Apocalypse Chronicles (Book 1): SunDown, Part 1

by K. , T. Dawn.

  "I'm taking the truck." Duncan said with a sad smile. "I'll meet up with the rest of you down the way." His smile became more forced and he stood straighter.

  "Coach." Rec said, standing from his chair. "You can't." He shook his head with a pained expression.

  "Sorry, kid. I've got the least to offer. I'm slow and borderline useless. Sixty-three is ancient 'round here. My heart can't take the trip ahead of you. I won't make it." Duncan cleared his throat and clapped his hands together. "Grab your go bags and get them in the West hall. Boe, get the doggie bags. Dom you grab the med supplies. Rec get the weapons. We don't have time to waste so let's go." With that he glanced at me and headed for the mess hall.

  I followed him through the mess hall and then topside. Once we were outside he pulled out a ring of keys and began sifting through them. We approached the old sheriff station that served as agg. Storage and he turned to me.

  "You're going to help me load up the prison truck with aggs’ in the back. We'll put the one that Zoe tagged up front with me." He watched me for a reaction, but I didn't have one. "Those bastards aren't taking me alive. This is our Trojan horse. I'm taking as many with me as I can." He looked at me with a question in his eyes.

  "I'll take care of them." I said with a nod.

  "I know you will. And they'll take care of you." He clapped my shoulder and smiled. "Let's get this done. Kids will be ready soon."

  Using catchpoles and 'Gator Gear' we packed the truck with aggs’. A proper sweat later and we were closing the truck door and heading back inside. A few feet from the bunker doors Duncan paused and looked back to the station. A dark look crossed his face and he headed back over.

  "Something up?" I asked and followed.

  "Plan B. Normally we'd have plans A through Z, but like Zoe said, we've been lax." Inside the station several pens had been set up with aggs’ inside. Duncan began removing the safety latches on the doors and I raised a brow.

  "There's a power override below." He began to explain. "If for any reason Antrim's men make it too close, you'll flip the breakers for this building. The lights will come up and we have some speakers set up to play sounds of life. Music, talking, stuff like that. There's another switch that will open the pens. With any luck they'll come in here and promptly get thrust into hell." He undid the last latch and looked from cage to cage.

  "How many do you think they sent? Last group I had a run in with had fifteen." I opened the door and followed him out.

  "Too many. Nef counted eight vehicles west and ten East. They might know what we have here. If they do, they want it."

  "Jesus. This is going to take a miracle." I ran a hand over my face.

  "Nice to meet you miracle, I'm Duncan." He took my hand and shook it with a chuckle. "You watch out for them kids." He took the ring of keys from his pocket and placed them in my palm.

  The sound of the bunker door opening distracted me for a moment and I turned to see Dom approach us.

  "Here you go, Coach. This will work in less than a minute after you inject it. Your heart will stop. You know it's going to hurt like hell so I don't need to tell you." He handed him a small case and put his hands in his pockets slumping his shoulders. "You're sure about this?" He looked up from under his lashes at Duncan. "Pretty sure it's a unanimous vote to send Glitch instead."

  "You'll all leave that boy alone." Duncan chuckled and pulled Dom in for a quick hug then set him away and turned for the truck.

  "Wait, you're leaving now?" Dom said in a panic.

  "No time." Duncan said simply.

  "Down the way then?" Dom's voice caught.

  "Down the way." Duncan said with moisture in his eyes and a tight nod.

  Dom gave him a two finger salute and went back inside. I followed Duncan to the truck and helped him position the dead agg to look like someone sleeping in the passenger seat. Duncan got in and closed his door.

  "They should be in the West hall ready to go when you get down there. Dom would have told them it's time. Nef will hang back and give the go ahead when it's time to break the surface. Don't worry he really is fast, and he's smart."

  "I want to make sure you understand how grateful I am that you took me in." I said quietly. "They're good kids. I'll get them where they need to be. I'll get them away from this." I said and stepped away as he started the truck.

  He gave me a sincere smile and nodded. He put the truck in gear and pulled away to the North, gunning it once he'd made it a safe distance. I looked to the West and could barely see the dust stirring.

  "Cry havoc."

