The Weak Shall Die: Complete Collection (Four Volume Set)

by Taylor Michaels

  "Do you know what the Triad would do to me if they knew I talked?"

  "I don't know anybody in your group. I don't know any Triad. Why would I want to go tell them? I don't even know your name. What would I say? Some guy told me some stuff."

  "What's this going to do to me?"

  "It will make you tell the truth. Unless I give you too much. What do you weigh. Two hundred."

  "No, not that much. One eighty. No more."

  "You look like two hundred. Probably been eating well since you last weighed. Better safe than sorry. If I don't give you enough, I'll be here until past noon. Then, I'll miss breakfast and lunch."

  John looked around at Fred. "Did I tell you I called in an airstrike earlier today?"

  Fred shook his head. "No joke. Really?"

  "Yeah. On a bunch of mutants. They had blocked the tracks with timbers. Boom, boom and six houses and a dozen people were smoke. Two jets and a quick flyby."

  "Seriously?" said Fred.

  "Yeah. No joke. Amazing. Apparently, the Brazilians were trying to establish a base southeast of here. The Navy brought in a flat top and flattened them. One of our guys bought it. Sad. A pilot. Nice guy. Killed by a mutant and a Brazilian."

  "Seriously," said Charles.

  "Yeah. We had a lot of fun on the trip. I'll fill you in on all of it at breakfast. Assuming this doesn't take too long."

  John flicked the needle with his finger and looked at the man, who was now shaking. "You ever run into the mutants? Bad lot. Strong as anything. We use them as soldiers, but dumb as a stick. Always fighting. Great soldiers, if you can keep them from fighting each other."

  "OK. OK," the man said, as John picked up a second vial and reached for the syringe. "If you are government people. What do you want to know?"

  "Let's start with a name."

  "Jack Daniels."

  "Oh, come on."

  "OK. Ok, I just wanted to make sure you were one of us. You seemed awfully strong."

  "Name!"

  "Jerry Hawkins."

  "What group are you with, Jerry?"

  "They call themselves, The Triad. Three guys are the head of it all. One is here. The other two are back at the main camp."

  "Where is the main camp, Jerry?"

  The man's eyes darted from John to Charles and then to Fred. "Hey guys. They would kill me if they found out."

  "Why would I tell anybody? I don't plan to have any long conversations with them? I just want to throw them out of my house."

  "About five miles west on Route ninety-nine. They are staying in the old high school buildings. Lots of food there. We were in a couple churches before that. We move around a lot."

  "That's quite friendly of you, Jerry. I appreciate the cooperation. How many people?"

  "Almost a hundred men."

  "That's quite a few. How did you all get together?"

  "Many of us played ball back in school. We had a social club. Mostly weekend dances. Social events. Barbeques. Some of the guys were preppers. They got others interested and we gradually became a prepper group. When this virus thing happened, we all were surprised, but we were prepped. Like we had won the lottery. Then, some of the guys had military experience and they took over the group. Declared war on everybody they found. Killed lots of mutants. Everyone we found. I thought you were one, when you threw me over your shoulder."

  "Why did you take over our compound?"

  "We were out scouting the territory and ran across this place. Looked prosperous. We could use your corn to make whisky. It seemed the right thing to do."

  "It's too late to tell you this, but it was the wrong thing to do. I can call in an airstrike and blow that school to bits, along with all those guys." John spread both arms wide and said, "Boom!"

  "What'll happen to me? You're going to let me go now, aren't you? I cooperated."

  "Jerry, these drugs are not as reliable as the movies claim they are. I'll have to check out your information before I know you're telling the truth. You may have to stay here a few days."

  The man turned his head and nodded to the tree. "What? Tied to a tree? You're joking. A bear could eat me."

  "Not many around these days. A badger might find you, though. Nasty, those things."

  John, Charles and Fred walked into the forest far enough that they could talk without being overheard, but not before Charles checked that the ropes were tight around their prisoner.

  "A hundred guys against four of us," said Fred. "Those are bad odds."

