Survival Rules Series (Book 3): Rules of Darkness

by Hunt, Jack

  “All the time,” Maddox replied. “So where did you go?”

  “Whitefish. I just told you.”

  He walked over to her and got really close. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with that asshole Tyler Ford, would it?”

  That was why she hadn’t approached Tyler in the three weeks he was in the camp. She knew Maddox and others would be watching. If she’d been seen talking to him, they would have concluded she was in league with him.

  “I don’t even like the guy.”

  Maddox’s lip curled. “Now that’s my girl.” He ran the back of his knuckles over her right cheek. “That’s going to come in real handy.”

  “With?”

  “I have to go out on a limb here for you. You know that, right?”

  “And?”

  “Well my father isn’t stupid. He’ll want real answers. Not the kind you’ve given me. Now me, I don’t give two shits where you’ve been as long as it doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass. Now I can help you but I’m going to need you to do a little something for me in exchange.”

  “I just thought I did,” she muttered.

  He ran his hand around the back of her neck. “Oh let’s be honest, Allie. You wanted that as much as I did.” She nearly vomited in her mouth. His breath stank like cigarettes and hid body odor was even worse. “Didn’t you?”

  Now he wanted confirmation? Something to stroke his ego?

  “Yeah.”

  “So…it’s simple. When Tyler returns, I’ll make a few arrangements for him to go hunting with us. When he does, that’s where you come in. You’re pretty handy with that bow, aren’t you?”

  “Not bad.”

  “I want him dead.”

  “Dead?”

  “Gone. Out of here. My father won’t do it. No. He’s got his son back. He thinks the sun shines out of that kid’s ass but I know better. A Ford is a Ford. Like father like son. There is a reason he’s back here and I don’t trust him one bit. I’m taking him out before shit goes south. You hear me?”

  She didn’t reply.

  Maddox put his hand around the back of her neck. “I’m going out on a limb for you. All I ask is for something in return.”

  She stared at him in disbelief. Although she wanted to tell him he was out of his mind, she realized Tyler wasn’t coming back to the camp, so it wasn’t like she was ever going to be put in that position. Still, she had to give him a sense that she was shocked by the request.

  “Not liking someone and killing them is quite a leap. I’m not sure I can do that.”

  “You take the shot. If it doesn’t kill him, I’ll finish the job myself.”

  “But Jude will know,” she said.

  “No he won’t. Leave that part to me.”

  She scowled. “Why not just do it yourself?”

  “Because I’m not the one that has a sister I want to see. Now am I?”

  She stared back at him. Man, he was a piece of work.

  “Do we have a deal?” he asked.

  Allie took a second to reply before she nodded and said, “Yes.”

  “Good. Stay here while I go have a word with my father.”

  19

  Andy rolled his eyes, and rocked his head back. “You’re preaching to the choir,” he said in a loud voice, trying to make it obvious that he wasn’t interested. He’d had enough of listening to Jude’s drivel. Not for one minute did he believe he wanted to bury the hatchet. There was always an agenda at work running subtly in the background. It might not have been obvious in that moment but it was there.

  “You’re not helping your situation,” Jude said.

  Andy rose. “Are we done here?”

  Jude was about to say something when Maddox walked in.

  “I’m busy,” Jude snapped.

  “This can’t wait.”

  Maddox glanced at Andy as he crossed the room and made his way around his father’s table. He leaned in and whispered in his ear. Andy couldn’t make out what he said and he couldn’t care less. Jude scowled. “Why didn’t someone tell me sooner?” Maddox shrugged. Jude looked over at Andy and then smiled. “Bring her in.”

  “Look, Jude. The past is the past. I’m heading back to Whitefish,” Andy said turning to leave.

  “You’re not going anywhere. Sit down.”

  Andy ignored him and made it to the entrance before he was stopped by two of his men who shoved him back in. “What do you want of me?” he asked Jude directly.

  “I just told you.”

