The End The Beginning (Humanity's New Dawn Book 1)

by Ryan Horvath

  Moments later, the man came back and stepped right to her. He checked the chains that were binding her and said, “Are you awake and trying to fool me?”

  Amanda said nothing and knowing most of what was coming next she tried to imagine her nipple was made of steel again. She felt his warm moist tongue violate her exactly where the spider had and tried desperately not the shudder. The killer’s steamy breath wafted down her breast. Then the vile man reached out and pinched her nipple. The pinch was hard and Amanda used all her strength and resilience to resist reaction. And though this pinch aroused a sensation of the profound malevolence she felt toward this man, she was able to withstand his violation without reacting to it.

  “Damn,” she heard the man say and he left again.

  In the rank and chilly dimness, Amanda silently did something she never thought she would do. She thanked the spider who had helped her prepare for that pinch.

  41

  JACK, BRIAN, IAN, AND RIVER

  “Hey, you awake?”

  Jack groaned and rolled over, away from the voice to his right. At some point during the night, River had curled up next to Jack. She slept on, undisturbed by the voice.

  “Jack, hey.” The voice belonged to Brian. He nudged Jack’s shoulder with his fist. “C’mon, wake up.”

  “Timeisit?” Jack muttered, his eyes still closed.

  Brian understood Jack’s sleep talk, having heard it many times before: What time is it?

  “Just before seven,” Brian replied. He moved away from Jack and swung his feet out of bed onto the wood floor. He stood up and stretched.

  Jack rolled back over and slowly opened his eyes. He took in the naked backside image of Brian and one side of his mouth turned up in a smile. Brian had been a distance runner in school and his lower body reflected that, with muscles solid, tight and in great shape. Jack wasn’t sure, but he thought they might be together for a while this time and his heart sped up.

  His stretch completed, Brian turned his head over his shoulder and looked down at Jack, catching him staring. He smiled and said “Okay, c’mon. Don’t get me started with that look. I’m hungry and today is your idea,” Brian said this with a smile but there was a sound of apprehension in his voice when he said today.

  “Alright. Alright,” Jack said rolling over onto his back. His pulse slowed. “I trust you’ve been awake for a bit. What’s it like out today?” Since Jack was a nurse and sometimes worked hours that required him to sleep in the daytime, he kept faux wood blinds shut over the windows and covered them with drawn striped thermal curtains in his bedroom. The effect was akin to a dark theater.

  “I’ve only been awake for a few minutes but according to Weather.com it’s still nice. Weather forecast is for more of the same for the next couple days. Sun and mid-seventies. Our own little Beverly Hills,” Brian responded. He walked over to the chair where his suitcase sat. The Mossberg shot gun still sat in the corner nearby. He took out a fresh pair of underwear and socks from the suitcase. He pulled on the underwear and stood on one foot at a time donning the socks. “You know, Jack,” he started facing Jack again. “I did some thinking during the second movie last night. I picked up what you were just thinking a minute ago too. I’m not going anywhere this time. Even if whatever you think is going to happen tomorrow doesn’t happen, which I don’t think is the case after probing your mind last night.”

  Jack flinched at this comment.

  “You’re getting better,” Jack said. “I didn’t even notice this time.”

  Brian looked at Jack. A guilty grin came on his face. “I’m sorry. I just needed to be sure. I’ve just missed you guys a lot over the past year. Especially you. Orlando hasn’t been the same as it was here.”

  Jack felt his heart skip a beat at this statement and a tear welled in the corner of his eye.

  “Now, come on,” Brian said for the third time. “Wake River up and let’s go rouse Ian.” Brian walked over to the larger of the two bedroom windows, drew the curtains open, and pulled the cord to open the blind. The room was flooded with early morning sunshine.

  “Oww, jeez,” Jack groaned, scrunching his eyes.

  Brian chuckled a little and left the room. Jack heard him enter the bathroom.

  Jack pulled his left hand from beneath the sheet and scratched River on top of her head. Her eyes immediately opened and her head popped up. Jack watched her full elliptical pupils become barely visible vertical slits in the light.

