World on Edge: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller (World on Edge Book 1)

by Chris Pike

  “I graduated college with a bachelor of science degree then was about to finish—”

  “Stop right there.”

  Joe froze. He didn’t recognize the voice or the man who jumped out in front of them from nowhere.

  “Place the rifle on the ground and give me your backpack.”

  “There’s nothing of value in it,” Joe explained. “No money, no weapons.”

  “There must be something in it otherwise you wouldn’t be out at night.” The man had a semi-automatic rifle pointed at Joe’s chest. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Put your weapon and the backpack down, and you can be on your way.”

  “I’ve got a friend who’s hurt. Her life depends on me getting back to her.”

  “What about her life?” The man sighted the rifle on Hannah. “I’ll shoot her unless you do as I say. I won’t ask again.”

  “Okay, okay,” Joe said. He swung the backpack in front of him and lowered his rifle. “Just take it and we’ll be on our way.”

  The man huffed. “So you can come back and ambush me? I don’t think so.” The man pointed the rifle at Joe. “After I put a bullet in you, I’ll take my time with this pretty little filly. If you got anything—”

  A shot rang out.

  Joe flinched and put his hands up to protect his face.

  Hannah crouched.

  The man grunted and a surprised expression crossed his face as the large caliber bullet blasted through him, exiting his back. Blood gushed out of the hole in his chest. His eyes rolled up into his head, and the man crumpled to the ground.

  Joe heard footsteps racing along the sidewalk. He crouched and pivoted in the direction of the sound.

  “Thought you needed a hand,” the man said in an affable voice, approaching Joe. “I’m Ethan Crossfield.”

  Joe noted the man’s flight suit. “You a pilot?”

  “I am.”

  “Joe Buck. Thanks for saving our hides.” Joe shook hands with Ethan. “This is Hannah.”

  “Nice to meet you, Hannah.”

  “Same here,” she said.

  “Nice rifle,” Joe said. “Where’d you find the weapon?”

  “In the grass while walking along the bayou.”

  “Incredible.”

  “It was my lucky day,” Ethan said. “Probably before the grid went down, some gang member must have been chased by the police, so threw his weapon in some high grass. I literally stumbled upon it. Too bad it only came with one mag of ammo. Where ya headed?”

  “The stadium.” Joe hitched a thumb in the direction of NRG.

  “Bad idea,” Ethan said. “It’s not safe anymore.”

  “I know. I’ve been stuck there since the grid went down. And you?” Joe asked. “Have you been there?”

  “Sure have. I had to eject on my approach to NRG. I lost consciousness and when I came to, me and my parachute were headed straight through the roof.”

  “Damn!” Joe exclaimed. “Was that your jet that crashed into the stadium?”

  “No.” Ethan shook his head. “Another pilot. One of the best.”

  “Sorry to hear.” Joe scuffed his boot on the sidewalk.

  “Me too,” Ethan said with a tinge of sadness. “The good news is I’ve been helping a mom and her two teens. The bad news is the mom is injured and I’m scouting for antibiotics for her.”

  Joe ran a hand over the increasing growth on his chin, thinking. “I’ll save you the trouble. Since you helped us out, I’ll help you.”

  Ethan nodded. “Sounds great.”

  Joe opened the backpack and retrieved several types of antibiotics. He handed the bottles to Ethan. Albon Oral, Doxycycline, Naxcel, Ceftiflex, Amoxi-Drop, Clindamycin, and Polyflex were just some of the options. “Take these. I’ve got plenty more.”

  “Where’d you find them? Pharmacies have already been looted.”

  “The zoo.”

  Ethan held up a bottle to inspect it. “These are for animals?”

  “Right,” Hannah said. “Most veterinary medicine is the same type we take. Let me see those.”

  Ethan handed the bottles to Hannah. She read the names and noted the milligrams on each one. “How much does the person who needs these meds weigh?”

  Ethan thought a second. “Around one thirty, I guess.”

  “What type of injury is it?”

  “She had shrapnel in her calf. It got infected, so I decided to remove it. Are you a doctor?” Ethan asked.

