Apocalyptic Beginnings Box Set

by M. D. Massey

  After a few minutes, exhaustion sets in and I have to sit back. I’ll rest while I wait for the lowdown.

  I don’t get a chance though, because Parvarti turns to me with worried eyes. They always look worried. “How are you feeling?” she asks meekly.

  I nod, which makes my head ache, and clear my throat to talk, which makes me wince. I’m a mess. “Like shit,” I croak.

  She bites her lip. “I’m glad you’re okay. And, I’m sorry I didn’t come check on you when you were sick. It’s just…I saw so many people die in New York.”

  I start to shake my head but think better of it. “Don’t sweat it. We barely know each other.”

  She relaxes, but doesn’t say anything.

  “Are you going home still?”

  She shakes her head. “No, I’m going to Berkley with Trey.”

  Trey absentmindedly pats her shoulder. He’s too preoccupied with watching the brothers to do anything else. They seem closer than they were just a few days ago. Maybe it was sharing a room with Angus that pushed them together even more. I can’t imagine that was any fun.

  Parvarti isn’t going home, and neither is Joshua. We don’t have any stops between here and California.

  Angus climbs back in while Axl carries a few things to the rear of the car. “Looks like the virus, alright,” he says. “No other injuries that we could see. I figure these two got sick, kicked the bucket, and the others took off.”

  “They just left the bodies?” Parvarti looks like she’s about to cry.

  “People do some crazy shit when they’re scared.”

  Axl climbs in and slams the door. “Let’s get the hell outta here.”

  We drive through New Mexico without stopping. Even Angus doesn’t grumble about eating some of our provisions. We’ve passed too many cars pulled off to the side of the road. Too many discarded bodies. We’re all anxious to get off Route 66.

  We cross into Arizona low on gas, but every station we’ve gone by the last few hours has been out.

  “We ain’t gonna make it,” Angus says from the driver’s seat. “We got maybe fifteen miles to go till the next town, we’ll be lucky if we make it ‘nother five.”

  We make it six.

  The sun is low on the horizon when the car drifts to a stop at the side of the road. Luckily, we’re next to a relatively flat area, although a lot more sandy than any of the other places we’ve camped so far.

  Before anyone even has a chance to get out of the car, Angus is giving orders. “Let’s get camp set up first off. Make sure we got a fire goin’ and some food. After that, either Axl or me will hike on down the road and get some gas.”

  “What if they’re out, too?” Parvarti asks.

  “Then we’re shit outta luck, that’s what. Got no control over that, so there’s no reason to worry about it ‘til the time comes.”

  He climbs out without another word. I don’t like the idea of us being stuck here alone with Angus. Hopefully, he decides to go for gas.

  It doesn’t take long to get camp set up. Trey seems to be a fast learner and puts the tent up by himself without a problem, while Parvarti and Joshua collect wood for a fire. Axl refuses to let me help, something that causes Angus to roll his eyes and glare at me more than once. I hate just sitting back and watching, but it’s probably better this way. I don’t think I’d be of much use. My fever seems to be gone, but I still feel like crap.

  Once the camp is set up, Angus heads for the car. “Better get a move on.”

  “You ain’t goin’ alone,” Axl says, following his brother.

  “Which one of these pansies you want me to take? The Doc? Or maybe the drama queen over there?” Angus tilts his head toward me.

  “Shut up, Angus. I’m serious. You need backup.” He turns and looks us over, pursing his lips like he does when he’s thinking. “What ‘bout Trey? He’s a big guy. Probably be useful in a fight.”

  Angus grunts and frowns, clearly unhappy about the situation. “What’d you say, homeboy? You up for a walk?”

  It’s probably one of the least offensive things Angus could say to Trey, considering the other things I’ve heard him mutter under his breath, but I immediately tense up. I’m not sure how Trey’s going to react. Angus watches him with a steady gaze, waiting.

  Trey just nods. “Whatever I can do to help.”

  Angus gives him a smug smile and turns to his brother. “Lookie there, the boy can take orders.” He chuckles to himself as he goes back over to the Nissan.

