The Dead Familiar (Winterhaven Series)

by J. D. Mckenna

  He had seduced them, filled their minds with thoughts of power and a bright new future. Together, the officers stood, saluting him as one. Together, they swore loyalty to George Robert Lucas III. They would follow him and his, for better or for worse.

  With their oaths secured, he dismissed them, telling them to go spread the word to their men. It was time to make sure that everything was ready. In the morning, they would begin to conquer a new world.

  Chapter 6: The Brother

  10:05 pm

  August 15th, 2015

  Duluth, Minnesota

  Sam Hightower knew his brother well. A few years apart in age, the pair had been rivals growing up, striving to outdo each other in everything they turned their hands towards. Jack had often leveraged his advantage as the older brother to win their sporting competitions, but Sam had always shown more promise in the athletic arts.

  He had begun to outshine his older brother while in high school together, Sam as a freshman and Jack as a senior. Yet, what could have led to brotherly strife instead blossomed into a closeness that most brothers struggle their whole lives to achieve. Always proud of his younger brother’s efforts, Jack had made no secret of his admiration, favoring Sam and making him feel welcome among Jack’s own peers. This loyalty had been well-rewarded by Sam, who had honored his elder brother, grateful for the part he played in his own transition into high school. After Jack graduated, they stayed close, learning more of each other's strengths, discovering their own limitations in comparison.

  Jack wasn't a bad athlete, he just didn't quite have the athletic prowess that his brother possessed. On the other hand, Sam would never have the same kind of killer instinct that made Jack such a capable soldier. He had always proved a little less skilled in a fight. It wasn't that Sam was incapable, he just couldn't compare to Jack's peerless ability to deliver violence upon an enemy.

  Sam was about an inch shorter than Jack, but otherwise built very similarly. He had brown voluminous hair, grown just past his ears that habitually took on an attractive, casually mussed appearance. His eyes, unlike his brother, were sky blue. Light and clear, they reflected his genial nature and quick wit. He had inherited his mother’s lips, slightly thinner than Jack’s, but gifting him with a natural, winning smile. Sam had an impressive physique; his constant training and exercise gifting him with powerful arms, and strong, statuesque legs.

  Intellectually, they had also found their own ways to shine. Jack was naturally more pensive, stronger in literature and writing, possessing more of an inclination towards the soft sciences then his brother. Sam was far more gifted in the areas of math and science then his inattentive older brother; he was using those gifts to pursue a medical degree.

  More outgoing than his older brother in some ways, Sam was the sort of man that people were drawn to be around, and he actively sought out opportunities to lead. Jack, on the other hand, never sought to be a leader. He was generally happy to let the masses do what they would, so long as he was left alone to his own devices. He still often found people following in his footsteps, anxious to achieve the example he unwittingly set. In an emergency situation however, no one was better at motivating and leading people then the cool-headed Jack. It was the classic difference between people who sought the mantle of leadership, and those who had it thrust upon them, boiled down and distilled into the personalities of two brothers.

  A complementary pair, they had been raised in a loving home. Their parents’ divorce had been acrimonious, but both their mother and their suddenly out-of-the-closet father had endeavored to keep the boys removed from the fighting. While each son had struggled in their own way to move past the divorce, the strife had only strengthened their bond. A strong level of trust had developed between the two as they helped each other cope with the changes to their family narrative.

  That trust was important now. When Sam's phone and inbox started lighting up with an Archangel Alert, he hadn't doubted their validity for a second. He knew his brother wouldn't be enacting his highly confidential Archangel Protocol on a whim. Because he believed that his brother was serious, Sam followed the instructions quickly.

  The two brothers had talked a lot about Jack's plans in the previous months, and Sam had gotten to hear a lot more details about the plan then anyone else not directly involved. He had also had time to draw up a list of people that he wanted to bring with him if the worst happened. His brother had told him to identify strong-willed people who would be intrinsically driven to survive. Those sort of people would make for strong allies in the event of a major disaster, the sort of allies who could be counted on to watch your back.

  Sam's Archangel instructions called for him to round up as many people as he could safely manage, but without hindering his own escape. He was supposed to use his own vehicle, and any other transportation that he could find, to make his way to a certain place on Lake Itasca where he would meet Jack. His brother had apologized for leaving him alone in such an event, but told him that if he were to wait for Jack to make it up from the city, he would be in more danger then by escaping on his own.

  As long as he left within a few hours of the Alert, Jack had promised that he would have a good chance of escaping to safety. This assertion was based on Jack's belief that Duluth would be less quick to panic, given it's more remote location and relative safety from direct attack. It was also relatively close to Jack’s prepared haven.

  As soon as Sam received his brother's alert, he went to his room and started packing. He threw on a pair of blue jean's, switched to a clean T-shirt, and pulled a sweatshirt on over it. Grabbing his school backpack, he upended it, emptying of books and school supplies. He packed it full of the protein and energy bars that he always kept handy. They would provide excellent sources of nutrition in the short term, and ideally, he would be with his brother before he needed anything more permanent.

