by Lowry, C. L.
Sade gave Levi a goofy look.
“That’s not fair. I have this old bow, and she gets to use that fancy one. If I had that one, I would hit the book too.”
“Put your money where your mouth is,” Sade said.
“What are we talking?” Levi asked.
“Your pack snacks. If you miss, you’ll give me your snacks. If you hit the book, then you get my snacks.”
Levi thought intensely about the offer that was put on the table. “How about we up the ante a little? If I miss, I will give you, my snacks. If make it, you have to eat the next meat we catch.”
“Deal.”
“Whoa! Are you sure about this, Sade?” Maverick asked, knowing Sade was a vegan.
“I’m 100% sure. He’s not going to hit it.”
“We’ll see,” Levi muttered.
Levi grabbed the crossbow from Sade. Maverick picked up the book and removed the arrow from it. He handed the arrow to Levi, wondering if the young man was paying attention when they were given the loading instructions. Levi loaded the crossbow. The book sat at the top of the fence, and the teen took up aim on the target.
Levi pulled the trigger on the crossbow. The arrow struck the fence just under the book. Sade burst out laughing. Maverick followed.
“I’ll be taking these,” Sade said, picking up Levi’s pack.
“You got any more excuses you want to use?” Maverick asked.
Levi ignored the question and walked up to the fence. He removed the arrow and reloaded it into the crossbow. He walked back to Maverick and took up aim on the book. This time, he took a deep breath before pulling the trigger.
Both Sade and Maverick were watching closely. Levi pulled the trigger again, and this time, the book fell off the fence. The arrow had grazed the book, knocking it over. Levi took a quick walk to pick up the arrow and the book. Sade and Maverick looked at each other, confusion on their faces.
“You know you already lost the bet, right?” Sade asked him.
Levi did not respond. He put the book back on top of the fence and took up his position. He reloaded the crossbow and aimed at the book. Levi was determined to hit his target. Not because he lost the bet to Sade but because he was on a mission to become better in every way possible.
Levi fired the crossbow for the third time, this time striking the book and knocking it off the fence.
“It seems that the third time is a charm,” Maverick said.
“Yeah, I guess so. Let’s just hope I get three tries when one of those giant fur balls is in front of me. “
“Don’t worry. When that time comes, you’ll be just fine. They are a much bigger target than that book.” Maverick took the crossbow from Levi and handed it back to Sade. “Let’s get some reps in so this starts becoming second nature for you two. Levi, you have to learn how to work the standard bow.”
“Now, this isn’t a competition. We have to always work together so that when one of us falls short, the other is there to get the lethal shot. Two shooters are always better than one. So now, you both will aim at the book, and you both will take your shot when I say threat. If it is done correctly, you won’t even know which shot was yours. The key is to have them both as close as possible. No shooter is perfect, but you don’t have to be a perfect shooter to kill something or someone.”
Maverick walked behind the two teens and yelled out, “On the line!”
Levi and Sade lined up next to each other.
“Shooters ready.”
Both teens aimed at the book.
“Threat.”
Both arrows struck the book. The teens cheered. They began jumping for joy, celebrating their hit.
“Reset,” Maverick ordered. “Back on the line.”
The training continued until both teens put up more than 100 shots with the bows. There was something about the survival instincts that both teens had that made them different from any other teen Maverick or his peers had trained. Neil was very structured when it came to training, but Levi and Sade had natural skill. Their decision-making seemed to reflect a bit of wisdom as well.
“So, when do we get to go on our first mission?” Sade asked before biting into her vegan jerky.
“Well, you won’t be going on any missions until we fix that little arm of yours,” Maverick responded. “It would be too much of a risk that I’m not willing to take.”
“That’s not fair,” she responded.
“Life is not fair. You are healing. You have to get your body back to a 100% before you can go out on a mission.”
“But she went with us to the church,” Levi added. “That was like a mission.”
“That wasn’t like a mission. If one of those mutations attacked you, you would probably be dead. They are strong, fast, and relentless.”
“So am I,” Sade muttered.
Maverick saw the look in Sade’s eyes. She was going to go on this mission one way or another. “We have a big mission coming up. More than likely, we’ll need all hands on deck. Before then, we’ll do a few supply runs back to the hospital to get your feet wet. Let’s see how you two do on the runs, and if I like what I see, I’ll let you tag along for the mission.”
CHAPTER 44
The Nissan and Toyota slowed down as they made their way down Frankford Avenue. As one of the main roads in the northeast section of Philadelphia, the group figured this had to be the flare location. Their only instructions were to follow the direction the flare came from, which would lead them to a safe position.
“This can’t be the location,” Emma said as she looked around the area. It was an abandoned neighborhood. The sedan bounced as they drove over the debris-covered roadway. The evening breeze carried a slight scent of rain. Gray clouds began forming in the sky.
“Well, it looks like a storm is brewing,” Brody muttered as he pulled up next to the Nissan. “We’re going to have to clear out one of these buildings, so we have somewhere to stay.”
