by Tahnee Fritz
The Main Event
Book Three of
The Human Race
By: Tahnee Fritz
Copyright 2015 Tahnee Fritz
All Rights Reserved
For My Friends and Family
Part One
The loud hum of the truck’s diesel engine fills my ears and takes over my mind with the monotonous sound. I can feel it sending the craziness even further into my mind the longer I am stuck listening to it. With my eyesight taken from me for the moment, that sound is even more annoying and all I want to do is scream at the top of my lungs.
I want to scream for being thrown into the back of this this truck and yell my head off for having my arms pinned tightly behind my back. I could always open my eyes and let the sunlight burn them straight to hell and that will drive the loudest of my heartbreaking screams from my throat, but it is the heartache that is keeping me quiet and unmoving in my place.
All I can think of is Ryder. I can still see him lying on the concrete with his lifeless body teasing me to believe that he is somehow still alive. I felt his chest and listened for a breath his body did not take and the only thing my mind is telling me is that death has come to him and I am trapped with the man that brought him that fate.
We left the truck stop a little while ago, maybe forty minutes or so. It is difficult to keep track of the time when my mind can only focus on losing the only person I have left on the planet to care deeply enough about that I would die before letting something happen to him. In a way, I did die, but he is the one who is seeing the afterlife right now.
No. I can’t allow myself to think that he is dead. No matter how loud I screamed his name when those men pulled me away from his body, I have to believe that he will wake up. If I let the hope of Ryder being alive slip from my mind, there is no saying what will happen to me. Pain and sadness are a lot for one person to bare and I need to stay strong through this.
I can’t give up.
We hit a speed bump in the middle of the street and I bounce off the bench a bit. I hit my back against the metal of the truck and a tiny shock of pain shoots up and down my spine. Jason grunts as he hits the metal and our shoulders bump together. He sniffles and sits up straight. I almost forgot that he is sitting next to me with his hands tied behind his back as well. This seems horrible to think about, but I am kind of glad to be captured with someone I know. I haven’t known Jason for long and I am sure he probably hates me right now for being stuck in this situation. But, as long as we can stay strong together, we can find a way to get out and make a run for it.
I take a deep breath and force myself to focus on other things. I strain my ears to listen to the sounds around me.
There are four other men sitting in the back of the truck with us. One sits beside me and another by Jason. Two are across from us and I hear the metal of their guns clanking as they keep a hand on them.
The one to the left across from me is scared. His teeth are chattering and he’s breathing faster than the others. He fumbles with his weapon and I feel his eyes staring at me. I breathe in through my nose, letting the smell of his fear enter my nostrils. However strong the man’s scent is, it isn’t enough to stop the images of Ryder’s unconscious form to take over my thoughts. I was hoping the frenzy would take over after smelling the flesh of the humans here, but it is eluding me and I feel like a pathetic little girl.
I don’t understand why the evil thing lurking in my veins is being shy at a time like this. I need it now more than any other time in my life that I can think of. In order to save myself and save Jason, along with the rest of the world, I can’t be locked up in the back of a truck only to be taken to some god-awful town which Trevor has made his home. I can’t think of the sadness or the people I care about, because it is the one thing keeping the monster hidden.
It is just too hard to concentrate on anything other than wondering if Ryder will wake up or if he will be left to rot on the side of the road like thousands of others have done. The cold tears on my cheeks are stealing every bit of strength away from me and my mind can’t think of finding a way out of this mess. I feel lost and confused and everything other than the badass girl I need to be.
This isn’t a good feeling for me.
We hit another bump in the road. This one is not as bad as the first one but Jason’s body still hits against mine. I feel his hot breath on my neck for a split second and, once again, Ryder pops into my head. There were too many nights to count where I have felt his breath on my neck. Too many minutes of my life were spent staring into his perfect eyes and running my fingers through his messy hair. I’m not ready for those priceless seconds of my life to be transformed into memories that I’ll never get to experience again. I’m not ready to admit that he may be gone forever.
The truck is slowing down now and the squealing brakes sound like a box of angry mice. I force myself to focus all of my energy into my hearing so I can figure out what the hell is going on. The truck in front of us is coming to a halt as well and the engines of both get shut off.
Heavy footsteps are approaching the back of this truck. The men stomp their boots on the concrete and their guns rattle against their bodies. Voices fill the air as a crowd of people surround us. Some of the men are ordering this crowd to stay back and keep their distance from the freak in the back of the truck. Their fear and excitement drifts up my nose as I take another inhale and even that isn’t enough to drive me into a frenzy.
A single set of footsteps comes closer to the truck and stops at the tailgate. The man next to me hops down, followed by the scared fellow who was sitting across from me. I feel a tug on my arm as the third man pulls me to my feet and nearly tosses me to the street below. I stumble when I land, but catch myself and stand upright. It’s hard to keep my eyes closed when I so badly want to open them and look into the eyes of those that are staring at me.
