EMP Crash (Book 5): Hostile Grounds

by Kip Nelson

  The trio reached the outskirts of the enemy camp and secured the horses, then took a bag each.

  “They live in a mall. There are campgrounds outside. Last time, nobody was there, but I don't know if the same is going to hold true for today,” Will said.

  “Okay, let’s get to the weapons cache, get the guns, and get back to the settlement. We don't need to hang around,” Mack said. He was about to begin moving toward the rudimentary barrier when Luis tugged at his shirt.

  “There's something else you should know, something I noticed when we were coming out last time,” Luis said with an anguished look upon his face. Mack had to urge him to continue.

  “The soldiers, the ones who went into the city? They're up there, hanging. They've been dead for a long time.”

  The color drained from Mack's face. As they entered the camp he had Luis point them out to him. Mack spared a moment to mourn his fallen brothers. He hadn't known their company or their names, but they had been part of the same family. They were bonded by the oaths they had taken, and the uniforms they had worn. Yet, Mack could allow himself to grieve only for a moment because time was of the essence. He also was filled with an even greater ache to see justice come to those who were responsible for this. He doubled his resolve to not let the same fate befall those who lived in the settlement. This had to end, and the end would begin with him.

  The mall stood tall before them and, once again, there was a strong orange glow at the top. The surrounding area was deserted, and it seemed as though they had made their permanent home in the mall, rather than staying outside through the night. Mack, Luis, and Will moved quickly and stealthily across the ground. Their footsteps were light and their breaths quick, sweat prickling on their temples for the threat of discovery was ripe.

  They had to duck quickly behind a group of cars as they heard drunken, slurred speech from a group of people who made their way to another car and began to strip down. By the time the three of them rose they could see these people were engaged in a sweaty, lustful orgy and were too lost in their own orgasmic heat to pay any attention to anything else in the world. Mack and the others quickly sped past and made their way into the mall, glad that fortune seemed to be on their side for the moment.

  They walked over the broken glass and made their way up the escalator. Mack allowed Luis and Will to take the lead as they were familiar with the terrain. Mack was making mental notes to himself of the layout of the stores and how the group maintained the territory. He considered it unusual that it was so easy for them to make it into this base. It told him that either this people were so unruly they didn't have the mentality to create an organized defensive plan, or they were so confident in their own strength they couldn't comprehend anyone else coming to attack them. Either way, it filled Mack with confidence as the advantages of superior weaponry and numbers could be canceled out with a clever strategy. There were many examples throughout history of a larger, unruly force being defeated by a smaller, organized army.

  The further they moved into the mall, the louder the noises became. On a few occasions, they had to hide in the shadows or sprint into stores to avoid drunken people staggering by. Mack was disgusted by the way they conducted themselves. It seemed as though they saw the apocalypse as an excuse to have a party and indulge their wildest impulses, as though nothing mattered anymore. But everything mattered, more now than it ever did. They had to rebuild civilization. This entire place was like a temple dedicated to everything that Mack abhorred.

  “It's just over here,” Will said. Mack and Luis followed. Mack's eyes widened as he stared at the array of weapons.

  “I can see why you were worried,” he said, a grim feeling swimming through his body as he looked at the different weapons on display, including all the grenades.

  Some of them he recognized as the rifles the soldiers would have been carrying. He hated to think how they had been stripped of their weapons and robbed of their dignity. Scanning the items, he made a quick catalog in his head and estimated their collective destructive force. In some ways, it was a good thing this group appeared to be so casual about life. If they had been organized, they easily could have taken out everyone else in the city without a second thought.

  “Make sure to get lots of ammo. Once they run out of that, the guns are useless,” Mack said as he began gathering the weapons into his bag.

  He also made sure to get the grenades and anything else that could prove deadly to the settlement. They worked quickly and diligently, trying to get their sacks filled before they left. They wanted to debilitate this group and make sure they didn't have enough weapons to mount an attack. Even though they wanted to work as quickly as possible, Mack suggested at least one of them watch for anyone approaching.

  Will was quick to volunteer. He stayed at the edge of the door, peering into the dark hallway. The sounds of the revelry made him sick to his stomach, for they sounded more like animals than people. His heart was beating rapidly, and his throat was scratchy and dry. It was difficult to see anything in the dark. What could have been a person could just as easily could have been a shadow. The beating of his heart was so strong it was difficult to hear anything else. He glanced over his shoulder to check on Mack and Luis’ progress, which proved to be a fatal mistake. As soon as his back was turned, the world went black as a sharp pain spread through his body, and he fell to the floor. He turned to see a monster of a man standing over him, holding a knife that was dripping with Will’s own blood.

  Unlike the other people they had seen, this guard was not in a drunken stupor and Will cursed himself for allowing himself to assume otherwise. He was a fearsome man, at least six feet tall, with a physique to match. He was wearing a ragged vest and dirty jeans. In his hand, he held a knife dripping with blood. The guard grunted as he twisted the knife into Will a second time and pulled it out again, the blood dripping down his hands. But that was nothing compared to the blood that was gushing out of Will’s wound. The guard had stabbed him around the side of his body, where there was a gap in his body armor. Will gurgled as he lay on the floor, clutching his side and writhing with pain.

