Jerry had never lowered the gun and he wasn’t about to. He made this clear by leaning closer to the king who was now looking down the barrel.
Elias didn’t move. “Erica is safe. She took refuge in the woods. My men saw where she entered and they can take you there.”
Jerry lowered his gun. “I’m pretty sure I don’t owe you a thank you.”
“No. You need to thank that buffalo of yours. She found us in the mines. She and a woman named Brae. She’s with her now.”
Brae! Erica couldn’t know not to trust her. “She isn’t safe. Take me to her now.”
Elias looked surprised, but he didn’t hesitate. “These men will go with you. Go, now.” He gestured for the two knights to lower their guns and stepped aside to let Jerry through the passageway.
“You shouldn’t have killed him. He could have confessed and stopped the war with Rodney.”
“No,” said Elias. “I’ll talk to Rodney. Even if it means my life.” He looked at the dead man on the floor in front of him. “I like the prince better this way.”
Jerry turned to the knights. “Show me.”
They raced out of the building into the snow and he followed.
TWENTY-SEVEN
There was the sound of an engine in the woods and the crunch of rubber tires on snow. It was the first sound she’d heard since the explosion.
“He’s here.” Dominic stood and cast a glance towards the noise.
The engine died and a car door opened. It shut a moment later and there was the lighter sound of boots in the snow. Mr. Christopher stepped into view a moment later. He stared at Erica for a long moment and smiled before speaking. “Where’s the other one?”
“Dead,” Sir Dominic answered.
“Dead?” Mr. Christopher walked through the clearing and took a seat on a fallen tree. “Dead wasn’t the deal.”
Dominic didn’t flinch. “That’s how it played out.”
Mr. Christopher spoke again to the knight but never took his eyes off of Erica. “You have the head?”
“He was left for dead,” Dominic explained. “No one could have made it out of there alive.”
Mr. Christopher smiled. “Then he’s alive.”
“There’s no way …”
“You’ll have to excuse me, Mr. Dominic, for being so rude to disagree, but Erica here and I know this man much better than you do. And he’s not dead until his body is buried or burned.” He turned towards the knight. “And, quite honestly, I’m not even sure that will stop him.”
“Sir Dominic, if you don’t mind. And I’m telling you, he’s dead.”
Erica saw Mr. Christopher roll his eyes before correcting the knight. “And I’m telling you that there is smoke coming from your castle and gunfire coming from inside the walls. These are his trademarks of a sort. So you can tell me all day that he’s dead, but I’m not going to believe it until I have his severed head in my hands.”
Sir Dominic was at a loss for words. He was trying to speak, but he had nothing but an empty mouth.
“Don’t you agree, Erica?”
“I’m pretty sure we’ll see him again.”
Mr. Christopher smiled at her. It was a horrific smile, appearing kind, sweet and gentle. But she knew there was no humanity behind it. His calm demeanor and proper diction were the hallmarks of a gentleman, but there was nothing but monster inside.
“Good,” Brae broke the silence. “That means we can still get the full reward.”
“The full reward?” Mr. Christopher asked. “But you only did half the work.”
“We brought you the girl,” Dominic said. “If what you say is true, he’ll come for her.”
“It still seems I’m doing most of the work.” Mr. Christopher stood and turned to face his accomplices. “I think it would only be fair if we renegotiated the terms.”
Brae took the gun off of Erica and pointed it at the man in the white suit. “I think we stick with the original terms.”
Mr. Christopher shook his head. “No guns.”
“Oh, I’m afraid so,” Brae said and pulled the hammer back on her revolver.
“Do it quietly.” Mr. Christopher turned to them and smiled at Erica once more.
Chewy had lain quietly, letting out only the occasional growl whenever Brae or Dom had wandered too close to Erica. Now she jumped to her feet and began to bark.
Two men dressed in white snowsuits stepped out from behind the trees and rushed Dominic and Brae before the couple could react.
Brae died with her skull caved in and her lifeless eyes open towards Erica.
Dominic turned to fight and took a knife in the stomach and an axe head to the neck.
Mr. Christopher pulled a leather pouch from inside his jacket and tossed it to the two men. “You’ve redeemed yourselves, gentlemen.”
The two men removed the white hoods that had kept them concealed in the woods. Erica recognized them as men from the mob in the marketplace. One of them winked at her.
Mr. Christopher moved behind her and bound her hands with a tie wrap that was too thick to snap.
Chewy struggled at the end of the rope. It tightened around her neck but she refused to stop pulling. The rope was taut enough to strike a note.
Mr. Christopher lifted Erica to her feet and pushed her towards the car. “We’re in for a long ride together, Miss Erica. I can’t wait to hear your life’s story.”
