Empty World

by Zach Bohannon

  Reaching behind her, Shell prepared an arrow. The others nodded at her as they grabbed their weapons.

  “Now!”

  Shell jumped up, nocking the arrow into her bow. She aimed and let go of the bowstring, landing an arrow in the back of her target’s head.

  Trent, who also used a bow, took a shot at one of the other creatures. He missed its head, landing the arrow in its shoulder. It distracted the creature long enough for Martin to rush over to it and bury his hatchet into its head. Julia took down one of the creatures with her machete, and Martin killed the other with his hatchet. The whole ambush lasted only around thirty seconds.

  When it was over, Shell lowered her bow and breathed heavily, the adrenaline rushing through her body. Julia turned her way. Blood had splashed onto her face, and she squinted her eyes. Martin looked Shell’s way, too. Only, like Julia, he wasn’t looking at Shell, but beyond her.

  Shell turned around.

  A man sat on a horse, about thirty yards away from them. He had blonde hair, and he looked at Shell with wide eyes. She recognized him. It was Cody, the twenty-something-year-old who Ray had sent away to tell the rest of their gang about the town.

  “Oh, shit,” she said.

  She drew an arrow and nocked it into her bow. The bandit took off. Shell let the arrow fly from her shaking bow, her hands quaking. The arrow missed by ten feet or more.

  The man looked back as he rode, kicking the horse to go faster.

  He was too far out of distance for her to shoot again.

  And he was heading back toward Shell’s house.

  Shell clutched her chest, almost falling.

  They’d lost the element of surprise.

  43

  Paul licked his lips as he kneeled down behind the rusted vehicle. He had taken his squad to the next house over from Shell’s. Several dozen acres separated the two homes, giving them some needed distance. He peeked over the hood. He could count seven men scattered around the yard, and another two sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch of the house. Just as Shell had predicted, the men were hanging around her house where she had gathered supplies and resources.

  We’ve got you bastards.

  Lowering his head, Paul sat with his back against the car.

  “Get a good look at how many of them there are?” Tim asked.

  “I counted nine, but there’s gotta be more. They’re probably in the house or the barn.”

  “They could be away from the house, too,” Caleb said. “Out searching the town. That could be good.”

  “Yes, it could,” Paul said.

  That was the scenario Paul had hoped for. If at least some of the gang were away, scavenging the small town or off hunting, then they would have far fewer people to worry about taking out in the initial attack. Once they were gone, Paul and the others could hide until the other bandits returned, and then they could ambush them.

  “So, what’s the plan now?” Stewart asked.

  “We’ll have to wait for the others to get into position and give their signals,” Paul said. “I’m gonna poke my head up again and see.”

  Paul shifted positions onto his knees and looked over the hood of the car again. He raised the binoculars to his face and then glanced to the north, where Keon had been directed to take his crew. He scanned the horizon until he saw a white flag sticking out of the ground next to the remains of a pickup truck. Then Keon poked his head out and looked in Paul’s direction. He gave a thumbs-up, then hid behind the truck again.

  “Keon’s in position,” Paul said to the others. “Now I’ve gotta look for Shell.”

  Paul looked into the binoculars again and pointed them west. He was looking straight across the yard and couldn’t help but study the faces of the men he would be trying to kill in mere minutes. Then he focused beyond them and tried to find Shell, Martin, Julia, and Trent. He looked for their white flag next to every barrier but didn’t see it.

  They’d had plenty of time to get over there. Where were they?

  The binoculars focused on the men on the front porch of Shell’s farmhouse. They’d stood up from the rocking chairs and were staring at the south side of the property. As Paul moved the binoculars across the landscape, he saw the other bandits looking south, as well. Then he heard the horse, and the man yelling. He scanned the area until he saw the man on the horse, kicking its side as the animal barreled toward the house.

  “What the hell is that?” Caleb asked. He got beside Paul and looked over the hood.

