Unwanted World: A Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian Survival Fiction Series (The EMP Survivor Series Book 4) (The EMP Survivor Series (5 Book Series))

by Chris Pike

  Kate propped herself up on an elbow. “Reload and I are a team, a package deal. I will never tell him to beat it. I’ll never be with a man who doesn’t want Reload.”

  Nico turned serious. “I know that, Kate. We – you, me, and Reload – are a team starting now. Wherever you go, I go. Wherever Reload goes, I’ll be right there with him.”

  “That’s all the reward I need,” Kate said.

  “Told you it would be priceless.”

  Epilogue

  (One week later)

  When it was all over, the Crocketts piled the bodies in an empty lot near an abandoned building and set them on fire. It had been a gruesome, yet necessary task to prevent the spread of disease. The pyre burned for days until only a pile of ashes was left.

  One of the Crocketts informed Kate she had killed Marisa’s brother, a killer in the drug trade known to be merciless.

  “He deserved what he got,” Kate had responded coldly, “along with his sister.”

  Nico had wanted to ask her if she knew him, but decided it would wait for another time.

  After the shootout and the resulting fallout, Kate and Nico decided to stay at the Minor Hotel. They had all they needed to survive the winter so the decision had been a fairly easy one.

  Of the Tombstone biker bunch, Doc Holiday was the only one who had engineering experience. He had minored in engineering at college, so after the excitement of the shootout he put his knowledge to use and tinkered with his bike hoping to start the engine.

  He used the valet parking bay for his makeshift garage, having found basic tools in the valet’s office. The bikes had all been gassed up prior to when the electrical grid went down, not in preparation for an emergency, rather for convenience. When Doc and the others were ready to get back on the road, the last thing they wanted to do was to stop and get gas.

  There were four other bikes Doc had to repair, and while it had taken a lot of tinkering, jerry-rigging, praying, and good old fashioned engineering, the other four he fixed didn’t take long.

  “Won’t you come and stay at my house?” Doc Holiday asked. He was sitting on his Harley ready to make the trip back home to Houston. He throttled the engine. “Kate can ride double with me, and Nico, you can ride with Johnny Ringo. It’s only a few hours back to Houston from here.”

  Nico shook his head. “I promised Kate I’d get her back home to Austin.”

  “How?” Doc asked. “It’s too dangerous to walk on I-35. Winter is around the corner too, and you’re not exactly prepared for a long hike.”

  “I’m not sure how she’ll get back.” Nico put a protective arm around Kate and brought her closer. “I’ll think of something. I’ll find a way to get her home.”

  “I can’t believe you’re staying here.”

  Nico shrugged. “We’ll be fine. The guests are gone, there’s plenty of food to last several months, and we’ve got water.”

  “You’ll be okay,” Doc said. A gust of frigid northern air blew in, scattering leaves. A chill captured Doc and a cold shiver tingled down his spine. He pulled his collar up around his neck. He pensively looked at the road, mentally planning the quickest way to the freeway.

  Nico gazed skyward at the dark clouds rolling in. “The cold front will be here soon. If you leave now, you can beat the front before it gets to Houston. These blue northers can drop the temps thirty degrees in an hour.”

  Doc and the others throttled their bikes. “It’s time,” he said. “Here’s a list of rooms where Virgil and I hid the extra guns that we couldn’t carry.” Doc handed Nico a piece of paper with the room numbers penciled in. “Feel free to take anything you want, it’s quite an arsenal.”

  “Thanks for everything,” Nico said, “and Godspeed to all of you. How will I ever find you? I don’t even know your real name.”

  “The next time you see a bunch of middle aged graying bikers with Tombstone Gang on their jackets driving down the road,” Doc said, “well, that’ll be us. We’ve got a website, so hopefully one of these days, the grid will come back up and you can check us out.”

  Virgil added. “Just to let you know, we’ve decided to make you an honorary member of our gang. My wife Madge will get a jacket made for you. We’ve decided to crown you Wyatt Earp.”

  “I am honored.” Nico shook hands with Virgil. “I’ve been meaning to ask you where your wife was during all the excitement.”

