Yesterdays Gone: SEASON TWO (THE POST-APOCALYPTIC SERIAL THRILLER) (Yesterday's Gone)

by Platt, Sean;Wright, David

  “Maybe he got past you and slipped out one of the other exits,” Ed said. “Why are you so worried about whether the kid got away? He stole from us. If the aliens don’t get him, I might go looking for him.”

  “He’s just a kid,” Brent said.

  “Yeah? And what if he decides to shoot us? Will you sit back and let him because he’s a kid, or will you fire back?”

  “Fire back, of course.”

  “Well, he may as well have shot at us by taking our weapons. If we stayed downstairs, we might have wound up dead. Or at least you would’ve been killed.”

  “What do you mean I would have been?”

  “You’ve got a shit gun, you’re slow, and your remarkably out of shape for a thin, young man. They would’ve gotten to you before me.”

  “And you’d let them?”

  “I’m not your babysitter. We’re working together, but if you can’t keep up, you can’t expect me to always bail you out. I’m looking out for me first. That’s the only way I can ensure my daughter’s safety.”

  Brent said nothing. After all, what could he say? That Ed was being a big jerk? This was life now, and Ed was a no-nonsense kick-ass soldier, spy, or whatever the hell he was prior to October 15. Brent would have to hold his own and hope to hell he could keep pace. That was his only chance of seeing his family again, assuming he and Ed could even get back to their planet.

  Brent had assumed they could, that Ed had some idea how to get back that he wasn’t sharing. But now, on top of a hotel out in the middle of nowhere, he wondered why he’d allowed himself to believe that. It wasn’t as if Ed had said they could get back. It wasn’t as if Ed was a scientist or someone who even understood how they’d managed to get sucked over to a parallel world. Ed was a soldier simply following orders in hopes of keeping his daughter alive, and maybe, if the other girl was still alive, finding her.

  What if the powers-that-be at Black Island were simply using Ed as a pawn? What if they had no idea how, or no desire, to deliver them back to their world? Besides, why would they? If their goal was to repopulate the planet and start over, that probably meant they needed everyone on the island. Why would they allow anyone to return home? Unless . . . they planned to come over, too.

  Brent wanted to ask Ed all these questions, and a hundred more, but was afraid of the answers. Ed was a practical guy. He wouldn’t tell Brent something just to make him feel good or to give him hope. If anything, Ed might shade things negative, so he could manage Brent’s expectations. Brent opened his mouth to ask Ed what the odds were that they’d ever get back home.

  But then his mouth closed.

  Because truth was, Brent needed to preserve the illusion that he may someday see Gina and Ben again.

  * * * *

  BORICIO WOLFE: PART 2

  Soon as Boricio took the gun from Quiet Eyes, it seemed like every sanctu-fairy in the fucking place was willing to bow down and swallow his load, starting with the head sanctu-fairy himself, Brother Rei, or Brother Rainbow Brite, as Boricio had taken to thinking of him.

  Rainbow Brite looked at Boricio, eyes full of surprise, while Boricio did his best to look like he couldn't believe it himself. He sure as hell didn’t see any reason to let the fairy fuckers know he could do that shit any time he wanted during any one of the 60 minutes the Good Lord had given an hour.

  “Brother Boricio,” Brother Rainbow said. “That was excellent work. New Unity needs more good men like you.” He looked around at the cluster of onlookers, then turned his eyes back to Boricio, though Boricio knew every word was meant for them.

  “There’s a place here for you,” he said. “An important one. The world has changed, and we’ve had to change with it. The Good Lord has blanketed our lives with more mystery than ever, first striking The Prophet ill, then bringing sinners to the surface. Yet it is all for the best,” he scanned the crowd, then turned his eyes back to Boricio. “For now we can deal with the sinners, cast them where they belong, and establish a more effective leadership to keep us safe in the most uncertain days the world has known since The Flood.”

  Brother Rainbow turned his face grave and stroked his chin. “We need men, real men like you, Brother Boricio, men whose true allegiance is to Heaven and all its Glories; men who won’t cower in the face of the enemies of the righteous.”

