The Badlands Trilogy (Novella 2): Vengeance in the Badlands

by Brian J. Jarrett

  “Or what?” Jeffrey countered. “You ain’t doing shit.”

  “Is that true?” Dave asked.

  Calvin waved off the question. “Focus on the plan, Porter.”

  “It is true, isn’t it?” Dave asked.

  “The plan.”

  “Answer the question.”

  Calvin looked up at Dave. “Yes, they killed him. You happy now?”

  “You seem just a little broken up about it. He was your second in command, I suppose.”

  “Oh, he was more than that,” Jeffrey said. “A lot more.”

  Calvin’s face went red. “Shut the fuck up, Jeffrey.”

  “He and Rand, they was butt buddies,” Jeffrey continued, laughing. “They rode the Hershey highway together.”

  “Shut up, Jeffrey!” Calvin yelled.

  Dave folded his arms and leaned back. “I’ll be damned.”

  “Jeffrey here doesn’t know how to keep his imagination or his mouth under control,” Calvin said. “Rand is dead, simple as that. It’s over. Move on.”

  But Jeffrey wasn’t finished adding in his commentary. “All the other assholes who rolled in here with Calvin work for Gideon now. Fair weather friends for sure. But Rand, he wouldn’t budge. Said he was loyal to Calvin to the end, so they put a bullet in his head for his trouble.” Jeffrey whistled through his teeth. “Real fuckin’ mess. Buckets of blood.”

  Calvin’s lips formed a thin line as his face turned a darker shade of red. “Can we get back to the plan now?”

  Dave eyed Calvin. If Jeffrey was telling the truth, Calvin had undoubtedly fallen off his high horse as of late. And for a man like Calvin Summerville, it was a hell of a long way down. Locked up in a cage, his closest confidant dead, and now his men following a new leader.

  Calvin had indeed fallen far, far from grace.

  Dave couldn’t help but smile.

  “The plan?” Calvin said. “You do still want to get out of here, don’t you?”

  “Go on,” Dave said. “Let’s hear it.”

  Calvin motioned toward Audrey. “Come over here, chickadee. We’re gonna need you for this too.”

  “What about me?” Jeffrey asked. “You can’t just leave me in here.”

  “That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Calvin said.

  “I’ll tell them,” Jeffrey said. “You bust me out too, or I’ll let them know what you’re planning.”

  “Don’t worry, Jeffrey,” Dave said. “You’re coming with us.”

  “The hell he is,” Calvin argued.

  “He’s coming whether you like it or not,” Dave said. “I like him.”

  Jeffrey chuckled. “How ‘bout them apples, Calvin?”

  “Fine,” Calvin said. “He can come. You happy?”

  “For now.”

  “Then let’s get back to business before those dopey fucks come back. Think you can do that?”

  Dave nodded. “I’m all ears. Let’s hear your plan.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  It took an hour before anyone returned to the room. Jeffrey had gone silent, apparently finished providing his color commentary on Calvin’s dire straights. Back in Glenn’s compound, Calvin would have killed a guy like Jeffrey for sure. Shut him up for good. But Calvin had little other choice than to endure Jeffrey’s taunts and jabs now. It reminded Dave of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein; a vicious man who brutally ruled an entire nation, only to wind up losing it all. Yanked liked a rat from a hole in the ground by his enemies.

  A fitting end for a monster, Dave thought.

  A jangling of keys came from the hallway, announcing the arrival of Gideon’s guards. The door opened, and two men emerged, different men than the two who’d escorted Dave and Audrey to their cell but dressed the same. Calvin had predicted there’d be two guards; he said they always worked in pairs. Calvin had been watching their patterns, taking notes and planning while he waited for the perfect time to make his move.

  Now that Dave had arrived, Calvin finally had his plan.

  Dave glanced over at Audrey.

  She nodded in return.

  Dave felt his pulse quicken. Sweat beads formed on his forehead as adrenaline flooded his system. They would get only one shot at this, and that shot was a long one. The plan was risky, but it was decent enough given the circumstances. And if they failed? Well, they’d likely be killed. But Dave had a strong feeling that if they did nothing they were just as dead. Might as well go out swinging.

