Most of them were under two weeks dead, which meant they were harder to take down. Their skulls didn’t cave in with as much ease, and Rachel felt out of practice.
After the first two, her arms tired. Two weeks without eliminating and she felt she was out of practice. She had to rely on the cripple method. Weakening them by using her staff, taking a shot to the legs and then using her gladius instead of the honing rod because the blade sliced through easier.
She grew angry with herself, and even putting her anger into it didn’t help. She kept thinking of Kasper and how he wouldn’t let her live it down.
Through the corner of her eye she was able to see Fred. He had no real method to his madness, he was just pronging away, stabbing wherever in a maddening manner.
She wanted to see the golden boy but couldn’t. Rachel supposed Rigs probably took care of them and Yates only played the part.
It wasn’t a hard elimination, it went rather fast. Grunts and thuds filled the air mixing with the song from the Command made CD. But three of them stayed by the EPEV, like they were protecting it. Staying back and looking as if to say, “You want this, come and take it.”
“Strange,” Rigs said as the song finished. “They aren’t budging. Hey!” he yelled at them. “Here. Over here.” He waved his arms and whistled.
They didn’t move.
“Rach,” Rigs called her. “Let’s go take care of …”
“No,” Yates cut him off. “I got this. It’s my vehicle, I’ll get this.”
Rigs waved out his arm. “Be my guest.”
Rachel inched over to Rigs, whispering. “You think this is a good idea?”
“We’ll jump in if it looks bad,” said Rigs.
Fred joined the conversation. “We finally will see what he has.”
Yate held his swords in a strange way, tucking them under his arms and close to his body. He ran top speed towards the three stiffs that didn’t budge.
Rachel cringed. The stiffs showed no fear, they didn’t pursue Yates at all.
A few feet before them, Yates still moving at a fast pace, dropped down, turned his body slightly sideways and in an impressive baseball slide, slid through two of them, ending up behind the trio.
It happened so fast.
One second Yates looked like he was sliding into home, the next he was unseen behind them. A split second later, a sword emerged through the head of the one, then another. Both dropped simultaneously. When the third turned, Yates decapitated it. The head popped up some, but the moment it hit the ground, he impaled it.
“Okay!” Yates yelled and gave a thumbs up. “We’re good.” He turned and raced to the side door of his mystical RV.
Rigs and Rachel just stood there, perhaps a little stunned.
Fred whistled. “Well, cut off my legs and call me shorty, that boy actually does know what he’s doing.”
The same way and the same time, Rigs and Rachel swung their heads to look at Fred.
“What?” Fred asked. “Never heard that one?”
<><><><>
“Holy cow,” was Barry’s reaction when he stepped inside the dark EPEV.
Rachel would have said that herself, but Barry covered it with his one exclamation. Without power, it was dark, only a little light came through the windows and the open door. Even then she could see how impressive and beautiful it was.
“No wonder he called ours crap,” Rachel said.
Indeed it was longer and a little wider. The space was well utilized. The driver’s seat and passenger seat were much more part of the vehicle than her own RV. The driving area didn’t take up much space.
Behind the two seats was the kitchen. Granite counter tops, stainless steel mini appliances and cheery oak cabinets.
The flooring was more Pergo, unlike the old carpet in the Flaming Saffron RV. All the couches and benches were off white leather. There was so much living space and that was even before the hallway that led into the back. Rachel was curious as to what was back there.
Sandy was the last to enter, she paused as she stepped inside. “Oh my, this is nice.” She handed the small laptop to Yates. “All powered up.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” he took it and set it on the coffee table. “Give me a second.” After a few clicks of the keyboard, the interior lights all came on. “And we have power.” He stood and walked quickly up front, peeking at the driver’s area. “Keys are there. Barry, could you start and see where we are with fuel.”
“Absolutely.”
Rigs approached Yates. “You think whoever took this or your team, took your fuel supply?”
“Probably half, not all. When it’s in anti-theft mode,” Yates said, “Second storage won’t open.”
“Tank is pretty much empty,” Barry announced.
“That’s what I thought,” said Yates. “I’ll get to that in a moment. But first … I need to find my team.” He walked quickly down the hall and to the back of the RV.
The team just stood there.
Rachel shifted her eyes from Rigs to the hall. “Are they back there? All five?”
“I wouldn’t think so.”
After a beat, both Rachel and Rigs went back there.
The back end of the RV which was usually reserved for a bedroom or doctor’s space looked like some sort of surveillance room. A countertop desk ran the width of the room with what looked like several thin closets. There were three computers built into the wall, along with four small monitors above them.
Yates sat in a leather chair before the computers as they booted up.
“Yates?” Rachel questioned. “You said you were finding your team.”
“I am. Here.” He pointed to the one computer. “This should tell me where they are.”
“Tracking like the RV?” Rachel asked.
“Each of us …” Yates lifted his left arm exposing a blue plastic bracelet. “Wear a tracking device. In a minute, I’ll know where they are.”
Rachel knew her and Rigs were on the same wavelength, she knew it. A simple look at Rigs, connection of eyes, told her they were thinking the same thing.
“Hear me out,” Rigs said. “There is a really good chance your team kind of left you.”
