Until Nothing Remains: A Hybrid Post-Apocalyptic Espionage Adventure (A Gun Play Novel: Volume 1)

by C. A. Rudolph

  “Yes, Liz. I can. Our son needs help. I am going there.”

  “Oh, God. Adam, no…don’t. It’s not safe for…” She took a breath and stiffened. “Oh, dear God. Please, just…tell me he’s not hurt.”

  “The last text he sent was twenty minutes ago,” said Adam. “So that tells me as of twenty minutes ago, he was fine. Let’s pray he stays that way.”

  “What did the text say?”

  “Liz…”

  “Please. Adam, just tell me.”

  Adam sighed. He pulled away and gathered his things, then stopped before leaving the bedroom, glancing at his phone. “It says he can hear screaming, sirens, and gunshots. Police are on the scene, but he thinks there might be multiple active shooters still roving the complex.” He paused a moment, struggling to gather his calm. “Apparently, they shot into the crowd at random…when the music was so loud, no one could hear the shots.”

  “Oh, heavenly Jesus.” Elisabeth latched onto him again, this time like a vise.

  Adam placed a strong hand onto hers. “Liz, I have to go. The sooner I get there—”

  “I know, I know,” she said, turning away. She nodded her head while tears began rolling from her eyes and down her cheeks. “Just…please, please be careful.”

  “I will,” Adam said, then kissed her on the forehead. “Listen to me. No matter what happens, and I mean no matter what, keep this house locked down the entire time I’m gone. You protect yourself and our girls above all else, do you understand?”

  “Yes, I—”

  “Keep the drapes closed, and don’t open the doors for anyone. Don’t answer your phone unless it’s us. Bad things tend to occur in clusters, and I want to rule out any superfluous variables. This night doesn’t need to get any worse than it already is.” Adam tapped her forearm. “Do you remember how to use the radios?”

  Elisabeth hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah—I think so. Why?”

  “Keep the handheld I gave you turned on until I get back,” he said, moving into the hall as Elisabeth followed closely behind. “Keep it plugged in to the wall charger so you don’t drain the batteries down. You’ll likely hear some other people talking on it. Don’t pay them any mind. It’s one of the busiest amateur radio repeaters in Northern Virginia, especially during the morning commute. Listen for my call sign. If you hear me call for you, come back to me and we can change frequencies if we have to.”

  Liz nodded, but looked confused. “Okay, fine. But…why do we need to use the radios?”

  “Because cell phone service could become unusable. There are plenty of dead spots between here and there, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the system became overloaded with calls. If I can’t get through to you on the phone, we’ll need another option. It’s one of the reasons I harped on you to get your license for so long.”

  “Okay.”

  “Also, you need to keep in mind that texts get through sometimes even when calls don’t. So if you call and it doesn’t get through, try texting.” Adam turned to face her before entering his office. “Are you absorbing this, Liz? You understand what I’m saying to you? I can’t stress how important it is that we stay in contact.”

  She nodded. “Yes. I understand you.” Her eyes darted around the room. “I guess I should try to remember what my call sign is, now. I haven’t used it in over a year.”

  Adam smiled grimly at her. “That would be a good idea.”

  Adam’s office was where he kept most of his ‘man’ things. It was where the family’s gun safe was located, along with most other items Adam considered his own. It wasn’t exactly a man cave, but it had always made Elisabeth feel more comfortable for his stuff to be confined to a single area within the home.

  Adam typed a combination into the safe and opened the door, reaching inside for a belt carrying a holstered Glock 19, along with several spare magazines and other pouches on the opposite side. He didn’t know if he’d wear it or not, but the belt had everything attached to it he thought he might need tonight.

  The rear of the belt sported a Zero Tolerance knife and Adam’s homebrew IFAK and trauma kit. He slung the belt over his shoulder, then reached deeper into the depths of the safe, extracting one Kevlar vest followed by another: one for him and one for his son. In an active-shooter situation, he figured it couldn’t hurt to have some form of ballistic protection for them both.

