by Cook, M. L.
Jannette sputtered, “But… what happened. A minute ago, you were too afraid to say anything, now you’re shouting orders.”
Roni laughed, “I had four little brothers that my mother put me in charge of while she was at work.” Her smile faded, “I don’t know what your deal is, but you really do need to leave. We’ve got this.”
Leaving Jannette to ponder her choices, Roni turned and walked away. After glancing around the room, Roni’s off the shoulder comment about most was the deciding factor. Jannette knew she’d seen enough death and destruction in her life.
That afternoon, the chatter between driver, gunner and the guy sitting next to her was only background noise. The only thing on Jannette’s mind was what had happened the night before. Right there, in the middle of camp, Lucas had gotten down on one knee and asked her to spend the rest of her life with him. Little did either of them know how short that time would be. Lucas glanced at her. His arm was thrown over the back of the seat, looking from her to the ring on her finger. Joy filled his eyes as a big smile spread across his face. Returning his grin, Jannette reached for him, she needed the comfort only he could give her, if only for a short time. Then, just as she leaned forward, an explosion rocked their transport. At the same time an excruciating pain radiated from her stomach. Staring down at something she couldn’t comprehend, Jannette felt like she was being torn apart from the inside out. When she looked up, she saw Lucas staring at her stomach in horror. Then everything around her happened at once. The gunner, not missing a beat, kicked his foot against the button that would prevent the oxygen inside the transport from bursting into flames.
The next thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital. Tubes and wires were snaking out from beneath a thin sheet. As memory of the explosion returned, she ripped the oxygen mask off her face, and screamed, “Lucas!”
Jannette was suddenly brought back to the present when Roni grabbed her arm. Jannette heard Roni’s voice. Cocking her head, she thought that it sounded far away, as if was echoing through a tunnel, “Are you okay?”
Blinking at the other woman, Jannette backed away while trying to clear the vision of mangled steal mixed with flesh. Concern lined the other woman’s face as she stepped closer. She couldn’t do this. Not now. Perhaps never. In a near panic, Jannette shook her head, then spun away.
Every moment, every breath, was a struggle. She needed to leave that past where it belonged. She needed to focus on the here and now. Jannette knew if she didn’t get a grip, it would be her that got everybody killed.
Taking deep breaths, Jannette closed her eyes and cleared her mind. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and looked around. Straightening her shoulders, she accepted the truth. Roni was correct, there was nothing Jannette could do. Not only that, but she was also right about needing to learn her limits.
Resolve set, Jannette decided that starting dinner was exactly what she needed to do. There were a lot of hungry people in their group and not a one of them had eaten in at least six hours. Not since their bus had been blown up. Even then, most of the snacks they’d gotten were still on the bus when it went. They needed food, sooner rather than later. People were getting cranky. She snorted, yeah, right. She was the one getting cranky. Glancing toward the dark hallway, she hoped there was something still edible in the kitchen.
From past experiences, Jannette knew the church had a lot of potluck dinners, plus they were always having a food drive. With luck, there’d be leftovers from one or the other. If there was something from both, it would be a huge win.
With her mind on dinner, she stepped into the darkened hallway. She’d only gone about halfway down the stairs when she heard the loud blast of a handgun. Jannette whipped around and raced back up the steps. Travis was standing there when she reached the top.
While staring past her, he asked, “Was that you?”
Shaking her head, she motioned for him to move further away. As soon as they were a safe distance, she scowled up at him and demanded, “I thought you checked this place?”
Travis glared at her, then retorted, “And just why would you think that? Everybody heard the ships take off after I got back. I wasn’t about to get killed trying to sneak past their guards. I was lucky to see anything at all through the binoculars.”
Roni came up behind them, “Whatever you’re doing, could you do it a little quieter?”
Slanting her eyes at the other woman, Jannette mumbled under her breath, “Why did I ever think you were weak?”
Walking away, Roni retorted, “I heard that.”
Jannette rolled her eyes, then caught Travis hiding a smile behind his hand.
With a twinkle in her eyes, Jannette grinned. Tension eased, she sobered. Then, after glancing at the stairs, she mumbled, “Well, hell. What are we going to do now?”
Travis offered, “Somebody needs to find the back door and make sure they don’t escape.” Cursing, he squeezed his eyes shut, pinched the bridge of his nose, then shook his head. After releasing an exasperated sigh, he muttered. “Well, shit. For all we know they could be communicating with the Terrapians already.”
Jannette shook her head, “Not down there. There’s too much interference. I can remember more than once having to run back up the stairs to make a phone call. So now, all we have to do is make sure they don’t get out. I’ll get a few of the women to guard the back door, in the meantime someone needs to find the circuit breaker.” She rubbed her hands together and chuckled, “After they find themselves stuck in a pitch-black basement, they’ll be easy pickings...” Pausing, Jannette’s brow furrowed. Looking around, she muttered, “Wait a minute…” That’s when Jannette realized the power was on. It was something everyone just took for granted. After all, how many times had she walked into a dark room during a storm, knowing the power was off, and flipped the light switch anyway. She looked around at the dim lighting in the church, then asked, “How? I didn’t hear a generator.”
