“We’ll rest in that car lot up ahead before going to Jefferson,” he said.
Ron and Mike nodded. Daniel could tell they were finding it difficult to be quiet.
They reached the front of the car lot and walked inside. The lobby looked like even more of a mess in the clear afternoon sunlight. There were drops of blood on the ground leading to the couch from Julia’s gunshot wound.
Ron plopped down on the couch. Daniel was about to warn him that Julia almost bled out on that very couch, but a clattering sound from the back stopped him in his tracks.
Ron and Mike looked at Daniel, who stared at the back door. The door led to the offices, where he and the group stayed the night they were there.
Daniel pulled out his pistol and gestured for Mike and Ron to join him.
Daniel grabbed the doorknob, took a deep breath, and opened the door. The only light source came from the little sunlight that shone through the front windows,and the ambient light leaking through the office windows that were covered with blinds. Daniel scanned the rooms as he walked down the corridor, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.
He reached the door at the end of the hallway, the one that lead to the large main office. There were no windows he could peek through, so Daniel took a deep breath and opened the door slowly, his gun ready.
When the door opened, a fist came from nowhere, punching him hard in the face.
“Ira, wait!”
Chapter Forty-Four
Ira
Instead of running deep into the town, Ira and Andrew ran parallel to Jefferson Memorial. Once they were on the front side of it, they ran deeper into town. They hoped that the Roves would assume that they ran into a building to hide and would search on the other side of town from where they actually were hiding.
“There’s somewhere up ahead that’ll be a good place to hide,” Andrew said.
Ira nodded, even though Andrew was running in front of her, so he couldn’t see her acknowledgement. Ira thought her lungs would explode and her legs would fall off. They’d been running for what felt like forever, and even though she wanted to take a rest, she was too afraid to. Fear kept her legs going. It was a powerful motivator; Ira knew that for sure.
“There it is,” Andrew said after they ran a little bit more.
Ira felt her heart leap for joy before she even saw what Andrew was referring to. She looked and saw a large automobile dealership up ahead. The thought of being able to take a moment’s rest gave Ira a second wind, and she found herself running with renewed energy.
They reached the dealership and came to a stop inside. Ira leaned over on her knees, heaving deep breaths. Her mouth was dry and her head light. Now that she had a moment to catch her breath, she’d realized that she had never been so thirsty.
She looked up and saw Andrew sitting on a couch, catching his breath. She walked over to him and paid no attention to the bloodstains as she sat down next to him. The two of them sat there, catching their breath.
“Do you think they have some water around here?” Ira asked after her breathed slowed.
“They should. If you’re buying a thirty-thousand-dollar car, they’d better at least have some water if you need it,” Andrew said.
“Let’s take a look around.”
Andrew nodded. The two of them walked through a door in the back of the lobby that led to a hallway lined with floor-to-ceiling glass that allowed you to peek into the offices where car dealers did the last steps to their dealings. At least, you could peek into the ones that didn’t have their blinds closed.
“Go to the one at the back,” Andrew said. “That’ll be the owner’s office. He has a mini-fridge in there that should have some water.”
Ira did as he said, and the two of them walked into the owner’s office. The office was substantially larger than the others, and the walls were made from a polished wood. There was a large desk in the back center of the room, and sitting up against the wall behind it was a small mini-fridge.
Ira practically ran to it, throwing the door open. Inside were a couple of bottles of water. Ira grabbed one and tossed it to Andrew. He caught it, and Ira grabbed her own. She guzzled down the water. She tried to pace herself so she wouldn’t get sick but found that difficult to do. The water was so refreshing, and there wasn’t a single dry spot in her mouth or throat. Her thirst was quenched, and she felt as if she could go out and run some more.
But then the ache in her legs reminded her that, no, she didn’t want to run anymore.
She sat down in the large computer chair and closed her eyes for a few moments. She took a couple of deep breaths, enjoying the few moments of relaxation she was given.
She opened her eyes and began to look on the desk. A picture sitting inside a frame next to the computer on the desk caught her eye. There was only a little light seeping in through the blinds from behind her, so she grabbed the picture and pulled it closer. She recognized the young boy in the picture. He was a bit younger, but the resemblance was undeniable.
“Andrew, is this you?” she asked.
Andrew sighed and looked away from her. “Yeah, that’s me.”
Ira examined the picture closer. There were two boys, and standing behind them were a mother and father. They were all smiling and standing in front of a church, wearing their Easter best.
“Is this your family?”
Andrew nodded. He walked across the desk and held out his hand. “Can I see it, please?”
Ira handed him the frame. She could tell something was wrong from the tone in his voice. Andrew held it in his hands like it was a long-lost treasure. His hands started shaking, and he dropped the frame.
It hit the ground and shattered. Ira jumped, the sudden crash frightening her.
She and Andrew went to pick up the pieces at the same time.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just. I don’t know. It’s ju—”
A door squeaking open down the hallway interrupted him. The two of them froze and stared at the door that led to the office they were hiding in.
