Decay of Humanity Series | Book 4 | Dawn of Humanity

by Dawn, M. K.

  Poison plastered a perky smile on her face. “That’s just how things are around here. Think of it as a payment of sorts. Give and take, if you will. Once The Boss assigns you all jobs, you’ll be able to buy everything you need from the store.”

  “What if we don’t want the community’s things?” Archer jumped down from the wagon. “What if we want our things?”

  Kiki snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, these people are awesome.”

  Poison took a step back out of Archer’s reach. “You’ll have to take that up with The Boss. For now, grab some things to get you through the next week and I’ll show you to your room.”

  Archer peered over his shoulder toward Axel as if to ask him what to do.

  Fleeing would have been Axel’s first choice, but that wasn’t an option. “What? Like a bag each?”

  “Or a bag for the group. Generosity is a big deal around here. The more you give, the more you’re fit in.” Poison grabbed hold of the wagon cover and yanked it back. “Hello there.”

  Axel leapt down and met Poison at the back of the wagon. Molly and Blake huddled together with Sloan, fear tainting their eyes.

  “And what are your names?” Poison cooed.

  Axel couldn’t decide if this woman was actually kind or putting on some kind of an act.

  “I’m Sloan.” She stood and moved the kids behind her back. “My niece and nephew are terrified and don’t feel like speaking at the moment. I hope you can respect that?”

  Poison nodded and moved back. “I’ll just be over here. When you're ready. But don't take too long.”

  Archer rounded the wagon and climbed in while Axel stayed outside and kept an eye on their surroundings.

  “Do we have to stay?” Molly whined as Archer threw some of each of their things into a large duffle bag.

  “We don’t have much of a choice. At the moment,” Archer told her in a voice so low Axel could barely make out what he said.

  “Did you see those infested?” Blake’s face paled. “Why would they keep them like some sort of weird pet?”

  The kids had lots of questions, which Axel expected, but this wasn’t the time to explain. “We’ll talk about it when we get to the room. For now, just keep quiet and stay close.”

  “Can’t I take my toys?” Molly asked.

  Sloan ran a hand over her head. “A few, only as much as you can carry.”

  “Y’all ready?” Poison shouted.

  “Coming,” Axel fired back. The woman might not be as bad as Kiki, but she still irritated him to no end.

  “Let’s go, children.” Sloan ushered them toward the back of the wagon where Axel helped them all down.

  Axel glanced back in time to see Archer stuffing their weapons into the bottom of the duffle bag. Archer gave him a curt nod and joined them on the street where Poison waited. Axel held his breath, half expecting Poison to demand to go through their bag to see what they had kept for themselves but she said nothing.

  “Have any of you ever been to Vegas before?” She sounded like a damn tour guide.

  If that’s the way they were going to play things, Axel would do the same. “I did once. A long time ago. Don’t remember much, though.”

  “Well, the city is constantly changing.” Poison took a quick look around. “Or, at least, it used to.”

  “Are you from here?” Archer asked in a more pleasant tone of voice than he’d used since meeting these people.

  “Born and raised.” She smiled. “I was a third-generation blackjack dealer. Spent my entire childhood on The Strip.”

  “What about your family?” Axel hoped that appealing to her softer side might help them in the future.

  “Killed by the zombies.”

  Axel knew her sadness all too well. “I’m so sorry.”

  She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “Happened early on. Can’t change it now.”

  “Doesn’t mean it still doesn’t hurt. The pain of losing almost everyone in such a short period of them is not something that ever goes away.”

  “My mommy died, too.” Molly blurted out, stopping everyone in their tracks. “A few days ago.”

  Poison crouched down in front of Molly. “I’m sorry, baby. That hurts like a bitch, don’t it?”

  Molly’s eyes filled with tears. “I miss her so much.”

  “I know you do.” Poison brushed a red curl from Molly’s face. “And you don’t want to lose anyone else you love, do you?”

  Air whooshed from Axel’s lungs. Shit. Damn woman was playing them.

