Final Days

by Jasper T. Scott

  Andrew stared at the kid for several seconds, too shocked to say a word. “Show me the warehouse.”

  A shaky grin sprang to his lips, but faded just as fast. He scratched at his scraggly beard. “It’s guarded. You have a gun?”

  Andrew’s fist closed around his P320, and he slapped it on the table between them.

  The kid’s eyes flew wide, and then his grin returned. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down. I have a gun, too.” He patted his bulky jacket, eliciting a suspicious clatter that might have been the slide on a pistol.

  Andrew’s eyes collapsed into slits. What was this kid after? What was his motive? He was tempted to ask, but he wasn’t sure he’d get a straight answer. Maybe Wizard knew someone who’d been abducted, too, or maybe he was hoping to sneak into that billionaire’s refuge before it was too late.

  Andrew hoped for one of those possibilities, because the alternative was that he was about to walk into a trap. He decided to keep an eye on the kid until he learned more. No sense getting betrayed after coming this far.

  “We can each take our own vehicles,” Andrew said. “You lead, I’ll follow.”

  “Oh yeah, for sure,” Wizard said, nodding agreeably. “Thing is, I’m shagged. I was thinking we could go in the morning. If you want, you can come to my motel.”

  Andrew scowled. He didn’t want to delay any longer than he had to. “We should go now.”

  “You don’t have night-vision gear, do you?”

  “No.”

  “Because the guards at the warehouse do. One of them almost fragged me when I was there before. It’ll be safer if we check it out in the morning.”

  “At dawn,” Andrew growled.

  “Sure.” Wizard’s gaze tracked to the plate of grilled cheese in front of Andrew. “You not gonna eat those?”

  “I’ll take it to go,” Andrew said as he stood up from the table.

  Wizard stood up next and led the way to the door. Andrew carried the plate of grilled cheese out with him, making sure to keep the kid ahead of him at all times.

  Twenty-One

  Kendra

  3 Days Left…

  The drive was long and arduous. On any given autumn day, it would have taken about thirteen hours plus pit stops, but with the recent events, it was closer to seventeen. Twice she’d arrived at blocked intersections, too congested with damaged vehicles to maneuver around. There was no one left to clear the roads, so they sat like that, and probably would forever, if the predictions were accurate.

  Kendra had listened to the radio for a while, but there were no active FM stations broadcasting, so she was relying on the antiquated AM networks that had become a rarity with modern technology. The news came in fuzzy and unclear, but she was able to make out enough to understand that things were escalating.

  It appeared that the government had attempted to use some new technology inside the Yellowstone volcano after a Japanese firm claimed it worked on one of their forty active spots. It turned out the statement was fabricated by their government to give false hope to a doomed nation, and they’d wasted a few days throwing this Vibration Inhibitor, as they called it, into the gaping maw of the beast.

  A war had broken out between Russia and anyone willing to stand against them, as they fortified themselves for the coming epidemic, and China had been eerily quiet throughout the last two days, going radio and internet silent. There was ample speculation about this, and Kendra turned the station off as the talking heads made random conjectures on the subject. She knew none of them provided answers. They were all grasping at straws, but what did it matter? If the world was going to end, worrying about other nations was the least of their concerns.

  Kendra wanted to shout at them to go to their families and hug their children. They should be spending every moment they could with their loved ones, because that was all they had left.

  The thought made her think about her own parents. Her father’s disappointment at her joining the FBI and throwing a career in finance out the window, and her mother’s sad, vacant eyes. Every time she visited, Kendra knew her mother was seeing Carrie, and when she realized it wasn’t her firstborn, she’d leave the room, crying.

  It was too much to take. Even now, with the threat of the world ending, she couldn’t bring herself to call them. It had been too long. Or had it?

  It was late, after midnight. Kendra had heard of cell service disintegrating around the nation, but she thought it was worth a shot. She’d overcome a lot in her life, and more so over the last several days, even killing two men. But somehow her hands shook more now as she pulled to the side of the road and checked the GPS. The Silverado that was over an hour ahead of her had finally parked. She wondered if that was his ultimate destination, or if he was only breaking for the night.

