The Changing Earth Series (Book 1): Day After Disaster

by Hathaway, Sara F.

  Handguns were not something that the people from the group headed for Lotus were willing to give up but Greg, Harold, Denton, Rob, and Steve all had theirs from before the big quake. Ammo was limited, but the amount they carried would have to do. Richard gave his pistol to Taylor in exchange for a nice rifle. Besides the rifle that Erika, Vince, and Rob carried, the group gave up three more to the cause and Greg, Jimmy D, and Steve carried those. Tom only had his crossbow, but he was satisfied. He was very confident in his accuracy and speed. There were some other bows and crossbows that were handed out among the group, but again, ammo was the issue, so every shot had to count.

  When they were all loaded and ready to go they turned and watched Cool become a ghost town as the other group moved off slowly toward Lotus. It was a solemn moment as they started the descent down the canyon. Erika was still surprised at the level of destruction these quakes caused. Great rock ledges and ravines that seemed so strong and indestructible were leveled.

  “You okay, baby?” Vince asked. He had been watching her mind wander.

  “Oh yeah, just another day in paradise,” she replied sarcastically. There was a song they often sung when they were at home all cozy in their house. The lyrics referred to all kinds of domestic problems, but how it was all okay, and it was “just another day in paradise.”

  He caught the reference immediately and chuckled. “We can still turn back, you know. We don’t have to do this,” Vince said. He was still trying to give her an out.

  “Yeah, we do,” she replied flatly.

  “I know we do, but I was hoping that you might run away with me and we could just stay in each other’s arms and be safe forever,” he declared, vocalizing his dream.

  “So do I, but we both know there is nowhere to run to. Carol and Henry need us, and our group needs these supplies. We just have to keep going,” she said, trying to convince herself as much as him.

  “Well, at least if we’re going to die, we’ll do it together,” he jested, attempting to be sarcastic, but deep in the recesses of his mind he believed it might be true.

  “You got that right, guys, at least we’ll die together,” Greg interjected. He was listening in and came up behind them. He wrapped his arms around their shoulders.

  They had all been friends for so long and the emotions were running hot. They all laughed to relieve the pressure. It was contagious, and the group all laughed at themselves and the task before them. Soon they were all quietly chatting as they continued their descent. The chatting quickly came to a halt when Rob, who had been scouting out in front with Harold, returned at a quick trot to the group.

  “The old River camp is right down there,” Rob whispered. “There will surely be scouts out there on the opposite ridge. This is where we split up. I’m going to take Jimmy D, Steve, and Tom, and we’re going to go through the River camp to take out any scouts and then go straight at the main gate. We’ll put on a great show with these pipe bombs I made. In the meantime, Harold says he knows where they’re keeping the prisoners. He and Denton will circle around the top of the canyon and sneak in from the back. Erika, Vince, Greg, and Taylor: You guys go with them and protect their rear entry. Randy and Michelle, you will go too. Harold says there’s an old juvenile hall with a tower still standing. You’ll have to take out the guards posted there. Once you handle them, post up there. You can see the whole compound from up there, and you’ll be able to provide cover for us all. We’ll attack at nightfall. As soon as you hear the first explosion, you guys move in. Any questions?” Rob asked, laying out the plan. It sounded easy enough. The adrenaline was pumping now. Only Rob had combat experience and everyone’s eyes were wild with determination.

  “Let’s do this!” yelled Greg.

  “Shhh. . .remember keep your eyes open for guards and move quietly,” Rob warned.

  Rob and his group moved off to the left. Erika’s group moved off to the right. She knew as well as Harold where the guards overlooking the canyon were. As they cleared the last of the tree line they saw the destroyed camp off to the left. Sliding down the dried-up hillside toward the river, they crossed it fairly easily. It was the end of September and at the end of summer the mountain water supply was low. Especially now that Mother Nature destroyed the dams and the natural water flow returned. The last dam to go went in the last quake. That’s what flooded the Georgetown river camp. Because of that recent flooding, they stuck in the mud around the river, but it was managed easily enough. Now they were out in the open, though, and everyone was on high alert.

