by Roman Shepp
Tragic Impulse
The Beginning Book 3
Roman Sheep
Copyright © 2018 by Roman Sheep
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter One
Tony and the others followed Frank down into the dark depths of the bunker. He bristled and gripped the bat tightly. The last time he had seen Frank, the man had been facedown on the street after having tried to attack Jane. That had felt so long ago, but the wounds on Frank's face had yet to heal. His skin was a purplish-yellow, and a permanent scowl was etched upon his face.
Tony could tell Jane was on edge. She fell in behind him, trying to keep as much distance between herself and Frank as possible. Tony wasn't going to let him hurt her again. There still was so much Tony didn't know about their past, but he knew he didn't trust Frank one bit. However, he had no choice except to follow him down into the bunker. They had been searching for this place for so long now, had endured and witnessed so many atrocities, that they couldn't turn their backs on this beacon of hope. Just because Frank was here didn't mean there weren't others who would be able to help them.
The bunker entrance was a dark, narrow passage. The steps quickly gave way to a slope. The ceiling was low; Tony had to hunch his shoulders. Candles had been placed at regular intervals, giving the bunker a cavern-like feel. The flames danced slowly. The light was dim, but enough to illuminate the way. Tony looked up to the low ceiling and saw the long electric lights rendered impotent. The wires slithered along the ceiling like vines but were utterly useless. Part of Tony had hoped the government would have found some way around the power outage, but it appeared not. The air was stale, especially when compared with the sweet openness of outside, and Tony had to remember to exhale. With Frank in such close proximity to him, Tony was holding onto every breath.
“I always had a feeling I'd run into you again,” Frank said.
He spoke slowly and casually, not bothering to look back. A confident man, Frank had a swagger about him that gave Tony the impression the man thought himself invincible. It didn't even look as though Frank was carrying a weapon. It would have been so easy for all of them to fall upon him and make him pay for everything he had done to Jane, but Frank didn't seem worried at all.
“You showed a lot of determination to find this place. We'll all be glad for the new company.”
The more he spoke, the more Tony detected a hint of hostility in his voice and remained on guard. Hatred simmered inside him. How could Jane ever have been with someone like Frank? She seemed so sweet and lovely. It didn't seem possible she could be so foolish as to fall for his fabricated charm. What had she been thinking? Over the course of their time together Tony felt as though he had come to know Jane quite well, even had begun getting close to her. Seeing this fragment of her past only reminded him how little he did know of her.
What he saw didn't impress him. Young and inexperienced with relationships, Tony thought that relationships were easy and filled with affection. He had no idea how turbulent they really could be.
“You didn't have to leave me in the alley, though,” Frank continued. “I thought that was very inhumane of you. Anything could have happened to me. Thankfully, I managed to survive, and now all of you are here too. It's funny how things work out, isn't it? I've never been much of a believer in destiny, but this is enough to make you wonder.”
“I've been wondering about a few things myself,” Tony said, clenching his jaw. He wasn't about to get involved in a chitchat with Frank. There were too many important things to be dealt with.
“Such as?”
“Your plan. What are you doing down here? Is there a way to save the world? What did the government have planned for this place?”
“We're working on it.”
“We?” Tony asked, eager to discover who else was in the bunker with Frank. Maybe they were reasonable. Maybe they could be convinced they had a monster in their midst.
“You'll meet them in a second,” Frank said, and opened up his arms as they reached the end of the slope.
The narrow passageway opened into a wide tunnel. The ceiling was higher here. It all had been carved out of rock, so the walls were jagged and of different shades. However, panels of metal and wood had been placed against some portions of the walls. It looked as though the bunker had been built a very long time ago but was bigger than Tony had anticipated. Especially given the cramped confines of the sloping corridor they just had been through. It was not spacious by any means, and Tony didn't think he could spend a significant amount of time in this bunker, but there was enough room to move around.
Candles and lanterns were placed at regular intervals. Boxes stood against the walls. Some were open, filled with cans of food. Tony's eyes went wide as he thought about all the supplies that were there. Frank turned into an opening, which was a large meeting room. Tables and chairs were dotted around in a haphazard manner, and a few people were inside, some standing, some sitting. They looked up as Frank walked in, surprised at seeing everyone else. Some were huddled together, but others, the soldiers, who were clearly marked by their uniforms, had their hands near their weapons.
“I told you there was nothing to be afraid of,” Frank said.
“You still should have let one of us go up there with you. I can't let you take your life in your hands like that,” one of the soldiers said. He was tall and clean-cut, still keeping his all-American looks despite the rough and ready world.
“I can do anything I want, son. Don't you forget that,” Frank said.
