by W. A. R.
Within a matter of moments Shelly came back with some zip ties and some form of cloth. Brian eyed her curiously, raising an eyebrow in confusion. She rolled her eyes, dropping the baseball bat onto the floor, the metal clanging resounding throughout the mall.
“It’s a gag so he won’t go crazy and bite us.” She informed him, and a small smile formed on his lips. She grinned deviously back. “Unless you would just rather I tie you up with them…”
Brian’s small smile grew into a full blown grin. “Getting creative huh?”
Shelly shrugged, setting the zip-ties on the ground beside her. “…and leave you here for the Biters.” She glanced up at him, and saw his jaw go slack before laughing.
“That isn’t funny!” he shrieked. She laughed harder.
“You make jokes. Lift him up.” She stated simply as Brian grabbed the man’s shirt and pulled him forward so Shelly could move his arms behind his back and confine him. While she was securing the zip-ties, she continued. “What? Is there some sort of double standard here?” Brian angled his head so he could look at her while she knelt behind the man’s back.
“My jokes are funny.” He claimed childishly, a smirk pasted across his face. Shelly rolled her eyes and began putting the gag in.
“Of course. Always the comedian. Make sure he is breathing through his nose. Don’t want him to suffocate.” Brian both listened for and watched to ensure he was indeed breathing through his nose before smiling at her and laying the man back down onto the marble.
“That is why I love you. You think outside of the box.” He chuckled, tapping his forefinger against his temple. She rolled her eyes at him and handed him the rest of the zip-ties needed to tie up his feet. She glanced at the stranger’s face and she had an epiphany.
“We know him.” She stated calmly as Brian began securing boot clad feet. He paused at looked up at her. The look in his eyes said he believed her, but only barely.
“How?” he asked and she sighed, turning to face him.
“He’s the one that killed that man at Jenson’s Farm Supply; the one that almost killed…”
“Amber.” Brian cut her off, and he did so crudely, as if it pained him to say her name. Shelly sighed once more, knowing that he meant well, and she felt guilty, as did he, for leaving her to go through Thurston on her own. Sure, she had her dog, but it wasn’t the same. Amber had understood why they needed to go, and had actually encouraged it, but as her brother, Brian simply couldn’t help but want to protect her, as he did everyone else he loved. He looked at Shelly intensely. “Are you sure?” he asked her, hope tinging his voice although he tried to hide it. Shelly knew that he felt grateful to the man that had saved his sister’s life when he could not. “I thought he looked familiar, but what are the odds?”
“Apparently high.” Shelly told him, standing and dusting her knees off. “Because that is damn sure him.”
They both remembered that day far too well. It had been dark out whenever newscasters announced that a breakout had indeed occurred and anarchy was ensuing across the world. Brian and Amber had anticipated such a thing happening, so they immediately jumped in the car and rushed to El Dorado in order to get a few things that they needed before things got worse. They originally had planned to hit the smaller pawn shops; that is, until they realized that there were many others doing the exact same thing. They decided to hurry to Jenson’s Farm Supply Ranch and Home warehouse, knowing it would be a better bet than Ever-Mart or any other supercenter. Shelly had joined them, and Brian had instructed that she stay with him. He needed her help. Brian and Shelly would be grabbing fence wiring, barbed and razor, gloves, tools, etc. Amber decided she would grab extra ammunition as well as any medical equipment she could possibly find. Once they got there, it was chaos. People were everywhere, looting everything they could get their hands on. They hurriedly jumped out of the car, locking it to ensure no one would leave with it. Once they ran in, they split up to their designated areas and began grabbing what they needed. Amber, however, had more difficulty. Around the ammunition was a mosh pit of men and a few women that were struggling to find anything they could. By the time Shelly had most of their things in a cart, Brian ran back to the back of the store to grab any medical supplies so Amber would not have to, as she was still trying to get ammunition. Shelly stood there waiting behind an aisle as Amber finally shoved her way to the front of the mob. She gripped the handle of the buggy with such force her hands began to ache and her knuckles had turned white as a nervous feeling settled like a rock in her stomach. Her heart was lodged in her throat. She silently willed Brian to hurry back before things took a turn for the worse.
