Z.E.D.S. Series (Book 2): Z.E.D.S. Wayward Son

by Botts, Bradley

  “I know I have been gone an awfully long time. Before I left, I know our world was rocky. It was shattered. We were facing some hard times. A lot in our world was broken and lost. I am truly sorry for what you all went through. My intentions were to keep you safe and for all of us survive this world. Instead, I abandoned you without asking you to help me. I let you all down.” Aurora gripped my hand tighter. “While I was away, I came across a lot of disturbing things. I met and lost a lot of amazing warriors. They helped me. They fought with me. Even one came back with me,” I said as I pointed towards Karmen. “As strong and fearless as they were, they were not any of you. You were all my family. I thought I didn’t need you, but I did. I still do. The trials I endured have unfortunately gotten stronger. There is a man out there amongst the dead. A man that only seeks chaos. No rules, no order, and no remorse for anyone. He deemed all of us as destructive and unwanted as the virus that has plagued us. He will not stop at anything until we are all dead.”

  “Who is this man,” Jackson asked.

  “His name is Warren Cross,” Karmen replied. “He is sadistic, devilish and believes he is a god amongst anyone around him.”

  “He was the one who sent those people to attack us at Watch Tower. He was the one that took Kiere away from us,” I replied.

  “Where is he now,” Chase asked.

  “We don’t know. But we do know where he is going to be,” I replied. “He is bringing his army to Bennett Hill. He said in the day where the moon covers the sun, the final stand of righteous and evil will cross swords.”

  “Very poetic that guy,” Shaun said.

  “He wants us to meet him there to fight one last time. If we don’t show, he will continue to search for us until we are all dead,” I replied. “I don’t want us to live a life where every time we step out that door, he could be waiting for us. I can’t have that kind of life for you guys. I want you all to not only feel safe, but to be safe.”

  “He hasn’t found this place yet. What makes you think he can now,” Vincent asked.

  “That is true. These walls still stand. He found our first home. I don’t know how but he did. His people found Kiere and I in Summer Shade. I don’t know how but he did. He may already know where we are and hasn’t attacked us yet. This man has many issues. A ton of theatrical concepts that make no sense to why he is the way he is. I don’t want to take the chance in finding out if he knows where we are or not. I want to keep all of you safe, but I can’t do it alone. I am not the only one calling the shots here. This is up to all of you. We can stay hidden and pray he doesn’t find us as we try to live our lives with constantly looking over our shoulder, or we can take the fight to him. Take the fight to Bennett Hill and stop Warren Cross then and there forever. His reign of terror will forever be lost amongst the world. We can stop the madness. But this isn’t my own decision. It is completely everyone else’s’.”

  Karmen immediately walked over to stand next to Kiere and said, “You know my vote. I want to see that son of a bitch burn.”

  I nodded to Karmen and turned to the rest of the group. A silence floated across the air as dull whispers exited from mouths to ears.

  “He took part of our family away from us. You and Kiere disappeared for years. Tyler is forever gone. Others have perished from our sights. This was all because of Warren Cross. If you want to go after him then I’m with you. Not to mention, I’m sure Karmen there would strangle the life out of anyone who won’t help,” Shaun replied as he winked towards Karmen. “Atlas, you have always been our leader. You have always been my brother. Where you go, I go.”

  “I’ve been dying to cut some more people’s heads off,” Mara said as she stepped forward.

  “We will always stand behind you son. We love you,” my dad said as him, Laura and Jackson stepped forward.

  Seth, Sloan, and Emmitt walked forward with Emmitt’s daughters. Mark and Amelia gripped each other’s hands while moving through to stand with everyone. Brock and Selest followed not far behind.

  Chase stepped forward while staring at the floor. “I know I was a huge dick to everyone. I don’t remember much at all that has happened over the past couple of years because of whatever was wrong with my mind. Pieces of what happened while you were gone come together in segments.” Chase raised his head to look at the entire group. “I would like to say my behavior wasn’t my fault, but not all of that is true. I am a disgrace to the team and to all of you. I hurt you. I wronged all of you. I am truly sorry.”