The soldier looked as though he was about to say something, but then stopped himself. One of the other soldiers, a Latino woman with dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, glanced at him. Tony wasn't surprised if there were tensions between these people. Being stuck down here for so long was enough to give anyone cabin fever. Tony had suffered the same thing on more than one occasion, being stuck in his apartment for days on end sometimes, his mind spiraling. It was kind of a funny, though, really; he'd been too busy and distracted to go crazy.
“Funnily enough, I actually know these people. Well, some of them anyway. It's a small world, isn't it?” Frank said, grinning like a lizard. “Jane here used to work for me. I don't actually think I caught your names.”
Tony looked around and noticed how Jane shrank back again, not wanting anything to do with Frank. Maybe this had been a mistake. Maybe Tony should have marched them away as soon as Frank had greeted them. It was too late now.
“I'm Tony. This is Saeed, Tara, and Phil. Oh, and this is Groot,” he added when the dog barked. Groot was on edge as well. A low rumbling growl flowed out of his body at being around Frank.
“And these are my associates, Megan Hunter and Brian Button,” Frank said, pointing to the two people, who were around Frank's age.
Megan's face was lined with deep creases and her hair was gray. Tony imagined that once she would have been a beautiful woman, but those days were long behind her. Brian had hunched shoulders and unlike the other men in the bunker he had failed to keep
his hair and beard tidy. He looked like a wizened hermit.
“These are the ever-vigilant soldiers who were on duty here when the world went dark, Captain Steven Roberts, Private Rosa Maltes, and Private Donald Suthers.” Steven nodded to them. Rosa was chewing on some gum and raised her head. Those were the two who Tony had noticed before. Donald had dark skin and was sitting on a table behind the other two. He tossed them a glance, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere.
“And these two,” Frank sighed, “I think their names are Martha and Belinda, but they don't really speak to us. Like you, they were fortunate enough to find this bunker and, well, we couldn't turn them away.”
He said this in a manner that made it seem as though that was exactly what he had wanted to do. The two women looked older than their years. They huddled together, apart from everyone else, and didn't even look up. Martha seemed to be the eldest one, although it was difficult to tell. Were they sisters? Tony didn't know, but they wouldn't be the only traumatized people in the world.
“And now that we all have been introduced I suppose it's as good a time as any for us to tell you about what's happened here. Why don't you all take a seat?” Frank suggested, walking to the front of the room to be with the people he had deemed his associates.
Tony was the first to sit down. All of them were wary, but they had little choice other than to do what Frank said. Still, there was so much unknown between all of them. Tony wanted information. It was just annoying that the only way to get it was through this detestable man.
“The world we once knew has fallen. There's no way to deny that. But that doesn't mean it can't be rebuilt. I don't know what is happening in the rest of the country. There is no way to know. We only can focus on ourselves and the area around us. It's a time of crisis, and in times like these the great men of history come to the fore and take control. We want to keep the transition as smooth as possible. This country was built on a constitution, on the belief of democracy, and those of us in this room still hold true to that belief. While we are alive, the government exists, as does the chain of command. Even though everyone is losing their minds and the world is going crazy, we have to remain calm. There is a way out of this, as long as we trust in the system that has worked for us so far.
“We are still in control here. It's time for a new America, one that can be built on the foundations of the old one. None of us are stupid. We all know that mistakes have been made, but this is our chance to correct those mistakes. We have been given a second chance, and that is precious. The beginnings of this new country are here, in this very bunker. This is the New America, and although it may seem humble at first, it shall rise and be as glorious as the country that came before it.”
While Frank spoke with vigor, with so much vigor in fact that his face turned red, it struck Tony as empty rhetoric. It almost was impossible to believe the seeds of a new republic were in that bunker, and Tony wasn't sure how America ever was going to be the same again. It was entirely typical of a politician to seize power, and although Frank hadn't said it outright, it was clear he believed himself to be the best person to lead this new America.
“But how?” Tony said. “You've seen it out there. I don't think a handful of us are enough to seize control. It's been too long now. People have given up hope. This is the way the world is now, at least for a lot of them. I don't think it's going to be as easy as you think.”
“Ah, and that is exactly the attitude we need to change. We will have to inspire people and show them that their country has not failed them.”
“I don't think many people are going to listen to you if you're planning to go out and campaign,” Tony said. The others all were staying quiet. Saeed was quiet anyway. Jane obviously still was dealing with some emotions. Phil was trying to understand the dynamics on show here. Tara was taking a cue from Jane.
“That's why we're not going to campaign. This isn't some drive where we have to go and convince people to vote for us. We must show them that we're in control, and then they'll fall into line.”
“And what if they don't listen? You really think you can march out there and just assume control? People aren't going to let you do that.”
