“Nooo!”
The bus began to reverse but a short burst of gunfire peppered the windshield with bullet holes. The driver slumped over his steering wheel and the bus’s backward motion began to slow.
Eva skidded to a halt and looked frantically for cover.
“Drop your weapon!” yelled someone in English.
She was distracted by movement from the building’s entrance. The door was pulled open and the kitchen boy, Robert, stepped out aiming his gun at her again.
Done running, she turned her assault rifle toward him, her finger poised over the trigger. Two things happened to stop her. The rolling bus banged into a low brick wall, to her right, and a voice, now very close behind her, shouted, “Drop it!”
39
Eva put one hand in the air as she bent over and put her weapon on the pavement with the other. She saw the female kitchen hand bob up in the window her kitchen mate had fired from, then disappear just as quickly.
The man behind her stepped around her, his weapon trained on her. Except he wasn’t a man. He was a boy. The same boy who had shot her love in the back. There was blood all over him and he had a bandage on his neck, clearly, he’d been through a fight. He kicked her weapon away then patted her down. Over his shoulder she saw kids pouring out of the first bus, and realized that driver had also been incapacitated.
The cook arrived and the other boy ordered him to watch over her.
“Everybody out!” Jack yelled.
The doors of the second bus hissed open and excited kids piled out. Jack herded them close to the other bus, almost overwhelmed by their questions. Jen emerged from the admin building and ran over to join him.
“Everyone quiet! I’ll answer all your questions, I promise. For now, go back to your barracks and rest, we’ll bring you food and water soon.”
There was some argument at this, but a tall boy took charge and along with Jen led them back to the barracks without further drama.
“Inside,” ordered Jack when he returned.
They led her inside and tied her wrists behind her back with a zip tie before sitting her down on a chair in the foyer. She avoided looking at her dead commander.
“Are you sure it was a good idea not to kill her?” Robert asked.
“Yes. If we’re going to make it to Texas, it will be valuable to have a hostage, especially one who can speak Mandarin.”
“I don’t know…”
“Texas? You stupid kids won’t make it to the next suburb,” spat the prisoner.
“Oh good, you speak English,” said Jack. “You may be right. Maybe we won’t. But we haven’t got nothing to lose.”
“Well I’m not helping you.”
Robert looked at him with an I told you so face.
“Well if you don’t want to end up like her,” he said, pointing to the dead Commandant, “you will.”
This time Eva did look. While she had no great fondness for Senior Field Officer Chiu, or what they were doing to the American children, the sight of Chui’s dead and staring eyes brought tears to her eyes. Not for Chui though.
I promise you Ju, I will kill this boy for what he did to you…
Aware only of the sadness on her face, Jack’s expression softened.
“Look. I won’t kill you. And if you come with us quietly, we’ll let you go when it’s safe to do so.”
She closed her eyes as if she didn’t want to hear his voice. Jack shrugged and secured her to the chair by tying a rope around her waist and then under the seat. If she tried to get up, she wouldn’t make it far.
“Okay, we need to get these kids fed,” he said to Robert and Jen. “I want to be on our way by nightfall.”
Jack had taken a handful of ibuprofens to ease the pain in his ear and neck and rested while Robert and Jennifer dished up what would be their last such meal to the captive children.
He thought back, sometimes with disbelief, over the events of the day. While he hadn’t come out unscathed, his solitary assault on the undermanned compound had worked out far better than he could have dreamed.
Then, after his crash course on handling and firing the assault rifle, Robert had ably assisted him and finished the job. He knew he wouldn’t have been able to do it alone.
Now, including his earlier kills in the day, 14 of the enemy were dead and one was a prisoner. There no wounded or dead amongst the kids. Given that he’d half-expected Robert might accidently shoot himself, it was a miracle.
The plan now was to take the prisoner with Robert and Jen when he left. He didn’t really know how that would pan out. Robert still seemed to view him with some resentment, even though Jen had accepted him. And taking a prisoner would present its own issues.
He started to second guess himself. Maybe it would be better to just leave and go back to his original plan of hiding out in the El Dorado Forest? Of course, that would mean shooting the prisoner as there would be no need to take her.
Almost as if she sensed his doubts, Jen came over with a steaming bowl of noodles.
“Thanks.” Jack hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he smelled the delicious food and began to wolf it down despite its heat. “Wow, this is good. I’ve been eating cold soup out of a tin.”
She crinkled her nose as she sat down next to him.
“You deserve a treat after saving our asses.”
He waved away the compliment.
“You guys did your fair share.”
“Robert did. But only because you trained him how to fire those guns.”
He noticed she was holding her hand awkwardly.
“What’s wrong?” She showed him her wrist, which had a livid red mark on it. “Burnt myself on the cooker.”
Jack winced.
“You should bathe it in cold water.”
“I did, don’t worry. I put some ointment I found in the first aid kit on it too.”
“Good thinking,” said Jack, attacking his noodles again.
“You’re still taking us with you right?”