  As they began to climb the other side of the canyon an intense rumble started again, and the ground began to shake. The group clutched one another and waited as the rumbling shook them to the bone. Vince grabbed Erika and held her close. Erika’s thoughts immediately went to the caravan headed to Lotus. She prayed for her children. Soon enough, the rumbling ended.

  “Now what?” Taylor asked, his voice shaking.

  “We keep going,” answered Erika. “We have to. Too many people are counting on us and the wheels are in motion now.”

  “Let’s go, then,” Harold insisted. He was a man on a mission. He turned to continue climbing the hill, but was stopped short by an extremely stocky man.

  “Hold it right there, guys,” he demanded cockily. “Well. . .well, what’s going on here?” he asked, grumbling.

  The man had a rifle over his shoulder and a handgun pointed at Harold.

  “Hey, I know you. You’re that guy Doug fought in that barn. Oh, Doug’s gonna love to see you. You knocked out one of his teeth,” he said with clear recognition in his voice. “He’s been taking it out on your lovely daughter ever since,” he sneered at Harold. Then he addressed the group. “Now, you all are going to put down your weapons if you want your friend to live. Just put them. . .”

  Before he could finish his sentence, blood and brains splattered Harold’s face as a bullet from Greg’s gun ripped through the scout’s head. The man was accustomed to having the upper hand all the time he never saw it coming.

  “Whoa, Greg!” screamed Erika.

  “What? He would have killed us,” Greg responded, but was almost as surprised as Erika by his instant action.

  “Yeah, but you could have shot him somewhere else. We don’t know if he was the only guard. We could have gotten some good info out of him. Plus, who knows who heard that shot.” Erika explained, trying to stay sensible.

  “Shot him somewhere else? Where and with what guns once he had all our weapons? Sorry, next time I’ll just let him shoot one of us!” Greg snapped back, irritated by her reaction.

  “It’s okay, I’m sorry. This is just crazy. Let’s go, quick,” Erika said. She was listening to herself and wondering what she was even talking about.

  The group moved quickly up to the tree line, where they met another man running toward the sound of the gun.

  “Oh, crap,” he yelled as he slid to a stop in front of the war party.

  “Hello,” Greg said calmly as he grabbed the man by the collar and held his gun to the man’s head.

  All Erika could picture was a hole in the last man’s head and brains everywhere, “Wait, wait, Greg!” she yelled.

  “I am, just calm down, girl,” Greg smoothly replied.

  “Who are you people? Please don’t kill me,” pleaded the man.

  “Are you the only one out here?” Greg questioned.

  “Yeah, it was just me and Bill. When I heard the shot, I thought Bill killed an animal or intruder or something, so I came running. Please don’t kill me,” he pleaded again as he glanced down the hill and saw Bill’s lifeless body.

  “There, are you satisfied?” Greg asked Erika.

  “Yes,” Erika responded.

  “Good,” Greg replied as he pulled the trigger and put a bullet through the man’s head.

  “Damn, Greg! We are not killers!” Erika screamed at Greg.

  “Look Erika, today we are. We’re killers. We’re going to kill or be killed. What were we going to do wi
th him? Wake up, girl, what do you think we are doing here? You all better wake up,” he explained, looking into the eyes of everyone in the group. “If we are going in there, it’s to save those people they took as prisoners. It’s to take their supplies for our group, and it’s to kill anyone who gets in our way. Now, if you can’t do that, turn back now because that’s reality, folks.”

  Erika knew he was right and that they would all have to flip that switch inside themselves. She’d killed before and now she would have to again. Everyone in the group did a mental check and forged on. They all faced reality and knew what must be done. There was no more chatting, no more smiling, it was all business as they crept through the tree line.

  Erika smelled smoke and death as they neared to cross what used to be an interstate highway. They needed to get to the hill behind the compound and nature was quickly reclaiming it all. Erika marveled at the marked difference as they went. She was ready for anything as they mounted the hill in the rear of the compound and kept their eyes fixed on the tower. Night was falling, and their vision was becoming very limited. Their sense of smell was heightened, and it was being ambushed by a sickening stench of death. Suddenly, they realized it was not deformed ground they were stepping over; it was dead bodies. This area was once an old Chinese graveyard, hundreds of years ago, and now it seemed the people from the compound were using for this purpose again, except they were just piling the dead bodies here. Most of the bodies were headless. This gang put the heads on spikes to ward off intruders and the scene was utterly gruesome, even in the dim light. Randy held Michelle as she threw up again and again.

