Easton crouched next to her. Sweat ran down his temples and he was breathing hard. Still he smiled at Alex, proud and happy of his accomplishment.
“That was brilliant East,” Alex said.
“I paid attention sometimes in school.”
“Thank god. Ok, we need to get….”Alex started to speak, but the noise behind them at the door intensified, and then the door flew open. “Shit!” She cried out.
Easton jumped up, and reached down to pull Alex up. She put weight down on her foot, and her thigh screamed in protest, but she was able to stand solidly. Easton held his bat up and looked at Alex. She looked between the mob fighting its way through the door, and the backdoor. Yes, they could run for it, but they would lead the infected right to the RV. Alex was not taking that chance. She turned back to the mob and pulled her 9 mm from its holster.
Taking the signal Easton moved to her free side and waited to follow her lead. Alex took out the first three coming through the door with headshots. They blocked the way for the next set of infected trying to get through. One small man, fell over the bodies and landed in the storage room, rolling awkwardly until he stopped at their feet. Without hesitation, Easton swung his bat down and dented the skull of the infected.
Knowing she only had nine shots with her, Alex took three more shots into the infected fighting their way into the room, and took down two more. She holstered her gun and pulled her bowie instead. This would be a hand-to-hand fight. She looked at Easton, and saw he was ready for the battle with his bat.
“Don’t let them bite you,” was all Alex said, before stepping forward into the group. She could hear the metal of Easton’s bat behind her. She stepped to the side, kicking out the legs of the first infected that came at her. It crashed to the ground, and she jumped over the body, leaving the finishing to Easton. He was quick to pick up what she was doing, and he dented any skull he had within range.
Ten feet into the store, Alex felt rage blooming inside her chest. These things, this plague killed her husband. It ended life as she knew it, the happy life she was living with him. And it was doing that to everyone else in this part of the country. The sane part of her brain knew it wasn’t these people’s fault, as she sliced into brain matter with each step. Nevertheless, the anger she felt, had to be released against something. And the infected were the easy target at the moment.
She felt as if she were living in an alternate reality, watching as a spectator. She moved smoothly through the group, kicking or throwing those that were easy for Easton to finish. The dance she did with the others was an eerie memory of a ballroom dancer. She lead them one-way with her body, they followed their meal easily. When they were where she needed them to be, she would dispatch them with her knife easily. Blood and black gore flew through the air, as she ripped her knife free with each kill.
It seemed that hours passed, but Alex knew that it was only moments before the store was still again. She stood breathing hard in the middle of dead bodies, blood dripping from her knife, and from her body. She turned slowly and looked at the carnage. The feeling of being detached didn’t end there, she did not feel a thing about killing all of the things at her feet. When she looked at Easton, with his bat covered in ooze, she felt like she was going to then lose it.
The sound of retching hit Alex’s ears, after Easton dived behind an empty rack. She took a moment to wipe the blood from her knife and followed Easton. She found him crouched down, head hanging down, eyes closed. Hesitatingly Alex placed a hand on his shoulder.
“This is too much. How can this be real?” He said.
“I know. Reality has changed. It’s scary. You did really well though,” said Alex.
“I don’t know if this is something I want to do really well.”
“In this life, with how things are now, yes, it’s something you want to do well,” Alex said firmly.
Easton didn’t reply. And Alex was sure there wasn’t enough for her to say to reassure him that he did what was right. She wasn’t sure she would not completely crack at any moment herself, so she could not tell him to just move on. Keeping her hand on his shoulder, she stood with him until he was ready to move. They carefully made their way back to the storeroom. Alex found the stack of clothes she had set aside and had Easton look through them.
Opening the backdoor, Alex looked out and found the coast was clear. They seemed to have attracted most of the infected into the store with their noise. She went to the RV door, which she had parked only ten feet from the door, and knocked. The door instantly opened to reveal Candace, who had been waiting for the knock. She looked Alex over from head to toe, and Alex knew she was seeing quite a mess.
“What happened? Where’s Easton?” Candace asked, panicked.
“Oh he’s in the storeroom. He’s alright,” said Alex quickly. Candace visibly relaxed against the RV doorframe.
“We heard the shots. I kept the kids inside like you said.”
“Thank you for keeping them in and safe. We ran into a little trouble, so the shots were me taking care of a few of the dead. We have some boxes of food to load up,” Alex said, and turned back to the storeroom.
An hour later, they were away from the small town. Alex didn’t even take time to change her clothes, she wanted to be away from the scene inside the store. They packed up everything of use, and Alex instantly started the RV. Easton asked if she wanted him to drive so she could shower and she instantly declined. She just wanted away from everything, and driving was the way for her to be lost for a bit.
Her mind was all over the place as she drove. The panic and insistent need to get to Montana was a gnawing need in her. She wanted to get her children to safety. She wanted to keep Easton and Candace safe. Max’s face filled her mind, and she wished she had her sister. For no other reason than to hug her and know she was safe with Jack. Alex found herself praying to whatever existed that Max and Jack were on their way to Montana at that moment.