  “I’ve had some medical training.” Hannah handed the bottles back to Ethan. “Tell your friend to take this medication twice a day for ten days.” Hannah tapped the bottle she was referring to. “It’s very important to take the tablets on time and to finish all of them, even if the infection gets better.”

  “I’ll be sure she does. Thank you so much,” Ethan said. “You’ve saved my friend’s life.”

  “You saved ours, so we’re good,” Joe said. “You going back to the stadium now?”

  “I am.”

  “What’s your plan after that?” Joe asked.

  “To get my new friends back home safely, then not sure after that.”

  Joe thought a second. “Which direction will you be heading?”

  “West, towards Katy,” Ethan explained

  “No kidding! I’ll be taking my group to Fulshear, just right down the road.”

  “Katy isn’t a small town anymore, but you’re right. The neighborhood they live in is accessible by using the same main road.”

  “Then travel with us. There’s safety in numbers.”

  ~ ~ ~

  The three weary travelers kept to the shadows as they walked along Brays Bayou. They talked in hushed tones, keeping their eyes open for anyone who might do them harm. Joe and Ethan did most of the talking. Hannah walked between them, listening to the circumstances leading them to be at the stadium.

  Hannah hadn’t pegged Joe to be a plumber, nor did she peg Ethan as a Blue Angel’s pilot. Ethan mentioned his surprise when he learned Joe knew Lexi Carter before she became famous.

  “How’d you know her?” Ethan asked.

  “When I was in high school, I knew her big brother,” Joe explained. “We had a few mutual friends, so we’d all hang around together. Lexi was a kid, several years younger than me, so I never paid her any attention. We sorta met again several years ago when she sang at a dive, then the Super Bowl brought us officially back together.”

  “Strange how our paths cross, isn’t it?” Ethan asked, not expecting an answer. “How’d you and Hannah meet?”

  “At the zoo,” Hannah said. “Not too long ago.”

  “She’s right,” Joe added. “And it was an extremely exciting introduction.”

  “How so?”

  “I’ll let Hannah explain.” Joe tossed her an expression like he was her dad and she was a kid who had gotten busted doing something wrong.

  “In a nutshell, I was at the zoo when this all happened, and since the zoo employees abandoned the animals, well, I, uh, couldn’t let the animals starve in their cages, so I let them out.”

  Ethan glanced at Joe for his reaction.

  “She did,” Joe confirmed. “And we almost bit the dust because of it.” Joe let his statement sink in. “Lions. Specifically, a massive and hungry male lion.”

  Hannah sighed. “The lion is dead and you’re not, so what’s the issue?”

  “They’re out now? All of them?” Ethan’s voice held a hint of surprise and concern. He quickly did a three-sixty, looking around for any of the animals, then returned his stare to Hannah.

  “Don’t look at me,” Hannah said. “I thought I was doing something good.”

  “We certainly can’t undo it, so let’s be extra vigilant about our surroundings. I don’t want to come face to face with a cape buffalo,” Joe said.

  “Don’t be silly.” Hannah rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “The zoo doesn’t have any of those.”

  Joe raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”

/>   “Yes. Probably. Maybe. I’m not sure.”

  “You’re trying to say a cape buffalo could be roaming around?”

  “It’s always possible.” Hannah shrugged.

  “Let’s look at the positive aspect of this revelation,” Joe offered. “I’ll know to be on the lookout for a cape buffalo so I won’t get stampeded or gored by one of those beasts.”

  “Whatever,” Hannah huffed. “Your massive serving of sarcasm wasn’t needed.”

  “If you hadn’t—”

  “Time out,” Ethan said. “You two sound like an old married couple. It’s done, let’s deal with it, and get back to the people who need us.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry, Hannah.”

  “Me too,” Hannah grumbled. “I’m stressed is all.”

  “Join the club,” Joe said. “Let’s forget about it and head back to the stadium. Sound good?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I second that,” Ethan said.

  ~ ~ ~

  An hour later, Joe, Ethan, and Hannah approached the bridge over Brays Bayou. As Joe expected, the Salinas men were standing guard at the bridge.

