The Day After Never (Book 4): Retribution

by Russell Blake

  “Who you calling old?” Duke snapped.

  “If the shoe fits is all I’m saying.”

  The snowfall intensified as they climbed the grade, and at times the sky was white, visibility down to nothing, which slowed them further. When the storm remnant passed, it left the landscape covered and the trail even more treacherous. The horses picked carefully along, their footing unsure in the slippery coating.

  Arnold never stopped scanning the pine trees around them, his AR-15 in hand out of habit. They had no idea what they were walking into, although Craig had guessed that the plant would be deserted, the systems mothballed just prior to the collapse, based on the reports he’d discovered in a work journal of one of the engineers at the Pagosa Springs plant. Still, that was just a hunch, and Arnold was naturally cautious and refused to let his guard down, even for an instant.

  Dusk was an hour away when they rounded the final bend. Arnold spurred his horse forward, pulled even with Craig, and whispered to him, “Hold up. I saw something move on our right.”

  The group stopped, and Arnold swung down from his horse and handed Craig the reins. “Stay here,” he said, and disappeared into the trees. The valley with the plant and a scattering of houses still lay at least a quarter mile ahead.

  Arnold plowed through the calf-high snow, weaving among the conifers as he pushed toward whatever had drawn his eye. When he reached a small clearing, he spied a young man digging in the snow with a hoe. Arnold took in his appearance – wild hair, ragged and torn clothing – and stepped from the tree line, rifle trained on him.

  The man looked up with an expression of shock and stood motionless as Arnold drew near, his eyes wide. When Arnold was no more than fifteen feet away, the young man spoke in a low voice.

  “I haven’t got anything worth killing me over.”

  Arnold gave a half shrug. “Wasn’t planning on killing anybody today. What are you doing out here?”

  “Trying to salvage what’s left of our vegetable garden. We have a bunch of crops planted and didn’t expect a freeze so soon. Thought we had a few more weeks, at least.”

  “You live here?”

  “That’s right.” The man studied Arnold. “Why? You sound surprised.”

  “I am. It’s just that we thought…nobody would be here.”

  “Yeah, well, my family and I live here. In peace, until recently.”

  Arnold tilted his head at the last words. “Yeah? What happened?”

  “You headed into town? You’ll see soon enough.” The man frowned. “You’re going to need that rifle. I’d just turn around if I was you.”

  “Why?”

  “Two months ago a gang of scavengers showed up. Meaner than dirt and violent. They camped out at the hot springs and terrorized us into doing their hunting and fishing for them.” The man paused and looked away. “And I’ve got three sisters. Youngest is only eleven.”

  “Oh.”

  He ground the toe of his boot absently in the dirt. “Yeah, it’s been bad.”

  “Why don’t you leave?”

  “And go where? Besides, they said they’d kill us. I believe them. They’re animals.”

  “Just you and your family…and them?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Whereabouts do they stay? The scavengers, I mean.”

  “There’s some kind of generator building by the springs. They took it over because it’s always warm inside.”

  Arnold cursed. “Think you could describe the layout for me?”

  “Why? What’s it to you, anyway?”

  “We need to get some parts from the generator.”

  “For what?”

  “You ask too many questions.”

  “Taking them on is a death sentence, stranger. I’d get out of here while you can.”

  “I don’t know about that. I had two sisters myself before the collapse. Hate to think they’d have been fair game to a bunch of miscreants if they’d survived.”

  “You hard of hearing? There’s ten of them, and one of you.”

  “Not really. More like four.” Arnold studied the man. “What’s your name?”

  “Sal.”

  “You must know the layout like the back of your hand, right?”

  Sal nodded. “Of course.”

  “You’d be better off without your unwanted guests?”

  “Are you kidding?”

  “Here’s what I propose. You tell me everything you know about the plant – the approach, their habits, their weapons. In exchange, we clear them out for good.”

  “How do I know this isn’t a trick?”