But it was too late to hope against hope that nothing would happen in those few minutes after Amber had made her presence known in that crazed group of people. Shelly watched the scene play out before her, fear nagging at every nerve ending.
“Move, bitch!” a balding man shouted at her as she took the last three boxes of 30-30 bullets and two boxes of 30.06 bullets off of the shelves. She began shoving out of the crowd and Shelly rushed towards her.
“You don’t have to worry about me anymore! I am out of your way!” she hollered back at him, reaching out and throwing the boxes into the cart, smiling in reprieve at Shelly. Shelly sighed in relief and began towards the doors before Amber was suddenly jerked back into the crowd, surprise and fear evident in her eyes as she was shoved back into the center with the big man she previously encountered. Shelly’s fear escalated. He gripped the back of her shirt and jacket, her feet dragging the floor as she attempted to regain her balance. She reached for something, anything, and found nothing to assist her.
“Brian!” Shelly screamed, her eyes darting across the store, attempting to find any hint of his red shirt anywhere. No one even bothered to turn to her, or seemed to hear her screams. Shelly panicked and ran the cart out of the way, searching frantically for Brian when she saw him saunter in. He walked slowly, with purpose, and he surveyed his surroundings.
“Where are they?” the big man had asked Amber, an evil gleam in his eye, while everyone around them was pushing and shoving. The more people that left, running with boxes, twice as many took their places, fighting over boxes. He narrowed his eyes at her. “The world is ending, little lady, and those boxes were mine.”
Amber glowered at him and began trying to shove away from him, but he was strong, and only kept pulling her closer. “I got those boxes fair and square asshole!” Amber shouted back at him. Shelly could see the wheels in Amber’s mind turning. Shelly glanced nervously around at the man, who was now watching the scene before him with great displeasure. “They were on the shelf and I got them. Now let me go.” Amber stated more calmly than anyone, including the big man holding her, expected. This seemed to only serve in pissing him off even more so.
“I don’t think so, you little bitch! You’ll pay for them!” the man growled before gripping the front collar of Amber’s shirt and punching her.
“Amber!” Shelly shrieked as she watched her neck snap to the right, the audible sound of bones crunching echoing in Shelly’s ears. Shelly watched as Amber fell to the ground in intense pain, blood covering the marble tile, but not before the strange man immediately took action, running up to the crowd of people . “Brian!” she screamed again. The crowd dispersed, but only a little, most everyone ignoring the fight going on amongst them. Amber cried out in pain, but attempted to get up when the big man reared back and kicked her in the ribs as hard as he could.
“Get up and give me the boxes!” he shouted at her. He didn’t want the boxes anymore; he was angry and simply worried about beating the woman on the floor before him. He knew that she couldn’t move, or even answer him, but it didn’t matter. Amber couldn’t formulate a response. She gasped for breath. The man reared back and kicked her again. Amber buckled, tensing up in the floor, her arms encircling her hurt ribs. More people were watching now, either with fear or amusement, Shelly wasn’t sure. Brian chose that moment to return
, shoving his armfuls of items into the cart. He followed Shelly’s anxious stare and saw instantly rushed to the throng of people.
“Amber!” Brian shouted, shoving against people, only to get pushed back out. The strange man couldn’t get through either, and Shelly watched as he searched around himself frantically. He was determined, and it was obvious in his eyes. She knew the moment he gathered an idea in his mind, because he instantaneously ran around to the back of the tall metal shelf that separated ammunition from the rest of the store. He began pulling at the shelf and Shelly watching it wobble. He continued to pull, grunting with the force it took. Amber writhed on the floor, tears and blood spilling onto the floor.
