“Why did you tell me all that?” Kade asked.
“I’m a survivor. Right now, your being well-informed is my best chance at staying that way.”
Victoria patted his chest and went into the hallway. Kade contemplated everything she had just dropped on him and decided he should swing by the science building on his way out to relay the information to Damian.
* * *
Sitting in the common room of the fourth floor of the dorm, John wondered if this would have been what freshman orientation would have felt like if he had ever made it to college. The room had two couches, a beanbag chair, and a table. He sat on a couch opposite Grace, with Fenris sleeping on the middle cushion. Rex was chewing on John’s shoelace. Emma relaxed in the beanbag chair, while Ashton and the kids, cheetah included, filled in the other couch. Victoria sat across the table from Wright.
Damian stood before them, the spitting image of Kade. They were so close to identical that their only major difference was posture. Kade was more relaxed in front of a group, while Damian looked like he was always ready to defend himself from a verbal attack.
“My brother has asked that I keep things running smoothly until he gets back and make sure everyone knows the rule that no foamer is to be killed except in self-defense,” Damian said.
John noticed his eyes traveled everywhere but to Victoria, who did nothing but stare at him.
“Those abominations would be better off dead,” Wright said.
“He also said none of you are under any obligation to stay, but you are welcome as long as you would like. So long as the rules are followed,” Damian said, as if he had never heard Wright. “We run a two-person guard watch all night long. We’ll pair you newcomers up with one of us.”
John tuned out the rest of what Damian said and found himself staring at Grace. He hoped at some point she would look toward him so he might be able to smile at her. But the longer he watched, the more she seemed like she would never turn her head his way. There had to be some way to show her how he felt, though he wasn’t sure what else he could do to get her attention.
Damian wrapped up the meeting, and John let out a long sigh as he got to his feet. He had the last guard shift, and it would be a while until he had a chance to spend those hours with Grace. He’d have to head to bed now to get enough sleep to be alert for the night watch.
John was so lost in his own thoughts that he practically walked into Emma on his way down the corridor. With her small frame, it wasn’t hard for him to believe he hadn’t seen her. Everything about her was compact, with the exception of the one place John couldn’t keep his eyes from wandering: her large breasts.
“Can you wake me up when it’s our turn for guard duty?” Emma asked. She had sharp cheekbones, with large, knowing eyes, a button nose, and a strong chin. Her features reminded John of a mouse—a cute mouse.
“Yeah, sure,” John said. He hadn’t realized she was assigned to him.
“Thanks. I don’t want to be late on my first day,” she said, and disappeared into her room.
* * *
Alpha wandered among the trees, trying to find the scent of prey. If they were unsuccessful, he could always wander to the water and scoop out a fish. The water was close to the others, and he tried to avoid them whenever possible. They had things worse than claws. His head and shoulder showed the damage his body had suffered during his encounters with them. Many of his kind weren’t as lucky.
He stopped to sniff the air, but couldn’t pick up any scents—not even from the blue-faced other. Alpha hadn’t caught his scent in a day, which was unusual. At least once a day the blue-faced other tended to be around his pack.
Alpha hadn’t quite figured out what to make of the blue-faced one. The male seemed more like one of his than an other, but still wasn’t quite like him. The interloper had harmed members of his pack, but only with his hands, the way Alpha’s kind fought, not the others.
His nostrils flared as he caught the scent of two others. Silently, he moved his massive body through the darkness, trying to get them into his line of sight without giving himself away. He didn’t want to face a boom stick, so stealth was key.
Their scent grew stronger and he heard voices. Moving into a clump of young pines, he concealed himself while he watched a tall and short other talk. He could hear the words clearly, though he no longer understood their meaning.
“You did very well sneaking out. Very brave,” the tall one said.
“You said you’d hurt my friends if I didn’t follow you. I won’t let you hurt them,” the short one said.
“Very well,” the tall one said.
