"He didn’t come here alone." Hazel said not really caring one way or the other.
The wife rushed to his side begging for the others to help her. The guns pointed in unison decided. The faint smile upon Hazel’s lips as they left was only seen and felt by her.
Chapter Fourteen
They trekked alone on the abandoned freeway, passing the piled cars along the road—left behind by the panicked crowds fleeing the city.
Varick nor Hazel had spoken to each other since leaving the small camp but Varick's gaze continued to travel to her from the peripheral. He didn't know what her deal was, why she helped him more than once, she certainly had no reason to do it, especially given how he had taunted them into a fight. He kept feeling as though he owed her and hell a part of him wondered if that was her angle.
"You didn’t have to do that." He said uncertain of what he should say but he was uncomfortable in this comfortable silence.
"We've both been surviving so far with just each other. I will still take that straight shot to Luc’s house. Then you can have your precious alone time. She tossed the handgun to Varick, "That’s what you wanted?"
"Y—yeah. I was gonna snatch it up but…" he said surprised.
The ricochet of bullets from above bounced off the ground startling the two. Startled, alert, confused they staggered about but they could see no one in sight.
"What the hell was that?!" Varick had drawn his revolver and scanned the grassy knoll above but saw nothing.
"Maybe it’s the group from the last camp?"
"If it is, then they’re..." He then yelled. "A bunch of pussies!"
Hazel looked high on the hill noticing a glint of light, she kicked Varick in the stomach staggering him, the bullet whizzed by his head just as he doubled over, he recovered fast and Hazel fired several shots above the hill then watched the dark figure fall from the building above.
Varick pointed his gun high. "What the fuck is going on here? We’re not one of those things!"
The roar of a car sped down the road skidding and stopping nearby.
"Run!" Hazel said running across the road with Varick dashing fast behind.
They jumped the divider with bullets whizzing past their skulls. Two more black SUVs sped up, a man peered out the window blasting a high-powered machine gun. Varick and Hazel ran up the hill to the road above and the cars sped away.
The two ran fast as the vehicles appeared up the hill of the freeway entrance, they turned fast to ram their machines into them. Hazel and Varick cut behind a small store and down the back way past the large trash bin.
"Hey! Help me push this!" Varick stumbled to a halt.
Hazel grabbed a spot pushing the bin in the path of the gap before running off. A car slams into the bin pushing it without a care in the world. Another car sped forward from the left attempting to cut off their path. Bullets flew from all sides. They darted down a small hill into an alley below.
The cars zoomed down the alley, a man hung outside the window gesturing to the other two cars to take different paths.
Inside the darkness of the smelly trash bin, they waited until the purring of the engines became distant.
"What was that?!" Hazel asked in shock.
"I have no clue. They looked like some sort of 'Men in Black'" he then smirked. "Maybe they’re after you secret agent girl."
"If they’re after me then why the hell would they shoot?"
"How the hell am I supposed to know?" Varick leapt out with Hazel following.
"I see no reason why those people would be after me, maybe they want you."
"For what?"
"Well like you, I don’t know." She shrugged. She thought of her escape from those people who wanted to take her to Montréal. 'This isn't good.'
"Let’s head up that hill to the road up there. I know someone who lives close by we can hide out there for a bit."
Varick and Hazel ran fast through the once joyful playground, the blood puddles and scattered limbs signaled a recent encounter. Several screams rang nearby and the growls of a Jagger horde drew near. Varick and Hazel battled the stragglers. Hazel stabbed one in the chin before bringing the tip down piercing the skull. Varick spun around one cutting its throat, neither wanting to waste their bullets.
The fires raged out of control engulfing a neighborhood, they passed a woman inside of a bus screaming as they tore her flesh from her bones. They passed several crashed cars, the occupants inside, long dead.
"Detroit and its surrounding areas are no longer safe and many are trying to flee the city. Residents are advised to remain indoors.... A large sea based evac was delayed when the newly sick stalled relief efforts.... Canada has closed its borders to U. S citizens after several attacks shut down two Red Cross centers. If you have any family members or friends who are experiencing the following symptoms…" The radio static followed until the battery died.
"We're fucked." Varick sighed, fearing Hazel's predictions.
"We had better keep moving."
Varick led the way to Pierre’s garage. He opened the door allowing Hazel in before it slammed shut on them. "Well at least those fucks can’t take us by surprise—" Metal shrapnel sprayed in their faces, pushed back they flew to the ground and a large beastly figure tore through the garage door, bending and ripping it like paper.
The large monster of a man stood about seven feet tall with muscle on top of muscle on its dark flesh. It wore no shirt on his massive chest but it wore a set of army fatigue pants and thick enormous boots. Its face twisted almost as though the skin itself over lapped over the rest and its eyes glared at Varick with a deathly passion. Its dread locks whipped as it moved fast charging forward and grabbing Varick. He felt his body slammed hard against the wall like a rag doll. He kicked back his leg using it to stop the force of the next hit. Eyes met, and a light flashed in Varick’s mind. 'Riddick? '
A bullet whizzed by the head another hit its target in the eye. The beast growled. Varick recovered and Hazel kicked open the office door.
