‘Back at last,’ Rose said. She turned to him and smiled. ‘Thanks for the ride, I needed that,’ she said.
‘Anytime,’ Nero answered.
She looked at him then, her expression serious suddenly as she took his hand in hers. ‘Don’t stay lonely, it’s not good for you. Let someone in, you might find you actually do need someone,’ she said.
Nero looked down. He wasn’t so sure. He preferred his own company out there in the wastes. He preferred to only have to worry about himself. Maybe one day he’d settle down, find someone, but not today, he thought. Not today.
‘See you later, knight of the wastes. Have a nice life,’ she said as she turned and climbed out the car.
‘Nero, you’re back, and you found Rose,’ said a raspy female voice outside the car on the driver's side. ‘Did you find the supplies they took?’
Nero turned, stepped out of the car and stood up before the woman, his feet finding a small amount of grip in the ruddy reddish sands around here that gave the camp its name.
She was only a touch shorter than he was, with dark hair shot through with silver, wearing ragged clothing like everyone here, with bits of armour made from scrap metal and car tyres strapped on here and there. She was clearly the leader of this camp and was called Brunhilde. When he’d arrived, he’d found the camp in the aftermath of a raider attack, and he’d offered to hunt them down in return for supplies. Brunhilde had agreed.
‘In the back,’ Nero said, pointing at the back of the car with his thumb.
‘Go get it, boys,’ she said to the men stood behind her.
‘Yes, ma’am,’ one of them said as they moved around and started to unload the car.
‘You come across any trouble?’ Brunhilde asked.
‘Not much,’ Nero answered her. There was nothing to be gained by telling her about the daemon or the zombies. The deed was done, the girl saved and the supplies returned, it was a job well done.
Getting to fuck the girl in the front seat of his car was a nice bonus that he had not expected.
He turned to see where Rose was, and saw her being greeted by several of her campmates. He watched as a man walked over, full of smiles, but Rose didn’t seem overjoyed to see him. She hugged him and kissed him, but appeared to be going through the motions. She never looked back at Nero. He had no idea what was going on there, and frankly, didn’t want to know. He just wanted to head out onto the road again, though. He was sure of that.
‘…so, you can have this. It’s not much, I know, but we’re only a small camp, so…’ Brunhilde said.
Nero turned back to her and saw the box of food, water and supplies she was offering him. A man stood beside her holding a can of petrol for him as well. Nero gave a slight smile as he took the items.
‘Thanks,’ he said.
‘She give you any trouble?’ Brunhilde asked, looking over at Rose.
Nero shook his head with a grunt as he picked through the contents of the box. There wasn’t much in here, but it was better than nothing.
‘She’s a bit of a wild one that Rose, best to keep clear. So, where you off to next?’
Nero shrugged and looked back through the open gate, past his car into the desert beyond. ‘Somewhere,’ he said.
‘You got any family, anyone close to you? Friends? Lovers? Anything?’ Brunhilde asked.
‘My family were killed by raiders twenty years ago,’ he said, turning back to her.
‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ she said.
‘Don’t be, it was a long time ago,’ he answered her as he placed the box into the car and looked out into the desert again. That had been the last time he’d ever travelled with anyone, and he felt no desire to do it again. Twenty years was a long time, but sometimes, the wounds still felt fresh.
They say that bad memories have a habit of fading over time, but Nero could remember the attack like it was yesterday. He could remember every detail, recall every word and almost hear the sounds of gunfire like it was happening all around him again right this second.
Chapter 3
Nero
Twenty-one years ago.
‘Hey, Mum, come on, just try to eat a little more. For me, please?’
She groaned. ‘That’s enough for today, Nero, please. I can’t manage any more. I just need to rest,’ she said.
Nero sighed and dropped the spoon back into the bowl of broth that Holt had brewed up for them. It was cold now, anyway, and likely wasn’t quite as palatable. He looked down at his mother as she closed her eyes, her serene face framed by her long platinum blonde hair. She looked angelic to him, perfect. She’d been his rock, his supporter and the only thing that had really got him through these last five years, and to see her laying here, broken, unwell, maybe even dying, caused him pain and anguish that he hadn’t felt in years.
He looked down along her body to her legs that had been strapped to wooden planks. He knew both legs were badly broken, smashed in several places by the rocks that had fallen on her when the earthquakes had hit. She was hurting, and there was little they could do for her. Under her direction, they’d found some medicine. Some pain killers and antibiotics, but neither he nor Holt were doctors. They knew some basic field dressing stuff, some CPR, but that was light years away from knowing how to deal with two broken legs and who knew what else.
He wished he could do more for her. Take her pain away and fix her up. She’d given him everything he could ever need from a mother, saved his life on several occasions, but now, he couldn’t save hers. They needed a doctor, someone who knew how to deal with this kind of thing, but so far, no luck. They’d only been out of the ruined bunker for three days and made their way across the city, finding this pickup truck he was now in the back of before finally reaching the wasteland on the outskirts. They’d passed through one small camp, but found little of use and been surrounded by people they just didn’t feel safe with, so they continued on.
