The Changing Earth Series (Book 1): Day After Disaster

by Hathaway, Sara F.

  She crept by in the shadows, in between the tents surrounding the fire and the power building. She stayed alert to any movement around her. She slipped past the store and headed for the building that was at a right angle to the clothing store. It stretched out to the left. There was a small parking lot entryway between the two buildings, just big enough for two cars to fit through. She hid next to the building and peeked her head out to check for activity before she crossed. It was dark and difficult to see, but it looked as if two dead bodies now stood guard over an abandoned gate. Firelight reflected off an arrow that was protruding out of one man’s head. She chuckled a little and knew that Vince and Greg had definitely been this way. She moved across the pavement and turned to creep along the wall of the next building when suddenly, a man was right behind her. He came out from the corner of the building. He must have watched Erika cross. Erika heard his approach and quickly turned to face him. She recognized this man. He was one of the leaders of this group. The one she saw in the Jeep while she was in hiding in the bushes with Star.

  They brandished their weapons in unison. Firing at one another, the man dodged Erika knocking the gun out of her hand, but she had thrown a well-aimed roundhouse kick at his hand, which dislodged his pistol as well.

  “Oh, you’re quick,” the man said. Erika knew this was the guy. His name was Steve.

  “Hi, Steve,” Erika said defiantly as they circled one another.

  “Smart, too,” replied Steve coarsely.

  He threw a punch at her, but Erika ducked it and countered his attack with a front kick straight to his jaw that sent him flying backwards. Erika grabbed her knife from its holster.

  “You want to play? You’re gonna pay for that, little girl!” Steve sneered, pulling a knife out of his boot. He was pissed off now and bleeding from his mouth.

  They circled one another again. In a fit of rage, Steve lunged in to pierce Erika’s heart, but Erika flowed with his movement and dodged his attack. Steve looked down and saw the hilt of Erika’s knife sticking out of his neck. He gasped desperately for air. She reached up and pulled the knife out. Blood began to bubble from his mouth and ran down his neck out of the gaping hole. His beady eyes stared into hers as he fell to his knees and then fell flat on his face, dead.

  Erika stepped back to avoid his falling body and was suddenly grabbed from behind. She struggled and kicked, but was taken totally off guard by this new attacker. She slowly stopped struggling as the unknown individual buried the hilt of his gun in the side of her head. Blood ran down her head and her eyes closed.

  Chapter 24

  Erika awoke groggily to a strange voice saying, “Boss, the front gate is still holding, and we have those two trapped in the supply room.”

  “They haven’t been captured yet?” another voice barked back.

  “No, but. . .” the first voice replied.

  “But what?” said the second voice roughly.

  Erika’s sense of reality was slowly returning. She realized she wasn’t dead, but she was unsure what had happened or where she was.

  “I want those two dickheads dead!” screamed the second voice.

  “Okay, okay, boss, I’ll get out there and take care of it myself,” replied the first voice hastily.

  “You’re damn right you will. . .look, our little pet is starting to wake up,” said the second voice, noticing Erika starting to move.

  “Just let me do her now, boss,” said the first voice. Erika heard a click of a gun cocking.

  “No, stupid, I’ve been waiting for this for too long to kill her quick. I’m gonna have some fun with this whore before she dies.” Erika heard the man walking across the room. “Hey little girl, you awake?” he questioned her harshly.

  Erika slowly and painfully opened her eyes. They felt swollen and when she tried to move she realized she was tied to a chair. Through the puffy slits she saw a darker-skinned man with a scar on the bottom of his chin staring right into her eyes. She knew him immediately; it was Doug Pennington, the leader of the gang.

  “Well, hello, sweetie, comfy?” Doug inquired condescendingly.

  Erika ignored his inquiries, looking around the room. It was built from old building pieces that fell during the quakes. It was lavishly decorated with rugs on the walls and floors. The room was partitioned by a rug as well and she could see that behind it was obviously a sleeping area. The room she occupied by a huge desk and Dave, Doug’s right-hand man. He stood sheepishly against one wall. His blue eyes made contact with hers.

  “Hey, I’m talking to you,” Doug shouted in her face and spittle splatted on her cheek. “Happy to see me, aren’t ya?”

  “Where am I?” Erika questioned.

  “You’re in my world now, little girl,” Doug snapped back. “You don’t know how much I’ve longed for you to be sitting right there in that chair.” He backed off a little and began to pace in front of her. “You put on quite a show down there at the river. It was supposed to be an easy in and out, but no, you orchestrated a resistance. That was a nice touch, the exploding bridge. My brother died on that fucking bridge!” He was back in her face, shouting at her. She saw his nasty sweat bead up on his face and then drip onto her body. “The horse was a great touch, very nostalgic, but easily traceable. I followed your tracks back to that junk heap of a barn and I took vengeance on those people. I should have killed them all, but I knew you would come to rescue them. Somehow, I knew if I set it up just right you would try to rescue them, and here you are, how lucky for me.”

  Reality hit Erika like a wave. This was all a setup. They’d captured Harold’s family and left him alive because they knew he would find her. The truth was almost sickening. Erika turned white with rage.

