Mandy couldn’t wait any longer.
She gritted her teeth and pulled the trigger.
The recoil felt harsher than it had. The noise felt louder than it had before.
The stranger fell to the ground.
Mandy didn’t move. She was frozen, somehow overwhelmed with what she’d done.
She’d done the right thing. But that didn’t make it any easier for her.
Max moved swiftly, grabbing his Glock and throwing himself to the ground. He always seemed to act in a rational way. There was no way for him to know who had shot, whether they were friend or foe.
Mandy needed to tell him. She needed to announce her presence.
But her mouth didn’t seem to work.
It didn’t make sense. Mandy had been able to fight effectively since the farmhouse. She’d gotten better. She’d thought she was over it completely.
But apparently it had been living inside her like some dark demon, hiding away in the recesses of her soul and memory, ready to strike at the worst moments, casting doubt and uncertainty on a whim.
“Who’s out there?” called out Max finally.
Mandy got her mouth open, but nothing came out.
Minutes seemed to pass. Her heart was still rushing like a racehorse.
Finally, she was able to speak.
“It’s me!” she called out. Her voice was horse, cracking awkwardly as it filled the cold space between them.
“Mandy?”
Max was up, moving towards Mandy. But not before checking the pulse of the dead stranger, and collecting the extra firearm.
The body of the woman lay behind him, her opened eyes seeming to point directly at Mandy, because of the way she’d fallen.
Mandy felt Max’s arms around her.
“What happened? Are you OK?”
Mandy managed to nod.
“You’re shaking,” said Max.
“Is she dead?”
“Yeah. She’s dead. It was a good shot.”
“I couldn’t… I didn’t…”
Max looked at her, holding her head in his hands and tilting her face to his, even though she was trying to look away.
“I almost couldn’t do it,” said Mandy. “I kept thinking about the woman back at the farmhouse.”
Tears were streaming down Mandy’s face. And she’d never been more embarrassed about an emotional reaction. She knew this wasn’t the way to behave. She knew it could endanger the survival of them all. But she couldn’t help it.
“It’s OK,” said Max. “You did it. That’s what’s important.”
“What did she even want?”
“I don’t think she knew. She was acting out of fear. Panic. Instinct. Nothing more.”
“I screwed up,” said Mandy. “I could have let you get shot. I waited so long to pull the trigger.”
“There’s no time to worry about that now,” said Max. “We’ll talk about it later. Maybe we can work on some techniques not to let old memories interfere so much. But right now, we need to check on Georgia and the others. And get a crutch for Georgia.”
Mandy nodded silently.
“You’ll feel better if you do something,” said Max. “Why don’t you check over in that direction, to see if there are any good saplings?”
“OK,” said Mandy, wondering whether a crutch would really be enough for Georgia.
How did Max do it? He seemed unaffected by everything. He’d just watched a woman killed before his eyes, and he was already ready to move on to the next practical task.
She wanted to ask him. Ask him how he did it. Ask him what gave him such drive. It wasn’t like she didn’t have the drive herself, but so much seemed to be standing in her way. At least, at times.
But as she turned to ask, Max was already busy at work.
He waved her over, before starting to work on the sapling. He bent it down, took out his pocket knife, which he opened with a flick, and dug into the tree’s flesh with the blade.
“This’ll make a good one,” he said, calling out. “We’ll see how she does with this. And if we need to, we’ll make a stretcher for her. It’ll be tiring for us, but we can do it.”
Mandy didn’t say anything. She watched as Max broke the sapling in two, and examined it for strength.
19
Tom
Tom knew he didn’t know what he was doing. He knew rushing the building that harbored four armed men was beyond stupid. He knew he’d never make it out of there alive.
He knew that those two people he’d just met, whatever their names were, were completely right.
But all this reason, it was only a little voice somewhere in the back of his mind. It wasn’t any match for the animalistic impulses of revenge that surged through him.
His blood boiled. His body was sweating. His face felt hot. He was ready for action. He was ready to take out all the pain and frustration of a collapsing world on those who had tormented him. And what better candidates to rain down upon?
The new job had been his way out of his former life. He’d spent too many hours at his old job, dreaming the time away, completely miserable. His life had been grey and uneventful, painfully boring. Horrible in every way.
It was almost a miracle he’d gotten the job in the first place. Of course they knew he had no experience. But he had a familial connection, a great uncle, who was thankfully still alive, who happened to wield great political influence. And that influence, even in his great age, still worked wonders on the Pennsylvania Parks Department.
He should never have gotten the job. But he’d been lucky.
And then the world had ended.
He’d been barely surviving.
And then they’d started coming around. Tormenting him. Harassing him. Threatening him.
He couldn’t take it. It wasn’t just them. It was everything.
So maybe he didn’t know how to use the shotgun.
But how hard could it be?
Tom stood with his back flat against the exterior wall.
