by Logan Keys
“Stop right there!”
One of the pretend soldiers pointed his weapon on her and she froze.
Brittany didn’t so much as glance at Paige as he walked over, gun up and pointed at her head.
“You have help,” he said with a smile after checking to see if she had any weapons.
Brittany was surprised at how good-looking he was. Shouldn’t evil people be ugly? He was probably in his mid-thirties and in-shape, blond hair, blue eyes, and he was obviously the leader of this operation. He grabbed her roughly by the arm and spun her around. “If your friends don’t come out in three seconds….” he called.
Brittany held her breath.
“One….two…”
“Stop!” Paige shouted, coming out with her hands up. “All right.”
She threw down her rifle in offering.
Paige gave Brittany a meaningful look, but Brittany shook her head slightly. She was trying to let Paige know she hadn’t found Chuck and she could tell Paige understood.
“Zack,” the man called. “Check the truck.”
Another man in army fatigues that were too loose to be his, jogged over to the truck and let out a string of curse words. “She let ’em go, Sal.”
Sal gave Brittany a bitter look. “Been busy have you?”
Brittany glanced away.
“You,” he shouted at Paige. “Over here. Tie these two up. Put them in the truck.”
“But, Sal. What about the soldiers?”
Sal grinned. “Hunting isn’t any fun without prey, is it?”
Chapter Twelve
Mexico
Luckman would be fine if he never had a ride another horse again for as long as he lived. He was sore in parts he didn’t even know existed. And there would be no ride back on a soft cushy seat of a car, no. They’d probably be riding back, or leading German like Palm Sunday on the horse. Luckman chuckled to think of the big Russian on horseback. His legs would probably drag in the sand, or better yet, they’d probably wind up wrapped around the horse’s gut.
“What’s so funny?” Joseph asked.
The mayor was keeping an eye out for bandits. That’s what he called them, and Luckman couldn’t help but think about how the end of the world seemed to draw them back a century. They could now be accosted by highwaymen like way back when.
“I was thinking of my friend having to ride a horse.” If German was still alive…and the thought darkened his thoughts.
“Not a horseman, eh?”
“He’s Russian. I’m not sure how big they are on horses there.”
The woman with them, a very young doctor that the mayor had introduced as Josephine, pulled her piebald mare alongside with a practiced, albeit more upright, seat. Her saddle was more English than western and she rode with chaps over her pants that had no cowboy fringes. “On the contrary. Other countries usually are far more used to livestock than Americans are. He might be really handy with a mount.”
She raised a brow at Luckman and he got the impression that the Russian would probably pretend he was handy with just about anything once the doctor got her hands on him. It wasn’t that she was pretty, no, she was stern, and very sure of herself.
Josephine noticed his gaze and in answer she frowned. Her features pulled tightly together, and she moved her mare away from him.
Luckman smiled. Oh yes, he had a feeling the Russian would be trying to live after meeting the doctor. She would be the thorn in his side he needed to get to his feet, and she wouldn’t take any of German’s crap. Luckman looked forward to the two meeting.
“If we stay on this pathway,” Luckman said, “It should lead right back to the cave. It’s at a large canyon that’s probably a day’s ride since we aren’t running. Maybe more.”
“We will have to camp,” Joseph said, and Luckman’s good mood settled, another day. A whole other night and morning before he’d help German.
Luckman opened his mouth to tell them about Holtz but then thought better of it. What if they thought he was a monster for leaving the guy alone? Hadn’t Joseph offered to help thinking he was one of the good guys? What if they wanted to look for Holtz first? He couldn’t risk it.
So he kept quiet as they finished their journey for the day. They made camp and Luckman was blessed with his first meal aside from jerky in what felt like forever. They had baked beans and real bread. Luckman dug in hungrily and Joseph was being teased by his daughter.
She said, “I was going to put some music on, but I see you two are eating enough beans for four grown men. We will have an entire orchestra playing later on.”
Josephine rolled her eyes and then plugged in her earbuds instead and laid down shoving her legs into her sleeping bag. “Night,” she said.
“We will take watch,” Joseph offered. “I can do first shift. You need rest.”
Luckman wasn’t sure he’d sleep. Not after last time. Waking up to the horse being stolen had rattled him. He’d rather not be robbed again and though they seemed nice, he barely knew them.
“I’ll stay up,” Luckman said. “You brought coffee, you said?”
Joseph smiled. “I did. And it’s for the morning, but…why not? Josey doesn’t drink the stuff. Says it’s bad for you.”
