Again, Nicholson’s curiosity made him ask for more information. “Really, are you sure?”
The girl nodded, looking into his eyes. “Yeah. Definitely. They were scared.”
He glanced over at Zhang, who was listening to the exchange intently. She looked confused as well. The reports they’d heard about Leon were concerning, and based on the way he operated, including the brutality he embraced when taking what he wanted, they’d assumed there were no other ‘players’ operating in the area. In fact, according to the intel reports they’d seen, “The Lion” had eliminated every rival gang in the greater San Jose area. His group had grown large quickly, becoming an overwhelming force few were willing to stand against. With no law enforcement left beyond the boundaries of the Protective Zone, he was able to rule unchallenged. It was his gang that had been testing the perimeter of the PZ, so the thought of someone else operating within his area was difficult to envision.
The fact that the men who’d been chasing Tasha and her brother had been more concerned about someone other than The Lion was perplexing.
As he watched, Tasha bent down and wiped a few stray splinters away from the knee area of her brother’s pants. ``
“Hey, Tasha,” he began.
“Yeah?”
“Who were they afraid of? Do you know?”
The girl continued to clean up her brother, moving upward and pulling away the blanket so she could wipe the back of the boy’s t-shirt. “Some other gang leader or something? I think they’re waiting for the right moment to, like, attack or something.”
“Did they say this person’s name?”
The girl nodded. “Yeah.” She looked around nervously, as if she were afraid of being heard. When she spoke, she kept her voice low. “The Scorpion.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Near Santa Barbara, California
Driving through the morning fog along the coast, Serrano kept his speed in check, making it a point to keep the vehicle behind him in sight as much as possible as they drove along the winding road of Highway 101.
After the van had finally given out on them, they’d set out on foot, putting distance between themself and the man they’d left behind.
Tying him to the chair in front of the home hadn’t been his first choice, but leaving the man to recover and escape wasn’t necessarily a good choice, either, and they sure as hell didn’t have room to take prisoners with them. If the man was patient and remained quiet, there was a chance he’d earn his freedom, but it was highly unlikely. At best, he’d be found by others who would question what he’d done to get himself into such a predicament. At worst, he’d be found by the infected.
Either way, Serrano felt no sympathy towards the man. The man was a predator, one who’d hunted women, and based on the man’s own words, he’d raped them and killed them.
Something told Serrano the man had been doing those things to women long before the outbreak of the Rage virus.
If Serrano hadn’t heard the creaking of the wood floor, things might have turned out differently, but his instincts hadn’t failed him.
A series of creaks would have indicated someone had gotten up to use the bathroom.
A single creak, followed by nothing, had told his experienced ears something wasn’t right.
So he’d intervened.
Glancing towards the backseat, his eyes found the face of Sarah, who had an arm around each of her children and was looking out towards the coast, lost in thought. The two of them had reached a truce of sorts, with him making it clear he respected her as a strong, confident woman (one capable of kicking some serious ass), and her recognizing his position as the leader of their group. It was clear she and her husband/boyfriend/whatever (he hadn’t asked, and wouldn’t anytime soon) had a strong relationship based on trust, understanding, and communication, but in the field, no one in the group had anything close to the experience and knowledge he had. The Marines knew and accepted it, the other civilians accepted it, and now she accepted it, too.
“According to the map, we’re about halfway to Santa Maria,” Aaron said from the passenger seat. The five of them had piled into a dark blue hybrid version of the Hyundai Sonata, while Richard, Phillip, Jennifer and Damien had chosen an older model, heavily oxidized black Chevy truck with a King cab. It wasn’t ideal, and the gas mileage certainly stunk, but at least there was room for Damien. The man occupied the better part of the back row, leaving just enough room for Jennifer’s slight form.
Serrano nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. “Sounds good.”
“Will we be able to take a break there?” Sarah asked from the back seat.
