by Lowry, C. L.
“Well, then, that means they have to be here because they must have taken them like they took me.”
“What are you talking ’bout?”
“Isn’t this The Underlings’ camp?”
“Wait, you think we had some connection with those creeps?” Destiny asked, butting into their conversation.
“Umm, yes. That’s exactly who I thought you were. All I know is that they pulled up to where we were at, and the next thing I know, I’m getting snatched up, and I end up here. What was I supposed to think?”
“Destiny, can I get a minute with my friend?” Levi asked.
“You can get anything you want,” Destiny replied before lunging forward to give Levi a hug. Despite him not embracing the hug back because he was not expecting it, she enjoyed it.
Sade and Levi both laughed as Destiny entered the inventory room. “What the heck is up with that chick?” Levi asked.
“She likes you. Isn’t it obvious?”
“She doesn’t even know me.”
“Well, apparently she knows enough to know that she likes you.”
They both laughed and began taking a walk. It only took Destiny seconds to pop back out of the building and keep her eyes on the prize. Levi and Sade worked their way around the neighborhood.
“Where are we?” Sade asked.
“These people call themselves The Saviors. I think they’re the good guys. They saved me, and obviously, they saved you. I’ve been around here a little bit, and they seem to be cops and troops. Think we’re in good hands.”
“Where the hell were they at this whole time?” Sade barked, stopping in her tracks. “There were cops out here, and they’re just standing around while innocent people are getting murdered?”
Sade’s elevated voice caught people’s attention. “Calm down,” Levi said. “It’s more complicated than that. They said all these people were battling The Underlings every day. They are doing the best that they can. They have a plan.”
“Well, whatever they are doing isn’t good enough. We sat in that church for months while they picked and chose who they felt was worthy of been saved. Come on, Levi. Open your eyes. We went out every day, hoping someone would be out there that could help us. Where were they at?”
Levi did not have an answer for Sade. She had a point. He remembered how desperate they were in that church. At one point, they did not think anyone else survived but The Underlings. Every week, they spotted that group raiding stores and homes, leaving them damaged. Not once did they run into anyone who was looking to help.
“We have to go back,” Sade said.
“Go back where?”
“To the church. We have to see if Jay and Cam are still alive.”
“I told you I looked for them, Sade.”
“You just told me a lot of things, but somehow, you’re here, and they aren’t.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like.”
CHAPTER 31
A massacre took place at The Association, and Micah’s words were stuck in Wolff’s head. He was not happy with the decisions that were made by his leader, and they ultimately caused dozens of members their lives. Bodies were everywhere, and Micah was nowhere to be found. Things had to change. Wolff took it as a sign of disrespect that Micah felt the need to empty out half of the manpower in The Association just to look for Kyle. If it was not for that poor choice, the guards would have possibly been able to stand up to the mutation.
“He’s too fuckin’ soft. Listen up, boys. This is what happens when you let your emotions get the best of you,” Wolff announced. “Why the hell are we being punished? This is his fault. We were stuck here with no defense, and they let one of the monsters slip in.” The tattooed fists of the Irishman pounded on the table as several men looked on. “First, he let that coward in our home. He invited those motherfuckers into our castle and has the nerve to blame us for the shit that went down. Then, we get placed here, and all of a sudden, a monster pops up in here and slaughters our people.”
His pale skin turned red. Veins bulged out of his neck, and his hands began shaking. Wolff had erupted.
“So, what do you think we should do?” Bogdan asked. Bogdan was a slim, Polish fella with a temper just as bad as Wolff’s. During the incident with Kyle and Adina, Bogdan was back at The Association. Kyle had taken his spot on the team for that particular run. It was not often that Bogdan was not right by Wolff’s side. Alone, each of them was dangerous, but together, they were like a ticking time bomb.
“First thing we need to do is get rid of these fuckin’ visitors. Then, we’ll go look for that fuckin’ monster and make sure it doesn’t come back in here.”
“But Micah said they can stay.”
“I don’t care what Micah said. Matter of fact, I don’t even see him around. That means I’m in charge right now. I’m Adina’s second in command, and I say those people need to go.” Wolff removed the magazine from the assault rifle that was slung around his neck and checked it. The magazine was half-filled, which must have been acceptable because he slammed it back into the weapon.
Bogdan stepped up, grinning from ear to ear. “Where the fuck are they at?”
“Follow me.”
Wolff and Bogdan took the stairs down and exited the building. Just walking down the street annoyed Wolff. It was desolate. If it was up to him, the streets would still be filled with their men, and they wouldn’t be wasting any time on the search for Kyle.
Bogdan kicked the door in on the one-bedroom apartment that was assigned to Marcus and Candice. “What the hell is going on?” Marcus asked, jumping up from the dusty folding chair that he was sitting on. He was confused as to why the door was just kicked in. “What are y’all doing in here?”
“It’s time for you to go, big boy,” Wolff ordered, pointing the assault rifle at the nervous man.
