The Beginning of the End (Book2): Road to Damnation

by Kidd, Sean

  “He’s running off, Kane. Shall I shoot him?”

  Kane’s brother paused as though he was waiting for a response, “Whatever you say, brother.”

  He lifted the revolver and tracked the running man with gun sights. He took a deep breath, released half of it, and held. The sound of the shot echoed off the ridge, as the man fell to the ground.

  The Mountain Man clutched his lower leg and screamed in pain. Kane’s brother gave the revolver a spin on his finger and slid it back in his belt, like an old time cowboy, “Good shooting, eh brother?”

  The screams of the mountain man subsided, and he was crawling for the wood line.

  “Where are you going in such a hurry? I’ve told you, Kane and I have plans for you.”

  The man felt the pressure of a foot against his leg wound. He let out a piercing scream. He rolled back in time to see the butt of the revolver swinging toward his temple.

  * * *

  When the mountain man awoke, he was bound at his hands and ankles. His feet were chained two feet up to a large oak tree. His hands chained to the trailer hitch of the MRAP. He was suspended in the air, staring at the sky. His body was stretched to its limit. The pain was agonizing. He pleaded for a bullet from the revolver, as to not partake in the heinous scene, which was about to unfold.

  “Please let me go, or put a bullet in my brain. I’ll do anything. Just don’t rip me in half with your truck.”

  Kane’s brother pulled out the revolver and dragged it over his face, “Are you asking me for a bullet?”

  “I’m asking you to live first,” he begged.

  The mountain man watched as the evil man disappeared behind the MRAP. He took the opportunity to shake his restraints, hoping something would break free. He felt like his hand was loosening when he heard a voice coming back.

  “I found your gun.”

  Kane’s brother had been standing there watching the whole time. He was holding the orange non-lethal shotgun.

  He pulled the trigger striking the suspended man on the side of his stomach. The impact instantly left a purple circle on the man’s belly, forcing him to cry out in pain.

  Kane’s brother ran over and pushed the hot shotgun barrel against the wound, “Oh, she sure do sting, don’t she?” he mocked.

  Kane’s brother stepped back and pointed the barrel at the man’s skull, “I'm curious. Shall we put your little theory to the test?”

  The hanging man screamed and bounced in his restraints as

  Kane’s brother pulled the trigger. The mountain man turned his head as the shotgun clicked. It was empty. He lowered the gun and looked off into the distance, “Well, it seems we’ve drawn a crowd,” he said giving the mountain man a few taps on the forehead with the barrel, “Looks like it’s your lucky day.”

  The man twisted in his bounds until he saw a small group of zombies walking toward them. They were just a few hundred feet away.

  “They’re coming fast, my friend. You’re probably going to need your shotgun back.” Kane’s brother laid the weapon on the man’s chest. If it’s all the same to you, I think it’s time for my brother and me to skin out. Good luck, kind sir. You'll need it.”

  The man screamed as Kane’s brother walked away, “Untie me and give me a chance, you bastard!”

  The brother paid no heed. He climbed in the driver’s seat and started the engine. He paused for a moment watching the horde approaching, then put the MRAP in gear and stepped on the gas.

  Chapter 40

  Daniels jumped out of the SUV, lifted his rifle and put a round through a dead female’s skull. She was continuing to step in the door, chasing the smell of the living humans inside. She fell to the ground, and Daniels used his foot to roll her corpse out of the way.

  He heard Bunker call out from inside the Tahoe, “You need any help, Corp?”

  “I’m all set,” Daniels called back, as he used the butt of his M4 to give three knocks on the door.

  Beck unlocked the door from the inside and swung it open, “All clear, Corporal?”

  “It’s clear, Beck. Let’s get the kids in the car.”

  Beck led Ceci by the hand to the Tahoe, leaving his right hand free for his rifle.

  Destiny and Kaden followed close behind. Kaden was now supporting his own M4 and was scoping the area while he moved.

  “You know how to use that?” Daniels asked.

  “Yeah, Beck even let me shoot it out the window. He says I’m a natural.”