  Just out of earshot, the men exchanged words. Dave thought he heard them mention something about ‘the girl.’ Calvin had said that Gideon would want Audrey for himself. He’d been right so far; no reason to believe he was wrong now.

  The guard in the lead had a pistol strapped to his side. The guard behind him carried a rifle. He stopped and stood motionless by the door; his gun pointed toward the floor as he stood guard.

  Dave noticed the way the man held the weapon, and it unnerved him. This guy was no amateur. He might even have some special training. That would surely make things harder. But it was what it was, and that was that.

  The first guard stepped up to the cell. “Step the fuck back,” he barked, his face hard and his tone intimidating.

  Dave and Audrey took a step back as told.

  The guard inserted the key into the lock.

  That’s when Audrey started her act. She dropped to the floor and began feigning convulsions. Dave took a step back from her as if shocked, making sure he got a little closer to the cell door in the process.

  “What the fuck’s wrong with her?” the first guard asked.

  “She’s epileptic,” Dave said, making sure he had enough panic in his voice. “She’s having a seizure. We need to hold her still until it passes.”

  “I ain’t doin’ that,” the first guard said. “No fuckin’ way.”

  Dave eyed the guard by the door. He was engaged and watching, but remained where he stood.

  “Gideon’s gonna be pissed if the goods are damaged, Jerry,” Calvin said to the first guard. “He might not be too happy with you two.”

  Dave watched Jerry’s face carefully as he stood with key and lock still in hand. Jerry looked afraid, suggesting Gideon was a real son of a bitch.

  “Help me with her,” Dave said. “Please.”

  Jerry hesitated for a moment.

  “You wouldn’t want her to bite her tongue off, would you?” Calvin said to the guard. “She’s gonna need it for later.”

  Audrey continued her act on the floor, seizing her body as if a demon had possessed her. Dave had to give her credit; she nearly had him convinced it was real.

  Jerry hesitated for another moment before turning back to face the guard by the door. “Watch my back, Nathan.”

  Nathan nodded, gripping the rifle tightly.

  Jerry turned the key. The lock opened with a pop. He opened the cell door and stepped inside, making his way over to Audrey where he kneeled beside her. Frothy drool spilled from her lips as her eyes rolled back in her head.

  Jerry placed his hands on Audrey’s cheeks to keep her head still.

  Dave moved closer to the door.

  The guard looked back at Dave. “Get your ass over here and help.”

  Audrey made her move.

  Taking advantage of the guard’s distraction, Audrey gripped Jerry’s hand and chomped down hard on his index finger. Jerry screamed as she thrashed her head back and forth. Blood from Jerry’s lacerated skin ran from her mouth and onto the floor.

  Dave sprang into action, slipping out of the cell. He ran toward Nathan, the second guard by the door. He crossed the short distance between them quickly, but not as soon as he’d hoped. Nathan had just enough time to raise the rifle and get off a single shot before Dave was on him. The sound of the discharge was like a cannon in the small room. The bullet went wild, piercing the wall a foot away from where Calvin stood.

  Dave sent a knee into Nathan’s crotch as they struggled for control of the rifle. The guard groaned loud
ly as he relaxed his grip on the weapon just a little, allowing Dave to put a second knee strike right back to the same place. Nathan doubled over but refused to release the gun.

  Meanwhile, Audrey chewed on Jerry’s finger.

  “You bitch!” Jerry screamed. He drew back a fist and smashed it straight into Audrey’s temple.

  She didn’t let go.

  Still screaming, he drew back a second time.

  Audrey bit down harder. Jerry’s finger came off in her mouth. He shrieked like a wounded animal as Audrey spat out the severed digit onto the dirty floor.

  “Fuck yeah!” Calvin yelled from his cell, a big smile stretching across his face.

  While Jerry bellowed like a dying animal in the cell, Dave continued to struggle with Nathan. Although the knee to the crotch had turned Nathan’s face an odd shade of green, he continued to fight through the agony of his crushed testicles, baring his teeth at Dave and growling.

