by Eric Vall
Eric Vall
Chapter 1
I had one hand on the steering wheel and the other out of the window as I drove down the road in the old cargo truck we had picked up from the National Guard. My redheaded second-in-command Anna, dressed in a black tank top, a pair of loose green cargo pants, and hiking boots rode with me in the cab while the rest of the girls were in the back with all the gear we had packed for our mission.
Each of them was dressed in a fairly similar fashion to Anna. The blonde model Tara wore a black tank top and a pair of jeans held up by a heavy duty leather belt. She looked more rugged than usual but her platinum hair still hung perfectly like a frame around her smooth face.
Studious Paige had on a dark green T-shirt, brown pants, and her brunette hair was pulled up into her usual messy bun. She looked tough but couldn’t escape her slightly geeky appearance due to her thick rimmed black glasses.
Bailey still somehow managed to look like the cute hippie she was despite all the guns and gear. She had on light blue jeans with large pockets, a light green shirt with a flower on the front, and her strawberry blonde hair was held out of her face with a red bandana.
My old handyman pal Rolly sat up in the front beside Anna in a brown button-up shirt and worn down tan work pants. He had a black newsboys cap covering his bald spot, and a pair of well-maintained black boots on his feet.
Each of us was fully kitted out for battle with our rifle of choice, a sidearm, a knife, a kevlar vest, and a couple of grenades. We carried some spare ammo, a bit of food, and whatever personal items completed our kit, but we had plenty of extra gear in the truck.
We had a week's worth of extra food and water. More ammo than we would hopefully need, and enough bedding to make sure we stayed comfortable while we were in the wild. A large portion of our medical supplies were brought along too in case the worst happened and some of us ended up wounded.
Despite the situation, the group seemed to be in a fairly good mood. Rolly and Anna were all smiles, and Paige, Tara, and Bailey chatted and laughed with one another in the back seat.
I smiled and looked back to the road. My arm still hurt a bit where it had gotten cut by shrapnel, but just that day of downtime had helped to kickstart the healing. That was good because I doubted the stitches would hold once the fighting started, but I was also sure Paige would be more than happy to patch me up again.
“Hey, we’ll be passing Betty’s farm soon,” Rolly said. “Do you think we could stop in and see how they are doing?”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Anna said. “Do we have time for that?”
“It is a good idea,” I said. “If we keep it quick, we’ll have enough time.”
“Yeah, Rolly, keep it quick,” Anna teased as she nudged the old handyman.
“I’ll be okay,” Rolly chuckled as his cheeks went flush.
“Should I tell the others?” Anna asked.
“Yeah, give them a heads up,” I said with a nod.
Anna turned around and stuck her head into the back.
“We’re going to make a quick stop,” I heard her say.
There was some excited chatter, and a moment later the redhead got back into her seat and pulled on her seatbelt again and relaxed back into the cracked upholstery of the old truck.
“So what’d they say?” I asked
“They’re excited,” Anna said. “Paige and Bailey are both eager to meet this girl Rolly has talked so much about.”
“They better not take up too much of her time,” Rolly said with a wrinkled grin.
“I’m sure they’ll be quick,” I chuckled.
A few minutes later I saw the turn off in the road that led up towards Betty’s farm. I steered us in that direction and slowed down a little on the gravel pathway in an attempt to make the ride more comfortable for the girls in the back, but even with our slower speed the large and unwieldy vehicle bucked along the uneven ground.
No one was in sight as we rolled up in front of the farm, but the minute I stepped out of the truck Dan emerged in the doorway of the small farmhouse. He had a large smile on his face and a rifle in his arms.
“Hey, I didn’t expect to see you guys again so soon,” he said.
“Well, we can’t stay long, but we wanted to make sure you guys were doing good,” I said.
Anna, Rolly, and the rest of the girls joined me out in front of the truck while Betty and Jenny came outside, and then Betty rushed over and wrapped Rolly in a large hug.
“It’s nice to see you guys again,” Jenny said.
“You too,” I said. “I brought the whole gang this time though. The two gals that you guys haven't met are Paige and Bailey.”
Betty pulled herself away from Rolly and smiled warmly at the girls. “Well aren’t you all just lovely?”
“Thanks, it’s nice to finally meet you guys,” Paige said as she stepped forward and put her hand out.
“A handshake, really?” Betty asked. The grey haired woman looked down at Paige’s hand, chuckled, and then pulled the brunette into a big warm hug. “If you’re with Rolly, then there is no reason not to give you a hug. After all, your group has done so much for us already.”
“Um, thanks,” Paige said with a small smile as she hugged the older woman back.
Betty let go of Paige and turned to Bailey. The blonde hippie grinned and opened her arms wide for a hug.
“So where are you guys headed?” Dan asked. “You all certainly look ready for a fight.”
“We’re going to see what we can do about the National Guard outpost,” I said. “We have to be ready for anything.”
“You guys do look pretty impressive all dressed up like that,” Jenny said. “If I didn’t know better I might think you were actually military.”
“We’re better than the military at this point,” Anna said.
