by Bruno Miller
ENDURANCE
Cloverdale, Book Three
Bruno Miller
Would you fight for the ones you love?
The struggle for survival in Cloverdale continues as Vince Walker and a small group of survivors find that nothing comes easy in the post-apocalyptic ruins of what was once their town.
With a lack of emergency services and modern day conveniences, the reality of their situation forces them to rely on each other and become self-sufficient. Each new day brings with it a unique set of challenges that the group must rise above and conquer to eke out an existence.
Food, water and shelter aren’t their only concerns, though. They must also defend themselves against an outlaw gang of looters determined to take control of the few resources that remain and kill anyone who gets in their way.
Will the survivors of Cloverdale stay united? Or will temptation divide them? How many will succumb to the evil that lurks in the shadows just beyond the town limits?
Endurance: Cloverdale, Book Three
Copyright © 2019 Bruno Miller
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real person, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
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NEWSLETTER
Table of Contents
ENDURANCE
About the Book
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
About the Author
Chapter One
Vince was still in disbelief about what had happened. How had he allowed himself and the others to be duped by the two travelers who had introduced themselves as Dave and Kelly from Indianapolis. Vince wasn’t sure if he would ever stop beating himself up over the fact that he ignored his gut feeling about them.
Worst of all, they had taken Tom and Beverly’s son, Ryan, hostage and were now using him as a bargaining chip. Vince and the others watched helplessly as Tom continued to stomp back and forth and shout threats about what he intended to do to the looters. Vince could hardly blame Tom for being angry and letting his emotions get the best of him, but they had to be smart about this, and chasing after Ryan without a solid plan wasn’t the answer. Giving in to the looters’ demands and turning over all their supplies wasn’t an option, either, and would be suicide for their group. Vince meant what he said about rescuing Ryan without giving the looters what they wanted, but he didn’t have a plan yet.
“Calm down, Tom. We’ll figure this out,” John tried, but Tom seemed to ignore him.
If Vince and the others were to survive this post-apocalyptic world, they would need all the supplies they could get their hands on. Vince’s little group of thirteen was very lucky to have found the food at the grocery store and to have access to fresh water and sparing amounts of electricity. There were certainly others out there who were much less fortunate and who were managing to stay alive on less. But that didn’t mean Vince wanted to join them in their struggle.
“If we don’t give them what they want,” Tom huffed, “they said we would never see Ryan again, and I believe them. I’m not willing to risk my son’s life on some crazy plan.”
Fred spoke up. “Well we can’t give them all our stuff. We do that and we’re as good as dead.” Some of the others standing around the small circle nodded in agreement. Then Beverly stepped forward, rubbing her wrists. Vince noticed the red marks from the paracord and was surprised to see her suddenly composed and calm as she approached him and John.
“Then how do we get my boy back?” she asked solemnly.
“We take the fight to them. It’s time to get proactive with these thugs,” John said. Vince agreed, but how? They had no idea where the looters had taken Ryan or where they were based, although he figured they couldn’t be staying too far from Cloverdale and he had seen them approach from the east the other day when he was at the quarry.
“If we’re not going to give them what they want, then we’re wasting time,” Tom insisted. “Let’s go after them now before they get too far.”
“We will, but we need a plan,” Vince said. “We can’t go running off half-cocked and start another gunfight. We’re running low on ammo, and it’s too risky for Ryan’s sake. Knowing them, they’ll use him as a shield anyway.” Vince tried to reason with Tom. Still, he knew it was easy to say these things but a whole lot different to be in Tom and Beverly’s shoes. Vince could only imagine how he would feel if someone had taken Cy hostage. On top of all this, Ryan was just a kid and surely scared out of his mind right now. Tom was still worked up, and rightfully so, but they needed to have clear heads and think this through.
Tom, obviously unsatisfied with the answer, stormed off toward his motel room, grabbing Beverly’s arm and dragging her along with him. He paused briefly and looked back at the group.
“I’m going to get my son. If anyone wants to do more than just talk about it, I’ll be leaving in about fifteen minutes or as soon as I can get my stuff together. Don’t try and stop me, either!” he snapped as he turned and started for the room once more. Following her husband, Beverly wore a look of hopelessness on her face. Vince couldn’t help but feel that Tom’s last comment was mostly directed at him, and he felt bad, maybe even a little responsible, for the situation they were in.
They needed to come up with some ideas fast or they were going to lose Tom and maybe Beverly if she went with him, not to mention that this situation had the potential to tear their group apart if he didn’t do something soon.