He was still marvelling at the change in the world. It had been one day of firestorms and earthquakes and who knew what else, and now the landscape was like nothing he’d ever seen before.
Just ten days ago, there was still green leaves on the trees, birds in the sky, and animals wandering around here and there, not to mention the hoards of zombies that had been a fixture for the past five years, killing millions and forcing the survivors into hastily made shelters and DIY bunkers. They’d made a life of it, sure, but death had become an ever-present companion.
His mother was tough, though; strong, independent, and a born survivor. It was strange how the world going to shit had brought out parts of people they simply didn’t know they had. It forced them to fight and survive.
His mother had been a veterinarian, and when they’d first arrived at the bunker they had spent the last five years at, they saw her value, and she became the camp’s resident doctor. Ironic really, considering her present condition. By the time they had found her, two days after the firestorms in the ruined tunnels, she was already delirious and in a bad way. They’d got some sense out of her, followed her directions for strapping up her legs and tried to find the medicine she needed, but these were all just temporary measures, prolonging her life in the hope of finding someone who could help them.
It was kind of ironic really that the one person in the group who could do something in this situation was the one who was injured and unable to help.
The frustration and futility of the situation had brought Nero to both tears and moments of rage. But, there was nothing for it. They could only press on, keep going, and hope that they might find someone who could help her.
As he sat there and watched his mother fall asleep, the sound of approaching engines came to Nero’s attention. He sat up and listened. Was he hearing things?
No, he wasn’t. They were coming, and that could mean danger. He looked over to Holt, who was also sitting still.
‘You hear that?’ Nero asked.
‘I do, get your gun,’ he said as he stamped on the fire to extingui
sh it before throwing dirt on it as well.
Nero jumped down from the back of the pickup and grabbed his revolver from his pile of things next to his pack. He checked it as the engines grew louder, and grumbled at the single bullet that was in there. They were low on ammunition.
‘I’ve only got one shot left,’ he said, looking over at Holt as he chambered a round in the MP5 he’d found in the police station they’d passed.
‘I’ve got a burst or two left in this,’ he said, before looking up at Nero. ‘Let’s hope we don’t need them.’
Nero nodded and stood up, moving in next to Holt, close to the pickup.
Nero heard his mother moan in the back of it.
‘Urgh, what’s going on? What’s that noise?’ she moaned.
‘Danger. Be quiet, Mum, we’ve got trouble,’ he answered her.
‘Oh, sorry, sweetheart,’ she muttered.
‘We have to find a doctor in the next few days,’ Nero said.
‘I know. She’s bad. We’ll keep looking,’ Holt said, watching the horizon.
Following his gaze, Nero could see the beams of light playing over the nearby rise of hard-packed earth as the vehicles approached. Suddenly, the first one crested the hill and came into view. It was some kind of noisy V8 muscle car, followed by two other road cars. All of which looked a little impractical for driving around the wasteland. The muscle car was probably the best of the bunch.
All three cars barrelled down the slope and headed straight for them before coming to a skidding stop in a billowing dust cloud. As they watched, the man in the lead muscle car stepped out and slammed his door behind him. Four more men stepped out from the other two vehicles and started to make their way around to the lead guy's side, and all of them were carrying guns.
Nero looked at each in turn and felt sure he recognised them. He could be mistaken, but he was nearly one hundred percent sure that he had seen some of these guys at the camp they had been at just yesterday.
‘Guys,’ the lead man said. ‘Let’s not be hasty here, I only want to have a look in that pickup of yours and at the lovely young lady you have in there. No need to start shooting at us,’ he said.
‘What?’ Holt asked.
‘The woman in the pickup. I want to look at her; ask her a question or two, that’s all,’ he said.
Nero looked over at Holt. It was a strange request, and he did not like it, but at least he’d not come out guns blazing. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want this strange man upsetting or hurting his mum, though.
Holt glanced at Nero and then turned back to the lead driver with a frown on his face.
‘No, piss off,’ Holt said. ‘Find your jollies elsewhere dick hea…’
The ear-shattering bang of a gunshot made Nero jump. His hands were shaking as he looked around, trying to figure out what had just happened. Then Holt dropped to his knees as he pressed a hand to his side where a growing dark stain had appeared.
Holt looked at the blood on his hand for a moment before looking up at the lead guy.
‘Now, hold on one moment,’ the lead man said.
Holt raised his gun and fired, spraying bullets at the group. Nero froze, fear gripping him as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath in an attempt to get a grip on his emotions. Someone or something grabbed his wrist suddenly and a moment later, the revolver was out of his hands. Nero looked up to see one of the men that had driven up to them was next to him, holding his gun. The huge man gave Nero a shove with his hand, causing Nero to fall to his rear in the dirt.
‘Stay there,’ the man said.