  Dave delivered a headbutt directly to the bridge of Nathan’s nose. The cartilage snapped with an audible pop as blood poured from his nostrils. Nathan relaxed his grip on the rifle as his eyes crossed.

  Seizing his opportunity, Dave twisted the rifle hard, smacking Nathan’s head with the thickest part of the stock. The blow connected with a dull, solid thud, forcing him down onto one knee.

  That was all Dave needed. He yanked hard, tearing the rifle out of Nathan’s weak grasp. Dave turned the rifle around and pulled the trigger twice, sending two slugs into Nathan’s chest. The shots echoed loudly throughout the tiny room as Nathan’s blood created a Jackson Pollock-esque pattern against the wall.

  Nathan met Dave’s eyes with a look of surprise and hate before losing focus. He collapsed to the floor, blood pooling around his motionless body as Jerry continued his shrieking behind him. Dave turned to see Jerry clutching his hand, blood oozing from the stump that had once been his index finger.

  “Shut that motherfucker up,” Calvin said to Dave.

  Jerry turned and looked at Dave, fear in his eyes.

  Dave put a single bullet in Jerry’s head, splattering the fencing with a healthy coat of the man’s blood.

  “Bravo,” Calvin said, clapping a few times for effect.

  Dave stepped into the cell and reached out a hand for Audrey, helping her to her feet.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  Audrey nodded as she wiped bloody spit from her mouth onto her sleeve.

  “Don’t forget me,” Jeffrey added.

  Audrey snatched up Jerry’s pistol and keys before making her way quickly to Jeffrey’s cell. She worked her way through the half-dozen keys on Jerry’s ring before finding a match. She turned the key, and the lock obeyed, opening easily. She tossed it to the floor, along with the chain holding the door closed.

  Jeffery nearly danced as he exited the cell, flipping it the middle finger on the way out.

  Audrey turned her attention to Calvin and hesitated, keys in hand.

  “Remember the kids,” Calvin said.

  “That’s the only reason you’re still alive,” Audrey said. She thumbed through the keys, trying three more before finding a match. The lock opened easily enough, and a few moments later the cell door was open.

  Calvin stepped out and locked eyes with Dave.

  Dave gripped the rifle tightly, fighting the urge to put a bullet in Calvin’s head.

  “You’ll get your chance, Porter,” Calvin said. “Now it’s time we teach these fuckers a lesson.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Dave, Calvin, Audrey, and Jeffrey left the bloody mess behind them and headed down a long hallway, deeper into Gideon’s repurposed warehouse. Their footfalls echoed off nondescript walls as they tread upon the utilitarian tiling lining the floor. Occasionally gunmetal-gray doors bearing round, silver doorknobs broke the monotonous stream of white painted on the walls.

  Calvin didn’t stop at any of these doors. Instead, he led them to the end of the hallway. There, he motioned toward a door that looked like the others, the only exception being a placard with the words STAIRS affixed at eye level.

  “Head down two floors,” Calvin said, glancing back down the hallway. The faint sound of several voices echoed down the corridor. “That’ll take us to the basement.”

  Jeffrey headed through the door first.

  Audrey followed.

  Dave hesitated, eyeing Calvin closely.

  “Do it or don’t,” Calvin said, “but Gideon’s fucktards will be here, pronto. Your call.”

  Dave glared at his enemy. The urge to put a bullet into Calvin Summerville’s head tugged hard. Dave’s finger tightened inadvertently on the trigger. Everything in his body was telling him to pull it.

  But if he killed Calvin now, then Audrey would never find those kids. Long shot or not; she deserved the chance to try to save them. She’d saved their lives back at Ricky’s, so he owed her that much at least. He refused to become a monster like Calvin, so he fought the urge to empty Calvin’s head of its brains. He headed for the door and started down the steps after Audrey and Jeffrey.

  Calvin slipped through the door and followed behind. As the door at the top of the steps closed, the sound of more voices carried through. Calvin was right; the reinforcements were arriving. Dave knew that once they found the carnage waiting for them, the place would be teeming with them. Like it or not, he had to work with Calvin if he expected to kill him later.