“I just put two and two together,” Luckman said with a grin. “She’s Josephine. Named after you?”
“Yup. The wife said it would be no different if we had a boy. Family name is family name.”
Luckman glanced at Josephine, hoping she didn’t hear him talking about her like she wasn’t there. “Is your wife upset that you left her to go on this excursion?” Luckman motioned to the desert.
“She’s passed on. When Josey was five.”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Joseph shook his head. “You? You got a wife somewhere in this? Kids?”
“I never had any kids. I have an ex, that’s about…it. Now that I say it out loud, sounds sad, right?” Luckman thought about it. He had nothing and no one really. Except for German. He sighed. “But, well, with everything going to hell, maybe it’s better?”
Joseph nodded, his gaze falling on the sleeping form of his adult child. “Might be.”
Luckman knew the man probably had to worry every moment as it was, and now with the world falling part, doubly so. And here he was, bringing them into his mess.
**
Joseph and Luckman had talked until morning and without issue they packed back up and headed towards the cave. Luckman was shocked that he still could remember the way, but he spotted where he’d almost fallen, and they had to dismount and climb down, leading the horses down the long way that slowly went down instead of where he’d climbed.
As he neared, he felt dread sink into him. It had been three days. He’d been crazy to think that German had made it that long, hadn’t he?
He handed his horse to Joseph, heart thumping against his chest so loud that it was all he could hear.
Even on rubbery, exhausted and sore legs, he ran towards the mouth of the cave. His breaths were fast, and he thought he might pass out just imagining that German was gone, and that he’d find either the place empty, or worse, the group murdered by highwaymen.
But as he flung himself into the entrance, he heard soft voices arguing in the distance.
“It’s me!” he called, afraid someone had armed themselves with wood or something to protect their spot. “It’s me, Luckman!”
“Lucky?” Jean called back and when his eyes adjusted, he found them all right where he’d left them.
He went weak with relief as she grabbed him into a hug. “Thank God!” she cried.
“German?” he asked, trying to see if the big lump still on the ground was his friend and if he was alive or not.
“He’s hanging on,” she said quietly. “I think he was waiting for you.”
Thankfully Josephine interrupted whatever emotional thing he’d been about to say. She had her kit and she was already rushing to German’s side. She leaned over the big man and listene
d to his breathing before taking his pulse.
“It’s weak,” she said. “If he needs a transfusion…”
“I know,” Luckman said as, together, they pulled German onto his back.
His eyes opened, but then rolled back into his head---he was out cold.
“Hey, buddy,” Luckman tried, but German didn’t so much as twitch.
“I’m going to have a look at his side; help me.”
Luckman helped her pull off German’s jacket. It was soaked through. And then his shirt. The wound looked angry and red.
Josephine pulled out a needle and gave him a shot of antibiotics before she started digging around in the wound until German stirred. She hit a raw spot and the big Russian bellowed, and swung.
Luckman pulled her out of the way just in time. “Better be careful there”
She chuckled. “Well, if he’s well enough to fight, that’s a good sign.”
With some help holding German down, they got the wound cleaned and stitched. Josephine was a godsend, she worked tirelessly, making double sure she did the job perfectly.
Then she pulled out a bottle of pills. “The shot is good for now, but keep these so that you have some before we run out.”
“Thank you,” Luckman said. He grabbed her hand. “Really. Thank you.”
She nodded, looking uncomfortable with the gratitude. “Once he’s sitting up, we need to get him back to town.”
“How?”
Joseph answered for her, “If the wound will hold, let’s lay him over one of the horses.”
Josephine thought a moment then nodded. “It will hold.”
Luckman frowned. “I’m not sure… eh…”
“You don’t have much choice,” Josephine said. “He won’t be well for far longer than you all probably have supplies for. He needs a bed. He needs food and water. He needs care. He’s my patient. I say, he goes.”
“We have water,” Jean said, noticing Luckman’s reluctance.
“But the jerky ran out,” Terry offered.
Danielle winced, and Luckman just now realized she was hurt still, and there was a doctor now to look at her broken arm. She was pale and hadn’t complained much, but Luckman knew she must have been tremendous pain. “Josephine, this is Danielle, can you look at her arm?”
Danielle glanced at Luckman like he was a hero, while Josephine started to look over her arm.
It felt good. He had done it. He’d brought them help.
Jean pulled Luckman aside. “Holtz?” she asked.
“I dunno where he is.” Luckman spoke quietly and she realized his meaning.