Serrano’s eyes flashed to the mirror, where they met her gaze. He nodded. “Yes. It’ll be close to lunch, and we’ll most likely want to get more gas for the truck.” The thing barely had half a tank, and it made him uncomfortable given the uncertainty of the situation. If they had to speed away, how far could it go before the engine sputtered? Driving the slow speeds required by the condition of the highway was no issue for the hybrid vehicle, which was able to run using its battery, but the truck had little to no fuel efficiency at those speeds.
“Okay, thanks.” The woman replied, giving a slight smile. Though her eyes still showed a deep sadness, her smile still showed a warmness in her heart.
Feeling warm himself, Serrano asked the group. “Anyone mind if I crack the window? I just want a little fresh air.”
“Fine with me,” Aaron responded absently, still focused on the map.
“Okay here, too.” Sarah responded, looking at each of her sleeping children in turn. “Just not too far down, please.”
“Deal,” Serrano replied, pressing the button lightly, lowering the window about an inch and a half. The smell of the sea air flowed into the cramped confines of the small car, quickly refreshing them.
“That’s nice.” Sarah said, breathing in the air. “I feel like we were breathing ash for the last day and a half.”
“Totally,” Aaron said, looking up from the map again. “There’s a scenic viewpoint up ahead, Chili. How ‘bout we take a break early. I’m sure Jennifer could go for the opportunity to stretch out a bit, too.”
In truth, Serrano had already caught onto why Aaron was concerned about Jennifer. The young man quietly watched her from time to time, following her movements with his eyes as he smiled.
Looking back at Sarah, he asked, “That okay with you? Not sure you want to wake the kids just yet.”
Sarah’s eyes met his in the mirror, then intentionally moved sideways towards Aaron in the front seat. She’d noticed, too. “I think so. They’ve slept quite a bit. It’d be good to let them stretch their legs.” Smiling, she added, “And I’m sure Jennifer needs to stretch hers as well.”
“Alright.” Putting on his blinker well in advance, Serrano slowed before guiding the small vehicle off the road and up onto a small parking area above the highway. Not bothering with using a parking spot, he simply stopped the vehicle in the middle of the paved area, leaving it pointed towards the exit.
Once the truck pulled up behind them, they got out of the car, slowly, each of the adults taking time to stretch their legs and back. The kids didn’t bother, instead choosing to gaze out to the west.
“Mommy, the ocean is so big!” Olivia said, pointing.
“I know sweetie,” Sarah responded, reaching down and grabbing the young girl’s shoulder gently. “You’ve seen it before, remember?”
The young girl nodded as she thought back to the first time she’d been to the beach. “Yes, Mommy. It was you, and Daddy, and Jason.” Looking up at her mother, she asked, innocently, “Will Daddy still be in San Fra-cisco when we get there?”
Hearing the trap contained in the question, Serrano interrupted them. “Hey, look, it’s Damien! Damien, what’s shaking?”
The big man smiled widely. “Shoot, all of me, all the time, Chili.” He stopped, held his arms out at his side, and shook his hips, making his fat jiggle. The children burst
out laughing as they watched the man shake himself.
Looking over at Serrano, Sarah waited until he looked her way. When he did, she mouthed, ‘Thank you.’
Serrano allowed the group to remain at the scenic viewpoint for thirty minutes, giving them plenty of time to eat, drink, stretch their legs, and relieve their bladders in the bushes. During the stop, he noticed, to no surprise, that Aaron remained focused on Jennifer, bringing her water and snacks in a seemingly innocent manner. The young woman was appreciative, and offered the Marine bright, open, smiles in return. They sat near each other as they relaxed, making small talk as they looked off towards the Pacific Ocean.
Looking around, his eyes settled on Phillip, who was watching the couple suspiciously as he sat near his grandfather. The old man seemed oblivious to the closeness of the pair as he chewed on a piece of dried fruit.
Richard’s eyes came up to find Serrano’s as he approached where the two sat on the gate of the truck. He held up the piece of dried fruit. “Thank goodness I still have all my teeth!”