Inside, he could hear them talking. They were speaking to each other causally, chuckling and laughing.
“We got to wait here all day or what?”
“Kara will have our heads if we don’t.”
“But she didn’t even come back last night.”
“Yeah, man, maybe she’s a goner.”
“Kara? Nothing could kill her. She’s too tough.”
“Unfortunately.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know what I mean. And don’t go running to tell her. She’d never believe you. She likes me more than you.”
The others laughed.
“You’re just hoping she’ll pick you when it’s time for her to mate.”
“Time for her to mate? She’s not an animal.”
“Hell, those were her own words. She’s cold-blooded, man. She doesn’t care about anything but power.”
“What’s having babies got to do with power?”
“Are you really that dense?”
“Do you really think she could be dead?”
“Maybe not dead. Maybe she decided to take a vacation. Go down to Hawaii and let the rest of us starve during the winter, like Washington at Valley Forge.”
“Washington didn’t take any vacation.”
They all laughed.
Somehow, the laugher made Tom’s blood run hotter.
They were the same men for sure. He recognized their voices.
Well, they’d pay soon enough.
Something inside Tom made him hesitate. Just for a moment. He glanced back at the little structure he’d been hiding out in, maybe to see if his new friends would come and try to hold him back. But there was no movement. They didn’t appear.
Well, that was the only answer he needed.
Tom held the shotgun as steadily as he could in front of him.
Maybe he’d been thinking that by waiting he’d change his mind. Maybe part of him knew it wouldn’t work, that it was a s
uicide mission, that it was the stupidest thing he’d ever do. And the last thing. Maybe he was hoping his new friends would save him from himself.
But whatever small part of rational thought was left in him, it wasn’t enough to overcome the animalistic desire and thirst for blood that roared through him. There was no stopping it.
Tom took a step. It seemed as if he was in a dream.
Another step.
The door was ajar.
Tom kicked the door. His foot felt good against the heavy metal. It felt like he was doing something. Accomplishing something.
The door burst open.
Three heads turned to him. Three looks of surprise greeted him.
The bastards. He’d take them all out.
Hadn’t there been four of them? Where was the other man? No time for that now. Got to act.
Tom had his shotgun level. He squeezed the trigger.
The kickback was more than he’d expected.
It hit one of them in the stomach. He cried out.
The rest were reaching for their guns.
Tom aimed the shotgun again.
But before he could pull the trigger, something hard hit him in the head. He heard it against his skull. It was impossibly loud. There wasn’t even time to register the noise, though. He blacked out.
He woke up in incredible pain. It was like the worst migraine he’d ever had, but ten times worse. He used to get them at his old job, where the fluorescent lights had always seemed to make it all worse.
Where was he?
“He’s awake,” said a gruff voice.
The memories came flooding back to him.
A blow hit him hard in the face. He heard something. Was it his nose? His cheekbone?
Painfully, he opened his eyes. He could just squint. There was something covering one of them, and it didn’t really open properly. Was it blood?
Three severe faces peered down at him. There was anger in their eyes.
“You shot Tommy.”
Tommy? Were they talking about him? He’d never gone by Tommy. He’d always hated the name.
“You shot him, you asshole.”
“We were going to just kill you, but Jim here had a better idea.”
“Yeah, I had a good one.”
“And he doesn’t get a lot of them.”
“Screw off.”
“It’s true.”
“That’s not the point. Listen, we’re going to have some fun with you.”
“We were just normal guys, you see, but…”
“The stress is getting to us.”
“Kara’s busting our balls.”
“She’s gone crazy.”
“You know how it is, don’t you, Mr. Park Ranger?”
Tom shook his head vigorously. Suddenly, the realness of the threat became apparent to him. These three guys were going to torture him. And then kill him. It was as clear as day. But he’d been dazed from the blow he’d received, and had been slow to catch on.
Tom tried to get up.
But he was tied. Tied to a table. The very same table he’d used, eaten on, and spread his maps on, as he’d tried to learn the geography and topography of the park.
Tom thrashed against the rope that bound him, but it was no use.
The three men chuckled at him.
One of them flicked out a knife. He held it menacingly, slowly closing the gap between Tom’s face and the glinting blade.
“I’m going to have fun with this.”
“Get on with it. Don’t take too long.”
“I’ll take as long as I like.”
“Yeah, where’s the fun if you can’t savor it?”
“Just do your thing so we can all have a turn.”
They didn’t want anything from him. They didn’t want information, apparently. They weren’t trying to extract something from him. They were just doing this because they could.
Tom screamed as the tip of the blade pierced his cheek. He felt the knife cutting through his face. He tasted the blood in his mouth, hot and flowing freely. His scream became garbled as the blood poured down his throat.
“All right, you’ve had enough. It’s my turn.”
“I thought I was next.”
The knife withdrew. But the pain did not.
20
Max
“What happened?” said Georgia, leaning against the Bronco.