  “I’ve got nothing to give you that you don’t already have,” Andy said.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I saw the way the people looked at you when you walked into the camp. They remember you. Respect you. Admire you. It’s taken me years to earn that kind of trust. With the new ones it’s not a problem but the original core group, I’ve never really won their hearts or minds.”

  “What are you talking about Jude?”

  “We are in a war, my friend. Whether you agree or not. The only way forward is with people. It’s about winning hearts and minds.”

  Andy couldn’t believe what he was saying. “You really have lost it.”

  “Quite the contrary. I’ve never been clearer. You see, that’s what I learned from you.” Jude got up and talked as he walked with his hands behind his back. “Food, medication, ammo, these can persuade a lot of people. It can even give the illusion that people are with you, that you’ve captured their hearts, their allegiance, but what happens when you have nothing left to give? What happens when I have to go out there and tell them that supplies are low, that the forest that once held an abundance of wild game is barren?” He turned towards him. “That’s when we’ll see who is behind you and who was with you for what you could provide.” He breathed in deeply. “You always had a way of rallying people behind you long before you gave them anything. Together,” he said placing a hand on Andy’s shoulder, “we can secure our future.”

  Andy broke into laughter. At first it was light, then he roared.

  “Then we can secure our future? Oh that is beautiful,” Andy said clapping his hands and giving him a round of applause. “Bravo.”

  The smile on Jude’s face vanished. Andy saw him clench his fist but before he could act, Maddox returned with a woman no older than Tyler. Jude cast a glance her way. “Andy, you remember Edison and Rosalie, meet Allie, their youngest daughter.” Jude walked over and placed a hand around her shoulder and brought her in. “We were just talking about your father,” he said. “You had us worried, Allie. We had a lot of people out there looking for you.”

  Allie looked concerned. She flashed Andy a look.

  “Yeah, I just needed to get out. Clear my head,” she replied.

  “I understand. It can become quite claustrophobic in this camp at times. I was just telling my old friend Andy here about some of the visions I have for expansion. He’s not as convinced as I am but I think he’ll come around, what do you think, Allie?” he said, holding her tightly beside him like a child.

  “I guess.”

  “I guess.” He chuckled. “Well I’m glad to see no harm came to you. But then I imagine that’s because you had Andy’s boy with you. Oh, that’s right, I meant, my boy with you.”

  Maddox frowned and shifted uncomfortably.

  When Allie didn’t reply but looked confused another girl came into the room and put her arm around Maddox’s waist. She had fiery red hair and pale skin, and had an AR-15 slung over her shoulder. “That’s right, isn’t it, Ann?”

  Allie swallowed hard. “I have—”

  “No idea. Right,” Jude said, cutting her off. “I thought you might say that.” Jude held out his hand but kept looking at Allie. Ann crossed the room and placed in his palm a cell phone. He powered it on and made a remark about there still being ways to generate power using solar and wind. He slid his finger across the phone a few times and then turned it around. Andy caught a glimpse of the image. Tyler was untying a horse and standing beside him was Al
lie.

  “You see, as much as I love my son, I’m afraid it takes time to earn trust. I had to have him followed.”

  “You bastard!” Allie yelled at Maddox. She made a dash for him but was stopped with a clean punch to the face by Ann. On the floor, nursing a bloody nose, she glared at Maddox as he strolled over and bent slightly at the waist to address her.

  “Why would I help someone who agreed to kill my brother?”

  Her eyes widened, and he pulled out a phone and turned up the volume so they could hear a recording of her agreeing to the deal where she would get to see her sister in exchange for killing Tyler. Maddox stepped back as Jude bellowed for two of his guards to take her away. “Throw her in with her old man. I’m sure they’re just aching for a reunion.”

  “No. No!” Allie bellowed as they dragged her away kicking and screaming.

  As quick as a flash, Jude turned to Andy with narrowed eyes. “And you? Have you made a decision?”

  “Jude.”

  “Maybe you need more time to think about it.” He made a gesture with his head and Andy was led away, back to his cell.