  Boricio smiled wide, then said, “I wouldn't know how to shrink from the enemies of the righteous if I tried. I’ve been all across this lonely land, Brother Rei. And I’m here to stay as long as you’ll have me. I’ll do whatever must be done. Until the Gates of Heaven swing open, Brother Rei, you can count on me.”

  Brother Rainbow smiled, then put his hand on Boricio’s shoulder and led him from the onlookers, and John, who seemed to be off in his own little mental Wonderland. Once they were a few dozen yards away, Rainbow took his hand from Boricio and lowered his voice.

  Boricio was monkey fucker-curious to see what the head monk from the Holy Order of Beer Battered Bullshit had to say.

  “The Prophet is a good man,” Brother Rainbow said. “Great, even. A true visionary. But he has fallen gravely ill, and I cannot believe the Good Lord doesn’t know exactly what He is doing. The Prophet is ill because his time has passed. We can never forsake him for all he has given us, for building The Sanctuary, and keeping us safe.Without him, we’d be at the mercy of the Demons.”

  “There is no doubt he’s made some mistakes.” Brother Rainbow shook his head, as though the realization made it too heavy to hold straight. “The Prophet wanted to bring people into New Unity to reform them. He believed everyone deserved a chance, and that it would only take a person so long before they recognized the obvious choice.”

  Brother Rainbow shook his head. “But that’s not right. Only the Lord’s children, those who have truly accepted Him and His ways, should be allowed to wait for the Gates to open. There is, after all, only so much Sanctuary to go around. A small congregation limits much of the danger.”

  Brother Rainbow pointed to an empty bench. “Would you sit with me, Brother Boricio?”

  Boricio nodded, then quietly followed, wondering if it would be easier to cover the rainbow in red and fuck his shit up now. Boricio resisted the urge. It would be best to wait things out. Let the brother shepherd his sheep, right over the rainbow, where it would be easier for Boricio to gather the flock.

  Boricio listened as Brother Rainbow poured more bullshit into the pan, frying it nice and hot. Boricio kept nodding along; his nods punctuating the Brother’s obvious insanity and delusions of grandeur.

  Once Boricio figured Brother Rainbow was finished making his points, he looked down as though embarrassed, and asked, “What’s happened to The Prophet? I mean, what’s wrong with him?”

  “He’s been struck ill, and it looks like he won’t be coming back. And though I hate to say it, I feel a bit envious that he is going to meet his Maker, while we must stay here and fight the Good Fight. The Prophet will finally be reunited with his family. But it does leave us at a loss for leadership. A congregation must have someone at the front. And that front must have someone by his side. Do you follow me, Brother Boricio?”

  “Through a Demon’s nest and back,” Boricio said. “But what about Brother John? I thought you two were leading this congregation together?”

  Brother Rei smiled like a vulture, “I’ve not yet determined where John’s loyalties lie. If he is with us, then he will have a place at our side. But if not, he may need to be dealt with. Do you understand what I’m saying, Boricio?”

  Boricio returned the smile, “Consider me the top soldier in God’s Army. I will do whatever you need me to do to restore unity to this church.”

  Brother Rainbow’s eyes glimmered like a pimp who just found his prize bitch. However, it wouldn’t be long before Boricio would show that his pimp hand was strong, and Brother Rainbow would see who the real bitch was.

  “God has truly blessed us with your arrival,” Brother Rainbow said, hardly able to keep the boner in
his robe. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to tend to. Peace be with you, Brother.”

  “And with you, Brother,” Boricio said.

  Boricio looked around his new home, widening his smile along with the glance. Yup, this will definitely fucking do. He had everything he needed: high walls, ample weapons, and plenty of sheep he could march off the ends of the Earth, or keep in front of him to defend from a “demon” attack.

  There was a war on its way, that was sure as a long sit in the shitter after a longer night pounding shots. Boricio had to figure out which side of The Sanctuary he wanted to be on. War was good when it delivered you up top.

  Boricio’s choices came in a pair: he could either help Brother Rainbow Brite pull off his little coup, or he could set him up and side with John and The Prophet, looking like Pope Boricio to every Sanctu-Fairy in the place.

