Dead State (Book 3): Executioner

by Shupert, Derek

  “Don’t think about it,” a rough voice says.

  The machete stays lifted in the air along with my other arm. The beam illuminates the dark space between the two buildings. I don’t spot Lucas or Duke. Thank God. Hopefully, they’re safe.

  Still, a wave of panic consumes me given my dire situation. I try to remain calm and collected, and not do anything rash that will get a bullet in my back.

  “Who are you?” I inquire plainly.

  “Doesn’t matter who I am. Where’s your friend at?”

  My hand wielding the machete fidgets slightly, which draws a nasty response from the aggressor behind me.

  “I’m serious, kid. Don’t do anything stupid to get yourself-”

  He falls forward into me. His body drops to the ground with a dull thud. I pivot about and hone the flashlight at his unconscious body. Next to him is another pair of boots and furry legs. It’s Lucas and Duke.

  “You all right?” Lucas asks.

  I nod. “Yeah. Dude got the drop on me.”

  Lucas takes a knee. He skims over the bearded man’s dingy and dirty face as he pats him down. “Is it the same guy from the truck stop?”

  “Not sure. It was dark, so I didn’t get a good look at his face. Could be, not sure, though.”

  Lucas works his hands into the man’s front pockets when the sudden realization hits me. What about Cassie?

  “Cassie. We need to get back over there now.” I take off in the direction of the Humvee.

  Lucas stands up quickly, and grabs me. “Hold on, James, we-”

  The crackle of gunfire sounds off. Lucas loses his grip on the rifle as he stumbles back. A welp of pain escapes his lips. We drop to the ground and take cover behind the large truck.

  “Son of a bitch.” He leans back against the set of dual wheels, palming his shoulder tightly. I shine the light at his hand. Blood seeps out between his fingers, and races down the length of the backside of his hand. “Damn it.”

  I turn the flashlight off, severing any sort of indicator for the armed gunmen to be able to track us. It falls free of my hand to the grass. I lean toward the edge of the truck to see if I can get eyes on them. Lucas removes his hand from the gunshot wound, and grabs the sleeve of my hunting jacket.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he growls. “You want to get your head blown off? With it being so dark, you’re not going to be able to see much anyway.”

  I yank my coat free of his grasp. “Should be the same for them. We had the flashlight on earlier, which made it easier for them to pinpoint where we are. Without it, they’re just as blind. Besides, I need to check on Cassie. That gunfire sounds like it came from the gas station.”

  Hugging the rear panel of the truck, I slide toward the bed and pause. I’m scared, not only for us, but for Cassie as well. She’s all alone over there with God knows who. I must get to her.

  Two deep breaths, in and out. Body is tense. My head is swimming with that fight or flight feeling that is raging inside. The fear weighs heavy like an anchor shackled to my ankles, but I overcome, and push through it. The absence of any light should conceal my whereabouts. I peer out from the corner. Another crackle sounds off. This time, it strikes the passenger side brake light. I jerk back from the edge of the truck, and fall flat on my butt with eyes wide. Debris from the plastic covering the truck sprays in all directions. Duke is planted to Lucas’s left with his head lowered and ears folded back. A deep growl escapes his snout.

  “What the hell,” I grumble through trembling lips. “How are they able to see me?”

  “Only thing I can think of is they have a scope with night vision on it or something.” Lucas’s voice is strained, and thick with pain.

  My heart hammers, blood pumping ninety to nothing. It seems as though they have us pinned down. We can make for the other side of the house, but we’ll be exposed for a short minute.

  I place the machete in the grass, and reposition myself where I’m prone on my stomach. I stay far enough back from the truck, but still close enough to where I can look out toward the station from underneath the chassis.

  “Crap!”

  “What is it?” Lucas inquires.

  I bury the right side of my face into the grass to try and obtain a better look. Flashlights play over the parking lot, offering brief glimpses of the Humvee and the immediate area. A stray beam points in our direction, and washes over the driver’s side of the truck. It reaches only so far underneath the vehicle before the light yields to the darkness. The unfamiliar truck’s headlights, parked next to the Humvee, are dim and dull with only one apparently functional.

