His walkie squawked on Dylan’s lap.
“Comm check,” Derrick said.
Dylan picked up the walkie. “Copy.”
Chris and Jeff responded too. It was comforting to know there was a way to reach them. But for how long?
Chapter 15
Jessica
Shaggy was still sleeping on the recliner and Wolf was sharpening his wicked-looking knife.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” Jessica said.
Wolf jerked his head up like he’d forgotten she was there. Then he squinted, like he wasn’t sure how to handle this unexpected situation. That told her she must be the first woman they’d kidnapped. Lucky her.
He sheathed his knife and stood. “Fine.” He crossed the small space, stopping in front of her. “Get up.”
She shrank back. She couldn’t help it. He scared her.
Glowering at her, he said, “Thought you had to go.”
She actually did, but that wasn’t the real reason she’d asked. Crushing her fear, she got to her feet.
“This way.” Wolf started moving toward a hallway, his gaze barely leaving Jessica. He stopped outside a filthy bathroom, gesturing with his head to its interior. “There you go.”
She held up her bound hands. “Please.” It pained her to have to politely ask, but she needed to keep playing the role of docile captive.
He clenched his jaw as he stared at her, but after a moment he used his knife to cut through the duct tape, freeing her hands.
It felt wonderful to have the duct tape off and to be able to use her hands. She moved her wrists in circles to get the blood flowing, then she swallowed her pride and met Wolf’s dead eyes. “Thank you.”
He grunted in reply.
Squeezing past him, she went into the bathroom and closed the door. The stench was nearly unbearable. Apparently they didn’t have running water or a septic system like she had at the farm, which now seemed like the most luxurious thing in the world.
Ignoring the stink, she immediately turned her eyes to the window, but when she saw that it was a horizontal rectangle high above the bathtub that didn’t even open, her hopes of escaping that way were dashed.
No wonder Wolf was fine with her going in there on her own.
She really did need to pee, but she wasn’t sure she was willing to use these facilities. The space had to be crawling with germs. The bathroom looked like it hadn’t been cleaned for months before the pandemic and had only gotten worse since.
Taking advantage of not being observed, she knelt in front of the vanity and opened the doors, on the hunt for anything she could use as a weapon. There were half-used bottles of shampoo, a leaking can of shaving cream, an overflowing trashcan with used tissues littering the space around it. Trying not to gag, Jessica moved aside the items in the front, her gaze probing the depths of the space.
Something in the back caught her eye. She reached in and lifted it out, a smile slowly curving her lips.
A metal nail file.
Standing, she slipped it into her back pocket, making sure her t-shirt covered the part that stuck up. Then, with undisguised disgust, she used the bucket that these guys were obviously using as a toilet.
When she was finished, she opened the door to the bathroom. Expecting to see Wolf waiting for her, when she saw Shaggy instead, she recoiled.
“Where’s Wo—”, she began, catching herself before saying the name she called him in her head. “Where’s your friend?” she asked instead.
Shaggy grinned. “Left to run an errand.” His grin changed to a smirk. “I’m in charge now.”
Blood stained the front of his shirt and his lips were swollen. Clear evidence of what she’d done to him. She would do more if she had the chance. Still, she didn’t want to antagonize him. Not yet, anyway.
Wanting to have more space to mount an attack, she asked, “May I go into the living room?”
He stared at her for several moments, then he stepped back, letting her lead the way. Once she was in the living room, she turned and faced him. “Do you have any water?” From where she stood, she could just see into the kitchen, which was where Wolf had carried the boxes he’d stolen from them. She knew there were bottles of water in those boxes and she was thirsty. But she also wanted to distract Shaggy so she could catch him off guard.
He scowled at her. “Not sure you deserve any. Not after what you done to me.”
Managing to push on a contrite expression, she said, “I’m sorry about what I did to you. I was just scared.”
He narrowed his eyes, like he was trying to decide if she meant it.
She didn’t. Not one bit. Well, maybe the scared part. But definitely not the sorry part.
“Stay here,” he finally said.
Nodding, she watched as he took the few steps into the kitchen. While his back was turned, she took the nail file out of her back pocket, gripping it in her hand and pressing it against her leg to keep it hidden.
With a water bottle in his hand, Shaggy walked toward her. Jessica stared at him, picturing what she was about to do. Could she really do it?
“The boss is gonna like you,” Shaggy said, his gaze sliding up and down her body.
Oh yeah. She could do this.
Not reacting to his comment and not reaching for the water bottle, she let him walk closer. He held the bottle in his right hand while his left arm hung loosely at his side. The moment he began lifting his arm to hand her the bottle, she struck, driving the nail file into his left carotid artery.
His mouth flew open as his eyes went wide and the water bottle fell from his hand.
She yanked the nail file out of his neck. Blood pumped out in a horrifying arc. He sank to the floor in an ever-growing puddle of his own blood.
