Ashton put a hand on John’s shoulder and whispered, “We have to find Franklin.”
He patted her hand to reassure her he was on the task.
A high-pitched squeak came from a row of shelves beside the strangers, and they both jumped back as a fat rat scurried into the center of the white tile. Bristle pounced from out of nowhere and snatched the rat by the neck.
He could hear Ashton hold her breath, as he scanned for any sign of Franklin.
“Just a cat,” the man with the baseball bat said.
“Do you know where the Feline Flu came from? You’ve got the bat, put it down before the cat spreads more disease,” the woman said.
John pulled the bowstring back, ready to strike, when his heart dropped.
“She’s a king cheetah.”
* * *
The small doses of croutons seemed to be working wonders for Mick and Jem. The spark was back in their eyes, and they were filling Kade in on everything he had missed. Kade wasn’t sure how strong they were, but at least he didn’t feel like the designated driver anymore.
They had managed to run the yacht aground just before the bridge. After that, they shoved the yacht free so it could float away and hopefully draw any pursuit away from them, and Yuzuki led them into the section of Alexandria known as Old Town. Kade wanted to find a car and get on the road as soon as possible, but most of the area had burned down, leaving nothing but the charred remains of the old, mostly federal-style town houses that had once stood in the town.
Kade ran across a cobblestone street and took cover behind a waist-high brick wall. Behind him, the other three were in a staggered line, each safely protected by their own piece of cover. Waving his hand forward, Kade called Mick up from the rear. Mick charged up from the back of the line, taking the lead. Mick then motioned for Jem to leapfrog from the back of the line.
Jem ran up, passing Yuzuki and then Kade, but as he reached Mick he stopped and braced one hand against a metal sign and puked out the contents of his stomach. Kade and Yuzuki hurried to join the other two.
Mick read the sign Jem was holding on to out loud: “Childhood home of Robert E. Lee.”
The property was surrounded by a shoulder-high stone wall that had survived without much damage. The former garden that took up most of the interior property had been burned to the ground. The house, which by the foundation looked like it had once been a beautiful antebellum family home, was nothing but blackened spires of wood.
Jem wiped his mouth. “Take that, Confederates.”
Kade laughed, glad to see his companions returning to their old selves.
“Doubt he has a car we can borrow,” Yuzuki said.
Mick pointed a finger at her. “That would be stealing.”
Kade figured some things would never change.
“I have emergency orders from the United States of America. I can take whatever I need,” Jem said.
“Think we could ask them to borrow a car?” Yuzuki said.
“I wouldn’t want to put them out after they gave us such nice accommodations.”
As they resumed their leapfrog, Kade wished he had more of his usual gear. Between them, they had the four rifles—none of which had a full magazine—the pistol Yuzuki had taken, Kade’s two Judges and rubber knuckles, duct tape, a lighter, a bottle of water each, a handle of vodka, a six-pack, and enough food for their next meal. Old Town was so charred he doubted they would find much of anything as far as supplies. His major hope was that they would find a car with keys that had enough gas to get them away.
“I’ve been trying to keep my mouth shut since I don’t recall much, but do we have a plan, or are we just wandering?” Mick asked.
“This was your plan we’ve been following,” Yuzuki said.
Mick scratched his head. “Can someone remind me of the details?”
“Kidding. There is a two-block section that survived the fire. I think that is our best chance for finding a car,” Yuzuki said.
“I don’t remember anything still standing in Alexandria,” Jem said.
“When your boys leveled my campus, I ended up hiding out down here for a little while. Trust me,” Yuzuki said.
“I apologized to you already. The fact that I was following orders doesn’t make my choices right, but at the time I thought the resistance was the bad guy,” Jem said.
“Relax, soldier. We’re all doing what we think is right,” Yuzuki said.
Kade knew they weren’t safe, but he did feel much better being in the sunlight after traveling through metro tunnels for so long. He had felt like a rat stuck in its tubes. Even though he was more exposed here, it felt more natural.
