by Ray Wench
“Is anyone in there?” Mark climbed the undercarriage until his head was even with the body. Soft crying drifted up, like someone trying hard not to let sobs escape.
“Are you hurt?” Mark spoke in a soft, reassuring voice, but he was tense, not knowing if there would be a gun pointed at him.
From the other car, a woman yelled, “You stay away from there!”
Mark crawled along the rear passenger door until he could look down into the interior of the SUV. As his vision adjusted to the darkness, Mark found a second body in the driver’s seat. Movement in the back seat brought his focus on a teenage girl. She lay against the opposite door, her body twisted sideways. She held a hand to her forehead. Mark couldn’t tell if she was cut or just in shock.
Mark studied her for a moment. Her legs were under the front seat. A portion of the roof had collapsed and the door Mark lay on had buckled when the SUV rolled. The door wouldn’t open when he tried it.
The front seat, with a dead man in it, lay across her lap. Careful not to spook her or get himself hurt, Mark climbed in while the woman in the other car continued to scream. When Mark pulled out his knife, the girl’s eyes lit up with fear.
“It’s all right; don’t panic. I’m just going to cut your seat belt so you can climb out.”
The girl whimpered. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from Mark. The knife cut through the belt easily.
“Are you able to move? There’s nothing broken, is there?”
“I-I don’t think so.”
“Does anything hurt?”
“Just my head.”
A good size gash lined her forehead.
“Take my hand and see if you can pull loose.”
She hesitated at first but gripped his hand. Her body moved upwards, but her legs were still stuck. Mark tried to pull harder, but she let out a cry of pain.
“Tell me where you’re stuck.”
“My ankles.”
“Okay, hold on, I’ll to move the seat.”
Mark angled so he could reach across the dead man’s body to the controls on the far side of the seat. He couldn’t see where they were but felt for them, found the right one, and got the seat to move forward. Mark climbed back out the window and reached down.
“Give me your hands. When I pull, try to point your toes down if you can.”
She winced but otherwise pulled clear. When she was free, she gave him a brief hug. Mark took her hand and led her around the flipped vehicle. When the occupants of the car saw the girl was safe, they called to her and Mark let go of her hand.
“Go on,” he said and she limped toward the car. Now that he was closer Mark saw several people inside. The rear door opened and someone reached out to pull her in. The door slammed and the engine coughed again. The driver continued to turn the key but the engine kept cranking while the battery grew weaker.
Mark squatted next to John and the other man. Both men were dead. The woman in the driver’s seat watched him, perhaps waiting for Mark to give the final ruling on the two men. Their eyes locked for a moment and Mark shook his head. The woman choked back a sob. Mark stood and walked closer to the car. As if fearing he might get too close, the driver turned the key several times in succession. Each turn drained the battery further.
“I think you flooded the engine,” Mark said. “It may not start right away. Do you want me to take a look at it?”
There was no response. The driver tried starting it again. The starter barely cranked.
“It’s not going to start.” Mark shook his head as the driver tried once more. “Look, I’ve got a house not far from here. Let’s get you all to safety for the night and in the morning I can jump the car and get you going. There’s no telling who else might have heard all that noise. Others could be—”
He froze. In the distance were tiny white dots. Multiple sets of headlights were coming toward them.
“Damn! You’re out of time. We have to make a run for it. We only have a few minutes before they’ll be here.” No one moved. “Run, damnit!” The driver’s door opened and the woman’s head appeared over the roof.
“But what about the food and water?” the woman asked.
“You can’t use it if you’re dead,” Mark shouted.
The woman looked in all directions, as if searching for answers there. She wiped her tear-streaked face. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll keep you safe, but we have to leave now. Grab some of your food. We’ll come back in the morning. Move or I’ll have to leave you here.” He started running toward the attacker’s cars. “Get into those woods and start walking. I’ll catch up to you in a minute.”
Mark couldn’t waste time watching over them; he’d done all he could. He was not going to die because they were afraid to trust him. He hopped in a car and started it. Backing it up Mark turned it around so it was heading back in the direction of the oncoming cars. Making sure the wheel was as straight as it could be Mark opened the door, stepped on the accelerator, and jumped out. He landed on his hands and feet and scrambled away from the car. He hoped it would keep moving and stay straight enough to delay the approaching vehicles. If nothing else, with the headlights in their faces, they would not be able to see which direction Mark went.
He repeated the same thing with another car but had nothing to wedge against the pedal. He ran back to the car where the group was still trying to decide what to do. Their lack of progress was annoying. Mark reached into the trunk, grabbed a case of water, and shoved it into a teenage boy’s hands.
“That way. Go.” He pushed him toward the woods. He repeated the process with a bag of groceries, sending two teenage girls on their way. The woman took a box of food. Mark took a case of water.
“Come on. We have to get your family to safety.” Mark looked down the road and yelled, “Hurry, get off the road! Those white dots are headlights. They’ll be here in minutes. We have to move – now!”
Finally, their movements took on some urgency. Everyone ran for the woods. Mark sprinted to the front, ducking branches and dodging trees. “Follow me. Stay close. And keep quiet.”
They might not trust him, but they followed. He set a fast pace, wanting to get as far away from the wreckage as possible before reinforcements arrived. The Horde, as Mark termed the city dwellers, would know that any survivors had left on foot and would give pursuit. The woods would be an obvious destination for anyone trying to hide. Mark needed to throw them off.
About seventy-five yards from the street, Mark moved right and left the safety of the woods. They came out in a parking lot of a senior housing complex. Mark said, “Keep moving along the tree line. You’ll be able to move faster.”
The woman asked, “Where are you going?”
Mark ripped two bottles of water from the plastic wrapped case. “A little misdirection. Keep going. I’ll catch up.”
Mark ran about ten yards from the group and tossed the bottles as far into the parking lot as he could to make it appear they had gone that way. Then Mark ran back and caught up to the group. Immediately he increased his pace, even though the family was dropping farther behind. If they thought they might be left in the woods to fend for themselves, they might be more motivated to move. He went three houses past his house then listened for sounds of pursuit before crossing through the woods to the other side and doubling back.
Mark led them to the rear door. He waited until they were all on the deck before going inside. Darren wouldn’t open the secret room door unless he heard the signal Mark taught him, just as Mark never entered without giving the signal. He wasn’t sure yet he wanted to expose Darren and the secret room to these new people.
Once inside the house, Mark said, “The door right there.”
He pointed to the basement door. The older of the two teenage girls walked over and pulled it open. Mark nodded to the woman. She hesitated, perhaps fearing they were entering a trap. Then, taking a deep breath as if drawing in courage, she went down followed by a girl and a te
enage boy. The first girl looked at Mark and waited.
“Go ahead,” he told her, “I’m going to make sure we weren’t followed.”
She nodded and ran down the stairs.
After fifteen minutes, Mark joined them. In the basement, the group had dropped everything. The children sat together near the watching woman. The boy had an arm around one of the girls. They were both crying.
Mark scanned the dark room trying to decide where best to hide them. They looked at him with some suspicion. He couldn’t blame them. They were scared and had just lost family members. For now they were safe. Mark didn’t know what to say to them.
“Thank you for helping us,” the woman said. She was slender and her dyed blonde hair was a mess.
Mark had to decide if he should show them his inner sanctum. He didn’t know these people and wasn’t sure it would be smart to give away his secrets, especially if they didn’t stay. If he were alone, Mark would be more willing to take the risk, but he had Darren’s safety to consider. For now Darren was safe
“Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll go dig up some blankets and things so you can make a place to sleep. Kids, why don’t you clear some space here, okay?”
He jogged upstairs and crept through the kitchen. Mark stopped and peered out the kitchen window.
Damn! Was someone out there in the trees?
He watched for several minutes. Nothing moved. Keeping low, Mark moved into the foyer then raced up the stairs.
In the linen closet, he grabbed sheets and a few blankets. There were two extra pillows as well. He went into his son’s room and pulled the bedspread, sheets, and pillows off the bed. With his arms full, Mark moved to the first floor. He went through the living room and dining room to avoid the full-length patio door. As he moved into the kitchen, he glanced out the window.
Someone had tracked them. Two men emerged from the trees in Summer’s backyard. They scanned the area with flashlights and one pointed at Mark’s house.
He dropped to a squat and opened the basement door. Dropping everything he was carrying, he kicked it all down the stairs and pulled his gun, before closing the door and hurrying down the stairs.
“There are at least two men outside. They don’t seem to know where to look. We must be quiet.”
The decision to unveil the hideout could no longer wait. If anyone came inside the house, there would be little chance to get everyone inside the safe room without making noise. He needed to move the family now. If he didn’t, he’d be trapped in the open too with no way to get into the room without being seen. He sighed as his four new charges looked at him.
After risking so much to save them, he couldn’t put them in danger now. Mark went to the wall and knocked in the code he’d taught Darren. He doubted the boy would actually shoot as Mark instructed him to do if someone entered without using the code, but he wasn’t about to chance it.
Mark pulled open the panel.
“Darren, it’s just me and a few friends. It’s all right. Everyone, pick up the blankets and pillows and come in here, quick.”
The kids looked toward the woman for direction.
Mark looked at her too. “Please, hurry. If someone comes in the house, we won’t be safe here.”
The woman told the teens to move. The three kids scooped up the blankets and pillows and entered the room.
With everyone inside, Mark closed the door. “Sit on the floor and stay quiet.”
It was like being back in elementary school and having to sit in the halls during a tornado drill, except this was no drill.
They waited like that for quite a while. Mark transferred the cables for the security cameras from the generator to the car batteries. The monitor fired up with grainy images of the outside of the house. He separated the screen into four different viewpoints. In the surveillance video from the backyard, two armed men walked from right to left across the screen. They stopped to stare at the house then continued off the screen. When the men didn’t reappear in close to an hour, Mark decided it might be safe, at least for the moment.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to sleep on the floor for now. It’ll be cramped but we should be safe.”
