“I don’t know what you’re talking about Tim. I’m a simple man, how about you speak slowly and use small words.”
“Hell man, you missed it all,” Tim replied and slid onto a chair. “Where do I start?” He scratched his head and smiled.
Lenny watched him closely. Tim didn’t seem like a threat, but nothing was certain anymore. He still wasn’t sure what to make of him or the so called shelter.
“We were thinking it’d be some kind of North Korea and Iran collaboration, but no. They invaded Florida, right under our nose. Man you were at the center of it all, fucking ground zero.” Tim grinned like he was meeting a movie star.
“By the time Washington had a clue it was too late. They’d taken over too much and were gaining ground so we struck first.”
“Struck first! What the fuck does that mean?” Lenny inched closer.
“They detonated a nuke. A suitcase nuke, right over Florida. Shit the EMP alone took out half the Eastern power grid. I don’t think they were ready for the side effects.”
Lenny was still in a state of shock. He looked around the room observing the refugees that had come to call this place home. His eyes rested for a moment on Rebecca, she had slipped off and was jabbering with some of the younger women.
“You mean to tell me our own government did this to us?” Lenny asked as he turned back to Tim.
“No! Hell no man! They nuked Florida. The rest of this shit, this is World War Three man. You got half of our military forces taken out during the first wave. The next wave will probably kill us all.”
Lenny swallowed and cleared his throat. “The…The second wave?” he stuttered.
“Yeah, we fought em off. Sure we did, but they’re regrouping. They’ll be back and now aint no one left to fight em. We got maybe three more months. At least that was the last sitrep I got. No telling how accurate that is. All I know is they’re coming and when they get here it’s gonna be bad.”
“When who gets here?” Lenny asked as he boiled over with frustration.
He slid closer to Tim, breathing heavily like a kid around a campfire waiting for the scary part of the story. He stared at him with eager eyes, imploring him to answer.
“The aliens, the fucking aliens man!” Tim shouted as he jumped to his feet.
~The End~
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CHAPTER 1
ASSEMBLE THE SEARCH PARTY
“You gonna eat that?” Mark asked, licking his lips as he stuck his index finger into the lukewarm mashed potatoes.
He was a hefty fellow, who even in the face of Armageddon didn’t look like he’d missed a meal. His dark, brown hair was cut in the traditional military buzz and his meaty hands looked better suited on a gorilla. He was a staggering six foot eight and although he had the strength of an ox and the appearance of an ogre, he was sharper than one would expect.
Lenny looked at him and sighed. It’d been days since he had a full meal and his stomach rumbled in protest. Constant runs for supplies kept him on the move. Out there in the field it was slim pickings if any. Even with that in mind, Lenny was in no mood to pick a fight with the man they affectionately called “beast.”
“Take it. You put your filthy finger in it already,” Lenny said in exhaustion.
Mark grinned and slid the tray to his side. Without missing a beat, he started to inhale spoon after spoon and washed it down with a beer.
“You know what else I had my filthy finger in don’t ya?” Mark burped as he nodded in the direction of a lean, athletically built woman with long, black hair.
She was walking towards Lenny from across the mess hall. In one hand she gripped a semi-automatic rifle and in the other a half-finished bottle of vodka. She wore green fatigues and a gray tank top that had been torn so that it exposed the flaming sun tattoo around her belly button.
Lenny looked at her and smiled. Then, slinging his chair backwards, he jumped up and leaned over into Mark’s face. “Hey bitch, or beast…whatever they call you, you watch yourself or I’ll take that finger and shove it up your ass!”
Mark laughed and gave him a sideways glance. Lenny was definitely the smaller man. At six foot one and two hundred pounds he was no shrimp, but seemed child-like in the shadow of Mark. His dark, black hair and menacing scowl however, were no less intimidating. Something about Lenny made folk either respect him or just leave him the hell alone.
“Is there a problem?” a voice boomed from behind them. “Lenny…Mark, everything okay?”
“Just fine Tim,” Mark said with a sinister grin.
Tim was ex-military as well. Tall and lean like an NBA small-forward with the disposition of a senator. He led the small group of refugees that took shelter at the Nashville Civic Center and although he wasn’t a dictator, everyone accepted his word as law.
Lenny clenched his teeth as the woman stopped at the table and placed her hands on his shoulders. She shot Mark a dirty look and then pulled on Lenny’s arm.
“Come on let’s go. Mark’s got things to do…like beat off to that wrinkled page from Sports Illustrated he carries in his back pocket.”
“I do…I definitely do Rebecca,” Mark snickered.
“Good luck with that,” Lenny laughed and started to walk off with his arm around her.
Mark sneered at them as they disappeared through the double doors and around the corner. Once they vanished from view he turned to Tim and rattled off a few choice adjectives about Lenny and his “groupie.” Tim humored him for a moment and then waved his hand to cut him off.
“Yeah beast…heard it all before. Meet me in the rec room when you’re done here,” Tim said dismissively then left Mark to finish his lunch.
“I really don’t like that mongoloid,” Lenny started.