  Ironic, indeed.

  Sunlight filtered into the stairwell through small windows placed at each landing. The group followed the dimly lit stairs down as they spiraled to the first floor, and then they continued down another floor until they arrived at the basement level.

  Jeffrey paused at the door at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for the others to pile in behind them.

  “After you,” he said, looking back at Dave. “You’re the man with the gun here.”

  Dave stepped in front of him and carefully opened the door an inch or so, just enough to glance down the hallway. Only the slightest hint of light pierced the darkness down here, most of it coming from the pale sunlight filtering in through the stairwell windows.

  “It’s tough to see very far,” Dave said. “As far as I can tell it’s clear.”

  “Then, by all means, let’s kindly get the fuck out of this stairwell,” Calvin said.

  Dave opened the door, and the others filed through. With so little available light, Dave couldn’t tell if they were stepping into another hallway or inside of a cavernous room. Down here in the dark depths of this basement he had no choice but to trust Calvin’s guidance, an idea that he didn’t relish.

  “This way,” Calvin said, pointing to the left. The others filed in behind him.

  “There might be a guard or two down here, Porter,” Calvin said. “Be ready for it.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” Dave said. “Just don’t go getting us lost down here.”

  The feeble light they’d encountered at the bottom of the steps petered out, replaced with a claustrophobic darkness that covered them like a wet blanket.

  “Just keep walking, and we’ll run right into it,” Calvin said.

  Not two seconds after Calvin finished his sentence, a wickedly bright light flared before them, blinding them. Dave attempted to shield his eyes, but he couldn’t see anything outside of the intense glare.

  “Hold it right fucking there,” a voice said from in front of them. “Anybody moves and I kill the lot of you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Don’t do anything stupid, friend,” Calvin said, shielding his eyes from the intense light.

  “I ain’t your fucking friend,” the man behind the light said. “Besides you don’t seem to be in much of a place to make demands of me friend.”

  Dave shook his head. Fucking Calvin. The last thing he needed was for Calvin to get them all killed before he had his opportunity to kill the son of a bitch. “Calvin, shut the fuck up before you get us killed.”

  Calvin chuckled. “Look at
the balls on you, Porter.”

  Dave felt his chest tighten. “Seriously, Calvin. Shut the fuck up, or I shoot you right now.”

  No more sound came from the darkness.

  Dave lowered the rifle and took a step toward the blinding lights.

  “That’s far enough,” the man with the light warned.

  Dave opened his mouth to speak, but Audrey beat him to it. “Have you seen the children?” she asked.

  No reply.

  “Please,” Audrey said. “Just tell me if they’re okay.”

  A few more moments passed in silence. Just when Dave thought the man behind the light wasn’t going to answer, he did. “How do you know about those kids?” he asked, lowering the flashlight toward the floor just a little. He was visible now as a silhouette in the indirect light cast from the outlandishly large torch in one hand. A pistol was visible in the other.

  “They were kidnapped from us,” Audrey said.

  There was another long pause before the guard spoke again. “They’re dead. All of ‘em.”

  Audrey made a noise that sounded as if she’d been kicked in the stomach. “No,” she muttered, almost under her breath. “That’s not true.”

  “It ain’t right what Gideon did to those kids,” the man behind the light continued. “I’ve never been what you’d call the most stand-up guy in the world, but there’s shit that you just don’t do. What he did to them kids was just fuckin’ wrong. Don’t matter which damn way you twist it. It just ain’t right, you know?”

  Dave considered the man’s statements. Could be the guy was lying, but if so, why hadn’t he gunned them down? No, he wasn’t right with Gideon, and that meant he might be an ally.

  “Would you help us then?” Dave asked. “Would you help us kill Gideon? To make things right?”

  The man paused, considering.

  “What’s your name?” Dave asked.

  “Jessie.”

  “Help us, Jessie. Help us make this right.”

  “There ain’t no way outta here, you know,” Jessie said.

  “What’s out there for any of us now?” Audrey asked.