  Kendra opened her door, sticking her legs out straight, stretching the cramping muscles. She stood up, walking down the road for ten yards while searching for her parents’ number in her directory. When she didn’t find their house number, she realized she’d switched phones three years ago, and had failed to upload a lot of her previous contacts.

  There was just one number she’d held onto, and she found it under ‘Mom Cell’. She’d only called it once, and had hung up before anyone answered. Her mom didn’t have her unlisted number, so she couldn’t reach Kendra even if she wanted to. Kendra didn’t expect her to have even noticed.

  She closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of early morning country air. She was farther north than she’d ever traveled in the state, and was almost surprised by all the hills and cliffs, surrounded by endless trees. It was hard to imagine the looming catastrophe had the potential to end all of this beauty. What was going to be left of their society in a few days?

  Once inside the car, she dialed the number, the call ringing through her speakers via Bluetooth.

  “Hello,” a voice said.

  “Mom… It’s me.” Kendra’s voice was small, child-like.

  “Carrie?” her mom asked, and Kendra fought to keep the tears away.

  She wiped her wet cheeks. “No, Mom. It’s Kendra.”

  “Kendra. Where have you been? I tried to call you. I tried to contact you, but the FBI numbers I found all went to voicemail. Are you all right?” her mom asked. She’d tried to track her down. Maybe all wasn’t lost.

  “Mom, are you and Dad okay?” she asked.

  “We’re fine, dear.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Home.”

  “Why didn’t you go to Texas? It’s not safe at home,” she said.

  “Kendra, you don’t really believe all this, do you?” she asked.

  “I didn’t… but I do now,” Kendra admitted, partly for her own benefit.

  Her mom’s voice rose an octave. “Wake up, Harold. Kendra says this is all real. What do we do?”

  Kendra sighed and tried to clear her head. “Jump in your car and head for Texas. Go to the Houston field office. I’ll text you a contact’s name.” She’d give them her partner’s name. Even though Peter Costella was a jerk, he wouldn’t be able to turn Kendra’s parents away.

  “Okay. Will you be there?” She could hear her dad prompting questions from beside her mom, and could almost picture the two of them lying in bed, disheveled and panicked. Why had she waited so long to reach out to them?

  “I’m going to try,” Kendra told them.

  “Where are you?”

  “California.”

  “Why? You should have left days ago. The entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts have been evacuated,” her mom said in a rush.

  “I know. I’m on a case.”

  “A case?”

  “Mom, take care of Dad, and make sure you get to Houston. Does Dad still have a rifle?” she asked.

  “Harold, where’s the gun?” she mumbled through the speaker. “It’s in the garage, dear.”

  “Bring it. You’re now living in a dangerous world,” Kendra said. Her tears were dried up, and she felt the need to keep moving toward her
GPS target.

  “We won’t have to… shoot anyone, will we?” her mom asked.

  “Mom, just be careful. I’m texting you the details. Go now, while it’s still dark out.”

  “Honey, you have no idea how nice it is to hear from you.” Her mom’s voice was small again.

  “I love you, Mom. Tell Dad I love him too.”

  “We love you too, Kendra. We always have,” her mom said, and Kendra ended the call, unable to continue talking. It would only make her want to turn around and head to Texas. But she was close to solving this case, and she knew it.

  With deft movements, she sent the address and Peter’s number to her mom, and threw the car in drive, leaving the radio off. She rolled the passenger window open a crack, and let the fresh air flow through the car.

  She drove the rest of the way in silence, finally exiting off the Redwood Highway around one thirty in the morning. Her gas tank was nearly empty, and she’d already used up the two jerry cans of fuel in her trunk. Instead of heading straight for the blinking light on her GPS application, she pulled over to a gas station after passing a beat-up truck a mile or so down the road.