“I know you believe that.”
“Alright, but if they did leave you, do you think they would still be wearing the tracking devices?” Rigs asked.
“Yes,” answered Yates. “Not for me, but for Command. It’s a safety thing. Wouldn’t you want to wear them in this world knowing if you get lost or in trouble, you can be found?”
Rigs cringed, an expression Yates didn’t see. “Um yes and no. If I didn’t want to be found …” Rigs stopped talking when the computer beeped five times.
“There.” Yates leaned back. “Got them. Heartbeats good. They are still alive. So we can rule out that they’re walking dead.”
“All five?” Rachel asked.
“All five. They’re together, at least within a mile of each other outside of Amarillo.” Yates sighed out and gave a hint of smile. “I found my team.”
EIGHTEEN – FRANCE
Admittedly, Rigs didn’t want to get off the leather couch. It was probably the most comfortable piece of furniture he had ever sat on, and that included before the apocalypse. The EPEV was nice. The air conditioning was crisp and it was surprisingly clean for a vehicle that had been stolen, even if it was by his own team.
Rachel sat in one of the two swivel, high back chairs, she went back and forth, probably not listening to a word Yates said.
Fred kept peeking in cabinets as Yates talked about the tracking of his team and how they had left shortly after he powered down the RV. They made only one stop and had been in Amarillo most of the time.
“There’s a reason they haven’t headed back East,” Yates said. “I don’t know what it is. I know they were upset about the Eliminator program being dismantled and they wanted to go rogue.”
“Which you didn’t want to do,” Rachel said.
“Why did you ju
st put words in my mouth,” Yates said. “We did go rogue, that’s why we were in Jonesboro instead of headed back to Center City. But I will probably head out in the morning. I don’t want to get there close to dark, it will make the search much harder.”
“And you really want to do this by yourself?” Barry asked. “What about going back east for reinforcements?”
“No.” Yates shook his head. “I’ll do this. Thank you.”
“Well.” Rigs stood up. “Then … that’s that. Good luck to you. I hope you find your team.” He walked to the door.
Rachel stood. “Good luck.”
“Al,” Fred said. “It’s been a pleasure.”
Yates let out a small huff of annoyance. “I’m sure.”
“Wait,” Barry said, holding out his arm stopping Rigs and the others from leaving. “Just wait.”
Rigs groaned and stepped back.
“Son.” Barry said to Yates. “I know you want to do this. I know you want to find your team. Heck, team is family and if any of mine was out there, I sure as shit would be looking too. But … but … have you thought about this?”
“I have had nearly two weeks to think about this,” Yates replied.
“It’s dangerous,” Barry said. “If Rigs and the others are wrong, and you’re right. If your team was taken … you going alone is dangerous. If we’re right and your team left you behind, you going alone to find them … is … well, that’s dangerous, too.”
“They didn’t leave me,” Yates said. “I am certain of it. The fact that they’re wearing their tracking tells me they want to be found.”
“Or …” Rigs said, “they hope you find them. They were nice leaving you behind, they may not be so nice this time.”
“What are you saying I should do?” Yates asked. “Just give up on them.”
“Yeah, you should,” Rigs stated. “You have enough gas. Go to Center City. Report their whereabouts and let Command handle it. They’ll have people out here soon.”
“Or …” Barry added. “Or … we go with you.”
“What?” Rigs blasted.
“He doesn’t want our help!” Rachel snapped.
“I don’t care,” Barry said firm. “I don’t. We can not with a clear conscious leave this man to go alone, like him or not. If we can’t convince him not to go, then we go with him.”
Rigs grumbled.
“Jeremiah Rigs you stop that. You’re a better man than that.”
“Sir,” Fred spoke up, “we have towns to do.”
“And we’ll do them, after we help him find his team. We go to Amarillo. Instead of Stroud then Weatherford, we hit Weatherford then Stroud on the way back.” Barry said. “If his team is in trouble, then we have to help. If his team is fine and wants to deal trouble to Al here, then … our presence will help.”
“You … you would do that?” Yates asked.
“Yes,” Barry replied firmly.
“I know your team doesn’t want to do this.”
“Doesn’t matter what they want to do,” Barry said. “I’m pulling the elder card here. They’ll do it and do it well.”
Rigs exhaled heavily. “I can’t believe you just volunteered us.”
“Tough.”
“Fine.” Rigs tossed out his hand. “Fine. I’ll help. No lip on my part. Rach?”
Grumbling, she answered. “Yes.”
“Thank you,” Yates said. “And … I guess it wouldn’t hurt, and it would be a little fun if maybe I did Stroud and Weatherford with you guys on the way. I suppose that’s the least I can do.”
“Do you really want to take that much time?” Barry asked.
“How much time could it take, it’s two small towns?” asked Yates.
“Weeks,” Barry replied.
“Weeks?” Yates laughed. “It never took us more than a few days. Five tops.”
“Oh stop bragging.” Rachel said. “No one does a town in a few days. Especially now, it’s been a while since the sweep teams went through.”
“Still,” Yates said. “No more than five days.”