  "Charles, you put any of your explosives into our emergency storage?"

  "Does a squirrel store nuts everywhere?"

  John slapped Charles on the back. "That's what I figured. It will take a number of charges and some luck. If I remember, it's a big single story building."

  "So, you weren't serious about calling in an air strike?"

  John laughed. "I did call in one today and George has the radio I used. I figured those guys would be out of range by now. But, we could try it. Nothing ventured."

  When they arrived back at the warehouse, George, Iris and Masako were waiting on the loading dock.

  "Hey, George. Grab that radio we got and see if you can raise anybody. We need another airstrike."

  George looked at John strangely, then walked away. He came back in a few minutes and handed the radio to John. "What's up?"

  "We grabbed a guy and he said his group, called the Triad, has a hundred people. Holed up at the old high school. If we can't call in an airstrike, then Charles has some explosives."

  "A hundred?" George shook his head and put an arm around Iris. "Long odds, John. Real long odds. You're really goin' to have to pull a rabbit out of the hat this time."

  John turned on the radio and pressed the transmit button. "Captain Thompson here. I need another airstrike. Anyone listening?" John repeated the message several times, but received no response.

  "Let's go up on the roof, John," suggested George. "Altitude is your friend with these."

  They went inside and hiked up the stairs to the roof. John repeated his message, but still received no response. "Any more ideas, George?"

  "Two. Find a higher place and try again at night."

  "OK, thanks George. It was worth a try. How much more fuel do we have for the cycles?"

  "A couple gallons. A trip to the lodge and a trip to the school. May have to walk back."

  "We could also take a trip to that factory where we stored the Darts. If you removed those little skateboard wheels that kept the Dart on the track, we could ride them on land."

  "That's true. Good thinking."

  "Sorry, John. I know I should have stayed at the lodge," said Charles. "I just wasn't looking at the big picture."

  "You probably did the right thing, Charles. Sorry I came down so hard on you. If they had a hundred guys, then you couldn't have stood up to them. You'd be dead now, too." John hesitated and looked eye to eye at Charles. "I wouldn't want that. You did the right thing."

  "Let's go have breakfast or whatever it is," said Masako. "With a full stomach, you'll be able to think better."

  "You're right. But, right now, the future looks dim. A hundred guys."

  Iris spoke up. "You know what they say, John? If you can't beat 'em …"

  "You're saying we go to the school and ask to join the group. They could just kill us. Say we weren't part of the original group."

  "They might not turn down a woman. They kept Marceau and Mary."

  "Good for you, not so good for me. Sounds dangerous. For now, let's call that Plan B. I'll keep thinking. What's for lunch? I could really go for a cheeseburger and fries."

  After a lunch of MREs, Fred looked at George and said, "What do you think about bringing the Darts here?"

  "You want to drive the Dark Demon to that factory where we left them, pick them up and bring them back?"

  "No, Fred. I don't want to waste any more fuel than we have to. I was thinkin' of hikin' back to the tracks, modify the Darts and ride them back. Sh
ouldn't take more than three hours to walk and another hour to ride back. What do you think, George?"

  "If you say so."

  "Actually," said John, "I have another idea. I'm in the best shape of any of us, thanks to the virus. I never thought I'd say either of those things, but they're true. It would be easier for me than for anybody else. Then, we take the Dart to the school and do surveillance. Tomorrow at dawn."

  "That's a lot of work in a short time," said Masako. "And after pedaling back yesterday. You're tired. Admit it. You did most of the pedaling for the whole trip."

  "Yeah, but I don't know what's going on at the lodge. Marceau is there and Mary. What's going on with them? And we don't know about Pierre. He may still be alive. I need to do something. I have to save our people."

  "John," said Fred, gesturing with his hands. "We could go back to the lodge and sneak into one of the cabins. Then go through the tunnels and take them out one by one. Afterward, we all escape into the woods. We don't have to stay and fight. Fight and run away. Live to fight another day. Our people would be subjected to those guys for less time and you wouldn't be tired."