  Axl shakes his head, but doesn’t say anything. Joshua grinds his teeth together.

  I turn to Trey, who stands behind me with Parvarti clinging to him. “I’m sorry, Trey. That was rude.”

  He shakes his head and squeezes Parvarti’s shoulder. “You think I’m going to let some redneck hillbilly get to me? I go to Cornell, my dad’s a doctor, and my mom’s an artist. He’s an ignorant bastard who enjoys making others feel little. There’s nothing little about me, and I won’t give him the satisfaction of letting him get under my skin.”

  As much as I dislike Angus, a brawl isn’t the best thing for our group right now. Not after everything we saw today. At least Trey can let Angus’s comments roll off his back.

  “Let’s get a move on!” Angus shouts, coming back with the gas can and flinging it at Trey. “I got the gun, you carry the can.”

  “I can shoot a gun,” Trey says. “If you need me too.”

  Angus smirks. “Bet you can. Hold up some liquor stores, have you?”

  Does he even know how ironic he’s being?

  Trey turns away from him without a word and gives Parvarti a hug. “We’ll be back before morning.”

  When he leans down to kiss her, I turn away. Not because I’m uncomfortable, but because she doesn’t seem like the type who would enjoy PDA. I don’t want to make her feel awkward. She doesn’t seem like the type to date, if I’m being honest. She seems more like the study-all-weekend kind of girl.

  “Come on,” Angus says impatiently.

  Trey pulls away from Parvarti and follows Angus into the dark night.

  12

  We eat rabbit again. My throat is still sore, so I have a difficult time getting it down, but Axl frowns whenever I stop eating.

  “What?” I ask.

  “You gotta eat more.”

  “My throat is killing me.”

  He gives me a disapproving look, and I find myself smiling. He reminds me of a worried mother. It’s cute on him.

  “Whatever you say, Dr. Axl.” I wink at him.

  He gives me a half smile. “Doctor. That’ll be the day. Like I could ever be somebody so important.”

  “Don’t put yourself down, you have other skills.”

  Axl scoffs. “Like what? Hittin’ a nail with a hammer?”

  “You got us dinner. We’re out in the middle of nowhere, and you found something for us to eat and cooked it. Not a lot of people can do that,” Parvarti says. She actually sounds a little in awe.

  Axl’s mouth turns up a little more and he looks away, like he’s embarrassed. Probably isn’t used to compliments. “Not the same as stitchin’ a person up. Not nearly as important.”

  “Depends on what happens tomorrow, or next week,” Joshua says. His voice is sad. “Who knows what’s ahead for us. If everything goes to hell, your skills could be just as handy as mine. Maybe more.”

  Axl sits back in his chair and purses his lips, studying all of us. He looks more relaxed with his brother gone. Is this what he would be like if Angus wasn’t around so much? It’s nice.

  He opens his mouth to say something, but before he can the sound of footsteps cuts him off. Quick as lightning, he jumps to his feet and pulls out his gun. “Who’s there?”

  No one responds. I instinctively reach for my purse. My body goes rigid when the footsteps get closer.

  Axl raises his gun and turns toward the sound. “Better make yourself known.”

  “We’re just passing through,” a deep voice calls from the
darkness. “No need to shoot.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that.” Axl takes a step closer. “Step into the light, so we can see ya.”

  I don’t move. My hand wraps around the gun inside my purse, but I don’t pull it out. I don’t want to give away the fact that I’m armed. Parvarti and Joshua both have that deer-caught-in-a-headlight look on their faces. They’d be useless in a fight.

  “Relax,” the voice says.

  Axl takes a tiny step closer to the voice. His hand tightens on the gun when two figures emerge from the darkness. Two men, both in their early to mid-forties, walk toward us. They each wear a backpack and about four days’ of growth on their faces. They look filthy, like they’ve been walking through the Arizona desert for weeks.

  “We’re just passing through. Saw your fire and wondered if we could sit for a while, that’s all,” the same man says.

  So far his companion hasn’t spoken. But he’s observing. Checking each one of us over carefully, surveying our equipment, sizing Axl up. Warning bells go off in my head like crazy, and I squeeze the gun a little tighter.

