Dead States | Year Zero | Nebraska

by Marty Brockschmidt

  Matt brought up his radio. “Building 'C' is free.”

  Mac pumped his fist in the air. “Yeah buddy.”

  Crystal tucked the radio away. “It's showtime.”

  Amy checked her pistol and holstered it. “I'm ready.”

  The two women made their way to the back of the house, where Mayhue had taken up residence. At the kitchen, Amy slipped a thin metal bar between the sashes of the kitchen window and undid the lock. Crystal slipped the tip of her knife under the bottom sash and silently opened the window.

  Amy helped Crystal up and through the opened window, then handed Crystal the two duffel bags. Reaching back through Crystal gave Amy a hand up. Once in the kitchen Amy picked up the duffel bags and Crystal closed and latched the window. Before she could turn around the kitchen light came on.

  Blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light Crystal came about to see Mathias Mayhue and Sara Parsons seated at the kitchen table. Sergeant Redding was standing behind Mayhue and two soldiers were standing at the side of the table pointing their service revolvers at Crystal and Amy.

  Mayhue chuckled sardonically. “You actually thought you could blow me up? Let's see what kind of explosives you cooked up. Slide those bags over.”

  Amy complied, sliding the duffel bags towards one of the soldiers. “Go ahead, see what they got there.” Mayhue ordered.

  The soldier unzipped one of the duffel bags and put his hand in. Suddenly he screamed in pain and pulled out his hand with Beast's bowling ball of a head attached and grinding away. “Get it off. Get it off.”

  Mayhue roared. “What the fuck. Shoot those bitches.”

  The other soldier raised his pistol aimed at Crystal, pulled the trigger and 'click'. He pulled the trigger several more times and the gun continued to fail to fire. Crystal quickly raised her own pistol and shot the two soldiers in the head. “The twins did a fine job cleaning all these soldiers guns for them.”

  Mayhue tried to draw his own revolver, but Sergeant Redding jabbed him in the back of the head with his gun. “Just place those on the table. Nice and slow.”

  Mayhue growled. “Sergeant Major, what in the hell are you doing.”

  Stu Redding answered calmly. “Guess I grew a conscience.”

  “I made you the man you are. I made you my right hand.” Mayhue argued.

  “It wasn't the man I wanted to be and you're not the man I can stand by.” Stu answered.

  Crystal holstered her pistol, walked behind Mayhue and confined his hands behind him with a zip tie. Withdrawing the matched set of 1911's Crystal handed them to Amy. “Matt will be happy to get these back.”

  Balling up a dish rag, Crystal forced Mayhue to open his mouth so she could insert it and held the gag in place with a strip cut from a kitchen towel. Crystal turned to Sara. “Now you.”

  Sara stammered. “B..b..b..ut, he made me do it.”

  Crystal clicked her tongue and wagged a finger at Sara. “You threw us under the bus the first chance you had.”

  Crystal had Sara stand up then zip tied Sara's hand together behind her back. Pulling Sara's chair into the center of the room, she had Sara sit back down. Grabbing one of the duffel bags, Crystal began carefully pulling out the heads and placing them in a circle around Sara's feet.

  As she retrieved the second duffel bag Crystal began to explain. “We hold this town. When it gets light, you are going to order your men out of the barracks and then you will all face the people of this town for the crimes you've committed against them. Sara, you are going to wait here with your little friends and once we've dealt with your boyfriend, we'll find out what the town thinks about you.”

  Sara whined. “Mathias do something.”

  Crystal scoffed went over to the dead soldier with Beast's head still gnawing at his hand. Crystal slapped its cheeks until it released its grip on the hand. Carrying Beast's head over Crystal finished the ring around Sara.

  Amy looked down the hall towards the dining room. “I have some friends, I need to say goodbye to.”

  Amy walked into the dining room, turned on the light and looked sadly at the three dead that in life were her friends, chained to the far end of the room. Amy walked up close and saluted the creatures straining at their bonds to get to her. She pulled her knife, back in the kitchen Mayhue winced every time one of the bodies hit the floor. When she was done Amy came back to the kitchen and wiped her knife off on Mayhue's uniform.

  Crystal pulled Mayhue to his feet when the first rays of morning showed themselves in the kitchen window. Leaving Sara behind, Stu and Amy followed behind as they made their way to the barracks and past the militia, Percy had placed to guard each end of the barracks.

  Crystal removed Mayhue's gag and ordered. “Call em out.”

  Mayhue glared at her. “Or what?”

  Crystal answered flatly. “Or they'll die in their beds.”

  Mayhue yelled. “Fall out. Assemble outside on the double.”

  The last of Mayhue's men exited their rooms, confused over the change of affairs. Crystal forced Mayhue to go outside and stand under the tower in the center of the courtyard. The soldiers were made to line up on one side. The townspeople came out and assembled on the opposite side of the courtyard. Mac and Colonel Paige exited the security office, as soon as Mac spotted Ivy he ran to her, sweeping her up in his arms.

  Ivy held Mac's face in her hands, her eyes tearing. “I always knew you would be back.”

  Mac's eyes were fixed on his wife. “I had quite the adventure. I brought some friends.”

  Ivy went to Colonel Paige and hugged the other woman. “Thank you for bringing my husband home.”

  Amanda's voice cracked a bit with the emotion of the moment. “Mac was very insistent.”

  Crystal held up her hands for quiet. “This is the place our nightmare under this man began, it is fitting this is the place where it ends. This is where he had Carol and her baby butchered. This is where he strung up Mac to die. This is where Joe Gant was hanged. This where so many of our friends were beaten to death and this is where they hung the heads of our friends who tried to escape.”