“We can’t let him go alone,” Bill said.
“We’re not,” John answered, “but we can’t go running off into the night without a plan. We need to be smart about this. These people won’t hesitate to shoot any one of us or hurt the kid—I’m sure of it.”
“John’s right,” Fred said. “We need to think this through. Let me go talk to Tom. Maybe I can get him to settle down a bit and buy us some time while you guys work something out.” He turned and headed for the motel.
“I’ll come with you and talk to Beverly.” Hannah followed.
“How are we going to find them?” Cy asked. “We don’t even know where they took Ryan.” Vince was already thinking about that, and it was the biggest problem they faced. If they tried to catch up to the kidnappers, they would be seen or heard, and if they were spotted, the two imposters might try to hurt the kid in retaliation. Besides, there was a good chance that the two imposters had hooked up with th
e looters in the cars and fled together. They were probably long gone by now.
“Buster.” Reese stepped forward from the shadows. She hadn’t said a word since they gathered, and Vince had all but forgotten she was even there.
“What about Buster?” Vince asked.
“I did some training with Buster during the summers when I was home. We’ve done more than a few search-and-rescue drills with the volunteer fire department and the SAR—the search and rescue team. Buster can track scents pretty well. It started out as a sort of project for school and a paper I was writing, but he did so well at it that they asked us back every time they did training. He can track a piece of clothing or something from the person you’re looking for up to twenty-four hours after an event. Buster and I helped find a little girl that was lost in the woods last summer over at Leiber State Park.”
Vince and John looked at each other, then back at Reese.
“This could get dangerous,” John said. “These people are armed and mean business.”
“I know,” Reese said, “but what other choice do you have? We can help.”
“I can take Buster so you don’t have to go along,” Cy offered.
Reese shrugged. “It doesn’t really work that way. I’m his handler, and we work together as a team. Buster won’t respond as well to someone else, and I’m not even sure he’ll do it with anyone other than me. That’s just how it’s done.”
Vince didn’t like the thought of taking Reese with them. The father in him was worried about her safety, but the pragmatist in him knew it was the only way it would work. He was skeptical about the dog being able to pick up the trail to begin with, but if having Reese lead the way would increase the odds, he was all for it.
The biggest question Vince had was, who was going to stay behind? Vince had considered that the looters’ scheme could possibly have two parts to it. What if they were counting on Vince and the others to chase after them and leave their supplies unguarded and free for the taking?
There would be no talking Tom out of going along; that was one thing Vince was certain about. He just hoped Tom could keep a cool head when it came time to confront the kidnappers. They couldn’t afford to have any loose cannons in the rescue party. This was going to be a team effort, and any rogue actions could put everyone’s life in danger.
They really had no idea what they were up against or how many looters there were, but regardless of how big their rescue team was, Vince knew they would be outnumbered. This would have to be a stealth mission. Slipping into the looters’ camp, or wherever they were holed up, unnoticed would be the only way this would work. And the more Vince thought it over, the more he favored letting the situation cool down a little before they headed out.
If they held off for a little while, maybe the looters would think their extortion and kidnapping plan had worked and that Vince and the others had decided to cooperate and hand over their supplies in exchange for the boy. If the looters were confident in their plan, they just might let their guard down. Maybe they would even celebrate their success and overindulge in drinking tonight. Waiting to take action was risky, but Vince didn’t think the looters would harm the boy, not as long as they thought he was a bargaining chip.
If only he could convince the others to go along with this idea of letting things cool down before going after Ryan. He didn’t really think anyone would object, except Tom. It would be a hard pill for Tom to swallow, and Vince was sure it would go against every fatherly instinct the man had, but it was their best chance at getting Ryan back alive.
Chapter Two
Vince explained his idea to the others, and they all agreed that as long as Reese was confident that a couple of hours wouldn’t hinder Buster’s ability to pick up the trail, then they should let things settle down first. Vince, Cy, John, Tom, and of course Reese and Buster would make up the rescue team. It took some convincing on Reese’s part to get her parents to let her go, but she was firm and they realized the rescue had little chance of succeeding, or even beginning, without her and Buster.
Fred was able to talk some sense into Tom, and when Vince and John explained the reasoning behind their idea to wait before pursuing the looters, he eventually gave in to better judgment and calmed down. Vince still had some reservations about Tom’s emotional health, but there was no talking him out of going along.
