Dusk Territories: Always Burning

by Munden, Deston

  There was a family resemblance there. Yet, Wood couldn’t help but envy one thing. He still knew what was right, and didn’t need to justify it.

  They followed him through the small manhole to the crimson sky.

  Destruction and death touched their noses as they felt the air above. The first time was more painful than this. Now, it seemed easier. Everyone was huddled around the tanks, battered and beaten. Many of them were stained with blood, crusted around their lips, shoulders, stomachs, and limbs. Clothes were burnt and torn, used to stop the bleeding more than protect them from the elements. Their eyes were red-rimmed from smoke and tears. These people sacrificed so much for a fact, a truth buried so far down. Yet they still lived on. They didn’t blame him. They endured. For once, Wood wanted to keep these people safe.

  Humans, decent human beings, couldn’t be squashed.

  “It’s been close to a year now,” Drifter began. “A year of odium and blood that we didn’t ask for. We tried to survive. Try to move on. Yet this truth still itched into the back of our brains, crawling like ants. If no one found it now, no one will find out ever. We will be lost in lies, deceit, within a crumbling world with nothing to look forward to. But, we… we are good people. We stood our ground where others…others would crawl, begging for release. The easy way to whatever hell or heaven or void you believe in. We stood.”

  His voice sounds so different, Wood noticed. The twang in it remained, but it felt hypnotic.

  “Not because it was easy. Not because we wanted it. Those men attacked us today because we weren’t silent.” Drifter swept his hair from his face. “We will never be silent. Even if we have to bite through their Achilles heel, and watch them bleed to death with our mouth full of blood, we won’t be silent. I know you want to give up. I know you lost so many that you think that your very soul is dead. But we have a goal to do. Those men did not just take our security; they took our world from us.”

  Drifter cocked his head back, laughing. He took a sharp, deep breath from his nose. “And they thought that we weren’t going to take it back! They were wrong. We are good people, but we will become devils if we have to! Now, arise from the flames my family! Hold the dead tight…but don’t fall with them. Others must fall first!” The red sun peeked from underneath the thin clouds, showering him in a red glow. “We aren’t dead yet!”

  A bestial cry erupted from Drifter’s lungs.

  And the rest of the caravan followed suit.

  Wood realized something. Drifter wasn’t shepherding lambs anymore; he was leading a pack of wolves.

  He known these people for a short time, but gave them everything. They were under his protection, and by extension under Wood’s. Wood may have not given them his best. Now, they understood.

  Huston was only a few miles from here. If he looked hard enough, he could see the outline of the city in the distance. Tumbled buildings bounced rays of light off their glass bellies. All the roads leading to the city was broken and battered, almost an open stretch there. Infiltration was going to be much harder now. With Graham and his company gone and the injured piling, it would be almost impossible. But as usual, Drifter had a plan. Even with all four aces in play, he always managed to pull another.

  After the crowd calmed down, Drifter jumped from the tank. “It’s about time…for me to use my trump card.”

  “The trump card?” Heron asked.

  “What other trump card is left?” Wood answered.

  “But is there any way he could contact it?”

  Wood nodded. “That’s my job, I just need the word.”

  His uncle gave a sly look for the corner from his eye. “We have to get there first, my boy.”

  “What about Graham and the others?”

  Everyone waited for the answer to that question.

  “Maybe they will come back. Maybe they won’t.” No one would have taken that risk. But Graham did, along with Rachel, Juvenico, Emelle, Forrest and Raleigh. They risked everything to keep this going. It was suicide. Brink and his company would soon find out whose riding in that vehicle. Huston would need to fall. They will need to find what they were looking for and leave. This will be with or without them aboard. Drifter sighed. “We have to move. We have to move now. We cannot think about the people we left behind.”

  Silent and respectful nods eased its way through everyone. “But we won’t lie down!” shouted a young man.

  “We won’t lie down!”

  Drifter raised his fist. “But we’ll burn Huston to the ground!”

  _

  Raleigh’s face was paler than anything Graham seen. He was scared. Everyone was scared.

  The sounds of gun fire ceased, but they were still being pursued. Their goal was simple: draw the enemy away at all cost. Offense wasn’t as important as defense. If they got into a firefight on these dusty off roads, they would lose. They needed to concentrate on the escape. A true escape seemed impossible, now. It wouldn’t be long before the gas hand would tip over the “E”. Definite death versus possible survival is what it narrowed down to. “Are there any places where we can hold up?”

  “Yeah. Something steady or something quick?” Raleigh asked, focused on the task of driving.

  “Something steady and quick would be nice,” Juvenico answered, looking outside.

  Forrest peeked out the window as well. “We aren’t exactly going house shopping.’”

  “We don’t have much time and oh shit—get down.”

  The entire vehicle shook from the impact of one of Brink’s trucks t-boning them in the side. Everyone almost tumbled out of their seats, Juvenico and Forrest crashing into the ground. They were showered with glass from the impact, almost impaled by the thicker pieces. “Stay in your seats next time,” Raleigh said nervously, taking a quick glance back.

  “You can say that, you have a seat belt!’