  Chapter 5

  And Let Slip the Dogs of War

  NEVADA JUNE 7TH 2029

  I had grabbed my stuff from my bunk and joined the others in the West hall. Everyone got geared up and loaded down except Zoe and Rec who took point and rear with their weapons. Neffery was on top of the old store with a walkie ready to tell us to go topside.

  We made it the mile to the west exit and were waiting in a small area below the hatch to the ground above us. The walk was silent and thick with emotion. The kids were already mourning Duncan and Ria's crew was getting antsy.

  "I didn't know I was claustrophobic." Boe said, trying to be lighthearted.

  "It shouldn't be long, Boe." Zoe offered him a small smile and patted his arm.

  As if on cue Neffery's voice broke through the walkie. "There are only two vehicles going to Coach. Everyone else to the east and west has stopped."

  "Well, that's not what we planned." Mer said on a sigh.

  "What are we going to do now?" Dex said. "We're sitting ducks."

  "Just give it a few more minutes." Rec said.

  "A few minutes may be too late." Ria said quietly. "Anything above that hatch? Can I poke my head out and get a look around?"

  "It's got desert camo around it. You should be safe. Just don't go outside the camo." Zoe said.

  Ria nodded and headed up the ladder to the hatch. A couple of the kids set down their bags and sat at the ground. Others shifted restlessly.

  "Guys." Nef came over the walkie again. "They stopped Coach's truck."

  "Nef, don't watch ok?" Len responded.

  "They stopped him, but they aren't doing anything. They're just sitting there. What should we do?" Nef said with concern.

  "Hey, Joe?" Ria called from up top.

  I stepped over to the opening and climbed the ladder. I crawled out of the top to find Ria in front of the truck with its hood up. Something had leaked under the truck and after looking around I could see that the ATV tires had been slashed.

  "They cut every hose under the hood. Slashed all the tires and pulled wires out of the ATVs. We aren't getting anywhere with these. What the hell do we do? I mean look, they're just sitting out there." She walked over to the camo netting and pointed to the west.

  A line of vehicles could just be made out in the distance. All of them were stopped and there wasn't any stirred dust. I walked a full circle looking into the distance and couldn't see anything else.

  "Let's get back down there and figure out what we're going to do. We're out of time." I helped her lower herself to the ladder and followed her down.

  "They're still just sitting there, Joe." Rec said. "Nef can't see Coach. We don't know if he's still alive."

  "What's going on to the south?" I asked.

  "Neffery, what's the south look like?" Len asked his brother.

  There was a beat of silence and then Nef spoke again. "Nada. Still clear."

  "This isn't right." Zoe said shaking her head. "They're up to something."

  "When's dusk?" Glitch asked with his eyes on the ground.

  "Less than three hours." Tom said after looking at his watch.

  "Everybody head back to the bunker. We're going to fortify plan B." I said and started picking up bags. "Duncan told me about the breakers for the old station. We just need to get everything else figured out."

  Everyone got their bags together and started down the tunnel. Len let his brother know we we
re coming back and to keep an eye on the horizon. We were halfway back when Nef spoke again.

  "Last call...for, Coach." He said in a solemn tone.

  Everyone slowed and Zoe sagged against the wall. Rec ran his hands through his hair and started walking again. Tom pulled his sister into his side and tugged her along. Grief made the walk last forever.

  "THEY'RE COMING!" Nef's panicked voice screeched through the speaker.

  "Nef!" Len took off in a sprint dumping his gear.

  Rec took his rifle off his back and Zoe dropped to ready her bow. Everyone started moving quickly. I ran ahead and burst into the bunker gunning for topside, Len a few feet ahead of me. We made it to the topside stairs and Len crashed into Neffery on his way down.

  "Lenny they gonna kill all of us! They're here! Run!" Nef had blood on his knees and shoes and pushed us towards the mess hall doors.

  Through the doors Nef grabbed Rec and Zoe collapsing to his knees.

  "Neffery what's going on?" Len crouched down and grabbed his face on both sides.

  "Oh, Tony. I'm so sorry. I'm supposed to be fast." Neffery began to sob and shake as his olive eyes shot around wildly.

