Surviving Rage | Book 4

by Arellano, J. D.

  He wasn’t sure, but something looked out of place in the road.

  Though the vehicle was traveling at a relatively slow rate of speed, the sharpness of the maneuver sent its occupants violently to the left. Olivia screamed in fear as she was flung towards her mother, who managed to grab her at the last second.

  The SUV’s right rear tire hit a piece of chrome plated bumper on the road, sending it spinning forward.

  It hit the object Serrano had noticed.

  Serrano’s split-second reaction likely saved the lives of everyone in the vehicle, moving it just outside the primary blast zone just as the IED detonated.

  The road ballooned upward as the object exploded, sending chunks of concrete and bits of rebar into the air. The SUV was rocked sideways and lifted partially off the ground as the blast wave shattered the windows of the Highlander, sending glass into the ceiling of the cabin due to the vehicle’s lean.

  When the vehicle came back down on the surface of the highway, it came down with enough force to blow the SUV’s right front tire and its associated suspension, resulting in a bone-jarring impact that radiated up through the vehicle’s frame, through the floor and seat, and into Richard’s back.

  Struggling to see through the thick cloud of dust and concrete, Serrano saw a gaping hole in the middle of the highway as bits of concrete began to pelt the top of the vehicle. Large chunks of the road were disappearing as they fell into the hole, widening it rapidly.

  Serrano slammed his foot down on the gas, accelerating as he sought to get away from the gaping maw that grew with every passing second. This section of the highway was collapsing, and if they didn’t get away, they’d go down with it, only to be buried in the rubble.

  Ears ringing, he leaned forward to put his face closer to the windshield, his eyes searching for a way out of their predicament. After a few precious seconds, he managed to spot a sign for an exit ramp on the side. He kept his foot on the gas as he drove towards it, ignoring the lopsided way the SUV lurched forward, as well as how every bump on the right side jarred the entire vehicle.

  The car limped and lurched down the ramp as the highway overpass collapsed behind them, burying the vehicles that had been abandoned beneath it. A massive dust cloud plumed upward and outward, casting the immediate area into a haze.

  The SUV made it to the bottom of the ramp and no further before a loud hiss came from under the hood, followed by an eruption of steam. The Toyota Highlander shuddered, shaking its frame and everyone inside the vehicle, before it went still, its useful life over.

  Finally able to exhale, Serrano did so before looking around the inside of the vehicle. Behind him, Sarah held her children close, shielding their heads with her arms. Beyond them, Phillip looked over at Aaron, who held Jennifer in his arms. The young woman’s eyes were closed, the side of her bloody.

  “Jenn, wake up,” Aaron pleaded, brushing bits of glass out of her hair as he looked at her.

  Realizing what no one else did, Serrano raised his voice before speaking.

  “Alright, we’ve got to move!”

  Sarah looked up in shock. “What?”

  “We’ve got to go.”

  The blonde woman shook her head. “No, wait, give us a second, for God’s sake.”

  Unbuckling his seat belt, he hopped out and went to the door behind his. Opening it, he said, “No time. Whoever set that trap will have seen the blast. It won’t be long before they’re here.”

  Sarah’s eyes widened as realization set in. Immediately, she nodded. “Okay, I understand. Come on, kids, we’ve gotta get out of the car.” She led the kids out onto the street, where she huddled with them while she waited for the others.

  Inside the damaged SUV, Aaron and Phillip worked to extract Jennifer’s unconscious form from the vehicle. Serrano reached in and grabbed his MP-4, then his handgun. As he began to draw back, he looked up.

  Richard wasn’t moving.

  “I can’t feel my legs,” the man said.

  Just over seven miles from where they were, the Scorpion looked at where the cloud of smoke, ash, and pulverized concrete floated up into the sky. Feeling Lizette at her side, she smiled.

  “Nice job, Baby. We’ll check it out after we see Javier and Dirty.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Stanford, California

  “Hunh,” Daniel said, glancing towards the sign on the left. “I always thought Stanford University was in Palo Alto.”

  “Really?” Serafina asked, looking over at her husband.

  “Yeah, I just...never thought that much about it, I guess. It’s a private school, so there was never any chance someone like me could afford to go there.”

  “There are scholarships…”

  Daniel laughed. “Yeah, I was not going to qualify for one of those.”

  Serafina shook her head, laughing partly out of amusement and partly out of a need to break up the stress. The drive that morning had been anything but easy, starting with their sighting of the big truck leading the way for a crane on the 280 Freeway.

  Luck had been with them at that moment, as their position at the time kept them out of view from the drivers of the small convoy, which had been just over a mile away, using the connector that took them from the southbound side of the 85 onto the 280 North. As the convoy was curving away from them, they’d been able to slip onto an offramp, leaving the 85 North altogether.

  From where they stopped, they were able to watch as the group of vehicles stopped on the median between the north and southbound lanes of the 280. A man got out of the big truck and began pointing demonstratively towards vehicles, then towards each side of the freeway.

  Taking his cue, the crane operator began picking up vehicles with its big, clawlike attachment and stacking them in a line across the lanes of the freeway.

