by Lowry, C. L.
“I think you should at least entertain the idea. It won’t hurt.”
“I think our focus should be on updating everyone’s maps and sending a scout team out to see what information we can gather. Once we do that, then we can focus on how to infiltrate their group.”
Dr. Lee grabbed the map from Maverick and headed out.
CHAPTER 21
Jin stormed into Abraham’s room. I’m going to kill them both, Jin thought as he scanned the room. There was no sign of Tyler or Abraham. Jin quickly searched the room, going through both Lori’s and Abraham’s personal belongings. One of the gunmen assisted Jin and helped tear the room apart. The other gunman ran to notify the other members of the security breach. They were about to lock down The Association.
He couldn’t have gone far. The entire room was turned upside down, but there was no sign of the box that Lori gave Tyler. “I want every single room searched until we find them.” Jin and the gunman went door to door, checking the other rooms. Some of the rooms were occupied, and the two still pushed their way in each of them, conducting searches. The occupants of those rooms were left wondering what precipitated the random shakedowns.
“Is everything okay, Doctor Jin?” Sierra asked when she spotted the doctor and gunman coming out of her room.
“I’m looking for Doctor Abraham.”
“Oh, I just saw him.”
Jin gripped the young woman. “Where is he?”
Sierra scowled as Jin’s tight grip squeezed her arms. “I saw him down by the supply room.”
“Was he with Tyler?”
“I don’t think so. I only saw Doctor Abraham.”
“Let’s go,” Jin ordered the gunman. He released Sierra and took off down the hallway. He could not let those syringes leave the encampment. With those samples out of his hands, Jin would have to go back through the entire process of redeveloping the formula and creating more samples. Jin was playing back the events that took place with Lori. He could not get his mind off Tyler’s immediate reaction to the injection. Jin wanted to get the teen back in the lab to run tests because Tyler was not going to be the same with that serum in his body.
“Doctor Abraham, it burns. My body feels like it’s on fire,” Tyler muttered as he stopped to catch his breath. The teen was exhausted. His chest felt as if it was tightening up.
“What’s wrong with him, Doctor Abraham?” Charlotte asked.
“I don’t know, Charlotte, but we have to stay quiet. Emma should be pulling up with the car soon. Once we get out of here, we can figure out what’s wrong with your friend.”
Abraham crouched down behind the bench at the baseball field. The school that The Association deemed as their headquarters had three large sports fields located in the rear. Charlotte and Tyler ducked behind the bench with Abraham. Charlotte was still in shock. One minute, she was in her mother’s room trying to get answers from Abraham, and the next minute, Tyler came busting in the room with blood dripping down his arm.
“Where is my mom?” she asked Abraham. He looked over at the concerned girl but did not have an answer for her. “I’m sure she’s on her way,” he lied. Lori and Abraham did not see eye the eye when it came to their future with The Association. Based on their last conversation, Abraham did not expect Lori to go along on this journey with them. He continued ducking behind the bench. The fields were not well lit, so it was easy for Abraham and the teens to go unnoticed. There was not much time before Jin and the other members of The Association flushed them out.
A charcoal gray Nissan Altima sped across the fields. It was hard to spot the vehicle because of its color, and the operator did not activate the headlights. As the Nissan made its way to his location, Abraham popped up from behind the bench. He eyed up the driver, ensuring that he was able to get positive identification. “Right on time!” he yelled out.
Charlotte was next to pop up from behind the bench. She and Abraham assisted Tyler into the backseat of the Nissan. “We have to get out of here,” Abraham said.
Emma peeled off, whipping the Nissan back across the field. She was one of the members of The Association who assisted a previous group when they decided to escape. She worked on a search team, so she easily had access to the vehicles and knew the blind spots of the guarded territory. She headed toward one of them now. With Micah pulling resources for the hunt, it was not hard to go unnoticed inside the walls. Even if a problem surfaced, Emma had a bodyguard with her. It was her boyfriend, Austin. Austin sat in the front passenger seat with a loaded rifle. He was ready for any type of confrontation that would present itself. Like his girlfriend, Austin played a specific role in The Association. He was assigned to one of the security teams and used his position to scope out the areas of weakness inside their walls.