They kept to the burned-out ruins and collapsed buildings while they moved toward the area that Yuzuki had told them would be safe. When they were a block away, Kade understood why Jem thought it had been leveled. The square block was outlined with four-story town houses, the top two floors of which were completely burned, leaving behind ragged supports that resembled angry hands reaching toward God. But the first two stories of most the town houses appeared to be intact.
The inner section of the block, which had been a paved area that led to the town houses’ garages, was littered with fallen decks and other debris from the fires. Each house had a garage, which meant there was a strong chance each house had a car. If the car was in the garage, the keys would be in the house. Kade would have kissed Yuzuki if it wasn’t for the fact that she smelled worse than his socks.
“Jem, you feel up to searching with Yuzuki?” Kade asked.
“Sure thing, chief,” Jem said.
“And Yuzuki, you think this place is off the radar?” Kade asked.
“Jem just admitted he didn’t know anything was still standing. I was safe here,” she replied.
“Then you guys take the right side, we’ll take the left. We need all the supplies we can get, and we should take a quick rest before we move on,” Kade said, and they split up.
* * *
Franklin stood in the center of the pathway before the two strangers, with Bristle in his arms. It didn’t look to John like the kid was scared, but he could feel Ashton trembling beside him.
“I can’t lose him too,” Ashton whispered.
John pulled the truck keys out of his pocket and handed them to Ashton.
The woman squatted down to Franklin’s eye level and grabbed him by the elbow. “Look at you. Such a cute thing. Do you need a mommy?”
“What are you doing? The boss is going to want him for the collection,” the man said.
The collection. That was enough for John to conclude they weren’t the type of people with whom he wanted to exchange pleasantries.
“I was trying to be nice to the poor, scared child,” the woman said in an overly sweet tone.
“I’d be scared if I was him too,” the man said.
“Shut your trap and go find whoever else is here,” the woman barked.
“We found who is here.”
“I doubt he drove himself.”
The man grumbled but started down the aisle between the shelves. In a few steps he would be right next to John.
He turned to Ashton and whispered, “When I say go, get Franklin to the truck and leave.”
She nodded at him, and he stood tall over the shelf of aquarium decorations and found his target.
“Go,” he said as he tapped the trigger release. The arrow launched through the air, passing over Franklin’s shoulder, slicing through the woman’s neck, and skidding off across the floor and through the entrance.
Ashton was off in a blur, herding Franklin out the door. John drew an arrow from his quick quiver and attempted to stab with the broadhead tip the man who had come within reach, but he had already seen him and dodged the attack. The man swung the bat overhead like an ax; John blocked it with the upper limb of the bow. Seizing the opportunity, John lunged forward, stabbing the man in the abdomen. He gave a quick twist and withdrew the arrow.
The man let out a scr
eam as he dropped the bat and clutched his belly. John didn’t know how much damage he had done, but he wasn’t going to pass on the chance to escape. He spun and sprinted for the entrance, his sneakers squealing against the floor as he went.
He could see Ashton nearing the truck when her body rocked back in the air like she had hit a wall.
* * *
Kade and Mick searched their last town house. The first floor had a window at ground level. Though Mick didn’t voice his displeasure, Kade could see it each time he smashed through the glass panes. He tried to keep out of his mind that they were being hunted, instead focusing on being safe. If he gashed his leg on a broken window, he’d jeopardize their situation.
He was careful to make sure he completely broke away any sharp shards of glass before he entered the town house. They had all been set up the same. The first floor had a half bath with a small sitting room, and a door that led to the garage. The stairs led up to a kitchen and living room. On a few occasions they found an undamaged third floor, where there were two bedrooms. None of the town houses had an intact fourth floor.