  “Madge,” Virgil said, “tell him what happened.”

  “I got locked in an elevator.”

  “An elevator?” Nico asked. “How?”

  “One of them was open so I went in it to brush my hair in the mirror. Next thing I know the doors closed. I guess it was a short or something, or maybe one of the infamous Minor ghosts. I was on a ghost tour before the grid went down and I could have sworn I saw one of the ghosts in there with me. The ghost was lonely and I think only wanted company.”

  “An overactive imagination, honey,” Virgil said.

  “Perhaps. I still had the willies the whole time I was stuck in there. I’m never coming back here.”

  “Me either,” Virgil confirmed.

  “Well,” Nico said, addressing the group. “It’s been a real pleasure to fight alongside you. Godspeed to all of you.”

  Doc put his helmet on, tightened it, dipped his head, and saluted Nico. The Tombstone Gang rode out of the valet bay, turned right, then followed Doc to the interstate. Nico and Kate watched them disappear around a building. The roar of the motorcycle engines became fainter and fainter until they could no longer hear them.

  “Let’s head on back inside,” Nico said. “I need to check the doors to make sure the locks are holding.”

  “I’ll meet you back at the bar.”

  Kate opened the door leading to the bar. Reload followed silently behind. The bar sat quiet and empty. Chairs were askew and lamps had been knocked over, courtesies of the previous fight. A few broken bottles of liquor lay scattered on the floor. Kate tapped Reload on the shoulder to get his attention. She led him over to a corner of the bar. “Sit,” she instructed. “It’ll hurt your paws if you step on glass.”

  Reload sat on his haunches, waiting for additional instruction.

  Kate stepped behind the bar, retrieved a broom and a dust pan, and swept up the broken glass. She emptied the glass in a trash receptacle in the back room. “Reload, come.” She tapped the window then said, “Guard it.”

  Reload went to the door leading to the street and put his paws on the window. A plastic bag rolled along the ghostly empty sidewalk. Low, heavy clouds had rolled in, casting a wintery pall on the land. He huffed a warm dog breath on the cold glass, sniffing and taking in the smells of the deserted street. He caught the scent of a possum which had crossed the street the night before. It had stopped at the door, picking up the scent of food inside the building. The possum had reached his snout up along the door, searching for a way in. The door was shut tight so the possum left the area to patrol the rest of his territory.

  Reload’s eyes roamed over the deserted street looking for any sign of an intruder. If there were any, he’d bark a warning to alert Kate of danger.

  Kate picked up the chairs and set them in their proper places around the tables. She made sure lamps were plugged in the outlets in case the electrical grid booted back up.

  Without any customers, she wasn’t quite sure what to do. To busy herself while Nico made sure the doors to the hotel were secured, she dusted the shelves holding the liquor, tightened caps, wiped down the counter, and placed the liquor bottles so the labels could be seen.

  The wind whistled around the eaves and up through the spaces in the walls, making a peculiar whining sound.

  The sound of approaching footsteps in the hallway startled Kate. The doorknob squeaked open and a breath caught in her throat.

  Sensing Kate’s increasing apprehension, Reload went to her side. His muscles were tense.

  The door opened.

  It was Nico.

  Kate breathed a sig
h of relief and Reload padded to Nico, tail thumping, his body wiggling from side to side. If a dog could be sheepish, Reload was.

  Nico reached down to Reload and took handfuls of fur, running his hands over the big dog’s back.

  “You both look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “We’re still jumpy.”

  “It was some sort of adrenaline rush, wasn’t it?”

  Kate nodded.

  Nico came in, slid into a barstool, and put his hands on the bar. Deep, weary lines furrowed his brow, and he had the posture of a tired man.

  “Can I make you a drink?” Kate asked.

  “Seven and seven,” Nico said. “Hold the ice.”

  Kate laughed. “I think I can do that.” She retrieved a tumbler, splashed in a few ounces of Seagram’s 7 blended whiskey then topped it off with fizzy warm 7 UP.