Emma and Abraham nodded their heads in agreement. “Brody, you’re with me. Let’s clear out this laundromat. I doubt anyone would come searching in here, so we should be safe,” Emma said.
“How long do you think we’ll have to stay here?” Brody asked. “We only have enough food and supplies to last us a week.”
“Well, I’m hoping we won’t have to be here that long.”
The two checked their firearms, ensuring they were loaded, and headed to the laundromat. As with other properties in the area, the front glass windows of the laundromat had been shattered. Most of the washing machines and dryers had been ripped down and taken apart. It was common for people to destroy machines in hopes of getting certain parts from them. In a world that has been destroyed, cash is nothing more than pieces of paper. Food, weapons, and supplies were the new currency. This new form of currency also included parts. There were always groups that tried to regain a sense of normalcy, even if that meant having the capability to wash their clothes. Those were the little things that made significant differences in people’s minds. However, others wanted the parts for different reasons.
“Who in their right mind would trash a laundromat out of all places?” Brody asked as he stepped over damaged mechanical parts to enter the building. “I understand raiding the grocery stores and gun stores, but what would you possibly need out of here?”
“The same people that stocked up on toilet paper during the COVID-19 pandemic. You remember how crazy everything was that year. They have now evolved from toilet paper to detergent and fabric softener.”
The two laughed. They scanned the building, which was barely in a livable condition. Besides most of the machines being knocked over and dismantled, a part of the ceiling had caved in, and there was heavy water damage to the floors. The group would have to do some heavy lifting to make the building safe for their visit.
The soft, rotted floor sunk in under each of Brody’s steps. If it were not for Emma, he would have backed out of the laundromat and found another property to inhabit. He imagined sca
venging through some of the homes on the block and finding food and supplies. His mind drifted at the thought of plopping down on a soft bed and falling into a deep sleep. Unfortunately, those thoughts would have to remain just that, as his reality included molded walls and a sketchy ceiling.
“This place is clear. It looks like this is our new home for now,” Emma said.
“Oh, great. I think I’ll let yall have this place, and I’ll just sleep in the car.”
“What’s wrong? Big, bad Brody doesn’t want to be a team player?”
“Nope. I’m going to sit this one out. The seat cushions in the car are much softer than the floor. I don’t feel like waking up tomorrow with a jacked-up neck.”
“It seems like The Association had you spoiled,” Emma replied sarcastically. “You’re acting like those little sleeping bags they gave us were king-size mattresses or something.”
“They were better than this nasty floor. I would kill to get my sleeping bag back. However, since that isn’t happening, I’ll be in the car. If you need me for any reason, just let me know.”
Brody walked outside and gave the others the signal to come in. They wasted very little time grabbing items out of the car. Aside from the two sleeping bags that managed to get packed in the Toyota trunk before the escape, there was not much to bring out. Most people in the group left home without knowing the plan already been put in place. They did not have time to pack their belongings before hopping into the getaway cars.
“Wow, this place has seen better days,” Abraham muttered.
“I could say the same thing about us,” Lori responded. “Never in a million years would I have expected to be fighting for my life against monsters and humans.” She had not been the same since the last attack. Nevertheless, she still replayed those events back in her mind. The rancid odor entering her nostrils as she stood face to face with the test suspects. Her heart pounding out of her chest, not knowing if she would ever escape the room Jin locked her in. Not knowing if she would ever see her daughter again. The thoughts brought tears to her eyes.
“What’s wrong, mom? Why are you crying?”
“No reason, honey,” she lied as she wiped tried the wipe the tears away.
“It’s Tyler, isn’t it. You miss him too?” Charlotte asked. She wrapped her arms around Lori, holding her tight. Large bags had formed under Charlotte’s eyes from the ride over. The moment the group left the gas station, she bawled her eyes out the entire ride. She missed Tyler so much and felt guilty for leaving him.
Lori felt the same guilt but just magnified. Tyler begged for her help when Jin had him restrained to the chair, and Lori felt like she let him down. Despite assisting him in escaping from The Association, Lori failed at her promise to fix whatever Jin injected into Tyler’s body. More tears poured from her eyes as she thought about what the mutation would do to the young man. Leaving Tyler was not an easy decision for anyone in the group to make. He was special to them.
Lori and Charlotte followed Abraham into the laundromat. They were a bit surprised in the selection of the building, once they spotted the ceiling and floors, but no one made an argument. They were more concerned about their safety than anything else. The bags from their vehicles were placed in the back of the laundromat. Emma had already designated the aisles of the laundromat as the sleeping areas. Their only task now was to clean the aisles up from the parts and debris left behind.
Just as the group was getting themselves settled inside the laundromat, a tan minivan came screeching to a halt just outside of their location. Emma and Brody had dropped the supplies they were bringing inside and drew their weapons on the vehicle. The odor from the burning rubber began filling the air. The driver’s side front window rolled down, and the driver stuck a flare gun out of the window. Brody and Emma slowly lowered their weapons. “We’ve been waiting for you,” the driver said as he placed the gun on the front passenger seat.