The moment in the store when she realized Easton was in danger, Alex thought she would die right there. She understood in her mind that Easton was almost an adult. However, the responsibility to keep him alive was on Alex’s shoulders. But he did not leave her, and a part of her was so angry with him for doing that, putting himself into danger like that. The other part of her felt a sense of pride for him, and she thought his mother would be so proud of this boy who had not protected just her, but Henry just in that day.
As if reading her thoughts, Easton, freshly showered came to the front seat next to her. He seemed very happy to be out of the same clothes, wearing some sweats from the store. He looked over at Alex, and wrinkled his nose, which made Alex laugh aloud despite her state of mind.
“I know it’s not pretty,” Alex said.
“It’s more the smell,” Easton said with a laugh.
“Easton, we need to talk about today.”
“I thought you might say that,” he said.
“Yeah? Well, what do you think I’m going to say?” Alex asked.
“That I need to listen to you when we’re out of the RV.”
“That’s part of it, yes. When your mother asked me to take you and Candace, she asked me to protect you. If you don’t listen to me when I’m trying to do that, how can I keep you safe?” Alex explained.
“I understand that you know better. But I can’t just leave you like that, even though you told me to.”
“I know you feel that way right now. And I understand it. You are a strong kid…”Alex trailed off when she saw Easton’s face, hard and angry. “Ok...you are a strong man. I’m not trying to say anything bad here.”
“I’m not a child Alex,” he said.
“I know you’re not,” Alex said with a sigh. “This is a learning situation for me too, don’t forget. My children are little, and they need me. I don’t know how to not protect you.”
“You are always saying we need to protect each other, work together.”
“And I mean that. I will just need to figure out a b
alance in between. But realize one thing, if something happens to me, you are the only other one that even knows how to drive. You need to protect the kids. You understand that right?” Alex said. She knew her words sounded harsh, but she wanted him to understand that he would be the kids’ only hope if she were to fall.
Easton chose not to answer, instead he just nodded. They sat in silence for a few more miles, when Easton pointed out a sign they were coming up to. Alex slowed the RV slightly to read. It said, “RV Park, water, electric, Wi-Fi, always open!”
“Well I doubt it’s closed now,” Easton said with a grin.
“It would be good if we could empty the waste from the RV, and if they still have any water running, we could fill up the tank again. I think we must be running low,” Alex replied.
“And you could shower!”
“Ok, Ok, I get it. I smell,” Alex growled under her breath.
The RV park sat in the middle of the desert. It was an odd location, Alex thought, but that would explain why it was always open. They probably were never full of people. When they pulled in, there were only four other RV’s in the park. Everything seemed abandoned. She decided to dump the waste while she was still covered in guts, so she wouldn’t have to shower twice. Pulling the RV around to the dumpsite, she got out cautiously, waiting for anything to surprise attack.
Nothing moved throughout the park, or the surrounding desert, and Alex took a deep breath. After a few moments of checking levers and compartments, she finally figured out how to dump the waste. As expected, the smell was bad, but she figured it was a sacrifice she would make so they could continue to use the bathroom inside.
While she was at the dump, Easton decided to leave the RV and check the area. See if there was running water. Alex didn’t worry too much about him on his own out here. It was wide open, and anything to come at them would be seen well in advance. She glanced over a few times, and saw him looking in the park office, tapping on the windows, checking for infected. Alex smiled, realizing he was picking up details from her, and she was glad.
Easton discovered running water, and they assumed the park was running on well water. They pulled the RV into a spot near the back of the park, hoping to avoid any people from feeling the need to approach. After the water was hooked up and running, Alex pulled out the atlases and laid them out on a table. Easton watched as Alex explained the route she was trying to take; she highlighted the route through all of the maps, until she got to the conclusion of the compound, which she circled brightly.
“Why two?” Easton asked of the double atlases.
“You should always have two of everything, if not more. One can fail, go missing, or something like that. You should always have a backup of the item, so you aren’t left in a lurch,” Alex lectured. Easton took the information and stored it, nodding as Alex spoke.
“That’s why you have so many supplies, and you don’t stop looking.”
“You never stop salvaging. If I had, I wouldn’t have had enough to support you and your sister. I mean I would have figured it out no matter what, but having what I did made it easier.”
“Next we need to make go bags for you and your sister. These need to hold everything you would need to survive for a day or so, until you could find more supplies,” Alex said. She went on to describe the items that a go bag should have.
“Now time for a shower,” Alex said as they went back into the RV. The sun was getting close to the horizon, and they decided it was best to stay and sleep in the RV park. She left Candace to make a dinner for them, and locked herself in the bathroom. She sat on the lid of the toilet and just sat. She could not move a bone. Her leg was still killing her, despite the Advil she had popped when they got back on the road. She was afraid to take down her pants, knowing the bruising would be substantial. She could still move, and movement was necessary to survive right now.