  Nico downed the drink in two big gulps. He set the tumbler on the counter. “I needed that. Another one, if you don’t mind.”

  “I’ll make us both one.” Kate handed the stiffer of the drinks to Nico. Instead of gulping it, he took his time, sipping it.

  “How’s Reload doing?” Nico asked.

  Kate glanced at Reload, who was in his dog bed behind the bar. When he heard his name, he canted his head.

  “He’s fine. Probably tired and wired up like we are. As soon as you came in, he relaxed. I bet he’ll be asleep in no time at all.”

  “What about you?”

  “Me?” Kate said. “I’ll probably sleep good tonight.”

  “That’s not what I mean. I mean, how are you?”

  Kate shrugged. “I guess I’m okay.”

  “Are you?”

  “Maybe.”

  It was quiet in the bar. Somewhere a faucet dripped slowly and far away voices echoed outside. Nico held Kate’s gaze, and during the long moment a silent understanding happened between them. If they were to go forward, Kate would have to drop the invisible shield she had used to keep people at a distance.

  Don’t get too close.

  Don’t let anyone in.

  Kate’s heartbeat slowed down and she was keenly aware of her breathing. Nico hadn’t broken eye contact, and she was afraid to glance away, as if looking away would break the connection.

  “I think it’s time you told me why you need a service dog,” Nico said.

  For a moment Kate froze and a breath caught in her throat. She waited for the debilitating onslaught of emotions she had fought for so long to keep buried. She did as she always did: she concentrated on her breathing to keep her calm.

  Without realizing, she put her hand down to her side and waited for Reload to nudge her with his warm nose and muscular body. So many times he had come to her right before she had a panic attack. He’d nudge her until she petted him with long strokes on his back while she absentmindedly took handfuls of fur. It was like he was a sponge, absorbing those emotions she couldn’t handle. He’d stay with her until her heart rate slowed down and until the chemical reactions in her body returned to normal.

  When Reload didn’t come to Kate, she looked at him, worried something might be wrong with him. He had curled into a little ball and was sleeping peacefully in his dog bed. He yipped once and his paws moved like he was having a dream. It’s not that she didn’t need him, but when he didn’t come to her, it puzzled her for a moment.

  “Kate?” Nico asked with concern. “Is Reload okay?”

  “He’s sleeping,” Kate said.

  “He needs to sleep. He’s tired.”

  “It’s not that. Whenever I think about what happened to me in the past, Reload is always there for me.”

  “I’m here for you now.”

  A sprinkling of rain fell against the door and a blustery gust of wind rattled the glass. Leaves scattered on the road. Reload snored softly.

  “I think the cold front is here,” Kate said. “I’ll go get a blanket.”

  Nico reached across the bar and put his hand on her arm, stopping her. He met her eyes and shook his head. “No, Kate. Don’t run away from whatever it is. You can never run away from what’s inside,” he said, putting his hand against his chest, patting it. “You need to face what happened to you.”

  Kate dropped her chin. “I’m afraid to face it.”

  “You need to, or you’ll never be able to move on with your life.”

  “I know, but it’s so hard. I’ve wanted to forget it.” Kate absentmindedly rubbed the ring finger on her left hand, where a ring should have been, where she had worn one before.

  Nico noticed the movement but didn’t say anything.

  Finally Kate spoke. “His name was Ben.” She took a big breath then let it out. “I met him the first day I left home. I didn’t know what to do when I got here, so I decided to go visit the Alamo. It was a Saturday afternoon, lines were long and he was in line behind me. He started talking to me about stuff…I can’t even remember what he said. I thought he was some guy that was trying to make a move on me, and at the time I had no interest. When I left home I had a big fight with my parents so I was in no mood for guys.”

  Kate paused, letting her thoughts go back to the moment she had met Ben. She took a big swallow of the whiskey drink.

  “He said he was there for some class he was taking at a local university. He was in architecture and he said he needed to sketch the inside. Anyway, the line moved quickly and before I knew it, we were inside the Alamo and he went one way, me the other.