Jessica stared at him a moment, stunned by what she’d done. She’d thought she would feel a sense of guilt at taking his life, but to her utter surprise, she had zero regrets. This man and his buddy had kidnapped her with terrible things in mind. They’d had zero regrets too.
As Shaggy lay there rapidly dying, Jessica took his gun from his hip, then she peered out the front window. Wolf had yet to return.
Not wanting to risk running into Wolf, Jessica turned and ran into the kitchen, then fled out the back door.
Chapter 16
Derrick
With each minute that passed with no sign of Jessica, Derrick’s guilt grew tenfold. He couldn’t begin to imagine how Matt felt.
Sighing in frustration as he drove, he noticed a home improvement store up ahead. He scanned the few vehicles in the parking lot, not expecting to see anything interesting.
Then he saw it.
His truck.
Head jerking back in surprise, he hit the brakes, then grabbed the walkie. “I’ve got something.”
“Is it Jessica?” Matt said almost immediately.
“Don’t know yet. Looks like my truck though.” He gave his location.
“I’m on my way.”
There was no response from Chris or Jeff. Must be out of range.
“Meet me on the street on the north side of the building,” Derrick said into the walkie.
“Roger that,” Dylan replied.
Five minutes later, Matt and Dylan arrived, parking behind Derrick.
Derrick got out. Matt and Dylan did as well. They stood on the side of Matt’s truck that made them less visible in case the person who had driven Derrick’s truck happened to come outside.
“Is Mom in there?” Dylan asked, his face showing a mix of hope and worry.
Derrick shook his head. “Don’t know. Need to do some recon to find out.” If Jessica was inside, Derrick was worried about what was happening to her. He didn’t want Matt or Dylan to witness what she may be going through. “You two stay here and keep an eye on the front. I’ll recon.”
Matt opened his mouth, but before he could argue, Derrick held up his hand. “I know you want to go in there, but let’s be honest. Your bum leg will slow you down and make you less
stealthy.” He paused a beat. “Let me do this. I won’t be long.”
Matt’s jaw clenched, but then he nodded.
Relieved he hadn’t had to argue, Derrick turned and trotted away, heading to the corner of the building before quickly making his way to the entrance. With his gun leading the way, he went through the broken glass that used to be the doors.
Sunlight streamed in through the skylights in the ceiling, allowing him to see around the interior fairly well.
The sound of someone rummaging through the shelves reached Derrick. He crept toward that area, on high alert for anyone on watch who might try to ambush him. It didn’t take long to find the aisle where the noise was coming from. Peering around the corner, Derrick saw a man, alone, filling a shopping cart with various gauges of wire.
Jessica was nowhere to be seen.
Not sure if that was a good sign or not—had they already killed her, or was she somewhere else entirely?—he studied the man.
Average height, on the thin side, but he still looked like he could put up a fight. The man was focused on his task. Derrick noticed several tattoos on the man’s arms, including one of a wolf.
He considered whether he should attack the man and question him, but quickly decided it would be more productive to follow the man after he’d finished his shopping.
Derrick made his way out of the store and back to Matt and Dylan. At the look of hope and devastation on Matt’s face, Derrick said, “She’s not in there.”
Matt closed his eyes as he exhaled, then he ran his fingers through his hair. “Did you question him?”
“No. We’ll follow him when he comes out. He’ll lead us right to her.”
Matt’s gaze darted to the truck still parked in the lot, then he met Derrick’s eyes. “Right.”
“We’ll all go in my car,” Derrick said.
Matt nodded and went around to the passenger side. Derrick got behind the wheel. Once all three of them were inside with the doors closed, they waited.
Fifteen minutes later, the man came out, pushing a shopping cart in front of him.
“That him?” Matt asked.
Derrick nodded. “Yeah.”
They watched as the man moved the items from the shopping cart into the bed of the truck. The man seemed oblivious to the fact that he was being watched. Good.
The man got behind the wheel of the truck and drove out of the parking lot, turning right onto the empty street. With no other cars on the road, it would be challenging to follow him without being noticed. Still, Derrick would give it his best shot.
Derrick turned the Charger around, then stopped at the corner. He crept forward enough to see his truck but didn’t pull onto the street just yet. Once the man was a good distance away, Derrick turned onto the street. He drove slow enough to keep a healthy distance without losing sight of the man.
The man turned into a neighborhood. This would be the hardest part because Derrick would have to get closer to the man to keep him in view. He just hoped the man was too preoccupied to notice them trailing him.
“I don’t see him,” Matt said after they’d made two more turns. His voice was tinged with panic.
Had the man seen them, or had he gotten lucky? Either way, they’d lost him.
Chapter 17
Jessica
Jessica didn’t know where to go. She had no idea how to get back to the farm and she had no clue which way Wolf had gone. She couldn’t risk walking in the street. If Wolf spotted her, he’d come after her for sure.
It had only been a few minutes since she’d killed Shaggy and escaped. Now, she was running in an almond orchard that grew behind the houses in the neighborhood, several houses away from the one where she’d been held prisoner.