  Adam locked the gun safe and departed his office while his wife stared at him, the worry evident in her eyes. He kissed her on the cheek and said a few calming words to her, even though he knew it wouldn’t do much good for either of them. Then he donned the rest of his everyday carry items and grabbed his go-bag near the front door and departed the house, making certain the deadbolt was secure on his way out.

  Several miles down the road amidst a plethora of apprehension and perplexing thoughts, Adam’s concentration was interrupted when he heard rustling in the back seat. He slowed the truck and rotated to see the moonlight’s glint off a head of purple-tinted hair.

  Startled, Adam jumped in his seat. “Jesus! What the hell?!”

  “Hey, Dad.”

  “Fucking hell. You scared the shit out of me, Vi.” Adam put a hand to his chest. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “What the hell does it look like I’m doing?” Her response was as indignant as it was innocent. “I’m going with you. I can’t let you do this all by yourself. What if you…I don’t know…die? That wouldn’t be good.”

  “How did you even know what was going on?”

  “You know I never sleep.”

  “Violet, honey, this isn’t a good idea,” Adam said, now trying to figure out how his daughter had been able to sneak out of the house unbeknownst to him. “It doesn’t make any sense, your being here. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Sure it makes sense. You need backup. And that’s exactly why I’m going with you—to back you up.”

  “To back me up?”

  “Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, you’re pretty awesome at a lot of things, Dad. You’re even amazing at a few—but you’re not Superman. Hell, even Superman gets his ass saved by that dunce Lois Lane all the time.” Violet slid herself into the passenger seat, using her father’s neck and shoulder for support.

  Adam sighed and shook his head. “Christ. Just…put your seatbelt on.”

  “I am. Give me a second.”

  “You’re something else, kid. I don’t know how you do it.”

  “You don’t know how I do what?”

  As Adam piloted the Jeep along the interstate, he did his best to keep the vehicle in the lane and maintain some semblance of the speed limit while his mind raced away. His worries of what had already happened tonight, as well as what hadn’t yet happened, were ravaging his soul.

  Though he’d never been much for praying, he caught himself silently asking God to look out for Chris’s welfare. Then it dawned on him to check and see if Chris had tried to make contact again.

  Removing a hand from the steering wheel, Adam extracted his cell phone from his hip pocket, taking his eyes off the road a moment to observe the screen.

  The screen’s illumination flooded the passenger compartment with light, instantly grasping Violet’s attention. She whipped her head to the left. “You shouldn’t text when driving. Especially at night, Dad.”

  Adam’s eyes bounced between the digital device and the road. “I know that…I’m just trying to see if your brother has sent any updates.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to do that for you? So you can…I don’t know…concentrate on driving?”

  Adam shook his head. “No, I think I can manage.” As the words escaped his mouth, Adam began to veer into the passing lane and into the path of another vehicle, which had moved into his blind spot. The vehicle’s driver honked the horn angrily at his misjudgment. “Okay, now that you mention it, it’s probably not such a bad idea.”

  Violet took hold of the phone when Adam handed it to her. She studied the screen. “When’s the
last time you sent dipshit a message?”

  “I haven’t sent dipsh…him anything. There hasn’t exactly been time.”

  Violet began tapping both of her thumbs rapidly on the screen. “Then he doesn’t even know we’re coming. Marvelous…I’ll take care of that. Anything else you think I should say to him?”

  Adam thought a moment. While Violet had always been open to his teachings over the years, Chris had been somewhat the opposite, especially after he’d begun dating. He was a smart kid, incredibly talented and energetic. He’d just never taken things as seriously as Adam would’ve liked him to. “There’s no telling what’s going through his mind right now. And there’s no way of knowing if he’s doing what he should be doing. Hopefully, he’s staying low and away from the crowds. I hope he’s located a good place to hide—or better yet, found cover…until the authorities can get to him. Or I can, whoever’s first.”

  Violet looked away from the screen, peering over at her father. “You want me to tell him that? Tell him to get his dumb ass some place isolated?”

  “That’s a good idea—but only if it’s safe to move. Truthfully though, I’m hoping your brother already knows that…and doesn’t need reminding.”