“You can have them!” Amber cried, “Just stop. Please.” She begged breathlessly as he reared back and kicked her once more before leaning down and grabbing her head. Amber closed her eyes against the pain as she struggled to get oxygen into her lungs.
“Too late for that now.” He growled before slamming her head against the marble. Amber cried out just as someone elbowed Brian in the nose in the midst of the commotion. He stumbled back in surprise and cursed before running back to the crowd, surging forward only slightly in his fit of anger. He began hitting people with all of his might when a loud crash resounded through the warehouse, making everyone pause and take notice of the man stumbling across empty shelves and random items littered across the floor from the fall of the shelf. His eyes were focused on the pair in the center. Amber noticed the hesitation and began to scramble away. Brian had gotten in close enough to at least reach for her until people began moving again. She spotted him through the bloody haze and reached out for him, their fingers skimming before she was jerked back upright, the big man using her as a human shield from the man now on level ground, stalking up to him. Everyone stopped moving, noting the look in the man’s eyes. It sent a shiver up Shelly’s spine. He flicked his eyes to Amber, and she caught the slightest hint of sympathy. His eyes left her just as quick as they had come once the man gripped her head as if he were going to break her neck. Amber began clawing at his arms weakly, her lungs burning, sharp pains shooting across her ribcage.
The man held a look of death in his eyes, and though it should have frightened the three of them, it didn’t. Instead, it brought them a sense of anticipation. Brian reared back and hit a man, turning and hitting another before trying once more to surge forward. The two men suddenly jerked Brian back and out of the crowd, pinning him to the floor and beginning to beat him. Shelly jumped into action, surging forward and gripping one of the men by their forearm. She struggled to pull the man off of Brian but he quickly turned and slapped her hard, sending her sprawling to the floor. She turned to see Brian fighting back with everything he had.
“Let her go.” The strange man demanded to the big bloke that held Amber. The man sneered in disgust at him.
“Go fuck yourself.” He stated simply. Before anyone could get another coherent thought, a gunshot resounded throughout the warehouse. Everyone scattered, including the men that had been beating on Brian and the man that held Shelly. Shelly ran to Brian’s aid, who instantly gathered his wits and stood, blood stemming from cuts on his face. They turned and saw the big man on the floor dead, and the strange man that had killed him held Amber in his arms. She was crying and gasping as the man turned his attention to Shelly and Brian.
“Do you have a wrap of any kind for her ribs?” he asked Brian, who hurried to Amber’s side, Shelly close behind. Death was no longer in his eyes; instead, concern rested there. They all winced as Amber gasped for air and whimpered.
“Yes…yeah…we do…car, in our car…” Brian stuttered before they stood. Shelly ran to the cart, the strange man and Brian behind her, assisting Amber to the car. Shelly rushed ahead and cleaned out the back, shoving everything out of the back into the trunk, including what was in the cart, with the exception of ace bandages and tape. She opened the door for the two guys. The stranger rounded the car to the other side, opening the door and helping pull her into the car, head first.
“Here we go. Hey, we are in the car.” He comforted her, brushing the stray strands of bloody hair from her face. Amber whimpered once more as the two men knelt over her, and Shelly watching from the front. The stranger raised her shirt only slightly and began checking her ribs. Shelly could sense Brian’s anxiousness at having to watch a stranger check out his sister’s ailments. After a minute or so, the man asked for the wrap and tape. “I didn’t feel anything broken, just maybe one or two fractured. Keep the wrap on for about six weeks.” He said calmly, his focus intently on Amber as he began gently wrapping the bandage around her. He glanced at Brian, who was watching him. “You mind doing this?” he asked, handing him the ace bandage. Brian took it and leaned forward, pulling it under her. She moaned. “Not too tight, but tight enough. She is going to be uncomfortable while it’s on, but she will be ok. Now, about that nose…”
“It hurts…” Amber grimaced, and Brian forced a smile as he wrapped the bandage around her ribs again.
“Hey, it could be worse.” Brian offered by way of lightening the mood. Amber squinted up at him and smiled slightly.
