by Jack Hunt
“Now let this be seen as a lesson to you all. I am for you. I will fight for you. But I will not be taken for a fool. You are not slaves, and I’m not here to mother you. If you can’t understand what we are trying to build, then leave now! But for those of you who choose to remain, be assured that punishment does exist and we will act swiftly.”
“What did he do?” his wife, Sharon, cried out.
Without missing a beat, Shelby replied, “He bit the hand that fed him.”
She broke down and was led away by another soldier. Meanwhile a few people from the recent arrivals got up and headed for the gates. Ryan fully expected Shelby to kill them but he didn’t. There was a reason why he was letting them walk, and a reason why he was punishing Timothy. He wanted everyone to know he was a man of his word, and yet fair at the same time. This was control at its finest. Other than the twelve people who opted to leave the compound that night, the rest remained.
Chapter 15
As soon as Maggie fixed the flashlight on Rayna, she knew something had gone horribly wrong. Her eyes were swollen from crying, she had a cut lip and bruising to the side of her face. Who was this new person with her? Where was Jill?
“Jesse, Rayna’s back!”
She hurried over to meet her and the first words out of her mouth were, “Where’s Jill?” Right then Rayna burst out crying and collapsed into her arms. She hugged her tight and eyed the girl behind her who looked nervous.
“Rayna?” Jesse said jogging over. “What happened?”
She could barely get words out. “Where’s Elliot?”
“In trouble,” Jesse replied. “You weren’t here when we got the call. I’ve been trying his radio since but can’t get through.” He looked at the girl beside her. “Who’s this?”
“I’m Brianna,” she said extending her hand. Jesse just stared so Maggie leaned forward and shook it.
Rayna made a gesture. “Maggie, can you show Brianna to the bunker while I go take a bath?”
“Sure. What about your kids?”
“Where are they?”
“In the bunker.”
“Don’t tell them I’m here yet.”
That struck her as odd. She absolutely adored her kids. As she broke away and headed for Mr. Thompson’s house, Maggie noticed the way she was walking like she was in pain. Maggie turned to Brianna.
“You want to fill in the blanks?”
The girl nodded and began to outline all that had led to her meeting Rayna. Twenty minutes later, Maggie cut Jesse a glance. She couldn’t fathom that Jill was dead or that Rayna had been raped and forced to take drugs. They gave Brianna some food and water and led her to a bed where she could rest while they went outside and spoke with the others about what to do. It was like their group was coming apart at the seams. Even if they could reach Elliot, what would they tell him?
Twenty minutes later, Jesse took a seat on a log around the campfire. He stirred up the flames with a metal rod that once was a coat hanger. There was silence for a few minutes between them as they came to grips with all that had happened.
He ran a hand over his head. “Even if he makes it back. He won’t have anyone to go after. She’s already killed him.”
Maggie nodded. “This is going to change everything.”
“You think?” Jesse said sarcastically.
She would have called him out on it but lately everyone had been on edge. Months of trying to survive had worn away at their tough exterior. It had beaten them down, changed them. Some became harder and wiser, others jaded, and the rest had been left shell-shocked. She’d seen the way the neighbors along the street had reacted after the final collapse of infrastructure. Some retreated into their homes, others lobbied for Gary to oversee them, while the rest took it upon themselves to roll up their sleeves and step up. It was a mixed bag because that’s what people were. No one viewed the world the same. That irritated some folks and made others smile.
“We need to head to Saranac,” Jesse said.
“Yeah? And how are we going to get there?”
“How did we get here?”
She scoffed. “I’m not riding a bike.”
“Then do you have a better idea?” He paused. “It will only take an hour to get there by bike.”
“And when do you want to leave?”
“At dawn.”
“By then they could be dead.”
“You don’t know that. Anyway, we’re of no use to them tired. We have to hope they can handle themselves in the meantime. We should get some rest.”
She stared at him. “You want to take others with us?”
“Only those that will go.” Jesse sighed. “They should have been back by now, Maggie. And you know Elliot. He wouldn’t have got on that radio and caused Rayna any unnecessary worry if he thought they could handle it. Whatever shit they’ve got themselves into, they need our help.”
She blew out her cheeks and leaned forward stretching. Jesse got up and came around the back of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began rubbing them. They’d grown close over the past six months, but it hadn’t turned into anything serious. It was hard to experience any deep level of intimacy while the world was falling down around them. She moaned a little as his fingers worked into her joints and eased the tension.
“I should probably go and be with Rayna. Maybe you can keep an eye on Brianna.”
He released his grip and nodded.
If she was being honest, she just wasn’t ready for anything more than friendship. After all she’d been through with her loser of a boyfriend in New York, the thought of being treated right seemed like a joke. Her walls were still up, and she wasn’t sure if that would change.
Back in Saranac, Elliot and the others had ventured out determined to not leave without at least the Jeep, or a couple of horses. Instead of just walking the streets they opted to find high ground and assess the situation.
“We don’t know how many are out there,” Elliot said.
“And you expect to find out by standing up here?” Gary asked. “Let’s just go home, Elliot. Leave now while we still have our lives.”