Several of the black cars parked out front and the men delivered a hail of gun fire into the shop.
The two-ducked low and the colossal beast smashed through the door charging fast tossing and turning anything in its path. Several men burst through. A man in black reloading before finding his head removed from his body. The men panicked and opened fire on the beast and the monster turned his attention, wrecking them without a moment’s hesitation.
Hazel and Varick ran for safety, through the metal shutters around the other back way of the repair shop, dropping into an alley.
Hazel ran forward but stopped when Varick was not beside her. "Come on!"
"Not yet." He could smell the gas, faint but there, the air rolled with its escape from the broken pipes.
The mighty beast appeared with a struggling man in his grasp, his legs ceased with the slow crushing of his neck and he flung the body to the ground like a rag doll.
Varick pointed his revolver firing a shot which blasted the building. They stood watching the burning inferno. The large monster stood blazing from the inferno shaking the fire off his dreads and roaring like a lion!
"Okay now we run."
Running fast down a winding narrow pathway with the big creature chasing behind like a tank burrowing past trash bins and everything in-between, his rage focused on one while they leapt across a crater in the ground and a large out-of-control truck stuffed to the brim with Jaggers and screaming voices plowed into the creature taking it with them. They stopped and look back relieved before moving forward not taking any chances.
"Why in here?" Hazel panted.
"It’s a dead end, trust me."
"And here?"
Hazel spotted several Jaggers wandering aimlessly inside. Hazel and Varick remain pressed against the walls afraid to make a single sound. The creatures seemed lost within their own world and following Varick’s lead they inched down the wall. One turned watching them directly, and they stopped. It watched, and t
hey watched it for a while before they realized that none of them were attacking.
"Why aren’t they attacking?" Hazel whispered.
"I have no idea. Let’s not question it before they change their minds." He grabbed her hand pulling her along until they were out the door.
"Yes!" Varick cheered, hopping on the motorcycle outside, the keys were in the ignition and the gas gauge read that it was over half full. Just what he needed.
Hazel hesitated, not expecting anything. She cursed her situation as he started the machine but she was not without her options. She clutched her hidden gun ready to fire if she had to. But much to her surprise he did not drive away.
"What? I can’t imagine you’d get off here?" He said nonchalantly.
She smiled and hopped on fast.
They rode down several neighborhoods blocked with the Jaggers and sometimes even manmade blockades of entire streets. The sound of an array of assault rifles popped off a block away.
"Somebody’s putting up a damn good fight." Varick remarked as they continued on.
They rode fast passing the various streets.
"At this rate, we might make it to my mother." Varick said feeling more optimistic.
Hazel held on tight going along for the ride unsure of when or where they would part ways and she was unsure of whether she would like it. A black car rammed hard against the rear of the bike and Varick lost control of the vehicle for a moment before steadying himself and using his body to steer the machine down the ramp onto the freeway.
Three more cars followed fast, and the bullets zipped by once more. Hazel screamed instinctively and Varick zigzagged to avoid a possible hit. A gap in the divider was just enough for Varick to fit through leaving the black cars behind. They drove down a clear street and then another. Varick was relieved and puzzled, it was as though this area was untouched yet not blocked.
They stopped in a derelict neighborhood in front of a light blue house, old appliances littered the lawn with old appliances, cars and parts and they walked up the concrete steps until they reached the door and Varick knocked. Hazel stood back ready to leave at any moment.
"If they come to the door, you may have to wait outside." He warned.
"Fine." She stepped away from the door, the street looked safe enough and so she leaned against the bike ready to learn how to ride it if it came to it.
"Holy fucking fuck me! Come in!" Joe was surprised to see his friend up and about, and well. He looked out the door at Hazel and closed the door, the feeling of unease permeating him.
"Okay, what the hell are you doing with a black chick?!" Joe asked scandalized.
Meg was a free spirit, and one could tell by the look of the couple who wore the pants in the house. Her blonde hair was short and curled at the ends and her mouth was set with a frown. "There’s a girl outside? Invite her in you big oaf!"
She slapped Varick’s chest. "And you." She said accusatory.
"Hey baby, I love you." Joe whispered.
Varick opened the door. "Come in."
"Why are we inviting her in?" He whispered to Meg.
"Cause I’m not a racist fucktard." She fired back.
Hazel entered always feeling strange in stranger’s homes.
"My name is Meg, Varick’s cousin and this loser here is Joe."
"I’m Hazel. Charmed."
"Varick, Kitchen." Joe tugged at his friend pulling him along.
"You can sit down." Meg offered. "None of the stations on the TV are working though."
Hazel sat on the floral couch beside Meg.
Joe took a swig of beer trying to make heads or tails of the situation. "Are you fucking crazy?"
Varick looked at him in his robe and slippers and for a brief moment it seemed like the world was normal again. "You have no idea what’s it like out there. Things change."
"If you were smart, you wouldn’t keep riding around with that girl."
Varick dismissed him.
"No." Joe protested. "I know you okay. I know you’re not gonna stick with some broad you don’t like."
"Get the fuck out of here."
