Bart looked at his henchmen.
“Gentlemen, why don’t we bring the other brother front and center,” Bart said and then smiled at Devin.
“Hey, there Bart Simpson,” Nick called. “Do you rape children because you have a small dick, or do real women just find you repulsive? Wait, I know. As a kid your mommy touched your penis in an inappropriate way.” Nick laughed. “Its multiple choice, Barty, so it’s okay to circle all the above.”
“So, we have a volunteer,” Bart said.
He pointed to Nick. “Bring me the foul mouth.”
“Hey, Nick, that was some funny shit. I wish I had thought of it,” Brandon said.
Nick looked at his friend as the guards pulled his chair forward.
“Yeah, me too,” he said quietly.
“So,” Bart looked at Devin. “What’s it gonna be? Do you want to answer my question, or should I open up your friend’s skull?”
Devin looked at the lunatic, and then he smiled.
“This is funny?” Bart asked.
“In a way, yes, because we’ve already won, douche bag.”
“Won? You’ve won nothing.” There was a note of concern, though, in Bart’s voice. A sharp, panicky edge of uncertainty that made Devin smile broader.
“Yes, won. I’ll be dead, and you’ll still be wondering where the kids went. I only needed to keep you busy for thirty minutes, dickface, and then the kids would be gone. They are speeding away in the van as we speak, so keep asking where they are. My guess is Alabama.”
“Noooooo!” Bart screamed and raised the bat again. This time he intended a head shot.
“Brother Bart, what on earth is going on here?” called Brother Luke in a loud voice from the doorway.
Bart turned and looked at him. The calm professional smile returned.
“Oh, it is so good to see you, Brother Luke. It’s a rather long story, but we’ve had some trouble with these visitors.”
“Trouble that requires you to beat one of them with a baseball bat?” Luke asked.
His expression revealed that the insanity before him was not going to be easily explained.
“Yes, unfortunately, some of them have taken the children and fled. They also killed Brother Paul.”
Luke looked incredulous.
“Brother Bartholomew, I think you’re mistaken. I have spent a lot of time with these kids, and they hardly seem capable of killing anyone.”
Bart shrugged.
“I am sorry, Brother Luke, but I just don’t have time for this. Brother Mike, kill him.”
Brother Mike didn’t hesitate. He raised his gun and shot Brother Luke in the chest. Brother Luke looked surprised for a moment and then fell to the floor.
“You three watch them,” Bart said in a tired voice. “Brother Mike, you’ll find Jim and Kyle in my private quarters. Get them, then get out into the woods, and find those kids. My guess would be they went out the back gate.”
“They’re gone,” Devin said.
“Maybe, but perhaps your friends held out some hope and decided to wait a little longer. I doubt they left exactly as instructed. Gentlemen, I have something else to attend. Watch them. If they try anything, kill everyone except Devin and his brother. That I want to attend to personally.”
He leaned in close to Devin.
“You’re gonna watch me kill your brother, and then I’m gonna kill you,” Bart whispered.
“Maybe,” Devin said, “but shit never turns out like we plan.”
That’s not how we roll
Annie paced.
Susan and Caroline were worried.
“What do you think?” Pam whispered to Bob.
“You know what I think. Something went wrong.”
The children sat in the van among the remaining supplies. The only guns Bob had been able to take were now leaning against the van. A rifle, a shotgun, and a dual shoulder holster with two nine millimeters. The only ammunition they had was in each weapon’s chambers.
Bob looked at the three young women. Goldie stood twenty feet away on the access road between the van and the fort. She waited for her friends. Bob knew coaxing her into the van would prove difficult, probably impossible.
Bart’s crazies were only half his worry. They hadn’t seen any infected yet, but that didn’t mean they were safe out here. They were far too exposed, and if either Bart or the infected attacked, their little group had not established a defensible position. He had been in the fort for so long that he had almost forgotten the constant anxiety one felt when there weren’t solid walls to keep out the zombies.
“Damn,” Bob whispered.
“Devin said thirty minutes. He was crystal clear on that point,” Pam reminded him.
“Yeah, I know, and it’s been what?”
“Forty minutes at least.”
“Okay, we need to go,” Bob said.
Pam looked over at Golden. “You think you can get her to come?”
“No, but what other choice do we have?”
“We could go back in, try a rescue.”
Bob gave a short laugh. It wasn’t disrespectful. His wife was a formidable opponent. He had watched her destroy well-armed men twice her size. His laugh was just a frustrated sound.
“Sweetheart, we have three guns and a van full of children. I don’t think the odds favor a rescue mission.”
“We’ve dealt with worse odds,” she reminded him.
“I know, but that was just you and me. We didn’t have kids in tow. It just won’t work.”
“I don’t think they’re gonna leave the boys behind.”
“I’ll just remind them of what happens to the little ones if we get caught.” He looked around and then added, “And the dangers of hanging around here waiting for the infected to catch our scent.”
Annie gave a frustrated cry and picked up the shotgun.
“Fuck it, I’m going back,” she said.