He paused, perhaps a little too long.
“Please, we won’t be any trouble, and don’t you think we have more chance if we stick together?”
Jack didn’t think that at all. He was pretty sure he could sneak back to the El Dorado Forest and live alone and quite comfortably for a long time. Still he had vowed he wouldn’t do that. Maybe his best chance of taking further revenge on the invaders was to head to Texas and join with a larger force. The thought of being with other people for a while also appealed to him; the singular quest for revenge didn’t seem quite so urgent with others to worry about.
“Sure, I’m not going anywhere without you guys. Besides, Robert needs more shooting practice.”
The pretty 13-year-old laughed and stood up.
“Well great. I’ll just help Robert finish up, then we can get loaded up.”
Jack watched her go, suddenly feeling a weight of responsibility that he hadn’t felt since his sister had died. Was that a good thing? Time would tell.
40
They loaded up the Chinese Humvee with an assault rifle each along with one spare and enough ammo to start a war. Jack also took the pistol and of course still had his knife. They let the other children take the rest of the guns and ammo that Jack had stacked in the school entrance.
While they worked, a couple of the older kids, two girls and a guy his age and one boy a year younger, had taken charge of the remaining children and started working on their own exit strategy. Jack told them about the El Dorado Forest and pointed it out on a map they found hanging in the Commandant’s office. They all agreed it seemed a good place to ‘get lost’.
While Robert and Jen were inside picking up last minute supplies, the four older teens piled all the kids onto the bus with the undamaged windshield. He had shot the first driver through the side window and it had been easy enough to kick the remains of the glass out so the damage would only be evident on close inspection.
Jack looked in at the kids when they’d
finished loading. Some were on the floor and some squashed three to a seat. It would be an uncomfortable ride for them, but nothing worse than the hardship they’d been through since the invasion.
“Who wants these?” he asked, holding out the keys to the vehicle he’d driven from the forest.
The oldest girl, she was tall with an interesting rather than pretty face, put her hand out and he dropped them into her palm, and he gave them directions where to find it.
“If you travel with the Chinese vehicle in front, you’ll raise less suspicion. With a bit of luck, you might even make it without getting stopped. What will you do if you are stopped?”
“Pray and shoot,” said the girl, with a crooked smile. “Not necessarily in that order.”
Jack smiled, thinking if he’d met her in another setting, they might have become fast friends.
“Okay, good luck.”
“You too.”
A few minutes and a lot of bunny hops later, the bus, driven by the oldest boy, made a wide circle and jerked its way out of the school. He saw the girl with the interesting face at the driver’s shoulder yelling instructions. Despite the circumstances and the fact that those kids faced an uncertain future, he couldn’t help but smile.
Within the hour, as the last of the sun was fading from the sky, they loaded the prisoner into the back seat of one of the three army vehicles in the lot. It was identical to the one he’d been driving, but with a full tank of fuel. Robert, now wearing a Chinese uniform as well, slipped in beside her and Jack handed him the pistol, making a point to show him and the prisoner that the safety was off.
“Keep that on her, if she moves, shoot her in the head.”
Robert nodded. Jack didn’t think she’d be any trouble. Not yet at least. In fact, the woman looked thoroughly depressed, which he supposed in the circumstances was understandable.
Jen climbed into the front passenger seat and put on her seatbelt. She also wore a uniform that was about three sizes too big for her.
“All set?” he asked them.
There was an enthusiastic yes from each of the cousins and a sullen face from their prisoner. Jack started the engine and headed out of the school.
41
They had passed by the airport soon after leaving the school and found it was alive with light and movement. It became evident that the Chinese had set up base and were operating out of there. On the road, they saw several vehicles like theirs, plus larger troop carriers. They drew no attention to themselves, but Jack was on edge until they passed by Elk Grove on the 99 20 minutes later.
Given that nearly every movie he’d seen about a post-apocalyptic event always had choked highways showing people trying to escape the city, he was surprised they didn’t pass more abandoned cars than they did on the arterial road.
“You wouldn’t think anything was wrong if you just woke up today and went for a ride,” said Robert.
“Yeah, I guess the sickness confined people to their homes pretty quick.”
Jack knew this for a fact and felt a pang of sadness as his thoughts went to his own parent’s quick submission to the disease.
“It did,” said Jen in a soft voice. “Grandma got sick Christmas night and was dead by morning.”
Jack glanced at her and saw her eyes shiny with tears. He reached over and squeezed her hand.
“I’m going to switch on the headlights,” he said, hoping to distract her.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” said Robert over Jack’s shoulder.
“I do. I figure an army vehicle with lights on driving boldly down the highway will raise less suspicion than one with the lights off.”
“Fair call.”
“We’ll drive until we get to Fresno, then we’ll find a side street to sleep for the night. It will be about two hours I think – no traffic.”
“I need to pee,” said the prisoner 10 minutes later.
Jack rolled his eyes.
“No, not yet.”