“That’s it?” someone exclaims as though they don’t believe a girl like me could hold a cure so valuable.
“She doesn’t look so scary to me.” A younger sounding woman speaks up through the crowd.
I hear other comments like this coming from them and I grit my teeth forcing the rude retorts to stay in my mind. These people don’t know anything about me or what I can do. I might not look like much, but I have done more than they could ever dream of doing.
I shake my head and ignore their words and listen to a stumbling noise coming from behind me. Jason is being thrown from the truck and isn’t so easy on his feet. I hear him cry out in pain when he lands sharply on the concrete. A scuffle comes next and someone yanks Jason to his feet and forces him to stand in place.
I feel a presence standing before me. This one is tall and looming, like a statue standing on top of the world. He is thrilled with himself and the prize he obtained. I keep my eyes shut, fighting the urge to open them and stare into the eyes of Trevor. I could recognize his horrid stench anywhere.
“I hope your ride was comfortable.” He speaks with a sarcastic hint to his voice.
“I hope you fucking die.” I snap a response.
The crowd around me laughs and gasps at the mere thought of a girl standing up to Trevor. He is their leader, someone they are forced to look up to and depend on. He is nothing more than a sadistic murderer to me, therefore I get every right on the planet to wish him dead.
Trevor laughs along with his followers, then speaks loudly, “My people, this has been a long time coming. The cure for the undead that we have grown to fear so much is here! We can finally have order on this planet and I will be the one to lead us all to the perfect world we so desire. With this gift, this creature no man has ever seen before, I will be in cont
rol and all of you will prosper.”
The crowd roars and I die a little inside as the words spill out of his mouth. My hands tug at the ropes behind my back, but they are too thick for me to break. I thought I was stronger than this. I know I am stronger than this but the thought of losing Ryder is eating away at every fiber of my being and I can’t be the strong person I need to be.
“Bridget,” Trevor directs his speech to me dragging me out of my mind once more, “why don’t you open your eyes and take a look at my people.”
Not a second goes by and I feel his hands on my face, placing the sunglasses over my eyes. I don’t protest or try moving away from him. Sight is a priority and I allow him to grant me with vision.
I open my eyes, squinting at first until they adjust to the burning light of the sun. The scenery comes into view and I turn my head left and right to take in my surroundings. We are standing in the middle of a street with houses lining both sides. The windows are boarded up and the doors have all been enhanced to withstand a horde of zombies or vampires. A faint humming sound comes from a few of the homes, a generator perhaps, giving power to these people who I already feel don’t deserve it.
The crowd is filled with dozens of men, women, and children. All of them are staring at me and the group of fighters for which they cheer. A few of them pass me snide glances or fearful stares. One woman gives me a disgustful look, then spits at my feet. Jason is standing a few feet from me with a gun pressed against his right temple to keep him from moving. His left shoulder looks like it has been dislocated, probably from the tumble he took getting out of the truck and he stares at me with longing eyes.
I let my jaw drop as I look upon the faces of these people who think so highly of Trevor. They believe in his plans and actually want to follow him. How could they look up to a man who only wants horrible things to happen to the world?
I turn my glare to him and hatred fills my mind. This is the man that killed my Ryder. He took everything from me. My life, my world, my freedom. He doesn’t deserve to walk this earth as a human being. He doesn’t even deserve to roam the planet as a zombie or a vampire. The only type of life he is allowed to have is the one where he is rotting in the deepest pit in the worst parts of whatever hell that might exist. And I deserve the right to put him there.
My fists tighten and the rope squeezes harder around my wrists. I pull at it, willing it to snap with my mind. My hands don’t break free and the monster still isn’t showing herself. I feel like the helpless girl I was before I was bitten. The type of person who doesn’t exactly know what to do in these types of situations. My mind is frazzled, mixed between hatred and despair. I turn to Jason and he is giving me no signs of what I should do.
I am completely frozen.
“Show us how it works!” I hear a shout from the crowd and turn my head toward the voice.
“Yeah!” many of the people cry out in unison.
Trevor steps away from me and raises his hands to calm them down, “In time all of you will see the cure in action. Once we have her in a secured location, things will begin and the world will start becoming the way we want it. We can control things and we can get the riches, the food, and all the resources we will ever want with this cure. It will just take time to reveal her gift to all of you.”
Another cheerful roar comes from the cluster of humans. They clap their hands together with smiles across all of their faces and they praise Trevor like he is some kind of god. He smiles and waves to his followers, taking in all of the glory they are sending his way.
His fighters are beginning to unload their weapons from the first truck and some are trying to get the crowd to head to their homes. Jason gets shoved forward and I see him begging me to do something, to end whatever hell is about to be thrust upon him. He gets closer to me, with a gun still pressed against his head and our eyes meet.
“Bridget you have to do something.” Jason pleads as he is dragged away from me. “You have to get us out of here!”
I don’t know what to say or even what to do. My feet are planted to the concrete underneath them unable to move. Not even when Trevor leans closer to me again and that wretched smile crosses his lips.
“You are just going to love the accommodations I have in store for you. My men have been busy since we found out about you and have prepared a luxury suite.” By the way he said luxury I can tell my new living space will be more of a prison than a hotel room.
He grips my arm and we begin our walk down the street following the rest of his men. I glance over my shoulder and stare at the trucks. Part of me wishes that I would see Ryder hopping down from one of them. Even if he is just another prisoner, at least I would know that he is alive. I’d rather see him marching down the street with an army of his own, gun in hand, ready to save the day and the girl he’s in love with. But that is not what I get so I am forced to face the way ahead of me.
* * *
My luxury accommodation was exactly what I figured it would be. A large cage about the size of a jail cell complete with a heavy duty padlock to keep the door secured. There are three walls made up of thick, metal bars which are strongly welded in the corners. The fourth wall is part of a massive brick building that used to be the town’s high school and now serves as Trevor’s headquarters.
I stare at this prison, eyeballing the bars as I approach it. Each one has been dug deeply into the earth and connected at the top to a crude roof made from sheet metal. The welds are strong around the roof and I’m starting to notice that I won’t be escaping from this cage as easily as I was hoping I could.
Trevor threw me into my new room and the lock was instantly put in place. He left my hands tied behind my back, but at least he let me keep my sunglasses. I guess he has some sense of decency.
Jason was taken inside the school to a place my eyes couldn’t follow. I’m worried about what they’ll do to him or how they will potentially torture him. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that they will end up using him against me to get what they want. They already have me locked in a cage, with sadness clouding the only part of my being that would aide in an escape. I don’t want to think of what else they could do in order to feed their sick appetite of taking over the world.
A small crowd of Trevor’s followers have grouped together to gawk at me. Their eyes are constantly judging me, the freak in a cage. I’ve been put on display like I’m some kind of animal and they are waiting for the main event. The part in their life story where they see something simply remarkable that they could only wish to see it again.
I scan their clean faces. The men are neatly shaven, wearing unstained shirts and jeans with no holes. The women all have their hair done nice and perfect without a strand out of place. Some wear dresses while the younger ones wear jeans and t-shirts. This place seems like a normal town without the worries of zombies or vampires roaming the world beyond it.
I’ll give Trevor a point on this one. He at least knows how to take good care of his people. They look fed and well rested and they don’t appear like they ever worry about the apocalypse. He has kept these few dozen humans alive and I am forced to respect him for that. The human race needs to survive, regardless if a man I want to stab with a dull and painful knife is behind some of it.
I back up to the brick wall of the school, distancing myself from these prying humans. The bricks are rough against my hands and my hoody sticks to them in a few places, catching on one of the many holes it has acquired. There are blood stains all over my clothes and holes from where I was shot and hurt over the past few days. I look like I belong in the wild to live off the land, yet these people ogle me like I’m some sort of miracle.
I can see the wonder and amazement in their eyes as they stare at what they believe is the savior of humanity. They are utterly excited to see their leader’s plan coming into action and they certainly cannot wait to see what I can do.
The smell of fear catches my nose and I glance to the few who are frightened of me. The ones who can’t brin
g themselves to even look my way. They avert their eyes as though I’m a gory monster waiting for my next kill. Seeing their fearful faces leaves me with a feeling of shame and disgust growing through me. They think of me as a freak and I can’t blame them.
I scan a few more faces and spot a young girl around ten who keeps her eyes on the bars instead of looking directly at me. She is clutching onto a stuffed dog with a missing ear. Her father stands behind her with his hands on her shoulders and a look of despair across his face. His eyes meet with mine and I can see sadness behind them as he stares at me. He reminds me of my own father. The way he is standing guard of his daughter, keeping an eye on the threat locked in the cage before him. That’s exactly what my dad would do, only he would pull out his gun and shoot the threat to end it.
The little girl’s mouth is moving, but her voice is being overtaken by the crowd around her. I focus my attention on only her, forcing my ears to hear her voice above the others as she speaks in a soft tone.
Her father leans down, getting his ear closer to her lips to hear her speak, “Why are they so mean to her, daddy?” she asks. “Isn’t she something good?”
“I don’t know, Sarah.” Her father replies. “These things just happen.”
She isn’t afraid of me. That brings an iota of relief to my unbeating heart. I hate the idea of bringing fear to the eyes of people who should see me as something good. If I ever get the chance to get out of this place, I’ll remember to take that small family back to Des Moines with me. At least I’ll try convincing them to go with me. The life of a traveler is not good on little girls like her.
A few people in the crowd are stepping aside, letting Trevor walk between them. He approaches the cage door and lets that evil smile pass my way. He wraps his fingers around the bars and leans closer.