Serrano smiled. He held up a piece of dried mango. “They are a bit tough,” he offered. “You guys doing okay in the truck?” he asked.
“Yeah, we’re fine,” Richard responded, nodding.
“Fine,” Phillip said, curtly. His eyes didn’t stray from Aaron and Jennifer.
“You alright?”
“Yeah,” he replied.
“He’s worried about his little sister,” Richard began. “I told him, she’s a grown woman.”
Serrano remained silent as he waited for Phillip to respond. After a long moment, he did.
“Yeah, but you forget. I’ve been around young Marines a lot more than you,” he told his grandfather.
“Really?” The man replied, grinning. “I knew quite a few back in ‘Nam.”
Phillip shook his head. “Different times, grandpa. Guys these days…”
Serrano saw the opportunity to provide his two cents. “If I may, ‘these days’ aren’t what they were anymore.’”
Phillip looked up at the Navy SEAL as he considered his words. He shrugged. “Guys are still guys, though.”
“Yeah,” Serrano began, “but you’re friends with Aaron for a reason.”
The young man nodded. “I know.”
“Do you think he’s gonna try to take her to some sleazy motel and try to ‘hook up?’”
“No…”
“Most of all, do you think she’s not able to decide for herself what she wants?” Serrano inquired, looking over at the young woman. “I’ve only known her for a few days, but I can tell, she’s smart, confident, and sensible. She’s capable of making her own decisions.”
Phillip looked away, saying nothing.
Serrano reached out and nudged the young Marine on his shoulder, getting his attention. “Hey, if she decides she’s not interested, we’ll be there, okay?”
“Okay.”
Returning his attention to the older man, Serrano asked, “How’s your back?” He knew the old Marine had chronic back issues, and he figured two and a half days on the road would have been hard on the man.
Richard shook his head in response. “Not great, Chili, but I’ll manage.”
“Need a while longer to let it loosen up?”
The old Marine shook his head again and shrugged. “No amount of stretching will make a difference at this point. It is what it is.”
Serrano nodded. “Okay. Gonna get us loaded back up in about five, then.”
“Alright.” Regardless of his previous comments, the man stood and began stretching out his back, earning a pointed look from Serrano. He shrugged. “Can’t hurt.”
The SEAL shook his head as he walked away, heading over to where Sarah and Damien were keeping the kids entertained. As he got closer, he heard the big man telling Jason and Olivia a fishing story.
The man leaned back as he held his imaginary fishing pole. “I was like, ‘Woah, there, big fella!’ But that big ol’ fish wouldn’t give up! I let out some line…” he leaned forward, angling the imaginary fishing pole downward, “...then reeled it in,” he turned the imaginary reel. “Let out some, reeled it in. We went at it for about an hour. Let me tell you, I was gettin’ hungry. I had to have my buddy Cecil stuff a cheeseburger in my mouth!”
The children laughed gleefully at his comment, their attention solely focused on him as he told his story.
“We went back and forth, back and forth, until finally, finally, after all that struggle, I got that sucker -” He looked at Sarah apologetically. “Oh, sorry, ma’am.”
She smiled. “It’s okay. Go on.”
Damien nodded. “Anyway, that, bast- I mean, fish, finally gave in. I reeled him in as Cecil cheered me on.”
“How big was it?” Jason asked, his eyes filled with wonder.
The big man closed his eyes and shook his head in embarrassment. He held his hands out about six inches apart.
The group burst into laughter as the big man shook his head. “Yeah. Pretty embarrassing.”
Serrano let the laughter die down before he spoke. “Gonna be heading out in a few minutes.”
“Okay,” Sarah said, giving him a half-smile. She stood up from where she sat on the small wall at the edge of the parking lot and walked over to the car. Opening the driver’s door, she reached in and pulled the lever to open the trunk. She retrieved a light blue backpack from the trunk, opened it, and took out a black and red windbreaker, which had been rolled up tightly to conserve space. As she unrolled it, her eyes widened.