Sitting there in the bathroom alone, Alex tried to clear her mind. The panic, rage and general fear she could not seem to shake. However, she compartmentalized it away, so she could function. She was just lifting her shirt over her head, when a strange noise came from outside the back of the RV. She froze, listening for it again, and she realized it was footsteps on gravel. She peeked beneath the back window cover and saw a man. He was slowly stalking up the side of the RV, and he was not infected. This Alex was sure of, because he was carrying a machete.
Chapter 14
Alex burst from the bathroom, scaring all of the kids in the RV. She put her finger to her lips and silenced them all. She grabbed her 9 mm and pushed it back into the holster she hadn’t even removed yet. Checking the shotgun to ensure it was still loaded, she went to the driver’s seat of the RV. Looking in the side mirrors, she could see the man making his way to the side door. She didn’t see anyone else, and she could not risk him getting into the RV somehow.
“The door locked?” Alex hissed. Easton checked and nodded. Then came to her, but she motioned him back.
“Man. Coming to the RV. Stay inside, but be prepared. I don’t want him to know who’s in here.”
Easton wanted to argue, Alex could see it in his face. But the impact of their last conversation hit him, and he nodded, stepping into the darkness of the RV cab. Alex saw him take Billie and Henry, making them sit on the floor near the couch in the back. Candace followed, and she pulled Henry into her lap, Billie crowding close to her side
As quietly as possible, Alex popped the driver’s door of the RV, and slid out. She didn’t close the door completely, wanting to avoid the noise. She crouched, and checked all directions for anyone else. When she looked toward the entrance of the park, she saw a pickup sitting. From the distance, she couldn’t be sure but she thought she counted two more heads in the truck. Alex did not want to assume anything about the group, especially since one of them was trying to break into the RV currently.
Alex walked at a crouch around the front of the RV, circling to the side the man with the machete was. As soon as she rounded the corner, she racked the slide on the shotgun and pointed it directly at the man’s chest.
“Stop right there,” Alex said sternly. The man froze and looked at her with a sneer.
“Lady, that’s not the way to greet someone these days,” the man said. He was young, possibly younger than Alex was. Also, he was filthy, obviously not living well since the plague hit. But he was healthy from what Alex could tell. His eyes darted around, making Alex nervous about her surroundings.
“When a man is walking up to my vehicle with a machete, I feel this is the appropriate way to say hi,” Alex said.
“Oh this old thing?” The man said motioning the knife up in the air, and Alex instantly knew things were about to go badly. The pickup began to move, and she realized that was some sort of signal to his friends.
“What are they doing?” She demanded.
“Coming to get the RV of course,” the young man said with an ugly sneer on his face.
“They are welcome to try, but I will put a hole in you first. Do they care what happens to you?” Alex said. She noted that he had an unsure look on his face, whether that was his doubt of her shooting him, or his friends caring, she did not know.
Alex had slight doubts herself. Could she shoot a man, a living man? Anyway you sliced the situation it was self-defense of herself and the children. But she could not be sure she could take a life. She watched as the truck picked up speed their way, and she moved the gun in their direction and let off a shot, taking out a headlight. She racked the slide again and pointed the length of the barrel back at the man in front of her.
“So you do realize I’m serious,” Alex said.
“We are just as serious lady. And we ain’t afraid of a little girl like you.”
“You may want to reevaluate that decision,” Alex taunted.
The other men from the truck exited. The driver went to the front of the vehicle and let off a string of curses that let Alex know he wasn’t too happy with her decoration. The other man pulled a lar
ge bowie knife from a sheath and walked toward the RV.
“I’d stop right there, if you like the way your friend looks,” Alex called. Their steps faltered some, but they moved slowly still toward her. Alex felt pushed, and she didn’t like being pushed into a corner. She began to back away from the machete man, but she froze when she heard banging on the RV windows behind her. She looked up just as arms came around her and snatched her off the ground. The shotgun was knocked from her hands and she was roughly shoved against the RV.
“Little girl, my friend said we were here for the RV, and that’s what we’re taking,” a voice said into Alex’s ear. Her face pushed against the RV and she couldn’t see who held her, but she could smell him. His smell was putrid, of a man that had not showered in at least a week and had been sleeping in the dirt.
Alex waited. Years of self-defense taught her, do not panic. She stood still, as the men discussed what to do and where to go.
“We can’t waste this pretty little body though,” the man holding her said. His hand from her head slid down her neck and around to the front of her chest. Using a small knife, he cut her shirt, ripping it wide open. As he went to cup her breast, noise was heard at the window of the RV again. Alex prayed that Easton did not lose his cool, and stayed hidden. However, the man holding her did not miss the noise.
“What the fuck was that?” He demanded, yelling in Alex’s ear.
“Nothing,” Alex said.
“I heard something in there you bitch, and you will tell me what it was or I will let whoever that is watch us violate you right here.” As he spoke, his hand gripped her breast violently, causing Alex to catch her breath.
“Oh do you like that?” He said into her ear, and then he licked her neck. Alex waited a beat longer, and took her chance. Slamming her head back, she was rewarded with a satisfying crunching sound right before the man released her and cried out. He stepped back from Alex, gripping his nose, blood flowing freely through his fingers.
Sundown Series (Book 1): Prepared Page 13