“Yeah, I could look like you. You look like crap.” She muttered, making the strange fellow and Brian chuckle. Shelly was still too shaken up to say anything, tears streaking across her cheeks.
“Well, you won’t be winning any beauty contests anytime soon.” Brian countered, hooking the bandage onto itself and pulling out the tape to wrap around her for extra security.
“Thanks bro.” she moaned, then glancing up at the man, “and thank you. If it weren’t for you I would be dead right now…”
He shrugged, watching Brian finish with the tape before turning back to her. He smiled warmly at her. “Don’t thank me yet, Amber. Brian, I need you to hold her head still.” he said, and confusion washed over Shelly, while Brian and Amber remained relatively calm. He had said their names as naturally as if he had known them for years. Brian moved forward, unsure, placing his hands on either side of Amber’s face.
“Miles?” Amber asked, wincing. The man ignored her question and placed his thumbs strategically on her nose, his other fingers pressed against her face for support. She jumped in pain. “I can live with a broken nose!” she exclaimed, beginning to cry once again and jerk around. Brian applied more pressure and held her relatively still, his heart ripping into pieces at her pain.
“Not if you want to breathe properly.” He told her calmly as she whimpered and struggled. “I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry for this.” He said softly to her before applying the necessary force. The sound of bones crunching and Amber screaming out in pain made Shelly cover her mouth with a trembling hand, empathy evident in her eyes. Both men released her and helped her sit up straight in the car. Brian closed one door, while the stranger leaned down towards Amber. She turned her head, locking eyes with him. He smiled at her, and she smiled back weakly, gingerly touching her now blue–purple nose. He lost his smile and both Shelly and Amber saw pain reflecting in his eyes.
“I need you to know that…that man in there, he got what he deserved. He was going to kill you for no reason.”
Amber looked shocked and speechless as guilt began to overwhelm her. Shelly shuddered. He had seen the guilt eating away at her. “No, he wanted the boxes of bullets…” Amber began but Shelly reached forward, touching her arm gently as the stranger interrupted her.
“No. You listen to me. He was scared, and beating you, killing you, would have brought him a sense of…strength…of comfort at a time when his world was crumbling down around him.” He began, choosing his words wisely. “You didn’t deserve it, and you should not feel remorse for him losing his life. That is my burden to carry, not yours.” Amber lowered her head, nodding slowly. He sighed. “Look at me.” He told her, and she reluctantly obliged. “I mean it. You have nothing to regret. Now, you will all survive this because you are strong.” He said, looking from Amber, to Shelly, and finally to Brian’s silhou
ette rounding the car. He turned back to Amber. “So you need to understand that some things will just need to be done, even though it feels wrong.”
Amber looked up at him in defeat, and Shelly sniffled. “Thank you.” Shelly said softly. She did not care who he was, or where he had come from. She simply thanked him for saving their lives, proving that maybe there was still hope for the human race. He nodded at Shelly, a small smile playing on his lips that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He turned back to Amber quickly.
“You are one hell of a strong woman. Then again, that has always been true, huh? Be sure to stay that way.” He winked at her before lightly and quickly kissing the top of her head and shutting the door before she could say anything. He looked over the roof of the car as sirens wailed in the distance, and screams sounding off across town. They both turned toward the sounds and sighed. Brian felt his nerves go taut and felt sick. Things were about to get really bad.
“Thank you…” Brian trailed off as he turned to face the man, who was staring off into the distance. The man turned to him, worry etching his face.
“Ya’ll be careful.” He drawled before pausing, looking through the window at Shelly and Amber before turning back to Brian. “I have to go.” He said quickly, turning towards a gray Chevy. Brian was about to call back after him, to offer him assistance in anything he needed as gratitude for everything he had done, when he paused and turned back around. He glanced at all three of them, sincerity reigning over every feature. “And Brian, ya’ll take care of each other.”
And with that, he disappeared in to the night, leaving Brian, Shelly, and Amber to do the same.