  “Let’s not complain about who has seat belts! Emelle shouted to her husband.

  “I’m going to go find something quickly before we end up in a wreck.” Raleigh jerked the wheel, quickly to the right. Whiplash took the party by surprise, even Graham, who had to hang onto something at the last moment. Even though they were going almost full speed, he handled the turn well. It skidded, sending cracked soil rattling against the side. However, control never left the big man’s fingers.

  Forrest whistled his appreciation. “Who knew Raleigh was a badass.”

  “We all have to be a little badass taking this job,” Rachael said nodding.

  Graham was proud. This wasn’t anything that anyone would take. They practiced, learned, and survived. Heroes were made in moments like these, they just didn’t know it.

  “Found some cover and a building we could use. I’m going to whip back around. I could just drop you guys off.”

  “Don’t be stupid,” Graham interrupted. “You are almost out of gas, Raleigh. You aren’t going anywhere, but with us. Understood?”

  “But sir.”

  “Drive, Raleigh.”

  “Understood sir.”

  Debris of the suburbs surrounded them. Raleigh eyed a rather large building to the north, a former medical building not far from the residential district they were in now. His pursuers were steadily gaining ground, mile by mile. Staying on the road was going to be tough. The asphalt was getting more jagged; all the while, he could see a few deep craters where the ground gave in on itself. His plan: to use all the holes, rusted cars, and down power lines that he could to hold them off.

  He gripped the wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.

  “Relax,” Graham told him, staring through the windshield. “We’ll make it.”

  “Everyone hold onto something.” Tension left his fingers, and he drove.

  Their RV barreled through several cars, sending them crashing into one another. Some flipped over, sending the pursuers into frenzy from what Graham could see in the rear view. It didn’t stop there. Raleigh whipped the wheel, avoiding cra
ters at the last second, and trampled over a downed power pole. The wood splinted and crunched underneath the tires, luckily not puncturing them in the process.

  The results were something of a fantastic display. Not seeing the craters in time, a large majority of their attackers flipped within the dark pit. Large explosions echoed over the engines. Raleigh fought off his grin, but everyone in the back cheered. Graham knew that this was the hardest part, getting to the cover with a now angered beast on low gas.

  Raleigh was up for the challenge. His foot slammed on the pedal, sending the car speeding. Off road, the office building was a lot closer. From here, the white building was only a few stories, about five or six. The once perfect landscape was adorned with browned grasses, overgrown weeds, and ashes. Graham could no longer see the sign, but he could only assume that this was some doctor’s office complex.

  “How are we going to get in?” Emelle asked.

  Forrest arched an eyebrow. “Through the front door, honey.”

  “Yeah, in theory,” Graham responded with a nod. “Raleigh crash through it.”

  “Crash through it!”

  “Yes, through it, everyone.”

  “Okay, sir.”

  Yes. I know I’m crazy everyone. Mutters of discontent with the order chorused through the squad. Yes, an order like that could be considered insane from the only dead member of the team. Alas, it had good reason. They had no time to get out and the distraction may be enough for them to establish cover. He just hoped they hit it the right way.

  “Hold on everyone! I’m just following some crazy-ass orders.”

  Raleigh stared at the gas gauge one more time before accelerating just enough. Front doors were meant for people not cars. Bracing themselves, the passengers grabbed onto anything steady.

  The impact sent everything into a quick blur. Out of pure reaction, Graham managed to protect the driver, as the windshield folded, sending thick shrapnel of glass launching towards their bodies. Everyone else tumbled in all directions as the vehicle slammed into what was the lobby and through the back room. It was through pure luck that they stopped, before they tumbled over.

  Painful minutes passed as everyone got their equilibrium back.

  “Not the greatest idea boss,” Raleigh said, shaking.

  “No. It wasn’t. But we have time now.”

  Everyone staggered upright. Around them was a mess. The impact caved in one half of the vehicle, leaving it inaccessible. No one was on that side, but everyone suffered damage from it.

  Emelle and Forrest was the first to get up. The couple, bloodied, helped each other up. Juvenico was the next to come to. He moaned irritably as he arose. Finally, Rachel got up. Her leg had been totally torn open, bleeding from knee down. However, she didn’t complain half as much as Juvenico, who just had a few wounds and a very stiff neck.

  “Worst idea ever,” Rachel mentioned. She had a right to complain a bit.

  “I know that,” Graham answered. “But we need to get out NOW! Any moment, they will be knocking on our door. Grab Rachel, I got the guns.”

  “Let me get myself together before you start barking orders, amigo.”

  “Juv, you’re barely hurt. Suck it up. This is coming from the lady, who is bleeding from her leg profusely.”

  “Enough arguing, more of getting the hell out of here.”

  Graham tore Raleigh’s seat belt from his body, despite it being almost lodged in his skin. He helped the big man out of his seat and through the door to their side. He didn’t follow. Instead, he slipped through the small corridor to help everyone else. From his memory, there was a back door in Drifter’s home. If they were lucky, they could use that.

  “Back door still an option?” Graham asked.