“What do you mean it’s time for me to go? You were in the room when Micah said we could stay. We already told y’all that we didn’t have anything to do with Kyle and whatever he did out there. I don’t even know him like that. We aren’t friends, we aren’t family, and we have no type of allegiance with him.”
“For some reason, I don’t believe you. I think you know more than you’re telling us, and I think Micah made the wrong decision by letting you stay. I’m here to make the right decision.”
“You can’t do this.”
BANG!
The .223 round escaped the barrel of the rifle and struck Marcus in the leg. He screamed in pain. Candice ran out from the bathroom after hearing the shot. The running water she had on in the bathroom drowned out the other noise in the room, so she had no idea that they were being violently evicted from the apartment. She had decided to wash up quickly after their encounter with Micah and his goons.
Bogdan’s eyes locked on the blonde-haired woman who was barely dressed. She had put her t-shirt back on, but her jeans were still in the bathroom. “Oh yeah, what do we have here?” Bogdan asked excitedly.
Candice was stuck. She saw the two men and their weapons, and she also saw Marcus on the ground holding his leg. It was as if she tried to speak, but the words never came out. She slowly back-pedaled to the bathroom. She didn’t want to leave Marcus in the apartment alone with the men, but she also didn’t think she served much of a purpose standing there partially clothed.
Bogdan toted a silver revolver that he pointed at Candice while slowly advancing toward her. “Slow down, sweetheart. The party just started, and I think you should stay and have some fun.”
“Leave my wife alone, you piece of shit,” Marcus muttered through the pain. Still holding his leg, he tried to stand up.
Wolff was quick to move, striking Marcus in the head with the rifle. The strike left the big man seeing double. “Stop!” Candice yelled.
“You really want us to stop?” Bogdan asked.
“Yes. We haven’t done anything to deserve this.”
“Well, give me a reason to s
top. I think if you have something that could convince me to leave.” Bogdan licked his lips and kept advancing on Candice with his eyes scanning her body. “Come here and let me get a taste.”
“No. Leave her alone,” Marcus mumbled, barely being able to get the words out.
Candice ran into the bathroom and Bogdan was quickly on her tracks. She slammed the bathroom door, but he dove into it shoulder first, blasting it open. Candice screamed and grabbed an old plunger that was resting next to the toilet. “Please don’t hurt me,” she begged.
“Listen, honey, I’m not trying to hurt you. I just want a taste, and I’ll leave. I promise.”
“Please don’t do this. Just leave.”
“I can’t do that.”
Candice had her run-ins with some evil men, but the evil she spotted in Bogdan’s eyes was different. The tight bathroom didn’t leave much room to maneuver. She backed up until she felt the wall behind her. Candice swung the plunger at Bogdan out of desperation. Bogdan ducked the swings and rushed Candice, pinning her to the back wall. Candice yelled for Marcus to help her. Little did she know, Marcus had a rifle pointed in his face.
Wolff laughed. He was enjoying the moment. “What do you think my buddy and your old lady are in their doing right now?”
Marcus didn’t respond. His mind was racing. He had to make a move. Candice needed him. Her screams echoed out of the bathroom. Marcus could hear the struggle. He reached up and grabbed Wolff’s rifle, almost pulling the man to the ground. Wolff held onto the rifle tight, refusing to let it out of his hands. He delivered two swift punches to the side of Marcus’s head. Marcus countered with a body shot that rocked Wolff.
Marcus didn’t let up. He delivered another body shot in the form of a right hook, then a left uppercut to Wolff’s chin. Wolff stumbled back. The screams in the bathroom continued. Marcus charged Wolff, knocking him over the chair and onto the ground. As soon as Wolff hit the ground, Marcus limped his way to the bathroom.
As soon as he entered the bathroom, he saw Bogdan on top of Candice. She was struggling to get him off. Tears were in her eyes, and a fresh bruise was on her face. She continued fighting Bogdan. Marcus used his last bit of energy to pounce on Bogdan’s back, knocking him off Candice.
He delivered two power punches, breaking Bogdan’s nose instantly. Blood began pouring from his nose. With his pistol in hand, Bogdan pulled the trigger, trying to put Marcus down. The shot missed Marcus, and he delivered another blow to Bogdan. Another shot went off. Marcus cocked back to deliver another blow to Bogdan’s face but fell straight forward. A powerful strike on the back of the head by Wolff had knocked him out.
CHAPTER 32
This had been the first time The Saviors had called a meeting of the masses. Maverick stood on the roof of the urgent care facility with a bullhorn. He looked down at the hundreds of people who were staring up at him. Only a few people knew why the meeting was being called. Everyone else braced themselves for bad news. If the heads of their group were coming together, it could not have been for a good reason. It felt like a lump was sitting in Maverick’s throat as he swallowed and held the bullhorn up to his mouth.
“Thank you all for coming out tonight. I have called you all here to relay some sad and disturbing news. It is with a heavy heart that I regret to inform you that thirteen members of The Saviors have been killed.”
Chatter began traveling through the crowd. Heads were turning, as if people wanted to see if anyone they knew were among the deceased.