“Someone’s here,” Ira whispered.
She could hear the footsteps coming down the hallway. The two of them looked around for somewhere to hide, but they couldn’t find any place that would cover them.
The footsteps stopped in front of the door to the hallway. Ira made a split-second decision. As long as they had the element of surprise, she was going to use it. She ran to a spot next to the door.
The door opened.
Ira attacked. She punched the man walking into the room as hard as she could, but before she could get another punch in, Andrew grabbed her arm.
“Ira, wait!”
Chapter Forty-Five
Ira
“Andrew?”
“Daniel?”
Andrew let go of Ira, and he and the man she’d just punched embraced in a hug.
“It’s good to see you, kiddo!” Daniel said.
“So you guys really got out in one piece?” Andrew said with a smile.
Daniel nodded. “Yeah, we sure did. What are you doing out here? You got out of Jefferson?”
Andrew nodded his head. “It’s a long story, but some weird shit’s going down there.”
Daniel looked past Andrew, right at Ira. “Who’s this?”
Andrew stepped aside and brought Ira forward. She didn’t like all the eyes starring at her, but she stood tall, trying to look as tough as possible. “This is Ira. She came to Jefferson Memorial, and the two of us escaped together.”
“How’d you get into there with—”
“Like I said,” Andrew began, “long story.”
“Yes, it is. I have someone that has to hear it as soon as possible too,” Ira said.
“Really now? You’re trying to help Jefferson Memorial?” Daniel asked.
Ira nodded. “I’m helping a friend. She is nearby. If you’d like to join us, then you can. But I will only tell what happened once. It’s quite a long story, and I’m very tired.”
D
aniel nodded. “Well then, ma’am,” he said with a smirk as he stepped aside. “Lead the way.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Miles
The gates to Garner opened as we approached. The wall surrounding the small community rivaled Jefferson Memorial’s. It wasn’t nearly as good, of course, but I was biased.
“Trevor!” A portly man with greasy hair said as he greeted us at the gates. “Long time no s—” The man became speechless when he saw whom we brought with us. “Ben!” he shouted.
Ben ran to him, and the man picked him up, swinging him through the air. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
“Thank you!” the man shouted. “Thank you so much!”
Trevor smiled and nodded. “It’s no problem, Hugh. This one sounds like he had quite the adventure. Are you related to him?”
Hugh shook his head. “Not directly, but we’re all family here at Garner.” Hugh put Ben down, and stood to the side, gesturing for us to come in. “Come in, please. I have a feeling Newton is going to want to speak with you.”
Trevor nodded his head. “Yes, I’d like a word.”
We entered Garner, and even with my bias for Jefferson Memorial, I was impressed by the small community Garner had managed to build. There were seven buildings, all of which were built by hand. The dirt road led to a large house at the back. It was an old two-story house, the white paint peeling from its wooden boards. The road leading to it was lined with six buildings, three on each side. These buildings looked new and were built from unpainted wood. People walked between the buildings going about their day. It reminded me of small towns I remember seeing in old western movies.
“This is a pretty nice place,” I said to Cody as we walked to the house at the back of the town.
“For sure. If I didn’t live where I did,” he said, being intentionally vague just in case someone was listening, “this is where I’d set up shop.”
“Who’s this Newton guy we’re seeing?” I asked.
“He’s the guy who founded this place. That’s his house,” he said, pointing to the house at the back. “When more people started showing up, they started building these new buildings and their wall. It’s pretty cool.”
We reached the house and began walking up the steps to the screened-in front porch. The front door was open, and Hugh led us in. We stood in the foyer of the house, which had all sorts of pictures on the wall. To our left was the living room that had couches, chairs, and a large bookshelf filled with books. To our right was the dining room; ahead was a hallway that led to other rooms of the house, and on the left of the hallway were some stairs that led to the second floor.
“Newton?” Hugh shouted from the foyer.
“In here!” a voice shouted from a room behind the stairwell.
We ventured further into the house. Hugh led us to a room that was filled with bookshelves . There was a desk that had all sorts of blueprints and plans on it, behind which in a chair sat a plump old man with a thick head of hair and wiry beard. He looked like Santa Claus, which made me smile. I looked down at Ben. I wondered if he still believed in Santa Claus. I hoped he did. What I wouldn’t do to believe in Santa Claus again. To still have innocence and ignorance enough to believe in someone like Saint Nick.
When Newton saw Ben standing there, he almost started crying. He thanked us profusely, and after their short but sweet reunion, he sent Ben off to go get cleaned up.
“Where are his parents?” I asked as he left the room.
Newton’s face flushed red and his hands turned to fists. “Those damn people came and took them. Most everybody here, too. We tried stopping them, but they outnumbered and outgunned us. They killed Tobias and Paula when they tried to stop them.” He turned to Trevor. “Is there anything you know about them?”