  Ophelia ran to Chase and wrapped her arms around him. Piper placed her hand on Chase’s unharmed shoulder.

  “Brother, you are family. Families fight and sometimes lose sight of what is important. That Chase you were, is not the Chase you are. We need you by our side. I need you. Your people that you gathered will follow you. We need them to follow us,” I said as I reached out my hand. I gripped his hand and pulled him in. “It’s okay brother. You are a Z.E.D.S. Don’t ever think otherwise. Forgive me for leaving you when you needed me the most.”

  As we parted, everyone came together and surrounded Chase with love and admiration. A smile came across his face I thought I would never see again. Darwin rose from my boot and grazed his paw against my pant leg.

  “Hey buddy. Thank you for coming to my rescue,” I said as I kneeled and began rubbing his fur.

  “What’s the game plan,” Shaun asked.

  I stood from Darwin and took a deep breath as the entire team stood with their eye on me. “We get ready for war.”

  Chapter 34

  “There are many days that we have encounters where death, destruction and despair were the only presentable factions of our days. Our time on this earth is extremely limited. At one point, death was not the main thought we produced. It was what am I going to have for supper, or what new update is coming out for my current phone? I wonder how much gas is? Should I get it now or tomorrow? Our thoughts were mainstream and of no concern to the outside world. Just a concern to what effects our daily lives. We thought of what we were going to do on that day. We were always in the moment,” Julian announced.

  Aurora and I stood facing each other with our hands enclosed with one another. The velvet dress that was hidden in a closet from one of Brian’s old girlfriends when he was a young stallion blessed each curve of Aurora’s body. A sunflower was resting on her ear. Her smile kept me on the ground, but her eyes had me soaring. The alter was made from old barn wood that was stashed at the side of the bunker. White sheets were dressed around the openings with vines and carved lettering that had our initials.

  “The plague that invaded our lands produced a time of fright. A time where survival was the only option. There was no rest for the wicked as well as no rest for the righteous. It has been a battle since the beginning,” Julian continued.

  Kiere stood behind Aurora dressed in a burgundy dress with combat boots and her hair resting above her shoulders holding a bouquet of wildflowers that she picked from the field. Shaun stood behind me with a makeshift tie combined with shirt fabric and twine lying over a bullet proof vest while holding the rings as tightly as he could.

  “God bestowed upon this earth with the promise to never destroy our lands by water ever again. The rainbow is a symbol of his promise. But God did warn us about what we are facing past this field. But right now, in this field, surrounded by family we come together to embrace God’s ultimate promise. The promise of love,” Julian exclaimed.

  I wanted everything the way it was on this day. Although our guns were strapped to our hips, our focus was only on us. Aurora created a weakness in my knees. Her raven hair swayed in the subtle gust of winds kiss. Her eyes are a window to where my soul journeyed.

  “On this day, Atlas and Aurora will come together as one. They will vow to each other in the presence of each of you and to God’s eyes that their love will survive anything,” Julian added.

  The entire team stood feet from us. Each of them had a smile on their face, but a stature of readiness. Not
only did Aurora and I experience a harmonious escape, but it allowed everyone to forget everything as well.

  “They each decided they wanted to write their own vows to initiate their commitment to one another which they will read aloud to you now,” Julian said as he stepped away from us.

  I smiled at Aurora as she pulled out a piece of paper from her camouflaged cargo pants hidden underneath her dress. “Each of you know I’m not much of a writer so bear with me.” Aurora straightened her sheet of paper after handing Kiere her bouquet of lavender, sunflower and honey suckle flowers. “Atlas. You are the love of my life. Not only did you save me those many years ago while I was trapped in a basement, but you saved my life just by being with me. You gave me our beautiful daughter, you gave me a reason to survive, you gave me a reason to believe the world hasn’t truly ended. Our time together was briefly interrupted when tragedy struck our home,” Aurora’s voice began to crack. “You didn’t believe I could handle what happened when Kiere was taken. But what you should have known and will forever realize is that if you are at my side, I can handle anything. You are my world, my life, my survival. I love you with all of my heart and soul. I am your forever.”