“Well, we are glad to see you,” Brody responded.
The driver honked his horn three times and stepped out of the minivan. The group was surprised to see it was just a teenager. He immediately locked eyes with Charlotte. “Is everything okay?”
Charlotte wiped her eyes and nodded her head. “Yes, everything is fine. Unfortunately, she just lost a good friend,” Abraham stated as he stepped forward to greet the teen. “Hi. I’m Abraham. I’m a doctor,” he said, reaching out his hand for a shake.
“Nice to meet you, Abraham. I’m Neil.” The teen stuck his hand out and completed the shake.
Abraham took a step back as he watched three more vehicles pulled up behind the minivan. Nick stepped forward with Emma and Brody. All three of them were armed but chose not to remove their weapons. The vehicles were packed. To their surprise, armed lookouts began exiting some of the neighboring properties. The group thought they were alone when they were being monitored the entire time. “What is all of this?” Abraham asked.
“This is our welcoming party,” Neil asked. “We’re going to take you back to our camp, and we can’t risk being outnumbered if someone attacks us.
Abraham gave the teen a nod. In the back of his mind, he could not help but wonder if he had left The Association for a similar version of the same environment. He glanced back at Lori with a concerned look on his face. It was as if she could read his mind because she felt the same way. The group appeared to be heavily armed and had vehicles and a way to fuel the vehicles.
“Abraham!”
He turned at the sound of the woman’s voice that called his name. It seemed like all his concerns went out of the window in that split second. “Lee?” he asked as he began running toward the woman that was exiting an off-white GMC Envoy. “I can’t believe this.”
Abraham wrapped his arms around Lee as the two gave each other tight hugs. Abraham and Lee worked together at The Association, and she was a part of the first group that ever escaped from the territory. During her time with the organization, she saw through the false narratives that the organization's leaders tried to paint. On several occasions, she overheard conversations between Micah and some of the members of the research team. She remembered being threatened by him to try and find a cure for the mutations. At that point, she teamed up with a few others and planned their escape. Before she escaped, she warned the other doctors and medical staff about what was truly happening inside the territory. She did her best to inform trustworthy people of her plan to escape, but most of them were fooled by the leaders of The Association. They were led to believe that they were now living in a sanctuary, and outside of the walls was nothing but chaos.
Lee did not let those narratives deter her and her group from exploring the world outside of The Association. After discovering the Saviors, she vowed to go back to The Association and get others, so the Saviors implemented the location marking with the flares. With this system in place, people did not have to wander the streets and hope to be alive at the end of the day. Instead, people would come to locations and be met by The Saviors before being taken back to the camp.
“How have you been, my friend?” she asked.
“I have been well, up until this point,” Abraham replied. “Things have gotten a lot worse since you left.”
“How so?”
“Jin. He’s out of control.”
Lee was not too surprised to hear that name. During her time at The Association, she was under one of Jin’s research teams. He was one of the reasons she wanted to leave. “What has he been up to? Was he able to find a cure for the mutations?”
“No, he wasn’t. To be honest, I don’t even think he was looking for a cure.”
“What do you mean? That’s all that Micah wanted. Every day he barked at us to find a cure.”
“Exactly, but something happened to Adina, and Micah left.”
“He left?”
“Yes, and he took all the guards. Everything was so secretive, so we didn’t have any details. So, with Micah gone, Jin took the opportunity to use one of the medical wings a
s his personal lab. He altered the chemical gas over there and performed experiments on some of the members.”
“What do you mean he altered it?”
“He created another gas and a serum from a creature’s blood. Apparently, he was able to create a different type of mutation.”
“Are you fuckin’ serious? Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know. He’s insane. He even tried to kill her,” Abraham said as he shot a look over to Lori.
Lee looked at Abraham’s entire group. They were drained. Lori was still clutching onto Charlotte, Brody, Nick, and Emma were on edge, and Abraham seemed petrified. “We have to stop him.”
“I agree. How good is this place you’ll be taking us to?”
“They’re not perfect, but they are good people.”
“Do you have people that could help us perform tests?”
“Yes, I do. What tests do you need?”
“We were able to get some of Jin’s serum. We need to test it ASAP and find a way to reverse its effects on people. We also need to talk about a boy that we left at the gas station a few miles back.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take you to Maverick and the others. Then, we will get your group a meal and figure out a plan to stop Jin.”
CHAPTER 45
“Look at that,” Micah said as he turned the corner with the remaining members of his search team. They were all packed into four vehicles. Wolff was sure to take the majority of the vehicles back to The Association, when they left.
Londo was riding shotgun and could not believe his eyes. Although he stayed with Micah for the entire search, deep down he was skeptical on whether they would actually find Kyle. “That’s the truck,” he blurted out, spotting the wrecked Chevy Silverado.
The four vehicles pulled up to the Chevy, which was flipped on its side. The search team poured out of the vehicles and into the streets. Micah had a team of fifteen men and women with him, and they all converged on the truck. “I want him alive,” Micah announced as he approached with his team.