Alpha tried to see what happened next, but he couldn’t get a good view through his hiding spot. He heard a zip, and then the two others were struggling, like two of his kind wrestling. Then there was gagging from the short one, and laughter from the tall one.
“I’m sorry, but my plan requires you to be dead,” the tall one said.
Alpha’s nose pricked up and his mouth started to water. The stench of blood was heavy in the air. It wouldn’t be long before more of his pack arrived.
Alpha watched the tall one walk away, but he felt like the other was looking at him. Like the other knew he was there the whole time. Alpha was curious about the tall other, but he couldn’t resist the smell of blood anymore and charged through the trees to where the small one lay on the ground with his throat slit.
Nudging the body once with his head, Alpha made sure the small one was dead, then fixed his mouth over the slash on the child’s neck. After taking a long drink of the blood, Alpha bit down on the wound, tearing a section of the neck away. He was so lost in his feeding that he hardly noticed his pack joining in the feast.
* * *
Kade sat in the back of the cramped Hummer with X, Five, and Drew. Drew was a sizeable guy who was in terrific shape, having been a college athlete at the dawn of the Primal Age and then being forced into manual labor every single day since. Though he tried to hide it, Kade could tell his brain was torn at being away from the kids. Kade figured it was similar to how he felt every time he was away from Ashton.
Drew and Five were filling them in on everything they could remember about the stretch of land that used to be the National Mall, but now served as the base of operations for the president and his guardsmen. Kade had to hand it to the former leader of the country—he hadn’t thought the doofus was capable of such tactical thinking. Despite using his power to create a police state, Kade wondered if the president would have shown half as much spine in the Old World if he would have actually won Kade’s vote. From what Damian had said, the president was the main pressure behind the Feline Flu vaccine getting rushed into production, which made Kade wonder if he had been trying to orchestrate the Primal Age in the first place. Kade had to focus on the task at hand, though, which was saving his friends.
“Back before the end of the world, I took a class on propaganda during World War II to fill an elective block. The president makes the combined efforts of the Axis and Allies look like a child’s lie to their parents,” Drew said as he sketched the third copy of a DC map on a notepad. The kid was getting good at the maps, and Kade was hoping when they got back he could pair him with X on the grocery runs.
“In chaos, there is opportunity,” Zack said. He had taken off the lizard-eye sunglasses and rolled up the sleeves on his army uniform. His dark forearms were covered in a peppering of brown scars.
“I’m a little pissed. The president convinces the entire population that the boogeyman is real, but my own friends didn’t believe me when I held hard evidence that the world was ending,” Kade replied.
“Even those that don’t believe still agree with him just to stay protected. Everyone is scared, and what isn’t to trust about the leader of the free world? He’s made it sound like a worldwide community of terrorist sleeper cells in America coordinated one gigantic strike. Chemical weapons, dirty bombs—you name it, they did it,” Drew said.
“I d
on’t get why people would just follow that like sheep,” X said.
“There is only one source of news right now, and that is the president. Look back to World War II, before there was a global media. Every country was able to spin the war to their own needs because no one else saw the other side of the story,” Drew said.
“But you left. Don’t other people leave? Don’t they try to imagine what else is out there?” X asked.
Drew shook his head. “If you leave, you’re automatically branded a terrorist. You must have been a sleeper cell that was gaining intel and now must report. It’s why Jem was abducted on sight. The only people that ever leave the DC zone on orders are those closest to the president. The top of the food chain is still living like kings. For people that want power, this is a perfect opportunity,” Drew said.
They were well into the night, with Zack at the wheel and Tiny riding shotgun, before their two scouts finished their report. Kade was about to let himself doze off when he saw Zack reach over and put his hand on Tiny’s leg. Kade toyed with the cigar burn on his neck. Three seconds passed before Tiny removed his hand. Kade’s eyes dashed back and forth between the two to see if anything else was about to take place, but neither stopped looking forward the entire time. Kade’s heart ticked a little faster, and sweat broke out all over his body. Some voice in his head told him to yell at the Tribesman not to touch her, but he suppressed the desire.