  I wiped the tear from my eye and said, “I thought you said you wasn’t a writer.” Aurora chuckled behind a soft cry. “I don’t know how I’m going to top that.” The entire team chuckled along with Julian. Gathering my composure, I stared into Aurora’s eyes. “Aurora, you stole my breath, my heart and my soul once your voice came over our radio. I hadn’t met you before then, but when you called out to us there was nothing going to stand in my way to find you. When that door swung open and your arms wrapped around me so tight that was when I knew I was in trouble. I used to only think about the mission. What I needed to do. What I had to do, but once you entered my world, I began thinking about how I hoped I would never lose you. That day you were scared. That day I was terrified. Ever since then you and Kiere are who I live for. I will continue to live for. You are the saving grace I needed. You are the fallen angel I wanted. I say fallen because there is no way Heaven let you leave without you slipping through the clouds without them knowing. I forever promise my life to you. My heart, my soul, whatever it is that I am, the main thing is I am yours. I love you. You are my forever. I am your always.”

  Aurora wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her lips against mine.

  “Hey now, I haven’t said the final words yet,” Julian said behind his laugh. “Atlas, Aurora, do you have your tokens of promise?”

  I turned towards Shaun and he opened his hand to present the rings. He smiled as if he was surprised to ever be able to give me a ring. I gave Aurora my ring and held her finger in my other hand.

  “Both of you, repeat after me. I solemnly swear to protect, love, honor and cherish,” Julian said.

  “I solemnly swear to protect, love, honor and cherish,” Aurora and I repeated.

  “Each other’s mind, body and soul,” Julian continued.

  “Each other’s mind, body and soul,” Aurora and I continued.

  “In health, sickness and survival,” Julian said.

  “In health, sickness and survival,” we repeated as we slid our rings on our fingers.

  “Until death do us part,” Julian ended.

  Aurora and I looked at each other and decided a different approach.

  “Past death because it will not do us part,” we said together.

  “Oh, I like that. Nice touch,” Julian said. “I now pronounce for the first time and forever more Atlas and Aurora Conrad!”

  The team cheered as Aurora and I kissed each other becoming lost in each other’s arms.

  “I hope this was a good enough wedding for you,” I said as I held Aurora close.

  “It was perfect,” Aurora said before kissing me again.

  Kiere wrapped her arms around us and we walked past the entire team as they clapped and cheered. I wanted to marry Aurora since day one. I wanted to be with her since I heard her voice on the radio. My main mission was to marry her. Mission accomplished.

  Chapter 35

  The silence intensified the field. The howl of the wind with the pale grey cascading the grass paused the moments where peace could have existed. Trees along the side lines stood and watched as we marched towards the battlefield. Petals of high flowers flew with the sudden gusts of wind that escaped through the meadow. Warren stood ahead of all of his followers with his slate trench coat swaying with the momentary gusts of wind. His 1850’s charred hat didn’t move from his hair being shown with every howl of the wind. As I stood in line with my team their breaths were heavy, but their stance was strong. Warren’s people marched behind him to the field as we all marched together. The sweat on my brow gave notice to the heat amongst the cold day. Shadows casted a barrier between our worlds. His overpowers the surroundings as mine adapted. The war chant streaming from their voices as they raised their fists in the air surrounded the field. My team stayed silent.

  Warren’s hand appeared above his head and his people became silent. “Shall just you and I speak?”

  I looked around at everyone. The look in their eyes showed distrust for a meeting in the center of the field. “It’ll be okay everyone. I got this.”

  “Just know we will be watching. If he makes any move we don’t like, I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in his head,” Shaun said while staring towards Warren.