Rebecca nodded in agreement as her mind reflected on the desolate hallway they were walking down. When they’d first arrived at the center it was crammed with survivors, even the hallways were lined with cots. Now only a few dozen people remained, mostly women and children. Every time someone left to search for supplies it was like playing Russian roulette. Sometimes only a few from the group returned, most times none at all.
“This place is getting empty,” Rebecca said.
“We’ll find more people. There’s bound to be more survivors.”
The looming, brown building was the closest thing any of them had to a home. Refugees, stragglers, the ones that got left behind had come there in hopes of finding answers. Instead what they found were boarded up windows and sparse food rations.
It was Tim who had stepped up and turned the little ragtag band into a family. Everyone looking out for one another, everyone watching each other’s back. Without Tim the realities of human nature would’ve long since turned them against each other.
“Hey Lenny!” Tim shouted from down the hall.
Lenny paused and turned around. “What’s up Tim?”
“I know you just got back, but I need a favor from you and Rebecca.”
Rebecca sighed and forced a smile on her face. She admired Tim for what he’d done, but she couldn’t put up with the constant runs much longer.
“Look I’d ask somebody else, but you’re the best ones here for the job,” Tim said in a pleading voice.
“What job?” Lenny asked.
“Neil and Maddox went out…over a week ago. They’re still not back.”
“Shit Tim…and you tell us this now?” Rebecca asked in frustration. “So who’s looking for them?”
“That’s just it. I need your help tracking them down.”
“Fine,” Lenny responded before Rebecca could say another word.
She made a huffing noise, voicing her displeasure. Rolling her eyes at Lenny, she shoved her rifle into Tim’s arms. “You can put this away,” she growled and stormed off.
“I…I didn’t mean to upset her,”
Tim stuttered.
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll leave in an hour,” Lenny said, ignoring Rebecca’s outburst. “Where were they headed?
Tim looked away and started to fumble with the rifle. He opened the dust cover, pretending to examine it. He pulled the charging handle back and ejected the magazine then looked down at the ground.
“Tim, where the hell were they going?” Lenny asked as his patience thinned.
Biting his lower lip Tim took a deep breath and held it. “Georgia,” Tim mumbled.
“Fucking great! Thanks a lot,” Lenny said then headed off after Rebecca.
With a strained face, Tim watched him walk away. He didn’t say another word or call after him. The damage had been done and he knew anything else he said would only strain their relationship further.
For the last three months Lenny and Rebecca had been staying at the civic center with a motley crew of survivors. In that time they’d proven themselves quite capable and Tim relied on them heavily. They had a unique skill, but Tim knew that the more he leaned on them, the more he pushed them towards the door.
Lenny was like a heat-seeking lucky charm. He could track just about anything and no matter where he was sent, he always made it back. In his years after the military, Lenny seemed to languish, not sure what to do with his life, but now his skill set was more valuable than a ton of pink diamonds. And Rebecca was effectively his muse.
The civic center was run like a military outpost. It was an island in a sea of the unknown. Everyone there had a job to do and special consideration was given to those with “extraordinary” skill. This was all conducted under the assumption that Earth had been victim to an alien attack.
Tim and Mark were the only ones that had ever claimed to see them, yet they could never describe what they looked like. Or at least they could never agree on what they looked like.
Every now and then a new survivor would wash up at their door, with stories of how the world was now a wasteland. But Lenny attributed it all to the savagery of human nature. The world was falling apart and from what he could tell, people were at the root of it all. People were always the root of it all.
Lenny had yet to encounter an alien or as much as a person with an extra toe. But he definitely had his share of scuffles with the numerous rouge clans. The total breakdown in government had led to marauding bands that were eager to kill, rape or take anything they could. Dealing with the evil of mankind was more than enough and Lenny dreaded the idea that any of the alien claims could actually be true.
“I thought you and Zoey were friends,” Lenny said as he slowly pushed the door open to their room.
Rebecca was sitting on the bed staring at a bleak, gray wall. She turned to him and rolled her eyes. Lenny paused and then eased his way into the room. He cautiously moved toward her with an awkward grin stretched across his face.
Rebecca scowled at him for a moment then turned her back to him. Lenny took a deep breath and huffed.
“I don’t get why you’re so mad, at least we’re going together,” Lenny said casually as he closed the distance between them.
“That’s not the point idiot,” Rebecca shot back. “We’re not Tim’s little assistant for every time he loses something. I just…I just hate the feeling that we’re an afterthought until Tim and his clown patrol need help.”
“He lost your friend. If Maddox is out there, then you know Zoey’s with him. Besides this place is getting to me…I could use the fresh air.”
“You just got back two days ago.”
“I know and I’m already feeling crowded,” Lenny said as he ran his fingers through Rebecca’s hair.
“Don’t touch me,” Rebecca snapped.
“You know you like it.”
“No…don’t touch me. I’m serious Lenny, get off of me,” she said with a slight grin and pushed his hands away.
Lenny laughed and stepped around in front of her. He leaned forward and nudged her back onto the bed. With his free hand he began to undue her belt as he slid toward her.
“Lenny I mean it, take your hands off of me,” she giggled.
