Sanctuary

by Courtney McPhail

  The question died on his lips when he looked over and saw her running back from the gas tank, the jerry cans that had been abandoned during the ambush in hand. She dropped them into the SUV and grabbed her gun from her holster, firing off four shots at the large gas tank. The bullets tore through the metal tank and gasoline began to pour out of the holes onto the pavement.

  She jumped into the SUV and slammed the door shut, straddling the jerry cans on the floor. “Go down the back laneway and circle back around to go through the lot again.”

  He pulled the SUV into the laneway and headed towards the side street, taking the same path they had originally used when they had first driven out of the lot. He looked back to see the freaks closing in again, a few of them splashing through the puddle of gas that was forming on the ground.

  “You didn’t expect it to explode, did you?” he asked, referring to the tank she had shot.

  She shook her head. “No, I’ve seen Mythbusters. I just needed the gas on the ground and you’d need a wrench to pry open the valve.”

  Her plan suddenly clicked into place.

  “Freaks flambé,” he said and she smiled, pulling a Zippo out of her pocket. “Just keep us slow so they follow us back around.”

  He nodded to the FOBs she had dumped in the centre console. “Better turn off the alarms so we’ve got fewer distractions for them. Then radio the boys to tell them we’re coming.”

  She did as he said while he turned back onto the highway, taking it slow so the pursuing freaks caught up to them. As the alarms fell silent, the freaks that were still in the lot spotted the parade on the highway and ran over to join up.

  “Gun it to the back and I’ll get out,” she said. “Then get to the end of the laneway and wait for me.”

  “Claudia, let me do it.”

  “This is quicker than switching out drivers,” she said, her hand already on the door handle as they turned into the lot. She was right and so he hit the gas hard and sped to the back of the lot, swerving around the puddle of gas that had doubled in size during their pass around the dealership. He had barely slowed down before she was out the door.

  He drove up the laneway and stopped, turning around to watch the girl.

  She stood about ten feet back from the gas pool, Zippo in hand as she stared back towards the lot. He cursed his position at the end of the laneway, the service centre cutting off his view of the front of the lot where the freaks were coming from.

  “Come on you bastards!” she screamed, waving her arms.

  Malcolm watched intently, his body vibrating with the urge to get out there and do something but he knew that would only cause an unneeded distraction. This was Claudia’s plan and it was hers to execute.

  She backed up a few more steps and flicked the Zippo to life, the flame flickering as she held it up.

  “C’mon Claudia,” he pleaded even though she couldn’t hear him.

  The freaks finally appeared in his visual field and when they came abreast of the gas tank, Claudia tossed the Zippo in a high arc before spinning on her heel and hauling ass back to the SUV. Malcolm watched the Zippo as it flipped over a few times before it hit the ground and for a moment he thought the lighter must have been snuffed out before it hit the ground.

  But then the unmistakable whoosh of fuel finding an ignition source sounded and flames spread out over the gas pool and around the feet of the freaks who were unlucky enough to be standing in it. Their screams soon followed, horrific sounds of anguish as their flesh burned from their bones and they collapsed onto the melting asphalt.

  Claudia hauled herself up into the SUV and Malcolm hit the accelerator and gunned it out of the laneway.

  “Good work,” he said, “But you waited a bit too long though, don’tcha think?”

  Claudia grinned. “Wouldn’t be any fun if I didn’t.”

  “Crazy white people,” he said with a click of his tongue. “Lucky for you that I have no plans on telling your brother and sister what you pulled there.”

  They turned into the parking lot and around the corner of the strip mall.

  “What the hell?”

  Another SUV was parked in front of the mall, Quinton already on the ground and holding the bottom of the ladder steady as Jackson climbed down. Kim was standing beside him, her gun in hand as she watched the perimeter. Lorraine was hanging out of the sunroof, rifle to her shoulder, and she gave them a wave.

  Malcolm pulled around beside them and rolled down his window. “Why are you here?”

  Kim smiled at him as she came over to the SUV and kissed him. “You didn’t think we’d leave you out here, did you?”