  Emelle picked a piece of glass from her shoulder. “Yeah, Forrest managed to get it open,” she told him.

  “Okay then, get out. Go.”

  One by one, they got out until no one was in the death trap anymore.

  They took in their surroundings for a moment. Due to the improvisation, their current location was some sort of back room storage. Boxes of old medical supplies were tumbled over to their left. Rusted wheelchairs sat in the corner of the room, seating collective dust of the past months. Their north was where they had entered quite crudely, nothing more than a large caved in section. A result of that was the ceiling, or the second floor’s ground, had a large split down the middle. As a whole, the building seemed to be able to support some weight still.

  “At least we crashed into a medical facility,” Juvenico said, quickly grabbing some supplies and stuffing them in the pockets of his overalls.

  “We’ve been too lucky,” Graham answered. Things have played too much in their favor. Maybe luck would stay with them until the end. Hardly ever did the lady of fortune smile for too long. “Let’s make due. There’s a stair case to the next few floors. Rachel, think you can make a few set of stairs?”

  “I think I can manage.”

  “Everyone else equipped?”

  “Yeah. We are good,” Forrest answered for the group.

  “Alright. Remember, guns held and fingers off triggers until needed. Move out.”

  Taking point, Graham sped to the door. He cracked it open. Dust spouted angrily in his face, followed by thick black moths. Darkness towered upward, with only small cracks of light showing the metal. Somehow, this reminded him of the moment he woke in this world. Seconds of confusion just swept through him. The side of his head where he felt the dark wound stung hot.

  “Is there something wrong, Graham?”

  “No. Let’s move.” They had enough on their minds. But, something was wrong. Something was too familiar about all of this. And he didn’t like it.

  _

  Brink stepped out of his truck like he owned this world. River knew that wasn’t true.

  Their high speed chase led them away from the rest of the fray. Brink knew Drifter wasn’t on there, and chose not to say anything. River knew better. The moment they broke away from the crowd, she knew it wasn’t them. Hilarious, really, how a man’s pride made him not see the facts. It may be part of his plan as well. Like before, he wasn’t after Drifter. But, one person on this truck was.

  That person would be none too happy that his revenge just eluded him. Again.

  This was why River always intended to work with as few people as possible. It was like sugar in the bloodstream. Too little and you’ll crash and burn. Too much and you’ll be looking for ways to just burn it off. Brink only saw the latter. He wanted people that he can just dissolve over and over again to get what he wanted. On some grounds, she agreed. People were fun to play with. But, there was a time to play with them. Timing was always precious.

  I’m not going to tell him that. I’m just going to play along.

  River jumped off the side, energy renewed. Expending so much fire left her weak for most of the chase. It took time for the blood to come back to her head and her body. But when it did, she was better than ever. She couldn’t stop herself from skipping and singing. All these serious and stoic expressions could really dampen a person’s day. “Where are the smiles?!? Mhmmm. It’s such a nice day,” she said, prancing around to Brink’s sight.

  “We are almost to our goal, little girl.”

  “That’s more reason to celebrate silly! We have them cornered.” She saw Ragnar getting off the side of the truck. “You should at least tell him that his prey is gone,” she whispered.

  “How would that benefit me?” Brink threw his empty magazine away and reloaded. “And you know better not to tell.”

  “Oh, Raggy is going to be so mad. You really shouldn’t make people angry.”

  “Does that apply to you too, River?”

  “Oh, if that was a threat, you’ll be the first to know. Just think of it as advice from a person that makes people livid.”

  “Good advice.”

  River bounced happily ahead, through the wreckage
of the building. She was the first to step into the battered lobby. She liked the tile of this room, an alternate pattern of black and white. Plastic plants sat scattered all over the floor, along with old papers and insects. Furniture was toppled over and broken, mostly due to the crash. A large hole, where the front desk used to be, showered stray concrete on to the ground. Beyond that was the smoldering vehicle.

  They know how to party. Crashing through the front door made her squeal from excitement.

  Soldiers quickly swarmed the building after River entered. Their guns were raised, clearing corners, yelling out some obscene military jargon. She paid them no mind. She headed straight for the crash site.

  From the look of it, no one was present here. River danced around the side looking at it from all angles. No bodies—as much of a shame that was— was present. But there was blood. She kneeled down and pressed her hand on the blood. It was still warm mostly aside from one puddle. That one was cold and darker than the rest. She dipped her finger in it, tasting it. She knew human blood. This wasn’t it. “Graham is here!” she cried out.

  Brink stopped what he was doing and went immediately to the girl. Ragnar followed.

  “Any signs of Drifter?”

  River knew the answer was no, but she sucked the blood from her finger in silence. “I don’t know. There are others. But I can’t identify them.”

  Ragnar rocked, clutching his axe. The barbarian was seeping out of the doctor. That was nice. The doctor had been around way too long. “Where are they?”

  Lighting a flame with her palm, she illuminated the ground for a better look. The blood trailed up to a small green door to the side. She could only guess that they were heading up stairs. Whatever company that Graham had, they would probably set up shop somewhere safe. “They are up stairs. Someone wasn’t careful with their wound.”