He dragged her to one of the other bedrooms and raped her before putting a bullet in her head as well.
When he emerged from the bedroom, he told his crew to head downstairs and torch the place.
“What about the kids?” Julio asked.
“Leave ‘em. Too full back at our place.”
“Hey, man, that ain’t cool.” Miguel said, frowning at Leon.
‘Here we go,’ Leon thought before he stepped over to the man, closing the gap between them until they were face to face. “You gotta problem with my orders?”
Miguel looked away, shaking his head. “Nah, Leon. I’ll do whatever you say, but them’s kids there. We leave here, we’re killing kids.”
Leon glared at the man, anger building inside him. He didn’t want to kill the children, but like the woman, there wasn’t room for them back in their territory. “In times like these, sacrifices have to be made. Now, do what I fucking say or we’ll tie you up and leave your ass here with ‘em.”
“Alright, man, chill,” Miguel said, turning and making his way down the stairs.
Watching the man leave, Leon felt confident he’d identified the person who’d try to take his spot at the top of the food chain. If the man challenged him again, he’d put a bullet in his head.
The building was nearly gone now, the upper floors having collapsed onto the lower level several minutes ago, and still Leon waited, watching the flames slowly decrease in size. Occasionally a piece of wood would crack or pop, sending sparks into the night sky.
Looking sideways at Leon, the Scorpion wondered, ‘When will this pendejo let us move on?’
At this point, the Scorpion had lost all respect for Leon, so much so that just the title of ‘Leon’ was irritating. The man may have envisioned himself as a Lion, but he was incapable of the role. Perhaps he could lead a gang of followers, but he couldn’t lead a pride.
He filled his inner circle with those who felt were the most loyal, as if that was the most important thing. Sure, loyalty was important, but the truest loyalty was earned through the strongest relationships.
To make matters worse, the man couldn’t see the true potential of those around him.
True leaders developed leaders while they led, teaching them and helping them grow while creating in them both a sense of pride and a sense of loyalty. People appreciated and admired having a leader who believed in them, gave them opportunities, and celebrated their successes. When they found someone who did that, they gave their loyalty freely, and when it came down to it, they would fight and die for the leader they admired and respected.
Leon wasn’t that.
The man was clearly in over his head, and now he was just making shit up. The promise he’d shown early on had faded as he’d quickly become overwhelmed by the enormity of what he’d put in motion. He’d been much better off keeping control of something one-fifth the size of what they now ruled, something a little larger than what they’d started out as, but not much more.
He simply couldn’t maintain sight of the big picture.
Big dreams are good to have, but if you don’t have the ability or capacity to see them through to reality, you were better off keeping them as dreams. Allow yourself to believe that you could do it, but save yourself from the pain of finding out you can’t.
Watching Leon move his feet restlessly, the weakness the Scorpion believed was there was confirmed. The man was bothered by what they’d done, and yet, for some reason he’d done it anyway.
They should have walked away, regardless of the outcome. If someone got out, so fucking what? So they go tell others. So what?
Under the right leadership, challenges wouldn’t be feared.
They’d be welcomed.
In time, the gang would have the right leadership.
For now, patience was the key.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
East of Edison, California
The two hybrid cars hummed lightly as they made their way north, out of the desert and towards the city of Bakersfield. Since the rescue of Joe Reilley, who now rode along with Logan and Paul, they’d driven nearly a hundred and twenty miles over the last three and a half hours. Along the way, they’d seen a small group of infected, who’d stumbled towards their cars almost drunkily, possibly weakened by lack of sustenance, which made Serafina wonder how long the things could go on in their state.
While the prospect of them eating their prey was terrifying, it morbidly made sense. If they were to survive, they had to consume something, and they certainly weren’t capable of picking out what was edible out of what remained.
‘They’d die before they ever figured out how to use a manual can opener,’ she thought, looking through her sunglasses at the road ahead.
Could it be that there’d been another ‘evolution’ of the things, a further mutation of the virus? One that carried with it a desire to consume flesh, borne out a survival instinct? If so, had anything else changed?
Would Isabella still be immune?
Shaking her head, she returned her focus to driving. There was a cluster of cars ahead, so she’d have to slow prior to maneuvering through them. Which also meant there could be threats. Looking over at Daniel, she saw him staring at the jumble of cars on the road ahead.
“Could be trouble,” he said.
“Agree,” she replied, before asking, “Should we let Logan go first?”
Daniel considered this for a moment before shaking his head. “No. We can’t let ourselves get used to having someone else take all the risks for us or fight the necessary battles for us. We’re in this, and we need to stay focused on how we will survive in it.”
Serafina nodded. “Girls, we might need your help up ahead. Be ready.”
Ashley, who’d remained focused throughout most of the ride since they’d picked up Joe, replied, “Okay, Auntie,” before reaching into the door compartment and retrieving her handgun.
Brenna nodded as well. “Okay.” Reaching down to her left, she picked up her bow from where it rested partially on the floor and partially against the door. Had it been a full-sized bow, it would be impossible to use from the confines of the car, but the slightly shorter one, which fit her height perfectly, was barely manageable. Her shot wouldn’t be as true as it normally was, but it would still be effective.
