
“How’s Iris doing? Was she…” He couldn’t complete the sentence.
“Dawn said that she didn’t say that she was raped. That was why she was beaten so badly, she’d fought the fucker off. So
did her friend, and she’d been killed.” Liev said softly.
“Yeah, the second one I killed was raping the dead woman. Jesus.”
“Just so you know, Jack was pitching a fit about the extra mouth.” Liev growled.
“You shut that shit down?”
“Like a hammer.” Liev grinned.
“I’m going to go back to the pond and wash up, I feel like hammered dogshit and just as grimy.” He walked over to his backpack, he knew Liev had brought it from the road. He found the bottle of Scent Away, it was a soap and shampoo that kept human scent down for hunters. Tomi liked it because he’d have the ability to get clean and his low scent would also help him hunt game that they needed. Especially with Jack. He dug out clean underwear and socks. He’d wash his under garments and hang them to dry, he would use the Scent Away as laundry detergent as well.
“Perrin, I’m heading to the pond, when I get back, if you want to go after, I think we should now set up some kind of watch. Also, train Jack and Norman with their weapons.”
“Good idea and yeah, Christ, I feel like I’ve rolled around in pig shit. There’s a thrift store on 757, I think we should stop and see what kind of clothing we can gather. I don’t want this to be the only clothing I ever wear.” He smiled.
Tomi walked into the woods, it was peaceful after the earlier activity and he needed that quiet to center himself. He’d seen violence while serving in the air force. Humans could do so many horrible things to each other, and especially to the weak and vulnerable. He found the pond easily, it wasn’t large, but big enough. He stripped down and waded into the chilled water. It felt refreshing after the run-in. He bathed, and enjoyed the feel of peeling off the grime and sweat. He brought his clothing, and washed them as well. He’d lay them on the abandoned vehicles to dry, the sun would bake them.