“It looks like everything is still clear,” Austin muttered with his head on a swivel. The young man guided Emma to a weak spot in the encampment border. This was caused by the rapid expansion of The Association’s territory. When Micah ordered the walls to be put up, all of them were not properly secured, and they surely were not checked on a consistent basis. This was the case at one of Austin’s security posts. He and his partner often explored the world beyond the walls of The Association when they were supposed to be working.
While the wall was being built, there was one particular spot that was not as secure as the rest of the wall. The lack of materials at the time contributed to this overlooked section. With the removal of a few posts, Austin and his partner were able to create an opening that was large enough to fit a sedan through. They often journeyed out, using the opening to come and go as they pleased.
Austin was depending on his partner to have this spot ready for him. When he and Emma assisted the first group out, no one ever discovered the method of their escape. This allowed the couple to prepare for this moment. Emma saw the sudden flash of headlights in the distance. She headed straight in the direction of the lights, still riding in complete darkness. Austin had a sawed-off shotgun resting on his lap. One thing about certain members of The Association was their ruthlessness. Austin knew when the time came, he needed to be ready to defend the mission. With the shotgun tightly tucked, he was more than ready to do so.
The headlights that were once in the distance flashed again, guiding Emma toward them. As she drove closer, she spotted a blue Toyota Corolla parked along the security wall. Inside was Nick, Austin’s partner. Nick was securing the escape by ensuring that no one interfered with their plan. It was a straight shot for Emma.
Austin grinned as the Nissan passed through the narrow opening. Something was changing inside the walls of The Association, and it was not just the attack on Adina. Members were starting to feel like prisoners behind the wall. Being told when they could eat, what they could do, and when they could step foot outside of the walls was driving some people insane. This was not freedom, and it wasn’t the future that Micah promised. Some enjoyed the safety and security that The Association offered, but others could no longer bear being under Micah’s rule.
“Which way do I go, Austin?” Emma asked as she began putting miles between the Nissan and The Association.
“I think you bust a right when you get to Castor Ave. Let me check.” Austin jammed the shotgun on the side of the seat and pulled open the glove compartment. Under the rations he had stuffed in the compartment was a small hand drawn map of the area. This map was created strictly off memory. Whenever Nick and Austin journeyed out, they documented the streets they took along the way. They included landmarks, such as drawing the burned down gas station that served as the point of no return. It was the end of the burn zone, which were the buildings around The Association that Micah had his people set fire to. This ensured that the buildings remained unoccupied. Micah’s theory was that no one would be able to strategize an attack on The Association and use the surrounding buildings as cover and concealment. Entering the burned down buildings now was a risk in itself. One step could send them falling through a charred floor and to th
eir death.
“Yeah, it’s Castor,” Austin confirmed, running his finger down the stained sheet of paper.
Emma followed the directions, whipping the Nissan down the street. Abandoned cars filled the roadway. She did her best to maneuver around them, all while maintaining her speed. Emma was not one to play it safe. The lack of manpower inside The Association meant that Micah and his search teams were still out. The last thing Emma wanted to do was run into them. It would be a fight for their lives if they did.
“Doctor Abraham, where’s my mom?” Charlotte asked.
Abraham paused at the question. He was not sure of Lori’s fate and was even more unsure of the perfect response to give Charlotte. “Your mom is going to meet us at our destination,” he lied. Abraham could not bring himself to tell Charlotte the truth. Her mother was supposed to be in the car with them, but instead, she was in grave danger. Emma looked back and shot Abraham a look. She knew the truth and disapproved of Abraham not revealing this truth to Charlotte. She continued down Castor Avenue. “Send the signal, Austin,” she ordered.