“I don’t know if we’ll be able to get all the way to the end. It’s going to be a little longer than yours.”
He ignored the remark and reached inside his coat pocket. He pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to one of the men. “Kill the dog. Put this in its collar.”
“No!” Erica screamed and tried to rush towards Chewy.
The dog was at the edge of its breath trying to get to her.
“And no noise,” Mr. Christopher said. “I’ll be listening. I’m going to need a head start.”
The two men nodded and drew their knives.
Erica broke free of Christopher’s hold and dashed towards Chewy. She wasn’t sure what hit her, but she collapsed in the snow inches from the dog. The last thing she felt was Chewy’s tongue on her face.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Jerry heard the barking. He heard the screams. He heard an engine turn over and left the knights behind.
They had led him to the trail and now he only occasionally glanced at the footprints in the snow as he raced towards the sound of his true love screaming like he’d never heard.
Branches slapped him in the face and tore at his arms, but he pressed on, moving so fast that he turned every slip on the snowy ground into forward progress. There was more barking and more screaming. This time it came from men. He couldn’t run any faster so he ran harder. Every footstep crushed through the snow and found the ground beneath.
He entered the clearing to find blood and bodies everywhere. Brae was dead. Dominic was dead and lying in a pool of his own blood. Another man’s face was missing and a trail of blood led out the other side of the clearing.
Chewy lay at the end of a rope in a mound of red snow. He could see her labored breathing in puffs of mist rising from her snout.
He dropped to his knees and slid to her side.
The rope that held her to the tree was cutting into her neck. He pulled a knife from his belt and worked furiously to cut it free.
“God, let it just be the rope.”
The last few strands snapped from the tension and he worked the noose from around her neck. Her fur was wet with blood. Her face was covered in blood so fresh that it was still red and not yet sticky to the touch. He hugged her and felt her body for any other wounds. She was so wet from the snow that he couldn’t tell.
Quickly the breath returned to her. The mastiff stood and turned her nose on him. It was warm beneath the blood.
“Are you okay, girl?”
Chewy barked and hacked. She bounced away a few feet and turned to make sure Jerry was following her.
He was back on his feet and running after her as the dog ran out of the clearing. The pair ran out of the woods to a logging trail. There was no sign of the vehicle but the smell of diesel hung in the air.
Jerry dropped his head and fell to his knees. Erica was gone.
Chewy barked quietly and seemed to sense the defeat. She walked back over to Jerry and sat down next to him. She put her bloody head in his lap and looked up at him with sad eyes.
He must have sat on the trail for five minutes before he heard the knights arrive in the clearing. They recognized the girl and the former Sir Dominic. They didn’t know the third man. Who could without a face to recognize him by?
He let them gasp in horror. He let them try to piece together what happened. He sat in the road with his dog’s head in his lap while they followed the trail of blood into the woods.
He didn’t move until one of the knights dropped a sheet of paper in his lap and said, “There’s a note for you.”
It was covered in blood but still legible. The penmanship was neat and precise and easy to read:
Jerry,
I figure it’s time for you to chase me for a while.
See you soon.
Mr. Christopher
Jerry stood. He looked at the note one last time and let it fall to the ground. He turned back to the castle and called to his dog.
She followed.
- THE END -
* * * *
The Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warrior
will return in Pursuit of the Apocalypse.
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OTHER WORKS
by Benjamin Wallace
DUCK & COVER ADVENTURES
Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors: A Duck & Cover Adventure
Last Band of the Apocalypse: A Duck & Cover Adventurette
Prisoner's Dilemma: A Duck & Cover Adventurette
BULLETPROOF ADVENTURES OF DAMIAN STOCKWELL
Horror in Honduras (The Bulletproof Adventures of Damian Stockwell)
Terrors of Tesla (The Bulletproof Adventures of Damian Stockwell)
DUMB WHITE HUSBAND
The Big Book of Dumb White Husband
Dumb White Husbands vs. Zombies: The Zomnibus
The Dumb White Husband’s Guide to Babies
OTHER BOOKS
Tortugas Rising
UNCIVIL
UnCivil: The Immortal Engine
UnCivil: Vanderbilt’s Behemoth
SHORT STORIES
How to Host an Intervention
Gone to the Dogs
Alternate Realty
Dystopia Inc. #1: The War Room
Pilgrim (A Short Story)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Benjamin Wallace lives in Texas where he complains about the heat.
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Table of Contents
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTY-THREE
TWENTY-FOUR
TWENTY-FIVE
TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SEVEN
TWENTY-EIGHT
Knights of the Apocalypse (A Duck & Cover Adventure Post-Apocalyptic Series Book 2) Page 21