“Please, I’m serious. I will wet myself if I don’t go.”
“Twenty minutes, if you can’t hold on until then, then too bad.”
Jack supposed he could have pulled over to let her go when she asked, but it seemed too much like he would be letting her call the shots if he gave in to the demand so easily. True to his word though, he pulled over when they passed Stockton on a flat piece of road between towns. He wasn’t too bothered she would run, it was pretty much cleared land in every direction. They would easily catch her.
Jack, Robert and Jen all got out too. Jack opened the door for the prisoner.
“Don’t try anything, okay? There’s a bush over there.”
She nodded and swung her legs out of the car and stood up, stretching the kinks out of her back before looking up at him.
“Well, hurry up!”
She turned her back to him, bent over and waggled her fingers.
“Are you going to pull my pants down for me?”
“Oh…” Jack mumbled, his face reddening. He was rescued when Jen stepped forward.
“I’ll help you,” she said, taking the woman’s upper arm.
“Be careful,” said Robert. “Call out if she tries anything.”
Jen waved, then marched the woman away from the vehicle and disappeared behind the bushes. Jack heard them speaking in the dead silence. Well actually he heard a lot of Jen’s voice, and some quieter answers he couldn’t quite make out from the soldier. When they returned, Jen was smiling.
“All done. This is Eva by the way, now we don’t have to call her Hey You all the way to Texas.”
Jack laughed despite himself. The younger girl really had some sass.
“Nice work. You two watch Eva while I go, then you can go Robert.”
Five minutes later they were on their way.
✽✽✽
The occupants of the vehicle were quiet most of the way to Fresno. Jen tried some small talk with Eva after their apparent breakthrough, but the Chinese woman didn’t seem quite so forthcoming with Jack and Robert in the car.
Jack took a turn off the 99 into Fresno and they drove for a few blocks, turning down roads and cross streets until they came to a stadium. The sign announced it to be ‘Chukchansi Park’ and Fresno Fire Department was right across the street. Unlike Sacramento, Fresno appeared to be completely abandoned. They had seen no one on the drive into town and there was zero sign of the occupying forces.
Even so, Jack thought it was better not to take chances by parking on the street and when Jen pointed out the open gates of the fire department’s parking lot, he drove straight in. He turned into the second row and rolled along until he found a space between two FFD marked SUVs.
It was plenty dark when he turned off the headlights.
Jack and Robert broke into the fire station building and took turns going to the stationhouse bathroom. Jen again took charge of Eva, nodding patiently at Robert’s repeated warning to be careful.
While the girls were in the bathroom, Jack and Robert broke into the vending machines. The candy machine gave up its contents more easily than the drink machine but within 10 minutes they had a pile of candy and warm soda on a table in the stationhouse dining room.
Eva turned her nose up at everything but a Pepsi, which Jen held to her mouth so she could drink, but the rest of them weren’t so fussy and hungrily ate chocolate, peanuts and chips.
“Oh my God, we’ll be so high on sugar we won’t be able to sleep,” said Jen, sitting back in her chair and holding her stomach.
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” said Jack, yawning. “But yeah, we better try and have a more nutritious breakfast.”
Robert belched, belatedly putting a hand over his mouth. Eva looked away stonily into the distance. The other three looked at each other and cracked up in mirth when Jen pulled a face at the soldier’s prudishness.
“Should we sleep in here?” asked Jen.
“No, I don’t think so.”
Jack didn’t really have a go
od reason for this other than the vehicle felt safer somehow, not to mention they’d be primed for a quick get-away should anything happen. Jen insisted they tidy up, and after that they headed back out to the Hummer.
Jack cut Eva’s zip ties. She whispered a thank you as she rubbed feeling back into them. He felt a little guilty at having pulled it so tight, it must have been hellishly uncomfortable to ride with them behind her back like that.
“Sorry, I’ll tie them in front for tonight, but any trouble and it’ll be behind your back again.”
She nodded. He put a new tie on her wrists, in front this time and a little looser, then settled her back into her seat. This time he climbed in back next to her while Robert took the driver’s seat. They locked the doors and settled in to sleep.
Jack wasn’t worried about going to sleep with Eva next to him. He had the gun in his hands and was a light sleeper. He was confident if she made a move it would wake him. The thought had barely formed itself before he fell asleep.
He wasn’t sure how long it was before he awoke, but it was still dark, and extremely cold in the car. He was busting to take a leak. He glanced at Eva, she was out of it, her head resting against the door and both Robert and Jen were snoring the same soft snore in front.
He smiled.
Must be a family snore.
As he sat there contemplating whether it was safe to leave them alone with Eva, a realization dawned on him. For the first time since Katie’s death, he didn’t feel alone and his death wish had faded from the forefront of his mind.
He really liked Jen, she was quirky and fearless and now even her slightly neurotic and overprotective older cousin, Robert, was growing on him.
Lone Wolf: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller (America Falls - Occupied Territory Book 1) Page 13