Endgame (Book 1)

by W. A. R.

  Before Buddy knew what had happened, Lance disappeared into the house without another word. He didn’t question it, and instead he scrambled to his feet, rushing to Amber, who continued trying to rise to her hands and knees, her eyes rolling listlessly in their sockets. His heart lurched at the sight, but, he thought, at least she was conscious. She blinked hard against the dizziness and pain, blood dripping from the wound on the side of her head. The hit must have been incredibly hard, as she fell to her side once again. Buddy hurriedly placed his hands on her shoulders and she jumped, startled before turning her unfocused eyes to Buddy.

  “Help me.” She whispered helplessly to him and he quickly shifted his hands under her arms, pulling her to her feet. “Where is he?” she demanded of him. He turned, seeing Biters feasting on the two men that had fallen and he eased her to lean against the porch so she could gain her balance. George rushed over with Derek, who was pretty beat up but alive and rushing from the body of the man he had been fighting with. George ran to the other side of Amber and helped a struggling Buddy kill off a few more Biters. Once she was placed against the porch, she held her head, trying to regain her focus. George turned from her and faced the rest of them. Their eyes were full of fear, exhaustion, and anticipation.

  “Lance went in the house.” Buddy growled an answer to her, reaching forward and grabbing his gun from Derek who had taken it from the ground on his way to the truck. “There are Biters everywhere.”

  “I want Lance alive.” Amber’s voice cracked and Buddy nodded before looking at a determined George. George stared hard between Amber and Buddy, the other two adults that were in charge of what was happening. And then she moved, her footsteps slightly stumbling as she made her way from the porch to the stairs, her vision blurry. He couldn’t get away; she wouldn’t let him. She was determined.

  “No problem.” George assured her before glancing at Buddy. He then turned to the others, his worrisome eyes settling on Cassie before shifting to Katie, Jacob, and Kyle. “The rest of you take out the Biters. Derek, you stay with Amber in case she needs help.” Buddy glanced at her, expecting her stubbornness to prevent her from accepting help, but instead all she did was squeeze her eyes shut again and touch her head gently.

  Without another word, Buddy nodded at George, and both men sprang to their feet, rushing towards the open front door of the house, beside Amber. Everyone else jumped up and rushed the opposite direction, effectively destroying any Biters that they came across, focusing on the many that were feasting on the two men. Cassie growled under her breath, remembering the other man that had ran towards the truck and she eased back from the group and readied her bow, crouching and stealthily making her way to an open area that was relatively safe from Biters. Her eyes searched the truck the man sat in and narrowed, a particular sound reaching her ears. The man sat in the driver’s seat with bloodied hands, crying as he desperately tried to start the truck engine. Biters were noticing the sound and aiming their wondering feet in his direction. As Cassie rounded the back of the truck, she lifted her bow and aimed it at the open window; she aimed it at the young man that had fear clearly written on his face as he noticed the monsters heading towards him. It seemed as if he had come to the sudden realization that the windows were down, making him vulnerable, and he began rolling the windows up, rocking back and forth desperately in his seat as he pushed the buttons. Fearing her opportunity to slay him was going to leave her, she released the bow string. The arrow point flew through the window, the plastic feathers clipping the rising window and causing the arrow to falter. The arrow pierced through his chest, the feathers protruding from the middle of his chest at an angle and the point escaping from his left side, grazing his arm. The windows moved no longer, and within minutes of twitching and struggling, the man did not move either. Cassie grinned and moved, running around the truck to meet her mother, Buddy, George at the bottom of the stairs. Kyle was behind her, alongside Jacob and judging by the focus of her mother’s eyes, Cassie knew that Amber was different, angered. Following Amber’s gaze, she saw why; Lance was lowering Damien to the porch.

  Lance had struggled onto the porch, his heavy feet clapping loudly against the wood as he pulled a screaming Damien out of the house with him. Lance’s eyes widened in fear, and he nearly dropped Damien whenever he saw them. Buddy aimed his gun at the man, his face a mask of fury and hatred. He cocked back the hammer and watched as Lance clung tightly to Damien’s body, resolve springing to his eyes. Damien hung limply from Lance’s hold, his head lowered and whimpering. Lance’s eyes scoured the scene before him, seeing every single one of his people dead on the ground, watching as his enemies took out the monsters that had caused so many deaths and disasters…monsters that had made him the monster that he had become. He turned back to Buddy, admitting defeat as he stared down the barrel of his gun. He released Damien slowly, lowering him to the porch, and lowering with his other hand the gun that he had gotten from the ground when fighting with Amber. Buddy noted that the gun in his hand didn’t match with the gun on his hip holster, and glancing at the ground beside him he saw the holstered pistol’s mate. He briefly wondered where he had gotten the third gun, the gun that was now by Damien, from. The man then lifted his hands and swallowed harshly every bit of emotion that engulfed him. Damien remained motionless, with the exception of slight pain-filled moans that Buddy was sure emanated from his broken bones.