  “No,” Molly sobbed.

  “Don’t cry.” Poison batted her long eyelashes. “If you and your family stay, no one else will get hurt.”

  “You promise?” Molly’s big eyes pleaded.

  Fuck! Axel had sorely underestimated this woman. “Molly, sweetie, no one can promise that.”

  “Oh, but The Boss can.” Poison gave Molly a big squeeze. “And The Boss always keeps his promises.”

  Chapter eighteen

  Sloan

  Sloan paced the small room as the sun sank into the horizon. Poison had told them dinner would be at sundown and that someone would be along shortly before to fetch them.

  “Why don’t you take a seat, Slash?” Archer patted the bed beside him. “You’re making me dizzy.”

  “Aren’t you concerned about tonight?”

  He hadn’t said much since Poison dropped them off.

  “Of course,” Archer’s eyes drifted to the window, “but I think our only chance at getting out of here is to play along with whatever is happening here.”

  “And how are we supposed to do that? Did you see how easily Poison manipulated Molly? The poor girl is never going to want to leave.”

  “Axel is going to talk to them.”

  Sloan stood next to the adjoining door that connected their rooms. “Do you think they’re okay?” She longed to check in on them.

  “They’re doing as well as the rest of us. Hell, maybe better. Kids are resilient.”

  “When it comes to illness, not with the loss of a parent.” Tears stung her eyes, and she wiped them away.

  Archer crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her. “Try not to stress too much. We’re all hurting at the loss of Britney and that’s okay. Don’t hold it all in, Slash. It’ll drive you nuts.”

  She nodded, unable to speak any further on her sister’s death. “I don’t like this place and I can’t quite figure out why. It’s an unsettling feeling deep in the pit of my stomach.”

  Archer chuckled. “Slash, don’t go telling me that you’re listening to your gut now and forgoing logic?”

  She wiggled out of his arms and turned to face him. “Logic has more to do with this feeling than some internal sixth sense. You recall how we were forced to come here? And that they use mutilated infested as guard dogs? Both a tell-tell sign of the morale of this place.”

  “Yeah,” he raised an eyebrow, “don’t think I’ll be forgetting either of those things anytime soon.”

  “Plus, they stole all of our possessions.” She rubbed her temple and groaned. “Sorry, I realize you lived through this as I did, but speaking of it out loud…”

  “Talking about it helps.”

  Sloan collapsed on the bed and closed her eyes, her head pounding. “What are we going to do?”

  “First, we appeal to this Boss person. Maybe this place is more reasonable than it seems.”

  “And if they’re not?”

  Archer patted the duffle bag. “Then we fight our way out. We’ve been in worse situations than this. The Bunker, the farm…”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  A soft knock on the adjoining door put an end to their conversation.

  “Come in,” Sloan called out.

  Axel peaked in with a smile before opening the door for Molly and Blake. “Wanted to make sure you were decent before we barged in.”

  Like sex had even crossed her mind. “We were just discussing...” her gaze drifted to the chi
ldren and she re-thought her words, “about our current predicament and ways to rectify it.”

  “What does pre-dic-na-ment mean?” Blake asked.

  “Predicament,” Sloan repeated correctly, “means difficult situation.”

  Molly sank onto the dingy floor. “When are we going to the beach? This place smells funny.”

  Axel lifted her off the floor as he would a much younger child and held her close. “Soon, kiddo, soon.”

  A commanding knock rang through the room. Everyone tensed except Archer. “Finally. I’m starving.”

  Sloan found no humor in the situation but understood that was one of the ways Archer dealt with stress.

  Their guest didn’t wait for an invitation before entering the room. Mammoth’s massive frame filled the small space, and his devilish smile sent Sloan’s heart racing. “How is everyone doing thus far? Are your accommodations to your liking?”

  Archer moved to greet Mammoth, putting himself between the others and this stranger. “Everything is fine. Thanks for asking. Are we ready to go?”