  “Good morning,” Jack said to the cat by his side. “Did you sleep okay?”

  River stood, arched her back high in a stretch and yawned. “Yes, I did. Thank you, Jack.” She sat down on the sheet and meowed, “Did you sleep okay, Jack?”

  Jack moved to a sitting position with his back against the headboard. The sheet now rested around his waist. “Yeah, I did,” he answered. “Better than I have in a long time actually. Thanks for asking.” He leaned forward and stroked River on her back. He could still hear her heartbeat clear as day and he now heard and felt her purring. Jack stroked her a few more times and then tossed the sheet over her with a laugh.

  “Hey!” River mewed. She quickly moved around beneath the sheet until she found her way out from under it. She held her rear and tail high as she walked back and forth on the bed eyeing a smiling Jack.

  “C’mon,” it was Jack’s turn to say and he slid out of the same side of bed Brian had. He walked over to his bureau and River jumped down from the bed. They both arrived at the bureau together. Jack opened the top drawer and took out clean underwear and socks. He put them on and River easily jumped the four feet to the top of the dresser. She sat, watching him. Following the underwear, Jack put on a grey printed T-shirt emblazoned with a large cobra and a pair of faded blue jeans with a small hole over the right knee. Once dressed, Jack walked over to the window Brian uncovered. He looked out at the view. The sky was the perfect shade of blue. A few wispy cirrus clouds slowly journeyed miles overhead of them. The leaves on the trees were just starting to take on their autumn apparel. Jack’s townhome had a nice view of the downtown skyline and it looked just as bright and colorful as it always did. Jack felt sad that things were probably never going to be as perfect again as they were this morning. He opened the window and a warm breeze of air swept into the room.

  River jumped off the dresser and then up onto the window sill where Jack was. She also peered outside.

  As Jack stood there taking in the scene he inhaled deeply. He exhaled and then inhaled again. A pensive look came over his face.

  “River? Does the air smell… different somehow to you?” Jack inquired.

  River pressed her nose as close to the screen as was possible without actually touching it. Jack could see her nostrils quivering. A few seconds later she responded, “Yes, I suppose it does. It smells-“

  “Cleaner,” Jack finished. “Clearer.”

  “Yes, I think that’s it,” River meowed.

  “The air pollution here isn’t as bad as a lot of places to begin with but it definitely smells less polluted today. I wonder if it’s just my new sense of smell,” Jack said.

  “I don’t think so,” River disagreed. “My sense of smell has not changed and the air definitely is different.”

  “Well there’s nothing wrong with cleaner air, that’s for sure. I’ll take that any day of the week,” Jack told River.

  Brian reentered the room wrapped in a towel and carrying the socks and underwear he had put on a few minutes before. He had quickly showered and his hair was wet and spiky. When he started to get dressed Jack said, “I’ll go wake Ian up.” And then, “Oh, never mind. He’s up. I just heard his feet hit the floor.”

  “That’s so cool how you do that, Jack,” Brian said, pulling his shirt over his head.

  “Yeah, it is pretty cool,” Jack concurred. “You done?”

  Fully dressed, Brian nodded. “Let’s go eat,” he said.

  “C’mon, River,” Jack said and she jumped down from the window sill. The three
of them left the room and met up with Ian who was heading to the bathroom. He was sporting his typical morning erection and it bulged in his skivvies. He tried to cover it when he saw them.

  “Nice,” Brian said. “That happy to see us, huh?”

  “Shut up, dude,” Ian retorted. “I’m twenty-freaking-four years old. Deal with it.” And he uncovered himself, clapped his hands and pointed at his crotch.

  Brian shook his head and Jack laughed. Ian ducked into the bathroom and closed the door. Seconds later, the shower was running.

  “I think he does that on purpose,” Brian said.

  “Gets a rise out of you does it?” Jack said with a smile.

  “Shut up!” Brian fired back and decked Jack lightly in the shoulder.