  “The man is deceptive. Be careful Atlas,” Julian said.

  Shaun placed his hand on my shoulder before I began to walk. My palms obtained a mist thinking about what I could do with only Warren and I standing alone in the center. Close range gunshot could end it here and now. Possibly a knife to his throat to force him to bleed out before anyone could aid him.

  “I can see your thoughts Atlas,” Warren yelled as he walked towards me. “It will be a mistake to believe you could have any advantage of it just being you and I conversing away from everyone. My plans far exceed your instinctive guessing.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about Warren. I just want to figure out the terms,” I yelled across the field before we became face to face.

  We halted at the same moment just inches away from each other. My gaze never left his eyes as a smirk displayed confidence across his face. Not one sound was muttered out of turn as we stared at one another.

  “How have you been Atlas? You look well kept,” Warren acknowledged.

  “What’s the purpose of this Warren? Tell me why you are truly Hell bent on killing me and my family.” I asked.

  Warren chuckled while swiping his thumb across his upper lip. “Hell bent isn’t the word. More like a divine crusade. You and your people are nothing more than insects placed here as a failed experiment. Time and time again you have failed the tests and trials placed upon you.”

  “You don’t know anything about me and my family. We have fought, bled, and lost many things, but we are still here. We are standing and ready to continue to fight. We may not be the perfect group of people, but we do our best in this world we live in,” I explained.

  “This world you live in is the world you created. The world that was created before you was fantastic. It was flawless. It was perfect in every sense of the word. Water so pure and blue, creatures guided and flourished, air so crisp that you could feel it around you. The created sun shined a glorious light upon mountains of green forestry and untainted meadows. Then you were put here. The ants of an encased glass farm. You dug your way into the innocent soil and destroyed everything,” Warren explained as his fists clinched.

  “If you haven’t noticed Warren, you are a piece of this so-called ant farm. What makes you any different from us,” I asked watching the sudden anger shift in his hand.

  “Oh, my dear boy, you still haven’t seen me. You haven’t seen anything. You don’t know anything. You were so important to him I thought maybe you would be able to see it. Hopefully saw things differently, but you are as ignorant as the rest of the bugs. In the back of
my mind, I had honestly hoped I could see what he saw. Possibly have you joined me in the purification of this world, which would have made my job so much easier. Unfortunately, like him I had false hope. I’m more like my father than I thought,” Warren preached.

  “Who are you talking about? What does your father have anything to do with me,” I asked. Moments passed without answers. Only a smile creeped across Warren’s face. “Wait a minute. I finally understand who you are.”

  “Have you now? Please enlighten me with your assumption,” Warren replied.

  “You believe because you have survived this long it makes you a god amongst men. You believe that you are here for a reason that is beyond the world itself. Your divine mission is to exterminate humanity because we were the ones that destroyed the world with our ways, our inventions, and our placement. You are a deranged psychopath looking for meaning,” I said while staring at his eyes. “You are not of any type of angelic or universal figure. You are no god. You are a lost man that spent too much time in the world alone. You do have influence. I can see by the number of people behind you, but you are not important. You are lost. You are just like us.”

  “You have no idea what I am. You wouldn’t be able to understand who I am,” Warren said behind the grit of his teeth. “I am a leader of my people and the congregation that calls themselves The Ragers’. My numbers are greater than yours. I am War incarnate. My true form is nothing your sights have ever seen. This world is not my world. I am part of the Omega in which father seemed fit. My home has mansions beyond the clouds. Rivers flow with gold but taste of waters that only exist from the fountain of creation. You have no place with me or with him. You people are beneath me. I am your destruction upon the red horse,” Warren preached before his fist clinched.

  I drew my weapon and pointed it towards his head before his arm raised. “Go ahead. Try to see if you can hit me before I pull the trigger.” Warren’s fingers loosened and his arm slowly rested back towards his side. “I can see the anger in your eyes. You have already lost. You are nothing. You are not above me.”