The Eliminators | Volume 3

by Druga, Jacqueline

  Then Kasper against his own darned advice, did a flying hero move forgetting he wasn’t invincible. While he did get up and shake it off, it wasn’t before he had been infected by the virus.

  The thing is, I thought we lost him.

  Apparently not. Kasper is what our new guy, Yates keeps calling, ‘Dead-ish,’ while I’m not sure what that means, I am more than excited to see him again.

  We were asked to go back to Center City and get him for a test run. Heck, I’ll take it.

  We’ll all be together again. We’ve been through a lot, some of us long before the virus.

  There’s a lot of story packed in the year behind us, and hopefully a lot more to come.

  MEMORIES

  TWO – TIS THE SEASON

  Four months Earlier: December 24 – Day 249

  Elkhart, Indiana (North Sector One)

  “Oh, yeah,” Kasper said excitedly looking down at the map command had given them. “We got the Walmart and a bunch of other cool stuff.” He turned around, high fiving Rachel, then offered his hand to Rigs.

  Rigs just looked at him.

  “Nothing?” Kasper asked then turned to Belinda, the newest member that had been with them for three days. “Huh? Leaving me hanging.”

  She folded her arms. One of those tough looking women. In fact she was. Belinda was a stunt woman for ten years before the virus hit.

  “Bare.” Kasper offered him his hand.

  Barry did a half attempt at a high five.

  “I’ll take it.” Kasper looked again at the map. “Cool.”

  The outline of Elkhart looked somewhat like the state of Texas. It was only the second time in the six plus months they had been Eliminators that they worked with other Eliminator teams in one location.

  Elkhart wasn’t a raging metropolis, but before the virus, there were fifty thousand people living there.

  Sweep teams had already been through. And chances of seeing the other Eliminator teams were slim, unless they ran into them at the temporary headquarters.

  Elkhart was important. It was slated to be a survivor city.

  “Can I just say.” Barry tapped his finger to the map. “I am glad we don’t have the housing plan.”

  “But we get the Walmart,” Kasper said excitedly.

  “Why …” Rigs faced him. “Does that matter?’

  “Because we want to shop.”

  “You mean loot?” Rigs asked,

  “Technicality,” Kasper said. “We need stuff.”

  “What kind of stuff?”

  “Stuff.”

  “What kind of stuff?”

  “Dude, it’s like Christmas Eve. Don’t you want to have a present in the morning?"

  “Not really.”

  “You are such a scrooge.”

  “And you need to step into reality, Kasper,” Rigs told him. “Take a look outside. The world ended; I think we can forget about Christmas.”

  Kasper gasped. “Dude, that’s rude. Forget about Christmas means forgetting about Jesus. You think Jesus forgets about you?"

  “Um, yeah, I do.”

  “Why …” Rachel spoke defensively, “Are you picking on him?”

  “I’m not picking on Kasper, Rach. Why do you always defend his enthusiasm?”

  “What is wrong with a little enthusiasm?”

  Rigs huffed. “It’s the apocalypse.”

  “Oh and we’re supposed to always mope?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re insane,” Rachel said, “He doesn’t have to mope. He’s not in a measured state of mourning. If he wants to get excited about the Walmart, let him.”

  “And …” Kasper added. “We have the superhero museum.”

  Rachel spun to him, “No way. We have to go there.”

  “Oh my God.” Rigs shook his head. “You and him.”

  Belinda the newbie spoke up. “Why don’t you let them go? They are a great team, and a great couple.”

  “Couple?” Rigs laughed. “Please. She’s almost old enough to be his mother.”

  Rachel turned with a dropped jaw.

  “What?” Rigs asked. “You are. I mean you could have had him at sixteen.”

  “Are you saying I’m old?” Rachel asked.

  “No, I’m saying …” Rigs sputtered some.

  “Stop while you’re ahead.” Barry calmly warned.

  “And the age difference means what?” Belinda asked. “Are you saying a younger man can’t be with an older woman and, may I add, one who clearly doesn’t look old enough to be his mother?”