“No. No you’re not,” Bob said. “Your brother was real specific on the plan, Annie. Now we’ve waited almost fifteen minutes more than we should have. It’s time to go.”
Caroline sobbed and the sound cut through Bob.
“Yep, I heard my brother. And you should all go, but I’m going back.”
“Annie,” Pam said. “Believe me, I understand how you feel, but it’s a death wish.”
“Whatever, Pam. I’m not leaving my friends and family behind. Susan, Caroline, are you really down with leaving the guys?”
“No,” Susan said, and she picked up the rifle. “I’d just as soon die trying to save them than live knowing I left them back there.”
“Caroline?” Annie asked.
Caroline straightened up. “I’m not leaving Devin.”
“Caroline,” Pam cried, “Devin wanted you to remain safe, not to try some crazy rescue.”
“Yeah, sorry, Pam, I didn’t get that memo, and besides there are things he doesn’t know that might change that request.”
“I doubt anything would change his mind about your safety,” Bob countered.
Caroline took the shotgun from Annie and smiled at Bob. The innocence of it was disarming, and so was the determination.
“No, probably not, but you see, we didn’t survive the end of the world so we could suddenly cut and run on the people we love. Not to run just to try to survive another day. I don’t care about another day, or any day that doesn’t include Devin or my friends. If today’s my last day, then it’s gonna be spent trying to save them.”
Pam looked at Bob and shrugged. “I don’t think they’re leaving, Bob,” she said and smiled.
“Nope,” Annie said, “that’s just not how we roll.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Bob said, but Pam knew her husband very well and beneath the concerned scowl was a glimmer of satisfaction. Bob was no runn
er, he was a fighter, and the girls had made the decision he secretly hoped they would.
“Well, honey,” she said, “we’re going to need a plan.”
“Okay, gather round and let’s think this through,” he said and crouched. He picked up a small twig and drew out a map on the ground.
“We’ll assume for a moment they’re all still alive.”
“Oh, real nice,” Annie said.
“Hey, listen up, Annie. This guy, Bart, is the real deal. He will kill every one of us, so make no mistake about what we’re facing.”
“I’m carrying two machetes, and my sister no longer talks, Bob. Do you think I don’t know what we’re fucking dealin’ with?” she asked in an angry voice.
“Fair enough,” he said and thought about how much he liked these kids. “My first concern is where the hell Doc Thorn went off to,” he added.
“Why?” Susan asked.
“Well, he wasn’t with the others, so if he’s not back, I have to wonder if Bart had eyes on us the entire time.”
“No,” Pam answered. “If he did, we’d already be fighting off his henchmen.”
Bob nodded.
“Right, so this thing was at least, in part, a surprise for crazy Bart. Still, the absence of Doc Thorn presents a problem.”
“How so?” It was Susan again.
“If he’s not with the others, then we have to split up and find him. We know he was going into the tunnel; that’s here.” He pointed at an area on his earthen map. “I’m assuming you’re not leaving without him,” Bob said to Susan and smiled.
“Good assumption,” she replied.
“I want to find the boys first, and I need you to be all right with that, Susan.”
She nodded.
“You need to promise you won’t go running off on your own to find him,” he said and waited for her response.
“I promise.”
“All right, so Devin went here”—he pointed to the depot—“and Nick and crew went here. It’s pretty safe to assume they got caught, so the question is, where would Bart take them?”
Pam studied the map.
“To handle six guys, Bart would need at least four guards on them, so with Bart, that makes eleven in total.”
“Is that important?” Caroline asked.
“It limits the places they could go,” Pam answered. “All of the offices are out. They’re too small, and Bart isn’t going to march them into someone’s housing unit.”
“Why?” Annie asked.
“Everyone here isn’t crazy. Some will need to be cajoled into going along with his plan. Mostly he’ll want to keep everyone in the dark if possible,” Bob said.
“Garage, dining hall, school, weapons depot,” Pam suggested.
“Weapons depot is too small, and I don’t think he’d risk one of the ladies coming into the school to check on the kids.”
“So either the garage or the dining hall,” Pam said.
“Unfortunately, those are the choices. They’re on opposite sides of the street and opposite sides of the compound, so we only get one guess. There won’t be time to check the other spot, especially if we have to fire the guns.”
“Dining hall,” Caroline said.
“What makes you think so?” Bob asked.
“It’s close to his office and residence,” she answered.
Bob looked at her. “And?”
“No ‘and,’” she said. “Bart’s a control freak. He’s going to want them close, and he won’t want to be inconvenienced walking up and down the street to interrogate them. That would be beneath him.”
“Okay, makes sense, but what makes you believe he wants to do anything more than kill them?”
“Simple. He wants the children.”
Everyone agreed.
“Yep,” Bob said, “that’s my guess too.”
He studied the map for a few more seconds.
“We get one shot at this. Is everyone in agreement that we take that shot on the dining hall?” Bob looked at each of them and they nodded.
“What about Russ?” Susan asked.
“This back alley”—Bob drew a line behind his sketch of the fort—“leads to the dining hall. About three quarters of the way down is a door that leads to the underground lab. We check the dining hall, and then on the way out, I go and check the lab.”