  He also threw in the utility knife that his brother had given him for last Christmas, some rope, a change of clothes, and then zipped it closed. He hung a full nalgene on the outside of the bag and then slung it over his shoulder. Grabbing the keys, Sam left, locking the door as went from force of habit. He left a note on the door explaining that he was getting out of Duluth and going to Lake Itasca, just in case anyone came after him and needed to know where to go next.

  With a good pair of tennis shoes on, he hurried down the stairs and to his car, pulling out his cell and dialing as he went. He called some of the other guys on the football team first, the ones who he thought were most likely to believe him. A lot of the guys were also out of town for the weekend, so the list was relatively short. After a few quick conversations, he had gotten a group of them to agree to a short notice camping trip.

  It was something that they liked to do every once in awhile on their free weekends. They would just pack up, hop in their cars, and drive out of town for a while; spending it bonding, drinking and relaxing. He didn't tell the guys the truth, because he was worried they would scoff and refuse to go if they knew the real reason right away. Sam figured that he could always tell them later on, once things were obvious and they were more likely to believe him.

  With the group of football players meeting him at the gym, Sam took a second to try and call his girlfriend. His brother had assured him that he would make sure Meghan got out of the city, but he wanted to call and make sure that she was taking the warnings seriously. Worried because it went straight to voicemail, he tried a couple more times before giving up and hoping that she would call him back. He planned to try her again once on his way out of town.

  For now, he switched tactics and started calling other friends: girls that he knew from some of his classes, guys he had become friends with through intramural sports, anyone he could think of that might be in town. After half an hour of making phone calls, and just forty minutes since receiving his alert, Jack's intelligent and resourceful younger brother had gotten a group of about thirty other student's to agree to his proposed camping trip. They started arri
ving at the gym and parking next to him, hopping out of cars and socializing with music blasting from their car speakers.

  Sam decided once more that he would lie about the purpose of the trip. Depending on what news came down the radio, he figured that he might be able to get them all there before he had to inform them of the truth. Satisfied that he was prepared for either eventuality, he got out of his car and made his way over to his gathered friends.

  "Hey everybody, over here! Ok, here it is, I feel like getting the hell out of town for the weekend, how about you," he asked loudly to the group. In reply, he received a chorus of laughs and a boisterous "Hell yeah!" from the group.

  "Well then I’ve got some good news. My big brother has a kind of, cabin/mansion out at Lake Itasca. He invited me and any of my friends to come join him for the weekend, and the word is that the kegs are cold, the food is great and the hot tub is huge. I think maybe we go have some fun in the woods," he shouted, hiding his fear deep within himself. He had to make to make sure they wanted to go, had to get them to the compound Jack had built. Their lives depended on it.

  With their enthusiastic cheer's ringing in his ears, Sam returned to his car, telling the other drivers to follow him. As they pulled out of the parking lot, he cast a glance back at St. Scholastica, knowing that he would likely never return.

  The school had been his home for the last couple of years, and he would miss it, as well as those he left behind. Unfortunately, he knew that there was no way he could convince everyone to leave, and he doubted that Jack could support them all anyway. With a heavy heart, he consigned himself to the guilt of abandoning his school, focusing on the lives he was still trying to save.

  I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do for you all, I just have to hope that some of you will survive...Someday. I’ll come back for you. Someday.

  Chapter 7: The Armory

  11:47 pm

  August 15th 2015

  NE Minneapolis Minnesota

  The scene that confronted Jack when he arrived was not as expected. With a curse, he realized he should have known of the possibility, but he had hoped that the armory would remain unmolested until after his people were gone. He parked the car a few blocks away and tried to figure out what to do next, surveying the scene.

  In the dark night, with the orange ruddy glow of freshly born fires raging, a riotous crowd stood gathered about the old warehouse. Their rage-filled cries filled the night, audible from blocks away as a dull roar of human anger. His trailblazer sat empty and abandoned by the front door, but there was no sign of Cyrus and his other friends.

  Shit, someone decided that they should arm themselves apparently. Smart, but incredibly disruptive to our own plans.

  Even as he thought this, Jack could see a couple of the men in the crowd try and force their way in. They based makeshift weapons against the door, the frame shaking beneath their blows. Evidently, the heavy door and barred windows had held them out so far, but it was only a matter of time until they grew forceful enough to breach the makeshift fortress. Jack tried his phone once more, hoping to reach one of his people, but tossed it aside after a few moments. Unsurprisingly, service remained down.

  He pounded the wheel in frustration and let out an angry breath with a long sigh. The girls looked at him questioningly.

  Jack explained, "I need to get in there, but that crowd isn't going to make it easy."