  Crystal pushed Mayhue forward. “Kneel.”

  Mayhue scoffed and remained standing. Percy tossed Crystal the baton he had been holding for her. “Captain.”

  Crystal caught the baton and swung it into the backs of Mayhue's knees. “Kneel. It is not a request.”

  Mayhue laughed in disdain as he dropped to his knees. “What are you going to do now?”

  Crystal snarled. “You are going to feel loss. Gunny, take down his men.”

  Percy nodded to the militia facing the soldiers. “Fire.”

  Mayhue howled as men fell, riddled with bullets. “You God damned bitch. You had no right.”

  Crystal stood behind Mayhue grasping her baton by the end. “Mathias Mayhue, may God have mercy on your soul, you will find none here.”

  Bringing the baton up, she swung the tip of the crook end down hard, plunging it into the top of Mayhue's head. Wrenching the baton free, she let Mayhue's body drop. She paused there, her eyes closed breathing hard.

  After a minute Crystal opened her eyes. “Mister Parsons make sure none of these will turn and assemble a detail to clear this filth from our town.”

  The rest of the townspeople were struggling with adjusting to the return of their freedom. Mac was starting to bring a crowd around him and questions were being asked about Colonel Paige and Dakota. The crowd around Mac parted as Crystal made her way to him. In silence she hugged the big man, who had been such a big part in establishing this town.

  After a moment Crystal let him go. “It's good to have you back. I'm sorry I lost Joe and Bob.”

  Mac shook his head. “That's not on you.”

  Crystal shrugged. “When you can, if the council can make a decision on Sara Parsons.”

  Stu Redding standing nearby spoke up. “I throw myself on your mercy. I don't really want to eat a bullet, but if you want me to leave, I promise it will be the last you
see of me.”

  Cynthia had been standing near to Stu, protecting him from those who might want to include him in with the rest of Mayhue's men. Cynthia put a hand on Stu's arm, but demurely kept her eyes downcast. “Please stay.”

  Mac shook Stu's hand. “Sounds like it is settled then.”

  While the bodies of Mayhue and his men were being loaded up, Amanda Paige went to Crystal who was by herself in the community room.

  Crystal rose to greet the other woman, her hand shaking as she extended it. “I'm sorry that we have to meet under these circumstances.”

  Amanda shook her head. “It is me that is sorry we weren't here sooner. I've come to you, commander to commander to start a conversation, to offer you my support. I'm out of here tomorrow, to retrieve some people Mac left behind, but we'll pick back up when I return.”

  Crystal faced this woman who was accepting Crystal as her peer. “I thought I would feel better. I thought it could make the emptiness go away.”

  Amanda smiled at Crystal. “You have good friends here, they'll get you through this. You did what you had to do, for them. Your strength and conviction it comes from them.”

  Crystal found solace in Amanda's words, as Percy came in to see the bond forming between the two commanders. “Excuse me Captain, the militia is assembled outside and is vaiting for you.”

  Amanda smiled at Crystal. “Go. You don't want to disappoint your troops.”

  Percy and Crystal exited the community room to see the entire town assembled outside. Around the neck of each towns person was a bullet cartridge. Etched onto each cartridge was a single name, 'ICE'.

  Epilogue

  “Thomas Higgins, how long do you plan on letting that poor woman hang out there?” Sue chastised her husband.

  Tom considered the woman who had been watching their campsite from a distance the past couple of days. Last night she had worked up the courage to move to a tree about twenty five yards from their camp and spent the remainder of the night in its branches. It's not like they haven't taken in strangers before, hell they've picked up about every stray that's come their way.

  Which is exactly why this was such a hard decision. For nearly a year they've made their way across this wasteland of the dead, hoping to find someplace safe to call home. Along the way, Tom has added to his band, as often as not the new additions were children. Occasionally they have had run ins with people who reveled in the darkness of this world. Every time, someone new was added the stakes to keep everyone safe and alive were raised.

  Tom took in a breath, exhaled slowly and smiled at his wife. “We're packing up later this morning. I guess I can't put it off any longer.”

  Tom picked up a bowl of food. Hap had joined their group several months ago. Hap was experienced at living off the land and he kept them stocked with food, but Tom had learned not to ask to many questions about what they were eating. Picking at the mixture in the bowl, Tom wandered nonchalantly towards the tree and finished his breakfast in the shade of the tree.

  The sound of a stomach growling caused Tom to chuckle softly. “You know if your that hungry, we have plenty to share.”

  “I'm fine, thank you.” The woman answered, indignant at being laughed at.

  Tom looked up, her face was obscured by the leaves and branches, but he caught a glimpse of red hair. “Suit yourself there Red, but we are pulling up stakes in the next few hours and you have spent the last two days checking us out.”

  A sprinkling of leaves and twigs caused Tom to look up and appreciates the woman's shapely posterior as she climbed on down. As she got close Tom offered a hand, which the woman ignored. When she got to the ground Tom got a chance to take her in.

  She was definitely dressed for the road. Worn hiking boots, jeans, jacket, belted with a holster, complete with pistol and knife. On her back was a backpack and a sniper rifle. Her hair was a lovely shade of red and appeared to have recently been crudely shorn back. She was tall for a woman, maybe five foot nine. Her face, though absent of cosmetics and somewhat sunburned, was beautiful. Her most striking feature, was her green eyes, that couldn't hide a deep sadness.

  Tom reached out a hand. “Tom Higgins.”

  The woman stood there silent, hands clenched to her sides, forcing Tom to continue. “And you are?”

  The woman chewed her lip as she thought about her response. “Red, will do.”