  “Frank Salinas, right?” Joe yelled.

  “Who wants to know?” the elder Salinas yelled.

  “Joe Buck. I came this way earlier in the day.”

  “Oh yeah, I remember you. Didn’t think you’d make it back.” Frank lowered his weapon and motioned for his sons, Owen and Kenny, to do the same. “I see you picked up some extra folks.” Frank tipped his glasses down to peer at the man and woman with Joe. “I remember you too. Ethan right?”

  “That’s me.”

  “Glad you made it back too.”

  “Did you get me any cotton candy?” Kenny asked.

  “Sorry, kid. The gorillas ate it,” Joe deadpanned, stifling a chuckle.

  “Really?”

  “Nah, I’m only kidding. I did find a few chocolate bars.”

  “Alright!”

  Joe distributed the chocolate bars. “Frank, has there been any trouble since earlier today?” Joe peeled back the wrapping on the bar he kept for himself and took a large bite. He washed it down with a gulp of water.

  “No trouble, but the strangest thing happened. I swear I saw a wolf running along the banks of the bayou.”

  “Dad!” Owen protested, rolling his eyes in the way only a teenager who was embarrassed about a parent could. “I already told you it was a big German Shepherd. You need to get new glasses.”

  “No German Shepherd is that big,” Frank barked.

  “It probably was a wolf,” Joe said.

  “No shit!” Kenny exclaimed.

  “Watch your language, son.”

  “Sorry, Dad.”

  “How could a wolf make it into the middle of the city?” Frank asked. “Besides, there aren’t any wolves in East Texas.”

  Nobody said a word. Frank noticed the odd silence and the uncomfortable body language of Joe and his companions. “Did I miss something?”

  “No,” Joe finally admitted. He glanced at Hannah, who had her eyes plastered on the ground. “The animals escaped from the zoo.”

  “You’re kidding us,” Frank said.

  “I’m not.”

  “This is awesome!” Kenny couldn’t contain his excitement. “Dad, let’s have a safari hunt right here. I’ve got dibs on a lion. What about you, Owen? What are you gonna shoot?”

  “If what he says is right,” Frank cut in, “it’s not only the humans we need to watch out for. It’s the animals too. Am I right, Joe?”

  “You’re exactly right. All the bayous around here are like highways for animals. I’d be extra careful because those animals are going to be hungry.”

  “Well, you folks be careful and get on back to the stadium. It’s too dark to be outside with a bunch of wild animals roaming around near dinnertime. If you know what I mean.”

  Goodbyes were said, handshakes offered, and when Joe, Ethan, and Hannah were out of earshot distance, Hannah said, “Don’t say a word.”

  “I don’t have to,” Joe replied. “What’s done is done, and the only thing on my mind is getting back to Lexi.”

  “I’m sure she’s okay.”

  “Let’s hope so, because if she isn’t, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

  Chapter 24

  The sun had set, and long shadows formed on the interior of NRG Stadium. Each day brought a new set of problems, mainly from the corpses. Hordes of flies swarmed over the bodies, and rats brazenly chewed on exposed flesh during daylight. Lexi had to restrain Oscar from chasing the rats and burning up his precious fat reserves. She was also concerned about diseases rats carried.

  She worried about Joe returning. Before he left, he told her he’d be back long before sundown, and for her not to worry.

  Easier said than done.

  All sorts of thoughts crossed her mind regarding Joe, anywhere from him tripping and breaking a leg to someone hurting him or worse. She had not seen any sign of her mother, nor any of her team. The realization they were all dead was a thought too much to bear.

  Lexi kept quiet during the day, knowing bringing unwanted attention to herself was a bad idea. She had only moved from her space behind the counter to use the restroom. She took the opportunity to wash her undergarments and shirt in the sink, using the pink pumper soap in the restroom. She squeezed out as much water as she could then used paper towels to wick away more moisture. They were damp when she put them on. After an hour or so, her body heat had dried them.

