Forsaken World | Book 6 | Redemption

by Watson, Thomas A.

  Even now, Bren didn’t want to think about popping mushrooms. They didn’t know shit about the lifeform and flooding it with radiation didn’t seem wise to Bren, and he was only a soldier.

  Washington had finally come to terms that this was an extinction level event and had authorized full combat resupply. Arriving in Corbin with three thousand troops, Bren had a total of twelve thousand rounds of 5.56 for his troops. There had been civilians who were coming into the camp with more in the beds of their pickup trucks. Hell yeah, Bren had taken it because citizens weren’t allowed to remain armed and had to turn over all arms and ammunition. Even with that, Bren couldn’t keep the infected back. When word had finally come down that a resupply was coming Bren had felt relief, but the convoy had never arrived.

  In Corbin, Bren had heard the call for help from the convoy, but he’d been barely keeping the infected far enough back from camp. They’d learned really fast, don’t kill the infected close.

  They had lost contact with the convoy north of Williamsburg. Only after they’d left Corbin and set up at the lake had Bren gone in search of the convoy because he still needed bullets. The patrol Bren led had smelled the site long before seeing it. Moving to a hilltop a mile west of the interstate to view the area, it’d still been hard to breathe at times when the wind blew.

  There, strung out nearly two miles, was the convoy. It had consisted of HEMET, or heavy transport trucks, and civilian semi-trucks, over a hundred in all. Looking at the scene even weeks later, Bren knew what had happened. The convoy had hit a traffic jam caused by a wreck, but what Bren couldn’t explain was where in the hell all the infected had come from. There’d been a sea of bodies along the interstate extending out a quarter of a mile on either side on the ground, and an easy ten thousand infected moving around. Even if the entire population of White county had been infected, it couldn’t account for those kind of numbers.

  Staying hidden on the hilltop, Bren had tried to come up with a way to get to at least one truck but couldn’t. It would’ve taken a hundred troops and fifty thousand rounds just to clear a path and those troops would’ve had to have full rebreathers, and they currently only had five of those. The gas masks they had, the filters were gone because the hydrogen sulfide broke them down very fast.

  Finally giving up Bren had left, but had returned twice and sent scouts three other times. The only thing that had changed was there were even more infected milling about. Photos from the last scouting trip had put the number closer to fifty-five thousand. It just pissed Bren off to no end. It was like the infected knew there was something there the living wanted and if they waited, living would come.

  Victor and Blake both just stared at Bren as his face grew a darker red. “Is it something about the convoy?” Victor asked because Blake wasn’t asking shit.

  “We don’t have to worry about the convoy anymore,” Bren finally said. “The Wild Ones have secured it.”

  ‘BAM’ sounded as Victor slammed his hand on the table. “There’s no fucking way! I went by there when I went to see Pineville for myself! There were over fifty thousand infected there and twice that many dead! Where they came from I have no idea, but I saw them with my own eyes! That kind of equipment isn’t around here!” Victor bellowed. The door opened as two of his security entered. Shifting his eyes to them, Victor waved them out.

  When the door closed, “I assure you, the convoy is gone,” Bren said through gritted teeth. “I found out on the way back from stopping by the drop house. Trent left a message and even photos. It seems the cabin group just woke up one day and decided they wanted the convoy.”

  “How did they even know about the convoy?” Blake asked.

  “They know of three military units we’ve never made contact with, so the only way I can figure is their drones have over-the-horizon capabilities,” Bren answered. That convoy had been his goal. With that, he’d been certain they could hold against anything and still trade some of the ammo. Even being conservative, there had been over a hundred million rounds of 5.56 on that one convoy.

  There were other stockpiles, but none close. Another problem with those stockpiles, infected were there. Wade at Buckhorn had sent his Blackhawks to one of the ammo storage areas at Fort Knox. At that time, Wade had twenty-eight Blackhawks and they’d loaded each one to the max while killing infected to keep from being overrun. It had only been a few hundred but when they’d returned a week later, there were several thousand in the area. Bren knew it would’ve been difficult if not impossible to pile the bodies as they were killed and torch before leaving. The few places that had more stuff than they could get in one haul, they had tried that and those were the missions they lost the most personnel from.