  John, along with Quiet Eyes, was one of the only people here who wasn’t buying Boricio’s bullshit, though. Did that make them threats to remove or potential allies? Boricio didn’t want dumbasses running his empire, but at the same time, he didn’t want anyone smart enough to come after him. He needed someone with just enough ambition to be a great Number Two, but no desire for all the glory. Someone like ole Charlie boy.

  He wondered again where his crew had gone off to.

  Had they been fucking dumb enough to abandon him? Or had the “demons” gotten them? Once he got control of this place, maybe he’d expend some people to go looking for the balance of Team Boricio. He’d either make them pay for their betrayal or welcome them into the new Kingdom of Boricio.

  Boricio considered his options and allegiances a bit more, wondering whom to side with. Either way, he was pretty sure he could make things work and rise to the top of the fucking food chain faster than you could fuck a desperate housewife.

  * * * *

  DESMOND ARMSTRONG: PART 2

  The Hole

  early evening...

  Linc came in to check on them after dinner.

  Desmond was surprised that Rei trusted Linc enough to let him down in the hole. Perhaps Linc was in league with Rei, after all. Linc’s eyes widened at their injuries, but he didn’t say anything. Given that the door at the top of the landing was still open, Desmond suspected that another guard was standing by, so he couldn’t take Linc’s lack of reaction to mean too much.

  Linc whispered to Desmond, “It’ll be okay,” and then left. Mercifully, he’d left the light on, either an act of grace or forgetfulness. Either way, it was nice to be out of the darkness.

  After Linc left, Desmond noticed that Luca was squeezing his eyes shut. At first he thought Luca was crying, perhaps in pain from the belt, even though he’d said he’d be okay earlier. But after a few minutes, Desmond realized that Luca was trying to connect with someone, perhaps Will.

  Desmond said nothing as Luca’s face vacillated between serenity and horror. He still couldn't get over the boy’s most recent change. Just when Desmond had finally grown used to his instant evolution from small boy to teenager, he was now trying to get his head around what should’ve been a smaller jump that, shockingly, was not.

  Desmond would have considered Luca’s first couple of leaps in growth a scientific impossibility if he hadn’t witnessed them with his own two skeptical eyes. Despite having seen Luca’s healing of others three times, the change in Luca physically was so drastic that Desmond could barely believe he was the same person. The starkest change was in Luca’s eyes, though there was a hint in his posture and a clench in his jaw. Other than the slight pause before he answered a question, when the new Luca seemed to search for the perfect way to say something, just like the old one, all traces of the boy had disappeared. The change was so unsettling, Desmond had a difficult time looking at him, which was why he was trying to get more comfortable while Luca was using his mind to find Will.

  Luca finally opened his eyes to find Desmond staring at him. Desmond looked away, embarrassed. “Hey,” he said. “Any luck?”

  Luca nodded. “I found Will. He’s going to help us tonight, as soon as he can get here.”

  “And you’re sure you’re not imagining any of this?” Desmond felt bad asking.

  “Yes. I’m going to try to reach Linc, now.”

  “Bad idea,” Desmond said. “We don’t know whose side Linc’s on. A lot’s changed since the farmhouse, you know.”

  “He’s still Linc,” Luca said. “He’s still our friend. He left the light on for us, didn’t he?”

  “I’m not saying he’s not our friend, or that Linc would ever want to harm us,” Desmond struggled for the right words, unsure of how much of Luca was still eight.

  “Things are different now,” Desmond said. “The human mind will do anything to protect the body. Right now, I’m guessing Linc’s in survival mode. If he thinks Brother Rei will help keep him alive, well, that means Linc’s likely to find his words more magnetic than ours.”

  Luca was quiet a while, then finally said, “I already looked in his mind when he was in here. He’s okay. He’s trying to think of a way to help us. He and Mary, both.”

  “Mary is going to do something? You talked to him? He heard you?” Desmond said.

  “He didn’t hear me, I don’t think. I was tuning into him,though. And Mary asked for his help. He told her yes.”

  “How’s he gonna help us?” Desmond asked.