  Even in the dimly-lit night sky, she could make out the body lying on the gravel lot. She parked beside the fuel pumps with her lights aiming toward the person. His white shirt was hard with dried blood. She didn’t need to check if he was alive.

  Kendra noted the glass door had been shattered, and she didn’t want to find out if anyone was inside waiting for her. She prepaid for the fuel, relieved she’d remembered her wallet. It was funny how quickly things like credit cards became arbitrary pieces of plastic. Lucky for her, she was still carrying it.

  She injected the gas as fast as she could, grateful the pumps were still running. Her gun didn’t leave her holster, but she was fully aware how close it was at hand, confident she’d win a duel on the gravel lot if it came to it.

  Kendra shoved the nozzle back and hurried into her car, turning around to reconnect with Mattole Road. Eventually she arrived at a place called Poppa’s Diner. She cut her lights, and parked out of sight on the edge of the road. She killed the engine, but was ready to fire it up and tear out of here if necessary.

  When she was certain no one could see her car from the diner, she grabbed her binoculars and scanned the area. Exactly where her GPS showed it, there was the Silverado, parked beside another truck, this one slightly newer and larger. It was hard to make out the color in the dark, but she thought it might be blue. The sign to the diner was still on; three of six vintage light bulbs glowed against it, barely illuminating the name of the establishment.

  She saw movement from the corner of her eye, and adjusted the view to see a young man inside. He might have been a teenager, or at least in his early twenties, judging by the patchy beard. He was wearing an apron, and he emerged from the kitchen holding two plates of food. He passed one to the other man. It was Andrew Miller, the man she’d been following, the one searching for Valeria Miller. She was absolutely positive he’d been the one to shoot Mr. Tesla, or David Wilkes, as she now knew the kidnapper to be.

  Miller’s eyes were intense, even from here, and he was flipping a coin over his knuckles. He accepted the plate of food, and Kendra watched as he showed more interest in his laptop than what was on his plate. He turned it to face the kid, and he typed away at the keyboard with half a sandwich between his teeth. A minute later the laptop was sliding back across the table to Andrew. The older man’s eyes widened with shock.

  “It has to be his computer,” she said, feeling so close to the end of the ride. If that was Wilkes’ laptop, they had whatever answers it contained. She contemplated storming inside, exposing their clandestine meeting, but there were too many variables that could go wrong if Andrew really was involved. Her chances were stronger if she stayed in the shadows, following along until she couldn’t any longer. This way she kept the upper hand.

  A few minutes later, the duo was leaving the diner. The younger man flicked the lights off as they exited, and each man got into his respective truck. Kendra’s heart raced as she thought about where they might be going. Would they lead her to the missing people now? She really wished she had a cup of coffee, and briefly considered using the diner to brew a pot.

  As the trucks’ engines fired up, their headlights cascaded over the road, slowly disappearing in the distance. Kendra hit the ignition button for her car and put it into drive, making sure she stayed a mile or two behind.

  Twenty-Two

  Andrew

  3 Days Left…

  The motel where the kid was staying turned out to be up the road in the last ghost town that Andrew could remember driving through. Fernsdale. It was a scenic little town, and the motel was abandoned. Wizard had already taken the liberty of breaking into the front office and stealing a room key for himself, which meant that he’d been staying here for a while already. Now he led Andrew back through the open door where he’d broken a pane of glass to let himself in. He gestured grandly to the place as if he owned it, and then walked around the front desk. “Would you like a room, sir?”

  “Just give me a key.”

  “Sure thing. Will you be paying with cash or credit, Mr. Miller?”

  Andrew scowled at him, glaring death.

  Wizard sighed. “No sense of humor.” He turned and grabbed a random key off a decoratively carved and painted key rack in the shape of a redwood forest, then handed the key to Andrew. “You can have the room next to mine.”

  “Thanks.” Andrew snatched it away and began to leave.

  “Good night! Jeez!”