Nero looked over to see the lead man still standing, looking at himself as Holt’s weapon only clicked now it was empty. The leader was unscathed, every bullet having missed him, but the muscle car was in a bad way. Bullet holes riddled the exterior, the side window was smashed, both tyres on this side were flat, and the engine was making a hissing sound that was not healthy.
The lead man looked up at Holt, and then at his car. When he turned back to Holt, the lead raider looked very pissed off. He raised his gun and fired maybe five shots into Holt, walking towards him as he did it, putting the last one in his head.
‘No!’ Nero yelled.
The man looked over at Nero, his gun still pointed at Holt. Without taking his eyes of Nero, the man fired once more into Holt’s dead body, and then shrugged, as if to ask, and what are you going to do about it?.
Nero just scowled back at him. As he watched, the man then walked over towards the pickup.
‘Don’t you touch her,’ Nero barked.
The man ignored him and looked into the back of the truck. He couldn’t make out what it was, but he asked her something quietly, which she answered. He then paused for a moment before turning to his men. ‘Get her out of there,’ he then said and walked over to his car and inspected the damage. He lifted the hood, but soon slammed it back down again in frustration.
‘Well, that’s fucked,’ he said.
Meanwhile, the remaining three men lifted his mother from the back of the truck. Nero went to get up, but the man who was guarding him stepped in towards him. The warning was clear enough, so he stayed where he was.
He noticed then that the lead man was walking over to him, then stopped and crouched down beside him.
‘Sorry, dude, she wasn’t who we thought she might be. I didn’t want to kill your old man back there…’
‘He’s not my father,’ Nero hissed.
‘Whatever. He fucked my car, so now I gotta take yours. Sorry to leave you like this, but we got places to be. You can have whatever you find in the car,’ he finished before standing up and walking away. ‘Come on, let’s go,’ he said and walked over to the truck.
Nero watched the man who was guarding him, tuck Nero’s revolver into his waistband and walk back to his car.
‘Shit,’ Nero cursed, before thinking of his mum and running over to her. ‘Mum, you okay?’
‘Hey, Nero, what’s going on?’ she asked as the cars revved their engines and roared away, their red tail lights receding into the darkness. ‘Where’s Holt?’
*
‘I hope you find whoever killed them,’ Brunhilde said.
‘I never said they were murdered,’ Nero answered her.
‘You didn’t have to, but like I said, I hope you find the one responsible.’
Nero nodded. ‘I will,’ he said. His mother hadn’t lasted long after that. That raider might not have shot his mother, but he had condemned her by his actions, and that was enough for Nero. One day, he would find that man and exact his revenge.
‘Look, if you need more supplies, you could head east. There’s a larger fortress that way a good days drive away, it’s called the Watchtower. I’m sure they would have some jobs and better supplies for you,’ she said.
Nero smiled, nodded to her, and climbed back into his car. ‘I’ll check it out,’ he said and fired up the engine. Brunhilde waved to him as he backed out of the gate and into the desert outside before orientating himself to drive east and setting off through the blasted landscape leaving the camp behind.
Brunhilde had guessed right, though. He was in need of some supplies. His food was running low, as was his water and petrol. Helping out at Camp Red was a useful stopover and would keep him going for a few more days, but not much beyond that.
Travelling through the wasteland was tough and dangerous, but it was the way he preferred to live. He’d been basically alone most of the time since his mother died, preferring his own company to that of others. Sure, it was fun to have Rose with him for the drive back, and there were times when he needed someone to talk to or be with, but the idea of travelling around with someone the entire time was an idea that he had rejected for years now.
He could probably make it work in terms of supplies, but beyond that, he wasn’t sure. The main issue was that he just hadn’t found someone who hadn’t bored or annoyed him within a very short space of time, meaning that he nearly always ended up wanting to
be alone again.
He often wondered what life would have been like had Holt and his mum hadn’t died so early on. Would he have stayed with them, travelled with them, or set up some kind of permanent camp somewhere to live in? He’d spent the five years between the rising of the undead and the Cataclysm in a camp, so he guessed his mum and Holt would want to return to that way of living.
The hours passed as he drove east, into the night, before finally stopping, parking his car in a depression that meant he wasn’t easily spotted. Later, he climbed into the cramped armoured hold behind the rear seats he’d created that he could close off and sleep within without fear of a zombie or worse attacking him during the night.
He woke early, while it was still dark, and set off once again. As the light grew, he could finally start to make out a tall tower off in the distance. Feeling sure that this must be the place, he adjusted his course to head right for it and accelerated onwards.
The landscape rose and fell, with the tower occasionally disappearing from view as he drove into a dip or valley before spotting it again as he crested the next rise.
As he drew closer and drove up another incline and around a rocky outcrop, a vehicle came into view. It was a van, rusted and armoured with spikes and grills, but it wasn’t moving. Nero spotted two figures on the roof, swinging improvised weapons at a small herd of Zombies that had surrounded the van and were currently trying to reach the two men.
Wasteland Road Knights Trilogy Page 3