  “Fuck you and your dead brother!” Erika snapped as the anger over his attack on Henry and Carol welled up inside her. She spit in his face. Doug punched her across her mouth causing her head to snap sideways and her chair to fall over. Blood poured from her mouth onto the floor. She could do nothing but lay there and wait for his next move.

  “Just let me kill her now,” Dave shouted as he bounded across the room. He drove his gun’s barrel into the side of Erika’s head.

  “Knock it off, you stupid moron,” Doug said, smacking Dave across the head. “I told you I was going to savor this kill. Get yourself over to that supply room and kill those bastards. Now!” Doug shouted back at Dave

  Dave left in a fury. Erika’s eyes followed him as he stormed out of the room. She was terrified for Vince and Greg’s safety. Erika heard the door slam as Doug abruptly set her back upright in the chair. She was face to face with him again.

  “Now, where were we before that mouth of yours got you into trouble. Oh yeah, I was telling you all about how you lead me straight to that beautiful cache of supplies. So, my fiery little pet, what’s your name?” Doug grabbed hold of her chin and looked straight into her eyes.

  “Screw you,” Erika ripped her head out of his hand and spat blood from her swollen mouth onto the floor.

  “That can be arranged,” Doug hissed at her. He reached down and ripped her shirt down the front. “Well, look at you. Those scars run all over your body. What the hell happened to you?” When Doug saw her scarring, he was taken aback a little. His surprise caused him to step a couple of paces away from Erika, giving her some room to breathe.

  She knew her situation was grim, and she needed to think fast. It was obvious Doug was not in a hurry to kill her and spike her head somewhere along the wall. She figured if she could keep him talking it would buy her time to be rescued or rescue herself. Her face hurt, and she could feel it swelling more and more. At this point she needed to play damage control. She must survive, her kids were waiting.

  “I made it out of Sacramento,” she said flatly.

  “You did what?” Doug questioned in disbelief. “Nobody made it out of there. We looked for survivors, all we found were bodies.”

  “Lucky for me,” Erika commented under her breath.

  “You
know you really should control that mouth of yours,” he said. He was right in her face again with her chin in his hand. “I don’t care if you made it through the gates of hell itself, I’ll still kill you right now,” he said in a surprisingly calm voice. He looked her up and down as he tilted her head from side to side in his hand. “Oh yeah, there’s plenty that can still be done with you.” His tongue licked his lips. “Nothing’s really damaged here.” His tone of voice made Erika’s skin crawl.

  Erika tried so hard to back away from him, she ended up tipping the chair over backwards. This caused Doug to beat on her some more before he once again sat the chair upright.

  “You are a spirited one, I have to give you that,” Doug said, chuckling. “You sure are making this fun.” He was pacing back and forth in front of her again, obviously taking pleasure in tormenting her.

  Both of Erika’s eyes continued to swell, and she had sustained a nasty kick to the ribs. She checked the strength of the ropes at her wrists, feeling them burn on her skin as she twisted her wrists back and forth. They were tight, and pain shot from just about every corner of her body. Her heart beat frantically. From outside she could still hear an explosion now and again, and she could hear gunfire from every direction.

  Doug saw her taking notice of the noise outside. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, my boys will kill all those heroes that came with you, and no one will come to save you now. You’re all mine,” Doug declared, rubbing his hands together like he was getting ready to eat a gourmet meal. He watched her puffy eyes start to water. He knew he would break her soon.

  Erika prayed he was not correct, but in the back of her mind she wondered if he was. The plan had never been to conquer the whole compound. It was supposed to be so simple, get in and get out, save some people, and get some supplies. Now here she was, stuck, and the most sickening part was, this had been Doug’s plan all along. He expertly conceived the plan and it worked. She was so naïve. She acted on instinct to save her friends and played right into his diabolical plot. Her mind was racing. What should I do? she wondered again and again. Should I appease him and try to survive until I can escape? She shook the thought from her head, quickly dismissing the idea. Surrender was never an option for her in the past, and she certainly wasn’t going to give in now.

  “So,” Doug’s harsh voice snapped her back to reality. “You escaped that sludge down there, but obviously not unscathed,” he expressed calmly. His curiosity was piqued.

  “Yes, and those people you took vengeance on, those wonderful people, they saved me. They found me and rescued me. They didn’t lock me in a cage or make me a slave. They helped me and sent me on my way back to my fam. . .” Erika stopped short, realizing she was saying way too much. She got caught up in her anger over how this monster devised this plan and how he treated Henry and Carol, and all those people, even children.

  “Back to your family,” Doug replied, catching the slip-up immediately. He pounced on her weakness. “And were they alive?” he asked, pacing vigorously in his delight while his mind worked on the implications of her statement.

  “No, they were dead, even my baby boy,” Erika lied, trying to sound convincing.