  “I didn’t think much about him. I had my purse over my shoulder instead of my chest, which was a stupid thing to do. I was outside on the grassy area and before I knew it, someone knocked me to the ground and was trying to steal my purse. It happened so quickly and the guy managed to get my purse. I was panicking because I had all my money and my phone in my purse. I screamed for help and Ben was the only one who ran after the guy. He tackled him, punched him until the guy let go of my purse. If Ben hadn’t helped me, I don’t know what I would have done. There was no way I was going back home.”

  “He sounds like a great guy.”

  “He was,” Kate whispered. Her gaze dropped to the floor. “We started dating soon after, and before I knew it, a month went by, then a year. We fell in love. We got engaged. He had started his own business and had signed a contract to design houses for a new planned community on the outskirts of the city. He was so excited and wanted to celebrate by buying a house for us, for the children we talked about having.”

  Nico put a hand on hers. He wanted to take her pain away, to turn back the clock, to erase whatever trauma she had endured. It pained him to listen.

  She pulled her hand away from his. “It was a gorgeous day when it happened. We went to the bank to get pre-approved for a loan.

  “We were sitting down at a loan officer’s desk when some guy burst into the bank, shot a round in the ceiling, and ordered everyone to get down on the floor.” Kate turned her back to Nico. A lump caught in her throat and she croaked, “I don’t think I can continue. I can’t talk about it anymore.”

  “Kate, please. You need to. You’re safe with me.”

  Kate pivoted to face Nico. Her face was scrunched up with anger and confusion. “I thought I was safe with Ben.”

  Nico was taken aback by her sharp tone.

  “I, uh, I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to lash out at you.”

  “It’s alright. I understand.”

  Kate dropped her gaze and stared at the floor as old memories came flooding back. Thoughts bounced around in her head and she took another drink to steady herself. She swallowed audibly and set the drink down.

  “Nobody knew what to do. We were frozen. Then Ben reached over to put his arm across me and it happened so fast. There was a shot and something wet and warm splattered my arms and my face. I didn’t know what it was. I thought it was coffee until I looked at my hands. They were covered in blood.”

  “Ben was shot?”

  Kate nodded. She sniffled and swiped under both eyes. “Nothing ma
de sense. It was like I was having an out of body experience. I was so focused on Ben I had no idea what else was going on. I remember him slumped over in his chair and making these awful gurgling sounds I’ll never forget. He was trying to say something to me so I leaned in closer to hear him.”

  “What did he say?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll never know. He was fading in and out of consciousness. I took his hand and I told him to stay strong and to hold on, that help was coming. He squeezed my hand so I knew he heard me. I was afraid to touch him, afraid I might hurt him. By then, the guy had left. Some of the people ran out of the bank while others were still hiding. One of the tellers came up to me and asked if I needed help. I said I was okay, but Ben wasn’t. We slid him to the floor and someone put pressure on his wound. All I could do was to hold his hand until help arrived. Before the ambulance got there, I knew he was gone because when I told him I loved him, he didn’t squeeze my hand.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Nico said. “I have a question for you.”

  “What?”

  “What happened to the man who shot Ben?”

  “I killed him last week.”

  Nico looked oddly at her.

  “He was Marisa’s brother. I first saw him when you and Virgil had gone to make the trade. I recognized him by the scar. He was standing in the shadows of the Hyatt. I tried to keep an eye on both him and you, but somehow he disappeared. Then I saw the snipers go into position so I went to get help. Johnny Ringo gathered the troops to help you. When we decided to regroup at the Alamo, I saw him again. We made eye contact and I’m sure he remembered me. I shot him dead. I did it for Ben.” Kate’s voice cracked when she said Ben’s name.

  She looked at Nico through blurry, tear-soaked eyes. Her face was flushed and her brow was furrowed.

  “You did right, Kate. You honored Ben’s death. He died trying to protect you. He gave his life for you.”

  Kate swallowed the lump in her throat. “I know. And look what I’ve done to honor him. I’m barely able to cope since it happened, and can’t do anything without Reload.”

  “That’s not true. You know how Reload senses when you aren’t able to cope, when you needed calming?”