“Don’t get too cocky,” I chuckled.
“I meant we don’t go around trying to steal people’s shit, and turning them into slaves,” the athletic redhead replied.
“We are certainly better than that,” Rolly said.
“Well, it sounds like you guys have important stuff to do,” Betty said as she let go of Bailey. “Don’t let us keep you too long.”
“You’re not keeping us at all,” Rolly said with a smile.
“He’s right, we have a bit of time, and it’s important to make sure our friends are doing well,” I said. “I think after this we are going to stop by and see how Briar and the Millers are doing too.”
“We are?” Paige asked.
“Yeah, last we saw Briar he was in pretty rough shape,” I said. “I want to make sure he is going to pull through.”
“I hope he’s okay,” Dan said. “I always liked Briar. He can be a bit grumpy at times, but we always got along well enough.”
“Yeah, back when we were younger, Dan and I would go visit him and ride his horses,” Jenny added.
“Oh, no one told me he had horses,” Bailey said.
“Well, he has at least one horse,” Tara said. “We made sure we got it back for him. I’m hoping that once things calm down I can ride it.”
“I’m sure you could,” Jenny said. “Like I said, he used to let us ride them all the time. Though that was back when he had more horses. I think he used to groom them for shows or something.”
“Ugh, that’s so cool,” Tara said.
“It’s not that cool,” Anna teased.
“Have you ever ridden a horse?” Tara asked as she turned to eye her redheaded friend.
“Well no, but it can’t be that cool,” Anna said.
“It’s actually pretty fun,” Bailey said.
“Yeah, I like riding horses,” I agreed.
“Alright, fine, but I really doubt it’s as awesome a
s Tara makes it sound,” Anna said.
“Guess you’ll just have to, like, wait and see,” Tara replied with a grin.
Rolly and Betty had slipped away from us and onto the porch. They kissed each other gently then laughed and held each other close.
“They’re just too cute,” Bailey said.
“Yeah, it’s almost sickeningly sweet,” Paige said.
“Aww, don’t be that way,” Tara said as she nudged the brunette. “I think it’s cool that they are able to be so sappy.”
“Yeah, it's not every day that you can find love in the apocalypse,” Anna agreed.
“Whoa, love?” Dan asked as he raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that rushing things a bit?”
“Oh, come on, Danny, look at them,” Jenny said as she nodded towards the two older people on the porch. “They look pretty in love to me.”
“They seem to like each other quite a bit, but that doesn’t mean they’re in love,” Dan said.
Jenny looked at her brother and then rolled her eyes.
“Older people tend to connect faster,” I said with a shrug.
“It’s rude to stare,” Betty called to us from the porch.
“Maybe you two should get a room,” Paige teased.
“I have one, but I didn’t think you were sticking around long enough to use it,” Betty chuckled.
“Aw man, I didn’t need to hear that,” Dan groaned.
“Don’t be weird, Dan,” Jenny said.
“So, Jenny, how’re you doing?” Tara asked.
“I’m okay,” The redhead replied. “These last couple days have been tough, and I don’t go anywhere without a gun anymore.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” Anna said. “We’ve learned that it’s better to be prepared than not.”
“Yeah, but it sucks not to feel safe on my grandma’s land,” Jenny sighed. “Before all this happened I was content knowing that Dan always had a gun with him. Now though, I can barely be alone.” She hung her head and moved a little closer to her brother.
“Have you managed to sleep okay?” Bailey asked with a concerned frown.
“Kinda,” Jenny said.
“We’ve been crashing in the living room together,” Dan explained. “She usually doesn’t sleep for more than a couple hours.”
“I keep having these horrible dreams,” Jenny said. “It’s like I am reliving the day, but it doesn’t always end with you guys showing up to rescue me.”
“Well, maybe once this National Guard outpost is gone, you’ll feel a little safer,” I said.
“Yeah, I bet knowing no more of those guys are in the area will comfort you,” Paige added.
“I’m sure it will,” Jenny said. “I think given enough time I’ll get over it too. It’s just a little fresh right now is all.”
“Well, if we can do anything more to help you let us know,” Bailey said.
“Thank you guys,” Jenny said as she smiled at the group.
Tara gave Jenny a hug, and when she was done Bailey did the same thing. The other two girls offered their support with words instead of touch.
“Alright, we should probably get back on the road,” I said.
“You sure you don’t want to stay for lunch or anything?” Dan asked.
“I appreciate it, but no we still have lots to get done today,” I said.
“Might be hard to get Rolly to leave with us,” Anna said with a smirk as she nodded towards the porch.
Betty and Rolly were lost in their own little world as they made out with each other in the shade.
“Hey, loverboy, we gotta go,” I called out to him.
Rolly pulled away and wiped his lips while Betty pouted a little. He gave the grey haired woman a kiss goodbye and then looked to slip a piece of paper into her hand before reluctantly walking away.
Betty watched him leave with a smile on her face, gave a wave to the rest of us, and then looked down at the paper in her hands.
“Alright, I’m ready to go,” Rolly said as he pulled up beside me.