  “That’s good to hear, another crack shot on the team.”

  Kaden beamed as he stepped into the Tahoe.

  While they were securing the vehicle, Beck and Kaden brought most of the weapons down in the elevator and stacked them by the door. Daniels grabbed a couple of the green metal ammo boxes. Each had NATO 5.56 stamped on the side in yellow. They were heavy as hell.

  Beck was already on his second trip running back inside to get more ammo. Sawyer had the back Tahoe doors open and was standing guard. Bunker stood on the hood of the vehicle guarding the front.

  Daniels turned to run back to the building when he heard Bunker scream, “Runners!”

  He started popping off rounds, “There not stopping.”

  Beck dropped his arm full of rifles and lifted his slung M4. He rolled out around to the right side of the vehicle, while Sawyer went left.

  It sounded like someone was making popcorn as the M4’s popped off rounds. Daniels watched as the runners fell and tumbled to a stop.

  “This is gonna attract a lot of attention,” Sawyer said as he slammed in a new magazine. “Let’s get the rest of the weapons loaded. We leave in sixty seconds.”

  A few more quick trips and all the weapons were loaded. They funneled into the vehicle, and somehow Bunker ended up in the drivers seat. Two more runners were crossing the park at a full sprint.

  “Go, go, go,” Daniels called out.

  Bunker dropped the SUV in gear and stepped on the gas just as two of the runners slammed their faces against the window.

  “Holy shit! They’re insane,” Beck said.

  Master Chief Sawyer had a somber look on his face, “They’re not insane, Beck. They’re starving.”

  Bunker swallowed hard, and his voice broke a little when he asked, “Which direction?”

  “West, toward the Hudson River.”

  The streets littered with cars made traveling in the Tahoe difficult, but Bunker still managed to twist and turn through the mess.

  That is, until they hit 9th Avenue. A trash truck was flipped over on its side, and two cars blocked the way around it. The sidewalks were out of the question. They supported massive scaffold structures.

  Bunker stopped behind the two cars and looked over to Sawyer for advice, “What do you think, back up and go around the block?”

  The quick answer was, “No. When Beck and I were in Fallujah, the Republican Guard would block the streets with vehicles just like this. Then the turds would hide out on rooftops and ambush the shit out of us,” he stopped and looked back at Ceci and Destiny. “Sorry, ma’am’s. Anyway, they’d block the road just like this. After a few times of being caught in the shi…stuff. We learned how easy it was to move vehicles. Drop it into four-wheel drive, inch up until you’re touching the back axle, and step on the gas.”

  Bunker did, and the car slid out of the way. It almost seemed too easy. Once they were clear from the roadblock, Daniels couldn’t see the river, but he could see where the skyscrapers stopped. He knew they were close.

  It was time to text Ty, and tell him to stay away from the city. Daniels sent the text, hoping it wasn’t too late.

  Chapter 41

  “Mom, he’s okay. He’s in the city with some other people.” The phone buzzed again in my hand, displaying a new text message. “There’s something wrong, Mom. Dad said to stay away from the city. He’ll text us later, when he decides a safe place to meet. I think we should skip the hotel and go right to the city.”

  “Whoa, whoa,” Chevy interrupted.
“I thought your dad said to stay away from the city. Why would we go right there?”

  It was so obvious, I couldn’t believe he was asking me, “He must be in trouble and doesn’t want to put us in danger.”

  “Or, he’s perfectly okay and aware of some danger, and he’s trying to protect us against it. Maybe he’s attempting to figure out a safer way out of the city. Text him back, tell him you’re worried and ask if everything is okay.”

  I let out a deep sigh, I hated being wrong and, this time, prayed that I was. I punched the letters on the phone, watched as the send status bar moved across the top of the screen. This time, the text sent almost instantly.

  If we were lucky, dad would reply any second and put mom and my fears to rest. I lowered the phone and looked back at mom. She concealed it well, but her face with filled with doubt.

  “What do you want to do, Mom?”