  “What kind? We’re on the side of a mountain, and you’re rooting around for turnips. What do you think I’d be tricking you out of?”

  Sal leaned against the hoe, considering Arnold’s hard expression and obvious familiarity with his weapon. “First thing you have to know is that you have no chance until nightfall.” He continued speaking for five minutes. Arnold interrupted him several times, but Sal proved thorough in his descriptions, anticipating most of Arnold’s questions. When the young man finished, Arnold regarded him with a half smile.

  “One last question, Sal,” he said.

  “Yeah? What?”

  Arnold studied the young man’s lean form and angry eyes.

  “How are you with a gun?”

  Chapter 40

  The cell door opened and Lucas looked up, the blood now dried on the side of his face. A powerfully built man with gray hair cropped close to his skull stepped into the cell and closed the door behind him. Lucas regarded him, pausing at his face, which was unblemished by the prison ink the Crew members sported. The man nodded as he approached Lucas and stood just out of reach of his legs, obviously reading the intent in Lucas’s eyes and avoiding the sweep kick he’d planned.

  “Doesn’t look very comfortable,” the man noted, eyeing Lucas evenly.

  Lucas stared vacantly at him.

  The man smiled. “We know you’re Sierra’s accomplice. We know this because we expected you, and you didn’t disappoint. But the question is, where is she? And who are you?” Zach paused. “Although the latter isn’t of that much interest.”

  “I told the other guy I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, I heard.” Zach appraised Lucas, taking his time. “Have you ever been waterboarded? Probably not, I’ll guess. I hear it’s the closest to dying you can get. You basically drown – your body goes into panic mode and your lungs fill with fluid. Again and again and again. Like an unending hell.”

  Lucas remained silent.

  “The problem is that torture rarely generates reliable information. That’s a problem the unsophisticated ignore at their peril. Don’t get me wrong – it’s certainly cathartic for all involved, but in my experience a tortured man will say anything to make it stop, invent anything, confess anything. Not that inconvenient facts will stop the Crew from doing it, mind you. They tend to be a hammer that sees all problems as nails.”

  “You’re not Crew?”

  “No.”

  “But you’re working with them.”

  Zach crouched down and eyed Lucas, maintaining a safe distance. Lucas could see the man was seasoned, his eyes cold.

  “I know all about your Shangri-La. About the vaccine. About Sierra’s son. I know it all.”

  Lucas’s expression remained neutral. “Then why question me?”

  “I need to know where she is.”

  “I have no idea who you’re talking about. I told the other goon, too. I was after rum.”

  “You carry a Kimber and killed two guards with a crossbow, and you expect anyone to buy that ridiculous excuse? Maybe I give you too much credit for intelligence.”

  Lucas went to a peaceful place in his mind, anticipating the pain that was to come. Zach seemed to intuit what he was doing, and his voice changed from hard to reasonable.

  “Everything you think you know is a lie.” He spoke the words slowly, as though revealing a great secr
et. “You see things as black and white. The Crew is bad. Your leader, Elliot, is good.” Zach smiled at the flicker in Lucas’s eyes. “Yes, that’s right, I know all about Elliot. I’m sure you see this as a struggle between ultimate good and ultimate evil. Don’t get me wrong – the Crew is without a doubt a bunch of thugs and sadists and as evil as the devil himself. But they’re just a cog in a larger machine. They’re meaningless in the scheme of things.” Zach paused. “Am I getting through to you?”

  “You’re talking in riddles. I was after rum.”

  “Please don’t insult me with that story. It’s almost worse than if you said nothing. It’s so bad it’s painful.”

  Lucas’s lips narrowed to a thin line. “Fine. You know everything. And you’re working with the Crew, who are really great guys if you can get past the mass murder and slavery and all.”

  “No, they’re despicable. But we’re forced to use them.”

  “Forced,” Lucas repeated.

