Cyber Apocalypse (Book 3): As Our World Burns

by Hunt, Jack

  Blocked again.

  Throaty mufflers from an array of motorcycles popped and growled as lights speared through the darkness. Lincoln, who was now slightly ahead of the truck, swerved almost losing control of the bike.

  They were hedging them in, ensuring there was nowhere to go.

  Alex slammed his gearstick into reverse as Lincoln headed back his way. He spun the wheel and the truck’s back end spun out, kicking up gravel in a wave-like fashion. His eyes darted to the mirror just in time to see the bikes surge forward, headlamps dancing off the tall pines that framed the road.

  Lincoln shot by him at a high rate of speed.

  He figured he would continue to where the road forked north. Elk Mountain Road was off to the left, Simmons Road continued straight ahead.

  But Lincoln didn’t go that way.

  He veered right up toward Soda Creek Store, a little gas station in the middle of nowhere, the last stop for travelers between the resort and the town of Potters Valley. It was a one-story wooden shack with a tin roof that offered everything from snacks and cold drinks to camping gear to county souvenirs.

  Instead of pulling up outside, Lincoln veered around the store and killed the engine.

  By the time Alex rolled into the lot, Lincoln and Liam had dumped the bike and were sprinting into the surrounding forest. It was smart. They couldn’t be followed on bikes in there, it was too dense.

  Swerving the truck outside, Alex abandoned it and darted toward the forest, cradling his AR-15.

  Even as he made it to the rear of the store he could hear the guttural chorus of motorcycles arriving in their shadow.

  Alex caught up with the other two and they crouched behind huge pines, taking a second to catch their breath, listening to the throaty mufflers as bikers circled. It was when they heard voices that they knew they were in deep shit.

  Breaking into a sprint, Liam led the way back to the resort.

  “Move it!” Alex heard one of them cry. “They went that way.”

  Great, they were now the hunted.

  23

  Willits

  Elisha had used the chaos to grasp a knife from the kitchen counter and slide it up her sleeve. She would have gone for the gun of one of the dead guys, but the knife was the first thing she saw after rolling off the table. With only seconds to spare and her jeans around her ankles, fear had got the better of her. She tugged on the jeans to cover her nakedness, shock making her feel lightheaded. Her eyes went from one body to the next. Had Leo not entered when he did, she didn’t want to imagine how it would have ended.

  Just as she buttoned up the jeans, Jethro turned toward her, his features twisting. He had this maniacal expression, a mixture of hatred and enjoyment. She would have fled if she could have got by him but he was blocking the only exit, his wide frame filling the doorway.

  His gun was dangling by the side of his leg. A sneer dominated his face as he tapped it against his thigh. “And where the hell do you think you’re going?”

  She screamed as he bounded across the room and positioned himself on one side of the table, while she remained on the other using it to block his advance. He shifted left, and she went right shoving the table into him and bolting for the door. A good try but it failed. He tackled her waist, knocking her to the ground.

  “Come here, you bitch!”

  Jethro clawed at her clothes, pulling her back toward him. “You’ve outlived your usefulness,” he said, bringing up the gun while trying to prevent her from slipping out of his grasp.

  Any second now, he’d squeeze the trigger and it would be over.

  Elisha let the knife slide down from her sleeve. She gripped the handle and as he flipped her over she thrust the knife into the side of his rib cage.

  Jethro gasped and arched his back, letting out an agonized scream. For but a brief second, he released his hold allowing her to escape.

  Run! Elisha told herself.

  Scrambling out from beneath him, Elisha made it to the door just as he fired two rounds. One lanced the wood sending splinters like icicles at her face, the other caught her in the right thigh. A scream escaped her lips as she spun outside, landing on Leo.

  His lifeless eyes stared back at her.

  The sound of blood pumping in her ears got louder and faster as pain coursed through her like molten lava. From inside, she heard Jethro curse and say how he would kill her.

  That’s when she noticed it.

  A glint of metal.

  A gun in Leo’s hand.

  Stretching out, Elisha snatched it up, turned, and fired two rounds, causing Jethro to take defensive action and slam the door closed with a kick.

  “Elisha!” he screamed.

  The sound of his voice was terrifying.

  This was her moment.

  Staggering to her feet and dragging her wounded leg behind her, Elisha took off around the cabin, heading for the lake. Jethro’s groans and bursts of rage drove her on into the dark woods.

  Only able to limp, she stumbled.

  Picking herself up, Elisha pressed on.

  It couldn’t end here, not like this, not after all she’d been through.

  Sophie’s return to Willits had been a somber one. While she agreed with the decision made by Homeland Security, it wasn’t an easy pill to swallow. She’d grown fond of Ryan, and maybe it was just that he resembled Michael at first, but time had shown her that it was more, he was more, more than just a hacker, more than just a terrorist in the eyes of the law. His heart was in the right place even if his actions had been misguided.

  After thanking the pilot who dropped her off in a V-22 Osprey, she’d hiked north out of town, cutting through fields parallel to Sherwood Road.

  It was quiet.