  She hesitated, before answering, choosing her words carefully, “I know what you’re thinking, honey. You feel the need to race right to the city and save your father. I can understand that. Honestly, I want to do the same thing. But we have to remember; your father’s a big boy. He can take care of himself and knowing him; he’s probably running around trying to save as many people as he can. I think we should find a hotel, get a good night sleep, and leave at first light. We’re only four hours away. We can be there by 9 AM if we have to be. Besides, Charger and I really need to pee.”

  “Me too,” Sidara said.

  “So do I…like a Saratoga race horse.” Sage joked.

  We all started laughing, as I turned off the exit, “Hotel it is.”

  * * *

  As we came down the off ramp, we passed a strategically placed McDonalds. In a different world, this would have been a good quick place to grab some food for my weary travelers. The thought of food made my stomach rumble. The sound was contagious, as everyone started to complain about being hungry. “We’ve got plenty of food in the back of the Humvee. We can eat as soon as we get our rooms.”

  As luck would have it, there was a mom and pop hotel right down the street from the restaurant. It looked like the kind of place that catered to the lower income travelers, looking for some fun at the track. The rest of the year it would remain mostly empty, other than the occasional male separating from his wife, or possibly a secret meeting place for a forbidden affair.

  That was good news for us. The racetrack was shut down at the end of summer, so there were no guests this time of year.

  A lone Volvo sat abandoned at the far end of the parking lot. Judging from the way the owner concealed it behind the hedges led me to believe the reason for their stay was the latter.

  I avoided the car and parked on the opposite side, next to the manager’s office. I turned off the engine and watched Cowboy’s peculiar actions.

  He pulled his Humvee over the curb onto the grass and carefully drove behind the building, knocking over a few saplings in the process.

  “What the hell is he doing?” I questioned.

  “He’s hiding his truck in the back,” Chevy answered as he jumped out and started stretching.

  “Huh.” That was a good idea on his part. Why hadn’t I thought of that? I started the vehicle back up, and Chevy stuck his head back in the window, “What are you doing?”

  “I’m gonna pull around back like Cowboy and hide the Hummer.”

  Chevy shook his head at me, “Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? I thought the whole point of having two groups was to keep everything split up. If something happens in front, we will get the Humvee in back, and vice versa.”

  That made perfect sense too. I felt sheepish. “You know what, Chevy? You’re pretty smart for a moron. I knew I kept you around for more than your good looks.”

  “You’re such a dick,” he muttered.

  I stepped out in time to see Herman come running around the building. A spike of adrenaline surged through my body. I pulled out one of my Glocks and ducked behind the engine block. He had his arms extended, and he was flapping his lips, pretending he was an airplane. Thurman chased after and appeared to be disciplining him, “Herman, get back here. We don’t know if it’s safe.”

  I watched as Thurman continued to chase him through the parking lot, shaking his fists.

  Then I heard a voice behind me, “You seem a little jumpy. Is it because of your dad?”

  Sage was standing with her head cocked, giving me a worrisome look.

  “Yeah, I guess so. We’re so close now. I just want to get to him.”

  Cowboy and Luther joined us a moment later, “This place looks pretty deserted.” Cowboy said, as he handed me a bottle of water.

  “Yeah, but just to be safe, I think we should check all the rooms and try to avoid using guns if at all possible.”

  “What’s it matter as long as our rooms are clear,” Luther asked.

  “It’s going to be pitch black out here in about fifteen minutes. That makes it tough to see if anyone is coming. The less noise we make, the less chance we have of attracting attention to ourselves. The last thing we need is a zombie banging on a door from inside a room, trying to get out, and attracting more zombies.”

  I reached in the Humvee and pulled out my Ronin swords. I gave one to Cowboy, “Here use this. We’ll start clearing the rooms right away. You and Luther start on this side, and Chevy and I will head to the far end. I have a feeling the owner of that car is in one of those last rooms.”

  Cowboy looked across the lot at the vehicle, “I was thinking the same thing, but maybe you should take Thurman.”

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  Cowboy glanced over at Chevy, who was showing his bite mark to Sidara. Chevy’s meager attempt of hitting on her.