Panting from exertion and a panic she couldn’t control, she paused and looked at the house closest to her. Was anyone home? Maybe she should check. Maybe they would help her.
Heart slamming against her ribs, she darted to the back of the house and pounded on the French doors. “Is anyone home?” She didn’t call out too loudly, just in case Wolf was looking for her.
No one came to the door.
Maybe she could hide inside. She was tired and thirsty. She’d been through an ordeal and needed a minute.
She turned the knob. To her great relief, it was unlocked. Or maybe that was a bad sign. Maybe that meant someone was living there but just wasn’t home.
Before she stepped over the threshold, she paused and listened. And sniffed the air.
No stench of a decomposing corpse and no sound of anyone inside.
Still, she was nervous as hell. She pulled out the gun she’d taken off of Shaggy and held it in the low ready position. Wait. She should make sure it was actually loaded.
Relying on the training Derrick had been giving her and the others, she dropped the magazine. It was full of ammo. Sighing with relief, she inserted the magazine then pulled back the slide, putting a round in the chamber.
She stepped through the door, then took her time clearing the house. It was the first time she’d done it on her own. As she went from room to room, she felt more certain that no one had been there in a while. A fine layer of dust covered everything as if no one had been inside in weeks.
Once the house had been cleared, she went back to the kitchen. Thirstier than ever, she opened cupboards, on the hunt for something to drink. A bit of food would be nice too. But she found nothing. The place had been cleared out. Whoever lived there must have taken everything edible before fleeing.
She went into the living room and sat on the couch, dislodging a cloud of dust.
She couldn’t stay there. She realized that now. When Wolf found Shaggy dead and Jessica missing, he would be furious. He would search the neighborhood until he found her. And then what? Would he kill her? What about the boss they kept talking about? When was he supposed to arrive?
This was such a mess. She just needed to get back to the farm. Back to her family. Then she would be safe.
An idea struck her. She stood and went into the garage. Yes! There was a car parked inside. Now, if she could just find the keys.
She went back in the house and began looking, digging through every drawer—in the kitchen, in the bedroom, in the room that looked like an office. Even in the bathroom.
No keys.
Wait. Maybe the keys were already in the car. With hope building, Jessica got in the car. She dropped the visor, looked in the center console and the glovebox. She even got out and looked under the seat, which was difficult with how dark it was, but she wasn’t about to open the garage to let light in. Not with Wolf’s whereabouts unknown.
Still no keys.
Sighing in frustration, she sat in the driver’s seat and shook her head. Her gaze travelled to the glove box again, which is when she got another idea. She reached over and took out the map she’d noticed earlier, then carried it back into the house. After spreading it on the counter, she searched for the location of the farm.
There it was.
Okay. Now she just needed to determine where she was and then she could trace the path she needed to follow to get home.
What she wouldn’t give for a smart phone with GPS capabilities. Life had been so easy before. At least when it came to finding places and getting information. Now though, every single thing she did required effort. But that effort always paid off.
No matter what, even if she had to walk, she would make it home to her family.
Feeling a renewed sense of hope, she went to the front window and pulled back a corner of the curtain. No street signs were visible. She would have to go outside and find a street sign to figure out where she was.
After folding the map, she tucked it in her back pocket. It stuck out, but that didn’t matter. It was like gold to her, like her own personal treasure map. She hadn’t marked the farm with an X though. She knew where the farm was and that was all that mattered.
Making sure the gun was securely tucked in her waistband, she went through
the French doors and into the backyard. As she walked, she stayed close to the trees in the orchard that ran behind the houses, pausing frequently to listen for Derrick’s truck—for Wolf’s return.
As she reached each house, she took a moment to watch for occupants, but no one seemed to be around. Then she craned her head to see if any street signs were visible.
None so far.
Soon, she would need to stop and look for water, but first she was determined to learn the name of the street she was on.
Finally, she saw a cross street. Daring to approach the sign on the corner, she crept forward until she could read the names of the streets going in each direction.
Elated to have that information, she dashed to the nearest house and approached the front door. A bright red X was painted on the wood.
Great. A corpse was inside. One that had died of the flu. But that also meant that there was a possibility of water—and food!—inside.
Willing to brave the stink of death, Jessica hurried up the walk and to the front door. Being extra cautious, she knocked, then waited for a good thirty seconds. No reply. She tried the knob. Locked. No surprise there. Nowhere near ready to give up, she went around to the garage’s man door as Derrick had taught her. It was locked too. No problem. She’d seen Derrick break in this kind of door before. He’d told her that you were supposed to kick the area where the locking mechanism was. She lifted her foot and slammed it into the spot where she’d seen Derrick do it. The door didn’t fly open like it did for him.
Not discouraged, but with some discomfort in her foot and leg, she considered shooting the lock but didn’t want to broadcast her location. Instead, she kicked the same area again. This time the door burst inward.
Pandemic (Book 4): Insurrection Page 6