  "Tony? Who's Tony?" Len tried to get through to him.

  "You." Neffery finally made eye contact and went still. "Tony. Joey. Honor. Natia." He said unmoving.

  "What are you talking about?" Len looked around at everyone nervously. "What the hell did he see up there?"

  "Tony. Joey. Honor. Natia." He repeated and started rocking back and forth. "Tony. Joey. Honor. Natia." He slammed his fist against the ground. "A-W-N-E-R! Got it?" He said pulling on Rec's arm.

  "Rec, come topside with me. Dom get his knees bandaged up. He's in shock, don't push him too hard. We're going to see what's happening up there." I turned for the stairs again and heard Rec follow behind.

  "I don't understand. Its hours before sunset, why are they moving so soon?" He asked.

  "Something tells me this isn't just an attack." I went through the doors to the topside hall and moved a little slower towards the outside doors. "Do you hear that?" I whispered.

  Rec slung his rifle back over his shoulder and slipped soundlessly to the end of the hall kneeling at the doors. We could hear the snarls of aggressives outside. Confusion rippled through me.

  "Bloody hell." I cursed low.

  "We have monitors in coach's room for a couple areas out there." Rec said barely audible, moving back to the stairs.

  We came through the mess hall doors just as Dom was stepping away from Nef with a pale face and everyone else was moving slowly back. Len had silent tears running down his face and Nef looked to still be in shock. I moved to the group as Rec snagged Tom and disappeared through the recreation doors.

  "What's going on here?" I asked, trying to make eye contact with any of them. All eyes were on the floor or on Nef. "How are you feeling Neffery?" I crouched down and he looked at me with sad eyes.

  "I'm supposed to be fast." He looked down at his leg and turned it to reveal a bite mark just above the back of his knee. "Joey Jolt Jones. Had them on chains. Black cloaks. I'm supposed to be fast." He started sobbing again and Len pulled him into his side.

  I looked up and locked eyes with Viktor. Both of us clearly hoping our theory about the strains was correct. I swallowed back my doubt and stood.

  "Rec and I heard aggressives outside. He's checking the monitors right now to see what's going on up there. We're going to need to pack lighter, looks like we'll be heading out on foot." Just as I was telling them Rec came in, Tom jotting something down on his notepad.

  "Group of three came in on mountain bikes. They had aggs’ in tow and sent them up after Nef when they heard him. Looks like when he started screaming, they took off. The three aggs’ are still up there. They've got them wrapped up in some kind of material that's protecting them from the sun." Rec explained.

  "Where are they?" Zoe asked, shifting on her feet.

  "Right outside the bunker doors."

  "But the men left?" She prompted.

  "As far as I can tell. They might be within eyeshot of the doors. I can't be sure."

  "Tom?" Zoe turned to her brother.

  "I'm working on it." He waved her off and moved to an empty table, patting Nef's shoulder on his way.

  The silence was broken by the singing of metal on metal and we all turned to Boe. He was sharpening a strange knife and taking deep even breaths. He looked up briefly and paused. He returned to his task with a shake of his head and slowly everyone else seemed to step away and prepare for a fight.

  "What the hell is that?" Rec asked Boe as he counted ammo.

  "Kirpan." Boe wiped the sides of the deeply curved blade off on his jeans and flipped it in his hand. "You have your rifle. I have this."

  "Is that blasphemous or anything?" Bud asked with a raised brow.

  "Do we care?" Boe countered with a nod at Nef.

  "Guess not." Bud answered and went about his business.

  Dom and Len lifted Neffery and carried him into the med bay after Dom decided he needed stitches in his leg. The people from the farm were arguing quietly in the far corner. Mer and Neptune both readied clips for handguns. Unrest was rampant. I took a deep breath and set in to help where I could.

  "Rec, let's go check out the west again, see if it's clear."

  "Yeah sure."

  After Rec and I returned to the west exit to scope out the surrounding area, we determined that aside from the three men who had come in, the rest of the cannibal troops were still in the distance. The three men could be seen inside the green house on the security monitors. We decided they couldn't see the bunker doors so now Rec, Bud, and I were preparing to quietly take out the three aggs’ lurking outside.

