After the EMP (Book 8): Hope Stumbles

by Tate, Harley

  “Excuse me.” The voice made him jump. “I need to check her vitals.” The same woman who let them inside eased between him and his wife.

  “I’m her husband.”

  She nodded and placed the stethoscope on Tracy’s chest. “I’m Heather. Before everything fell apart, I was a nurse practitioner.” She moved the stethoscope around, listening. “Your wife’s breathing is normal. That’s a good sign.”

  Walter stepped back and let her do her job, checking temperature and pupil dilation before inspecting the bandage. “Craig said it was most likely a 9mm. With this much blood, probably a through-and-through, but I’ll need to take the bandage off to be sure.”

  “How’s Dani?”

  “The other girl?” Heather hesitated. “She’s touch and go. Heart rate is steady, but weak. She lost a fair amount of blood. But the bullet missed the femoral by a few inches. She’s lucky.”

  Walter snorted. “Not what I would call it.”

  Heather’s lips thinned. “It will take a while for her body to replenish all the blood she lost. We’re not equipped for transfusions here.”

  “But she’ll live?”

  “Probably.”

  Walter rubbed his face. He needed to find Colt and tell him the good news. “And my wife?”

  “She’ll be fine. If the bleeding has stopped, we’ll need to bandage the wound but leave it open to drain.”

  “Otherwise infection will set in.”

  Heather softened. “Exactly. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

  Walter stepped back and let Heather set to work cutting the bandage off Tracy’s arm and cleaning the wound. The door opened behind him and Walter turned around.

  Ben Jacobson. Walter frowned. The man was a conundrum. On the one hand, he let Walter stay at the farm free and unencumbered. On the other hand, he wouldn’t let him leave. With Colt, Dani, and Larkin showing up and attempting a forcible rescue, Walter wasn’t sure what would happen next.

  But first, they would have some words. He stepped forward. “What on earth is going on here?”

  Ben’s eyes narrowed, deepening the wrinkles in the corners. “You tell me.”

  “I’ve cooperated with you the entire time I’ve been here. Hell, even before that when I woke up zip-tied in a root cellar.”

  “We didn’t know who you were or if you were trustworthy.”

  Walter stood his ground. “The only proof I have that your men didn’t shoot me is your word.”

  Ben exhaled and rubbed the short hairs on his chin. “I told you the truth. We found you out there, face-first in the snow. We thought you were alone.”

  “And when I told you I wasn’t, you should have let me leave.”

  With heavy steps, Ben closed the distance between them, his eyes roaming past Walter to Heather and Tracy still unconscious on the gurney. “We take our safety extremely seriously.”

  Walter clenched a fist in frustration. “You’ve got to give me more than that. I thought you were interested in forming a friendship.”

  “This doesn’t look like friendship.”

  “Neither does shooting my wife.”

  Ben took the criticism in stride, walking over to the bank of cabinets and back again. They were at a stalemate and both men knew it.

  Walter offered the first branch. “I appreciate you rescuing me from the snow and the rehab Heather has done to my shoulder, but what happened tonight isn’t okay.” He paused to choose his words carefully. “I told you my family would be looking for me.”

  “Your wife wasn’t looking for you.”

  Walter blinked. “What are you talking about? She was at the hospital, searching for me.”

  Ben shook his head. “She wasn’t looking for you. She broke into the pharmacy at the hospital. She was looking for drugs.”

  Walter staggered back. It didn’t make sense. “The pharmacy? What do you have to do with it?”

  Ben rubbed the back of his neck, debating what to say.

  Walter pressed him. “I deserve the truth. My wife is shot. Dani might as well be family and she could die.”

  At last, Ben conceded. “We control the pharmacy. It was one of the first things we did.”

  “I don’t understand.” Walter squinted like he couldn’t see. “Are you drug runners?”

  “No. We’re maintaining the medicine supply for when the country gets back on its feet.”