  Kate and Meghan looked at the crowd nervously, unsure of what to do. They would be of little help, and Jack knew it, expecting no help from that quarter. Elizabeth had a more thoughtful look on her face however, one that he was curious about. Jack turned to look at her questioningly.

  "I might have an idea… maybe," she said without confidence. With a slight nod, Jack urged her forwards and Elizabeth quickly outlined her plan for Jack’s consideration.

  Simple enough. I don't love leaving the girls alone, but I don't have anything better and we can't afford to just wait and hope they give up and leave.

  Nodding once to her, he hopped out of the car and slammed the door. With a gasp, Elizabeth realized he had decided to enact her plan. She hastily climbed through the middle seat to take his recently vacated spot behind the wheel, finding him crouched by the driver's window.

  "Put your window up, and once you're through, go a few blocks extra before looping around to the back of the store. There is a heavy garage door there, and you can pull in once I have it open. I don’t want them seeing you and following us in though, got it? Ok, then, good luck."

  She grinned at him, "you too Mr. Hightower."

  He matched her expression, "I expect I'll need it Miss..." He faltered as he realized that he didn't know her last name.

  "Fel." She supplied before tossing him a wink. She cranked the windows up before he could try and post a response.

  He shook his head ruefully and sprinted over to the corner of the building, staying in the shadows and out of sight. The crowd was about twenty people strong, bunched up by the door and shouting to be let in. They obviously felt that they would be safer with firearms, and planned on getting them one way or another. Jack understood their desire, but he couldn't let them occupy the store until his own people had gotten safely away.

  Elizabeth's plan had been simple enough. They didn't need to get all four people in at once. If they could make a window for Jack, he could sprint in quickly, hopefully avoiding bloodshed. Once in, he could open up the back for the girls, and the crowd would be none the wiser. Ideally they'd be gone before the crowd reformed and managed to break in.

  Assuming that Dax knows I'm here and is on the ball that is. If he’s not… well this could descend into full FUBAR before I blink.

  The plan was still risky because if the crowd reformed and Dax failed to let him in, he'd be trapped against the building with some very angry people surrounding him. He grimaced, hoping it didn't come to that. Counting silently in his head, he took a breath and straightened against the wall, prepared. A few blocks back, the Charger roared to life, pulling into the middle of the street. A couple of people from the crowd noticed and looked down the street at it, but most of the crowd stayed by the door.

  Here goes nothing.

  Jack stepped out from the corner and into plain sight. Gun up and at the ready, he loosed a burst over the crowd’s head. About half of the crowd ran off in fear, but a couple of the men just started his way menacingly.

  "Cease and disperse. This is private property. Go back to your homes immediately," Jack ordered the crowd, hoping they would listen.

  "Fuck you man, I need a gun to protect what's mine, and this asshole has got plenty to spare! In fact, here’s a counter-offer, why don't you give us yours to start, and then I’ll let you be on your way. Unless you are gonna shoot us all now!"

  An angry black man was shouting at him and the crowd had moved within a couple meters, emboldened by their makeshift leaders confidence.

  Not good...Hurry up Elizabeth.

  Jack backed up till he was near the corner of the building again. As the crowd stood, visibly deciding if they could jump him, the scream of tires drew attention. Elizabeth had gunned the Charger straight at the group, coming full-tilt into it’s center at body crushing speed.

  As the threat of a speeding mass of metal came crashing towards them, the crowd scattered away, sprinting from Jack and the door. He saw his moment and took it, running to the heavy metal door. Arriving just as the black beast went roaring off into the night, Jack spun and put his back against the wall, shouting for Dax as he moved.

  The crowd had dodged out of the way, but they were starting to pick themselves up and advance back on Jack and the door. If anything, the car’s passing had only enraged them further, and they all bore a murderous and twisted countenance as they advanced. Starting to worry, he slammed his gloved fist against the heavy door twice, hoping against hope.

  As he waited, the crowd started running towards him, closing the gap quickly in their rage. Just as Jack was about to give up
hope and start shooting, he felt a hand grab his shoulder, and then a jerk as he was pulled back through the door.

  Slamming the door and locking the bolts again, Dax stood up to glare at Jack, "you some kind of an idiot boy?!"

  Grinning in reply, Jack spoke, "hell no, just a jarhead son-of-a-bitch, same as you."

  Dax grunted and then broke out in a huge smile. "Damn right! Good to see you, I was worried you wouldn't stop by when you saw that crowd. Shoulda known better."

  Getting serious again, Jack looked around, "Cyrus and the rest," he asked.

  "In back, loading the trucks, what about the people in that car, they with you," Dax rejoined.

  Jack nodded, "yeah, we gotta pop that back door, is it clear?"

  "Should be, none of that lot out front has thought to try it yet. They probably don’t even know its there. We'll get the car in quick and try to avoid letting them know about it."

  Dax led him to the back where the group was loading up the trucks. He went to the controls for the garage door and Jack went to the small window looking on the alley, waiting to signal.