“What about Kira?” Susan asked.
Bob shook his head sadly.
“I don’t know. I guess we just hope she gets back here.”
“That’s a sucky option,” Annie said.
“I know, but let’s just take it one step at a time. Once we regroup, we’ll try to figure out the rest,” Bob said.
“Who stays with the kids?” Pam asked.
Bob smiled.
“Bob, no. Seriously you’re gonna need me in there.”
“I know, but more than that, we need someone here to defend the children in case Bart sends a couple of goons to collect them.”
“He won’t know we’re here,” Pam said. “One of these girls can stay.”
“Pam, you know what Bart is capable of and that there is a real possibility he has already extracted the information from one of the guys.”
Pam nodded. She didn’t like it, but she knew he was correct.
“Fine, but I don’t want to hear any nonsense about leaving weapons with me because you’ll need the firepower. I can make do with my knives.”
She pulled her leather jacket aside and showed the three throwing blades that hung from a harness beneath her arm.
“Maybe,” Bob offered, “Blue Eyes will stay and keep you company.”
They all looked to the spot Golden had stood, but she was gone.
“Oh shit, tell me she didn’t decide a rescue on her own,” Bob said.
“There!” Caroline yelled and pointed.
They watched as Golden disappeared into the woods. She wasn’t headed toward the fort.
“Golden!” Annie yelled. “Where the hell are you going?”
“I know,” Bob said and stood up.
“Where?”
“She’s headed toward the Escalade.”
“Why?” Pam asked.
Bob shook his head and said, “No idea, but I’ll ask when I catch up to her.”
He turned back to the women.
“Modified plan,” he said and picked up the holster and pistols.
“You three follow the original plan. Go to the dining hall, and then one of you check the lab for Dr. Thorn. I’m gonna go get Blue Eyes. We’ll grab the Escalade and then check the garage. We meet back here in twenty minutes. Pam, in twenty-five minutes, you’re gone, got it.”
“I got it,” Pam said.
Bob leaned over and kissed her.
“For real, sweetheart, twenty-five minutes and then you’re gone. Remember that store we found out on Route 7, about fifteen miles from here.”
She nodded.
“You get the children there, wait one day and then—”
“Let’s not worry about tomorrow,” Pam said and kissed him again.
One step forward, two steps back
They had the wrong plan from the start. She cursed herself for not telling them, but words were still beyond her. She tried but whatever connected her inside voice to the outside world remained hidden behind a dark shadowy wall. Whenever she approached that place and tried to speak, things began to shut off in her mind until the world swam in a dark mist. Sometimes she could see things in that mist, and it scared her. She was not afraid of all the things she saw—no, some of them were from a place that had once been happy. She could sometimes see her stepdad, her mom, her dog, and her friends, but they were like ghosts. She wanted to see those things, but within that dark mist, there was a closet door; there was blood, and the darkness th
ere could cut her open. The ghosts made her want to cry, and she knew that once the tears started, they would never stop. She would drown in that sorrow, so she pushed it down deep; she turned away from that dark mist’s happiness and despair, and as she turned, her words were lost.
Now things were a mess. The Escalade was the key. The Escalade could take her back, and back was where the weapons waited. No one had thought of it, and there had been no way for her to tell them, so she had waited and she had hoped her brother’s plan would work. It hadn’t worked, and now the rest were about to make things worse by running back into the fort. She didn’t know if she had enough time, but she had to try.
The rain began to fall through the dense trees in a light mist. She reached into her front pocket and pulled out her dad’s iPod. She stopped the music and removed the ear buds. The Escalade would be close, but she had to move with caution. She was outside, and outside meant Creepers. She also considered that Bart’s men might be moving through the woods to find them. She needed her ears.
She moved through the woods like one of the ghosts in the dark mist. The rain brought the woods alive with sounds. She moved from tree to tree and looked to all sides. At the edge of the tree line, she found the access road again. Wet, green grass outlined the road on both sides, and about hundred feet away, she saw the black Escalade parked on the grass. There were three men standing near it, smoking cigarettes and talking. One of them faced in her direction, and the other two faced the other way. They had rifles slung across their backs like a group of friends out on a hunting trip. The problem was crossing the hundred feet without being noticed. She had a handgun and a knife, but chances were good that without the element of surprise, one of the men would shoot her.
The man facing her turned toward the Escalade’s door. He opened it and leaned in. Goldie broke for the woods on the other side. When she crossed the pavement and was again on the grass, she went down on her knees, leaned back, and slid across the wet grass into the overgrown brush. It was not her best softball slide, but it worked. She listened for any sounds that indicated they had seen her. A few minutes passed, and the men continued to talk, their voices muffled under the sound of the rain. On this side of the road, the SUV blocked her line of sight, and she could no longer see the men. She drew out her knife. It was a six-inch double-sided blade. Pam would have liked it. She drew her .38 in her other hand. She had one shot at this, and she considered that it would probably not work, but time was of the essence, and she could not wait for the ideal conditions.
You and Me against the World: The Creepers Saga Book 1 Page 24