  “Let me tell you a story. I’ll start off with the version you’ve been told and then tell you the truth. You were told that Elliot was selflessly developing a vaccine to save the world because he’s a great man, and it’s the right thing to do. That Magnus was trying to stop him because he was a power-hungry monster who wanted to control the vaccine himself so he had the power of life over death, which, of course, he would abuse to enrich himself. Does that sound familiar?”

  “It’s your dime, buddy.”

  “Parts of that are true. Magnus was a monster. And he was certainly power-mad. The problem is that the real world isn’t your black-and-white construct – it’s shades of gray. Your Elliot is not without sin in this. I know you and the rest of his acolytes believe he’s wonderful, but the truth is that we reached out to him years ago to assist him in developing the vaccine, and he refused. The reason is anything but selfless. You see, he could have had it developed far sooner, and many innocent lives would have been spared in the interim. But he didn’t want that. He didn’t want to work with anyone else. No, your Elliot wanted all the credit for himself – because he is also thirsty for power, and as the savior of the world with his vaccine, he will certainly be a revered figure, will he not?”

  “You say we. Who are you?”

  “It doesn’t matter who I am or what my affiliation is.”

  “Does to me.”

  “Why? So you can prejudge us based on other half-truths and distortions? It’s not useful. Think of us as the power behind the throne. We’ve been that, and more, for a long time. It’s useless to resist us, and we’re anything but evil – the truth is that your concept of good or evil is entirely relative and doesn’t apply any longer…if it ever did. It was a comforting morality story, a fairy tale to keep the young and dim from misbehaving. We are neither good nor evil. We simply are, and always will be, because we correctly foresaw the collapse and took measures to ensure our survival.”

  “You’re telling me this because I’m a swell fellow?”

  “I’m telling you because you’re working for a zealot and a madman who would watch thousands die so he can take credit for something that could have saved them. That’s your good, in your simple-minded good versus evil equation.”

  “Why is it so important to find out where he is?”

  “The virus is mutating. We need his help. The vaccine he’s created will be useless against the new variants, and mankind’s existence is at risk.”

  “That’s why Magnus tried to destroy him?”

  “Magnus was a fool. He took matters into his own hands. He, like you, didn’t understand the full story and thought it was all about seizing more power. He was wrong, and he paid for being wrong, and the world’s better for it. But we still need to reach an agreement with Elliot; and to do that, we need to send an emissary to negotiate a truce. There are international repercussions as well – what they used to call national security. There’s a strong possibility that a hostile actor will use the current state of affairs to seize the country and eliminate us all.”

  Lucas shook his head. “I can’t help you.”

  Zach’s face softened. “They’ll kill the boy, you know. In front of you. Filet him and make you eat his heart while it’s still beating.”

  Lucas shrugged. “Haven’t had a hot meal for a while.”

  Zach smiled again. “Here’s the alternative. Help me and you’ll go free. So will Sierra. She’ll be reunited with her son, and bygones will be bygones. We’ll remove you from Crew custody and transport you to our closest enclave. It’s safe, has water, food, power, fuel – everything you could wish for. You’ll be given a large property, free and clear. Wealth beyond your wildest dreams.” Zach eyed him. “Women. Girls, if you like. Or boys. Doesn’t matter. You’ll live like a god.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “The boy will die in front of you, and then they’ll cut you to pieces after they’ve abused you in ways you can’t even imagine.”

  Zach straightened and moved to the door. “Think about it. I’ll be back shortly, and when I return, your decision will determine the rest of your time on earth.” Zach wet his lips. “I can’t even begin to explain how horribly they’ll violate little Tim before they kill him. So if you’re thinking you’ll tough it out, trust me when I say there’s nothing on earth quite like what they’ll do to him while you watch. They’re sadistic butchers, and they live for this. Which you look like you know.”

  Zach swung the metal slab wide and exited the cell, leaving Lucas to stare at his back before a guard slammed it shut and bolted it. Their footsteps receded down the hall, and Lucas closed his eyes again, his mind roiling.