  No words needed to be said, Buddy knew, as George stepped forward and after kicking the gun to the ground below, entered the house, searching for ties. Buddy held his aim steady on the man, the sounds from all around him reaching his ears again, finally, as the roaring of his blood began to lower. Biters were moaning and his people were grunting with the effort of taking them out. Damien whimpered and the fence rattled with Biters that were unable to get in, yearning to reach the center of the noise and disruption. Everything was a symphony of pandemonium, each new mournful, exhausted, and angry sound syncing with the next.

  “You look terrified.” Buddy growled at Lance, who appeared genuinely scared, his hands still in the air in surrender. Lance knew he had completely screwed up, and he was to pay the price for what he had done.

  The man had tried to appear more confident than he was, swallowing the lump of emotion that was in his throat and lifting his chin defiantly. His eyes betrayed him and Buddy had to admit that he felt a thrill at having the man shaken. “I’m not.” The man lied and Buddy couldn’t resist scoffing at him.

  “You should be.” He replied, his voice a low rumble and he accepted the small satisfaction at witnessing Lance’s eyes widening just a fraction. He meant every word. He knew what he personally wanted to do to the man, but then there was also George and Amber, whom he was sure he was going to demand information from Lance in their own way. George reappeared with some ties. He jerked Lance’s hands one by one behind his back, efficiently binding him and removing his second gun before pushing him forward, past Buddy. Buddy followed behind, turning the aim of his gun from Lance to Biters.

  1…2…3…he took out quickly from the porch steps as Kyle and Jacob took out the last two. He glanced around the yard, his eyes searching for any more monsters, his mind instinctively counting the bodies of the enemy that littered the ground around the vehicles, under Biters, and even he caught one in the driver’s seat of one of the trucks. Thirteen, and then there was Lance, whom George was escorting towards where Amber stood in a daze at the bottom of the stairs. George had the man on his knees before Amber, who stared hard at the man, the side of her head a bloodied mess.

  “Is there anyone else coming?” she asked of him, using all of her willpower to retain her focus. Buddy understood then that she was still slightly dizzy from the head trauma she had been victim to. He grumbled under his breath. The woman was determined to remain strong and unwavering, refusing to show weakness, and he was suddenly taken back to the night they had arrived. She had shown true leadership then, even after the massive Biter had nearly choked her to deat
h…Miles too. No wonder the two of them were drawn to one another, Buddy thought. When they were kind and giving, they were two of the most considerate people that he had come across and yet whenever the situation called for an exertion of power, they had it. He stared a hole through the man before them, the man that had caused so much turmoil. Brittany had gone MIA, he knew. He had not seen her since things started and with everything that was happening, the bullets that were flying, the screams from everywhere, he worried that they had not heard her, if something had happened.

  “Why would I tell you?” he asked vehemently and Amber shifted on her feet so she didn’t waver. “You have nothing else to take from me.” Buddy casually pressed his shoulder against her for stability while Cassie lifted her bow and aimed it directly at his head, Buddy lifting his gun. Both of them were unflinching. George took his knife and grabbed at the man’s bald head, his hand finding the man’s chin before jerking his head back and exposing his neck, where he settled the bloody blade of his knife. The man visibly trembled from his anxiousness and fear. His Adam’s apple moved against the blade, slicing him a little.

  “Except your life.” George bit out and the man gulped, his bottom lip trembling.

  “No one else is coming.” He bit out and George straightened, lowering his knife as Buddy and Cassie did the same with their weapons.

  “Thank you for your cooperation.” George spat out bitterly before directing his gaze to the family before him. His eyes settled on Amber, who continued to stare at the man on his knees, her eyes darkening even more so with every passing second. The man was visibly uncomfortable under her stare, as if he knew what she was thinking, as if he understood that she was considering what kind of torture he would need.

  Reluctantly, she shot George a knowing look, gathering her wits about her. “We need to get out of here soon. Those walls won’t hold for much longer.”

  George readily agreed. “We need to find Brittany. She went missing. I haven’t seen her since the fighting began.”

  Buddy sighed, placing a firm hand on his hip. “I haven’t either.” He agreed, and he took notice of the worried glances from the group.

  Katie tossed a furtive glance between the three adults in charge. “What are we going to do about Damien?” she asked and it was a plausible question. Everyone’s eyes settled on Amber, and she glanced at Lance, seeing his eyes intent on her, begging her the same question silently.

  She narrowed her eyes at him, his face coming in and out of focus as she spoke. “I haven’t decided.” She spoke honestly. She really wasn’t sure what to do with the broken man, the man that she had destroyed. The kind thing to do would be to offer him a bullet through that thick skull of his.

  Derek stepped forward, his lip bloody and his dark skin even darker around his swelling eye. “Well you had better decide quickly.”