Tiny looked over her shoulder at him and smiled her tight-lipped smile. Kade smiled back and felt his body slowly return to normal. He took a deep breath and tried to remind himself that people could make physical contact without any ulterior motives. In the Old World, Kade had never had a traditional relationship. He’d stayed away from Tiny because he knew he was dying and did not want to burden her, or anyone else. Now, in the Primal Age, he and Tiny shared a strange existence. There was no competition for her, and no one in their group ever got close enough to her to touch her. He would have to keep an eye on his jealousy to make sure he didn’t overreact to a simple gesture between old friends.
They passed a highway exit sign that showed a slew of gas stations and food options off the next ramp.
“Mind if we swing off?” Drew asked.
“We don’t need to refill the tank yet,” Zack replied.
“I need to empty mine,” Drew said.
X picked up an empty bottle that was rolling around on the floor and handed it to Drew.
Drew looked at the bottle, confused, then dropped it on the ground. “Not the liquid tank.”
“I’ll just pull over,” Zack said.
Drew put a hand over his face that was clearly burning red even in the dim light of the car interior.
“I’m scared to shit out here. I haven’t been living in the wild the past two months. I’ve still been dropping the browns with four walls around me. Can we please stop before I explode?”
Zack glanced at Kade for confirmation, who gave him a nod. Kade appreciated Zack’s at least humoring him that he was still in charge. Zack flipped the headlights off and veered up the ramp in the moonlight. Full moons always amazed Kade. They gave no light of their own, but were able to reflect enough to light up the night.
Zack parked behind the first gas station off the exit. The back door to the station was hanging wide open.
“What’s the call?” Zack asked.
“You and Tiny want to refill the tank. The rest of us will go in,” Kade said as he and X took the time to equip their gear.
X led the way into the station with his .357 revolver out, and Kade followed him with both of his Judges drawn. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but the place appeared deserted, with most of the food racks having been plundered. Kade swung around the outer perimeter of the store, while X made a beeline for the bathrooms.
The door whoosh-whooshed as X ducked in and out, then called for Drew and Five.
While the others used the bathroom, Kade stared into the dairy cooler at the chocolate milk just sitting there. He knew the power had been out a long time, and the expiration dates had passed anyway, but it took all of his control not to chug down a half gallon. He spun around when he heard the sound of a plastic bag being filled. X was pillaging the tobacco racks.
“You don’t smoke,” Kade said.
“Your powers of observation have always astounded me, Watson,” X replied, looking appraisingly at an e-cig.
“Should I ask?”
“Yes, you should.”
Kade let out a huff as he made his way over to the counter. “What brilliant masterminding are you up to?”
“Imagine being two months without a fix. Then imagine you come across me, who has an abundance of smokes. Now imagine I can name my trade for a pack of cigarettes that were totally worthless to me. That is what I am doing.”
“That is brilliant.”
“Of course it is.”
In front of Kade was a box of Snickers, Tiny’s favorite candy bar. He snatched the box up like it was a Black Friday sale.
“I’m going to go see if the other two want to come in for anything.” Kade headed for the door.
“Maybe she’ll give you a thank you—” that was the last Kade heard before he was out the back door. The opportunities to do something thoughtful for Tiny were few and far between since he had to spend most of his day-to-day duties running Houghton. He was delighted to have one of those rare chances.
When he came in sight of the Humvee, Tiny and Zack were propped up on the windshield watching the stars. Kade felt the jealousy resurge with each step; they didn’t notice him. The box of Snickers made a thud on the hood when he dropped them.
“Wanted to see if you guys needed to go in for anything,” Kade said thickly, his voice sounding off in his own ear.
“Thanks, man, but I’m good,” Zack said.