When everyone had retreated to the motel to gear up and load backpacks with water and food, Vince stopped at each room to check in on the team members and make sure they were all packing the appropriate supplies. They needed to plan for the worst, which meant bringing not only food and water but plenty of ammunition as well.
Vince checked on Reese first and made sure she was comfortable carrying the 12-gauge shotgun they had taken off one of the looters. He was careful to go over the operation and proper handling of the gun and made her repeat the information back to him. It was a sad excuse for a crash course in gun safety, but there was no time for anything more elaborate and he wanted her to be armed.
A sense of guilt loomed over him like a dark cloud as he felt the disapproving stares of Reese’s parents. He didn’t like taking her along any more than they did, and he promised he wouldn’t let anything happen to their daughter. He tried to downplay the gun as nothing more than a safety precaution, a “just in case scenario,” but he didn’t think anyone was buying it. He sure wasn’t, and the chance that she would have to use it was high.
Next, he stopped at Tom and Beverly’s room. Vince found it difficult to knock on their door, but he forced himself to get it over with. Tom answered while Beverly remained inside, unmoving and kneeling on the floor by the bed. Vince could hear her whispers as she prayed quietly into her hands, only pausing occasionally to wipe the tears from her eyes. Tom came outside to talk and slowly closed the door behind him.
“She’s taking it pretty hard,” Tom said. “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure how I’m still standing here. This whole thing is eatin’ me up inside, Major.”
“I know it is, Tom, but you have to trust me and have faith in what we’re doing. It’s the safest way to go about getting Ryan back. If we go chasing after them, it’s likely to become a hostage situation and a standoff with your boy in the middle. This is the only way to do it.”
Tom shook his head and looked to be on the verge of tears. “It’s hard to sit here knowing my son is out there, alone and scared.”
Vince put his hand on Tom’s shoulder. “I know, but trust me, we’re going to get him back. Failure isn’t an option, and none of us are willing to accept anything less than getting Ryan back here safe and sound ASAP.” Vince tried his best to be convincing, but they were only words to the ears of a desperate man. Tom nodded but remained silent as Vince pulled out two thirty-round magazines for Tom’s AR-15 from his back pocket.
“John wanted me to give you these for the trip. He’s bringing a few more boxes as well. Don’t forget to bring food and water. Enough for Ryan, too. It may be a ways away, and we’ll all need to keep our energy levels up to get back.” Vince hoped that ending on a positive note would provide Tom with some much-needed encouragement, but the look on his face remained unchanged as he nodded and sank back through the doorway. Vince glanced over his shoulder and saw Beverly in the same position as before, hunched over the bed and praying.
As Tom closed the door, Vince moved down the corridor to Cy’s room, thinking about the grim conversation that Tom and his wife were having right now and how he wouldn’t have wished this on his worst enemy. He could only imagine how helpless they felt, not to mention the whirlwind of other emotions running through their minds.
When he reached Cy’s room, the door was partially open. John was inside, talking with Cy and giving him several boxes of ammunition for his AR-15. The two looked up at Vince as he entered the room.
“You guys ready for this?” Vince directed the question primarily at his son.
“Yep. John’s just giving me a little extra ammo to pack. We might need i
t.” Cy said it so casually that Vince was caught off guard. For a moment, he wondered if Cy really grasped the severity of the situation. But how could he not? He had seen for himself what these people were capable of. In fact, Vince was beginning to feel foolish for calling them looters; in his mind, the word was far too kind for them. This human trash they were dealing with was nothing short of a band of murderous thieves and now kidnappers. They were a roving gang of bandits, plain and simple.
“Everybody still good to leave here at midnight?” John said, interrupting Vince’s thoughts.
“Yeah,” Vince said. “I just checked in on the others. Everyone is good to go. Looks like you guys have things under control here, so I might try to get a little rest before we leave.” He checked his watch. “It’s gonna be a long night.”
“Yep, I’m planning on doing the same,” John replied. “I’m all packed up and ready to go.”
“All right then. I’ll see you guys in the parking lot at twelve.” Vince nodded and backed out of the room, leaving the door how he found it.
When he entered his room, Mary was lying on the bed and struggling to read a book in the dim light of a lantern on the nightstand. Nugget was curled up by her side, but at the sight of Vince, the little dog popped up and ran to greet him. Mary looked up and forced a smile as Vince plopped into a chair near the window and began to take off his boots. Before he could undo his laces, Nugget had wriggled her way between his legs and was demanding his attention. Vince scratched her all over, and she returned his affection with a few licks and nibbles to his hands.