  “Where you comin’ from?” Axl’s voice is strained and he doesn’t lower the gun. He has no intention of letting these guys near our stuff, but he’s smarter than his brother. Angus would just tell them to go to hell. Axl knows how to be diplomatic.

  “Small town, no place you ever heard of. We’re heading to a bigger city,” the same man says.

  “Why’s that?” I ask, drawing their attention my way.

  Axl grinds his teeth together when they turn toward me.

  “Everyone else in our town died.” The silent man finally speaks. His voice isn’t as deep and he sounds less threatening. But he doesn’t look it.

  “Everyone?” Joshua asks. I’m surprised he was able to find his voice. His eyes are so wide and terrified-looking I’m actually afraid he’s about to pee his pants.

  The men both nod, and the first one says, “Wasn’t a big town.”

  Joshua looks like he’s been punched in the gut. Not for the first time, I wonder if he’s going to make it, assuming this is in fact the end of the world.

  “Sorry ‘bout your luck,” Axl says. “But we can’t help you out, so you should just keep on walkin’.”

  “Looks like you have plenty. Some nice camping gear, too,” the first man says.

  The second man just nods. He sticks his hand in the pocket of his jacket. He’s trying to be subtle, but I can tell Axl notices by the way the muscles in his jaw tighten.

  “We gotta think of ourselves first. I’m sure you can understand.”

  “Sure, sure,” number two says. “But you need to think this through a little.” His voice is calm and soothing, but his eyes are dark and ruthless. “You’re out here, protecting two girls and a guy who, no offense, looks like he couldn’t handle a whole lot. We could help.”

  He takes one menacing step toward Axl. Axl’s eyes flit toward me and down to the purse in my lap. His mouth twitches just a bit. Not enough that the two newcomers would probably even notice. But I do.

  “A shitstorm’s coming, which you obviously realize or you wouldn’t be out here with all this fancy gear. You’re going to need some strong allies if you want to survive,” the first man says.

  “We’re doin’ good,” Axl says.

  The second man gives him a condescending smile. “Is that right? Doesn’t look like it from where I’m standing. From over here it looks like you’re about to get your asses kicked.”

  The man whips a gun out of his pocket and pulls the trigger without aiming. A gunshot echoes through the dark night, and Parvarti screams. My heart races. I take out my own gun as Axl drops to one knee and returns fire. I raise my gun with steady hands. It barely registers in my mind when the second man goes down, shot in the shoulder by Axl. The first man doesn’t look my way. He stares at his friend. His face contorts with rage when he sees his companion hit the ground, and my stomach tightens. He draws his own gun, then aims at Axl. The first man struggles to his feet and does the same. Two barrels point at Axl. He can’t take them both.

  I don’t even pause long enough to think about it. Aiming at the first man’s head, I take myself back to my days at the shooting range. I pretend his forehead is my target. I exhale through my nose and allow my body to relax, then squeeze the trigger. Another gunshot follows mine. They ring in my ears, hammering my temples. It makes my already throbbing head hurt even more. Both men fall to the ground with a thud that seems even louder than the actual gunshots. The second man hit by Axl, a bullet in his chest. The first by me. Right between the eyes.

  “Damn girl.” Axl gets to his feet. “You weren’t kiddin’.”

  I’m frozen. The shock of killing a man hits me in the gut and knocks the wind out of me. My gun is still clutched in my hands, still raised like I’m ready to kill again. But I can’t make myself move.

  Axl walks over and tucks his gun into his belt. He checks the two men over, probably to make sure they’re dead, then turns to me. A smile of approval lights up his face.

  It melts away when his eyes meet mine. “Vivian?”

  I look at him, but my eyes won’t focus. I can’t speak.

  He walks over, hesitantly. “Vivian, put the gun down.”

  “I—I shot him.”

  He stands up a bit straighter and takes the gun out of my hand. “Hell yeah you did. And don’t feel bad ‘bout it. That son of a bitch woulda killed all of us.”

