There Where the Power Lies (Monster of the Apocalypse Saga Book 2)

by C. Martens

  Blood atonement was a requirement in some of the sins recognized by the LDS faith. That is why the firing squad was an option for execution in the Mormon state. But there were sins beyond the legal that called for blood. The Danites were fully engaged in the use of blood atonement from the beginning. One of the symptoms of the disease being released was sudden hemorrhage from the orifices of the victim. Basically, they bled to death.

  Knowing that one of the plagues originated in the Middle East, a special courier was authorized. There would be justified vengeance in their eyes, and there would be blood.

  Chapter 9

  Making one exception to their security measures early in their escape from Los Angeles, they picked up Chloe’s brother, Emmett. It was a gamble that Andy could have done without, but Chloe was adamant.

  There were two reasons that the newly retired security man would have left him out of the equation. The first was that an extra person increased their odds of contracting something. The second was by picking the kid up, they exposed themselves to being found by anyone on their trail.

  As Andy found out, there was a third reason. The kid was an insufferable know-it-all. Not necessarily in a smart alecky kind of way, thank God, but in a nerdy, self-absorbed kind of way. He was brilliant and expected everyone he engaged to understand everything he said. To make matters worse he had an odd sense of humor that many people did not get or took wrongly, and then there were the unthinking statements that he made. Though not intended to piss people off, they just did.

  Andy was learning to control himself in an effort to allow the kid to breathe. Chloe led by example.

  Just after picking up Emmett at his home in Carlsbad, which involved an argument over whether they should bring his girlfriend of less than a week, Andy noticed a shadow trailing them. The time had come to ditch the truck. Besides, after some initial successes, fuel cells had never really caught on, and the truck would have to either stay close to refill stations or be abandoned in a place not of their choosing. Making the decision to upgrade to a more reliable form of transportation due to the fuel concerns, Andy sought out a way to lose the trackers as well.

  He gave his girlfriend and her brother a quick tutorial on what to expect and made sure Chloe was armed. The two had spent many hours having fun at the firing range, but Andy had no idea about Emmett. Better to leave him weaponless. Of course the kid protested, but Andy just claimed that he had no weapons to give him. The kid had a hunting knife strapped to his side. That would be enough as long as there was no trouble, and Andy doubted that a firearm in Emmett’s hands would improve his chances otherwise.

  Hiding the truck in a full parking garage by dialing the color back to as dark as it would go, changing plates, and dumping the shell off the side of the facility into an alley might buy them some time. The really important stuff would go in light packs with them.

  Glaring lights from the dealerships along the road blazed into the evening sky. A big Suburban with a fast recharge capability piqued their interest until a Jeep in the back lot, a fresh trade, started to look better to Andy. The sand-colored vehicle was equipped with an accessory package for off road including solar capability. The Jeep would only go so far on a charge using the fold out panels, but they could use the cord until the grid failed. A fast cash transaction with a salesman who pocketed the funds sealed the deal. Someone would report the vehicle stolen within days, just as many cars were reported missing in this part of town. The dealership was not concerned. They had a deal with the insurance agent, and the salesman would have earned some fast cash to be shared with many higher up the ladder. The man even knew how to disable the locater, and he offered to throw that service in for free. He walked off smiling, stuffing bills into his pocket.

  The risk of the transaction, maybe more than was wise buying a trade-in before inspecting the vehicle thoroughly, spoke to Andy’s haste in wanting to move on. The backpacks were thrown in and the three made ready to depart.

  Almost missing the flicker of motion between vehicles, Andy drew his pistol. He slammed Chloe back against the Jeep with an arm across her chest and hissed at Emmett, motioning him to get down. The kid might be smart, but he was too stupid to catch on fast enough. As he turned toward Andy, a man stepped from behind the truck next to him and wrapped an arm around his neck.

  Surprised at such an amateur move, Andy searched for options. He had expected to feel lead probing his body. Maybe the man wanted him alive for some reason.

  “Put it down, buddy. Put it down.” The guy waved his pistol over Emmett’s shoulder. “All I want is the money. Gi’me the money, and I won’t hurt this guy.” Then he returned the aim of the gun to Emmett’s head.

  Suddenly it dawned on Andy. They were being mugged. Maybe the salesman had other sources of income than vehicles that were not his to sell. Maybe he had someone hanging around that could nick the pockets of anyone that flashed some cash.

  They were at a standoff. Andy would never willingly give up his weapon, and he stood crushing Chloe to the vehicle so that she was protected by his bulk. The stranger was not backing down either. Clearly, he meant business.

  “Didn’t you hear me, stupid?” The thug screamed, “I said drop it! You want this kid to die?!” Once again he waved the pistol over Emmett’s shoulder to make his point.

  The flash of a knife blade in the dealership lights warned Andy. Finding a home in the right thigh of the thief, the knife drove the man to the ground as Emmett twisted away from him. A short screech ended suddenly as Andy put a bullet in him with the silenced Glock. They were lucky. The man’s weapon never discharged.

  Shaking, Emmett bent to retrieve his knife and wiped it clean on the hood’s pant leg. He picked up the gun so recently pointed at his head, looking up at his stunned sister and her boyfriend.