  Paul put down the binoculars to watch the scene unfold with his own eyes. The man rode the horse into the middle of the yard, where five of the other men stood. He brought the horse to a stop several feet from them. Then he waved his arms and spoke loudly, but not enough to where Paul could hear him. He pointed in the direction from which he’d come. The same direction Shell’s group were supposed to have approached the house from.

  “Oh, shit,” Paul said.

  Paul’s heart raced. He wasn’t sure what to do. Shell and her squad had been outed, but the rest of them hadn’t. The second they went to help Shell, though, they would be. But he couldn’t let them go after her, Martin, Julia, and Trent.

  The men drew blades ranging in size, and took off running toward where the man on the horse had been pointing. And the man on the horse kicked the animal and took off after them.

  “Shit, Paul. What are we going to do?” Caleb asked.

  But Paul didn’t have to decide.

  He heard the scream, and he looked north.

  And saw his best friend running toward the men on the property.

  “Goddammit, Keon.”

  Paul bit his lip, drawing blood. He drew his machete and raised it into the air. Caleb, Stewart, and Tim all stood beside him.

  They ran toward the house.

  44

  Shell didn’t know what to do.

  She stood behind the tractor, her heart racing. The man on the horse had sped away because he was outnumbered. But he had clearly recognized Shell, as she had him. He’d soon be back with others, and the fight would be over before it even started. Paul, Keon, and the others wouldn’t stand a chance if Shell and her crew were taken out.

  “We’ve got to head back,” Julia said. “It’s the only chance we’ve got.”

  “I’m with her,” Trent said.

  “No way,” Martin said. “We can’t.”

  “Why not?” Julia asked. “That guy’s going to come back here with a hell of a lot more people, and they’re going to kill us!”

  “And you don’t think they’ll catch us?” Martin asked. “We’re in the middle of an open field. There’s no way we’ll get away from them, especially if they all have horses.”

  The three continued to argue as panicking thoughts ran around in Shell’s head. She massaged her right temple, feeling the veins pulsate. Then she turned to the others.

  “Everyone, stop it!”

  They looked at her. Sweat collected around her palm where she held her bow, and she clutched her other hand tight into a fist.

  “We aren’t leaving. Paul and Keon wouldn’t leave us, so we’re not hanging them out to dry. We came here to fight, and just because everything hasn’t gone as planned doesn’t mean we’re going to run away and give up.”

  Shell drew an arrow from her quiver and readied it in her bow. Then she turned away from the others and walked around the other side of the tractor and faced the house. She squinted her eyes.

  “Son of a bitch.”

  She watched as Keon and his squad ran towards the center of the yard. Then, moments later, Paul led his group. They’d been forced to initiate the attack early, and it was all her fault.

  The others came to her side, but right as they got there, she returned the arrow to her quiver and started running.

  “Shell, wait!” Martin yelled.

  But she didn’t. Couldn’t. The plan had blown up because of her. If she had ignored the horde of Deads, she might have noticed the man on the horse. />
  She pumped her arms and ran.

  She had to get to the house and help her friends before it was too late.

  Paul focused his attention on a man with a shadow of a beard who was wearing a backward, faded baseball cap. He appeared to be in his mid-40s. Was he a husband like Paul, or even a father? It didn’t matter now. The man held up a large knife, aiming it at his oncoming assailant—Paul.

  As Paul ran at the man in the ballcap, he watched Keon’s squad arrive and begin the fight. Keon took down the first bandit he saw with his crossbow, hitting the man in the leg. Katrina ran up to the fallen bandit and slashed his throat as he stood up, bringing the first kill to the battle.

  The man in the baseball cap yelled out as he ran at Paul. Paul raised the machete over his head and swung. The man rolled, avoiding the blow. The swing of the machete nearly sent Paul to the ground, too. Another bandit came at him with a knife, hoping to catch him off guard, but Paul swung the machete at the man’s arm, driving the blade halfway through his wrist. The man screamed out, dropping the knife to the ground. Paul then drove the tip of the machete into the man’s belly. Blood spewed from the bandit’s mouth and he looked at Paul with pale eyes.