  “You shouldn’t have come,” he said, not liking that she had put herself at risk for him.

  “I thought you needed help,” she replied, a hand on his cheek and he turned his head to press a kiss to the palm of her hand.

  “We should--”

  His words were cut off when a resounding boom shook the ground and a ball of fire rolled up into the sky as the gas tank exploded.

  “Holy shit!” Claudia exclaimed, looking back to the dealership where the flames were now spreading to the buildings. “Guess it will explode under the right circumstances.”

  “Best get the hell outta here,” Jackson said. “Explosion is gonna draw whatever freaks are left in the area.”

  “He’s right,” Malcolm said. “Let’s go.”

  Kim climbed into the back of their SUV, Jackson and Quinton joining Lorraine in the other one and together they drove out onto the highway.

  “Malcolm, we’ve got a problem waiting for us back at the camp,” Kim said, leaning between the front seats. “When Alan came back he told us that hundreds of freaks came at you guys and that they were following him. He tried to get us to leave, saying you couldn’t have made it.”

  “That lying asshole!” Claudia cursed.

  He echoed her sentiments. Not only was Alan a coward for leaving them behind, he had tried to get the others to abandon them too.

  “Did he leave?” he asked.

  Kim shook her head. “He tried to but Jenny wouldn’t go along with it then Lorraine showed up and told us what really happened. Veronica said she’d shoot him if he took any of the vehicles. I’m pretty sure she was serious.”

  “She definitely was,” Claudia said.

  “So what do we do about him?” Kim said.

  Part of him wanted to see the man punished for his cowardice. There was nothing worse than desertion. Except Malcolm knew that Alan wasn’t a soldier and he couldn’t expect him to behave like one.

  Still, he had told Janet back when they had first formed the group that if any of them threatened their safety, he would cut them loose. Alan had left them when they needed help. He had proven himself unreliable and Malcolm wasn’t sure they could chance someone like him in their group.

  Malcolm knew that he was the leader here and it was up to him to make the decision of what to do about Alan.

  Problem was he didn’t know what the right choice was in this situation. The man had a pregnant wife and Malcolm wasn’t about to turn her out with her useless husband. But were their lives worth risking the others?

  “I don’t know what we should do,” he replied honestly.

  Subject File # 745

  Subject: Ya talk to the girls, yeah? Do they ever tell ya I scare ‘em?

  Administrator: Not at all. They think you hung the moon.

  Subject: Good. Don’t ever want ‘em to look at me like I’m a monster.

  The air in the SUV was electric as they sped back to the paver’s, the small space thick with the anger that was rolling off of everyone. Jackson felt constrained in the backseat, his muscles jumpy, urging him to get up and move.

  He could see the same antsy movements in the others. Lorraine kept tapping her fingers on the steering wheel while Quinton waved his hands around as he ranted against Alan. He had started after Lorraine had told them about Alan ditching them.

  “I can’t believe that
bastard tried to get everyone to leave! What sort of ball-less cowardly bullshit is that?”

  Quinton might have had a hard time believing it but Jackson didn’t. It hadn’t surprised him one bit. Of course the man wanted to get out of there. He knew that if the others made it back, they’d be gunning for some revenge and his ass would be the target.

  “You know, I’d be willing to forgive him for leaving the dealership,” Quinton continued. “Panic takes over in the moment and you run, okay, understandable, but to go back there and tell everyone we were dead?”

  “Shows premeditation,” Jackson said.

  “Exactly!” he replied. “He was already working on a cover up on his way back there. When we get there, I swear to God I’m going to beat the shit out of him.”

  “That’s if he’s even still there,” Jackson said. “If’n he’s smart, he’s already long gone.”

  Lorraine let out a hard chuckle and glanced over at Quinton. “Your sister made sure that won’t happen. She told him she’d shoot him if he touched any of the cars. I expect she has him held at gunpoint right now.”

  Jackson bit out a laugh and Quinton craned his neck around to look at him. “You don’t think she would do that?”