Mick went into the garage while Kade made his way upstairs. In the last house he had found a suit that fit him, and as strange as it felt, he had traded out his stolen army uniform for the suit. They also came across two children’s backpacks. After a game of rock-paper-scissors, Mick won the Marvel backpack, and Kade ended up with a pink Dora the Explorer pack.
“All clear,” Mick said from inside the garage.
Kade moved up the stairs to the second floor. The white walls of the stairway turned into a vibrant fuchsia as he entered the living room. The walls were lined with bookshelves, a couch, two reading chairs, and a fireplace.
“No keys,” Mick hollered.
As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, Kade found a bowl on the countertop that had a janitor-size key ring in it. He snatched the keys and returned to the top of the stairs.
“Mick,” Kade said, and a moment later Mick appeared in the stairway. Kade tossed him the keyset and went back to the kitchen.
Like all the other town houses, this one reeked of smoke, but it seemed otherwise undisturbed. He opened the fridge, and the smell of rotten produce mingled with the resident stench. The inside of the refrigerator was consumed by mold. Kade decided it was best to leave anything he found there untouched.
He was luckier with the cabinets. The former owners kept their rice in Tupperware containers, and there were three cans of premade soup. Kade opened the pantry next to the refrigerator and fist-pumped the air, then looked around to make sure he was truly alone. With the potentially embarrassing moment behind him, Kade appraised the full case of purple Gatorade.
Liquid gold.
Calories, electrolytes, and hydration all in one. With this find, he’d be able to keep Jem and Mick from backsliding.
His excitement shot through the roof as he heard an engine start in the garage. He tossed the food on top of the case and hauled it all downstairs with him. The black dress pants made a swishing sound as the legs passed each other. As much as he didn’t feel like himself in the white button-down and pants, they were extremely comfortable.
He rounded the corner and stared at the idling beast before him. It was the largest Jeep he had ever seen. There wasn’t even enough room in the one-car garage to open the passenger door to the hard-topped monstrosity.
“We’re going to need a lot of gas,” Mick said, running the car through a driver’s training start-up.
“Worse problems to have. Get familiar, I’ll fetch the others,” Kade said.
He set the food down and brought the rifle back to the ready. Leaving the way he’d entered, Kade swung around the outside of the block. Kade expected the other pair to have made close to the same amount of time that he and Mick had, so he started with the last town house.
A scream came from the town house, and Kade broke into a sprint. He slowed only for a moment to make sure he went through the window safely. His feet pounded off the steps as he rushed to the second floor. He kept his rifle trained on the top of the stairs, then swung his sights across the room as he reached the next level.
Two people were in the room, both aiming guns at him. They were completely naked.
“Chief, you scared the hell out of us,” Jem said, lowering his rifle.
“Ever heard of knocking?” Yuzuki wiped sweaty hair out of her face.
Kade glanced from one to the other. He knew what was happening, but his brain was still trying to put the pieces together.
Yuzuki lay on the couch and set her rifle beside her on the floor.
“I was supposed to be executed about an hour ago. What better reason to celebrate?” Jem said, waving Kade off.
“We found a ride.” Kade walked backward down the stairs, unsure of what else to say.
* * *
To Ashton, time seemed to slow down while she was in the air. Before she had left the pet store, she hadn’t checked to make sure the exit was safe. She was close enough to touch the truck when the iron rod struck her like a home run swing. The bag of cat food she had been holding in her right arm lessened the blow, but her arm immediately felt hot and cold, and her ribs hurt so badly she couldn’t catch her breath.
As she fell to the ground, she noticed a truck a few spaces down. The landing only impeded her ability to breathe, and her world swam in darkness for a few seconds as her head pinged off the pavement. The bag of cat food exploded and rained kibbles all over the parking lot.
“Stay right there, boy.”
Ashton forced her eyes open. She saw two people by the opposing truck, as well as a third standing directly above her. Looking like a butcher appraising his meat, he held the sharpened end of the iron bar to her throat. Her left hand still touched the stock of her rifle, but even if she could get the shot off, the rod would impale her. She didn’t want to look at Franklin, but she could hear him crying.