  Walter reeled. All this time there had been an intact pharmacy in the middle of town and he’d never known. They had avoided the hospital because they knew it was hopeless. He thought back to Chico State and the disaster they confronted there only a few days after the EMP. Every broken and destroyed pharmacy they drove past on their way to Truckee. The riots in Sacramento.

  And here this collection of families were holding down an entire hospital pharmacy just for safekeeping. He didn’t know whether to laugh or punch Ben in the face. But none of it had anything to do with Tracy.

  “So why was my wife there?”

  Ben rolled his eyes. “According to Daniel, she claimed to be looking for a rabies vaccine.”

  Walter’s stomach lurched. “What for?”

  “She said your daughter was infected. But we know that’s a lie.”

  Walter swallowed flecks of spit. “You do?”

  Ben snorted. “Of course. She looks just fine.”

  “Madison is here?” Walter surged forward. “Where? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You saw her. She was carted in with your wife.” Ben stared at him like he’d confessed to being an alien. “The blonde,” he waved at his head, “with the hair.”

  The pit in Walter’s stomach opened and he fought the urge to strangle Ben with his bare hands. “That’s not my daughter. That’s Brianna. Her family owns the farm we live at.” He cupped the back of his head and tried not to panic. “Madison is my daughter. Brown hair, my nose, same coloring as her mother.”

  Ben stared at him, his expression grim.

  “I take it she’s not here.”

  Ben strode over to Heather who still worked patiently by Tracy’s side. While Walter and Ben talked, she had removed the bandage and cleaned the wound.

  “How is she?”

  “Not bad. The girl did a good job securing the bandage. Minimal blood loss. With a round of antibiotics, the wound should heal just fine.” She glanced at Walter with an apologetic smile. “She might have a scar.”

  Ben nodded. “And the other one?”

  Heather’s smile faded. “Touch and go.”

  He turned back to Walter. “Stay here with your wife. I’ll be back soon.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To figure out what to do.” Ben pushed the door open, leaving a rush of cold in his wake.

  Walter turned back to his wife. Brown hair fading into gray at the temples. Skin hardened by a year working in the fields. Hands covered in calluses. Even unconscious, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  He would stay by her side until she woke up and told him about their daughter. He glanced at Heather. “Looks like I’m here for a while. What can I do to help?”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  COLT

  Unidentified Farm

  Near Truckee, CA

  12:00 p.m.

  Between the horse crap caking his boots and the epic fail of a rescue mission, Colt had stepped in it every way possible. He pounded his fist into his palm and kept pacing.

  He woke up an hour ago, sprawled out on a stack of hay bales in a stable. With whinnying horses on his left and bleating sheep on his right, he’d fit right in. A caged animal just waiting for his chance to strike.

  Larkin was unaccounted for, Tracy, Brianna, and Walter were nowhere to be seen, and Dani could be dead by now. If any of them ended up dying because of him…

  Colt shook his head. He should have taken the leader out when he had the chance. The sight of those kids had turned him soft. Weak. He pressed his fingers to his eyelids.

&nbs
p; “Hello? Is anyone in here? Hello?”

  Colt lifted his head. He recognized that voice. “Brianna? Is that you?”

  “Colt? What are you doing here?” Something rattled down the barn. “Where is here?”

  He snorted. “If you couldn’t tell, we’re at a farm.”

  “I guessed that by the smell.”

  “And the shit.” A man’s voice called out from opposite Colt’s stall. “Don’t forget that.”

  “Larkin?”

  “The one and only.”

  Colt strode to the front of the stable and gripped the wood gate. Brianna’s curls stuck through the posts three stables down and Larkin’s hands dangled out from the one straight across. “Are we the only ones here?”

  “Looks that way.” Larkin stepped back. “I haven’t seen Walter.”

  Colt’s jaw ticked. “What about Tracy and Dani?”

  “No sign of them. Wherever they took them, it wasn’t here.”

  “Would you two stop acting like it’s just another day in the neighborhood and help a girl out? I’m clueless.”

  Colt smiled despite his mood. “We tracked Walter here. It’s a farm that seems to be run by a few families.”