  “Oh my God,” Rachel said cheerfully. “Thank you for that.”

  Rigs furrowed his brow. “I’m not saying an older woman can’t date a younger man. I’m saying Rachel doesn’t look at him that way. She treats him like a son.” Rigs caught Rachel’s glare. “What, am I wrong?”

  “No, I do mother him.”

  “See. It’s a woman thing.”

  Rachel gasped. “You are such a sexist.”

  “What?”

  Belinda shook her head. “I don’t know how you and Sandy put up with this for so long.” She and Rachel walked away from the table.

  “What?” Rigs asked confused.

  “Told you,” Barry placed his hand on Rigs back. “Quit while you’re ahead. But you didn’t. You never listen.”

  Kasper laughed.

  “Okay, what’s so funny?” Rigs asked him.

  “You,” Kasper replied. “I just love when everyone twists your words. You get so frustrated dude.”

  “Wouldn’t you?”

  “No, I wouldn’t be insulting women in the first place.”

  Barry chuckled.

  “And could you …” Kasper pointed to the map. “Hurry and assign our streets. Me and Rach wanna get some Christmas shopping in.”

  Rigs gave a snide smile. “Absolutely.” He pulled out his pen and leaned over the map.

  <><><><>

  They were the last to return that first night. Rachel and Kasper were on their third radio summons from Rigs when they finally finished their tasks.

  Taking out the dead wasn’t an issue. They only ran into three.

  Elkhart was different. It was as if Command decided to give Eliminators an easy time for the holidays. The town had been swept by sweep teams twice. They already had houses marked as safe and assigned to each team. Which was unusual because they always had to find their own safe house upon arriving in town.

  Walking down the street, Rachel pulled a wagon full of items while Kasper dragged a big green bag.

  “On a positive note,” Rachel said. “We wouldn’t have found this stuff at Walmart.”

  “I still can’t believe he took Walmart.”

  “Maybe he wanted to get us something.”

  Kasper laughed. “Rigs was being a dick.”

  “Okay, I’ll give you that. I wonder how it went with him and new girl today?”

  “You think that’s why he partnered up with her, instead of making her go with Barry?”

  “Oh, for sure,” Rachel said. “He’s the lead. She’s not said much over the couple days she’s been here. He’s trying to break the ice.”

  “Speaking of ice.” Kasper stopped and looked up. “It’s snowing.”

  “Oh, it is.” Rachel raised her face to allow the flakes to fall on her. They weren’t falling fast or heavy, but they were clumpy flakes. “It’s gonna get bad.”

  “You think?”

  “For sure. Look at the sky. It’s black, you can’t see a star or the moon. And you can smell snow.”

  “So it’s gonna be a white Christmas?”

  “Yeah.” Rachel nodded.

  “How are you with that?” Kasper asked. “You okay?”

  “No, it’s hard, Kasper, it really is. The only thing that makes it easier is the fact that I don’t have to see it everywhere we go. Every television show or movie. I don’t have to face it.”

  “You think maybe we should scrap the idea?”

  “Are you kidding m
e?” Rachel shook her head. “No. We went through a lot of stuff to find all these Christmas decorations in that attic. And the tree. No, we’re setting it up tonight. It’s just being so close to home.”

  “I didn’t even think of that. I’m sorry. Are we that close?”

  “Fifteen miles.”

  “Do you want …?”

  “No,” Rachel cut him off. “No, I do not.” They paused in front of the house. It had to be it. The hum of the generator carried to them, smoke rose from the chimney and there were lights on. “What I want is, I want to go in and set up our Christmas tree.”

  “You ever realize no apocalypse show ever has a Christmas special.”

  “How cool would that have been. I wonder why that was?” Rachel pulled the wagon to the front door. “Ready for this?”

  “Yep, and I am ready for the usual Rigs blasting of, ‘where have you guys been?’” Kasper reached for and opened the door.

  The second they stepped inside, Rigs rushed to them. “Where have you guys been?”