  Seeing their way was blocked, Daniel and Serafina quickly consulted the map before heading out, eager to get away while the men working on the blockade were distracted.

  They settled on using the Foothill Expressway, which would take them on a route that was essentially parallel to the one the 280 took. As it turned out, though, the Expressway had been a popular choice for drivers desperate to flee the city, and they’d spent a lot of time doubling back and taking side streets to maintain the northerly progress they were intent on making.

  It was just after nine a.m. when they reached Page Mill Road, which would take them through, as Serafina pointed out, the Census-Designated Place aptly named ‘Stanford, California.’

  “Why didn’t we come here during our college tours?” Brenna asked, looking off towards the campus of the highly respected university. “This place looks really nice.”

  “Because it’s a private school, and really expensive.” Daniel replied, shaking his head.

  “Scholarships are always avail - ” Serafina began, before stopping herself. The university, the acceptance process, heck, the college experience itself, might all be a thing of the past. At least, for the time being, that was.

  Daniel glanced at his wife, giving an understanding smile. He looked towards the back seat, anxious to try to reassure his daughters. “Hey, things could - ”

  Bang!

  The car rocked wildly on its suspension, jarring the family as the front left tire dropped into a massive pothole. The rim of the wheel came down hard against the rubber of the tire, slicing a deep groove in the material, flattening it instantly.

  A loud thumping sound immediately came from the front end of the car as the vehicle lurched forward unevenly, the steel rim on the driver’s side bouncing off the pavement as they drove forward.

  “Shit!” Serafina exclaimed, gripping the steering wheel hard in his hands.

  Removing her foot from the gas pedal as part of a practiced response, she allowed the car to coast slowly as she guided it instinctively towards the right side of the road. Catching herself, she hesitated before realizing that the position she was headed towards, several yards behind a minivan, was actually a decent
spot to stop.

  “What happened?” Daniel asked.

  “Pothole. I didn’t see it in the shadows.”

  “Alright,” Daniel said, nodding. “I’ll just change the tire.”

  “You know how to do that, right?”

  “No problem,” Daniel replied. “Piece of cake.”

  As she stopped the car along the curb, Daniel looked at her. “Back me up?”

  “Duh,” Serafina replied. Nothing had changed, and he still couldn’t see beyond at most ten yards. She exited the car as Daniel did, looking in every direction as she brought her handgun up, ready to engage an enemy in sight.

  Daniel moved to the back of the car, where he lifted the hatchback. Swearing silently, he pulled the boxes from the cargo area and set them on the sidewalk. Once they were out of the way, he reached down and pulled back the thin, stiff carpet on the floor of the cargo area.

  And swore out loud.

  “What the fuck?”

  Looking back at her husband, Serafina asked, “What is it?”

  Holding the piece of carpet upright, Daniel said, “There’s no spare.”

  “What? How can that be?”

  “I don’t know. It’s not there!”

  “Shit!” Struggling to believe what she’d heard, she made her way to the back of the vehicle, where she looked towards the cargo area of the Prius. The space reserved for the small, donut-like spare tire was empty.

  Stepping out of the car, Ashley came over to join them. Looking into the empty space, she asked, “What are we going to do?”

  Her words reminded them both of the one constant truth: they had to keep moving.

  Daniel let go of the carpet, letting it fall back into place. Stepping past Serafina and Ashley, he stepped out into the road and looked in the direction they were heading.

  “We grab our stuff and start walking,” he said. Turning back to them, he nodded encouragingly. “We’ll find another car.”

  The five of them grabbed their weapons and stuffed whatever they’d removed back into their packs, working quickly and quietly as they prepared to head out on foot. Looking over at Daniel, Serafina saw that he’d paused and was looking down at the Glock-19 he favored.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “I wish I still had my AR-15,” he said, shaking his head.

  “You’ve still got the Savage 10,” she offered.

  “It doesn’t do me much good with my fucked up vision,” he replied. While the weapon would put a big hole in anyone it sent a round into, the Savage Model 10 was specifically designed for long-range shooting, and its four round capacity meant it would be depleted rapidly in an encounter with more than a few enemies.

  “Hey,” she said, “we’ll figure it out. We’ve done it so far.”

  Nodding, he said, “You’re right.” Grabbing the map, he held it up. “I’ll handle this. It’s the least I can do.”

  Serafina smiled. “Let me guess, ‘trust you, you’re a Navigator?’” The saying was an old joke between them, one that he’d used to embarrass himself early during their relationship.

  “Exactly.”

  The five of them worked their way down the street, staying on the sidewalk as much as possible in case they needed to take cover quickly. Frustratingly, the area had less vehicles than other parts of the city they’d been through, and those that were there were either wrecked or unwilling to start.

  As they crossed El Camino Real, Daniel folded the map and stuffed it in his pocket. Though the name of the large street had changed from Page Mill Road to the Oregon Expressway, they’d continue on it, heading mostly north as they closed in on the 101. Feeling the warmth of the morning sun beating down on him, he grabbed his bottle of water and took a quick swig from it as he looked at the buildings up ahead. Though most of them were relatively newer, modern style buildings with big windows and sleek lines, few of them stood higher than four stories.