No one spoke. They spread out the bedspread first to give some cushion to the floor. When they were all situated as best they could be the oldest girl asked, “What do you do for a bathroom?”
Mark smiled. “It’s best that you wait. It wouldn’t be too good if you were using the bathroom when someone walked in on you. Can you wait for a bit?”
“I think so,” she said. She brushed her hair behind her ears. Mark could see a resemblance to her mother. The girl looked to be about sixteen.
“Oh, you’re bleeding,” the red-haired girl said.
Mark’s hand went to the graze on his head and he winced. He had forgotten about it.
“May I?” asked the woman. She lifted a sheet as if to tear it.
“Yes, of course.”
The woman tore a long strip from the sheet and wrapped it around Mark’s head. She had a practiced, gentle touch that sent a surprising jolt through his body. She finished, stepped back, and smiled down at him.
“Thank you,” he said. He wanted to introduce himself and Darren. But if they were leaving in the morning, why bother?
Nearly thirty minutes later, the stalkers still had not returned. Mark had Darren show the girl the facilities.
As each person took a turn at the makeshift bathroom, Mark switched the wires to the door alarms. They were rigged so a beep would sound in the room but not throughout the house. When everyone was back inside, he sealed the door and turned off the lights.
With sleep refusing to come, Mark listened as someone cried softly. It had been a difficult and tragic night, but Mark was sure of two things. His supplies would dwindle fast with this many people, and the Horde was getting closer.
Nine
Mark woke to the sound of whispered voices. He opened his eyes and strained to hear what was being said.
A female voice said, “Will he let us leave or are we his prisoners?”
Another female responded. “I didn’t get that impression, but no one will hold us against our will.”
“And no one will hold you against your will,” Mark said. He sat up and turned to face the group. “I didn’t rescue you to make you my prisoners. If you are not comfortable here, you are free to leave whenever you want.”
The mother spoke. “It’s not that we aren’t grateful for your help. We, uh, there’s someplace we’re trying to go.”
“Okay,” Mark said. “But your car will need a jump. Let’s eat breakfast first. That will give me a chance to scan the area for any intruders. Can you wait that long?”
She looked at the kids. “Yes, I guess we can.”
“Okay. Everyone knows where the bathroom is. You can take turns. Darren and I will prepare a meal. After that, I’ll lead you back to your car.”
“We can find our way from here. We’ll just take what we brought. You don’t have to be bothered.”
“Well, first of all, it’s not a bother. You certainly can take your belongings with you and if you need anything else just ask. If I have it, I’ll share.”
The woman sucked in her lip and chewed it. Mark thought she was scared.
“I’ll lead you back to your car. I will help you start it. Then I’ll watch to make sure you drive off safely.” The mother started to respond but Mark cut her off. “Please, don’t argue. If you want to go, I’m going to escort you. Besides can you jump a car?”
“Yes,” she said with defiance.
“Do you have jumper cables?”
She worried at her lip again. “No” she admitted.
“Well then, it’s settled.”
Mark passed out granola bars and fruit cups to everyone. He poured a box of cereal into a large bowl and set it in the middle of the group. They ate from the bowl like they were eating popcorn. Mark gave each person a plastic bottle of an orange drink.
While they a
te, Mark asked, “Where were you trying to go last night?”
No one spoke. Mark frowned. They were afraid to say where their destination was. He gazed at the woman as if to say, “Really?”
She blushed. “We were going to Indiana to meet some family.”
“Oh. Have you had any communication with them?”
“Not after the phones died, but everyone was all right then.”
Mark nodded. He hoped that was still the case. “Well, if things don’t turn out the way you hope, you know where to find us.”
“Thank you. We’ll keep that in mind.”
“You realize, I hope, that your belongings have most likely been scavenged by the Horde?”
“The Horde?” the boy asked.
“That’s the name we use for the bad guys,” Darren explained.
“You mean the people who chased us?” the redhead said. “They’re the Horde?”
“It’s just a name I gave them. I’m not sure how many of them there are, but they live in the town you passed through.”
The woman asked, “Would they take the car too?”
“I don’t know. They might. But there are lots of cars around. Of course, they won’t have your stuff in them but you can get cars and stuff anywhere now.”
After finishing their meal, Mark went to the second floor with his binoculars. He moved from room to room, trying to see if anyone was waiting outside for them. A good twenty minutes later, Mark descended.
“I think it’s clear. If you still want to go, now would be a good time to leave.
Mark went into the garage and returned with jumper cables coiled around one shoulder. The binoculars still hung around his neck. The small party, excluding Darren, left the house and jogged into the cover of the woods.
Reaching the end of the trees, Mark grabbed the woman’s arm to keep her from walking out in the open.
Mark spoke in a harsh whisper, “If there’s someone out there lying in wait, you’ll be an easy target. Let me check it out first.” He crept on his hands and knees until he was able to see the wreckage from the night before. The SUV and the car were still where they had been. The other cars were still there as well.