  “So how did we end up in the stables?”

  “We’re here because I failed in the rescue mission.”

  Larkin interrupted. “We failed.”

  Colt’s jaw ticked. He refused to put the blame on anyone but himself. “You all showed up unconscious in a pickup truck right when everything was going to hell.”

  “It doesn’t make any sense.” Brianna huffed and Colt could imagine her pacing back and forth, trying to figure it out. “We were at the hospital.”

  “Why?”

  “You saw Madison’s injury. She needs a vaccine.”

  Colt wrinkled his nose. “For a cut?”

  “A bite. A fox bit her while she was inspecting the traps. It tested positive for rabies.”

  “Crap.” Colt ran a hand down his face. “How long ago?”

  “Long enough to make every minute count. We had no luck at the vet’s office on the edge of town so we went straight to the hospital.” Her voice lightened. “You should have seen it. The pharmacy was pristine. Not a single shelf disturbed.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t hit your head?” Larkin’s tone matched Colt’s thoughts. “Every pharmacy is trashed by now.”

  “Not this one. It was under guard. We thought we could get in and out and not be seen, but it didn’t work out that way.”

  Colt couldn’t believe it. The farm was more than just a family trying to survive. If they were the same people who organized runs out of the warehouse where Lottie tracked Walter and were guarding the hospital pharmacy, it was a bigger operation that Colt realized.

  He strained to see outside the barn, but the stable walls limited his view to about fifteen feet. How many people did it take to maintain security at a pharmacy, go on regular raids, and keep a farm of this size working?

  The horse in the stall next to Colt began to stamp and neigh and he pulled away from the gate. Footsteps sounded on the hard-packed dirt.

  “Easy, girl, easy. I know they smell like strangers, but it’s okay.”

  Colt recognized the voice and surged forward. “What did you do with Dani? Is she still alive?”

  The man identified as Ben walked into view. He rested a shotgun on his shoulder and his brow knit as he spotted Colt. He opened his mouth to answer when Brianna threw something at the gate. A burst of something thick and sludgy flew through the slats and landed on Ben’s foot.

  Colt knew what it was from the smell and he bit his tongue to keep from laughing.

  Ben stepped out of range. “Let’s lay off the crap-throwing, shall we?”

  “Not until you let me out of here, you son of a bitch! My best friend is going to die because of you! All we wanted was a damn vaccine!”

  “My men assessed the situation and believed you were there for drugs.”

  “Who died and appointed you king?”

  “No one. But we aren’t going to let the neighborhood meth heads ruin everything.” He glanced at Colt. “We aren’t the bad guys here.”

  “You sure are acting like it.” Brianna refused to give up. She launched another glob of horse manure through the bars. It missed Ben by a foot. “What are you saving all the drugs for, anyway? To launch a new business? A new drug cartel? Are illegal drugs not good enough now that no one can even find an antibiotic?”

  “We aren’t drug dealers. We’re protectors. At some point, the chaos will die down and America will rebuild. We’ll need the medicine.”

  Brianna shrieked in frustration. “Madison needs a rabies vaccine and she needs it right now! Screw rebuilding. If everyone dies because you’re trying out for an episode of Hoarders, I swear to God you’ll regret it.”

  “I’m beginning to already.” Ben exhaled and lapsed into silence.

  Colt tried again. “Tell me about Dani. Is she still alive?”

  “It’s touch and go.”

  “I want to see her.”

  Ben shook his head. “No.”

  “I want proof of life.”

  “You’ll have to take my word for it.”

  Colt spun around in a circle and punched at the closest bale of hay. If he had to kill every stranger in the place to find her, he would. No one was keeping him from saving that girl. If she was still alive, then he was getting her out of there.

  He focused on the shotgun still resting on the man’s shoulder. The farm had an arsenal, that much was plain. And from everything he’d seen, every adult carried at least one weapon.