“She’s pretty enough to keep. Bring me the chems,” the man above her said.
Over by the truck, a man wearing a Red Sox cap and a blue puffer vest set his rifle in the back of the truck as he searched through a toolbox loaded with different bottles of chemicals. When he couldn’t find what he was looking for, the woman huffed, then turned to help him.
“Leave Miss Ashton alone,” Franklin hollered as he brandished a knife from inside his jacket. The knife looked military grade, like the one Tiny carried, but Ashton had no idea where he’d gotten it.
His shout took everyone by surprise, and he plunged the knife into the groin of the man standing over Ashton. The man smashed the rod into Franklin like a bo staff. Franklin flew back, crashing into the passenger side of their truck. The man stumbled but hauled the rod back, intending to impale Franklin on the sharpened end.
Bristle leapt off of Franklin’s chest and landed daintily on the rod, then sprang again to latch herself around the man’s face. The cheetah hissed and growled as she bit down on the man’s esophagus.
The fight was punctuated by the twang of John’s bowstring as an arrow slammed into the man’s chest, which caused him to go limp and drop all at once. Before the man crashed to the ground, Franklin withdrew his knife, and Bristle abandoned the falling man, landing gracefully on Franklin’s shoulders.
John flipped his bow over his back, then hoisted Ashton to her feet. She roared in pain. Franklin held the passenger door open as John—a little more roughly than she would have liked—helped her inside. John shut the door on them and launched an arrow at the other two people. He kept a barrage up that sent them running to the other side of their truck for cover.
Ashton tried to slide across the seat to the driver’s side, but her right arm would not cooperate. She eventually slid past the gearshift, regarding it like an alien artifact she had no idea how to use.
“Miss Ashton, are you okay?” Franklin asked.
Franklin, the little genius, had picked up driving a manual on his first try. He could be her right arm.
“Can you
shift for me?” Ashton asked as she awkwardly started the car by reaching under the wheel with her left hand. Franklin nodded, and Ashton realized he didn’t have his glasses on anymore. She figured he must have lost them when he’d been hit.
John kept his opponents’ heads down as they climbed into the far side of their truck. Without a clear shot, John started to make his way back toward his own truck.
Ashton and Franklin worked in tandem to reverse the truck out of the parking spot, then threw it into gear. John tossed Ashton’s rifle into the bed and then rolled over the side wall himself. A second later and he would have been smashed between the two vehicles.
When John had let up his attack, their enemies had jumped into their own truck, which was outfitted with a snowplow that was raised up like a battering ram and now crushed the side of Ashton’s truck.
Luckily, any damage was cosmetic, and Ashton and Franklin accelerated away from the postapocalyptic buggy. Their pursuers had to turn all the way around to give chase, and that gave Ashton enough time to put some distance between them, though their maneuverability was limited with the delay in shifting.
This wasn’t the first time Ashton had fled an attack in this truck. Last time it had been with X. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about him since he’d left. Her dark knight, who she wanted to be mad at more than anything. But right now she just wanted to see him again.
In the rearview it looked like the devil himself was chasing them. On either side of the snowplow were a gigantic set of antlers that Ashton assumed came from a moose. Sticking up in the back of the truck like a scorpion’s tail was a winch. Most disturbing were the human skulls that lined the roof of the cab. With their wide-open jaws, it appeared they were laughing at her while the truck from hell gained on them.
John had emptied his quiver and switched to Ashton’s rifle, but he was saving his shots for when the man stuck his head out of the passenger window. If they were caught, Ashton couldn’t imagine they would be lucky enough to get away again. Her entire right side hurt her just to breathe. Not that Franklin was a major factor, but without his glasses he wouldn’t be much use. John was nearly out of weapons. The only chance she had was to lead them all the way back to Houghton and hopefully rally a force to meet them.
Strays Page 17