  Now if a large supply was spotted, you just backed out and came back with a larger group to get as much as possible because returning wasn’t really an option, until the Wild Ones.

  “I’m not doubting you,” Victor started.

  “I have photos,” Bren said, picking up a stack. “Where the convoy was, the metal guardrails are melted slabs because the heat was so hot.”

  “How?” Victor gasped. “I would’ve been terrified to even shoot a gun, much less crank up a vehicle.”

  “The centrifugal guns don’t have a flash and they never cranked any vehicle. Using the battle bots, they sent them in to push the bodies back and clear a path. They hooked up a long cable and pulled the trucks off the interstate one at a time, then cranked them up and drove them to Bimble. Trent said it took sixteen hours and reported some sixty thousand infected were taken out by gun and thunder bots while the crew worked,” Bren answered.

  “Jesus! They have enough ammo now to hold off all the groups around here even if we all attacked at once, forget the other stuff they have!,” Victor cried out.

  “Yes, they are the dominant group,” Bren agreed.

  “But if someone attacks the Wild Ones and they have all that stuff around them, an attacker wouldn’t have to worry about infected coming up behind them,” Blake suggested.

  Shaking his head as he turned to Bren, “I swear, Mom had to have dropped him on his head,” Victor stated, then turned back to Blake. “If they can turn the machines protecting them on, then they can turn them off, dumbass!”

  Realizing that’d been stupid on his part, “What do we do if they try and attack us?” Blake asked, and Victor turned to Bren.

  “We have stockpiles and can hold them off I’m sure, but I’m of the mind to let them have this place,” Bren shrugged. “But us trying to set up somewhere else isn’t feasible, so all we could do is hold them off as the infected surrounded us. Depending on how automated their creations are would be the determining factor. We know they weren’t at the Pirates camp, so I feel their machines aren’t that autonomous. Otherwise, they could just send bots where they wanted.”

  “When are we pulling Trent and Linda?” Blake asked, and both turned to him. “I’m just asking because if we pull them and they ever find out we sent them, we are FUCKED!”

  Raising his eyebrows and nodding his head, “That is a very valid assessment,” Bren agreed.

  For several minutes, no one said anything. “Bren,” Victor broke the silence. “Get word to Trent and Linda that drops will only be once a month. I don’t want to risk them getting discovered.”

  “They get discovered, we need to leave,” Blake suggested. “We can kick someone out of their place and take it over.”

  Proudly looking at his brother, “Reasoning like that, at times, makes me proud you’re my brother,” Victor admitted.

  “I’ll get word to Trent and Linda to stay put for the time being. No more live contacts and drops once a month unless they get word the Wild Ones are moving against us,” Bren said. “I’ll advise them to no longer go after information and just blend in. If they get anything, they can leave it at the drop house.”

  “How many of our people know about Trent and Linda?” Blake asked, and Victor just turned to Bren.

  Shrugging, “Besides
us, maybe six or seven,” Bren answered. “Some know we have spies, but not who.”

  “Those six or seven can’t get caught by anyone,” Blake said. “Even if they get captured by the Blue Men, they could let the Wild Ones know just to gain favor.”

  “That’s pretty fuckin’ good,” Bren confessed, then nodded. “I’ll arrange that they are not to leave the Trading Post.”

  “How can Linda even think teens are responsible?” Victor asked.

  “Have no idea, but she does. She and Trent have gotten into some heated arguments about it,” Bren said.

  “I know many teens, and none have shown me much of anything except attitude,” Victor said and Blake chuckled because Victor knew a lot of teen girls, if you called fucking, knowing someone.

  “As have I,” Bren said. “I’ve had thousands of teens under my command over the years, very few were noteworthy, and none really impressed me.”

  Gathering up his stuff as Victor and Bren walked out together, “Alexander the Great was a general leading his army to victories at sixteen, and Joan of Arc led an army to victory at thirteen,” Blake mumbled. “There are some teens who can surprise us and change history.”