  Rachel lugged in her wagon. “It’s snowing.” She ignored his question.

  Kasper lugged in the large green bag.

  “What is that?” Rigs asked.

  “A Christmas tree,” Kasper answered. “We found all kinds of stuff.”

  “Swell.” Rigs reached around Rachel and shut the door. “By all means then … set it up.”

  Sandy was excited. Probably the most out of everyone and she even cried. She had already planned on making a nice dinner for Christmas Eve but when Rachel and Kasper arrived with the decorations, she delayed dinner to make it even more special. Enjoying every second of decorating.

  Everyone but Rigs. Well, Belinda was there. She didn’t do much.

  Rachel slipped away from the tree trimming festivities, finding Rigs in the back room behind the kitchen. It was probably a family room before things happened.

  Rigs sat at a table, a lantern by him for light as he looked at a map and wrote in a notebook.

  Using the side of her boot, she knocked on the open doorway.

  Rigs looked over his shoulder. “Hey.”

  “I brought you supper and a beverage.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Sure I did …” she walked in. “You didn’t seem like you wanted to eat while trimming the tree.”

  “I never heard of that tradition,” Rigs said,

  “Apparently it was a big one for Sandy’s family.” She set down the plate in a small empty spot on the table, then the mug.

  Rigs sniffed the meal. “Is that turkey?” He asked of the square slices slathered in gravy.

  “Doesn’t look it, but it is and tasty. Command issued holiday meal kits. Sandy said they dropped it off while we were out. Supposedly there is stuff for breakfast, too.”

  “Everyone’s getting into this.”

  “Not everyone.” Rachel pulled out a chair and joined him. “Belinda is just sitting there and you’re … in here.”

  Rigs proceeded to fold the map enough to pull his meal forward. “I never was a Christmas person, at least not after I lost my family.”

  “I understand that. I’m not in the mood much myself.”

  “Could have fooled me.”

  “Well … Kasper was excited,” Rachel said. “And … you know I mother him. I just didn’t want to dampen his mood. Speaking of Kasper …” She pointed to the mug. “Try that.”

  “What is it?”

  “Kasper’s attempt at eggnog.”

  “Don’t we need real eggs or did Command send those?”

  “Nope. No eggs. Kasper’s invention.”

  Rigs brought the mug to his nose, smelled and cringed. “Oh my God it smells like straight bourbon.” He sipped it and coughed. “It tastes like straight bourbon.”

  “God, you’re such an amateur.”

  “And this is coming from a woman that discovered alcohol in the apocalypse.”

  “Whatever works.”

  “I’m not a rookie, I just wasn’t expecting it. How did he make it?”

  Rachel laughed. “Condensed milk, cinnamon and bourbon.”

  “That’s not an eggnog recipe.”

  “As if you’d know.”

  “I would.” Rigs set down the mug. “I made it every year with Ann, Barry’s wife.”

  “Really? You don’t strike me as the eggnog making person.”

  “And cookies.” Rigs shrugged. “Just around the holidays after my family died, Ann went out of her way to try to keep my mind off of things.”

  “Even in your bad spell?”

  Rigs laughed. “Even then.”

  “Were you different before all this?”

  “Weren’t we all?”

  “I guess.”

  “So, I realized something,” Rigs said. “I realized we’re close to your home.”

  Rachel puckered her lips some, then slightly lowered her head. “Yeah, very close.”

  “If you want … I would be happy to go with you if you want to go back to your house.”

  Rachel shook her head. “As much as I’d like to get pictures and memorabilia, it’s too soon. I need to be in a better place. I’m doing well as long as I am killing the stiffs. At this point, I think it would do me more harm than good.”

  “I get that. It took me a good year before I could go back into the house.”

  “Thank you for asking.”

  “That’s what friends do, right?”

  “Right.” Rachel nodded. “Speaking of friends. Did you make any progress with Belinda today? I know that was the reason you partnered with her.”

  “She’s not easy.”