  Jack, Brian, and River entered the kitchen and started to make breakfast. Jack mixed some instant pancake mix and Brian took a package of turkey sausage patties from the refrigerator and began frying them up. Fifteen minutes later, the three men and one cat sat at the table eating breakfast. A patty of sausage was cut up and given to River.

  When they were through eating, they cleared the dishes to the dishwasher and started its cycle.

  “Shall we get started then, Jack-The-Ripper?” Ian asked.

  “We shall,” Jack answered. “Hang on, I need to get something.”

  Jack walked over to the entryway and opened the closet that was opposite the front door. He rummaged a bit and then produced a collar and leash. He walked over to River and started to put the collar around her neck.

  “What’s this?” she meowed when he had the collar attached.

  “It’s a collar,” Jack replied. “I’m sorry but I’m afraid you’re going to have to wear it if you’re going to come with us. No one is going to let you in their store otherwise. Is that okay? I’d prefer not to have to leave you alone. It’s not quite 8:00 yet and we probably won’t be back to eat again until around noon.”

  River thought about this and responded with, “Okay. This is fine. I’d rather not be alone either.”

  “Jack,” Brian started. “Why do you have those? You’ve not had a pet,” he looked and River, “I mean, an animal companion since your dog died when you were eighteen.”

  “Mrs. Braderberg gave it to me last year when I was…,” Jack hesitated, “depressed. She thought a dog would cheer me up.”

  Brian and Ian exchanged a shared guilty glance. Both men felt bad about not being there for their friend while he was going through one of the most difficult times in his life. Jack noticed this.

  “Guys, it’s okay. I’m fine now,” Jack reassured them.

  “I just wish you would have told us,” Brian said quietly.

  “Guys, it’s over now. Don’t beat yourselves or me up. It’s all good,” Jack stated.

  “Well, after tomorrow’s eclipse, maybe not so much,” Ian said jokingly, trying to break the tension in the room. The look he got from his friends told him he had been unsuccessful.

  “Let’s just get this done,” Jack said fiddling with the leash handle in his hand. He moved to the kitchen counter and picked up his car keys. He walked to the front door and Brian, Ian, and River followed. They exited the house and Jack locked up.

  Outside, they proceeded down the sidewalk.

  “Keep your eyes peeled,” Ian said remembering his encounter with the hawk. The three men quickly formed a human perimeter around the small cat. They quickly moved to the driveway and Jack’s waiting SUV which was parked outside the garage. No bird made a move for River this time. Jack got in the SUV behind the wheel. Ian called shotgun and darted to the front seat. Brian opened the rear passenger door and River hopped up on the seat. He got in after her and Jack started the vehicle.

  About fifteen minutes later, they pulled into a guns and hunting goods store. Jack handed the leash to Brian and he affixed it to the collar around River’s neck. River shook, adjusting her coat, after he finished this. The four exited the vehicle and proceeded to the store’s entrance. Once inside, they were greeted by a tall heavy-set man of around fifty. He looked tired and his nose and cheeks sported the gin-blossoms of a heavy drinker.

  “Good morning, gentlemen. Can I help you find anything?” He noticed River standing next to Brian. “Hey, you can’t bring that cat in here,” he asserted.

  Jack spoke up. “Look, Paul,” he started, reading the man’s nametag. “We’re about to spend a lot of money here in your store today. I’m sure you can allow us the privilege of having a leashed cat with us. She is very well behaved and won’t disturb a thing.”

  River looked at Paul and meowed. Paul almost thought she was confirming what Jack had said. Paul looked apprehensive but after a moment of consideration about the promise Jack had made about their spending, he consented to having the cat.

  “Thank you,” Jack said. “Now, I know there’s a waiting period on hand guns so we’d like to look at some shot guns. I’ll also need ammo for my Walther PPK.”

  “Follow me to the rifles. I’ve got that ammo. How much do you want?” Paul asked. The group was moving toward a counter where racks of shot guns hung from the wall behind it.

  “How much do you have?” Jack responded.

  “Maybe a thousand rounds or so,” Paul answered.

  “We’ll take it all,” Ian chimed in.