  Mack and Luis cried out in shock as they saw their friend fall, but Mack knew he had time to mourn later. Quickly, he leaped up and clamped his hand over the guard's mouth before he could cry out for help. Mack felt the hot breath on his hand as he struggled against the strength of the guard, who wrestled and tried with all his might to stab him. Mack was filled with anger and vengeance. He was determined not to let go. He knew if he did his life and Luis' life would be forfeit, as would the lives of everyone in the settlement.

  Mack swung around and twisted his python of an arm around the guard's neck, squeezing as tightly as he could to constrict the airway. The guard flailed his arms and legs as his eyes bulged, twisting toward Mack in a plea of freedom but Mack would not let go. As the man weakened, he dropped the knife to the floor. It clattered harmlessly away by Mack's feet, the blood pooling on the floor. He slapped Mack's arms with his hands and tried to kick out with his legs. Mack raised his own leg and kneed him in the back of the knee joint. The man let out a cry of pain that was muffled by Mack's hand, and he fell to his knees. The slapping hands became weaker until they fell to the side. His eyes closed, and Mack had prevailed. He lay the body down on the floor and returned his attention to Will, whose blood was pouring out over the floor. Luis was by his side, holding Will's hand, propping up his head, begging Will not to die.

  “It'll be okay. We'll get you back to the settlement. You can make it through this. You just have to be strong, okay?” Luis said, trying to stem the flow of blood with whatever he could find, but it was pouring out relentlessly.

  Mack knew there was no chance to save Will, not with the limited medical facilities available to them. Even if there had been a hospital in close proximity, Mack would have estimated his chances to be fifty/fifty, at best. And when he looked in Will's eyes, he knew the man knew he was taking his last few breaths on this Earth. He clut
ched Luis' hand tightly, and through a foamy mouth he spat out some last, determined words.

  “Don't waste your strength. I'm done here,” he gasped.

  “Don't say that, we can get you back we can--” Luis said.

  Will used what little strength he had left to shake his head. “If you take me you won't be able to take the guns. You need to take them...for the settlement. Make sure it lives on. Make my death have meaning,” he said, using his last breath to say those words.

  He stared at Luis with open eyes and then his head fell back. His grip on Luis' hand went limp and he was gone. Luis stared at him in disbelief and tried to get him to come back to life. Mack had to take hold of Luis and shake some sense into him. He had to be strong for the both of them.

  “I know this is hard. It might seem impossible right now, but we have to let him go. You heard him. We have to get these guns back to the settlement. He gave his life so we could have a chance. We have to get out of here before anyone else finds us.” Luis nodded and the two of them finished the job, filling up the sacks. Luis swung one over his back while Mack had two. He wished he could take Will with him, but there was simply no way.

  “Goodbye, Will,” he said, and then they left the mall, making their way out as quickly as they could.

  All the while they said nothing. Mack cursed himself for losing another good man, but it was on him now to make sure nobody else died unnecessarily. They had what they came for, and now it was time for them to get the guns back to the settlement. As they left Mack looked up at the soldiers again. Another honorable man just had fallen, he thought, and everyone in that place would pay. Oh yes, how they would pay.

  He and Luis quickly loaded up the horses and then rode back the way they had come, one man down. Mack wasn't about to forget the sacrifice Will made. They rode on through the night as quickly as they could, with only the sound of the horses' hooves against the streets. No matter how black the night was, it could not hide from them the memory of Will's dead body, and the tears they wept could not wash their sorrow away.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  IT WAS a long and gloomy ride back to the settlement. Neither Mack nor Luis spoke to each other, and the only sounds were those of the horses' hooves clopping against the ground. Both riders' shoulders were slumped and they didn't pay much attention to their surroundings as they rode through the night. Will's horse was being guided by Mack, and the guns that were slung over the animal's back made Mack wonder if it all was worth it, if having these weapons was a worthy trade for a man's life. He wasn't the first person Mack had lost under his command, but it was such an unnecessary death, and one that cast a shadow over their otherwise successful mission.

  The enemy's camp faded into the distance, but the memories remained with them. They hated how they were forced to go to war like this when it was already hard to survive against the elements. They had to struggle for food and water, and now they had to struggle against their own brethren as well. Anger curled inside Mack as he wished he just could make people see how this didn't make any sense. Yet, he knew if he was going to teach them a lesson, it would have to be a long and bloody one. He was determined to avenge Will, and the soldiers, and anyone else who this faction had hurt. It couldn't be allowed to continue.

  When they reached the settlement they initially were met with a cheer and loud applause, but soon the people saw that only two of their heroes were returning. When Mack and Luis got closer, the people could see the ashen looks on their faces, and knew that Will had met a tragic end. It was a bittersweet reunion as they were pleased to have the guns. Not only did they strengthen the community's position, but also weakened that of their enemies. They would be a blessing to the settlement, but as the people unloaded the weapons from the horse they moved sluggishly and said few words. Bob came up to Mack and asked about Will, about how he died. Mack looked away and shook his head.

  “A guard caught us and before we could do anything Will was gone,” he said. Bob staggered back.