  “Nah, I know she would,” Jackson told him. “First time I met her it was ‘cause she put a gun to my head.”

  Quinton laughed himself. “Yeah, she can be a bit forceful when she wants something.”

  “That’s the polite way of sayin’ it,” Jackson quipped and they shared a laugh.

  Lorraine glanced between the two of them. “Nice to see you two getting along.”

  “I’ve been known to be a bit forceful too,” Quinton said with a shrug and glanced back at Jackson, meeting his eyes, “And I’m not always in the right with that.”

  He knew it was another apology from the doc but it wasn’t needed. As far as Jackson was concerned, the matter had been settled up on that roof. They both knew where they stood and that made it easier to trust each other. They’d probably never be best friends but they’d at least be able to keep the peace.

  The paver’s lot came into view and they were silent as they waited for Trey to pull open the gate and let both vehicles in.

  Everyone was gathered in front of the office building and Jackson spotted Alan sitting on the tailgate of the cube van, far away from the others. Quinton spotted him too. At least he figured spotting Alan was the reason Quinton jumped out the door before Lorraine had stopped the vehicle.

  Jackson was quick to follow, jumping out as Quinton zeroed in on Alan. The man saw him and tried to turn tail and run but in his rush he didn’t spot the cooler on the ground and tripped over it, sending him stumbling. Though Alan was an asshole, there had been a reason he was drafted into the NFL and he was surprisingly agile, dancing to keep his feet under him.

  It had still been enough of a delay to allow Quinton to catch up with him and he tackled him to the ground. The two men grappled with each other, rolling around on the ground, each of them trying to get the upper hand. When Alan managed to get Quinton pinned beneath him and raised a fist to punch him, Jackson stepped in and pulled Alan off.

  He hooked his arms under Alan’s and clamped his hands on the back of his neck, leaving him immobile and exposed. Quinton didn’t hesitate, driving his fist into his stomach.

  Alan’s breath whooshed out of him on a pained grunt and Alan struggled against Jackson’s hold but he held tight. Quinton punched Alan in the face, landing a nice right hook before Jackson spotted Malcolm looming behind the doctor. He grabbed hold of Quinton’s arm to stop the next punch.

  “Let me go!” Quinton cried out, struggling against Malcolm’s iron hold.

  “Not until you calm down, doc,” Malcolm replied, stone faced.

  Jackson released his hold on Alan’s neck and forced the man to spin around to face him. Jackson drilled him one right in the nose, blood spurting out as he crashed down to the ground.

  “Oh for fuck’s sake…” Malcolm groaned, pushing Quinton out of his way.

  Jackson wasn’t satisfied with that single hit. He flexed his fingers to combat the numbness there as he knelt over Alan before cracking him one in the mouth, his teeth cutting into his knuckles. Jackson barely noticed the pain and pulled back for another punch but Malcolm was there to stop him.

  “Enough!”

  “He left us to die!” Jackson spat out, glaring at Malcolm.

  “I’m not going to let you beat him while his wife and the children watch,” Malcolm said and Jackson finally noticed the group had gathered around them.

  Jenny stood only a few feet away, crying as Janet held her. Veronica was trying to herd the children back to the office building but they weren’t listening, their little heads peeking around her. He spotted Hannah’s big blue eyes watching him and he was filled with shame.

  He backed off, stepping away from Alan, and Malcolm let him go.

  “No more fighting.” Malcolm eyed all of them, daring them to step even one toe out of line. “Everybody is heated right now and there’s no way we can have a rational conversation like this. I want separate corners for everybody right now. Lorraine, why don’t you and Jenny take Alan inside and patch him up.”

  Lorraine nodded and corralled the Wakefields towards the office building while Malcolm’s eyes swept over the rest of the group.

  “Claudia, you and Kim top up the gas tanks in the new vehicles and then see how much is left in the cans.”

  The two women nodded and turned back to the SUV behind them and Malcolm turned back to Jackson and Quinton.

  “Do not go near him,” he ordered, looking between the two men. “Beating him isn’t the way to resolve this.”