“Holy shit! I forgot about this!”
Serrano walked over to see what she was holding. It was a military handheld radio, which he quickly identified as an AN/PRC-148 multiband radio, similar to what he and his team had used in the field. “Where’d you get that?”
She told him about the Humvee she’d come across when they’d been heading north on the freeway after finding Camp Pendleton locked down. “Same place I got the gun,” she offered.
“Is it charged?”
She nodded. “Should be. It was when I found it, and I’ve kept it turned off since.” She turned the knob at the top of the radio, powering the device on. A green light shone brightly. “All I heard before was the standard emergency message you’d hear on the AM radio channels. I didn’t want to draw attention to us, so I never tried to use it.”
The two of them waited a few minutes before they heard the emergency message they’d grown familiar with. Nothing had changed. The government was still in need of someone who was immune to the Rage virus.
“Good find,” Serrano told her, nodding. He looked at the radio’s front display. The battery icon showed it to be about three-quarters full. “These things are great, but the battery life is at best ten hours when it’s fully charged. At this point, I’d safely give it six hours, so let’s turn it off, but keep it handy. We’ll check it routinely to see if there are any updates, but power it down after.”
Sarah nodded in agreement. “Okay.”
Ten minutes later, the group was back on the road, making slow but steady progress north along the 101.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
San Jose, California
“What’s in it for me?” The man asked, sitting back in his chair. Tall, muscled, and dark skinned, with a smooth, clean shaven scalp, the man looked like he was born to fight. The men standing on either side of him held their semi-automatic weapons tightly and wore grim expressions that said they’d gladly open fire should the man say the word.
“Opportunity.” The Scorpion replied, maintaining the man’s gaze without flinching.
Simeon Jackson had been ruling the northeast part of San Jose’s gang areas for the better part of three years without the slightest bit of resistance from any rival gang. They simply knew better. The man’s mean streak and brutal efficiency had made him a dangerous enemy to have.
Jackson spread his arms wide. “What opportunity? The whole damn country’s falling apart!”
“There’s
still plenty to be had, Simeon.”
The man leaned forward suddenly at the use of his name. “What’d you call me?”
The Scorpion’s hands came up in appeasement. “Sorry. Skull Crusher.”
Simeon ‘Skull Crusher’ Jackson glared back for a moment before sitting back in his chair again. Bringing his feet up, he rested them on the mahogany desk in front of him. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a cigar and a cigar cutter. After snapping off the end of the cigar, he held his hand out. The man on his right put a lighter in the open hand. He lit his cigar, passed the lighter back, took a puff from the cigar, then exhaled a huge cloud of smoke before speaking again. “Maybe I should ask something else. What’s in it for you?”
The Scorpion smiled. “Obviously, opportunity as well, but something else. Better control. Leon has tried to take too much, and he can’t control it. People are hungry, and when they’re hungry, they get desperate. Soon they’ll revolt. It’s only a matter of time before the whole thing falls apart.”
Skull Crusher nodded. “Yeah, no doubt.”
The Scorpion went on. “I’m offering you both an opportunity and a truce. Once I’m in control, everything east of the One Oh One is yours.”
The man took another puff from his cigar as he considered the Scorpion’s offer. Though part of him preferred to have the western part of the city, he figured eventually the military would start venturing further south, entering the city in an effort to give people a clear path to reach San Francisco. Once that happened, there would be a lot of bloodshed. Whether it was The Lion’s gang or The Scorpion’s gang, they’d lose that fight.
When they did, he’d have the opportunity he wanted. The main difference was, when the opportunity came, he’d do it on the down low.
Nodding, he gazed at The Scorpion through the cloud of smoke he’d released into the air. He had to admit, coming here with only one bodyguard was pretty brave. Maybe the Scorpion was ready to take over Leon’s gang.
Surviving Rage | Book 3 Page 30