  Even if he did escape, all it would take was one person spotting him and it would be over. He didn’t doubt the orders this time were to kill. Colt ground his teeth together. He couldn’t rescue Dani without firepower.

  He sucked in a huge breath and let it out slow enough to calm his frantic heart. “How about we call a truce? You let us out of the animal pens and we can all have a chat like civilized people.”

  “Are you crazy?” Brianna stormed inside her stable. “We’re wasting time.”

  Ben turned to Colt. “I’m listening.”

  “We’re unarmed. You’ve got Tracy and Dani as basically hostages. Let’s take a step back and talk about this like men.”

  “And women!” Brianna kicked the gate and her whole stable shook.

  “You promise to stand down?”

  Colt stuck his hand through the slats. “On my honor.”

  Ben hesitated for a moment before shaking his hand. “All right. But I’m keeping armed guards. And you can’t see the other women until we’ve reached an agreement.”

  Colt nodded. He didn’t care what lies he had to tell. He would agree to sell his first-born child, everyone back home, and all their guns, just to get a chance to take the big man down. He stepped back as Ben walked toward the end of the barn.

  “Daniel! Craig! Come escort our guests to the bunkhouse. They can shower and get cleaned up. Loan them some clothes.” Ben turned back to Colt. “Once you’re all cleaned up, I’ll have food delivered to your rooms. You won’t be able to go anywhere without an escort and you can’t leave the bunkhouse without my permission. Is that clear?”

  “Crystal.”

  Colt waited while the guards came in to unlock the stable gates. They pointed what looked to be Army-issued M-4s in their direction. Even if Colt got the upper hand, he wouldn’t be able to disarm two men with the ability to fire thirty rounds in bursts of three. He would have to wait for another chance.

  In the meantime, he could do some much-needed reconnaissance. Brianna stepped out into the aisle and waited under guard while the second man let Colt out. As Colt stepped closer to Brianna, he took a whiff. “You stink.”

  She leaned in. “As bad as I smell, this whole situation will stink a lot worse if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

  The guards closed in and Colt plastered on a smile. He waited until Larkin was released
before nodding at his old friend. “Let’s get cleaned up and then we’ll have a chance to relax.”

  Brianna’s eyes sparked with anger, but Larkin cut her a glance to stay quiet. It would be difficult to plan if they were never left alone, but he would find a way. They would find the rest of their friends and get out of there one way or another.

  In the interim, he hoped to make Ben pay.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  TRACY

  Jacobson Family Farmhouse

  Near Truckee, CA

  2:00 p.m.

  The first thing Tracy saw when she opened her eyes was her husband’s face. Her mouth fell open. “I’m dead, aren’t I?”

  Walter laughed. “No, honey. You’re very much alive.” He bent down to kiss her forehead and Tracy snuffed back a wave of tears.

  “I thought I was a goner.” She lifted her arm and pain lanced her bicep. Vertigo washed over her as sweat broke out across her forehead. “Definitely not dead.”

  Her husband helped her sit up and she took in her surroundings for the first time. It was a makeshift medical facility. She frowned. “Are we still in the hospital?”

  “No. We’re at a farm.”

  She gripped her husband’s arm. “Madison is in trouble! We need a vaccine.”

  “I know.”

  “Then why aren’t you worried?”

  “I am, but it’s complicated.” Walter glanced at the door. “There’s a lot that’s happened.”

  “Tell me.”

  Walter perched on the edge of the cot and relayed everything that happened since he was shot in the street.

  When he finished, Tracy sat quietly for a minute, piecing the information together. “So the family that controls the pharmacy found you on the street, fixed you up, but won’t let you leave?”

  “That’s the short version.”

  “And now they’re refusing to give Madison the vaccine.”

  Walter scratched behind his ear. “I wouldn’t say refuse.”

  “But they haven’t agreed.”

  “Correct.”

  Tracy exhaled. “This is ridiculous. One look at us and they should know we aren’t a bunch of drug users hell-bent on destroying the pharmacy. It’s not like we’re asking for painkillers. We need a vaccine.”