  George nodded, glancing at her sadly. “We leave in ten minutes. Rest up.” His eyes jumped to Katie. “Can you check out her head before we go?” He asked of her and immediately she nodded and stepped around Derek and making a beeline towards Amber. George nodded and turned to everyone else. “Take out anyone else you see or any Biters, gather everything we can…food, water, weapons…” he paused as if he didn’t want to speak his last instructions aloud. “…and search for Brittany. We will meet back at the truck in ten minutes.” He said, turning and jerking Lance up by the back of his shirt, leading him away before anyone could object, not that he suspected anyone would have. Buddy stole one more worried look at Amber and sighed, reluctant to leave her alone. He turned to see Katie giving him a stern look, a silent order for him to move from her way and easily, he removed his supportive shoulder and joined George, Derek and Jacob close behind. Cassie slung her bow on her shoulder and turned towards her mother, tears in her eyes. Amber watched as her daughter swam into her focus, and she grinned warmly with all she had before Cassie wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace. Amber stroked her back as Kyle ambled up to her from behind as well, wrapping his arms around her waist. Katie paused her task and turned her attention towards the others who walked towards the truck with Lance in tow, giving the mother and her children a moment.

  “I was so worried...” Kyle whimpered against her side, emotion choking his voice. Cassie sniffled a little, attempting to hide it. Amber sighed in relief and swallowed back the emotion that threatened to choke her. She conceded to her relief that both of her children were alive and in her arms and slowly she pulled them tighter against her. Amber’s heart dropped and she relished in the feel of them, the knowledge that for that moment they were all alright.

  “I know you were. I was too.” Amber told them, her voice rough and yet tender with unconditional love for her children. “And just know that there is nothing wrong with that.” she told them, feeling them nod against her. She sighed wearily. “I am so damn proud of both of you. You two have grown so much since this all started.” Amber told them, comforting them and assuring them that they had done so much more than she knew they thought they did.

  “We had no choice.” Cassie said, her tears soaking through Amber’s shirt. “Mom…I had to…” She began, her voice cracking before she could finish and Amber tightened her hold on her daughter, feeling her heart break. She knew what Cassie was trying to say…she needn’t hear the words to feel the same pain that was coursing through her daughter.

  “I know what you had to do…what you both had to do. And I am so sorry that you were both put in that positon.” Amber told them both and they both pulled back from her warm embrace. Their eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed, tears streaking down their dirt covered faces. She understood that everything that had happened was now caving in on them that their actions alone had taken blessed life from others and they felt the guilt and doubt from it.

  “But…” Kyle began and Amber shook her head, remembering wise words that had stuck with her through every hardship she had gone through since the world went to hell.

  “Miles once told me that sometimes we will have to do the right thing, even though it may feel wrong.” She told them, and she watched as they turned from her scrutinizing eyes, soaking in her words. Amber swallowed, wincing inwardly at the heartache that filled her at the mere tender thought of Miles. She shoved it away; they would find them as soon as they left the house and ensured that the children were safe. “We are going to question what is right because the world is so different now than it was ever before. But what you did today was right. You saved us and I am so very proud of both of you for being so strong. You shouldn’t doubt that everything you did was right.” Amber told them firmly. Katie cleared her throat from beside them and Amber lowered her eyes sadly, disappointed. “Now, go help gather whatever we need. We can talk more about this whenever we get away from here. I’m not so sure if I trust Lance about no one else coming. Just in case, we need to leave.” She told them, wincing as Katie’s fingers lightly touched her wound. Dizziness enveloped her once again and she fell back against the truck. Cassie and Kyle tossed her concerned stares before turning from them and disappearing with the others.

  Cassie wondered through the yard, retrieving her blood covered arrows from the corpses that lay scattered precariously on the ground where they had dropped from impact. Kyle stepped over Damien and wondered into the house without a word, searching for food. Cassie knew he had to be hurting, just as much as anyone else, which only served to make it more surprising that her little brother didn’t toss Damien a second glance. Instead, he made sure to let his foot drop low enough to hit him, making him cry out in pain. Cassie sighed. She was hurting too. She had killed people, and coldly as well, and only within the past hour. She hadn’t considered her actions while the battle was raging. Afterwards, however, it was all she could think about. She knelt forward and gripped the feathered end of one of her arrows, shoving it forward in order to give her more room on the bladed end to pull it out without slicing her hand wide open. The arrow slid out with a sickening squishing sound before the head of
the Biter thudded back against the ground. Her mother was right, she thought; what they had done was right, but it hardened her. She was only a teenager and had taken the lives of others so easily that the memories frightened her. She shook her head. She did the right thing. She knew it. Taking the last breath from someone was bound to be hard, right or wrong. She just needed to keep that in mind.

  “Oh God…” Katie grimaced lowly, her voice barely reaching Cassie’s ears. A nervous feeling settled in her gut and Cassie turned to glance directly behind her, seeing Katie kneeling on her knees against the dirt, her back bent and her head turned, peering underneath the underside of the truck that carried their weapons. Cassie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Dammit, she had been lost in her thoughts again. Katie had long since finished assuring her mother’s head injury was fine, and he gone in search of Brittany, whom, Cassie realized as she doubled over, her eyes trailing to where Katie’s frightened and saddened gaze rested, was dead, torn apart really, underneath the truck. She had been standing motionless, lost in her reverie and self-pity and had not noticed the men carrying bags and cans, jars and boxes of food and weaponry to the truck; Kyle included.

  Bile rose in Cassie’s throat at the sight of Brittany and her eyes watered, the pain gripping her quickly. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from her friend’s motionless corpse and Katie stood, noticing Cassie’s pale features.