  “There’s a truck parked right next to the Humvee. There’s a guy taking a knee in the parking lot. He’s facing this direction, but I can’t tell what he’s doing. He’s not moving.”

  “He’s waiting for one of us to show our face so he can take our head off.”

  Two gunshots ring out, followed by a painful screech that tightens my nerves even more.

  “Let me go, you piece of crap,” Cassie screams from the tops of her lungs.

  I’m only able to get a visual of her legs kicking wildly in the air as she’s lifted off the ground. She’s shoved into the back of the truck as her muffled yells and screams fade in and out.

  “Christ! They’re taking her!” Anger swarms me like a nest of pissed off wasps. My lips grow taut, and my eyes narrow. My brow furrows as my hand reaches for the machete. It thumbs through the grass franticly until my fingers find the handle. I push myself up, and get my feet under me.

  Lucas grabs me once more. “Jesus, James, stop and think. What are you going to do? Run out there in the open with that freaking blade in your hand like some nut bag? They’ll drop you before you even manage a couple of steps.”

  Adrenaline pumps fast through my veins. All I can think about is Cassie, and what those vile scumbags plan to do with her.

  “We can’t let them take her! I’m not going to lose her!” I protest.

  Even though it’s dark, I can see the vague outline of Lucas’s face through the dimness of night. He’s in no shape to be fighting with anyone right now.

  “James, we will find her and get her back. For now, though, we need to fall back and regroup somewhere safe.” He grabs the barrel of his rifle. “Here. Take this.”

  He struggles to pull it toward him. I glance toward the gas station, then back to him.

  Damn it!

  I grab the rifle and take it from him. I place the stock against my shoulder and grab the handguard with the other.

  “So, what’s the plan?” I inquire, my tone dense with indignation.

  Lucas points toward the far side of the tiny house with an unsteady hand. “I want you to pop off a few rounds in the air. That should buy us some time to make for that corner.”

  “Why don’t I just return fire at them?” I say.

  “Because it’s a gas station, James. I don’t think we really want to be opening fire at highly combustible fuel. Besides, Cassie is over there. You don’t want to run the risk of hitting her, do you?”

  He’s right. It does make sense, even though I’m not pleased with it.

  “All right, let’s get you up and ready to move.” I help Lucas to his feet. A static rich noise plays in the air close by. It’s coming from the unconscious man’s hip.

  “Duncan, come in, over?” Both Lucas and I momentarily freeze, our attention on the body and the transmission coming in. “What’s your position? We’ve got the girl and her friends pinned down. The boss wants us to finish this quickly. Chasers have been spotted in the area.”

  Lucas remains stooped down with his hand over his wound. I retrieve the radio from the body, turn it off, and attach the clip to my hip. I inch my way toward the rear of the truck. The rifle stays firmly grasped in my unsteady hands. A mixture of emotions bombards me. It makes me a bit lightheaded, and causes a slight dizziness to spawn. I’m scared, mad, sad, and worried all at one time. It’s making it difficult to concentrate.


  “The safety should be off. Just fire off a few rounds in the air. That should, hopefully, have them scrambling for cover long enough for us to get out of here,” Lucas reiterates.

  I’m not happy about this situation, but I get what he’s saying.

  I position the barrel of the rifle in the air. My finger slips over the trigger. Just five pounds of pressure is all it takes, Son. That’s what Dad always said to me when I first started using a gun. Looking back, I’m thankful for everything he taught me. Despite the whining and complaining I did, I’m grateful for his guidance and wisdom. Especially now.

  “Are you ready?” I ask.

  Lucas offers a subtle nod. Duke is by his side.

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Here we go.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  My finger gently squeezes the trigger.

  The automatic rifle belches fire from the muzzle. My body stiffens. Frayed nerves have me on edge. I close my eyes and try to reign in my hastened breathing. My hands still slightly twitch. I release and cautiously sneak a peek out from around our cover.