"You riding with her means there is something there. And she's kinda cute... curse my love of petite women."
Varick laughed it off. 'He wouldn’t understand.' "She saved my life and been through more with me than anyone so far… anyway, how come you’re not at the safe house with everyone else? Is Stacey there?" He asked changing the subject but was still very much curious.
Joe turned away fast, heating an old batch of coffee. "Fuck man, I can’t lie to you. We’ve been friends for too long. Eurich and Stacey split… together."
Varick leaned against the counter, a sardonic smile appeared on his lips. "Why am I not surprised?" Varick’s expression turned grim, it was time for a more serious matter. "How did Riddick get his brother’s bloody shirt? How the fuck did he know it was me?"
"Whoa, wait, I knew he found out, but I had no clue he had the shirt! I wouldn’t put it past Eurich. The asshole was a wolf in sheep’s clothes like motherfucker. Setting up a brother for a bitch."
The blood boiled hot within Varick. "If I ever see that piece of shit again, I'm killin'em."
"I believe it." After a beat. "You think it would even be a good idea for you to go to the safe house? I heard everyone is gonna be there to create some sort of compound. After what happened…"
"I'm only gonna pick up my mom and my brother. They're coming with me but… I don’t know where."
Meg and Hazel laughed. Meg was sarcastic, but it was a quality Hazel liked about her and she was just as passionate as her about everything, particularly video games.
"All bullshit aside, how bad is it out there?" Meg grabbed a stick of gum and popping it into her mouth. "Watching the news is one thing but the real thing could be different."
"You should make plans to leave Michigan. This place may be overrun soon. Have weapons, move fast, avoid those checkpoints."
Meg picked up her rock climber pick. "I’m pretty good on my feet."
"How would you use it?" Hazel asked stricken by curiosity.
"Follow me."
They head outside and she grabbed another pick from under the chair and tossed it to Hazel who caught it. Meg begin the ascent, climbing high on the roof using the pick and her strength and Hazel followed suit, mimicking her movements.
"Wow!" Hazel sighed.
"You can keep it."
"Really? Thank you."
They both looked out over the neighborhood and Hazel could see a lone Jagger in the distance.
"Now that we’re outside, girl talk. Why are you with Varick?" She asked bluntly. "The tats alone would scare away any girl that hasn’t been brainwashed by the alt right sheeple machine."
Hazel laughed. "I found him and saved him, and it seems like we’ve been sort of looking out for each other until we part ways. It's a relationship of convenience for both of us."
"Varick is really a good guy deep down. But also, his bite is worse than his bark so if he barks it’s no big deal."
"I’ve experienced his mouth first hand." She thought of her words for a moment. And sought to correct herself. "Actually, not like that, I mean… Oh."
She gave up much to Meg’s amusement at her blushing cheeks.
"Do you have a working phone?"
Meg pulled out her cell and Hazel thanked her while dialing Luc's number, the beeping prevented her from getting through. She tried one more time before giving up and passing the phone back to Meg. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it. And... I’m glad he... Varick... wasn’t out there alone." Meg laughed. "He’s my cousin and I love him, even if I don’t agree with him all the time. If you get on his good side, there’s nothing he won’t do for you."
"Well it's temporary. I’m planning on heading to a friend’s house."
"I see." She gazed at Hazel, not believing a word of it.
"What?"
"Nothing, just my woman’s intuition is beeping. Let’s head back in
side."
It was nearing evening and Joe poured himself some coffee. "It’s not that I’m ignorant of what’s out there." He argued. "I just hope the military fixes it, and this neighborhood is pretty safe… Okay I’m scared shitless."
"Scared or not you can’t stay here. Protect Meg." Varick stressed.
"If anything, she’ll be protecting me."
Meg reached for the warm pot of coffee. "She’s cute, probably the best you’ve had so far than all those skanky Mc slut sluts."
"I don’t have her… Dumb dumb" He said almost playfully.
"Well, you should. I mean what if the world really is over, it’s good to have someone around, and who knows we humans might go back to the stone age of knocking women upside the head and dragging them into a cave for a little snoo snoo. I can just picture it now. Some big guy falling in love with her tiny self, cause she’s so freaking compact and what would you do then?"
"Look at his tats." Joe pointed at the swastika peeking from his chest as though it were a case closed.
"Speaking of which, what happened with Christi?" Varick asked not wanting to take this road any further.
"I talked to her." Meg replied matter of fact.
"Why would she get out of the brotherhood?"
Meg looked nervously at him. "It’s nothing, she’s just tired of it."
"It’s more, what is it? You always shift around when something upsets you."
"I want to know too." Joe said getting into 'juicy Gossip' mode.
"It’s nothing, she’s done."
Varick pressed more until she sighed.
"It’s bad Varick, really bad."
Joe perked up eager to know. "Now I really want to know."
"Shit." Meg exclaimed. "During one of the parties at Dixon’s place she was sort of drunk and she stumbled into William’s office. She saw a picture sticking out the drawer, and it was a naked boy, like little boy. She opened the drawer and there was some sort hidden hitch that was open and she found a bunch of pics of naked boys or half dressed… including you… and… Stevie.
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