  The journey had given her a lot of time to think about what she wanted from Alex, from Garcia, but mostly from this situation that seemed to be changing by the day. She’d gone back and forth between wanting to stay single and telling Garcia that she wanted to be with him. But if that happened, it would mean leaving the safe zone, forging a life of their own. It would be easier that way. Having Alex looming over her like a shadow wasn’t exactly what she had in mind when returning to California, even if they had reconnected in small ways since their departure.

  Friendship was one thing.

  Love another.

  Not every relationship could repair itself.

  She’d learned that from her own parents who’d got divorced when she was only thirteen. Back then she never understood it. Why couldn’t they work it out? Didn’t they want to grow old together? It all seemed so black and white but age and time had taught her differently. There was this gray area between that couldn’t be learned through words, only by experience.

  As she ambled up the driveway toward the cabin, Sophie breathed in the warm summer night air and relished the thought of hugging her girl and chatting with Garcia about the future, their future.

  That smidgen of peace was shattered when she saw the cabin door partially open, and the faint glow of light illuminating the body of Leo outside.

  “Leo!” she said under her breath, hurrying toward him. One glance was all it took to see he was dead. Sophie looked off to her left and saw a guy with an axe stuck in his chest. Although it was warm, her hands trembled as she inched up toward the doorway, doing her best not to make a sound. Sophie had lifted her hand to push the door wide when she heard the scream.

  Elisha!

  With little regard for her life, she burst into the cabin, rifled through the jacket of one of the dead men, and pulled out a Glock 19. She checked the magazine, palmed it, and loaded a round in the chamber before taking off in the direction she’d heard her.

  I’m coming… I’m coming…

  Heart leaping in her chest, dragging one foot behind the other, Elisha ignored the excruciating pain in her thigh. Her lungs felt like an inferno as she fled through the forest, stumbling over tree roots, branches slapping her in the face. Momentarily she leaned against a tree,
wheezing and trying to catch her breath. She continued, limping over a weathered log and staring into the darkness. Where was she? In her frantic need to escape, she’d lost track of where she was. Every direction she turned looked the same. The lake should be here. The tall pines and evergreen trees blocked out what few stars she could see, and the sound of him yelling made it hard to hear the lapping of water.

  “Elisha. I know you can hear me. I’m going to gut you when I find you.”

  He was close. Much closer than she thought.

  That was soon confirmed when he opened fire, and a round tore into a tree and bark exploded in her face. She returned fire and raced on until she saw the lake between the brush. Threading in and out of trees, limping and stumbling forward, she figured if she could get into the water, dive down, he wouldn’t follow her. Even at this time of year, it was too cold, too dark.

  Perhaps the cold would slow the bleeding.

  Her thigh screamed for her to stop, to attend to it, but she couldn’t.

  Another burst of gunfire and she ducked. A muzzle flashed and she unloaded four rounds back. Please, God!

  Her mind went into overdrive at the edge of the tree line.

  Running out would expose her, there was nothing but sand, no boulders, no trees. Nothing she could hide behind. The thought of dying was bad, but having him take advantage of her before she breathed her last, chilled her to the bone.

  The thought of her parents finding her on the beach, naked, with a hole in her head made her want to vomit. Move it. C’mon. Move it. All the memories of her life, the good, the bad, flashed before her as she burst out of the forest, firing round after round back at the trees, hoping to hold him at bay.

  It wasn’t good enough.

  A round from his gun sliced her shoulder, sending her down the slope, rolling head over heels until she crashed into the water’s edge. A splash of cold water against her cheek, her tears mingled with it.

  Then shock.

  The gun was gone from her hand. Where? Where was it? Frantic, she clawed the soft earth in the darkness, the top half of her body soaked by the cold water.

  “Looking for this?”

  Elisha twisted to see him dangling the gun by the trigger guard. Jethro flashed a grin before he tossed it. He jammed his gun into the small of his back and made his way toward her. “You know I always wanted to go skinny-dipping in the moonlight. How about it, huh?” He let out a laugh as he got closer.

  She groaned and tried to stagger to her feet, but he kicked her in the back and she fell forward into the shallow water. “Oh I’m not done with you.” Grabbing her left ankle, he dragged her back kicking and screaming. Even in her tortured state she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. “That’s it. Keep it up and it’s only going to end worse for you.”

  He reached down and tore her top open, exposing her bra, then grabbed her by the throat and was just unbuckling his belt when a gunshot rang out.

  His back arched; his eyes bulged.

  Another pop.

  Jethro managed to stagger off her even as a third round struck him.

  He twisted in an agonizing pose to face his attacker as two more rounds erupted sending him back into the water. Small waves rippled out, slowly covering him.

  Elisha looked up and through the blur of tears and anguish she saw her mother.

  24

  Lake Pillsbury, California

  Jodi was loading the families into boats when dark figures burst out of the tree line, yelling. It was hard to see who it was without a spotlight but Gus who was closer to the main house hollered back. “It’s Alex, and the other two.”

  She turned to Ethan, the middle one of her sons. “You remember the location on the east side. Go now. No matter what you hear, don’t come back.”

  “Why can’t I stay here with you and Danny?”

  “He’s older. I need you to take care of your brother.”

  She looked down at Shaun, her face filled with concern.

