A block behind the library stood the tallest building in this faux city. The state government building stood five stories tall, and its roof concealed a sniper. Jim’s Glock would be useless to defend himself at this range. How could these untrained clowns show this much organization? All their camp’s supplies were more than enough for a dozen people, but they wouldn’t go far when feeding an entire army. Think Jim, unless you want to die here today at the hands of these morons.
Laying on his stomach under the cover of the library’s porch kept him out of the sights of the sniper, but he couldn’t remain here forever. Jim didn’t know how many adversaries he faced, and his ATV sat seven blocks away. Both the bow and Glock wouldn’t help him against the gunmen on the roof because of the range. The line of sight from the government building made him a sitting duck if he tried to blindly run for it. Why didn’t they shoot him as he arrived at the library? They wanted him to find the dead spy’s body. That’s the only explanation he could think of, but why?
Big Jim continued his belly crawl to the far corner of the building with no new shots ringing out. If he guessed their location correctly, the library building should obstruct the sniper’s view on this side of the building. Of course, if he guessed wrong, he’d end up dead in a moment. Waiting for the soldiers to regroup and converge on his location wasn’t an option, either. He continued to crawl around the side of the building and then sprung to his feet after he passed the edge of the building. Jim took no new gunshots as a good sign he picked correctly. With the building to his back, he edged toward the front corner. Once he reached the street again, things would get tricky. If Jim continued back toward the ATV’s parking spot, he would expose himself to the sniper’s line of sight for half a block. Better to make it there first and then worry about the proper action to take.
He reached the front of the building and peeked around the corner. The road in front of the library was clear. What now? Jim could run the half block to safety, but he doubted even Usain Bolt could cover the distance quick enough to avoid being shot by the sniper. Even an untrained marksman wouldn’t miss the easy target his gigantic frame provided. A bang and a moan from inside the library gave him an idea.
Someone had tied the side entrance of the library shut with heavy wire. Big Jim uncoiled the wire and opened the door. A dozen zombies ambled to the now open door toward their newfound freedom. They shambled down the street like one large undead mob. As the first zombie cleared the side of the building, the sniper’s rifle rang out for a second time. The lead zombie staggered after the bullet struck its shoulder, but he continued to move forward. A living human would have dropped, but not an undead soldier from Hell. Boom, boom, boom, more shots rang out. One zombie had fallen, but the rest continued their march down the road.
If Jim timed it right, he could make it across the opening while the sniper reloaded. One straggler turned on Jim, interrupting his thoughts. Useless, stupid zombies. Why couldn’t they do what they were told? He unloaded a powerful left hook, scrambling its brain, and it collapsed in a heap at his feet. The gunfire paused, so Jim ran past the zombies for the cover beyond. Two more shots rang out, and another zombie fell as Jim ran past it. Things looked up since Jim made it to the cover without being shot. Now he needed to reach his ATV and warn the camp.
Six more blocks passed in a blur, but Jim remained unharmed. This day went to Hell quickly, but he remained uninjured. He would fail in finding the parts for the solar array, but Jim hoped to make the camp before any threat reached it first. His hopes faded once he got to the parking spot for the two ATVs. The soldiers wrecked both of them, and neither would get him back up the mountain without a complete rebuild. Even if he could run the entire way up the mountain and back to the camp, it would take him several hours. This imagined battle at the camp might be over before then, even if whoever hunted Jim didn’t catch him first. First things first. Big Jim needed to find a defendable place to hide and come up with a plan.
###
An old farmhouse a half mile from town provided sanctuary for the night. Nightfall would have come long before he would have reached the camp on foot. Even if he avoided whoever chased him through the town. Better to wait the night out in safety than to wander the woods with unknown enemies. Invincibility eluded Jim, even if he was big and strong.