Frank's mouth curled into a thin smile. “There is an error in your thinking, Tony. We are not going to march out there. We are going to wait here in safety for the world to tear itself apart. Then we are going to be the ones to pick up the pieces and show people the new way to live. America is in its death throes. We just simply let it die so it can be reborn.”
“You mean you just want to wait here for a lot of people to die and then go up and take control?”
“I wouldn't have put it as bluntly as that, but yes, in essence. You see, the people who survive will be the ones rebuilding the country. We need to wait for the weak to be purged. Only then can we rise and show everyone the way to the New America. I know that doesn't sit right with some,” he glanced at the soldiers, “but it's the only pragmatic way. Think of these as growing pains. Much sacrifice must be made for the sake of the future. The world was at a tipping point anyway. There were economic crises, moral crises, and environmental crises. This event gives us the opportunity to start with a blank slate. Like the Biblical flood, it will leave the most honorable and the most righteous, and we will lead the country back to greatness again. It is simply a burden we all must share. We have to wait for the world to be cleansed before we can rise up and claim our throne.”
Tony tried sorting through the tumultuous feelings within him. Something about what Frank was saying just didn't sit right with him. Before the world changed, Tony would have remained silent. The world had changed. He had changed. No longer could he hold his tongue.
“I don't understand how you could let so many people die. What's the point in living if you're not going to help people? You've seen all the pain out there, all the anguish. What use is a new world when the foundations are built on blood? We need to get out there and help people. If we don't, there may not be a country left. We can't just wait for the world to burn.”
Tony's words lingered in the air for a moment, but then laughter broke out. It wasn't just Frank who laughed, but the other two politicians as well.
“Such idealism,” Frank said, then turned his back on Tony. Tony fumed, but he also saw the soldiers turn their eyes away in shame. If they knew this was wrong, why weren't they doing anything about it? The whole thing stunk. This bunker was supposed to have offered them salvation, but it only gave them something more to worry about.
“Steven, show our new guests to their quarters,” Frank said.
Captain Roberts nodded and escorted Tony and the others out of the room into another. The bunker was compact, with each room splintering off from the main corridor. They were taken into what was basically a barracks, with a number of bunk beds. The room was fairly big, but it seemed smaller because of the boxes stored within.
“Feel free to make yourselves at home. We generally have meals together. It's important to keep on top of the rationing. There's a library in the room across the hall. Feel free to take anything. We keep the lanterns and candles lit all the time. It might take a bit of getting used to, but your eyes will adjust. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask.” He went to leave, but before he did Tony pulled him back.
“How can you listen to a man like Frank?” Tony asked. “You must see that what he's doing is wrong? We can't just put our heads in the sand and ignore the plight of the rest of the world.”
“He's my superior officer. I have to respect the chain of command,” Steven said tersely, then walked away.
Tony sighed and turned to the others, sitting on one of the beds. Saeed sat down too. Phil laid down on one of the beds. Groot scrambled up, wanting to be beside Tony. Tony eventually reached down and lifted him onto the bed. Tara sat down too, while Jane paced back and forth.
“I can't believe this. I actually can't believe it. Somehow, I should have known he was here. I shouldn't have been so eager to get
here. Should have been more careful. He's planning something, I just know he is. We can't stay here. It's not safe. We should leave. We should leave right now, before anything else happens,” she said, chewing on her nails.
“Jane, don't get too caught up in this. I know he's not who you'd want to run into, but we're all here with you. We won't let anything happen. We've spent so long searching for this bunker I don't know what else we're going to do if we don't stay here. Where else is there to live? Especially with that masked man lurking in the forest. At least we're safe here,” Tony said.
“We're not safe here. Not when he's here too,” Jane said. Tony pursed his lips and then rose to stand beside her, interrupting her pacing. She looked a little startled, and Tony had to force her to look at him.
“I know how you feel right now, but trust me, nothing bad is going to happen to you. We're safer here than we are out there. I don't think we can stay here for too long, though. Not when they think the way they do. But right now, I vote that we stay.” Tony looked to the others. Saeed nodded in agreement.
“I think you're right, bud, and they might even have something I can use for my arm,” Phil said. “But I don't like the idea of staying here indefinitely. We still have that map, don't forget. There could be some clues there.”
Tony looked at Jane. It took a few moments, but she nodded. Tony breathed a sigh of relief.
“Right. So, we'll collect ourselves and wait here until we figure out our next move. At least we don't have to worry about any surprises,” he said. Then there was a knock at the door. Furrowing his brow, Tony walked up and opened it, surprised to find Captain Roberts there.
“Can I have a word with you?” he said in a low voice. Tony stepped out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him.