  ***

  Putting down the wrench, Ian turned to Lance. “It needs to be handled,” Ian grunted, and Lance just rolled his eyes. “Dude, they’ve served their purpose!”

  In the power house with Ian and Lance hooking up massive ‘special batteries’, Heath and Dwain just stood against the wall. Well, they were watching them hook up the batteries and if the boys needed something they would get it. So used to the boys talking like they weren’t there, both just shifted their gaze to Lance.

  “I’ll admit they’re being a pain, but they’ve helped and not even known it,” Lance countered.

  “Lance!” Ian cried out. “Allie is getting ready to kill Rita! If you wait and Allie kills that bitch, I’m ripping the hair off your balls one at a time!”

  Covering his groin, “You need to chill, homey,” Lance gasped.

  “That’s my little sister! I’m not kidding. After I rip the hair out, I’m dunking your nuts in rubbing alcohol,” Ian threatened, and Lance took a step back as Jennifer and Lilly came in.

  “You touch my nuts, I’m ripping your dick off!” Lance countered but kept his jewels covered.

  “What now?” Jennifer moaned, and saw Lilly looking at Heath and Dwain who were standing against the wall calmly.

  “Lance, Allie pulled her knife on Rita during supper on Sunday, the knife YOU,” Ian stressed hard, “got her and let her use on killing stinkers.”

  “It was only the heads at first,” Lance replied.

  With narrowed eyes, “The fucking mouths still worked,” Ian growled.

  Leaning over to Lilly, “If they take their shirts off and wrestle, I’m moving behind one of the batteries. Don’t follow. I’m going to watch, but want to be alone,” Jennifer whispered.

  With her eyes growing to the size of silver dollars, Lilly whipped her head to Jennifer and gave a startle. The look on Jennifer’s face was one of utter lust, so much so it made Lilly a bit nervous. “The fact Ian has held you at bay is a miracle unto man, no matter what they think,” Lilly mumbled to herself, turning back to the boys.

  “They needed to learn,” Lance snapped. “I pulled the teeth out so even if they got bit, the Ladybugs would’ve only been gummed.”

  “Ass slug! I had to help you wrestle down nine stinkers and put them in rubber gimp suits!” Ian shouted.

  “I do want to know where in the hell Lance found nine rubber gimp suits around here,” Jennifer snorted and Lilly had to nod in agreement.

  “The Ladybugs did great!” Lance shouted, finally taking his hand off his jewels. “Each one rolled into their first stinker like I showed them, getting it off its feet and shanked ‘em in the head!”

  Relaxing his posture with a deadpan expression, “Yeah,” Ian huffed. “The last one Allie did, she ran around it until it spun in a circle and sliced not one but both its calf muscles.”

  “It fell down!” Lance shouted.

  Nodding, “And Allie danced on its back to keep it from rolling over, then drove her knife in the skull,” Ian grumbled.

  “Better than Carrie,” Jennifer chuckled softly. “She ran around her last one and climbed its back like a monkey to shank it in the skull.”

  “I liked Jodi’s last method,” Lilly admitted. “She dove between its legs and the stinker bent over trying to follow and fell down. Before it moved to roll over, Jodi shanked it.”

  “You know, Lori has asked if the boys would wrestle a stinker down and put it in a gimp suit so she could practice,” Jennifer whispered.

  “I let Lance know and he said they would,” Lilly reminded her.

  “Lance,” Ian said in a normal tone. “I don’t want Allie to kill a person until she has to and make no mistake, Allie is on the war path for Rita.”

  “Fine,” Lance sighed. “We’ll handle it tonight.”

  “I want to come!” Jennifer cheered, bouncing around on her toes. When neither said no and they turned to look at each other, Jennifer stopped bouncing. In her wildest dreams she’d never expected them to actually consider it.

  “She’s gotten better at moving quietly,” Ian stated.

  “Hey!” Lilly cried out. “She goes, that means I get to go!” Neither turned at Lilly’s declaration and just looked at each other, and Lilly really wished she could hear their telepathic link.

  “They watch only,” Lance finally said.