Fitful sleep provided his only rest during the long night as worry about those he left behind at camp filled his head. Dawn’s first light shown on the answer to his transportation problem. The former occupants of this farm had a John Deere Gator parked in the barn behind the house. A Gator could handle the terrain fine, but he hoped it wouldn’t be too wide for the twisting trail. With any luck, he would be back at the mountain camp within the hour.
Luck continued to bless Big Jim. The Gator started when he twisted the key and ran smoothly with a full tank of fuel in it. Someone added fuel preservative to the gasoline so the motor hummed. Jim found the Gator a perfect match for the mountain path, just fitting within its curving boarders. He would make it back in time to warn everyone about the coming danger and get everyone out safely. Before he reached the camp’s grounds, the path curved over a ridge which overlooked the entire camp’s property. What he saw below him almost made his heart stop.
Isaac and all the remaining members of the camp were on their knees, surrounded by NUS troops. The troops numbered around fifty strong and half had their weapons trained on the kneeling prisoners. A man stood before the group speaking to them, but Jim’s location made hearing the words impossible. Jim had lost his bow yesterday during the sniper attack, so all he had left was the Glock. From this distance and with this many adversaries, he was helpless. There must be a way to save them. Think, Jim.
While Jim thought about what to do next, the men raised their weapons and fired. All the kneeling bodies fell lifeless to the ground. Big Jim wanted to scream, but doing so would only add another body to the pile. He knew attacking fifty men with only a Glock would be suicide, so he did the only thing he could do. Jim turned the Gator around and drove back down the mountain for the last time. Somehow, Jim vowed he would revenge the death of the members of the camp. Today wouldn’t be the day for retribution. With no other designation in mind, Jim drove back to the farm where he spent the night. He could grieve his loss there and plan for the future. Max talked about leaving for Virginia if trouble came for them, so maybe Big Jim would head there himself.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
RON
Ron, Rosie, and Miracle escaped the camp of cannibals, which saved the baby’s life. Those idiots, Mac and Jacob, brought back someone they couldn’t handle, and a massacre resulted, providing Ron the distraction they needed to escape. Abigail fell at Ron’s hand, but he left the others behind to fend for themselves against their mystery attacker. With any luck, they were all dead now and no one would ever come looking for them. He had gathered supplies for the three of them and hid them in the woods for their getaway, all to protect their baby, Miracle. The cannibals planned on sacrificing Miracle to their god to assure their continued survival. That’s why Abigail had to die, and why they had to run away. Ron was eager to leave this warped lifestyle of feasting on human flesh behind.
Since their departure, Rosie hadn’t shared Ron’s passion to escape Abigail’s influence. She had been a part of this perverted lifestyle for over ten years, and Rosie didn’t want to abandon the camp or stop eating people. Abigail had been like a mother to her since the cannibals saved her from the horror of the streets as a runaway teenager.
“I don’t understand why you had to kill Abigail. She protected you, fed you, and nursed you back to health after being shot. You would’ve died all alone in the woods if not for her.”
“Don’t you get it, Rosie? Abigail would have killed Miracle in some brutal ritual. We’re her parents, and it’s our duty to protect her. I had no choice but to act.”
“If Abigail decided Miracle was an acceptable sacrifice, then who are you to question her wisdom?”
“Are you naïve enough to think Miracle was my first child? I’ve had five others, and Abigail sacrificed everyone of them. Their deaths satisfied Molech and kept us flush with meat for years. It was my solemn duty to the camp.”
Those words punched Ron in the gut. He did not know how to respond to Rosie’s confession. How could a mother allow someone to murder her children like this? His love and her good looks blinded him to the madness Rosie hidden inside her. Eating human flesh drove them all insane. Before Ron could compose himself, Rosie reached over and jerked the steering wheel hard to the right. The Jeep’s tires bit hard at the sudden change in direction, and then they drove off into the ditch along the side of the road. Its high center of gravity caused it to roll as it crashed into the gulley. Something heavy from the back cargo area struck Ron in the head and his world went black.