  Oscar had kept her company during the long day, and she fed him whatever she could find. The hotdogs weren’t refrigerated, and considering the amount of chemicals used for preserving, she figured they were okay for Oscar to eat. He gobbled three of them down before she could take her hand away.

  Lexi had no appetite, and even if she did, her mouth hurt too much to eat. She sipped water and a canned coffee drink throughout the day.

  Oscar napped a few minutes at a time, and when he wasn’t napping, he was on the alert. Lexi discouraged him from barking by stroking him between his eyes. She discovered he enjoyed being scratched on the flat part of his head, so if he displayed any inclination of barking, she’d calm him by petting him.

  Night had fallen, and without any type of light, Lexi closed her eyes and stretched out on the rubber mat. Oscar curled into a ball next to her, tucking his head between his paws.

  Lexi rested the best she could, keeping her thoughts positive and off the pain in her jaw. Finding it difficult to sleep, she petted Oscar as she listened to the magnified sounds of muffled talking and clanking somewhere deep in the stadium.

  Oscar suddenly raised his head and growled low in his throat. He bared his teeth.

  Lexi’s eyes popped open; her ears attuned to the quiet night.

  Someone nearby screamed.

  A sound like a metal pole bashing concrete resonated along the curved concourse.

  Lexi’s heart thumped against her chest.

  Oscar stood on all fours, growling.

  “Shhh,” Lexi whispered. “Shhh.” She kept stroking Oscar to calm him.

  The ruff on his back prickled and an intense shiver captured Lexi.

  Call it a sixth sense, intuition, or whatever early humans attained for survival, Lexi was frightened like she had never been before.

  From what Joe told her, Oscar was a working dog, trained to sniff out explosives. He was a big, confident dog in the prime of his life, so for him to be on high alert worried Lexi.

  The growling intensified.

  Suddenly two gray wolves appeared, one larger than the other, and while Lexi had never seen a wolf up close, these were much bigger and more fearsome than any dog. These were hunters, intelligent, and could easily kill a full-grown unarmed man.

  Oscar was a protector, not a hunter, and his instincts indicated these wolves were hungry and ready to kill.

  Adrenaline raced through Lexi’s body, her heart pounding, her focus heightened. She slowly reached for the
metal bar Joe left her, holding it in a white-knuckled grip.

  The wolves circled the bar, each one flanking the escape route on the two ends of the wooden bar.

  Oscar faced one wolf, Lexi the other. She had no concept of time, of the ache in her jaw, of her career, of the ones she loved, only the ingrained sense of self-preservation.

  The wolf facing Oscar stepped closer. Oscar held his ground. He growled and showed a set of impressive canines. The wolf showed no sign of intimidation, only the steely gaze of an animal preying on one of lesser stature.

  Lexi held the metal bar in front of her, jabbing it towards the wolf. “Get out of here!” she yelled in her most forceful voice.

  The wolf side-stepped the jab, undeterred in his quest to overpower his prey. He never once took his yellow eyes rimmed in black off Lexi.

  The wolf circled, pacing back and forth.

  Lexi searched for an escape route or an elevated structure where the wolves couldn’t reach her.

  She scanned for a sign of another survivor in the wide concourse who could help her. The empty expanse of concrete and abandoned stores offered no resolution of help. Desperate, Lexi raised her arms to make herself appear larger to the wolf then screamed a loud, forceful sound of absolute rage, a sound so foreign to her it frightened her.

  The wolf didn’t budge.

  The wolf was patient, studying Lexi for weakness, searching for a momentary lapse in concentration where it could spring on her and knock her to the ground.

  A shot echoed somewhere nearby.

  “Help!” Lexi yelled. “I need help!”

  A barrage of echoing footsteps answered back.

  “Hurry! I’m about to be attacked by a wolf.” The words were lost in a jumble of sounds coalescing into indecipherable syllables, yet the frantic tone was unmistakable.

  The wolf lowered its head, its muscles quivering and ready to spring.

  Lexi steeled herself for what she had to do.

  The approaching footsteps became louder until Lexi saw the group. “Shoot it!”

  The moment Lexi screamed the wolf sensed her momentary distraction and charged her.