  Before Paul could withdraw the blade from the dying man’s gut, he heard a yell behind him. Baseball Cap lunged at Paul with the knife and Paul kicked backward, landing his boot into the man’s gut. Baseball Cap doubled over and coughed, giving Paul enough time to get the machete out of the dead man’s stomach. Paul’s first victim fell to the ground. Paul raised the machete over his head to bring it down onto Baseball Cap, but Baseball Cap managed a swing of the knife. It slashed Paul across his side, cutting open his shirt. Paul yelled out in pain, nearly dropping the machete to the ground as he clutched his side. He raised his hand off the wound to see the blood.

  With his head still down, Baseball Cap barreled his shoulder into Paul, sending him to the ground and causing him to drop the machete. The back of Paul’s head hit the dirt, briefly disorienting him and sending a sharp pain to his skull. He looked over and saw his machete lying next to him. His wedding ring had come off during the fall, too, and lay near the machete. He reached out to grab it, but a tennis shoe slammed down on his hand. Paul screamed as Baseball Cap shifted more weight down onto his palm. Keeping his foot on Paul’s hand, Baseball Cap kneeled and grabbed the machete and the ring. He laughed as he looked down at Paul.

  “Maybe I’ll find her and fuck ‘er when you’re dead.”

  Paul’s eyes went wide as the man grinned and lifted the machete with both hands over his head.

  “Sweet dreams, mother—”

  An arrow pierced his throat from the back of his neck. Blood spilled out of each side of the wound like a fountain. Baseball Cap dropped the machete and it stuck in the dirt. Breathing heavily, Paul sat up.

  Shell stood twenty yards away, her bow still aimed at where Baseball Cap had been standing. She hurried over and kneeled next to Paul.

  “You all right?”

  “Fine,” Paul said, his eyes still wide.

  “You’re bleeding.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Paul said, retrieving his wedding ring and then pushing himself up.

  He grabbed his machete and looked at the fight going on. He watched a large man stab Jesse in the arm, then topple on top of him and stab him again.

  “Shit,” Paul said. “We can’t waste any more time.”

  He ran back into the fight.

  45

  Shell watched Paul race over to where Jesse had been taken down, all the while deciding on what her next move would be. She scanned the area and saw most of her people still standing, paired up with members of the gang and fighting. Paul and Keon had been able to maintain some surprise and take out a few of the bandits before the fight officially began, making the fight more even now.

  But as she looked around the yard now, she couldn’t find Keon. She searched amongst the fights, having seen him only moments earlier, but now he was gone.

  A scream pulled her away, and she looked to her right to see a man strike Katrina in the face with the back of his hand. Katrina hit the ground and the man laughed. He held a spear as a weapon and pointed it at her.

  Shell drew an arrow from her quiver and loaded it into her bow. She whistled, hoping it would draw the man’s attention and buy her more time.

  It worked.

  The man looked her way as she pulled back the bowstring. She let go and the arrow soared, catching the man in his left shoulder. He cried out and fell to the ground.

  Shell ran over and found Katrina lying on the ground, gasping for air. She looked down at the man who she’d shot with the arrow and he wasn’t moving. The shot had been perfect, piercing his heart and ending his life. Shell kneeled down by Katrina and checked her body for wounds, but found none aside from the blood oozing out of her nose from the man striking her.

  “You all right?” Shell asked.

  “Yeah,” Katrina said.

  Shell extended her hand and, when Katrina grabbed it, she pulled her up to her feet.

  “Have you seen your brother?”

  Katrina looked past Shell to glance around the property. “No. We were supposed to stay together, but that plan faded quick.”

  Shell brushed her aside and walked past her.

  “Where are you going?” Katrina asked.

  “To find him. Take care of yourself and I’ll see you on the other side.”