  “First,” Mammoth snapped his fingers and two men, equally as large, strolled in. “I hate to do this but everyone who dines with The Boss must be checked for weapons.”

  Sloan crossed her arms over her chest, uncomfortable with the thought of being searched by these men. “Is that necessary?”

  “‘Fraid so, ma’am. Nothing personal, there’s just some fu—” he snapped his mouth and turned to the kids. “Sorry, bad word. Not used to being around kids. Like I was saying, there are some messed up people in the world, and we can’t be too careful. Okay?”

  “Fine,” Axel answered for the group. “But you must understand that I cannot allow two strangers to put their hands on my children.”

  Mammoth chuckled. “That was never our intention. We’re just patting down the adults. Unless you two kids are packing heat?”

  Blake scrunched his nose. “What does that mean?”

  Sloan moved closer to the children. “I can assure you they’re not.”

  “It means carrying a gun.” Mammoth raised an eyebrow at Sloan. “But since your aunt has assured me you’re clean, no pat down for either of you.”

  Sloan couldn’t recall Archer or Axel telling Mammoth that she was the children’s aunt, only Poison, which meant she had spoken with him after seeing them to their room, or he spoke with Ink.

  “Now that we have that settled,” Mammoth clapped his hands, “who would like to go first?”

  “Allow me.” Archer moved past Mammoth, hands held high. “Be gentle.”

  Axel went next, followed by Sloan. All came up clean, of course. None of them were stupid enough to bring a weapon to dinner with the leader of a heavily armed community.

  “Excellent.” Mammoth flipped up the collar of this leather jacket. “Ready?”

  “After you.” Archer gestured to the door.

  Mammoth led them down the hall and to the lobby.

  Sloan expected them to head outside, but instead, they took a left at the check-in desk, heading deeper into the hotel.

  “We’re not going somewhere else?” Axel asked.

  “No.” Mammoth kept going. “The Boss holds all his meet and greets here, where the new arrivals are housed. Can’t be too careful, you know.”

  Axel kept close to the children, who studied the casino they passed through with curious eyes. The dark hallway, lit up by a row of torches, gave off an ominous vibe. Sloan had never been to Vegas but had visited a few casinos in her youth, dragged there by friends. She cared little for gambling or the atmosphere of bright lights and never-ending noise. Most times, she had left early, opting for a show, but now seeing these machines left to rot hurt her heart.

  “Here we are.” Mammoth stopped at the entrance of a restaurant. “The finest dining has to offer. Head on in.”

  “You’re not joining us?’ Archer asked as Mammoth and his men took watch on either side of the door.

  “No. The Boss likes to meet with the newcomers alone.”

  Molly grabbed Sloan’s hand and fell flush at her side. “My tummy hurts. Can we go back?”

  “There’s no reason to be frightened, little one.” Mammoth opened the door. “Hurry on now, or the food will get cold.”

  Sloan squeezed Molly’s hand and feigned a smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. I can smell the food already.”

  Which smelt amazing and caused her mouth to water, though she couldn’t decipher what they were to eat.

  “Will you sit next to me?” Molly asked.

  “Of course.” Sloan guided her into the restaurant behind Axel and Blake.

  Countless candles lit the restaurant which had boarded-up windows, giving off a smoky and slightly stuffy feel. A long, twenty-person table centered the room, set with six place settings all at the far end. The Boss had yet to arrive.

  “Please, be seated,” a voice boomed from the opposite side of the room.

  Out of the shadows, a man appeared. Lanky and no older than thirty, he sported a worn leather jacket and matching eye patch. He was nothing like Sloan expected.

  Axel snorted and shook his head. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

  “Welcome. I’m The Boss.” He opened his arms wide. “Not what you expected, I assume? Most have the same reaction. Have a seat. We should eat before the food gets cold. I don’t know about you but I’m famished.”

  From the kitchen, a woman emerged with a cart of plated food.