“While I was outside, the one thing I did notice was the solar panels on the roof.” Travis stared past her toward the dark basement steps. He then crouched around the corner and aimed his gun toward the stairwell. “You go get someone to watch the back door, I’ll guard the stairs. While you’re out there, grab some flashlights.” As Jannette got up to leave, he called her back, “Oh, and Jannette, get everybody out of here.”
Jannette nodded and ran back into the sanctuary. From where she stood, she could hear Roni crying. Which was odd, since she found it hard to believe anything could penetrate that woman’s armor. Looking around, Jannette found her sitting in one of the pews, looking down at something, or someone. As she approached, she could hear two voices.
“Please, you have to,” a pleading voice drifted to her, one that sounded very weak.
“Of course, I will,” came Roni’s tearful reply.
“She’s not got anybody left in this world. They killed my husband first. I only ask that you tell her how much she was wanted…” On an exhale, the next words were almost too low to hear, “and loved.”
As Jannette got closer, she saw Roni holding the hand of a young woman. Hearing Jannette’s approach, Roni turned her tearful face to Jannette, then looked down again. There in the pew was the slumped over form of the young woman she must have been talking to. This must have been what she meant when she whispered the word most. The woman’s unseeing gaze was focused on her swollen belly, which had been sliced open by the Terrapians. One arm was curled around the unborn child, while the other cradled the tiny head.
Roni looked up and shook her head and said, “This was always the hardest for me, children and babies. It just seems so unfair.” After composing herself, Roni got up and began pushing Jannette away from the horrific sight. As they walked, Roni was chastising her, “You’re not supposed to be in here, and you certainly weren’t supposed to see that.”
They were nearly to the side door when Jannette realized what was happening. Shaking the other woman’s hands off, she exclaimed, “I need
for you to get everyone out of there. The church wasn’t empty when we got here.”
Chapter Four
Roni’s pale face turned ghastly white as she turned back toward the ladies who were busy dragging bodies out the front door. “But…”
Jannette squeezed her arms, “We didn’t know. When I started down the steps, somebody shot at me. Since it wasn’t lasers, they’re obviously human—”
They heard several gunshots coming from the corner of the building, immediately followed by terrified screams. Not waiting another minute, Jannette pushed Roni toward the door. Roni slipped past her and ran back into the building, shouting, “I have to get the others out.”
Ignoring the other woman, Jannette grabbed her gun and ran toward the area the shots originated from. She stopped at the corner of the building. Heart pounding, everything around her faded as she concentrated on the threat at hand. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for a moment, then glanced around the corner. Taking deep breaths, she waited until she had her breathing under control. Then, silent as a whisper, she knelt in the grass and leveled her gun on the departing figure.
A single man was standing in the stairs leading up from the basement. A gun was pointed at several women who were huddle together just a few feet away. The sneer on his face told Jannette all she needed to know about the man. This was not a friendly. She knew, given the chance, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill every one of them.
Her voice steady, she yelled, “That’s far enough.”
Sending a startled glance her way, he tossed his gun, then stepped into the open. His hands wavered at his side, as he continued to pace closer. In a voice much too steady for the situation, he attempted to reason with her, “I’m unarmed. Don’t shoot.”
Jannette didn’t move, nor did she lower her weapon. Glaring at the man, she hissed, “That’s close enough.” The situation reminded her of something that happened so many years ago. It was long before her world fell apart.
She smiled at the little boy who was asking for candy. He couldn’t have been much older than five or six. Him and a few other children had come from a house just down the street from the shop where they’d stopped for lunch. He kept looking from her to the Snicker’s bar on the table. “Sure honey. Just wait there for a second and I’ll go get some for your friends.” She hadn’t taken ten steps when it happened. Bricks and mortar rained down around her, along with several body parts. She’d let her guard down, and it very nearly cost her life.
The man’s cocky expression was nearly enough to ensure his own fate, but when his hand wavered toward his waistband, Jannette didn’t hesitate. One lone shot, and the man, still smirking, fell dead.
Relaxing her stance, Jannette looked at the women who were staring at the bloodbath in the grass. “Stacy, I need you to watch this door to make sure nobody else comes out. If you even think somebody’s there, you shoot. One shot. That’s all. That should be enough to keep them from coming out.” She stepped in front of the woman, blocking her view, “I’ll come as soon as I hear it. I promise.” Staring into her eyes, she whispered, “You gonna be okay?”
A few blinks, one hard swallow, and Stacy’s stoic expression returned. After a nod, then in a voice stronger than Jannette would have believed possible, she said, “I’ll be okay. You go do what you need to. Don’t worry about us.”
After leaving her friend to guard the back, Jannette ran inside. She was happy to see that Roni had done as she asked and cleared out the sanctuary. As she skidded around the corner, she discovered not everybody had left. Roni was standing a few feet behind Travis nibbling on what was left of her already short nails.
Jannette stopped short and gave her a what the hell look. To which Roni shrugged and pointed to Travis. Shaking her head, Jannette threw her arms up in a mock surrender, then knelt beside Travis’s prone form. She leaned closer, then whispered, “Stacy’s watching the back. One asshole already stuck his head out. The dumbass thought he would pull a fast one.”