“Not until we get transportation.”
“I will not have you play roulette with my life.”
“Then leave. No one is holding you here, Gary. You want to go, go!” Elliot said. “And that goes for the rest of you.”
Gary snorted. “You get off on this, don’t you?”
Elliot turned. “What?”
“This. Being out here, knee deep in the grime. I bet if you hadn’t been given that medical discharge you would have taken another tour, wouldn’t you?”
Elliot didn’t reply.
“Admit it. You’re addicted to war. If you’re not in it, you’re creating it.”
“Why don’t you give him a break?” Damon said from across the other side of the building. They were standing on top of DJ’s Rustic Restaurant just off Broadway Street. They didn’t pick it because it offered the best scope of the land but because Sean had spotted an armed group of about ten heading their way.
“Why don’t you shut the fuck up?” Gary replied.
“Make me.”
“Oh please!” Ella shook her head. “Are you guys always like this? At each other’s throats? It must be a real joy to be around you all.”
“Well if you don’t like it,” Sean said, “I’d gladly hand you over to that lunatic. At least then we might be able to leave.”
“Try it,” she said squaring up to him. Elliot chuckled. That girl had large kahooners. She reminded him of Rayna.
“You know I really could go for a large Big Mac about now,” Zach said without looking at anyone. He was crouched down picking at the metal air vent on the roof of the restaurant. “You think they might have something inside?”
The very thought of food made Elliot’s stomach grumble. They hadn’t eaten in hours. But it wasn’t food he was worried about, it was thirst. He could kill for a bottle of water.
“Why don’t you g
o and take a look?” Gary said. “As it seems we are going to be here all night,” he added while glaring at Elliot. Elliot understood why Gary wanted to leave, that’s why he didn’t take offense to his off-the-cuff remarks and griping. If he had his own way, he would be at home, inside the bunker curled up with Rayna, but going back empty-handed, hell, going back with even less than they set out with, wasn’t in the cards. Despite what Gary believed, Elliot didn’t get a hardon over war, or facing off against any of these lunatics. It was a matter of principle. The day was not going to waste if he had his way. He pulled the magazine from his rifle to check how many rounds he had left. Eight. Gary and Damon were both out, and finding ammo, more specifically ammo for these AR-15s, wasn’t going to be easy. No, the only way forward now was to attack a smaller group and use their weapons.
“Get down!” he said. Everyone dropped. The sound of voices could be heard long before he saw them. Elliot crawled to the far corner of the building and peered over. Heading south on Broadway was a group of four. All of them were armed and the chance of them being able to take them out with eight bullets was slim.
“What have we got?” Gary asked sliding up beside him.
“Four. I can probably take out two before the others turn and fire but it would be taking a risk.”
“Then don’t.”
“If we don’t get our hands on some loaded firearms we aren’t getting out of here, Gary.”
“We have made it this far, and we have Ella. She’s avoided them for two months. This is a simple case of you not wanting to leave.”
Elliot chuckled. “No, this is a case of me not listening to you. It burns you to know that I was right about Lake Placid. I told you it was going to collapse, that people would only hold their positions for a few weeks at most but you refused to believe it. You held out hope until the end.”
“And that’s wrong?” he shot back.
“No. But you’re still thinking with the same mindset. Run instead of fight. Avoid instead of confront.”
“Maybe. But that’s what’s kept us alive.”
Elliot shook his head and returned to looking over the edge. They were much closer now. In a matter of minutes they would be directly below and passing them. He planned on shooting two of them from behind. Best case scenario, the other two would flee, worst case, they would fire back and others would arrive to provide backup. There was no easy way of doing this. No guarantee in this new world. Every decision made, every action could backfire. It didn’t matter how much training people had. How tactically sound they thought they were. Shit could go south real quick.
Elliot whistled over to Damon and motioned with his head. He crossed over keeping low to the roof.
“What do you want?”
“I’m taking two of them out. We need to grab those weapons fast. You up for it?”
He shrugged. “What’s option two?”
“There isn’t one.”
“I thought so. Yeah. I’ll head down with Sean. If things get hot, I’ll use him as a shield,” he said before chuckling. Sean glared at him.
“I’m not going down.”
“Then I’ll take Zach.”
“Fuck that,” Zach replied.
“Oh for goodness’ sakes, I’ll go with you,” Ella said, crossing over to the rear of the building and using the drainpipe to climb down.
“Hurry, Damon,” Elliot said noticing the men were getting closer. He kept watch on the group and prepared to take the shot.
He could hear them talking among themselves.
“I just don’t see what all the fuss is about. So they escaped. Let them go.”
“You heard Dallas. He wants her.”
“Because he lost his brother? Boo fucking hoo. We’ve all lost family.”
“Yeah, well you say that to his face.”