  Except one.

  Tall with glass mirrored for privacy, what appeared to be a luxury condo building towered above those around it like a sentinel watching over its charge.

  Even from several blocks away, it seemed almost foreboding in nature, though it had clearly been designed to be aesthetically pleasing. Unable to keep his eyes off the building, he continued examining its features as they continued down the wide street.

  An increasing number of cars dotted the street as they travelled north, towards the 101 highway, but many of them had been involved in accidents and were visibly damaged. Of those that hadn’t been in accidents, none would start, most likely due to the fact that their interior dome lights, left on by open doors, had drained the car’s battery.

  Serafina’s eyes moved constantly as she led the group down the expressway, remaining in a constant state of readiness as she watched for danger. The wind by lightly, pushing leaves and bits of paper down the street, along with the occasional empty plastic bottle or paper bag.

  Distracted momentarily by a plastic bottle tumbling down the center of the street, her brow furrowed at the sight of movement ahead. Extending her hand with her palm facing down, she slowed the group as they approached the wide expanse of the driveway that led to the modern condominium highrise that dominated the area.

  Running down the driveway with its tail between its legs, a thin, scruffy dog came to a brief stop at the sight of them. Disregarding them, the dog turned back towards the highrise and barked loudly.

  “The fuck?” Serafina asked aloud.

  Screams answered her, loud and numerous.The group froze for a split second in realization of what they’d heard, then immediately turned and followed as Daniel said, “Run!!!”

  Glass shattered at the front of the building as dozens and dozens of infected rushed out, flowing outward like water released by a failed dam. The mindless, angry mob flooded into the courtyard, storming across its length as they chased after the dog, determined to silence its offensive bark.

  The dog’s speed was no match for them, though, as it bounded away, flying past Daniel and the others, its feet barely seeming to touch the ground as it ran.

  To the horde of infected, it didn’t matter that the dog got away.

  They had new targets.

  Their feet pounded the pavement, echoing on the empty streets as they pursued the family, determined to capture and kill them.

  Daniel’s backpack bounced side to side on his back as he ran, looking for somewhere for them to take refuge. Though he was the fastest of the group, he wanted to rush ahead, find somewhere safe for them, and quickly clear it, but he also still couldn’t see beyond twenty yards, so he stayed abreast of his wife, pointing at various places and waiting for her to confirm its suitability.

  “There?” he asked, pointing at a coffee shop.

  “No, windows broken.” Serafina replied.

  After a short while, he risked a look back. The mob was within a hundred yards of them and closing quickly.

  “There?”

  “No! The door is damaged!!”

  “There?” He asked, pointing across the street at a bank.

  “Yes, that might work!”

  Cutting to his left, he crossed the street, speeding ahead of them. Reaching the front of the bank, he saw the prone form of a security guard lying in the doorway. Removing his backpack, he tossed on the ground in the path of the door, then used both hands to pull the guard out of the way, then ripped the man’s keys away from the holder on his belt. The door swung closed but stopped on his backpack. As he grabbed its edge, he heard a scraping sound on the pavement behind him, then a thump, accompanied by Ashley’s voice calling out in pain.

  Turning quickly, he saw Paul helping Ashley off the ground, pulling her backpack off of her and placing his arm under her shoulder, helping her to her feet.

  Daniel ushered Serafina inside, telling her to clear the place. Brenna caught up quickly, breathing heavily, as Paul helped Ashley across the parking lot and to the door. They rushed past Daniel and into the building, both breath
ing heavily. He followed them inside, pulling the door closed behind him and using the manual latch on its inside to secure it. Pulling up the keys, he tried several before finding the one that engaged the deadbolt.

  Looking out the window, he watched as the mass of infected rushed across the parking lot, fighting each other as they sought to get to Daniel and his family. Some tripped and fell, only to be trampled by the countless others behind them.

  One of the infected accelerated in front of the pack and leapt forward, slamming into the glass front of the bank. The glass reverberated loudly, shaking in its frame with the impact. Brenna cried out in surprise and fear at the impact, then gathered herself and pulled her bow from her back, bringing it in front of her. She notched an arrow and kept the bow in her hand, fierce determination showing on her face.

  Another infected person slammed into the window, shaking it as well.

  Then another.

  And another.

  The reinforced glass front of the bank held strong, taking the impacts, but Daniel began to wonder how long it would do so. Fists banged on the windows, hard impacts that had to be breaking the hands of those that lashed out. Feet kicked at the lower parts of the glass, hammering it again and again.

  Would this place turn into their tomb?

  Ignoring the mass at the front of the store, he looked over at where Ashley sat on the floor, her leg stretched out in front of her. Serafina crouched next to her, holding the leg and gently squeezing the injured area, testing it.

  “How bad is it?” Daniel asked.

  Serafina shook her head. “Not broken, but it’s badly sprained. It’ll begin swelling soon.”

  Glancing at the windows, he asked, “Can you walk, Ash?”

  Fighting back tears, his daughter nodded, “I think so.” Seeing the pain on her face, it was clear she was telling him what he wanted to her.

  Behind him, one of the windows made a cracking sound.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE