by Lowry, C. L.
THE
SCAVENGER HUNT
KILL OR BE KILLED
THE
SCAVENGER HUNT
By
C.L. Lowry
Creedom Publishing Company
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Copyright © 2021 by Creedom Publishing Company
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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For,
CIVILIZATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREVIOUSLY ON THE SCAVENGER
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
BONUS CHAPTER
BONUS CHAPTER
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CREEDOM PUBLISHING COMPANY
PREVIOUSLY ON THE SCAVENGER
The mission seemed as if it would be an easy one. Searching for supplies and survivors was much different than creeping around, trying to avoid everything and everyone. Kyle had grown accustomed to having Candice and Marcus by his side; it felt a bit awkward to be out on the streets without them. They stayed behind with Dannie, to figure out what their assignments will be in the organization. Word got back to Micah about how Kyle snapped on Jin and Micah decided to recruit the man for Adina’s search team. Riding around with a group of eight people seemed to be a lot more secure than his original group of three. With eight people, they would be able to cover more ground and their searches would be much quicker. Kyle sat back in the seat and checked out the scenery as the group caravanned in three different vehicles. Kyle rode shotgun in a beat-up Ford Explorer, which trailed behind a Chevy Silverado and a Saturn Vue. He was amazed at how much territory The Association was able to claim and clear out. As presentable as the leaders of The Association made their organization seem, Kyle got a bad vibe about them. Something was not sitting right with him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. There were so many questions left unanswered. The Association had no explanation for the innocent lives that were lost at the hands of their men.
After forty-five minutes of driving, the vehicles pulled over onto a deserted block. There wasn’t a soul in sight. Kyle carefully scanned each home, and they all appeared to be undisturbed. His main focus was on the windows above, which is the vantage point he had when executing intruders. If someone was perched up in the window, his chances of returning fire would be higher than the other shooters he was accompanied by. All of the vehicle doors flung open, and men began exiting. No one left the Chevy, so only Kyle and four others hit the streets. Being the loner he had always been, Kyle began checking the vehicles on the street while the others began checking homes. “Let us know if any of those vehicles have keys in them. We can take them with us,” the driver of the Chevy yelled out. Kyle nodded, confirming he acknowledged the order. He peeked in each vehicle, aiming his rifle and ready to fire on any opposition. If anyone dared to pop up from one of the seats, Kyle was ready to put them down. Each vehicle was mostly cluttered with trash and loose change. Three vehicles had the keys inside, and they would serve as nice additions to The Associations growing collection.
“Please stop. Why are you doing this?”
The desperate begging caught Kyle’s attention as he peered over his shoulder to see where it was coming from. A middle-aged man was being dragged from one of the homes. Kyle’s brows lowered as he saw how roughly the man was being handled. Being dragged by his legs, the man’s back scraped across the uneven cement as the coarse ground ripped his skin. For an organization that was all about growing in numbers, they sure weren’t treating the fragile man with much respect. Who would want to join a group that roughs them up? Kyle thought, remembering how sincere Micah seemed when discussing the organization’s expansion plans.
“Who are —“
CRACK!
The man’s statement was interrupted by the force of a baseball bat striking the back of his head.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Kyle raised his gun and aimed it at the bat-wielding man. With the slightest movement, Kyle was going to place a bullet between his eyes.
“Calm down dude. You are the new guy, right?” one of the other members asked, stepping between Kyle and his target.
Kyle didn’t entertain the question, he just looked past the man’s slim figure and had his rifle locked on his target’s head. “Lower your weapon.” The order forced Kyle to eye up the man that felt brazen enough to bark orders at him. He had no idea of what Kyle was capable of doing to him, or the skilled marksmanship that would lay him to rest. On the other hand, Kyle didn’t realize he was eyeing up Wolff who was one of the organization’s most loyal and dangerous members. The ginger male was hardly intimidated by the former vet’s grimacing stare. His left hand had a strong grip on the gun he kept close to his hip, as his right hand combed through his orange beard. A cut off denim vest fit loosely on his shoulders, and his skinny Gap jeans fit snug around his slim waist and rested on top his black Vans sneakers. His strong reputation made up for everything he lacked in stature. His persistence and loyalty had gained him a powerful position directly under the current leaders. Tattoos covered both arms, as the colorful sleeves of ink told a story of his life through precise detail. From the sea of skulls on his forearm to the shredded Irish flag that draped his shoulder blades, Wolff was proud to display his heritage as well as his demons.
“Who the fuck are you talking to?” Kyle asked Wolff, his rifle still aimed at his target.
“Listen, you need to lower your weapon. This isn’t your fight,” Wolff replied to that man. He was taken back a bit because no one ever disrespected him in that manner and got away with it.
“Our job is to look for resources and bring people back when we come in contact with them.”
Wolff laughed at the naïve response. “W
ho told you that?”
“Micah told me that.”
As soon as those words left Kyle’s lips, the entire group burst out in laughter. Kyle’s eyebrows moved closer together, and the wrinkles on his forehead became more visible, as he looked around at the laughing men. For some odd reason, they became amused once he mentioned Micah’s name. This type of disrespect did not sit well with the former soldier. In his opinion, there needed to be a level of respect shown to the ranking members of the organization and clearly, there wasn’t.
“We don’t answer to Micah,” Wolff snarled. “And seeing as though you were chosen to roll with us that means you don’t answer to him either.”
“Well, who the hell gave us the authority to drag an innocent man from his home and beat him like an animal?” Kyle asked as he stepped forward, getting face to face with Wolff. It looked as if the two men were being showcased at a weigh-in for a pay-per-view boxing match. Despite Kyle’s stockier frame, Wolff didn’t back down. He turned the trucker hat he was wearing around and got eye to eye with Kyle, showing him that he was ready for whatever move that was about to be made. The other members of the group began circling Kyle. The readjustment of their grips on their weapons showed they all had one intention. Kyle felt their presence surrounding him but kept his eyes fixated on the ginger male standing in front of him.
“BACK DOWN.” The direct order caused the group members to back away from their newest member. It also made Wolff take a few steps back from Kyle. Turning his hat back around, he acknowledged the powerful figure that exited the Chevrolet Silverado. A pair of boots clicked on the hot ground, as the sound became louder with each step. Kyle felt a hand touch his shoulder softly and turned to see whom it belonged to. His heart skipped a beat when he saw who had approached. The hand slid from Kyle’s shoulder and worked its way down to his hands. Chills fluttered up his spine once he felt the warm palm graze the back of his hand. He felt his rifle being pulled away from his hand. His body was frozen due to the shock he was in. The only movement was Kyle’s eyes blinking when the sound of the rifle firing traveled in his ears. He watched as the rifle was raised and a bullet was sent through the skull of the battered man that was lying on the hot ground.
“I know what Micah told you, but things are going to be done my way.”
Kyle was shocked to hear those words, especially coming from Adina. Although her words were deceiving, her appearance had his attention. The sun blazed down, bouncing off her chocolate skin. Adina was the definition of perfection when it came to her exterior, but inside she carried around demons from the past and present. Adina had taken her braids out, so her hair stood up straight like it was reaching towards the sky. Her large afro was distinguished and allowed her to tower over average-sized men. The Association’s second in command had given orders that contradicted the vision of her counterpart. Her vision was of a world that bowed down to their organization in fear. The neighborhoods they caused havoc in were once homes to hardworking, middle-class residents. The same people that looked down upon those who struggled to live a life that barely crossed the line of poverty. The same people would cross the street when they walked by a shelter, to avoid being in the presence of degenerates like Adina. She felt they were the problem with the country and would not allow them or the rich to survive in the new world unless they proved to be beneficial in the enhancement of The Association. The man that was dragged from the house served no purpose to her, so she did what she has done many times before. The sinister grin that spread across her face displayed her willingness to execute the innocent for her evil cause.
“If you are not with The Association, you are against us,” she announced. The members of her small group broke out in loud cheers and praise for their leader. Kyle was still stuck as the demonic cheers drowned out his thoughts. Adina basked at the moment, gliding over to Kyle and handing him back his rifle.
CRACK!
Kyle drove the rifle stock straight into Adina’s nose, breaking it. Blood poured from her nostrils as he held her in a chokehold. The barrel of the rifle kissed the back of her head, as Kyle backpedaled away from the rest of the group. The warm fluid dripped down his forearm as he tightened his grip. The broken sunglasses Adina wore were completely shattered when she was struck in the face. There were multiple guns pointed at Kyle, and he kept Adina close to prevent a clear shot. He wasn’t too worried about anyone except Wolff, who was focused on him.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Adina asked, choking on her blood.
“Central Avenue,” Kyle replied.
“What?”
“Central Avenue.” He pressed the rifle harder against her head.
“Agh.” Adina cringed in pain as the force from the rifle felt as if it was piercing into her head.
“We can’t save everybody. That guy wouldn’t have done anything for us, so why avenge his death?”
“His death? I’m not worried about him. You really don’t remember?”
“Remember what?”
“Central Avenue. Your men attacked my home, and I lost my family.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What does that have to do with me?”
“They were under your orders. You allowed them to do what these men were doing today. Their blood is on you.”
The other members of the group looked around at each other, trying to figure out what the next move was going to be. Kyle was continually backpedaling, while they slowly advanced.
“Back the fuck up, or I will blow her brains out.”
“If you do that I will kill you myself and you can go visit your family in hell,” Wolff shouted. He was a man who stood behind every decision he makes and his sins did not haunt him. Guilt never crossed his mind. He could care less about Kyle’s grief; he wanted blood. He aimed his pistol but did not have a good shot. He was confident to take it but didn’t want to risk the safety of his leader. Noticing the loyal ginger was not backing down, Kyle was running out of options. He could attempt a shot at the man, but the passive resistance Adina was displaying was an indicator that she would put forth an effort to escape when she had the opportunity to do so. Squeezing tighter on her neck, the tenseness she was displaying began to fade.
“Throw one of those canisters on your hip,” Kyle whispered in Adina’s ear. Right before she shot the man on the sidewalk, he noticed two canisters on her hip. Adina didn’t immediately respond to Kyle’s request and began wiggling around trying to free herself from his strong hold. This caused Kyle to squeeze harder, crushing her trachea. “Throw the canister at them and don’t try anything else.” The strong leader had no more fight left in her. Struggling to breathe, she gasped for air as blood trickled into her mouth. Her adrenaline wasn’t pumping as much, and the pain from her wrecked nose was shooting through her entire face. No one had ever violated her in such a way and for the first time in years, she was afraid. Something about the former soldier rubbed her the wrong way. He was strong; too strong to break. Compliance would be the likely key to her survival. She reached down and grabbed one of the canisters. The members of the group were so focused on Kyle; they never saw the gestures made by Adina. Orange smoke began to seep from the canister, as Adina removed the pin from the device. She tossed the canister towards the group of men.
“Move, move, move,” Wolff ordered as they began to scatter, avoiding exposure to the gas. His gun was still aimed towards Kyle during his retreat.
The smoke began to spread throughout the air, as the wind blew the particles around. Kyle had no way of reaching for his mask; if he did, it would mean removing his arm from around Adina’s neck. It was time to get out of the area. The smoke covered Wolff’s silhouette, and Kyle no longer had a visual on his adversary. A sharp sting shot through Kyle’s forearm as he felt a strong clamp pinch his skin. Adina’s last attempt at freedom was effective. Her bite broke the skin on the arm of her capturer and loosened his grip from around her neck. The rifle was still pressed against her head, but she attempted to run.
BANG!
CHAPTER 1
Adina fell to her knees, then flat on her face. Blood continued pouring out of her nose, and now it was also coming from the back of her head. Wolff heard the shot and rushed toward Kyle and Adina’s location. Kyle pulled his shirt up over his nose and mouth and maneuvered his way through the thick smoke. He just put a bullet in one of the leaders of The Association, and now it was time to go to war with the remaining members.
Wolff saw his leader down and immediately went into rescue mode. He held his breath as he sprinted through the orange smoke. He grabbed Adina up by her shirt collar and began dragging her away from the smoke. Adina was just dead weight as the thin man did his best to remove her from more danger. She appeared to be unconscious and in dire need of medical attention. Judging by their current predicament, this was medical attention that Wolff was not able to provide.
More shots rang out, but Wolff could not tell where they were coming from. Kyle shot blindly into the smoke, and shots were fired back at him. It sounded like a war zone. Wolff worked his trigger finger back and forth as rounds blasted out of his gun and through the smoke. Wolff finally cleared Adina from the smoke and watched as Kyle hopped in the unattended Chevy Silverado. The driver of the Chevy had exited the truck in an attempt to assist the rest of the group, but a precise headshot from Kyle put him down quickly. With Adina still in his grip, Wolff gripped his pistol with one hand and continued firing at Kyle.
The shots tore holes into the Chevy as it turned around and sped away. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!
The sound of the empty gun angered Wolff as he did his best to land some precise shots on the fleeing truck. The Chevy maneuvered to the left and right as it sped down the street, striking anything that got into its path. Although the Chevy maneuvers were sharp, Wolff’s aim had been sharper. The orange smoke continued spreading throughout the air. Wolff holstered his weapon and picked up Adina. His skinny frame was deceiving because he had the strength to throw her over his shoulder. Wolff made his way over to the remaining two vehicles that the group arrived in. Wolff noticed that the smoke was making its way toward the vehicles and did his best to pick up the pace.