  He grinned crookedly. “I saw that in a movie, once.” A sick pallor drained his face.

  Not a great way to establish trust, or maybe the move was. Andy would look at the kid differently from now on.

  The equipment already loaded into the Jeep, Andy drove from the lot. The dealership lights glared in their rear view mirrors.

  The truck appeared secure as Andy carefully returned to it on foot. He checked the approaches, ducked down, and made a quick survey of spaces underneath the many parked vehicles and noted that there were no new vehicles or any that had moved at the late hour.

  The truck was less than five years old, and one of the few things that Andy cherished enough to spend money on, but it was now a liability. Soon it was abandoned, emptied of everything worth taking.

  The men in the dark vehicle tailing them had made a quick circuit of the huge parking garage after waiting for their quarry to park. Their intent was to find the truck and stake it out, creating an ambush. They missed the big truck due to the changes Andy had made and were still searching the level below on foot. Once they did find the vehicle, they wasted several hours waiting for people that never returned. The dark-windowed Jeep had driven right past them as they concentrated on parked vehicles.

  No longer finding anyone following, the three evaders’ priorities changed. Now communications became their focus. They all wanted to stay ahead of the expected plague that had yet to show up. News stories became important, and they watched them on the Jeep’s entertainment system.

  The three were in the early stages of learning to be efficient. Andy, as the eldest and a security expert, defined their path and the procedures they used to stay safe. Chloe, at twenty-eight, was learning to navigate and was showing that she could anticipate the needs of their crew. She was also in charge of controlling her brother. The kid, at twenty-four, was surprisingly useful in setting up and maintaining the camps they required. He was an Eagle Scout and knew how to choose locations out of the wind, as well as being able to build and control a fire for several purposes. His specialty was a foil-wrapped stew hidden beneath the coals.

  Keeping in touch with Jimmy, Andy received better information than anything the
y heard through the media. He was surprised when Jimmy spoke of contracting the disease, but as the man he called Cowboy seemed confident that they were on top of the problem, he damped his concern.

  They avoided busy places, and used especially quick retreats from anyone showing any signs of illness. If one of them sneezed, the other two knit their brows and looked concerned.

  The vibration behind his ear woke Andy up, just shy of his having come ashore two months ago. They were camped in Yosemite. The park was fairly empty, as people stayed at home and indoors more than they used to. He preferred to use the comlink in his wrist, so recognizing the number, he raised his artificial arm to his mouth.

  “Hey, Cowboy…Whut’s up?”

  “Hey, buddy, did I wake you?” Jimmy sounded tired.

  Andy was wiping the sleep from his eyes with his free hand. “Yeah, but no big deal. It’s time I was up anyway. How’s things in the cube farm?”

  The two friends had an ongoing banter about their respective occupations. They each made fun of the other’s employment circumstances although they both envied those things they made fun of. Andy appreciated the professionalism in the atmosphere of the FBI office cubicles, and Jimmy often thought about the freedom Andy had in determining his own path.

  “Not good this morning, Andy. My boss died last night. She had what looked like a cold that started yesterday…not even a bad one, and she was dead this morning.”

  “Crap, that’s not good, Jim.” Not knowing what to say, his mind raced around the implications.

  “Yeah, it’s not. They put up this board in the office recently. It shows all of the agent implants. You know, the GPS tracker/proof-of-life implants that we’re all required to have. I couldn’t see it, but somebody said hers was flashing red this morning by the time the sun came up. Pretty shitty if you ask me.”

  Again, there was a long pause, and finally Andy asked, “So what about the treatment you were getting? Did she get it, too? Are you okay?”

  “It’s not working.” Flynn sounded as though drained of any energy. “Listen, buddy. I went to sleep last night with a stuffy head. I thought I better give you the latest. It’s not looking good.”

  Realizing that Jimmy was calling from his likely death bed, Andy teared up. He felt a warm hand creep around his waist from the sleeping bag beside him. The gesture was welcome but small comfort.

  The conversation turned to practical matters including information transfer, the business of investigation, and the results generated. As Agent Flynn had said, the news was not good. Andy asked Jimmy to call the next morning and as an afterthought suggested that he call any time he wanted to.

  “I will, buddy, if I can. Listen, Andy, this thing is going to get out of control. You do what you need to do.” Jimmy disconnected.

  Sun warmed the tent the next morning as Andy waited for the call he gradually came to accept would never come. Chloe lay silently beside him, unwilling to rise and break into his reverie. Finally, a full bladder made the necessities of the day, and life, take precedence. Still reluctant to confirm his expectation, breakfast followed. Finally he made the call, and getting no answer, listened to Jimmy’s voice requesting a message. He left none. He used the contact number for the switchboard in the FBI office.

  “Good morning, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles. How may I direct your call?”

  “I’d like to speak to Agent Flynn, please.”

  A hesitation, “I’m sorry, Agent Flynn is not available. Would you like me to transfer you to another agent?”

  “No, Agent Flynn and I are involved in an investigation. When will he be available?”

  “I’m sorry, Agent Flynn is out of the office and not expected to return. May I transfer you to another agent or take a message?”