  Shell stayed on the outskirts of all the fighting as she looked for Keon. She kept an arrow notched in her bow, looking for a shot to help her friends, but one never came. Each fight had the combatants too close together, and they were moving so fast that Shell risked hitting one of her friends instead of saving them.

  A faint cry came from the barn, jerking away Shell’s attention. It sounded familiar.

  It sounded like Keon.

  Shell lowered her bow so she could move faster, still keeping ahold of the arrow she’d held ready.

  The barn doors stood ajar, and she opened them slowly in case one of the gang members was inside waiting. Instead, all she saw was Keon, lying against the far wall and clutching his knee. Shell hurried over to him.

  “Get out of here, Shell! It’s a trap!”

  Shell turned around, and she faced a man much larger than she was.

  It was Cody.

  He grabbed onto the wrist of her hand holding the bow and twisted. She cried out, dropping her bow and the arrow to the ground. He then used his other hand to push her down. She landed on her ass, her bow lay only a few feet away, but when she reached for it, the man simply kicked it away. Then Shell saw his other foot come up towards her face.

  It was like nothing she’d ever felt. The man’s boot connected with her cheek with enough force to knock her down onto her back. The warm iron taste of blood filled her mouth, and she spit the red stuff up onto the ground. She ran her tongue around, checking to make sure all her teeth were there.

  “You son of a bitch!” Keon yelled.

  “Easy there, Dark Meat,” Cody said. “You’ll get yours soon enough.” He kneeled next to Shell and smiled. “You shouldn’t have come back here, darlin’. Maybe now I’ll let your friend here watch me fuck you before I kill him.”

  Shell narrowed her eyes as she looked up at the man. She spat a mixture of blood and mucus into his face.

  Cody’s smile disappeared and he stood up.

  “You fucking bitch!”

  He kicked Shell in the stomach hard enough to knock the breath out of her. She gasped as her eyes went wide, and he kicked her there again.

  “Ray might have let you get away with that shit, but I won’t.”

  Shell clutched her stomach and tried to crawl away. She grabbed a fistful of dirt, feeling the throbbing pain in her stomach with the other hand. Dirt flew into her eyes as the man’s boot appeared next to her.

  Cody yanked her upward by her hair, forcing her to stand despite all her pain. A hand wrapped around her throat from behind, and s
he felt the man’s hot breath hit the back of her neck.

  “You’re gonna regret that you ever fucked with me,” Cody said.

  The doors to the barn opened then, and Shell fell to the ground as the man let her go. She fell face-first, the pain so intense in her stomach that she couldn’t catch herself. Behind her, she heard a commotion, but she couldn’t turn around to see what was going on.

  Then there was a scream, and something hit the ground.

  Shell pushed herself up enough to where she could turn around.

  Cody lay on the ground, his face in the straw. He was motionless, and blood stained his blonde hair. Sticking out of his back was a sword. A hand grabbed the handle and withdrew the sword out of the Cody’s back. Shell moved her eyes up to the dark figure's face.

  The light was such that she could only see the outline of a trench coat and a cowboy hat. The figure moved out of the shadows.

  “Dylan?”

  It was him. He hurried over to Shell and kneeled next to her.

  “You all right, kid?”

  She spat more blood onto the ground, pushing herself up to her knees. “I’m fine. We need to get Keon some—”

  “No!” a woman screamed outside.

  “That was Katrina,” Keon said.

  He tried getting up, but groaned and fell back. Shell went over to him. Both of his knees were bloody and injured, keeping him from being able to get up.

  Dylan went over to the barn doors and peeked outside. “Shit.”

  “What?” Shell asked.

  Dylan looked back at her with his cold blue eyes.

  “They’ve got Paul.”

  46

  “Get the fuck out here!”

  The man’s burly voice came from outside and Shell knew instantly that it was Ray.

  “I know you’re in that barn. You better get your asses out here now.”

  Shell slowly stood, looking toward the barn doors. She started towards them, but Keon grabbed her leg.