  Doug paced around her chair like a shark smelling blood. Finally, he leaned down, so he was in her face again. “You want to know what I think? I think you’re lying. You went back home to your little family. You found them and now your man is here, isn’t he?” Doug’s brain was racing now. Maybe he could have a lot of fun with this. Killing her husband in front of her would be the ultimate humiliation. She would have to submit to him then. He was pacing again. Erika was horrified as she saw a look of realization come over his face. “And I know where he is.” Erika’s eyes widened. “Oh yes, my little pet, I definitely know where he is.” He rubbed his hands together again, “I saw your eyes when I told Dave to go kill those men in the supply room. You looked fiercely concerned. He’s one of those guys, isn’t he?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She angrily spat out the words. “I told you, my family is dead!” Erika was doing her best to sound convincing, but she had never been a very good liar.

  “Oh, but I think you know exactly what I’m talking about,” Doug hissed, glaring directly into her eyes.

  “Of course, I would be concerned about my friends, you freaking idiot,” Erika yelled, trying to distract him with his own anger toward her.

  “Watch your fucking mouth, bitch!” Doug seethed, punching her across the face.” He wound up to hit her again but stopped and looked at her. “I have a better idea. You keep your fine ass right there and I’ll be right back,” Doug said maliciously. He was excited to have a new pawn in the game and strolled over to the door with an arrogant swagger.

  “You’re a monster!” Erika shouted at him.

  “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Doug seethed as he slammed the door.

  Erika found herself alone, wondering what just happened? That monster was going after Vince. Pain coursed through her body. She took a deep breath, wincing as the air in her lungs pressed on her ribs. She hurt and thought about giving up. She’d endured enough pain for three lifetimes, but something inside her said no. This was her chance. What was she going to do? she thought, examining the chair she was tied to. Frantically, she pulled at the ropes on her wrists until she could feel the blood trickling down her hands. Her wrists, tied to the back legs of the chair, were not coming loose that way. Rocking the chair back so her feet could just barely touch the floor, she jumped and tried to make the chair land on the back legs. She hit at a horrible angle and fell hard on her side. Pain surged through her. Laying on the floor, she was perplexed how to get up without help. Working with her tippy toes and finger tips, Erika finally rocked the chair upright. Fearing the pain from another fall, Erika knew if she could just break those back legs she would be free.

  She worked up all her courage, jumped off her feet and threw all her weight into landing on the back legs. It worked! A loud crack filled the air as her arms broke free. She quickly brought her hand to her mouth to wipe away the blood, sweat, and spit. The rope was so tight, even though the legs broke off, her hands were still tied to them. She worked at the knots with her teeth and before long the ropes unraveled. She quickly untied her legs from the front of the chair. There was no time to lose, any minute now they could be coming back through the door. She stood up. The adrenaline was pumping through her battered body, numbing the pain. She thought about running out the door. What about Vince? she thought. She couldn’t risk the chance that Doug would come back with Vince as his captive, find her missing, and kill him in his rage. Rapidly assessing her situation, she needed to find a weapon. She scanned the room but saw nothing. She rummaged through the desk, but it was full of papers and pens. The motto the pen is mightier than the sword ran through her head. She didn’t think that would be true in this situation.

  Erika ran to the back-sleeping area. There was a bed with silk sheets. Erika spat a bloody mouthful of saliva on them in disgust and continued surveying the room. There was a table with a sawed-off shotgun lying on it. She ran over and grabbed it. When she broke it open to check for ammo there was only one shell inside.

  “Oh no,” Erika said to herself as she looked for more ammo. She found none. “This will have to do.”

  She hid behind the door to the outside and waited. She remembered hiding behind her bedroom door waiting to ambush her unsuspecting son. She would jump out and yell, “boo.” He would be completely surprised, and Erika would laugh and laugh at her joke. Hoping this strategy would work, she listened closely for movement outside. She could hear shouting from out in the camp. Every hair on her body was standing on edge. In her moment of calm, she felt the pain in her face, causing the muscles to twitch, and her wrists burned where the ropes had been tied tight. She tried to steady her breathing and prepare for the encounter.

  Then, from out of nowhere, the door was thrown open. It smashed into Erika, but she stayed perfectly still, holding her br
eath. Two men with their hands bound were thrown through the door and fell with a crash onto the floor. Erika could see instantly it was Vince and Greg. They both appeared to be badly beaten. Vince looked to be on the edge of consciousness, but Greg fell into an unconscious heap on the floor. His sarcasm must have earned him a much harder beating.

  “So, you stupid whore, which one of these bastards is your husband?” Doug fumed as he strut through the door. He assumed she was still in the chair and his confidence was palpable. “What the fuck?” he questioned when saw the broken chair. He quickly spun from right to left scanning the room.

  Erika’s heart was pounding out of her chest. She kicked the door closed to prevent the entry of any backup men. She aimed the shotgun at Doug and without hesitation, bang, she pulled the trigger! He blew backwards off his feet as blood blasted out from his pelleted chest. Behind her the door flew open again and there was Dave with his gun pointing right at her. She turned to face him but knew she had no ammo left.

  “What did you do?” Dave shouted as he looked past her and saw Doug on the floor. In slow motion Erika could see his finger flex on the trigger. He began to pull. . .