  ~ ~ ~

  “Well?” Whitely demanded upon Zach’s return.

  “I don’t think he bought it.”

  “That’s a problem.”

  “Yes. I realize that.”

  “So what next? The boy?”

  “I’m not sure killing him in front of our friend will accomplish anything. I recognize his type. He’s seen too much.”

  “Then we torture him until he talks.”

  Zach shook his head. “He won’t.”

  “They all do.”

  “Oh, he’ll talk, but you won’t know what’s true and what isn’t. He’ll mix truth and lies together, his ultimate revenge to leave us with nothing we can use. You can see it in his eyes. He’s already resigned to dying, and he honestly doesn’t fear it.”

  “Snake will have us both executed if we fail.”

  Zach frowned. “I’m not sure he’ll do that. But I agree he’ll want a scapegoat, and you’re probably it.”

  Whitely paced, his brow furrowed, and then stopped abruptly, a look of wonder on his face. “There’s another way.”

  “Which is?”

  “We let him go, and he leads us to the woman – or even better, to wherever this Elliot is hiding.”

  “Just like that? Are you mad?”

  “Hear me out. I know all about the operation in Lubbock where Sierra was captive. I can tell him that I’m part of the rebel faction, working against the Crew for the good of humanity, and in charge of security here. If it’s rushed enough, he won’t have time to question it. I can show up with the boy, hand him back his weapons, and guide him to an exit – where you can be waiting to pick up his trail.”

  “You don’t think he’ll see through the deception?”

  “He took a blow to the head. Plus the alternative is being tortured and killed. My story is entirely non-disprovable. Under the circumstances, it’s a lifeline anyone would grab.”

  Zach nodded. “You’ll need something to convince him, something you would do if you were genuine, or he’ll smell a rat.”

  “I’ll have to kill a guard outside the cell. That would do it.”

  Zach snapped his fingers. “No, wait. He shot two guards, didn’t he? One in the chest. We’ll drag that one in, throw a new shirt on him, and you can cut his throat.”

  “He might be stiffening up by now.”

  “Won�
��t matter. The hall’s fairly dark.”

  “We’ll need some blood. Smear it all over him for effect.”

  Zach nodded again. “We’ll slaughter a hog.”

  “It has to be soon. I’ll go get the boy and the weapons; you handle the body. But for God’s sake, be quiet, or he’ll hear you getting it into position. Give me fifteen minutes.”

  “The boy can’t see you.”

  “You can leave him by the north gate – tell him not to move. He’s conditioned to obey. He’ll stay put.”

  “If he doesn’t, it all falls apart.”

  It was Zach’s turn to pace. Halfway across the room, he spun to face Whitely.

  “Tie his arms and legs, then. I don’t care. You have fifteen minutes.”

  Chapter 41

  From his hiding place down the road, Sal pointed Arnold’s 9mm Heckler & Koch pistol at the geothermal plant. The interior of the building glowed with torchlight, and smoke drifted from the open windows along with steam from the hot springs. Darkness had fallen two hours before, and Sal had agreed to rendezvous with Arnold’s party at an abandoned home nearby. He’d reappeared on time, and Arnold had introduced him to the others and given him the pistol, showing him the safety and quizzing him to verify he wouldn’t shoot his foot off.

  “They never sleep. I mean, not all at once. There’s always a couple of them that stay up,” Sal said.

  “Think the rest might be asleep by now?”

  “No way of knowing. Some nights they’re out after they eat, others they’re all up half the night.”

  “Would they freak out if you knocked on the door?”

  “I’ve never done that.”

  “Can you think of some reason to draw them out? Maybe a problem with one of your sisters?” Arnold asked.

  Sal’s face clouded. “They couldn’t care less.”

  Arnold sighed. “Then we do this the hard way.” He turned to Duke and Aaron. “We’ll sneak in through the back door. Sal, you and Craig take cover out front. Any of them come through that door, let them have it.”

  Sal nodded, and Craig grunted assent.