  “Not sure. Anyway, it might be best if we told him what to do, right? I’m gonna try to find out from Will what he wants Linc to do. I’m going to try and push a thought into Linc’s head. Not sure if it will work, but I’ll show him where the bag of guns is outside.”

  Desmond cringed. It was one thing trusting Linc to go along with his plan, but another altogether to tell him where the guns were. That was their last line of defense. But then again, that defense was nothing if they were chained up in the hole. Desmond was about to ask how far away Will was when the door up top opened again. Rei stepped into the chamber and began to slowly pace the room.

  “How are you boys getting along down here?” Rei looked up at the light, “Ah, I see that someone left a light on for you. How thoughtful. Who was it?”

  Desmond didn’t want to get Linc in trouble, so he kept his mouth shut.

  Rei approached Desmond, “I asked a question. I expect an answer. Have you so quickly forgotten what happens when you don’t obey me?”

  Desmond met Rei’s eyes. He would sell his soul to the Devil right now to break free the chains and put an end to the weasel’s smile.

  “I think it was Linc,” Desmond said.

  “Ah, Linc. Your friend, Linc, right?”

  Uh-oh.

  “How cozy are you and Linc?” Rei asked. “What sorts of things does he tell you?”

  “Nothing,” Desmond said. “He’s pretty much ignored us ever since we got here. He’s a traitor as far as I’m concerned, to let you hold us down here like this.”

  Rei stared at Desmond as if trying to decipher what was true and what was lie.

  Rei began to pace again. “You see, Brother Desmond, I hate to think that my fellow brothers are sneaking around like rats behind my back. I don’t like rats very much.”

  Desmond nearly laughed at the irony: a weasel that didn’t like a rat, but the pain in his body told him to resist the urge. They only had to last a little while longer until Will, and maybe Linc, would help them break free.

  Keep your mouth shut, and try not to piss Rei off. Just wait him out.

  Rei kept pacing, saying over and over, “I really, really don’t like rats.”

  What’s he getting at? What does he know?

  Suddenly Luca was in Desmond’s head, “Oh no.”

  “What?” Desmond thought.

  And then it happened.

  Carl opened his mouth.

  “They’re planning an attack,” he sputtered. “The old man is coming back!”

  Rei’s eyebrows rose as he looked from Carl to Desmond, to Carl again, and then back to Des
mond. “Is this true?” he said.

  Desmond was stunned silent. He and Luca had been talking about everything out loud, without any thought that Carl might betray them.

  “I didn’t even think to look in Carl’s mind to see if he was on their side,” Luca thought to Desmond. “I’m so sorry.”

  Rei’s eyes went back to Carl. “Go ahead, Brother Carl, I’m listening.”

  “The creepy kid can do stuff with his mind. Said he was talking to the old man a while back, and to Linc just now.”

  Rei smiled, chewing the delicious news. “Well, how about that? So, Linc is working with you?” He stood just inches from Luca. “So, you have a window to the whispers in our minds? Pray tell, boy, what am I thinking?”

  Luca closed his eyes tight and said nothing.

  After a minute of mutual silence, Rei turned to Carl. “What else did they say?”

  “Luca said that Will is gonna help them break out of here. And Linc is gonna help them. And something about a bag of guns or something.”

  Brother Rei kept smiling, telling Carl he’d done excellent work, and that it was always a glorious day at The Sanctuary when the Good Lord’s work was done. The flock was never prouder than when one of its own learned a valuable lesson and chose virtue over sin.

  Rei unfastened Carl from his restraints, then handed him a pistol from beneath the folds of his robe. “Welcome back, Brother Carl. Please, go to Brothers Gerald and Evan. Tell them the time has come. Then get Brothers Peter and Boricio and round up Linc and bring him here to me. If anyone tries to stop you or stand in your way, shoot them where they stand. The Good Lord will decide what happens to them after that.”

  “Thank you, Brother Rei,” Carl said, bowing. He left the torture room without looking behind.

  “So, what is this about weapons?” Rei asked, smiling.

  “He’s laying,” Desmond said, “He just wants out of here. And you just let him go. He’s playing you for a fool.”