Austin reached into the center console of the Nissan and pulled out a flare gun. He pointed it out of the window and fired it into the air. The group just alerted their friends of their location and now possibly their enemies too.
CHAPTER 22
The popping in the distant night sky caught Micah’s attention. The blast of the flare in the sky was followed up by another, miles away. The calm of the night began to box him in. He was running out of time. Reality slowly began to set in. Kyle was slipping through his fingers. It was like they were hunting a ghost. A ghost that escaped death every chance he got, and Micah doubted his efforts to catch this ghost.
“Was that from the camp?” Londo asked, running up to the van that Micah was standing up against.
“I don’t think so,” Micah replied. “It seemed pretty close, though.”
“That looked like a signal.”
“I agree with you.”
“Do you think it’s him?”
“That would be impossible. There’s no way he would have gotten that far in such a short period of time. Plus, who would he be signaling? He was a loner. It would be suicide for him to head back to anywhere that was close to The Association.”
“A loner according to who?”
“According to the people he came with. They all keep saying that he was alone when they ran into him out in the streets.”
“And what makes you believe them? Micah, don’t be naïve—”
“And don’t end up in a casket.” Micah scowled, pressing a sharp blade against Londo’s neck. “You need to mind your manners. The next time you speak out of line, I’m going to cut your fuckin’ tongue out. Do you understand me?”
Londo nodded his head in agreement. Micah slid the blade down and pushed Londo.
“I didn’t mean any disrespect, boss. I was just saying that maybe he has a team. Maybe he’s a part of those rats that inhabit the underground. They could easily hide him down there.”
“Do you think I’m stupid or something? You don’t think that I considered that as one of the factors? Look around you. Why do you think I brought so many soldiers with us? We’re going to tear this city apart.”
Micah walked off, staring at the sky. Although he knew it could not have been Kyle that sent off the flares, that did not stop him from wondering who set them off. As composed and strategic he thought he was, Micah was not thinking right. He was focused on the hunt and not on the protection of The Association. He literally brought a small army with him for the second wave.
“It’s funny seeing you cower in fear,” Wolff said, approaching Londo.
“What?”
“Micah had you shaking in your boots, big boy. He said he was going to cut your tongue, right?” Wolff laughed.
“I’m not worried about that. It won’t happen again. Trust me.”
“Oh, I bet it won’t. He’s got you in check.”
“Whatever.” Londo walked off, going to check on the other members who just arrived.
“You know we’re going to die out here,” Wolff said calmly, stopping Londo in his tracks. Londo turned and shot the Irishman a deathly stare. “I know you see it. This is a suicide mission. We split up our numbers to chase one man when there are so many other groups out here. None of this makes sense. Why the fuck did we leave Adina back at the camp?”
“She’s guarded.”
“But not by the best. We are all here, chasing our tails.”
“Well, if you don’t like it, then do something about it. I’ve never been fond of a man who just ran his mouth and didn’t back it up.”
Wolff dug inside the pocket of his vest and pulled out a loose cigarette. He wedged it in his mouth and flicked a match to light it. Londo watched the cigarette smoke drift into the wind as Wolff took a few drags and looked up at the stars. “I’ll never forget the first day I met Adina. She was so smart and powerful. The moment I heard her speak, I knew she was a leader. She was focused on the bigger picture. She understood what needed to be done to accomplish her goal. That’s exactly why I followed her and obeyed her. And now look at me. On the hunt for the man that shot her when he shouldn’t have even been with us. We never allowed people to infiltrate the camp, but you and your leader did.”
Londo stepped forward. “Micah is your leader, not Adina. You need to understand that. I won’t tolerate you disrespecting him.”
“He’s disrespecting us. By having us out on this wild goose chase.”
“If you would have done your job, we wouldn’t be out here. I suggest you take a look in the mirror before deciding who to blame for our current situation.”