  “No…listen…I know Jimmy’s got the plague. I was expecting him to call this morning. Is he dead?”

  Hesitation… “I’m sorry, but Agent Flynn is unavailable. May I take a message?”

  There was nothing more to be said. Andy disconnected.

  An especially quiet camp that day ended in a tender moment. Chloe made sure of that.

  The small screen in the Jeep received a plethora of media outlets. One of the things former owners often forget is to cancel any services when trading in a vehicle, and the dealership would not have cancelled any service, either. In this case there was the better part of a year still remaining on the service that provided communications and entertainment.

  Death began to make the news. Not the usual accidents or violence-related death, but the unusual upswing in people found dead in their homes. People would go to bed with a cold, and the next morning the reaper had visited them and removed their souls. Sometimes people would rise from their beds and be too exhausted to do anything except find their favorite easy chair. Within the hour they had expired. When the authorities realized that couples were being found, and then whole families, the volume of the media coverage accelerated. There was still no official information from government being broadcast.

  That changed when the media found out that the National Guard had closed down two towns.

  Surgical masks, gas masks, and even bandanas disappeared from retail stores. Runs on supplies considered useful in long term survival were emptied from shelves. Canned goods, batteries, and bottled water became scarce. After a short surge in activity, the roads began to lose traffic. People were staying home, or they had disappeared into the national forests.

  The surge in trying to be prepared was the nail in the coffin. All of the frantic activity spread the plagues better than anything else would have. The infected bottled water being hoarded, and then shared among relatives and friends that had failed to be prepared, spread the disease well. People with good plans did not anticipate that their own supplies might be contaminated.

  By the time the trio of refugees from Los Angeles were hearing of the towns being contained by the military, they had made their way north. Several days in the redwoods, the sad remnants of the once great forest logged for decks and other structures, doomed to be torn down and discarded within a decade on average, inspired Emmett to fix a special meal. He disappeared for several hours and returned with a live chicken and a bunch of freshly pulled carrots. Andy was furious and insisted that Emmett remain masked and separated for the next several days. Emmett remained well. The chicken was reprieved until the mask came off and then made a wonderful soup.

  Dismal and often no news became the norm. Familiar faces, long-time newscasters with experience, disappeared from their posts to be replaced by anonymous people gleaned from local programming. Then those faces were replaced by even more obscure people from behind the camera, or in the editing room, or possibly from the janitorial services. The quality of programming suffered a precipitous decline. All live shows other than the news were replaced with reruns from any vault they could be salvaged from. No one made the effort to maintain a schedule. The internet was even worse. Where higher quality, in-depth information was usually available, the large tech companies broke down and dissolved, leaving nothing to replace them except frantic fanatics with no real grip on what was going on.

  Arriving in a small town in northern California, Chloe decided to hail a man that was walking a dog down the middle of the street. She pulled over to put as much distance as she could between him and the Jeep. By the time she had put her mask on and rolled the window down, the man had retreated to the other side of the road. He looked drawn and weak as though beaten by circumstance, but he did not avoid her gaze, as many did.

  “Hey.” Not wanting to scare him off, Chloe decided to start slowly. “Where are we?” She already knew, but it was a good place to begin.

  “Fort Jones. You ain’t got a GPS in that rig?” The man seemed more energetic now that they were speaking.

  “No, it’s busted. You know how it is with this new stuff.” She pounded the side of the Jeep, arm out the window.

  “Yeah, it’s all garbage. But we won’t have to worry
about it soon enough.” He bent down and put his hand on the dog’s head. Straightening up, he demanded, “You do know what just happened, doncha? Or is the comlink busted, too?”

  The guys were asleep as she had been driving, so she had been incommunicado. She did not know what he was referring to.

  “Haven’t been listening. So what’s up? Is there something we should know?”

  The man, wizened in his years, chuckled, “Only that it’s the end of the world. Well…at least this country.”

  His eyes glittered, and Chloe had the fleeting thought that she was speaking to a madman.

  “Honey, what’s your name? I should at least know your name before I tell you this.”

  Chloe introduced herself despite the ominous feeling she was getting. The old man introduced himself as well.

  “I go by Sparky. Ask anyone you find alive here, and they’ll know who I am. Not that there’s many alive.” He bent to the dog’s head again.

  “So, Sparky, you said there was something that I should know…you know, about the end of the world.” Apparently the old man wanted her to work for the information.

  He straightened again and drilled her with his eyes. “They set off a bomb. Our own gov’mint set off a bomb. They made an announcement that martial law was suspended and that we should all hide from these plagues as best we can and that they were going to wait it out in their underground shelters, and then they said that they had bombed an American city. They bombed one of our own cities!!!”

  By the time Sparky had finished his pronouncement, his level of volume was much higher than it had been at the start. He wasn’t screaming, but you could tell the news had hit him hard.

  Chloe was trying to take the horrifying news in. She had to verify the information, and they needed a place to stay.

  “Sparky…Sparky!” She had to increase her own volume to get his attention as he concentrated on his dog, trying to maintain his composure. “Is there anywhere around here that we can camp? Any place without people?”