Rigs shook his head. “Impossible, no one is that good. No team is that good. You can’t go house to house, business to business one at a time, checking each in just a few days, unless you cut corners.”
Yates drew up a smug look. “We were the best for a reason. And all those snide comments you’ve been making about the EPEV? Guess what?” Yates said. “You’re about to find out why it’s worth every penny of that fourteen million dollars.”
<><><><>
The ‘pop’ followed by the high pitch whistling sound, caused Rachel, Rigs and Barry to look up as they all sat quietly around the fire.
Yates didn’t react at all.
“Are they actually aiming at something?” Rachel asked.
Yates looked at the EPEV. “Probably, for accuracy it should be closer than a hundred yards, but they’re learning, even if they miss. It’s like what, the seventh or eighth time, not wasting much.”
Barry asked. “Does it work in towns?”
“You have to turn on a different surveillance system for building. I’ll work with Sandy on that. She never leaves the RV anyhow, she might as well navigate.”
Rachel’s eyes widened and she dragged out the word, “Oh!” she nodded. “Navigation wasn’t maps.”
“Nope.” Yates shook his head. “It’s the person that lets you know what, where and how many are in a building.”
“So you never went into a building?” Rigs asked.
“I did. I just found them first. The system they’re playing with is for clearing the roads.”
Barry asked. “Have you ever been overrun?”
“We came close once,” Yates replied. “A huge hoard. We just blew them up.”
“Does that work?” Barry questioned.
“No, it just makes them immobile. You still have to go out and hit the head.”
Another pop and another whistle, Barry gazed upward. “Unreal. You designed this system?”
“I did. I had to tweak it because obviously the dead don’t leave heat signatures. I’ll give everyone a quick lesson tomorrow.”
“Don’t put too much time in it,” Rigs stated. “It’s only temporary and most of us don’t have the luxury of this technology.”
“True.”
“Did you …” Rachel asked. “Did you act this way with your team? The way you’re acting now?”
“Which way is that?” questioned Yates.
“Like still smug, but less an asshole because you know what you’re talking about and don’t feel you have to prove you’re better than anyone else.”
Rigs stifled a laugh.
“I don’t know how to take that,” Yates said. “But yes. Why do you ask?”
“Because if you were like this … maybe they didn’t leave you behind.”
“They didn’t. You’ll see.”
“Not … not to doubt you,” Barry said. “But … it is really hard to believe that someone came in and kidnapped five high trained killers. That’s what Eliminators are, even if we only kill the dead.”
“Maybe they were soft,” Rigs said. “Lost their touch with all the help they got from their fancy stuff meant for foreign soil.”
“Speaking of foreign soil,” Rachel said. “What’s up with France? You said you would tell us. Something about the word?”
“Ah.” Rigs waved out his hand. “Nothing.”
“Come on, you can’t do that. You said you’d tell us. You seemed excited.”
“Well, it’s stupid, you’ll make fun,” Rigs said.
“Probably,” Rachel agreed. “Go on.”
“Okay when Al …”
“Yates,” he corrected.
“Al said France, it hit me that was what I was missing. I was stuck … I was stuck on a line and hearing him say France all made it fall into place.”
“Stuck on a line?” Yates asked. “Poem? Journal? Song?”
Rigs snapped his finger. “Song. I kind of wrote a p
arody of American Pie.”
“What!” Rachel blasted with a laugh. “You did not.”
“I did.”
“Rigs, that is like a very creative thing. You aren’t creative,” Rachel said.
“I can be creative.”
“Bar,” Rachel looked at him. “You have known him forever. Have you ever known him to be creative?”
“Just in the way he justified his post grief actions.”
The door to the EPEV opened and excitedly Fred and Sandy came out.
“Guys.” Sandy stated, trying to curb her enthusiasm. “We took down three and a cow, the cow was an accident.”
“In our defense,” Fred added. “They were going for the cow and we put it out of its misery.”
Sandy crinkled her nose. “Not real sure that we got head shots, the system doesn’t tell us that.”
Yates gave a thumbs up. “Whatever gets your practice in.”
Fred looked around. “What … what’s going on here?”
“Oh,” Rachel said. “Rigs was telling us how he wrote a parody version of American Pie.”
“Whoa. Slap my head and call me Silly, I want to hear that,” Fred said.
“Slap your head …” Yates questioned. “Call you silly?”
“Never heard it?” Fred asked.
“I have a feeling I have never heard any of those sayings that pop out of your mouth.” Yates replied.
“Rigs,” Sandy smiled. “That sounds like fun. I always knew you were creative, the way you reorganized my medical room.”
“That’s not creativity,” Barry said. “That’s OCD.”
Yates abruptly stood up.
“Turning in?” Barry asked.
“No.” Yates walked over to the Flaming Saffron RV and opened the side door. “Someone needs to use that ten thousand dollar specialty guitar that is propped up like the Bargain store beginner special.” He went in and came back out with it. “So beautiful. It’s a shame you treat her like this.”
“You play?” Fred asked.
“I do, that’s why I owned one,” Yates plucked the strings, cringing as he tuned it up. It took a minute but he ended his tuning routine with a strum of a chord as he sat back down. “Okay, Rigs, let’s hear it.”
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