Approaching the mass of vehicles, Serafina saw an old RV stopped on the side of the road. It had been badly burned, destroying most of the vehicle’s frame and shattering the windows. Behind it and attached was a small SUV, which had somehow escaped the fire. Closer to the middle of the road, a shiny red Corvette had skidded out and was pointed towards the median. At some point after it stopped, a large white passenger van had crashed into it, pushing it sideways and crushing the door, sending it towards the middle of the vehicle. As they neared, she saw bloodied figures in the Corvette. Their heads were tilted upwards towards the sky, their throats ripped apart.
With the RV burned and the Corvette’s occupants dead, the remaining threat, if there was one, would come from the van. Unfortunately, it was to hers and Brenna’s left, making the guns of Daniel and Ashley at least initially ineffective were a threat to emerge.
“Stop here,” Daniel said, looking towards the vehicles. They were still twenty-five yards or so from the van, and there was no sign of movement.
Taking a deep breath, Serafina stopped the vehicle. “Ashley, get in the driver’s seat.”
“Okay.”
“What are you doing?” Daniel asked.
“What? I thought you wanted to check things out?” She grabbed her gun and got out of the car, staring at Daniel as she did so, daring him to challenge her.
Knowing better than to take her up on the challenge, Daniel nodded in agreement. “Okay, give me a sec. I need to let them know what’s going on.” He picked up the CB mic and spoke into it.
“We need to clear the van and RV up here to make sure it’s safe.”
Logan’s voice came through the CB radio. “Need backup?�
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Daniel shook his head. “Nah. Looks like an old wreck. Whatever was here has probably moved on, but go ahead and pull up behind us and stay ready, just in case.”
“Roger that.”
Putting the mic back in its cradle, Daniel grabbed his gun and followed her. Walking around to where she stood at the front of the vehicle he asked, “How do you want to do this?”
Serafina looked towards the vehicles, scowling as she regarded the van. Whatever had attacked the Corvette’s passengers could still be around. Could they be lying in wait? Would they be smart enough to try something covert? It seemed unlikely, but surely the safest way would be to assume they were.
She pointed. “We approach the van, then you head around the backside of it while I maintain position at its near end, so I can stay between it and the car, should anything come out of it.”
Daniel nodded before reaching out and squeezing her arm. “Good plan.”
Bringing the guns up, Daniel holding the shotgun, which he preferred for close combat, and Serafina holding her handgun, the two of them made their way to the back of the van, then split up, with Daniel heading around it while she stood guard.
Moving along the driver’s side of the van, Daniel noticed the door to the vehicle was open. Sidestepping he kept his primary focus on the front seat of the van while occasionally glancing towards the front of the vehicle, just in case someone or something was lying in wait.
When he reached the open door, he pivoted and pointed the shotgun inside the cabin of the van. The battered, dried out remains of a man sat in the passenger seat. His face was bruised and bloodied, his mouth torn open from the middle back towards his ear, as if someone had grabbed the inner cheek and pulled it aside, revealing the jawbone and teeth. The heavy smell of decomposing flesh invaded his nostrils, making him blink back tears as he fought his gag reflex.
Aside from the man, nothing else was in the front of the van, so he readily backed away. Grabbing the door handle, he slowly closed the door, putting it in place before slowly leaning into it until it clicked shut.
Moving forward, he checked the front of the van, and when he saw nothing, he moved around the Corvette. As expected, there was nothing else to see there.
Reaching the back bumper of the Corvette, he hesitated. He wanted to verify the van was completely clear before moving on to the RV, but hated turning his back on the big vehicle. Likewise, he hated turning his back on the van before clearing it. After a brief pause, he decided to check the RV first. Looking at Serafina, he brought two fingers to his eyes, then pointed at the RV. She nodded in response.
Moving around towards the front of the vehicle, he looked through the windshield at both seats. Both were empty. Continuing on, he moved towards the right side of the vehicle until he reached the door to the main compartment of the vehicle. The door was hanging open, moving slowly in the wind. Standing near the entryway, he paused and listened for signs of movement from within the big vehicle. He heard nothing, but as he waited there, his nose picked up the scent of death, much more powerful than what he had smelled in the van.
‘Oh boy.’
Taking a breath, he swung around and faced the steps that led inside. Keeping the barrel of the powerful Mossberg shotgun in front of him, he ascended the steps, his eyes moving constantly as he tried to determine whether or not threats waited within the large interior of the vehicle. Arriving at the top step, he saw prone bodies on the floor to his left. Looking quickly to his right, he saw nothing but the empty seats at the front. Climbing the last step, he kept the barrel of the gun in front of him as he reached out with his right hand and pulled the string to the Venetian blinds that covered the closest window. Light poured into the space, revealing the feet and legs of people in front of him, but he couldn’t see much else. Stepping even closer, he reached out and blindly reached for another string as he maintained his focus on the legs of the people in front of him. Eventually, his fingers found the string and he pulled it downward, raising the blinds.
