Critical Measures (Beyond the Collapse Book 4)

by Kip Nelson

  Peter breathed deeply and hoped Adam would be able to find peace in his actions. He had been so troubled by everything that weighed on his conscience, a feeling that Peter knew well in his past. He hoped Adam would be able to deal with it better than Peter had been able to when he had returned from the war. Of course, he had found Evangeline and that had given him hope for the future. Adam now had Tara, and that was a good thing. In many ways the two of them reminded Peter of himself and Evangeline, and he hoped the two of them could find a way to happiness in the dark desolation of the current world.

  While Adam was wrestling Lee, Peter made sure that no bullets found them. Then he swung his head around to check on Diana and Tara, who seemed to be handling themselves well. Peter had been impressed with Diana's skills the first time he had seen her fight, and he knew Tara was in safe hands. The teacher was getting off a few shots, but it was easy to see she was not naturally inclined to this life. Then again, most people weren't. There were few who had obvious training, and this meant the fighting was sloppy, and many who had died could have stayed alive if they had known what they were doing. It was difficult to tell who had the superior numbers at this point, but he knew that at the start of the battle his side had been at a severe disadvantage. Given the number of bodies that littered the ground it seemed as though things were evening up.

  Peter quickly glanced around to take stock of his surroundings, not wanting anyone to creep up on him from behind. He fired off a couple of rounds at someone who he recognized from the other camp, and had to shut off the part of him that felt remorse. There would be time for that later. He couldn't afford to allow himself to succumb to his feelings now. He had a job to do, and that job was staying alive.

  Peter was just about to put his attention back onto Adam when something in the background caught his eye, a small figure who was running quickly. He furrowed his brow for he knew it was Annabelle. That girl was going to get herself killed if she wasn't careful. He admired her attitude toward life and meeting her really had uplifted his spirits, but sometimes she was too confident. He imagined that Stan had taken her somewhere safe and told her to wait there while he joined the fight, but Annabelle wouldn't have listened. She must have sneaked out, but where was she going? Peter looked at Adam, who still was wrestling on the ground with Lee. He wanted so badly to stay with Adam and make sure that he stayed safe, but he couldn't let Annabelle go running around alone, and as far as Peter knew he was the only one who knew she wasn't in a safe place.

  He cursed at himself for having to choose between his two friends, but he made up his mind in a flash. He picked his gun up, making his way across the battlefield, moving in Annabelle’s general direction. He fired as he went, and felt the heat of the bullets as they erupted from his gun. A few found their way to him as well, but they missed their mark. Peter didn't stop moving, knowing that one of the biggest mistakes in war was to stop moving and reflect on a missing bullet, because it was likely that the next one would not miss.

  He moved as quickly as he could and soon realized where Annabelle was heading; right to the place where Lisa was being held. He should have known that instantly. He'd been disturbed by the way Annabelle had been acting recently, but he hadn't want to say anything because it hadn't been his place. Diana and her father were much closer with her, but he wasn't sure they had noticed how traumatized she actually was. She had been kidnapped, made to fear for her life, and then led to her execution. Then she had learned her father still was alive, but her mother had been killed, and all it was because of Lisa. Lisa was responsible for every ounce of sadness the young girl knew, and she felt powerless to do anything about it. She hadn't been allowed to go on the mission where they kidnapped Lisa, and she hadn't been allowed to speak at Lisa’s trial. It was no wonder she was taking the opportunity to do what she thought needed to be done, and Peter knew he was the only one who could stop her.

  The fighting hadn't yet reached this part of the camp, but Peter kept close to the side of the buildings and continually looked over his shoulder, just to make sure he was safe. The guard was nowhere to be seen. He assumed whoever had been guarding Lisa thought that their skills were needed elsewhere. The gunshots echoed behind him, filling the morning with horrible sounds, but here it was almost like the fighting was far away. When it came down to it, though, this was why they had come, for their leader. Lisa had known it, they had all known it, and it wouldn't be over until one side was wiped out completely. Peter jogged forward and went inside the building, where he saw Annabelle pointing a gun at Lisa. Her hands were trembling. Lisa looked unmoved.

  The old woman had been bound to a chair for the time being, since there were not any proper jail cells around. Annabelle was just a child and she shouldn't have been in this position. Peter's heart went out to her. His eyes moved from her to Lisa, and he lowered his own gun.

  “Annabelle,” he said softly. She evidently hadn't heard him enter because his voice took her by surprise. She swung around, still pointing the gun, and Peter held up his hands. It took a moment, but Annabelle knew who he was and lowered her weapon.

  “I see there are two of you that have come to finish the job. The fight going well, is it?” Lisa said, far too confident of the outcome for Peter's liking, but at the moment Peter was not concerned with her. He only cared about Annabelle.

  “What are you doing here? Where did you get the gun?” he asked.

  “I...I found it...on the floor.”

  “You should be somewhere safe.”

  “I need to be here. It's not fair. She can't be allowed to live, not after what she's done. This isn't enough.”