  “Feels good though,” Jackson said and Quinton laughed.

  “Glad to see you two getting along,” Malcolm bit out. “We’re camping here tonight so help Kim and Claudia arrange the vehicles as a barricade, noses pointed out to the road. Everybody else figure out something useful to do!”

  Malcolm stalked off behind the building, either to check the perimeter or just to walk off the head of steam he’d built.

  Probably a good idea, though Jackson found that most of the fire inside him had died out when he saw Hannah looking at him with fear in her eyes.

  Hannah was still holding Veronica’s hand and half hiding behind her leg. Janet walked over to them and picked up Ruthie, who was holding Veronica’s other hand. She herded the twins away, leaving Veronica with Hannah as Audrey ran towards him.

  The teen threw her arms around his waist and hugged him.

  “I’m glad you came back,” she said and he was relieved to know she wasn’t scared of him.

  “Course I’d come back,” he replied and looked over at Hannah, who was walking over with Veronica. “Ya okay, Squirt?”

  She nodded her head but she looked at him with unease and she still held onto Veronica’s hand. “Why did you hit Alan?”

  “Because Alan is a pussy,” Audrey replied, earning a shocked gasp from Veronica and a laugh from Quinton.

  “Audrey!” Veronica chastised. “Don’t use that kind of language.”

  Audrey smirked. “But you aren’t saying he’s not one.”

  Quinton laughed again and Veronica glared at him before kneeling down to Hannah’s level. “Sweetie, Jackson, Quinton and Alan were fighting because they were all being stupid.”

  Hannah nodded and then frowned as she seemed to consider something for a moment before she looked up at Veronica. “Were you being stupid when you hit Alan before?”

  Veronica’s cheeks flushed red and this time when Quinton started laughing, Jackson joined him.

  “Good point there, Squirt,” Jackson said, ruffling her hair and she hugged him, any fear from before gone.

  “I’m glad you’re back,” she said, staring up at him with eyes empty of fear.

  He felt better knowing that the little girl wasn’t scared of him. He would be hard pressed to admit it to others but he liked the way Hannah and
Audrey looked up to him. He liked being someone they admired and he didn’t want to let them down.

  And maybe that was something he had to remember when it came to Alan. Beating him wouldn’t make them better people. Preying on the weak made him as much of a coward as Alan.

  “Here,” Quinton said, handing over a small bottle of antiseptic from his pack. “You’ll want to keep those knuckles clean to prevent infection.”

  “Thanks,” Jackson replied, taking the bottle and then noticing that Veronica was looking between the two of them, her mouth hanging open in shock.

  “What the hell happened out there?” she demanded and Jackson looked over to Quinton but he just shrugged.

  “Nothin’ much,” Jackson answered. “Yer sister blew up a gas tank.”

  He looked over his shoulder and pointed to where the faint column of black smoke floated above the trees. “Lit it up to kill the freaks and give us a chance to escape.”

  “Well, go Claudia!” she said, her tone impressed but then switching back to suspicion as she eyed the two of them. “That still doesn’t explain you two suddenly getting along.”

  Quinton shook his head. “And, just because I know it will drive you crazy, I’m not going to explain it.”

  She made an angry noise and glared at him. “I’ll just get Jackson to tell me.”

  Quinton looked over at him and smiled.

  “Nah, I don’t think he will.” Before she could respond he wrapped her in a hug, pressing a kiss on the top of her head. “Stop fussing and just be happy we all made it back okay.”

  “I am,” she said and pulled back to look up at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t come after you but the girls were--”

  “You don’t have to explain,” he said and looked over to Jackson. “I get it now.

  Quinton headed to the vehicles, leaving Jackson with Veronica and the girls and Veronica’s unanswered question. Course, Quinton was right. He sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her what he talked about with her brother.

  Hannah yanked on his shirt sleeve and he looked down at her.

  “Is Alan going to be punished?” Hannah asked and Jackson looked up at Veronica, not sure how to answer that question.