  “JUDE! Don’t do this!” But his words fell on deaf ears.

  20

  Mariah was dodging questions. Something didn’t add up. Nate should have stopped drinking after the first beer but he made the fatal mistake of accepting another. He gazed through bleary eyes at the label on the bottle, trying to see the alcohol content. It felt much higher than five percent. Usually he could hold his liquor but this was kicking his ass. “Help me out here. You were out looking for your father, is that right?”

  She nodded, dipping her hand into an oversized bag of chips and stuffing her face.

  “And he went missing a week ago, you say?”

  “That’s right.”

  “And you ran into Jacob and they wanted some action.”

  “Wanted. Yes.”

  “Why did they say you deserved it?”

  She shrugged. “Can I get you another one?”

  He laughed. “I should really get going.”

  “Just one more,” she said. “Are you in a rush?”

  “Well I’m not in a rush but…” He looked at her and lifted his hands. “What the heck. Go ahead.”

  “I’ll make us something to eat as well.”

  “Sounds great.”

  She got up and headed out into the kitchen. Nate widened his eyes and ran a hand over his face. What the hell was in this stuff? He couldn’t remember Budweiser being this strong. He got up from his seat and stumbled, bracing himself against the coffee table and chuckling a little. “Oh, if Erika could see me now,” he muttered. Holding his bottle, he took another swig and wandered over to a table in the living room to look at one of the photos. He picked it up and squinted. It was a snapshot of a couple in their late forties with a young boy. Was it her brother? If so, why wasn’t she in the family shot? He scanned the room and saw more photo frames just above the fireplace, though these were face down. Nate turned them over and noticed that the glass was cracked in two of them and again not one photo had her in it. It seemed odd but then again not everyone wanted their photo taken. He set it down as he heard Mariah return. She came in and he turned and she narrowed her eyes as if trying to determine what he was doing. “Here,” she said handing him an opened bottle. He took it.

  “Thanks.” She clinked hers against his and he took a hard pull on it. “There a bathroom around here?”

  “Just down the hallway.”

  “Wow, maybe going without alcohol has made me more sensitive to it. This stuff is strong,” he said stumbling a little and bracing himself against the wall. He squeezed his eyes closed and staggered down the hallway, stopping only to look back. Mariah stood in the doorway watching him. He smiled and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him. It smelled so bad inside but then again, every house he’d entered over the past few weeks smelled rotten. Stumbling over to the toilet he lifted the seat and grimaced. It was full of feces and piss and reeked to high heaven. Holding his breath, he unzipped and went about relieving himself. While he was doing that he glanced at the medicine cabinet. To the right of him was the bathtub with the shower curtain closed. He might not have given it another thought had it not been for the bloody handprint on the edge. “What the hell?” he muttered. A quick shake, and he zipped up and pulled back the curtain. Then he stumbled back, his eyes widening. “What the fuck!?” Piled up inside the bathtub were the couple and young son from the photo. They had multiple stab wounds to the neck and face and were covered in dried blood. Their faces were pale and lips blue. Flies buzzed around their heads, and maggots had eaten their way into what remained of their flesh.

  He swallowed hard, bringing a hand up to his nose. He wanted to vomit but nothing came up. Suddenly there was a knock at the bathroom door, and Nate’s head jerked to the side. His heart sped up. His hand went for his sidearm but it was gone. The rifle was in the living room.

  “Everything okay in there?” Mariah asked.

  “Yeah. Yeah, just finishing up.”

  Bringing a forearm up to his face to block the overwhelming stench, he closed the curtain and went over to the door and opened it. Mariah was blocking the way. She glanced past him and he swore he saw her lip curl ever so slightly. “You feeling okay?” she asked. “You look a little pale.”

  “I think I had too much to drink. I should go.”

  He brushed past her and stumbled again, this time landing on the floor. He rolled over and the ceiling was spinning. It had been a long time since he’d been this drunk. However, something about this didn’t feel right. What was in that beer? Had she spiked it? And if so, why?