  “You shouldn’t be so quick to give him credit. Dipshit’s probably urinated himself by now.”

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing.” Tossing the cell phone into her father’s lap, Violet reached forward and popped open the glove box.

  “What are you looking for?” Adam asked.

  “Really, Dad? I’m looking for a gun. Don’t you usually keep a gun in here?”

  “No—I mean, I don’t anymore. I used to till I thought better of it.”

  Violet smacked the glove box shut. “What do you mean, ‘thought better of it’?”

  Adam jerked the truck around another vehicle that had stopped suddenly for no apparent reason. “I read an article in the newspaper about a lady who was accosted by some guys in a van at a stoplight. She had her window down and they told her that her keys were in the door. When she went to look, three of them jumped out and wrestled her from the car.”

  Violet cocked her head. “Really? Did it happen at night?”

  “It happened in broad daylight, actually.”

  “What a bunch of pricks. And what a stupid woman. The keys were obvs in the ignition.”

  “Agreed,” Adam said. “And you’re right, they were. The woman had a concealed-carry permit, and she kept her pistol in the glove box. It was too far away to be of any use to her, and even if she could’ve gotten to it, it would’ve been too late. She’d already lost the battle in the first place. Her situational awareness was compromised.”

  “So what happened to her? Did those randos beat her up? Or rape her?”

  “No, not this time. They just stole the car. But since her gun was in the glovebox, they got that, too. Since then I’ve changed my ways. It’s best to carry on your person, never attached elsewhere—but if it is elsewhere, it definitely needs to be within reach.” Adam pulled his daughter’s hand closer to him, gesturing to the steering column while her eyes followed along. “There, see? Under the steering wheel. That’s where I keep it now. Since you’re so curious.”

  Violet reached for the compact Glock pistol. “That’s a really strong magnet.” She pulled the pistol in close and press-checked it like a professional, exercising textbook trigger discipline just as her father had taught her. “There’s been chatter all week long on the dark web about something bad happening at the concert.”

  Adam glanced at her. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about what goes on behind the scenes, Dad. You know…intel? Things we aren’t supposed to see or supposed to know? Things I make it a point to see and know.”

  Adam frowned. “Vi, I don’t want you doing things on the internet that can get you in trouble.”

  “Dad, please. I’m behind, like, seven proxies,” she replied, giggling at the catchphrase familiar only to specific internet subcultures. “I cover my tracks. And I’m just telling you, I saw talk of something like this happening, and it’s just ironic ’cause it actually did.” Violet looked over at her father, slight concern building in her eyes. “Do you know what you’re going to do? Like…do you have a plan for once we get there?”

  Adam rubbed his forehead. “No, Vi. I don’t.” He rubbed his temples, now feeling the full brunt of what he and his daughter were about to face. “I honestly don’t have a fucking clue.”

  A half an hour passed, along with nearly forty road miles, before the two resumed any conversation.

  “Dad?”

  “Yeah, Vi?”

  “I hope you don’t care that I’m asking,” she muttered, her voice slightly hesitant. “But…are you scared?”

  Adam took a long time to reply. “Yeah, Vi. I am.”

  “Thought so,” she said, taking a quick glimpse at him then looking away. “It’s probably odd…but I really don’t think I am.”

  Adam nodded slightly. “Yeah, I know.”

  Violet thought a moment before expounding. “I don’t think I’ve ever been scared of anything before.”

  “I’m fairly certain you’re right about that. I’ve been your dad your whole life. You’ve been intrepid ever since you left the womb. Very bold.”

  “I bet Chris is scared.”

  “I have no doubt.”

  “Do you think…Mom is?”

  “Of course she is. She’s scared for Chris,” said Adam. “Both of us are.”

  “Figures,” Violet said, almost with a grin. “And she’s not even the one driving head-on into danger.”

  “Your mother is proficient at dealing with emergencies, Vi,” Adam said. “She’s a professional. But things change a bit when the emergency involves your own children.”

  She regarded the Glock handgun in her lap. “Are you guys okay?”