  “I know you're feeling that way right now, but this isn't something you have to worry about Annabelle you're--”

  “Don't say I'm too young. Everybody keeps saying I'm too young. Too young for what? To cry, to feel angry? To hate her? You've heard everything she's done. I don't care what Matthew said. She doesn't deserve to live.”

  There was so much anger in Annabelle's voice that it tore Peter up inside. He and the others had done so much to try protecting her, to try shielding her from the horrors of the world, but perhaps there was just no way to succeed in that endeavor. He wished he could tell her that she was wrong, but he couldn't.

  “There's no shame in feeling the way you do, Annabelle. You're allowed to be angry, and you should be angry. I'm angry, too. But just because we feel something it doesn't make it right to act on it. You must think about the others, and the type of person you want to be. People say that it's hard to kill someone, but it's not. It's easy. All you have to do is pull that trigger. What's hard is what comes afterward, living with it, and you've got far too much life left to worry about that now. Think about your father, Annabelle, and Diana. What would they want you to do?”

  Before Annabelle could speak Lisa opened her mouth.

  “Yes, Annabelle, think of all the other people, like your mother. I heard that she screamed so much when she died that she lost her voice, so she was silent long before she was dead. You're strong, Annabelle, you're exactly the type of person I want to see thrive in this world. You are the only one I've seen in this place with the ability to live in this new world. You don't need them. You don't need anyone. They'll only hold you back. Why don't you prove them wrong and pull that trigger? Show them that you're not just a scared little girl. What would your mother want you to do?”

  Peter's eyes widened at Lisa's words. She was truly a monster if she was willing to try manipulating Annabelle like that. He saw Annabelle's hands shake and the single tear that rolled down her cheek. Peter knew he had to do something. He stepped forward and quickly grabbed the gun. It didn't take much to wrestle it away from Annabelle's young hands, but it had been a risky move. If Annabelle had pulled the trigger, Peter could have ended up with a hole in his hand.

  Annabelle shivered on the spot. Her eyes were focused on Lisa, but Peter couldn't say if she was looking at the old woman. She seemed to be looking past her.

&nb
sp; “Your innocence is a precious thing, Annabelle. I know you've seen a lot in this world and you're tired of people telling you that you can't do things because you're young, but that's only because we wish we could be as young as you. Before we had to look at the world and be sad. Your youth is a precious gift, and you should try making the most of it as much as possible. You have your whole life ahead of you to be an adult, being a child goes by quickly. So don't try to grow up too fast,” he said, little knowing that Stan had said a similar thing to her already. Annabelle turned to look at him with teary eyes.

  “And there's no glory in war, Annabelle. People like to tell you the opposite, and sometimes you'll hear people be described as a hero, but killing never should be celebrated. If I have my way, you'll never know what it's like to take a life. You should go back where your father left you and wait for this all to be over,” he said gently.

  “Yes, go and run away like a scared little girl,” Lisa said.

  “And you, you can speak of the horrors of war all you like, but you know there are heroes. I'll make sure of that because the winners always get to write the history books. Nobody is going to know about your little rebellion. Soon enough this will all be over. I'll be walking back to my home, and this place will be in ruins. Thankfully, you and your little friends won't have to worry about it because you'll all be dead. You've been nothing but trouble ever since you came into my camp, and the only mistake I've made is trusting you. I should have left you to rot in those apartments. You all are weak, the lot of you. That trial was a farce. I've never seen anything so sanctimonious in all my life. Justice must be swift and deadly. Do you really think I'm just going to sit here and be a good little prisoner? One day I will have an opportunity to escape and I will take it, and then all of you will be sorry. Especially little girls who don't have the courage to follow through with their actions. You'll see. One day I'll get out of here and I won't rest until I've made you all suffer, if it's the last thing I do.”

  It was at that moment that Peter knew what had to be done, what only he could do. He thought about Evangeline and the promises he had made her over the course of his life, thought about the wretched soul she had saved and breathed life into again. He had been a wreck when he met her, but she had turned him back into a man, and when she died he had lost himself. He always had pinned his hopes on seeing her again when his time came to pass beyond the mortal veil, but after everything he had done in his life he knew it was likely they would end up in different places, especially when he had finished with this task.

  Lisa was right. She wasn't going to stop, not ever, not until she took her last breath, and leaving her alive only endangered them all. Peter hung his head and pulled Annabelle into him, twisting her face away so that she didn't have to look. He raised his gun and pointed it straight at Lisa.

  “I'm sorry,” he said.

  “That's the problem with you lot, you're always apologizing. You never just do something.”

  “I wasn't saying sorry to you,” he said, for he was thinking about Evangeline.

  He pulled the trigger and the bullet went straight into the middle of Lisa's head. It snapped back, and her eyes lolled. Her body slumped as it lost all tension. Blood dripped from the hole. Peter turned away, taking Annabelle with him.