  “Try hiding in among the bodies for days,” Harold said with a shudder. “Come on, let’s just get through this.” To find out the whereabouts of his family, that’s exactly what Harold had done. He hid amongst the bodies. He’d watched the camp and found out their secrets and he’d endured all this decay to do it.

  “Keep your eyes on that tower. Remember, that’s where we are headed,” Greg said, trying to keep himself and the group focused. He’d never seen anything like this and wasn’t doing very well himself.

  All of a sudden, they heard an explosion.

  “Oh crap, that’s Rob. We got to get to that tower, now!” Vince urged.

  Then bang, a shot rang out from the tower, followed by shots at the front gate of the compound. The team broke out into a sprint for the tower and they were up the stairs in no time. Vince shot a bolt from his crossbow straight through the sniper’s heart as he kicked the door opened. The sniper never saw it coming. They heard, boom, boom, as two more explosions rang out from the gate. The team, from their vantage point, could see the group from the Auburn Compound manning the front gate. They would never suspect an attack from behind.

  “Michelle, Randy, you two stay here and start blasting those guys down there,” Greg instructed. “Taylor, you take this rifle and guard that door down there. Don’t let anyone up these stairs! Let’s go, guys!” he yelled to the rest of the group.

  The adrenaline was thick in the air now. They’d completed step one. Taylor took up his post at the door as the group made their way toward the rear of the compound. It all looked so clear from the tower but now, as they neared the rear gates, it was a blur of activity. The camp was in utter chaos. The recent earthquake had decimated this camp as well. There were fires everywhere, and a wild look filled the eyes of the individuals inside. They heard a boom as another explosion rocked the front gate and then a bang, bang as Michelle and Randy began firing their rifles from the tower. Creeping closer to the rear gate, Erika could hear the confused chatter of the guards. They were discussing leaving their post to go help at the front gate. The attack team split up into two groups to flank the guards. With a silent signal from Greg, arrows from their bows sank into their hearts. Stealth was the key to the rear attack. They must not alarm the compound to their double-sided strike.

  Taking lives was not getting any easier for Erika as she stumbled over their dead bodies and stared into their lifeless eyes.

  “Come on, baby,” Vince commanded. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

  “Okay, we’re in,” said Harold in a wild voice. “The prisoners are over here on the left.”

  “Where are the supplies?” demanded Greg.

  “They’re in a storehouse on the other side of the camp. Over there.” He pointed to a building that used to be a supermarket.

  Decisions were made quickly.

  “Okay, Erika, you go with Harold and Denton and get those people the hell out of here. Vince and I will go scope out the supplies and see what we can get,” Greg commanded.

  Vince and Greg started picking their way through the camp as Harold, Denton, and Erika made a break to find Henry, Carol, and the rest of Harold’s family. The fires were burning bright in the night, and Erika saw scared eyes peeking out of some of the tents that were not on fire. These folks weren’t fighting, and they looked just as imprisoned as the people they were going to save.

  Bang! went Harold’s gun, as he shot a man coming at him with a spear.

  “He was the prison guard, come on, we’re close!” shouted Harold.

  Their noses filled with a putrid smell as they entered a building that at one time housed restaurants and various other stores. It was now a dungeon, complete with chains hanging from the walls. Bang! went a rifle from the tower as a man that came up behind Erika fell dead. She breathed a sigh of relief knowing one of those teenagers just saved her life.

  “Whoa! That was close,” Denton yelled to Erika, as he gave the snipers a thumbs-up.

  Inside the building the room was filled with people. The rescuers all gasped as they entered, surprised by the sheer amount of people in here. The prisoners were chained to the walls and sitting in piles of their own feces. They looked thin and hopeless. The prisoners covered their heads and eyes, fearing the return of their captors and shrieking from the light.

  “Betsy! Henry!” Harold shouted, searching the miserable victims for his family.

  “Over here!” boomed Henry’s loud voice.