“Last night, those thirteen members decided that they no longer wanted to be a part of the family we have built. Those members were led by Dalton. I considered Dalton to be a good friend of mine, and I don’t understand why he wouldn’t come to me before making such a terrible decision. The group ventured off and attempted to take over the hospital. Unfortunately, it seems that another group had access to the hospital and may have ambushed our people. Although I am saddened by the events that took place, I am also angry. I am angry because I believe that some of you knew their plan to leave and didn’t notify us.”
Throughout the entire crowd, Maverick was able to spot Dr. Lee. His eyes locked on hers. Her heart dropped because she knew he was speaking directly to her. He was calling her out.
“I also believe that some of you had planned to join them.” Maverick took a deep breath. “Their blood is on your hands!” he yelled. More chatter came from the crowd. “If you would have notified us, we could have sent reinforcements with them. We could have ensured their transition to the hospital was completed safely. But instead, they were all gunned down because you all chose not to say anything. So now, I am giving you a way out. If you do not want to be a part of what we’re building here, you can leave. There will be no hard feelings. We cannot afford to have people in our group that are going to make dumb decisions and cause the death of ours. It doesn’t make sense. So, if you decide to stay, you need to be in it for the long run. No more jumping sides or running off to do your own thing. Just leave now because we need to move forward. If you have any information on people who were supposed to be a part of Dalton’s new movement, please come to one of us. We need to identify these people if they will not come forward on their own. If you have any questions, please contact the head of your respected department, and they will happily answer those questions for you.”
Maverick stepped down off the ledge of the roof and headed back into the building. Maverick hoped the message got across. He made arrangements to have people in place to safely escort anyone who wanted to leave out of their territory. What he did not know was that Dalton recruited more than sixty people to join him. Most of them agreed with his ideology, but they were too scared to leave the comfort of The Saviors. Maverick hoped that he would be able to identify those people and confront them about their decision to stay or not.
“Why did it seem like you were talking directly to me?” Dr. Lee asked, entering the urgent care building.
“Because I was. You and anyone else that knew what Dalton had planned.”
“How many times do I have to apologize? I didn’t know this was going to happen.”
“How did you not know? What world are you living in? People are getting slaughtered out here. That’s why we took over this territory. We had to do something to keep people safe. You knew that when you joined us. And you joined us because you knew exactly what was out there.”
“Dalton said it was safe.”
“Well, Dalton lied to you. And you listened to him rather than coming me.”
“I can’t come to you. No one can.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that you are a big reason why all of those people wanted to leave. You don’t listen to anyone. No one can make a suggestion without it being an issue with you.”
“Are you talking about the suggestion you made? To turn a man over to his death? Are you serious right now?”
“It was just a suggestion.”
“Yeah, a bad one. Just like Dalton’s suggestion,” Maverick barked. “When we left that hospital, I told him exactly why we couldn’t take it over, and then he goes back on his own to do it. You should have seen the bodies. It was a mess.”
Dr. Lee shook her head. “I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Well, you need to think about it because you could have prevented it from happening.”
“I could say the same to you.”
“I’m not going to sit here and keep doing this. If you don’t see how this all could have can been avoided, then I will talk to the other heads, and we will need to reconsider your position within this organization.”
“You can’t do that.” Dr. Lee was furious. Although she knew about Dalton’s plan, she did not feel that she was in any way responsible for what happened to them. Maybe it was her arrogance, but she did not want to be blamed for the massacre at the hospital.
“I need to go check on Maddie.”
“Me too.”
Bot
h of them headed down the hall to check on the wounded woman. Maddie had undergone an operation to remove the bullets from her body. In a normal world, the procedure would have been an easy one, but doing it in the urgent care facility was a struggle. One of Dr. Lee’s comrades was able to show her worth to the group by performing the operation. She successfully removed the bullets.
“How is she doing?” Maverick asked.
“The same. She’s still out of it. We’re still monitoring her vitals.”
Maverick placed his hand on Maddie’s shoulder. She’s a fighter, he thought. He had faith that she would wake up. He needed her to because he wanted answers. He needed to know exactly what happened in the hospital and the identity of The Reaper.
“Keep me posted on her condition.”
CHAPTER 33
“I think that’s their car up there,” Nick said as he pulled up to a Sunoco gas station. The Nissan Altima was running in the parking lot, sitting among a bunch of abandoned vehicles. All the windows to the gas station were shattered. The actual gas pumps were knocked over. A commercial truck was positioned on top of the damaged pumps. The scene was unreal. Nick pulled up next to the Nissan.
“Well, it’s about damned time. I ran out of flares and didn’t know how I was going to signal y’all,” Austin said.
The occupants of the Toyota exited and greeted him.
“Where’s Charlotte?” Lori asked. She was not concerned about anything else except her daughter.
“She’s inside with Dr. Abraham and the others.”
“Lori ran into the gas station.”
“Mom!” Charlotte yelled out, dropping everything she was doing to embrace her mom. The two hugged so tight they would have to be pried apart to separate.