  Meanwhile, Adam had been locked in a fight with Lee. His anger had overtaken him, and they had turned to brawling. Lee was a strong, physically imposing man with the technique to match, but Adam was desperate, and he was filled with rage. He slashed with his fingers and kicked. He saw a red mist in his eyes and the rest of the world melted away. He even lost awareness of his gun. He'd seen so many die, and while he wasn't going to shoot Lee, he did want to show Lee that he could be beaten. He wanted to show Lee what Clark must have felt like when Lee was beating him. Lee was too smug, too superior, and he didn't seem to be affected at all by the fact that Adam had sneaked into his room the previous night.

  “I know you're not going to kill me because you've had plenty of chances already. We both know you don't have it in you,” Lee taunted.

  This only served to make Adam angrier. He already was tasting his own blood and his body ached from all the bruises, but he had struck at Lee, too, and both men were staggering. They had little awareness of the state of the war around them. For all they knew it was all over and they were the last titans left, and whoever won between them would claim victory.

  They rolled around on the ground, limbs entwined, and at one point it was difficult for either one of them to know where one ended, and the other began. The fight had taken them through the camp, and by sheer fortune all the bullets had missed them. They punched and scratched and bled, and throughout the fighting they taunted each other.

  “I didn't think you'd be able to last this long,” Lee growled, wiping some blood from his lip.

  “I'm full of surprises,” Adam replied, and lunged forward with another punch.

  Both men were growing tired and their chests heaved with heavy breaths. Their faces swelled with bruises and blood dripped from their wounds. Adam just wanted it to be over. He'd given everything he had, but still Lee was standing, and Adam just had to face the fact that he was not a fighter. He never had been. One of Lee's punches got through, and Adam saw stars. He felt groggy and staggered back. His reflexes were slowing, and he could feel the change in momentum. The pendulum was swinging toward Lee. Adam had given it his best shot, but he just wasn't made for fighting.

  It was time, he thought, time to sleep. Maybe this was for the best. Annabelle was with her father. The others would be able to take care of themselves, and if he gave his life in battle at least he might be forgiven. It wouldn't make up for all the other lives that had been lost, but it was all he had to give. And Tara...oh Tara. He thought about the future they never would have if he died in that moment. Suddenly, he felt a resurgence of energy. He didn't want to die. He wanted to see the future and see how things turned out. He wanted to stay.

  He blocked one of Lee's punches and then let a right hook fly into Lee's face. It took Lee by surprise and now it was time for Adam to press the advantage. He let his fury fly toward Lee, who was pushed back, but unfortunately for Adam it was in the proximity of a gun. Lee swept his hand down and picked up the gun, then pointed it at Adam.

  “I wanted to beat you to death and strangle you with my own hands, but I guess I'll have to settle for this. You've really pissed me off. You know that, don't you? You've been such a pain in the--”

  But before he could finish his sentence a shot rang out and cracked his skull. Adam saw the look of pain on his face, frozen there forever. He fell face-first to the ground with an empty thud. Standing behind him was Diana.

  “I've always got your back,” she said, then they ran and joined the fighting. Adam looked back down at Lee. The world was a better place without Lee in it, but Adam didn't feel any better. He was just sad that another person had to die.

  The battle continued for a while after that, but the tide had turned, and Matthew's people emerged victorious. Although Lisa's army had a number of brutish people, such as Lee, they had more who were not suited for war. Once again, the ground was littered with dead bodies, stained a dark crimson with blood. As soon as Adam saw Tara he flung his arms around her into a tight embrace and kissed her deeply, even though his bruised lips throbbed with pain.

  Chapter Ten

  It was a grim day. The sky was gray, filled with dark, ominous clouds. The air was cold and chilled people to the bone. Their breath swirled in the chilly air, turning into fine mist. Although victory had been achieved, there was no triumphant mood rippling through the camp. People were tired, and miserable. Their muscles ached, and they still were in shock after blitz attack, both because of how quickly it had come and how quickly it had ended. Adam was with Tara and the others, still nursing his wounds after his fight with Lee. His head was bowed because there were yet more dead bodies surrounding him. Unable to escape the horrors of the world he once again had to har
den his heart to cope with the sheer misery of the scene around him.

  A great evil had been vanquished. The enemy had been defeated. Finally, Lee was dead and no longer would harm anyone else. Still, somehow Adam didn't feel satisfied.

  “I know I should feel like we accomplished something great last night, but I don't,” he said. Tara was sitting beside him with her arm curled around his shoulders, offering him some semblance of warmth and comfort.

  “I don't either. It doesn't feel as if we won anything.”

  “I keep thinking about all the people who Lee hurt and killed, but it doesn't matter that he's dead now. It's not going to bring them back. They're not going to feel any kind of justice. None of these people are.” He sighed and closed his eyes. He was so tired. All he wanted to do was sleep and wish that this all had been some kind of terrible nightmare.

  Throughout his life he had watched grim morality play out in movies, books, television shows, and video games. Frequently he had thought about how he would react and feel in those circumstances, but he never had imagined the depth of feeling he was experiencing. He was just so tired. Every part of him ached, inside and out. Blood had crusted on his face and body. His clothes were torn, and he couldn't quite remember what it was like to be truly comfortable. But he was alive, which was more than a lot of other people could say. And they had died for what?