He looked towards where he expected the torsos of the bodies to be and was confronted with the sight of a woman, two small children, and one man, all dead, each having found death through the brutal savagery associated with the infected.
Bam!
The RV shook on its springs as something hit the closed door that concealed the vehicle’s bathroom.
‘What the?’ The sound was loud and hard, but somehow not as powerful as what he would have expected based on his experiences.
Serafina’s voice called from outside. “Daniel?”
Choosing not to answer her, Daniel brought the shotgun up and aimed it towards the vehicle’s small bathroom as he stepped in the direction of the steps that led down and out of the RV.
Bam!
The lower part of the door splintered outward, a mixture of wood, plastic, and vinyl giving way under the assault.
“Daniel!”
He cocked the gun, chambering two rounds. When the thing came out, he’d put a shitload of lead into it.
Bam!
The lower half of the door exploded outwards as a small figure came crashing out. Daniel’s gun followed the thing as he took aim. It jumped to its feet instantly.
Daniel hesitated.
It was a young girl, no more than five or six years old. Her face was covered in blood, as were her arms and torso. She screamed and lunged forward.
He couldn’t pull the trigger.
The girl’s foot caught the head of one of the corpses on the floor and she fell forward, landing in the pile of bodies. Daniel raised the gun and squeezed the trigger, bringing the hammer closer to the firing pins -
But not enough to fire.
Glancing to his left, he saw a metal fork on the counter. Grabbing it, he ran down the steps and exited the vehicle, slamming the door shut behind him. Turning back to the door, he pulled the hasp closed and jammed the fork through the opening.
Wham!
The door shook hard as the child threw her body against it. The fork rattled around in the opening, threatening to come out. Grabbing the tines of the fork, he pulled downward, using his weight to aid him, and bent the fork into a v-shape, lodging it firmly in the hasp.
Wham!
The hammering continued against the door, causing the vehicle to rock even more.
“What the fuck is going on?”
Serafina was standing near the back bumper of the RV, holding her gun at her side.
“Sorry. I was trying to determine what it was, and didn’t want to give away my position.
Wham!
She looked confused. “So you found it. Why didn’t you kill it?”
Daniel looked down at the ground, embarrassed. “It’s a little girl. I know it shouldn’t matter, but it did.”
“Do you think that thing would hesitate if it had a chance to kill you?”
“No.”
Wham!
Shaking her head, Serafina walked over and pointed the gun at the door. Looking at Daniel, she said, “They’re not human anymore. That thing isn’t a little girl, and it never will be again.”
Wham!
She pulled the trigger.
The banging stopped.
The two cars continued on for nearly two more hours before reaching the outskirts of Bakersfield. With the sun nearly gone from the late afternoon sky, the skyline of the small city was eerily dark, with the handful of tall buildings in the distance standing there like dark monoliths.
After letting Logan and the others know they were stopping to find a place to camp for the night, Daniel pulled the Prius to the side of the road and consulted the map with Serafina.
Seeing a small green area close by and well away from the highway, Daniel muttered, “Damn, I wish we still had our sleeping bags.”
Serafina shook her head. “Yeah, well, we don’t. What else can we use for temporary shelter?”
Her husband shrugged and pointed. “I mean, it’s been ages...but I guess I could.”
L
ooking at where his finger indicated, Serafina asked, “Seriously?”
Daniel shrugged. “Why not? I’m pretty sure I won’t burst into flames or anything.”
“Dork.”
He stopped joking and got serious. “It should be big enough for all of us, and will most likely have strong doors and only a couple of entrances, which will be easy to guard. The benches won’t be that comfortable, but we’ll make it work.”
Nodding in agreement, Serafina smirked. “Alright. Let’s go to church.”
Our Lady of the Rosary church was a medium sized building, with a high, steepled roof and stained glass windows that sat high on the structure’s walls. As predicted, there was only the main entrance visible from the street and sidewalk, but a quick walk around the perimeter revealed a second, much smaller door at the rear right corner of the building.
Choosing to leave the front doors intact in the event of an assault, the group parked their near-twin cars in the church’s rear parking lot and emerged from the vehicles, forming a much larger group than the five that left San Diego. With Logan, Isabella, and the newly added Joe, their ranks had swelled to eight.
Looking towards the dark stained wooden door at the rear of the building, Daniel looked at both Serafina and Logan. “Like the doors at the front, that one opens outward. Pulling a door open is considerably harder, but I’m thinking we use one of the tire irons to wedge it open.”
Logan nodded and smiled. “Nice. I like it.”
Serafina’s brow creased in uncertainty. “Why don’t we try knocking first?”
Daniel paused, considering what she’d proposed. It was possible that someone was within. Churches were usually where people went in times of extreme uncertainty. WIth that said, there could be dozens of people within.
Shrugging he relented. “I mean, I guess we could…”
Serafina smiled. “Alright. How ‘bout me and Logan here check it out, while you hang back with the group?”
Surprised that they wouldn’t be a team, Daniel turned and looked at his wife. “What?”
Surviving Rage | Book 3 Page 25