  Adam glanced over. “Why are you asking me that?”

  Violet shrugged. “I don’t know. You guys have been arguing a lot lately. It kind of worries me, but it worries Claire and Lander more. I overheard them talking about it.”

  “Well, kindly inform your sisters that everything is fine,” Adam said. “Husbands and wives argue all the time, Vi. It’s a standard form of communication between married couples. Your mom and I may disagree a lot, but we don’t fight. We just don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things.”

  “No shit,” Violet said through a slight chuckle.

  At the point of reaching the exit leading to the concert venue, Adam pulled the truck off the road, stopping it in the emergency lane a safe distance away from speeding cars on the highway. He reached for his cell phone and opened a mapping application, then scrolled through to their location.

  “Why are we stopping here?” Violet asked. “Don’t you want to drive all the way to the parking lot?”

  Adam shook his head. “No, Vi. I don’t. In fact, that’s the last thing I want to do. God only knows what’s going on in that lot right now. I’m guessing there’s people trying to get in at the same time others are trying to get the hell out. The entrance to that place is a bottleneck, and even if we managed to get in, we might not be able to get back out. I don’t want us to become stranded and lose the only transportation we have to get back home.”

  Violet tilted her head slightly to the side and nodded a little. “Okay, I get it. That makes sense. So we’re just going to hike up this hill and right over into the property, then?”

  “No,” Adam corrected. “I’m going to hike over there. You’re going to stay here with the truck.”

  Violet shot her eyes at her father. “Um, what? No way, Dad. No way am I just going to sit here. I’m going with you.”

  Adam let out an exasperated sigh. “No, you’re not. And I’m not arguing with you about this, either. You’re staying behind with the truck. That’s final.”

  “Hmm. Perhaps you don’t know me as well as you think you do, father of mine. I’m not only your oldest
daughter, I’m possibly the most headstrong person you’ve ever known in your life…at least, that’s what you’ve told me. My brother is in trouble and I will not just simply sit here. Besides, I don’t want you to go alone—especially with people shooting at each other. What if you need me? You know I can shoot.”

  “Vi—”

  “Come on, Dad. Be logical. Do you honestly think after you leave, I won’t just get up and follow you anyway?”

  Adam shut the truck off and unbuckled his seatbelt. He rotated in the seat, squaring off with her. Like it or not, he knew what she was saying to be accurate. It didn’t enthuse him to know she would defy him, but her loyalty to her family was palpable. And Violet was right about another thing; she was good with a gun. On the off chance he needed her, she would be an asset. “Okay, look. You can go. But you are never to leave my side, do you understand? You are stuck to my hip, right beside me the entire time. Is that clear, Vi? Am I being clear enough for you right now?”

  Violet rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dad. You’re being very clear. I’m going to be glued to your hip the whole time.”

  “Thank you.” Adam got out of the truck, motioning for Violet to follow him. He opened the rear door and reached for his Kevlar vest, and after removing his jacket, he put the vest on, then zipped the jacket on overtop. He grabbed the second vest he’d pulled from the gun safe earlier and held it in front of Violet. “Here. Put this on.”

  “Um…you’re serious?”

  “Yes, Vi. I am. Put it on, now.”

  “Dad—wait. That’s a bulletproof vest.”

  “I know what it is, Vi. In fact, it’s level 3A Kevlar, just like mine. Put it on.”

  “Dad…hold on. Wait a second. Don’t you think, this is just…I don’t know…a little weird?”

  “No. I don’t.”

  “Well, I do.”

  “I know you do,” Adam said. “It’s not a normal act.”

  “No shit, it’s not.”

  “Are you going to put it on?”

  “Yeah…in a minute.”

  “Violet, I swear to God…”

  “No, seriously, Dad. Just wait…don’t get mad at me, just think about what we’re doing for a second. We’re standing on the side of the interstate in the middle of the night. There’s cars flying by us at light speed and you’re just handing your fifteen-year-old daughter a bulletproof vest, telling her to put it on like you’re reminding her to brush her teeth before bed. Don’t you think that’s even the slightest bit strange?”