Trevor shook his head. “Not much, unfortunately.” Trevor turned to us. “It’s kinda stuffy in here. Why don’t you guys take a look around, see what you can find.” He looked at me. “You should get some food. Been through a lot.”
I eyed him suspiciously, but Trevor just gave me a wink that Newton couldn’t see. I nodded, trusting his judgment. “All right, I could use something to eat.”
The four of us left the room and walked outside the house.
“I’m gonna take a look around,” Ulysses said. “You coming Vic?”
Victor nodded, and the two of them walked off.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Looks like they don’t wanna be around you,” Cody said with a smile as he watched them walked down the street.
“I’m so offended,” I said. “I wonder why Trevor kicked us out?”
Cody shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe he doesn’t want to show his hand and let Newton know we’ve got an expert on our hands,” he said, referring to me.
“Yeah, well I’d love to not be an expert,” I said.
I didn’t mean what I said in a rude way, but Cody apologized. “Sorry, that was kinda insensitive.”
“Don’t worry about it. I got what you meant. Let’s find something to eat. Sound good?” I asked.
“Yeah, sounds good. They have their kitchen set up like a little diner or cafe or something. It’s kinda cool.”
“Well then, let’s check it out,” I said as we began walking down the street. “You guys come here often?”
“Every once in a while we do, just to make an appearance so they don’t get suspicious,” Cody said under his breath. “But we can talk more about that later. Not really the best place to do it here.”
“Makes sense.”
Cody led me to the diner, which was the second building on our left. We walked up the steps on the porch and into the building.
Inside the building were lines of tables and a bar with stools. I couldn’t help but laugh at how strange the place looked. It was like an old-timey bar and diner, except the walls weren’t painted tacky colors and they didn’t have old movie posters on it. They were just bare and wooden.
A teenage girl stood behind the bar, drawing something in her notebook. Besides her, nobody else was in the diner.
“Hey, guys,” she said with a smile.
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, a loud explosion came from outside, shaking the building we stood in. My first instinct was to duck down, which I did. The girl yelled as she hit the deck behind the bar.
I looked out the window and saw that the front gates of Garner were no longer there; it was now just flaming debris. Three trucks came speeding through where the wooden gates were and slammed to a halt in the middle of the town.
I knew instantly who they were. The Roves were back.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Miles
“Stay down, and if you have a gun, get it ready,” I told the girl behind the counter. I crawled beneath the window to the left of the door, and Cody got under the one to the right.
I slowly peeked out the window, assessing the situation. Two Roves got out of each truck, six of them in all. That wasn’t a lot of men, but there didn’t seem to be a lot of people left in Garner for them to take anyway. If they were even here to take anybody, that is. They were fully loaded with assault rifles, grenades, everything. They looked like they were about to go to war.
And I had a feeling I was about to give them one.
The Roves split into three groups. Two of them went into the first building on the right, the other group in the building on the left, and the final group walked straight up the road, right to the main house.
I turned to Cody. “Get the girl out of here,” I said, pointed to where the teen was hiding behind the counter. “Sneak to the next building and get the people out of that one too. It looks like they’re searching the buildings.”
“What about you?” Cody asked.
“I’ll be waiting for them when they get here. You just gather up as many people as you can and look for a way out.”
Cody hesitated. He didn’t want to leave me. He wanted to stay and help. I wanted him to stay too
. I could’ve used his help. Still, he needed to warn the others. Plus, I wasn’t too upset over the chance to get some alone time with the Roves.
“Go, Cody. We don’t have enough time. I can handle them.”
Cody nodded, and then jumped up and left through a back door with the girl.
You can do this, I told myself. If you took on that Xenomortis by yourself, you can take on some Roves. The only difference was the Roves had functioning brains, guns, and the know-how to use them. It was like comparing apples to oranges.
I looked out the window and saw the Roves exiting the building across the street and to my right. They had two people with them, an older woman and a young man. They looked terrified, with their hands bound, tied together at the waists. The Roves loaded them up into the truck, tied them down, and began moving on to the next building.
The team of Roves from the building next to the one I was in came out with a little girl who couldn’t be much older than ten. Her hands were bound, and rage surged within me. I was beginning to get the feeling that I would enjoy what was about to go down when the Roves entered my building.
They approached the diner, their heavy boots stomping the dirt ground. I got up from my position under the window and dove behind the bar for cover. I got my knife in one hand and pistol in the other. I needed to try and take the two Roves out as quietly as possible, as I didn’t want the two other Rove teams to know what was happening. I wanted to keep the element of surprise for as long as possible.
Heavy footsteps pounded up the stairs and on the porch. My grip on my knife and pistol tightened. My knuckles went white; I took a deep breath and the door opened.
“Hellllloooo?” a mocking voice said as the two Roves entered. “Is there anybody home?”
One of the footsteps went to my right. I could hear him moving around chairs, searching beneath tables for any people hiding. The other Rove got closer to the bar.
Retaliation: The Mortis Desolation, Book Two Page 13