  “Duh, no shit!” Ian sang out. “I do want them to move around the three to practice.”

  “Only if we’re on guns,” Lance countered. “They even look hard at my girl, I’m skinning the fuckers alive.”

  Thinking for a minute to see if he wanted to add anything, Ian finally nodded. “Deal. We’ll take them out after our women sneak around,” he grinned. “I have something in mind for the three that will help us even more.”

  Heath and Dwain just leaned back against the wall, knowing they had just witnessed a discussion of murder. The only thing they felt bad about was they weren’t invited because they really wanted to kill the three too. “Are you telling Kathy about Jodi?” Heath whispered.

  “Fuck that,” Dwain hissed, then whispered. “I know the boys would never let Jodi get hurt. I just want to see a stinker in a gimp suit.”

  When Ian and Lance turned to them Dwain and Heath stood up straight, ready to go grab something. “Call Seth, Amie, and Patrick,” Lance told them. “Bridge meeting at the clubhouse. One hour.”

  Pulling out his cellphone, “Alone or can their second come?” Heath asked, scrolling through numbers.

  “They can bring their second, but that’s it,” Ian answered as Heath and Dwain left, tapping their phones. “I like having cellphones again,” Ian said.

  “Brings a feeling of normal,” Lance nodded, shifting his eyes to Lilly. “I’m sure Rhonda wants to come. Call her and tell her bridge meeting at the clubhouse.”

  Lilly pulled her phone out and saw Lance pull his out. “Who are you calling?” she asked.

  “Momma,” Lance answered, and Lilly turned to see Ian already dialing his phone. The fact she knew Ian was calling his mom is what bothered Lilly. The boys never said who they were calling with their voices, Lilly was certain that’d been discussed telepathically.

  Watching Jennifer pull her phone out, “Who are you calling?” Lilly asked.

  “The cabin, and telling whoever answers to send me some food,” Jennifer informed her. “I’ve been at Bravo all day being your assistant with Lori. I’m starving.” Lilly just laughed as Rhonda answered and Lilly relayed the message about the meeting. True to form, Rhonda was on the way before she’d even hung up.

  With so many in Bravo now, Lilly had to devote one entire day each week to being a doctor. The fact a real doctor had joined with Bravo two weeks ago is what amazed Lilly. Everyone still wanted her to come and continue to be their doctor. Stanley, the doctor, wa
s a family practice doctor and seemed okay, and Lilly had known he was a doctor after getting Stanley to assist her on clinic day. In time, Lilly hoped the others would allow Stanley to take some of them because Lilly was starting to feel overwhelmed. Counting everyone inside the perimeter and Bravo, the Wild Ones now numbered over six hundred.

  Last week, Lilly had gotten to deliver her first baby from a woman in Bravo, and was thankful Holly now wouldn’t be her first. Lilly had suggested to Holly to let Stanley deliver and Holly had flat-out refused. Being the Wild Ones’ doctor was taking a lot of Lilly’s time and she, Jennifer, and Lori weren’t going on patrols as often as she felt they should. Hell, they weren’t helping in many areas as much as she thought they should. It had been over two weeks since they had gone to the research area with Ian and Lance.

  “Carrie’s sending us food,” Jennifer said, hanging up her phone.

  “You dog,” Lilly laughed. “You told her to send Lance food and put enough in there for us.”

  “Hell, yeah,” Jennifer snapped. “I’m hungry, and the Ladybugs will walk through fire for Lance.”

  An hour later, the group was at the clubhouse sitting around a table. Sandy and Mary brought the food over that Carrie had put together. When Lance said he wasn’t hungry, Sandy scooted her chair closer and picked up a fork. “Open,” Sandy said, scooping up some food.

  Lance looked at his momma like she was crazy. “Lance, you’re going to eat even if I have to shove this down your throat,” Sandy told him.

  “Momma, I’ve been feeding myself for some time,” Lance informed her. Undeterred, Sandy drove the full fork at Lance’s mouth. “All right!” Lance cried out, taking the fork and emptying it in his mouth. “Happy?” he grumbled with a full mouth.