“What’s that she has?” I asked as I eyed the older woman.
“Just a small note to let her know how much I like her,” Rolly said as he blushed.
“He’s so sweet,” Jenny said with a smile.
“I suppose Grandma could have found a worse guy to fawn over,” Dan admitted.
“It’s true,” Anna said. “Rolly is pretty much one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet.”
“Especially since this is kinda the end of the world,” Paige said with a shrug.
“It’s not the end of the world,” I chuckled. “Come on, let’s go. Dan, Jenny, it was nice to see you guys again.”
“You too,” Dan replied.
“Yeah, thanks for checking in on me,” Jenny said.
“Of course,” I said with a small nod. Then I turned my attention to my team. “Alright, load up.”
Rolly and the girls scrambled back to the truck and started to load up.
I gave one last wave to Betty and her family and then loaded up myself. I climbed into the cab and behind the wheel.
“Onto the next farm?” Anna asked.
“Yeah, if we keep it short like this stop then we can get out by the outpost with plenty of daylight left to scout,” I said as I turned the huge green military transport truck around and roared off down the road again.
“So, Rolly, what was is that you left with Betty?” Anna asked.
“I might have uh, slipped her a little love letter,” he muttered.
“A love letter?” Anna asked. “Man, Tara’s right, you two are cute.”
“It’s just how we used to do things back in my day,” Rolly said with a shrug. “I thought she might appreciate it.”
“I think she will,” I said. “I never quite understood how we got away from such things.”
“Does that mean you are going to write us love letters?” Anna teased.
“You wouldn’t want me to write you love letters,” I laughed. “I’m not much of a poet.”
“I’m sure that can’t be true,” Anna said. “Maybe Rolly here could give you some pointers.”
“I’m a bit rusty,” Rolly laughed. “I just wrote my first one in some fifty years!”
“That’s okay,” I replied. “I’m better at showing my affection with actions.” I glanced over at Anna, grinned, and then winked at her.
“Mmmm, yeah you are,” she replied.
“Do I need to crawl in back with the others?” Rolly asked.
“No, she can’t do much while I’m driving,” I said.
“That’s a shame really,” Anna replied with a shrug.
“Not for me it’s not,” Rolly laughed.
We all shared a laugh, and Paige poked her head out from the back.
“What’s going on up here?” She asked. “You’re not having fun without us are you?”
“Oh no, we’d never dream of it,” Anna said.
“Good, because you guys are only allowed so much fun without the rest of us,” Paige joked.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, and then Paige disappeared into the back again.
Everyone settled in as we continued on down the road. Rolly looked casually out the window with a small smile on his face and a wistful look in his eyes, and Anna had her rifle tucked between her legs as she scanned the road and the surrounding forest.
I knew once we got closer to the outpost everyone would sober up a little, but it was nice to see them all relax. They were growing more confident in their skills, and their currently relaxed demeanor helped to show that. Everything I had taught them up to this point would be tested in the coming days, and all I could do was hope that I had prepared them well enough.
“Hey, was that there last time you came this way?” Anna asked as she pointed up ahead.
A couple cars had been pulled onto the road to create a barricade. There was a gap between the cars but it was too narrow for us to drive through.
“This doesn’t seem good,”
Rolly groaned.
It wasn’t.
I knew a trap when I saw one and wasn’t about to walk into it blindly. Things like this were going to become all too common now that we took care of those bikers. No good deed goes unpunished, and in times like these it often just opens the door for the next asshole to step through.
So, I threw the truck in reverse and blew down the road.
“Yeah, I’m like ninety-nine percent sure that’s a trap too,” Anna snickered.
“What are we going to do?” Rolly asked.
“Hey, did we turn around?” Paige asked.
“There was a roadblock,” I explained. “Looked like a trap.”
“What are we going to do?” I heard Tara ask.
“Hold on.” I saw a clear enough area on the side of the road to swing into and shut the truck off.
Once I parked the truck, I stepped out quickly. Anna and Rolly followed suit, and we made our way to the back of the truck where the other girls were already climbing out.
“Do you think it’s the National Guard?” Tara questioned when everyone got out of the truck.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “It could be them, or it could be some other thugs that have moved into the area.”
“Well, what do we do?” Bailey asked, her eyes still wide with concern.
“It’ll be fine,” I said. “We’re going to move through the trees, scope it out, and see what we’re dealing with. Whatever it is, I have no doubt we can handle it.”
“What if nobody is there?” Paige asked.
“Then we got off easy this time and we keep moving forward,” I said.
“Even if nobody’s there right now, they could still be around here somewhere,” Anna said. “Are we going to need to track them down?”
I shook my head. “Not right now, we have bigger things to worry about with the National Guard.”
“They could have been the ones to set it up,” Tara pointed out.
I nodded. “We won’t know for sure until we check it out. If there is someone there, they probably saw us already. Rolly, I want you to find a good position in the trees near the truck where you can see anyone approaching.”
“You got it.” The old man nodded and headed for the treeline.
“Stay safe.” I clapped him on the shoulder as he walked by.