  The men scatter like cockroaches, scurrying for any cover they can find. I can hear them talking loudly at each other. Cassie’s in the backseat of their truck, her arms flailing about wildly. Her head emerges from the cab. They force her back inside the truck and slam the door. Her loud, boisterous pleas for us are now muffled.

  Bastards.

  I contemplate just charging the truck in a mad dash to save her. Do whatever it takes to save her, but given Lucas’s current injury, and for the simple fact that I’d probably only make it a few hearty steps before they shot me dead, I table the idea. I’ll have to find another way. For now, we need to move.

  “We’re clear. Let’s go!” I say.

  We take off for the far side of the building in a dead sprint. I scoop up the machete along the way and cover our escape. Bullets zip past my head, narrowly missing me. I duck lower to the ground until we’re out of range.

  Every step Lucas takes, he grunts in discomfort. He doesn’t slow down, though. He keeps his legs moving without any hint of stopping. We veer off to our left, and follow the dirt road that curves off to the right. Not only do we have to worry about any chasers that may be in the area, but now we have to contend with those a-holes hunting us down.

  I sling the rifle over my shoulder without breaking my stride. I look back over my shoulder to see if we’re being tailed. The darkness is doing a favorable job of concealing our presence, but it’s also doing the same for them. I focus on trying to put as much distance between us and them as possible, even though it pains me to do so.

  Duke has the lead, followed by Lucas, then me. Our feet pound the unpaved road aggressively. My head swivels from right to left in search of any chasers looming within the shadows. The gunfire will likely draw them out of whatever hole they were in. So far, there’s no sign of the vile creatures.

  There’s more of those tiny homes to our right and a larger rundown building to our left. I hear what sounds like footsteps looming within the tall, dark brush to my right. I can’t see anything within the dense foliage, which strains my already tensed nerves. I flinch at every single noise that my ears catch. My eyes remain wide and alert as they dart from each shadow figure that my mind thinks it sees lurking in the night.

  The dirt road morphs to pavement. Lucas slows down. I imagine all of the running is causing that wound on his shoulder to hurt like crazy. Each step he makes is labored, and the more we go, the slower his pace becomes.

  Duke hops up on the curb under a metal covering that is attached to a concrete building. He stops and turns toward us. His ears are still on end, twitching with every sound.

  I keep pace with Lucas, staying by his side as we reach where Duke is. I bend over, and place the heels of palms on the fronts of my knees, panting. Lucas crumples against the wall.

  “Are they following us?” I wheeze.

  Lucas leans his head back. Even with the absence of daylight, I still get a sense of the pain he’s fighting against on his shadowed face.

  “I don’t know,” he responds. “I don’t see anything.”

  An engine revving in the distance snares my attention. My head twists back over my shoulder to check for the vehicle’s whereabouts. I think of Cassie, crammed into that truck with those despicable, vile thugs. I fight against my own imagination that wants to conjure up such horrid scenarios of her captors touching her in ways that would make me do unspeakable things. I try to table those thoughts, and focus on just getting her back. It doesn’t help in calming me down. It only increases my rampant rage. I growl and mutter some choice words that filter out through the gaps between my clenched teeth.

  I battle the urge to go back and seek out Cassie for the time being, seeing how Lucas is in such dire shape. The guilt of not being able to go after her right now is like a weighted vest that is attached to my body. For now, we have to keep moving, and find someplace safe to hold up, and get Lucas patched up.

  The grumbling of the engine sounds like it’s heading this way. I pull Lucas off the wall, and we get back on the move. I stay by his side as we head to the right, and dip around the corner of the building.

  The sun slowly starts to rise and erase the darkness. It turns to gray and then the pale red-gold on the horizon offering us a better view of where we’re going and what may be coming ahead. Duke keeps his nose to the ground and sets the pace. He stops randomly. His ears twitch and his head pivots back and forth. He grumbles before deciding to move on.