  “Go now.”

  “I’m not leaving without you.”

  She was about to respond when Alex came bounding down the dock all wild-eyed. “They’re coming. Why are you still here?”

  Jodi frowned. “I could ask the same thing about you.”

  “We were ambushed. It was a trap. We had no choice but to turn back. And you?”

  “I told you, I’m not leaving.”

  “Are you out of your mind?”

  She ignored him and yelled to Danny. “Prepare the second boat, just in case.” He gave a nod. She looked at Alex. “Does that answer your question?”

  “So you are going?”

  “When it’s time.”

  “The time is now. God, woman, I thought my ex was stubborn. You really don’t grasp the gravity of this situation, do you?” He looked toward Liam and Lincoln who had taken up a position at the corner of the outbuildings with their rifles raised.

  After undoing the mooring line for the boat, she tossed it to Ethan, and then he fired up the boat’s engine. It spluttered, and frothy waters bubbled to the surface. She gave him the thumbs-up and he prepared to ease away from the dock. Several scared eyes looked back at them. Then, without missing a beat, she turned back to Alex. “You wanted people to leave. They are leaving, okay? I’m staying.”

  He sighed looking at the families, then frowned.

  “But that’s not all of them.”

  “No, the Brauns and Clarkes are up at the house, they want to stay with me.”

  “Jodi, no, you can’t do this.”

  She brushed by him. “I can do whatever the hell I like. This is my place and I’m not leaving. They want to come, let ’em, but I hope they are ready to die.” She scooped up an AR-15 that was leaning against a dock post. Alex looked at Ethan who was at the helm of the fishing boat that was slowly moving away. Onboard, two parents were huddled together with their kids, mostly teenagers, the rest were younger than ten years of age.

  “Jodi. Jodi!” Alex called out to her as he hurried up the dock. He fell in step with her as she got closer to the house. Frustrated, he took a hold of her arm. “You need to get everyone in the boat now.”

  “Get your hand off me, Alex.”

  He stared at her then released his grip and apologized, following her in. “Look, if Lincoln is right, there are over a hundred bikers and I know of at least forty that are heading this way as we speak. I’m sure the rest won’t be far behind. Even if you stay, there is no way you can handle that many, let alone a hundred. Now I’m asking you to reconsider while you still have time.” He turned and called out to Liam. “Liam. Update?”

  “Still no sign,” he hollered back.

  Where were they? They had followed them into the forest. They couldn’t have been that far behind. Had they pulled back? Following Jodi around the house, he entered the living room where the other two families were, kids included. Four adults, seven children, only two above sixteen years of age. You have got to be joking, he thought. It was one thing to protect property from a few stragglers but this was something far worse than any of them could imagine.

  What the hell had she told them?

  “Folks, listen, I don’t want to scare you but there is a storm coming and it’s going to sweep through here without mercy, now for your kids’ sake, you need to get them onboard the boat while there is time.”

  Yvette looked at Jodi as if she was the source of answers.

  What were they expecting to hear?

  “Jodi. C’mon!” Alex said.

  She turned to them. “Scott, take the roof. Yvette. Go with him. Gus, did you do what I asked?”

  “I did.”

  “Good.” She gestured with two fingers to her eldest, Danny, and headed out and over to an outbuilding at the rear of the store that belonged to her husband. Two large padlocks were holding a thick chain in place. She unlocked them, tossed them on the ground, and pulled back the doors to reveal the inside. It was a ten feet by twenty feet steel trailer, except it had been convert
ed into what looked like a workshop with steel benches on either side and power tools hanging off hooks. At the far end was an enclosed cage with six rifles and four handguns. It wasn’t an armory but certainly a good selection of firearms, not much different than any other home collector or ex-soldier would have.

  Jodi moved with purpose even as Alex tried to convince her that it was in everyone’s best interest to leave.

  “You know, my husband served this country for nine years,” she said, continuing to talk as she unlocked the cage at the far end and pulled down different rifles. She placed an M16 and a Beretta 92FS on the counter and began loading them. “He was never one to shy away from a fight, neither am I. If he was here right now, he would die defending this property.”

  “Oh, well, that’s admirable, lady, but when you are bleeding out — or worse, burying your son — you might second-guess that bullshit. Hundreds of people have lost property in this shitfest, and you are no different. Now you have the chance to—”

  He was cut off by the sound of rapid gunfire.

  Jodi didn’t hesitate for even a second. She scooped up what she had laid out, donned a bulletproof vest, and glanced at him. “I guess that settles it,” she added. She brushed by him and burst out, M16 at the ready.

  He scooped up a vest, another rifle, and magazines, and hurried out.

  The way Jodi darted from one building to the next opening fire would have made him think she’d had military training. Her husband had taught her well and certainly prepared her before his untimely death. “Scott, what are we dealing with?” she bellowed.

  “I can answer that,” Lincoln replied. “Death.”

  Scott hollered down, “I see at least—” He was replying when a bullet took the top of his head off. His body collapsed and Alex heard Yvette scream. These civilians weren’t soldiers, they were just tourists, vacationers, the average joe. They weren’t ready to fight.