Travis glanced back, then said, “And…”
She laughed, “I’m constantly amazed at the people who misjudge me. Let’s just say that’s one mistake he won’t be making again.”
Travis stared at her a moment, then asked, “So, nobody else tried it?”
Jannette scoffed, “Pft, no. I told Stacy that if anyone else tries to—”
When she heard a gunshot, Jannette nodded, snorted, then continued, “I told her to fire one shot. That should keep them inside.” Turning back to Roni she asked, “Do you think you can find the breaker box and shut the power off?”
Roni nodded, “You got it.”
After watching the other woman walk away, she gave Travis an uncertain look, “I told her I would—”
Another shot rang through the air, followed by Stacy’s shout. “Anybody else wanna die today?”
Jannette chuckled, then muttered, “Never mind.”
A few minutes later the lights cut off, leaving the basement in complete darkness. A man yelled up, “If you think that’s going to keep us from killing all of you, you’ve got another thing coming.”
Shaking her head, Jannette fumbled around inside her purse. I moment later she pulled out a grenade.
Before she had a chance to toss it down the stairs, Travis’s large hand closed around hers. Looking from her face to her closed fist, then down to her purse, he whispered, “What the fuck?” Then he snapped, “Are you nuts? All that’s going to do is succeed in blowing up the steps.”
Jannette winked, then said, “I know.”
Travis sighed, “I get it. But at some point, we’re going to want to go down there.”
Jannette’s smile faded as she remembered, “Fuck. That’s where the kitchen is. Fine. But what are we going to do now? We can’t just leave them down there.”
Travis grinned, then nodded toward her overlarge purse, and asked, “What else do you have in your little bag of tricks? You wouldn’t by any chance have something a little less destructive?”
Jannette’s face lit with anticipation. However, things didn’t go exactly like she’d anticipated. After tossing a flashbang into the basement, the men were momentarily incapacitated. Basically, just long enough for Jannette and Travis to run down the stairs while Roni switched the breaker back on.
Jannette sat on the back stoop staring across the empty fields. The slow turn of the wind turbines, coupled with the stillness of life outside the city, was just what she needed to quiet her thoughts. Now if she could just get the images of what’d happened out of her head, she’d be alright.
The confrontation between them and the men that had been hiding in the basement didn’t go well. At least not for them. For some crazy reason, the men believed if they sided with the Terrapians their lives would be spared. Well, maybe they would have. Who’s to say? One thing for sure, they would never find out.
Travis sat down next to Jannette. After a few minutes of silence, he said, “You know there was nothing we could have done differently.”
Jannette turned her stare on Travis. After a long sigh, she said, “Maybe… I don’t know. I guess we’ll never know for sure.” After a moment, she stood and turned to go back inside. Before the door shut, she leaned out and muttered, “Still… I just don’t understand.”
Travis joined her in the kitchen a few minutes later. “I had everybody move the cars around front.”
Jannette stopped rolling dough. Then turning to Travis, she stated, “But I thought we were going to keep ourselves hidden?”
Holding a hand up, he went on, “Just hear me out. How do we know there aren’t more humans out there like the ones we found here? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to take any chances. I’d rather be ready. I’ve also had them move the other cars that were left here by…,” He cleared his throat, “Well, were left here. Plus, having the cars will not only give us an easy out, but they’ll also serve as a barrier between us and whoever thinks to attack.”
As if just now noticing the simmering pots,
Travis raised his nose and inhaled deeply. After a quick glance at Jannette, he strode over to the large pans on the stove and lifted one of the lids. At once, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of simmering beef. Grinning, Travis looked at her, then commented, “You know, I didn’t realize how hungry I was until just now. What’s cooking?”
Jannette turned back to the floured mess and began slicing long strips of dough. After a few dozen, she walked over to the pot. Using her hip, she shoved Travis out of the way. When he dropped the lid back on the pot, she turned a glare on him.
With a chuckle, Travis lifted the lid again. Leaning closer, he closed his eyes and breathed in the mouthwatering aroma.
Jannette watched him for a moment, then nodded for him to put the lid back. After returning to the dough, she said, “Beef and noodles. There wasn’t much to choose from. I could have made breakfast for dinner, and then we would have to go hungry tomorrow. Or we could have this, and still have a big breakfast tomorrow. There wasn’t enough to do both.”
Travis spooned out a chunk of beef, slurping up both broth and beef, he hummed his pleasure. Then, while talking around a mouthful, he told her, “I like beef and noodles. But I really like the idea of dinner tonight and a big breakfast tomorrow.”
After turning to go back upstairs, he noted, “Oh, and we’re rotating guard duty. Stacy volunteered for first watch. She okay?”
Jannette paused. She really didn’t know much about the woman. But from the little time they’d spent together, she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. Not only that, but she really came through when they needed her. Shrugging, she said, “Yeah. Sure, she should be fine.”
As Travis jogged up the stairs, Jannette thought back to Stacy’s reaction to the men who tried to get out of the basement. After giving the empty staircase one final glance, she wondered if Stacy really would be okay. After all, she’d only gotten a little overzealous before.