  Andrew regarded the kid steadily. A thought had belatedly occurred to him. “You take off without me, and I’ll hunt you down.”

  “Uh-huh. You know that makes me want to take off without you, right?”

  “That wouldn’t be smart.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  “Are you planning to leave?”

  “Well, no.”

  “Then you don’t have to worry about it. Sleep tight.”

  * * *

  Andrew banged on the door to the Wizard’s room with his fist. “Time to go.”

  He heard footsteps. Then the door swung wide and the kid appeared, rubbing his eyes. “What’s going on?” He peered around Andrew’s shoulder to catch a glimpse of the sky. “It’s not even light out!”

  “It will be soon. Grab your things and let’s go.”

  The Wizard frowned and squinted bleary eyes at Andrew. He gave in with a sigh. “Fine. Give me a sec.”

  Andrew averted his gaze from the open door and tapped his foot impatiently, staring up at the charcoal sky. There was a bite to the air. Something bitter.

  The door banged shut, and Andrew turned to see the kid in a black hoodie, a cream-filled chocolate packet pastry dangling from his mouth.

  “You have your gun?” Andrew asked.

  Wizard chomped off half the pastry and spoke through a hail of chocolaty crumbs. “Yeah, man, you?”

  Andrew patted the inside pocket of his denim jacket.

  Wizard nodded as they crossed the parking lot to their trucks. Andrew fished the keys from his jeans pocket and noticed the kid doing the same.

  “Maybe we should take one vehicle,” he suggested.

  “Why?”

  “Because if that warehouse you found is guarded, two trucks will make more noise than one, and because I need you close to give me directions. We’re not going to drive up to the place. We’ll have to pull off to the side of the road long before we reach it.”

  “You think I’m an idiot who’s going to blow our cover,” Wizard guessed.

  Andrew shrugged. That, and he didn’t fully trust this kid, so he wanted to keep him close.

  “Fine. We’ll take my truck.”

  “Try again,” Andrew said, rounding the tailgate of the kid’s F-150 to reach his old Silverado.

  “How come you’re calling the shots?”

  “Because it’s my daughter who was ab
ducted, and if we screw this up, she’s the one who pays the price.” Andrew stopped beside the driver’s side door. “You have someone who went missing?”

  “No, but...”

  “So what are you doing out here?” Andrew kept his hands loose at his sides, his mind already running through all the different ways to incapacitate this kid before he could reach for his gun.

  “Well, I mean...” Wizard’s brow furrowed. He scratched his jaw as he thought about it, as if not even he was certain what he was doing. “I guess I’m suspicious of this Lewis Hound guy. I mean, what’s his deal? Abducting people, building a refuge...”

  “Yeah, but what’s it to you?”

  “I always hated those elitist clubs I couldn’t get into. The frats, the jocks... drama club.”

  “You couldn’t get into drama club? You seem like a natural.”

  Wizard squinted at him, as if he couldn’t decide whether Andrew was being serious or not. “Yeah, well, I want into this one. And a couple of goons came to my house with guns, so they made it personal.”

  “Really?”

  Wizard popped the last of the pastry into his mouth and nodded silently.

  “Well, you’ve got your nose in the game, but my blood is in it, so we do this my way, understood?”

  Wizard shrugged. “Sure, man. You have the combat experience, anyway. I just like my truck better.”

  Andrew snorted and shook his head. “Get in.”

  * * *

  “All right, we’re close,” Wizard said.

  “How close?”

  “Another mile and we’ll come to the bend in the road where I pulled off last time I was here.”

  Andrew spied an opening between the redwoods on the right, big enough to fit his truck. He hit the brakes and pulled off into it, bouncing over the bumpy terrain and flattening a few ferns along the way.

  “Hey, you can pull up a little closer,” Wizard said.

  “You said some guys jumped you the last time you were here.”

  “Yeah.”

  “So we have to be more careful this time. Can’t use the same approach. We’ll hike in from here.”