###
A throbbing pain from the back of his skull returned Ron to consciousness. He blinked repeatedly to clear his vision and found himself suspended, upside down, in the driver’s seat of his stolen Jeep Cherokee. As he turned his head to the side, he discovered the passenger’s door left wide open and Rosie’s seat empty. After taking a quick inventory, his body appeared undamaged, except for the growing lump on the back of his head. Ron pushed the release on his seatbelt and fell onto the roof of the upside down Jeep. The driver’s door wouldn’t budge, so he climbed out through the open passenger door.
Once outside, Ron looked back inside the Jeep, and his greatest fear became true. Miracle’s car seat was gone. That meant her crazy mother, Rosie, had taken her for her own evil purposes. The apocalypse meant no more AMBER Alerts, so finding Miracle before Rosie killed her would be up to him alone. Who knew how long he had been unconscious and how much of a head start Rosie got?
Ron moved to the rear hatch and found the backpack he packed still in the cargo area. There had been one for Rosie and it sat next to his. Wherever she planned on running off to, Rosie had no supplies with her. The pistol remained tucked into his belt and the stolen shotgun sat in the cargo area along with the packs. At least he had weapons to defend himself with. Not much ammo left for either gun, but it would be a start. Ron decided he wouldn’t hesitate to put Rosie down once he found her. These cannibals all needed to die to keep Miracle safe.
Climbing the hill and returning to the road presented Ron with a choice. Should he continue south or turn back toward the camp they ran from? Which way would Rosie go? After deliberating for a minute, Ron headed back toward the camp. He felt it was Rosie’s most likely designation, since it had been all she knew her adult life.
As he walked down the road, a line of school buses approached him. They weren’t ordinary buses but looked like they came from the set of a Mad Max movie. Someone welded heavy steel plates onto the sides of them to protect the occupants traveling inside. This wasn’t an everyday sight, especially during these times. The first bus slowed and then stopped next to Ron, and the door opened.
“Hi stranger, I see you’re on your own. My name is Daniel, and I’d like to offer you the protection of the Republic. We’re heading to our secure camp now. Please consider coming with us and accepting our protection.”
Ron’s mouth fell open, and he took a step backward because he couldn’t believe his eyes. All these survivors and an invitation to join them at their camp. If he hadn’t been trying to find and save Miracle, he would have immediately climbed on board. As he gathered his thoughts and prepared to pass on the invitation, he heard a baby’s cry come from inside the bus. He’d know Miracle’s voice anywhere.
“Yes, I’d be happy to come with you.” Ron said with a big smile on his face.
“We need you to leave your weapons up front, so everyone is safe. You’ll get them back later once we decide if we can trust each other.”
In a normal situation, Ron would have complained, but he knew Rosie and Miracle were on that bus and he needed to get on board, too. He complied by handing over the pistol and the shotgun, and then he climbed the steps into the bus. Rosie sat in the third seat on the right and she held Miracle in her arms. Her eyes went wide, and then her gaze dropped to the floor. Ron knew he could save Miracle’s life now, with the help of these survivors.
Ron sat down across the aisle from Rosie and smiled. “Hi, sweetheart. Did you miss me?”
###
They drove about twenty minutes before the bus stopped in front of a large compound of several buildings. Women, children, older people, and the infirm came out to great Daniel and his crew. Ron sensed there had been a coup here, and Daniel’s group won the war. The former leader marched out of town with their supporters, and no one expected them to return. He took in all the information Ron could while he continued to monitor Rosie and Miracle. He would buy his time and be ready to act when the opportunity came. In the meantime, Ron would blend in and become a respected member of Daniel’s group.
###
Several weeks passed, and Ron’s time to act materialized. Rosie became agitated, displayed outbursts of anger to those around her, and she had dropped a noticeable amount of weight since they arrived at the camp. Her skin appeared flushed and covered with sweat, while tremors racked her entire body. Ron witnessed withdrawal symptoms during his time in the military, when people’s vices of choice disappeared.