  Paul looked surprised but nodded. The group had arrived at the shot gun wall. “Take a look around,” Paul told them. “I’ll go get those bullets for your Walther.”

  Jack wanted to stick with what he knew so he eyed the Mossbergs. Ian had his eyes on a Remington 870. Brian looked uncomfortable at the prospect of wielding a shot gun but he quickly found a substitute. A compound crossbow had caught his attention and Jack nodded in approval. The counter protecting the shot guns held a large variety of knives and all three men selected a couple each.

  Paul watched the three men as they shopped, seeing the dollar signs add up before his eyes. Those dollars would be useless soon but he didn’t know that any more than he knew his days were severely numbered.

  The three young men and the cat left the hunting store around 9:45 AM with over ten thousand dollars worth of shot guns, bullets, shells, knives, throwing stars (those had been Ian’s silly idea), arrows, and Brian’s crossbow. They had each also secured a Kevlar bullet proof vest. They stowed the weapons and body armor in the floor storage compartment of Jack’s SUV.

  After the hunting store, Jack drove them back into downtown and to the Target store. He parked the SUV in the underground parking ramp.

  “We are each going to get a cart and fill it. Ian, you get liquids. Bottles of water, Powerade, Vitamin Water. Stuff like that. Brian, you grab non-perishable canned food. Make sure to check expiration dates and get stuff that will last for a while, in case we have to be out of the city for a while. I’ll get hygiene and first aid supplies plus cat food for River.” He looked at the cat, “I’m sorry it’s not going to be roast chicken and sausage for a little while, my friend.” Jack turned back to the two men. “Get as much as you can and let’s meet back here in an hour. If you fill a cart before then and have time to go back for more, do it.” Jack pulled the spare car key off his ring and handed it to Ian. “You’ll probably be the fastest to fill since your stuff is big and bulky so you take this key to get into the car. I have some bungee cords so we can tie stuff to the roof if we need to. It’ll be a tight ride home but a quick one. Let’s go. And try not to be obvious. We don’t need to panic anyone. River, you’ll come with me.” Jack pulled a bag out from between the two front seats. “I’ll carry you in this. The downtown environment is a lot more open minded so no one will pay you any attention.” River moved to Jack and he placed her in the bag. She peered out over the top of the bag with interest.

  The men left the vehicle and took the elevator to the different levels of the store. An hour later and they were back at the car with their hauls.

  “I damn near cleaned out my checking account,” Ian relayed, “But we won’t be going thirsty anytime
soon,” he added proudly.

  Brian had done very well, securing a large variety of soups, pork and beans, canned vegetables and meats of many varieties. He’d also had the smarts to pick up two skillets and a saucepan. He explained that he skipped the silverware, stating they could each take a couple sets from Jack’s supply.

  Jack had secured as much over the counter first aid equipment he could think of: alcohol, Iodine, bandages, and gauze pads; as well as medications: aspirin, ibuprophen, stomach antacids, antibiotic ointments, and more.

  Once the SUV was loaded, they packed themselves into the vehicle and Jack thought he heard the vehicle groan but once they got moving, he realized the SUV was fine, albeit, he could feel the extra weight it was hauling.

  They arrived back at Jack’s townhouse around 11:15 AM and pulled the SUV into the two car garage. Jack parked and they quickly began to unload and organize their bounty. Just before noon, they decided to break quickly for lunch.

  In the kitchen, they were making sandwiches with the last of Jack’s deli meat and cheese. River happily helped them finish the meat, complementing Jack on his choice of turkey. They snacked on chips while they made their sandwiches.

  Suddenly, Jack said, “Someone’s here.”

  “What?” Ian asked. “I didn’t hear a knock or the bell.”

  “He’s walking up the sidewalk. At least I think it’s a he.” Jack’s nose twitched. “Yep, it’s a he,” he added. He moved to the door and opened it, obviously startling the man who was just reaching for the doorbell. He said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I heard your footsteps coming up the walk. Can I help you with something?”

  “Are you Jack Voight?” the stranger asked.