“I could go for a Snickers,” Tiny said, hopping off the hood and heading for the station. Kade thought about telling her he’d brought her a box of them, but felt that the nice gesture had already been wasted.
“I can’t believe I am actually getting to meet the Kade Zerris,” Zack said, sliding to his feet.
“Look, I didn’t want to fight the Tribe. I just wanted to be left alone. But I’m sorry if I killed any of your friends.” Kade’s body tensed for a fight.
Zack laughed, his bright white teeth reflecting almost as much light as the moon. “Not that. The world is a better place without people like Sarge. I’m talking about your girl. She told me all about you back when we were building sand castles in the Middle East. Looks like destiny wanted you two to end up together.”
Kade had to admit, without the end of the world, he would never have been able to put his Huntington’s behind him so he could move on with his life and have a normal relationship. If he could go back in time and do one thing, he would have told his brother not to make the vaccine. But if he could have done two things, he would have told his younger self to get out of his own way. “I’m lucky.”
“That you are, brother. She is the best of the best.” Zack smiled, and Kade could tell he was looking at a memory. Inside, he was burning to ask Zack if he had been with Tiny in the Old World, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. He couldn’t get mad at her for it. It wasn’t like he had been loyally awaiting the end of the world, saving himself for her.
He used a deep breath to push the thought from his mind. “Want me to take a turn at the wheel?”
“I’d love to snag a quick nap before we get there. In case I’m asleep, we’ll probably want to refill about an hour out, so after the job we have enough gas to put distance between us and the weekend warriors,” Zack replied.
* * *
No food. No water. No sleep.
Mick was spread facedown on the metal prep table. The smell of bleach lingered in the air; even though he couldn’t see Cunningham, he knew she was somewhere nearby. He was about to begin his third session with her. His chest had been cut up pretty well, but she had been goin
g easy on Mick compared to what she had done to Jem. The only good thing about the sessions was that he got escorted by a soldier across the Mall to the restaurant Cunningham used as her headquarters. That brief time outside felt like heaven—a few moments away from the misery of a cage and the smell of his own defecation. He had considered making a break for it during the walks, but he noticed more than one rooftop sniper watching his progress. Even if there weren’t snipers, he doubted he had the strength to make a run for it. Just staying on his feet took all of his concentration.
With what little he had learned about Cunningham, he knew there was a reason she was showing favorites. He’d like to have said he’d rather be the hero and take the brunt, but he doubted he’d be able to hang on to any information if he’d had to endure what Jem was going through.
A hand wrenched his head back, and standing in front of Mick was the woman in white. Cunningham held a metal tin with an oven mitt. When she brought the tin close to his face he could feel the heat. She rattled the tin, and Mick wasn’t looking forward to finding out what was inside.
“Before you terrorists struck, I used to love the game Yahtzee. Now I’ve made my own version. I’m going to ask you a question. If you give me an answer, I won’t roll these on your back. If not, I’ll enjoy my game.”
“I’m not a terrorist. I’m a police officer,” Mick said.
Cunningham slammed his head onto the metal table and rolled the contents of the tin onto his back. He wasn’t sure what they were other than there was five of them and they felt like fire on contact. A second later, they stopped hurting, so he could only imagine how hot they were to sear his nerves that fast. They weight was removed from his back, and he heard them being plunked back into the can.
“You only speak when I ask a question. Where is the terrorist Damian Zerris?”
“He’s not a terrorist,” Mick said between pants.
He clenched his teeth as the hot masses rolled along his back. She plucked them up again.
“At least you didn’t deny knowing him. Let me try that question again.”
On Cunningham’s table, time held no sway. She controlled the passage of time. On a number of occasions she had to reheat the tin, and in those moments of peace he could feel the blisters sprouting on his back. By the end of the session, he could smell his own skin cooking. When she deemed his time was up, Mick still hadn’t given up any information.
Strays Page 6