  We cautiously work our way around the back side of the structure. Thick blades of foliage and trees encompass most of the area. One of the things about living in Oregon is the vast amounts of vegetation that are almost everywhere. There are numerous places to conceal one’s presence, which can be good and bad.

  Lucas continues to nurse his wounded shoulder. He grunts in discomfort with every step he makes, but he maintains our current pace. We worm our way through a narrow gap in the buildings, and emerge on a side street. I don’t spot the truck, but can still hear the faint thrumming of the engine in the distance.

  I swivel to my right and spot a handful of homes off the curve of the road. It isn’t too far, but its far enough when you’re being tracked and someone is wounded.

  “This way.” I grab Lucas by his good arm and tug. He moves, just not as fast as me and Duke.

  Our feet pound the pavement. I try not to look back over my shoulder, and focus on what’s ahead of us, but it is difficult to do so. What was once a distant whine of machinery, has grown louder.

  The vehicle is heading this way. That much I am certain of. I know Lucas hears it as well. His pace has increased slightly. The houses are still a ways away. I doubt we’ll reach them in time.

  I slow down, and call for Duke. He reduces his gallop to a trot and stares back to me. I point toward a black sedan that is parked on the side of the street.

  “Here.” I move around the front of the vehicle, and duck down on the opposite side. Duke rushes up to me just as Lucas drops to the pavement in a huff of sweat and blood. I rub Duke’s thick coat with my back against the vehicle’s body. I crane my neck, and peer through the dingy windows.

  “James, turn on the radio, so we can hear what they’re saying,” Lucas wearily suggests.

  I reach for the two-way. Before I can flip it on, a low, muttered voice tries to get our attention. It’s faint, but loud enough for me to know that I’m not hearing things. Lucas and I eyeball each other for a split second, indicating that he heard it as well.

  My eyes narrow at the large, white building to our right. I skim over the front of the structure, searching for the source of the voice. I spy no movement or figure within the painted square glass windows and the chained, sliding wooden doors.

  “Here. Hurry, before they discover us.”

  The voice is still dull, but loud enough this time for me to pinpoint where it came from. The silhouette of a woman, standing off to the ri
ght of the building with just the top portion of her body visible, motions for us to come to her.

  I’m hesitant to just get up and dash over to this stranger lurking within the dark, narrow cracks of the buildings. Considering what all we’ve been through, I’m inclined to remain cautious of any people. At least with the chasers, I know what their intentions are. The non-infected are a mixed bag of good and evil.

  The machete remains clutched tightly in my sweaty hand. I remain planted where I am.

  “What do you think?” I look to Lucas for his input.

  His breathing is rapid. He grimaces. He removes his hand, revealing the large, dark spot on his shoulder. Before he has a chance to answer, the grumbling of the truck’s engine becomes clearer. I crane my neck once more and spot its yellow tinted headlight within the fading darkness. The ragged truck materializes from the building and comes to a dead stop in the intersection. It just idles in the middle of the road.

  Crap!

  My eyes cut back over to the woman shrouded in shadows. She motions to us with her fingers to follow her. I glance back to Lucas who offers me a single nod of approval. As much as I don’t want to trust this mysterious woman, she is currently the lesser of two evils. I sure hope I don’t regret doing this.

  The truck’s engine revs, rattling something awful. I grab Lucas by his good arm, and pull him from the ground. Duke stays glued to our sides. We quickly scurry over to the woman who fades back within the depths of the shadows as the truck turns and heads this way.

  I remain on high alert as we make for the opening. The machete is ready to do its worst if need be. Although, I’m not too keen on killing people who aren’t infected, I’ll defend myself and my little tribe however I need to.

  Duke remains fixed to Lucas’s side as they follow close behind me. I approach the corner of the building with cautious footing. I pause just shy of the opening, and spot the woman drifting farther back within the fading darkness.

  She motions with her arm, and keeps her voice low. “Hurry. This way.”