  “Hope you like chicken and potatoes.” The Boss took a seat at the head of the table and snapped open his napkin with a pop. “Don’t be shy.”

  Axel and Blake took the chairs to the left of The Boss, while Archer, Sloan and Molly took the places to the right.

  It had been a long time since they’d had anything more than a handful of food. Sloan worried she might stuff herself sick.

  The plates were placed in front of them one by one. Each of them stared at the food but no one ate.

  “Is there a problem?” The Boss propped his elbows on the table. “Do you need to pray or something first?”

  “No.” Archer lifted his fork. “We didn’t want to be rude and start without our gracious host.”

  The Boss laughed. “Most just dig in. Guess you’re not starving like others we’ve picked up, are you?”

  Sloan wished they would have discussed how much to disclose beforehand.

  Axel tapped his fork on the edge of his plate. “You know more about us than we know about you, considering your people took all of our stuff.”

  The Boss scooped a mound of potatoes into his mouth with a smile. “That upsets you? Allow me to apologize.”

  “You could apologize by giving us back our stuff,” Axel said through clenched teeth.

  “Well, that’s not how things work around here.” The Boss left it at that and continued to eat.

  Sloan glanced around the table and noticed everyone had begun eating aside from her.

  She picked up her roll and took a small bite. The fluffy goodness tasted divine. It had been ages since she had fresh bread. “How do you cook here? Where do you get your supplies?”

  He beamed. “Your group has lots of questions.”

  The boyish charm he walked in with faded by the second. Behind his eye, the one not covered, Sloan saw something sinister that quelled her appetite.

  “Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. Just curious.”

  “As am I.” The Boss leaned back in his chair. “We haven’t had any visitors in a while. Nearly a year, actually. Where did you come from?”

  Archer continued to eat as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “Farm in Montana.”

  “Really? And why did you leave? Sounds like a sweet deal.”

  Archer gave the cliffnotes of the past few months, leaving out any sort of personal details, including their time at the prison.

  “That’s one hell of a story. You must be pretty damn strong to survive that long on the road.”

  “The same could be said fo
r you.” Axel rolled his fork between his fingers. “Wall can only keep out the infested for so long. How long has this community been here?”

  “Since the beginning.” He didn’t elaborate, not that Sloan expected him to.

  “And you’ve always been The Boss?” Archer pressed and grimaced. “Is there something else we can call you?”

  The Boss tossed a piece of meat into his mouth. “Nope. Only Boss. Ink explained the name thing, right?”

  “He did.” Archer took another bite. “Just wasn’t sure if that was your name or title.”

  “Both.” The Boss inspected their plates. “Looks like everyone one is about done. Hope you saved room for dessert.”

  Blake and Molly perked up.

  “The kids seem to approve. You both like chocolate cake?”

  “Really?” Molly bounced in her seat. “Chocolate cake? Really?”

  “Yes, ma’am. We have dessert once a week. Exciting, right?”

  “So exciting!” Molly squealed.

  More manipulation. Wonderful. “As lovely as weekly dessert is, what else does your community have to offer? A school, I hope.”

  A huge smile spread across The Boss’ face. “No school. Doesn’t that sound awesome?”

  The children both nodded, but inside, Sloan seethed. “As enjoyable as that is for the children, education is the key to the survival of the human race.”

  “You don’t say?” The Boss chuckled. “We have a little bit of a different vision for the future generation.”

  “And that is?” Axel asked.

  “We believe in survival and the only way to survive in this world is to learn how to defeat our enemy.”

  “The infested?” Sloan wanted to make sure they were on the same page.

  “If you’re talking about the zombies, then yes.”

  Sloan hated that term. Zombies were fictional creatures, unlike the monsters that ravaged their world. “Not to be rude, but zombies don’t exist.”

  “Tell that to all the people who have died and come back to life.”

  Sloan refrained from rolling her eyes. “Yes, people do die when bitten by the infested but when reanimated, it’s not because of some make-believe virus. An alien takes over the body thus changing the host from human to extraterrestrial.”