They strolled past and Elliot brought his rifle up and fixed his crosshair on the back of the nearest guy’s head. He slowed his breathing and then took the shot. Quickly he adjusted, shifting to the next guy as they registered they were under attack. Another crack and the guy beside him hit the pavement. The other spun around but couldn’t get a bead on where the shots originated. Elliot used that to his advantage as they backed up fast. One more round punctured a guy’s noggin, knocking him to the ground. The fourth guy took off, sprinting. Elliot fired again and caught him in the leg. He buckled and landed hard, his gun flying out of his hands. He’d only made it about ten yards when Damon and Ella burst out of the shadows to scoop up the weapons. Elliot homed in on the guy who was groaning in agony and crawling on his belly trying to make it to his weapon. He didn’t stand a chance. A slow-moving target was too easy. Another round echoed, and it was done but far from over. The sound of gunfire would attract more. One group was never that far from another. Elliot had to take his hat off to Dallas; he sure knew how to rally the troops. If they could have only had a man like that on their side, perhaps they would have been able to hold back the flood of raiders that Lake Placid was experiencing.
Ella scooped up the rifles, and they hurried back. While they were doing that another group of four were making their way down. They needed to shift position and fast. Anywhere was better than here.
“Go. Go!” Gary yelled as Ella returned and handed over rifles and magazines. They juggled them in their hands while heading up Prospect Drive. Elliot planned on swinging around and approaching the bar from the rear. He figured they would expect them to stay clear of the place and most if not all of Dallas’s men would be out searching for them. They decided to cut through the backyards of homes on McComb Street and head for Terrace Street which butted up against the back of the bar.
They could already hear yelling.
“Sounds like they’ve found their dead pals,” Gary said.
“Stay alert, folks,” Elliot added as they darted from one tree to the next, keeping in the shadows.
“I swear if even one of us dies, you and are I are going to have issues,” Gary said in a threatening manner. He’d forgotten that Elliot had told him he didn’t have to stay. The fact was he knew they stood a better chance sticking together than going it alone. As they got closer to the bar, Elliot’s heart slammed against his chest. His brow was covered in sweat. A flashback from his time in Iraq hit him. The sound of gunfire. Bombs going off. Flames and one of his men yelling for help.
He pushed the past from his mind. He had to stay focused.
Not now. Not now! He told himself.
As they got closer to the rear of the bar, they dropped down behind trees and assessed the situation. There was no one outside. There were a few horses tied up but no Jeep.
“There we go. We take those and get out of here,” Gary said.
“And the Jeep?”
“Don’t push it, Elliot!”
He nodded, and they moved in.
Chapter 16
Ryan trudged back to his room with the rest of the group. They dispersed once inside the bunkers, each heading off down the tunnels to their allocated abode. Upon entering his room he found his brother Samuel sitting on a chair holding a tub of camo paint and eyeing him.
“Where did you find that?” Ryan asked.
He jerked his head toward the door. “Close the door.”
Ryan pushed it shut and his brother rose. “You want to tell me why you lied to me?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Ryan, don’t bullshit me. It was you.” He stooped and reached under the bed and pulled out the gear Ryan had been wearing. Ryan frowned then hopped up onto the bed and pushed up the ceiling tile.
“Don’t bother. It’s all here.”
“How did you know?”
“Besides that fact that you’re the only one in this compound who’d have the balls to do it? Um, maybe because we think alike. There are only so many places you could have hidden a knife. Do you really think they wouldn’t have found this? You would have been better off leaving it somewhere inside the air vent or buried.” He tos
sed it at him. “You need to get rid of that and fast.”
“They haven’t figured it out yet.”
“No, but they are planning on performing a search of the rooms.”
Ryan shifted his weight from one foot to the next. “How do you know that?”
“I overhead John Shelby talking with his brother.” Samuel stared back at him, squinting. “Oh hold on, you thought when they dragged Tim to the sweatbox that it was going to suffice for the killings tonight? Please.” He shook his head. “That was just the beginning. Nothing more than a spectacle.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Ryan said.
“Dad would have gone berserk if he was here, and you know that.”
“If he was here, I wouldn’t be doing it.”
“Yes you would.”
Ryan took the clothing, knife and camo paint and climbed back up to hide it behind the ceiling tile. “Listen, little brother, we are going to be fine.”
“Don’t be condescending and speak down to me. You are playing with fire, Ryan, and maybe you’ve managed to get away with it so far but eventually your luck is going to run out. You think he’s going to let you keep killing his men every night?”
“He has so far.”
Samuel shook his head and looked at the ground. “Do you care so little about your life that you are willing to risk it just to take back this place from one man, only to hand it over to another?”
“What are you on about?” Ryan asked.
“You heard him. I might not agree with Shelby but he was right. He could have killed all of us when they raided this place. Someone else might not have been as lenient.”
Ryan leaned toward him. “Lenient? Have you forgotten that man killed our father?”
“No. But he knew the risk just as we do. And Shelby might have a god complex, and he might be following some skewed ideology, but he’s still feeding us, we are still sheltered and come to think if it, we are protected.”
“Protected? These men aren’t going to protect you. They are protecting themselves and acting as if they are doing us a favor. We are simply a means to an end. Once he has earned the trust of people in here and believe me, he will, he’ll change the rules.”