  The truth in his words snaps me out of it a little. I look around the campfire at Joshua and Parvarti. They both stare at me with wide eyes, mouths hanging open. I’m not sure if it’s awe or shock or maybe even repulsion. I’m not even sure how I feel about it except I’m glad I’m not the one lying on the ground. Dead.

  Axl studies me for a moment, and his face is as expressionless as usual. Then he hands the gun back. “Sit down an’ rest. I’m gonna check out their packs.”

  I collapse into the chair. My legs shake.

  “Are you all right?” Parvarti asks.

  “Yeah,” I whisper. “I just pulled the trigger without thinking.”

  Parvarti lets out a breath, and a puff of steam floats from her mouth up into the dark sky. “That was amazing. I could never do anything like that.”

  “Amazing?” Joshua says. “She killed a man!”

  He sounds hysterical and his hands tremble uncontrollably. He gets to his feet and starts pacing the small area around the campfire, running his hands through his hair, muttering things under his breath about the end of the world.

  Axl ignores him for a few minutes while he goes through the supplies left behind by the two men. His back is to me, but he shakes his head. He’s annoyed by Joshua’s outburst. How will he handle it? Angus would explode. Tell Joshua to stop being a pussy. But I don’t know if that’s how Axl will react.

  Finally, he stands and walks over to Joshua. His mouth is tight. “You gotta pull yourself together, understand? Angus won’t put up with this shit. Doctor or not, he’ll leave your ass behind.”

  “What does it matter? If this is the end I just want it to be over.”

  “This is the end for them.” Axl points to the two dead men. “It ain’t for you. You’re immune. You’re one of the lucky ones. Get your shit together. People are gonna be dependin’ on you. How many doctors you think are gonna make it through all this? You’re necessary, so cut the bullshit.” He doesn’t raise his voice, but there’s a harsh edge to his words.

  Joshua swallows and nods, bobbing his head quickly. He’s pale and still shaking, but he tightens his jaw in a determined way. “Okay. Okay, you’re right.”

  “I’m always right,” Axl says, turning away.

  Trey and Angus stumble back into camp a little after seven in the morning, just as we’re packing up the tent. They look dead tired, but they each carry a gas can.

  Axl takes the can from his brother, who immediately collapses into a camp chair. Trey puts his can down next to the car and goes over to P
arvarti, wrapping her in his expansive arms.

  “You have any trouble?” Axl asks as he goes over to the Nissan to gas it up.

  “Naw. Town was pretty much deserted. Lots of bodies, though.” Angus spits into the fire.

  “What the hell?” Trey says.

  He stares at the bodies with his mouth hanging open. Axl dragged them farther away from camp last night, but not far enough.

  Angus glances toward the dead men, and his face hardens. “You have some trouble, little brother?”

  “These two assholes came into camp thinkin’ they was gonna steal our gear. Vivian and me took care of it.”

  Angus gets up and walks over to the bodies, looking them over. “Nice shot. Right between the eyes.”

  “Can’t take the credit. Vivian took that shot. I got the other guy.”

  Angus looks over at me and raises an eyebrow. “You kill this guy, Blondie? I underestimated you. You’re a little badass in a stripper’s body, ain’t ya?” He smiles. Looks like I’m back in his good graces. “I’m gonna have to be careful not to get you on my bad side. Be nice to get you on my good side though, know what I mean?” His eyes roam and he winks at me. A shudder to goes down my spine.

  Axl gives his brother a hard look. He doesn’t say anything. He gets to his feet and helps Joshua pack the gear into the back of the Nissan. Parvarti gives Trey and Angus bowls of oatmeal, then packs up the food. Once again, I feel useless in my camp chair. I’m stronger this morning, and my throat isn’t nearly as sore as it was yesterday. But Axl still insists I sit down and rest.

  “So what’s the plan for the day?”

  “Drive our asses off,” Angus says with his mouth full.

  “Thought you didn’t like to sleep in the car.”

  “Don’t, but I wanna get the hell off Route 66 and up into California. We got ‘bout eleven hours to go to Sacramento. That’s close to your place, ain’t it?”

  “Yeah, Fairfield’s a little more than an hour from Sac,” I say. My stomach tightens. We’re getting close.