  John countered. "But, if the Triad found out, they would search the place thoroughly and find our tunnels. Then that advantage would be gone. What do you think, George?"

  "If we could have one good day at the lodge, we could recharge one or two of our vehicles. Then, we'd be in good shape for a hit and run. Charles could use the Dark Demon to plant the charges at the school. Better chance of gettin' away."

  "He's right, John," Charles agreed. "After we take over the lodge, we charge the Demon. Then, at dusk, we head for the school and plant the charges. As soon as they notice they aren't in control of the lodge, they'll send out a force. That'll be the diversion that allows me to plant the charges."

  "The only problem is that we don't know how much they communicate with the base, right Charles? Do they only call when they have a problem or every hour or every night. Wouldn't want them calling in reinforcements without our knowing about it."

  "Sounds like we go back and ask our friend Jerry. Maybe, we take Cho's chemistry set and use it on the right person in the lodge. Make them cooperate."

  "OK. We rest today and take the Demon tonight. Sneak into one of the cabins and then into the lodge. I wish Cho were here. She was good with a knife."

  "I'm not bad," said Iris, pulling out a knife and throwing it across the room and into a wall. "Cho and Marceau taught me. While we were cooking."

  "And you forget, John," said Masako. "I taught martial arts for five years. Ninjas were Japanese, you know."

  John looked at Fred and said, "Looks like we're all going. Let's all get some sleep. We leave at dusk."

  Chapter 60 - Attack

  They all piled into the Dark Demon and White Warrior Number One at dusk and traveled toward the lodge. The power meter was just above zero when they pulled into an old logging road near the lodge. They parked the cars a mile away from the lodge and trekked through the forest to the tree where they left Jerry.

  "Hey guys. Help me. I found myself here and I haven't been able to loosen these ropes. I don't know what happened."

  "Sure," said John. "But first, Jerry, I'd like some information. How do the people here communicate with the base over at the High School."

  "Who are you people. Do I know you?"

  "Definitely. Otherwise, how would we know about the Triad or about the school."

  "How about cutting me loose, first." He glanced backwards.

  "How about answering my question, first?"

  "I don't think so."

  John opened his small backpack and removed the small case. He pulled out three vials and placed them on a tree stump. He removed the syringe and said, "You really want to do it this way, Jerry? I really don't like giving two injections in one day. It usually results in brain damage. But, we're in a hurry and I have friends in there who need my help. Charles, show me a vein."

  Charles again, grabbed the man's arm, pulled it out horizontally and tightened his grip. The vein pulsed as Charles held it steady while John made the injection. John cleaned the needle and made a second injection.

  "Last time, I only gave him something to erase his memories. His talking was all his own doing. This time will be different."

  An hour later, Jerry had divulged that the resident Triad leader was living in the large bedroom upstairs and was protected by four others. They used CB radio for communication with the base and had installed a large antenna on top of the lodge and a transceiver in the office. Communication was on an 'as needed' basis and one member of the group stayed with the radio at all times. Also, Jerry had no knowledge of Pierre. He did know of the two women, Marceau and Mary, who were in the lodge when the Triad took control.

  "George, we talked about installing a CB radio in the Demon a long time ago. Was that ever done?"

  "Sure. I also had a portable unit, hand held. It's in my cabin, but it only had a few miles range. We never used it. Why, you want to talk to the lodge?"

  "No, I want to know if they contact their base. That would give us ten minutes notice that reinforcements were coming. Enough to hide in the forest. How about we sneak into your cabin and you stay with the radio and monitor it. Then, if anything interesting happens, let us know with our radio."

  "Sure. You'll travel through the tunnels to the lodge?"

  "Yep. We have five people. We have the element of surprise, if we can avoid shooting anybody."

  "By the way, John. We have to go through the back gate again. I installed some tripwires along the barrier fence. Not sure where they all are. It's a long fence."

  "OK. No problem. Through the back gate. First, I have to find out if Jerry knows the CB channel."