He recognized those same signs in Rosie and continued to watch her closely. After not eating another dinner, he watched as Rosie followed a preteen girl out of the dinning hall. Rosie pursued the girl down a path to a secluded section of the camp. When they both passed out of view of the dining hall, Rosie picked up a large rock and clubbed the girl over the head with it. The first strike knocked her off her feet, but didn’t render her unconscious.
She stared up at Rosie and rasped, “Why?”
Rosie responded by clubbing her again and again until the life bled out of her. She removed the girl’s pants and then leaned down and took a big bite out of her thigh. The girl’s skin shredded, and Rosie leaned back and chewed. Her smile couldn’t have been wider as she tipped her head back and swallowed the mouthful of human flesh while the girl’s blood flowed down her face.
Ron’s stomach churned at the sight of this carnage. How could he have ever loved this woman? She was a monster, not an angel.
He cleared his throat, and her eyes popped open. Rosie’s posture stiffened, and she gasped when she saw Ron standing there watching her eat. Ron hadn’t reached the point of trust with Daniel, so the hunting knife in his hand was his only weapon. They both stared at each other for a minute before either spoke.
“Ron. Lover. Take and eat. You’ll be strong again. We’ll be one again. We were meant for this glory.”
“You’re pathetic, Rosie. You have safety and food here in this community and this is how you repay them?”
“We’re superior to these people, Ron. We’ve got the power of life and death in our hands. They can live on inside us and nourish us. No more going outside to hunt. Join me. Eat.”
She leaned over and ripped another mouthful of flesh from the girl’s thigh. Rosie slowly chewed while she stared at Ron with a wide smile on her face. Ron felt himself frozen in place and unable to act. He had both a strange attraction and repulsion to the scene unfolding before him. What should he do? Should he join her or stop her?
A single gunshot from behind him interrupted Ron’s trance. Rosie’s head exploded and her gore joined the girl’s in a growing puddle on the ground. Ron turned and found Daniel, along with three other armed men, standing behind him. All four had their weapons pointed in his direction.
“Daniel, I told you…”
“Stop! I don’t want to hear your explanation. I always thought there was something off with the two of you. You and the baby are leaving tonight.”
“But...”
“Enough! We won’t tolerate murder and cannibalism her
e. You’re lucky we don’t kill you, too. We’ll return your weapons and give you a car with a couple days of supplies. Take it and go.”
Daniel turned around and ambled away. The three remaining men kept their weapons trained on him while Daniel departed.
“You heard him. Let’s get moving before Daniel changes his mind. I’d love to shoot you right here where you stand.”
With one last look back at the woman he had loved, Ron turned and strolled up the hill. This chapter of his life had closed, and a new one with Miracle would begin. No sense in giving these men a reason to kill him, too.
Under the supervision of two large armed men, Ron packed his meager possessions and loaded Miracle into her car seat. An old rusty Ford Ranger waited for him in front of the building. Daniel stood beside it.
“I don’t care where you go, but never return here. You’ll be shot on sight if you ever try to return. Good luck.”
With those last words, Daniel turned and walked away from Ron. Four armed men with angry eyes watched his every move. He climbed in the truck and started the engine without a word to any of them. The gate parted, and he drove through it for the last time. Ron and Miracle were all on their own now. He’d make the best of it and take care of and protect his daughter with his life free of Rosie’s evil legacy.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
BETTY BOWMAN
Tears streamed from Betty’s eyes, and she did not even try to stem the flow. Bobby’s death ripped the scab off the wound, and everything she had lost flooded her mind and overwhelmed her emotions. The continuous loop played inside her head and showed her nothing but death and destruction. Mom crushed by zombies, Matthew’s mother murdered, zombies invading their camp, invaders destroying their home, drugged by cannibals, being shot at, Bobby’s death, and now their dead vehicle. Betty thought they faced trouble before, but now she knew they were all doomed.
Retribution: Operation Z Book 2 Page 12