  Harold ran to his family.

  “Denton, see if you can find some keys,” Erika commanded as she left to follow Harold.

  Erika found Harold holding his wife, Betsy, in his arms with his kids smiling as they gazed at their hero, their father.

  “Denton is looking for keys,” said Erika.

  “Erika, is that you?” Henry’s voice boomed again. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He wondered if she made it home alive and now here she was, rescuing him.

  “In the flesh, Henry. You didn’t think I would leave you here after all you did for me? Did you?” Erika teased.

  “Praise the Lord,” cried Carol. “These monsters locked us up in here like animals.”

  “Well, let’s get you all out of here,” declared Denton as he arrived with a ring full of keys. He pulled Erika aside as he handed Harold the key ring. “Erika, the guards heard shots over here and they’re headed our way.”

  “Erika?” whispered a weak voice down on the floor.

  Erika looked down and saw Jaclyn White, from the River camp, lying in a heap. Her torn clothes hung on her body that was covered with bruises.

  “Oh my God, Jaclyn, don’t worry we’re going to get you out of here,” Erika said frantically. “Denton, go guard the door, I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “Save us too,” shouted voices from all over the room.

  “We’re going to save you all, just sit tight,” Erika shouted reassuringly.

  By the time Erika got back to Harold, he freed his family and was working frantically with the keys to free the others.

  “Good job, Harold, we have to save them all, but I have to go help Denton guard the door. The jig is up, and they know what we’re doing here,” Erika informed him, heading toward the door.

  “I’m coming too,” Henry insisted.

  “All right, we can use the help,” replied Erika. She handed him a handgun she’d retrieved off a
dead guard.

  When they got to the door Denton was already firing at a group of men. They posted up behind a barricade facing the door. Henry began to fire as well. Michelle and Randy were doing their best to defend the doorway. The gunfight raged on and neither side had a clear shot at one another.

  “I don’t know how much ammo they have, but ours is running low,” Erika declared when the shooting paused for a moment.

  Suddenly Harold was behind them, “I got them all free, but I don’t know how fast they can move. Some of them have been chained there for months.”

  “Well, get them moving and we’ll cover you,” Denton urged.

  They began to fire a huge barrage at the men behind the barricade as the prisoners slipped out the door and ran toward the rear gate. When the last one was out, Erika, Denton, and Henry ran to follow them. Suddenly Henry fell forward as a bullet ripped through his shoulder and out his arm. Harold, supplying cover fire, saw his dad fall. Denton turned to cover Harold as he ran up and scooped up his father.

  “Run, run,” screamed Denton as he was shot in the heart and fell dead at Erika’s feet.

  The group finally made it back to the rear gate. They saved a lot of people, but it had come at a great cost.

  “Harold, get these people back to the tower and wait there,” Erika demanded.

  “What are you going to do?” questioned Henry in a weakened voice. He was hit, but it was not a killer blow.

  “I have to go back and find Vince and Greg, I’ll be okay, just go!” she yelled at Henry, knowing he would object to her going alone.

  To avoid any further protest Erika turned and left before they could fully register her decision. She was alone in the dark, asking herself what she was doing, running off into the heat of a battle alone. Vince and Greg were in there. She knew where they went. She was an able-bodied fighter. She shouldn’t just sit and wait for Vince and Greg to return when she could be in there, fighting or helping to relieve the group of some supplies. Erika reached the building that at one time had been a huge clothing store. She thought back to how new it smelt inside, the grand spaces and the sight of the products stacked wall to wall. Judging from the amount of makeshift wiring streaming from the roof, Erika assumed the Auburn gang used this building’s shell as a shelter for their power producing equipment. Off to the left of the building, the center, communal fire was still burning. The tents surrounding it were in a state of total disarray. Scared people still hovered, unsure of what they should do. It appeared that all the Auburn Gang’s soldiers were centered on the front gate and the explosions occurring there were coming at longer and longer intervals. Erika wondered if the men attacking the front were still alive. If the gang’s force was still centered there, they must be, she thought. Also, the snipers were no longer firing from the tower. Erika knew they were still alive, but they were having the same problem she was having, ammo was running really low.