  * * *

  George again disabled the burglar alarm at the back gate and they crept on hands and knees beside the barrier made of cars to a point a few hundred feet behind George's cabin. One by one, they crawled through the darkness to the back of the small cabin. George opened the back door and started to go in, when Charles stopped him.

  "I'm trained for this," Charles whispered and carefully went in and inspected to make sure nobody had taken residence while George was gone. Finding no one, he returned to the door and motioned for the others to enter.

  George found the portable CB radio and turned it on. They listened for ten minutes before deciding everything was quiet. With George manning the radio, the others crept down the steps and entered the tunnel with Charles first, followed by Masako.

  Ten feet into the tunnel, they heard a noise. Charles had a flashlight in one hand and turned it off. His gun was in the other. "What was that," Masako whispered.

  "It was me," said a French voice.

  "Pierre," said Charles and Masako together.

  "Quiet, you guys," said John. "Let's go back to George's cabin and talk."

  Pierre said that he had been hiding in the tunnel since the takeover and that Marceau had been leaving him food and drink every night in the kitchen. All of the invaders were staying in the lodge and they were waiting for the corn crop to ripen as they wanted the corn to make alcohol. The invaders claimed to have enough food and hadn't yet raided their supplies, although they were eating their food every day.

  "So," said Fred. "The plan remains the same. We go after them one at a time. Where do they sleep, Pierre?"

  "On the top floor. The leader is in John's bedroom and the one not on duty sleeps in the other bedroom. One stays by the radio in the office and the second walks around. I think the one at the radio goes to sleep from time to time."

  "Sounds simple, John. The radio first while watching for the one walking around. Then we search for the one walking around. A team goes upstairs to confront the leader and the one sleeping."

  "You take the one on the radio, Charles. Fred, Iris and Masako take the stairs. Pierre and I will look around for the other one."

  "You want me to still watch the radio," said George.

  "Yeah. If they tr
y to communicate, hit your transmit button. It could provide interference for their signal. Could buy us some time."

  The group made its way through the tunnel. Charles was in front as he slowly opened the door to the kitchen. Charles could barely see a body in the corner. He slowly crept into the dark kitchen and grabbed the person lying by the wall, putting one hand over the person's mouth. The person was Marceau. She quickly recognized Charles and stopped trying to escape.

  "We're here to rescue you."

  "Merci," she whispered. "I knew you would come."

  Pierre and Marceau embraced as the group split to find their assigned targets.

  Charles crept slowly through the dining room and peered around the doorway into the living room. He crawled through the living room and peeked into the office. The man sitting at the desk was asleep, his head on the desk. Charles sprang like a rabbit and with a quick twist of the neck, the man was asleep forever.

  Iris led her group up the stairs. At the top, she took a knife in one hand, ready to throw, and opened the bedroom door with the other. The bed was empty. She quickly went in to check the closet and toilet and a man jumped her from behind the door. Masako ran forward and, without thinking, gave her best kick to the man's back. He screamed and fell forward, with Iris barely getting out of the way. Masako planted another kick to the man's neck and he thrashed once, but then was silent.

  They quietly went to the next room and opened the door. The man in the bed was reading a book. Iris said, "Don't make a sound."

  "Why would I need to? You've made enough noise to wake the dead. Not good soldiers at all. Now I'm not proud that we were able to take this place so easily."

  Downstairs, John and Pierre had checked the storeroom, dining room, toilet and living room without finding anyone. "Must be outside. What do you think, Pierre?"

  "I do not like the idea of looking for him outside in the dark. It would be very dangerous."

  "Yes. Wait in the dining room with your rifle pointed at the back door. I'll check on the others. We can go back and search from George's cabin."

  John ran up the stairs as fast as he could without making too much noise. From his experience as a youth, coming home late, he remembered which stairs squeaked and which didn't. As he walked into the master bedroom, the man in the bed said, "One more joins the party. I hope you brought a gift. If I like it, I might not have you tortured before I have you killed."