  “No,” Rachel said with a laugh. “She is not. She’s only been with us three days though.”

  “She’s like the … what? Third or fourth? We can’t hold that position, can we?”

  “Nope.”

  “But usually they are easy to talk to. I wanted to make headway because I am tired of replacing that spot.”

  “Maybe it’s because of how she lost her team,” Rachel said.

  “She didn’t lose her team, Rach. She left them.”

  “Really? That never happens. Did she say why?”

  Rigs shook his head. “No. But Command said she left because she was the only woman and heard we had women on the team.”

  “She doesn’t act like she wants to be around us. Maybe in time. Did she at least hold a conversation with you?”

  “Um … no.” Rigs began to eat his meal. He pointed the fork at the plate following his first bite. “This isn’t bad.”

  “No, it’s not. So, she didn’t engage.”

  “I asked her. I even used those words. I said to her to feel free to engage with me at any time. I even … I even told her my story.”

  “You never do that.”

  “No, I don’t. Rigs washed his food down with the bourbon tainted eggnog. “But I thought if I got personal it would open things up.”

  “Did you … um, tell her your sin and debauchery story.”

  “I did.”

  Rachel cringed.

  “What? I know she lost a son and husband, I just thought sharing grief, you know.” Rigs paused. “What? What is it?”

  “She’s not me.”

  “No one is.”

  “Aren’t you cute. But I mean, that stuff doesn’t affect me. Hearing how you bedded every woman from one town to the next, washing down the experience with booze and drugs.”

  “Oh, stop,” Rigs laughed. “I did not bed every woman.”

  “It was a lot. Barry said. He told me you had a sickness.”

  “It was, but it was me trying to bury the hurt.”

  “Man, too bad for you there weren’t zombies. It is great therapy.”

  “Judging by you, I’d say it is.”

  “Well.” Rachel stood. “I’ll let you finish your meal. Barry is going to tell a Christmas story. If you change your mind. What are you working on anyhow?”

  “Oh, just planning the
streets and stuff for tomorrow.”

  “Command said no stiff killing on Christmas.”

  Rigs laughed. “Like observe not slaughtering the dead for religious reasons.”

  “No.” Rachel playfully smacked him. “A day off for us.”

  “You don’t have to go out. I will. But … the dead don’t take a day off, why should we?”

  “Did you … did you really just say that?”

  “I did.”

  “I’ll go out.” Rachel shrugged. “It’ll be a new tradition. Think about joining us later.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Rachel began to leave.

  “Hey, Rach.”

  She stopped.

  “Merry Christmas.”

  She smiled gently. “Merry Christmas, Rigs.”

  Rachel returned to the festivities in the living room. She also wanted to monitor the snow. It was going to be interesting. No snowplows, no removal. It was the first time they’d hunt the dead in snow, and the demented side of her looked forward to it.

  THREE – FROSTY

  December 25 – Day 250

  A blizzard blew in sometime during the early morning hours. The house grew cold, prompting Barry to kick the fire into overdrive.

  Everyone wore their coats and gloves until the house warmed up.

  Barry sat there watching everyone open the little gifts that Rachel and Kasper handed out. He thought about the first Christmas Jeremiah joined his family for the celebration.

  He remembered the day Jeremiah was born. Having lived next door to his grandmother, Jane. Jane was so proud of her first grandchild. She always had him over, babysitting, spending nights. Jane was a young grandmother and a young widow, not much older than forty and Jeremiah became her life.

  He then became her purpose when his parents were killed. He wasn’t even two when that happened. Jane never told him what happened to them and Jeremiah never asked. Barry was always prepared to tell him if he did question the death of his parents,

  It was tough on Jane losing her daughter like that. It would be tough on Jeremiah no matter how many years had passed.

  His father was an investment broker, young and eager. Apparently, someone lost a lot of money because of the elder Jeremiah Rigs. It was a home invasion that took his parents’ life. His father the intended target. They were brutally murdered; all while Jeremiah slept in a crib.