Jean whispered close to him, the smell of jasmine, not perfume, but a natural smell she seemed emit, wafted in the air. “We’d better be careful then.”
Luckman nodded as she added. “I’m not sure you should keep secrets from our new saviors, though.”
He sighed and nodded again. “You’re right.”
Luckman approached Joseph and said. “I think there’s something you should know.”
**
They were ready to leave the cave. German wasn’t able to walk more than a few steps, and he was delirious when he spoke, but took instruction from Josephine when she prodded him enough.
She was downright mean to him, calling him a wimp and propping him up on her shoulders like a giant bear she’d shot and was determined to get the prize home to turn into a rug.
It was comical, if it wasn’t so sad.
They had to help him up onto a horse, slumped over on his stomach and then tied to the saddle. He promptly fell asleep, dosed on pain meds, and Luckman thought about how there would be hell to pay if the big Russian came to on the journey.
“This can’t be good for the wound,” he said to Joseph.
Joseph sighed. “No, but Josephine will patch it if we need to. Best we get out of these canyons.” The mayor had kept glancing around, staying with the horses, keeping an eye out, and it was making Luckman nervous.
It was as if he knew something the rest of them didn’t.
They had brought extra horses and the girls doubled up to ride. It would be a slow pace back to the border.
“Is everyone ready?” Joseph asked.
Jean came over to the horse Luckman was on. “Mind if I ride with you?”
“Er…uh…yes…I mean…no. Sure. Go ahead.”
He figured she’d get up front to him but she hopped up onto the back using the stirrup and wrapped her arms around his waist.
It was too nice a feeling. He was in deep, deep trouble where Jean was concerned.
Luckman sat tall. Now he understood the romanticism of cowboys and the old west. Things got worse with the end of the world, but they also got a lot more intimate. Humanity was crushed…but also crushed together by the killing cold and what it was doing to their planet.
Joseph led, and they took the same trail as before.
Luckman tried not to keep looking for Holtz, but he wound up looking the entire time. He eventually found where they’d stayed that first night by the end of the first day of traveling.
“Let’s stop here,” Joseph said, “It’s getting dark.”
Jean stood close to Luckman. “Did you see Joseph? He’s getting guns out.”
Together they went over to where the Mayor stood, still by his horse.
“Is something wrong?” Luckman asked.
“Yeah. We are being followed.”
The Long Fall Book 7:
Final Refuge
Other Books from Mike Kraus
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Final Dawn: Arkhangelsk: The Complete Trilogy Box Set
The Arkhangelsk Trilogy is the first follow-up series set in the bestselling Final Dawn universe and delivers more thrills, fun and just a few scares. The crew of the Russian Typhoon submarine Arkhangelsk travel to a foreign shore in search of survivors, but what the find threatens their fragile rebuilding efforts in the post-apocalyptic world.
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Surviving the Fall is an episodic post-apocalyptic series that follows Rick and Dianne Waters as they struggle to survive after a devastating and mysterious worldwide attack. Trapped on the opposite side of the country from his family, Rick must fight to get home while his wife and children struggle to survive as danger lurks around every corner.
Prip’Yat: The Beast of Chernobyl
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Authors’ Notes
July 7, 2018
Dear Readers,
You’ve made it more than half way! Amazing! The best is yet to come. This episode shows that some of our characters are closer than ever while others have spread further apart. Tough to guess all the end games, but I think you see a bigger picture at work by now. So glad you’ve held on for such a tough ride. I really enjoyed studying the maps and towns/cities to get us across our great country. Thanks to all of you awesome readers for following
along with The Long Fall series and your feedback in reviews makes it easy to push onward towards the next gripping scene, so make sure you drop a line (even a short one) and let us know what you thought. It’s how we know that we need to make sure the next one gets out very fast.
Co-authoring has been such a neat experience, Mike Kraus has been awesome. Thanks to my writing partner, I’ve been able to put together a more thrilling story. One that has a lot of working elements for one great apocalypse.
I really hope you will enjoy the continuation of The Long Fall saga and now book seven is already shaping up so get ready to keep reading. We’re planning on this being a 10-12 series, with each book being around 25,000-30,000 words long, and we’ll be publishing a new one every month.
I am always open to discuss my books with you on facebook or email me at [email protected]
Cheers,
Logan
This has been:
WORLD
APART
The Long Fall Series
Book 6
By
Logan Keys & Mike Kraus
© 2018 Muonic Press, Inc.
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