  “I think your pal has had quite a day, you know, being bitten and all. And after spending the last hour in the Hummer with Thurman, I think he has an ax to grind with these zombies.”

  “Can I trust him with a weapon?” I asked.

  “I think we’re past that now,” Cowboy said.

  I looked across the lot again. I could tell by Chevy’s animated arm movements, he was hitting on Sidara and telling her the story of his zombie encounter.

  “Hey, lover boy,” I called out.

  Chevy spun around, mean mugging me.

  “Do me a favor and give Thurman your tomahawk. He’s going to help me clear some rooms.”

  Thurman heard what I said and came jogging over, “I’m ready, Ty. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

  Chevy left Sidara long enough to hand me the tomahawk and pass on a message, “Remember a few minutes ago when I said you were a dick, Ty?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Because I was wrong. You’re not a dick. You’re an asshole.”

  He turned red-faced and started walking back to Sidara.

  “I’m sorry, Chevy. I really do love you.”

  He responded by not looking back and raising his middle finger.

  “I love you too, buddy.”

  I handed the tomahawk to Thurman, “A word of warning. I had to kill a woman in a car dealership in Plattsburgh with that thing, and it got stuck inside of her head. It was pretty gross.”

  Thurman examined the dried blood and hair that covered the weapon’s edge.

  “If you guys are ready, let’s go. Remember, no guns unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

  Thurman and I headed for the far end of the lot. I expressed my concerns about the abandoned vehicle, and he agreed that there was a probable threat in one of the end rooms. We got to the first door and latched onto my arm, “How do we want to do this?” he asked.

  “We’ll take it slow, one room at a time. I’ll give the door a few knocks and then we’ll wait and listen. If we don’t hear anything, I’ll try the handle and see if it’s unlocked. If it’s not, you pop it with the awe on the backside of that tomahawk your holding. We’ll swing it open and move in slow. Don’t forget to check your blind spots, like behind the door. Are you ready?”

&
nbsp; Thurman took a couple quick, deep breaths and answered, “Okay, I’m ready.”

  I raised my Ronin sword and lifted a fist to knock on the door.

  “Wait!” Thurman said.

  I froze mid-knock.

  “What if we do?”

  “What if we do what?” I asked.

  “What if we do hear something, when we knock?”

  “If that happens, you give the door a kick, and I’m going in swinging. If anything gets in my way, I’ll chop it in half before it has a chance to do anything. Got it?”

  “I got it,” he answered.

  I gave the door a few raps, “Okay, here we go.”

  * * *

  By this time Cowboy and Luther had already cleared three empty rooms, alternating who made initial entry. Luther checked the last one, so this one was Cowboy’s.

  He jiggled the handle and listened. A high-pitched moan came from the other side of the door. He looked at Luther and didn’t have to say anything. He already had his knife raised. Cowboy lifted the sword above his head and gave Luther the okay to kick in the door. With a brisk wallop, the door flew open, pushing the zombie standing on the other side backward, onto her ass.

  Cowboy charged into the room and brought the sword down splitting her brain into two perfect hemispheres. He lifted the sword and looked to the bathroom where a noise startled him. He cocked the sword back, resembling Babe Ruth when he was about to hit a homerun, “Come out Mr. Zombie,” he taunted.

  Something metal clinked against the porcelain sink. He was distracted for a brief second, wondering what the noise could have been, when a runner shot out of the bathroom leaping toward him. Cowboy swung the sword but reacted too slow. His wrists hit the runner’s shoulder. The blade missed the zombie and flew out of Cowboy’s hands.

  The two men, one living and one dead, tumbled over wrestling. Cowboy latched onto the runner’s neck and yelled for his partner, “Luther, where the fuck are you?”

  Cowboy held off the runner, while he clawed at his face.

  Hisses and gurgling sounds came from the dead man. Cowboy was losing the battle. These runners were stronger and faster than normal zombies. He screamed for Luther again and wondered where the hell he was, when he felt the runner’s body spasm. Luther sunk the knife deep into the top of the man’s skull.