Wolff took another drag and blew the smoke in the air. To him, a cigarette was like gold. When others scavenged for food, he was more focused on looking for cigarettes and medication. Wolff always found a way to take the edge off. “I’m not here to argue with you. I’m just presenting an opportunity to you.”
“An opportunity to do what?”
“To rule this city, just like Adina. We should head back to the camp and plan our next moves. No more of this bullshit.”
“So, you don’t want to find this Kyle guy?”
“I’m not saying I don’t want to find him. I’m just saying that he shouldn’t be our top priority right now. I’m fine with putting a search team together that will go find his ass, but what I’m not fine with is taking seventy percent of our people and artillery and bringing them out here. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Londo looked around. Wolff was right. When Micah sent for the second wave of members to join them, he ensured that they had the top dogs from their security team come out. All their eggs were in one basket, and they were beginning to crack. Micah had his people tearing blocks apart, looking for Kyle. The effort was impressive, but the results were a concern. In Londo’s mind, there was no way that Kyle made it out of the radius they were checking. Even if he was dead, they would have found the body by now. Londo agreed that the smartest move would be to head back to the camp, but after the run in with Micah, he thought it best to keep his mouth shut about the situation.
“Listen, I know we don’t get along, but you know this doesn’t make sense. We can’t let this incident crumble the foundation that was built. We can hold off and fortify for a while. Let’s figure things out.”
“You talk too much.”
“Fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you need to keep your mouth shut and learn how to follow orders. If you don’t like the decisions that are being made for The Association, feel free to leave. If you stay with us, you are no longer allowed to speak your mind. No one cares what you think.”
“And what will happen if I choose to leave?”
“Then, you’ll die.”
CHAPTER 23
“I just don’t know why he’s so stubborn,” Dr. Lee said, placing a lighter under a tin can. The can was filled with rainwater that had been collected by the gr
oup. “He takes everything so personal.”
“That’s who Maverick is,” Dalton replied. “He doesn’t care what anyone else thinks. If it’s not his idea, he doesn’t want to go with it. You should have seen that hospital. There were so many meds and supplies in there we couldn’t even carry it all back. And that was only in those two rooms. We didn’t even get to the other portions of the hospital.”
“That’s unbelievable.”
“I know. All we had to do was to clear the rest of the hospital to see if any of those mutants were still in there, and that place could have been ours for the taking.”
Dr. Lee laughed. “I hate that you call them mutants. Every time you say it, I immediately think of Wolverine and Cyclops. It’s like we are battling the X-Men.”
Dalton chuckled. “Shit, I wish they were the X-Men. I’d be on their side. No offense, but this side is boring. It would be me and Magneto. And my headquarters would be that big ass hospital. I’d even give you a whole floor so you could do all of you doctor shit.”
“Is that so?” she asked, turning her eyes from Dalton to the water in the tin can that had come to a boil. Dr. Lee took an oven mitt and grabbed the can, pouring the hot water into two mugs. Two mint leaves were in each mug.
“Hell, yeah. We need you doing that stuff. The work you do is essential.”
Dr. Lee’s heart skipped a beat. Hearing Dalton say those words was unexpected but reassuring. She needed to hear them. It was completely opposite from her trying to convince Maverick of her worth. “Well, I appreciate you saying that because sometimes I feel like the work that I do doesn’t mean much around here.”
“Are you kidding me, Doc? I don’t want you to ever think that. You know what? I’m going to make sure you get that entire floor in the hospital.”
Dr. Lee laughed. “That would never happen. Maverick already said that we wouldn’t be expanding that far. It’s okay, though. I’m perfectly happy with the setup I have now.” Dr. Lee was pleased with the space that Maverick set up for her. She mainly operated out of an old dialysis facility, and she also had access to one of two urgent care buildings. Although they were not fully stocked hospitals, they did have medical equipment and supplies that allowed her to create two research labs.