  Nate staggered to his feet and banged into the wall. He held on to it for dear life as if he was teetering on the edge of a cliff. The world around him spun out of control, a dizzying kaleidoscope of images broken up into fragments. He looked at Mariah and could see eight versions of her. “What did you put in that?” he asked her.

  “Nate, it’s okay. I’ll look after you,” she said, trying to guide him into the living room. He threw his arm up, shrugging her off, but it was pointless. He could see darkness creeping in at the corner of his eyes. “What did you give me!?” he yelled, cursing her as he bumped against a table.

  “You just need some rest.”

  “Get off me,” he said pushing her back before collapsing on the glass coffee table. The whole thing smashed and then he lost consciousness.

  As the sun peeked over the horizon in the early hours and lit up the forest floor, Corey and the others prepared to move in. A heavy rain had turned the ground to slush and threatened to make the whole operation miserable. Tyler peered through the binoculars, then checked his watch. An hour remained and Allie was still nowhere in sight. The plan was straightforward enough but it relied heavily upon timing and Allie’s knowledge of what occurred in camp when supplies arrived. As discussed, Allie and a group from Jude’s camp would arrive with multiple ATVs and trailers full of wild game in the usual exchange for ammo and medication. This would create a distraction on the northern side of the camp while they entered from the south. The first order of business was taking out six guards who patrolled the perimeter. Bennington would then cover them from a sniper’s position on the outskirts of camp, scanning for further threats they couldn’t see from their vantage point. Once inside, all five of them would plant C4 explosives throughout the camp in preparation for the return of the rest of the raiders. Corey and Tyler would extract Allie’s sister Madison as soon as Allie indicated where she was located. Bennington would give them the heads-up via radio communication and once Madison was safely out, Allie would once again serve as a distraction while they loaded into the back of a trailer the cartridge reloader and supplies. By that point the ammo and medication would already be loaded. From there they would ambush the trailers and disappear into the night, cutting through the forest. Once they were clear of the camp Corey would remain behind to remotely detonate the explosives upon
return of the raiders, which was set to occur within the hour. There was so much that could go wrong and it heavily relied on Allie but there was no way around it.

  “Your girl better show,” Bennington said peering through his high-powered scope.

  “She’ll be here. Don’t you worry.”

  “Well the clock’s ticking, kid, and my patience isn’t what it used to be,” he replied. Tyler shot Corey a look and he raised a hand as if to say, don’t worry. But he was worrying. How could you not?

  A few hours earlier, Jude was sitting in his office contemplating the previous day. He hadn’t slept much that night. His mind had tried to make sense of the intel Ann had provided. Though it was clear where their focus was, the intent was unknown. In the three weeks he’d spent with Tyler, he got a feeling that he was honest, smart, but more importantly a street-savvy kid who’d grown into a man anyone would be proud of, despite his upbringing at the hands of Andy. He had high hopes for him but this changed everything. His initial impression was Andy had put him up to this. That he’d sent him in like a Trojan horse to spy out Camp Olney, and make a connection with Edison’s daughter, but that didn’t add up. That made him conclude that the whole meet-up with Tyler was driven by Edison. He’d put his daughter up to this but why? What did they hope to achieve? Who else was involved in this? That was why he hung the carrot out in front of Andy to see if he would take it. If he’d agreed to join, it would have confirmed his suspicions but instead he outright refused. He knew him well enough to know if he was lying and he could tell by the look on Andy’s face that he wasn’t. He truly was put off at the thought of putting the past behind them. So where did that leave him?

  Jude took another sip of his coffee.

  Camp O’Brien was a valuable asset to their survival. Only a handful of his closest confidants knew its true purpose. Knowing what was on the horizon he had taken every measure to ensure there was enough dry and canned food stockpiled to last at least three years at Camp Olney. Ammo and medical supplies was another thing entirely. His continued relationship with Thomas was vital. Nothing could jeopardize that. Each camp relied on the other for what they provided. Working on a hunch, Jude asked one of his men to bring Allie in to see him.