  Throughout his time in the settlement Will had been a stalwart. He always had been the first to volunteer for a mission, no matter how dangerous, and he never had shied away from a difficult task. He was someone who Bob, or anyone, could have counted upon, and he would be missed. As the news rippled through the community, stories were told of Will's bravery and good nature. Everyone seemed to have a story to tell that brought a smile to the faces of those who heard it. Luis and Grace hugged and, indeed, Grace had mixed feelings. She was glad Luis had survived, but sad that Will hadn't, and didn't know whether she should feel guilty for being glad Luis wasn't the one who had been killed. She had to wipe the tears from her eyes, and Luis was trembling.

  “I've seen people die before, but there was something about this that was different,” he said. “It just happened so quickly...one minute we were standing there together, and the next, he had a knife in his side and blood was pouring out of him. But he was so brave. I don't think he was scared one bit. All he kept saying was that we had to get the guns back to the settlement.”

  “He was a good man,” Grace said, and then kissed Luis, who hoped he could be just as good a man as Will.

  “He deserves to be mourned properly,” Bob said as he helped sort through the guns.

  “I wish we could, but the attack could come at any moment. They're going to find out they've been robbed, and they're going to find Will's body. I wish I could have brought him back, but there wasn't enough time for him and the guns, and he made it clear which he'd rather us take,” Mack said.

  “He always was thinking of the settlement before himself. I know I sure as shit ain't the best person in the world, and I hate it when good young men like Will die, because they're the ones who should be leading this place into the future. I don't know why I'm still here and why he's not,” Bob said.

  “I think everyone's thought that way at one point or another since this all started. Why me when so many others have died? I don't think it's a question that any of us can answer. We just have to make sure we make a difference while we're here.”

  “With these we should be able to,” Bob said, and smiled grimly as he picked up a gun and examined it.

  Maggie came in, too. Once the guns and other weapons all had been sorted out, she suggested they distribute them as soon as possible. People had been sorted into groups with a similar proficiency in handling guns. Once divided in this way, the groups were given a quick lesson in how to use the guns; how to reload them, how best to point and aim, and where to shoot. They had a few test rounds so that people could get used to the recoil. This was a good thing, as many people were surprised by how powerful the kickback was.

  Mack watched them all; people who had no business using a weapon were being thrust into a war zone, all to defend their homes. In this world, people either turned from survivors into warriors when the time was necessary, or they died. It was that simple. This was the only chance they had to make it out alive, and Mack just hoped he had given them a good enough chance.

  “Now, it's not like in the movies,” Mack shouted out. “Don't be a fool and shoot the gun sideways, and don't always go for a head shot. Also, being shot anywhere hurts like hell. Try aiming for the center mass,” he said, gesturing to the core of his body.

  “It's the biggest target, and all the major organs are there. I know it's going to be difficult in the heat of battle, but try remaining calm. Pick your target carefully, and remember to breathe. We don't have endless ammo, so try to shoot only when you need to do so. You've all done well in practice, but it's going to be different when you have an actual person running at you, and you see their eyes. Just remember that these people aren't going to stop until they've taken everything from us. We can't let that happen. Ideally, I'd like to find another way, but these people aren't interested in that. They only know violence, so that's what we'll give them.”

  It was hardly the most inspiring speech Mack ever had given, but it was a grizzled, tired speech from a man who wanted to see
an end to fighting, and yet still was forced to be in the midst of battle. He rubbed his hand across his scratchy stubble and held his gun by his side as he went off with Maggie and Bob to discuss the plan. They knew the attack would be coming soon. They talked about how they wanted the best distance shooters up in the buildings, ready to take aim from afar as the enemies came into the settlement. They wouldn't be much good once the fighting became messy, but it may give them an advantage at first. Other than that, they needed to guard the key points, and they knew they had to set up defensive positions. Hopefully, they could take out a number of enemies as they came rushing past.

  Unfortunately, it was too big an area to bottleneck the oncoming force. So, they sought to keep the fighting to the main area. However, each of them knew the fighting was going to get ugly, and the enemy was going to swarm through their homes. They knew their best hope was taking out as many people as possible before they made it into the settlement, and that's what they told everyone else.

  Some people were unable to help, and these vulnerable ones were shepherded off to the church. Once everything was settled, the armory was bare. Every piece of weaponry they had was being used to defend the settlement. Mack had a feeling these were the type of people who wouldn't take prisoners, and he didn't want to be left at their mercy. He wanted this place to stand as a beacon for hope, and he would stand right along with it.

  The people who were seen as leaders of the community were spread through the area. The people around them were looking to them to lead by example, even though they were just as scared. Everyone in the settlement had been hardened by the apocalypse, some more than others. As they waited, tension filled the air. They sat in the darkness of night. Lanterns were hung all around the settlement, providing light, and many of these had been placed around the barrier so it would be easy to see the invaders. The soft orange glow burned while the stars twinkled above, the silver moon an ethereal witness to the carnage that was about to ensue. Mack closed his eyes and saw the scarlet blood spreading from Will, knowing that it wouldn't be the last blood spilled or the last life he would have to mourn.