Lying on top of her, Lenny started to kiss Rebecca as he slid her shirt up her side. He lightly ran his fingers across her stomach and she gasped. As she crawled further onto the bed Lenny tugged at her cargos and nibbled on her ear.
“I’ve got next,” a deep voice suddenly called out from the door.
Lenny jumped up as Rebecca pushed him off. His feet tangled beneath him and he lost his balance and fell back into the wall. His head smashed through the plaster and Rebecca burst into laughter.
Lenny shot her a look as he staggered to his feet. She covered her mouth then they both looked toward the door and scoffed. Mark was standing against the door frame, grinning from ear to ear.
“So I hear we’re headed to Georgia,” Mark continued.
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” Lenny objected. “Who the hell invited you?”
“Who the hell else are you gonna take?”
“We seem to do quite well alone,” Rebecca cut in as she buttoned up her pants.
“Well a group of eight went out. You’ll need all the help you can get.”
Lenny sighed and glanced over to Rebecca. She shook her head slightly and clicked her teeth. Lenny looked back to Mark and nodded.
“Give us a few to get our stuff. We’ll meet you at the truck,” he said in an annoyed tone.
“Hurry up. We’re burning light,” Mark shot back then turned around and walked off.
Rebecca jumped off of the bed and grabbed a rucksack that was leaning against the wall. She knelt next to it and started rummaging through the contents. Lenny stared after Mark for a moment and then did the same.
“I’m telling you now, he tries some shit while we’re in the field and I’m gonna bury his ass out there.”
Rebecca grinned and then slung her bag over her shoulder. “Let’s get this over with,” she said.
Lenny grabbed his bag and followed her out of the door. They walked down a long, dim hall and entered into a large, open room that had once been used to hold public meetings. A thin, Hispanic woman was sitting at a desk near the front of the room. She looked up as they approached and gave them in indifferent stare.
“Gloria,” Rebecca said and wrinkled her nose.
“Sooner or later someone will take care of that smell,” Gloria responded.
“I don’t see how you stay in here all day,” Lenny said as he passed her and headed towards a brown door near the back.
“It helps me remember…one day we all will die.”
“Well, that’s pleasant.”
“You need to sign the sheet,” Gloria called after him.
“Seriously, we go through this every day.”
“Don’t worry about it Lenny, I’ll sign in,” Rebecca said as she picked up the clipboard that was sitting on Gloria’s desk.
“You both must sign in,” Gloria replied adamantly. “Tim’s rules, not mine.”
Lenny sighed and headed back to the desk. He snatched the clipboard and scribbled his name then smiled sarcastically. “Makes you wonder the real reason why old Benson shot himself back there.”
Gloria grinned and checked off their names. “Thank you. Feel free to take whatever you need.”
“Thanks Gloria,” Rebecca said and pulled Lenny by the arm.
They walked into a slightly smaller, ventilated room and closed the door behind them. Rebecca dropped her bag onto the floor and took a quick scan of the area.
“Cut her some slack Lenny. Benson was like a father to her.”
“So she’s gotta go all hall monitor on everybody else because she wants to sit around breathing in his stench. Whose fault is that?”
“Well it’s not hers. It’s her job to keep the wrong people out of the armory. We’ve seen how that can go wrong. And where else are we gonna store all of this?” Rebecca asked and waved her hand across the room.
From front to back metal shelves lined
the brick walls. They were stuffed from top to bottom with milk crates and plastic bins. Boxes of medical kits and dry food rations were intermixed with bullets and explosives. Heavy machine guns and all manner of ordinance took up the entire back wall and a workman’s bench with a relaoder assembly was smack dab in the middle of it all.
“Let’s just hurry up,” Lenny replied.
Rebecca rolled her eyes and then began to look through the assortment of firearms like she was shopping for clothes. Finally she settled on an AK-47 with a wooden stock. She grabbed that and several extra magazines then headed out of the door.
Lenny was already carrying his trusted M4. He stuffed a bag full of ammunition and a few grenades then followed Rebecca.
“Good luck,” Gloria called out as they passed.
Leaving the armory behind, they headed through an atrium and into a gated courtyard. A number of vehicles were parked in the back, most fitted with some type of armoring and weapons. Mark was nestled into the driver’s seat of a black Jeep Wrangler with a machine gun mounted on the top. The exhaust pipes rumbled angrily as he impatiently revved the engine.
“Let’s roll,” Mark yelled over the roar of the Jeep.
Rebecca hesitantly crawled into the backseat as Lenny sat down next to Mark. Without a word exchanged between them, Mark put the Jeep in gear and sped off.
The civic center was tucked away at the end of a street, ten miles away from the nearest highway. Its secluded location was the only reason it had remained intact. Almost every other building had been looted and wrecked.
“So Atlanta huh?” Lenny mumbled while looking out of the window.
“Shit,” Mark grinned. “Don’t think they went far enough to find something. I Told Tim we need to start looking out West.”
Lenny shook his head. At first, most food runs were done on foot, but they kept moving farther and farther away to find any supplies. Now they easily covered hundreds of miles in search of anything edible.
Countdown: The Wasteland Chronicles Book One Page 8