  "Ready?" I asked with my hand on the door latch. At their nods I popped the door open and moved back.

  Rec had strapped a knife to the end of his rifle and Bud was standing ready with a crowbar. I had a razor wire garrote that I had found lying downstairs. We stood patiently waiting for the first agg to creep through the door.

  We heard it rake against the door before it turned the corner and entered slowly, jerking its head side to side. Bud cleared his throat and the agg lunged for him. One clean sweep and the agg dropped with a loud thud, the crowbar lodged in its skull.

  Bud quietly struggled to remove the crowbar and I moved ahead of him as a second agg approached. I stood flush against the door and yanked the garrote over its head as soon as it poked its rotting head in. I jerked it quietly to the floor and pushed my boot down between its shoulders, pulling until we heard the moist pop and tear of its head separating from its body.

  I backed away from the door again and got ready to look outside for the third agg when the walkie on Rec's hip clicked and Abe came over it.

  "Movement at the greenhouse." He said quietly and the walkie screeched before cutting out.

  We all froze and looked at each other a moment before the third agg burst through the door. It was well over six feet tall and we were stunned until it barreled into Rec. Rec thrust his blade into its ribcage, a possible killing blow for a smaller one.

  I jumped onto its back and wound my garrote around its neck. Bud had finally dislodged the crowbar and slammed it into the top of the aggs’ skull just before it latched onto Rec's exposed wrist. I pushed the behemoth to the side and we all sagged with relief.

  Rec dropped his arm over his eyes and Bud patted him on the chest. I shook my head toed the massive muncher hoping it was dead. Our echoing breaths were interrupted by a voice in the open doorway behind us.

  "Tits! That was close yeah?" The thick British accent belonged to a slender man with unruly black hair sticking up in uneven hanks. He chuckled as he ran his eyes over us.

  He had black gloved hands elegantly armed with a red crossbow, some kind of symbol painted on it trained on my chest, and he was flanked by two men. The three from the greenhouse. One of the men had his back to us seeming to be a lookout. The other had a scowl on
his face and his arms crossed.

  "Doug was my favorite and you done killed him." The scowling man said with an earbud hanging around his neck, music blaring. He glanced at the man with the crossbow. "I'm spiking Theodore when we get back. This is your fault." He adjusted a backwards ball cap over his red hair.

  Bud jerked his head up like something was happening behind them and they both glanced back. We both lunged forward plowing into them. The man behind them was knocked down in the melee and a walkie was launched out of his hand.

  Rec leapt over us and began fighting with the man to get to the walkie. I pressed the crossbow into the Brits throat and Bud wrestled around with the redhead. Rec finally got to the walkie and delivered a kick to the guy's throat dropping him. Rec moved in and drove his knife into the man's chest twisting it. The man gurgled and went limp.

  The redhead stopped struggling against Bud, who now had him in a chokehold, and held his hands up in surrender. The door to below opened and I could hear footfalls halt and then quicken behind us. The Brits eyes narrowed behind me and a slow grin crept in.

  "Well, if it ain't Lil' Red Robin Rood." He blew a kiss and winked.

  Zoe dropped to a knee and delivered a sharp jab to his nose so quick I barely registered what had happened. Boe moved in and helped Bud secure the redheads hands behind his back with zip ties. I stood and trained the bow on the Brit.

  "Up." I snapped and he stood.

  "Assume the position." He said in a mocking tone with a roll of his eyes and put his hands on his head.

  Zoe grabbed his arm and slammed a boot into the back of his knee. He landed on his knees with a hiss and glared at her. She jerked his arms back and secured him in zip tie cuffs as well.

  "Bondage already, and she doesn't even know your name." The redhead chuckled.

  Zoe backhanded him and his hat flew off. He spit out blood and sneered at her. Zoe glanced at the two of them, satisfied they were secure, and nodded.

  "Let's get them downstairs. Len wants to have a chat." She brushed her hands together and took the bow when I offered it. Then they headed back down the hall.

  Bud shoved the redhead forward and the Brit followed with a grin on his face. An uneasy feeling washed over me and I grabbed Boe before he followed. I pulled him just outside the doors and scanned the area.