“Are you all right?” said Sadie, rushing up to Max and Mandy.
“We’re fine,” said Max.
“That strange woman… she was going to kill Max,” said Mandy. “I had to… I had to shoot her.”
“Mandy did what she had to do,” said Max, putting an arm on Mandy’s upper back. “She’s a little shaken, but she’ll be fine.”
Mandy flashed him an artificial-looking smile. He knew she didn’t think she’d be fine. But with time, she’d get used to all this. She already was used to it. What she needed to do next was learn to adapt to the flashbacks, the memories, the guilt, and the nightmares that he knew she was having.
James stood there, gun in hand, looking like he was ready to take action. Max could see it in his eyes. He hadn’t wanted to stay there. He’d heard the gunshot, and had wanted to be the one who’d fired it.
“We’ve got another loaded gun,” said Max. “No spare ammo.”
“Where’d she get it?”
Max looked at the gun. It was small and compact. He didn’t recognize the make or model.
“No idea. She must have had it hidden somewhere.”
“I patted her down,” said Mandy, taking the gun from Max and examining it.
Max didn’t say anything at first.
Max looked at Mandy, knowing that he’d reprimand her.
“I know there was a lot going on,” said Max. “And I’d just passed out, but we’ve got to be thorough with everything we do.”
Mandy’s eyes looked like they were going to water.
“But it wasn’t just you,” said Max. “We’re all at fault. I could have checked her again myself. I should have, and that’s my fault. Each of us could have. And we’ve got to all remember that. Just because we think that someone else has taken care of something, that doesn’t mean we can’t take it upon ourselves to check it. Make sure it’s done right. After all, it’s all of our lives that are at stake.”
Mandy nodded. The others were hanging on his every word. They respected him, and listened to him.
“There’s no police,” said Max. “No military. There’s no government. There’s no one looking out for us. Everything is up to us, and we’ve got to remember that. Every action we take could be the difference between life and death.”
Max looked at James and Sadie pointedly. “And just because you’re younger than the rest of us, you two aren’t off the hook. It’s your life at stake too, and don’t forget that. And just because we’re older than you, doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes. So don’t forget to question us, or check our work. The winter’s going to be tough. Maybe the toughest thing we’ve faced yet.”
James nodded solemnly.
Sadie looked scared and worried. And maybe that was good.
“All right,” said Max. “Enough chit chat. Let’s get going. How’s this going to work for you, Georgia?”
“Fine,” muttered Georgia, tight-lipped as she took the sapling crutch from Max.
She grunted in pain as she put it under her arm and took her first step.
“Are you OK, Mom?” said Sadie.
“Fine.”
But Max could clearly see that Georgia wasn’t fine. She was tough, and she’d put up with intense pain probably longer than any of the rest of them. Unfortunately that meant that she also would be unwilling to admit that she couldn’t make it on the crutch alone. Sometimes, toughness could be a determinant. Not often, though.
“Test that out a little, Georgia,” said Max. “James, come with me. We’re going to get a stretcher made for your mom.”
“A stretcher?” said Georgia, g
laring at Max.
Max nodded as he looked her in the eye. “I don’t think you’re going to make it on that crutch alone.”
“I’m fine.”
“I also don’t think you’d ever admit any weakness, even though you have every reason to be weak. You were willing to sacrifice for your children. You got shot. Badly. You’re lucky to be alive. What you’ve got to remember is that you could put your kids’ lives in danger once again by simply failing to admit your weakness.”
Georgia’s face shifted. She knew Max was right.
“Come on, James,” said Max. “We’ve got to find some good wood.”
Before setting off with James, Max handed the stranger’s firearm to Georgia. “I don’t even know if it works,” he told her. “So check it.”
“Always do, Max,” said Georgia, already examining the gun.
Max nodded, and turned back around.
“Max,” said Georgia.
“Yeah?” said Max, without turning around.
“Thanks.”
Max raised a hand to acknowledge her, and set off, trailing James, who was already off into the woods.
The night was cold. Not yet winter cold. But it was a sign of things to come. Max could see his breath in the air as he exhaled.
James had a look of pure determination on his face. Max noticed as he caught a glimpse of his face in the dim moonlight that James was looking older. The weeks seemed to have aged him. More than usual for someone his age. Maybe it was the stress. Or maybe he was just mentally growing up faster than normal, his internal attitude showing through on the outside.
James and Max had a lot to work to do. Saplings weren’t easy to find. But the dead branches on the ground weren’t suitable for making a stretcher.
They worked for at least an hour, just to find the saplings.
When they had the saplings, they brought them back to the Bronco, where everyone was, of course, still awake, waiting and watchful for the kind of constant new threats they’d all come to expect.
They used rope to lash the saplings together, creating what was probably one of the most uncomfortable stretchers ever made. Two of the biggest saplings ran parallel together, and smaller pieces ran laterally, supporting a wool blanket that they lashed onto it.
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