The Darkest Night: Book 7 of the Thrilling Post-Apocalyptic Survival Series: (Surviving the Fall Series - Book 7)

by Mike Kraus

  Jane nodded and got to work while Rick glanced back up over the counter. The woman he had shot was gone, but there was a long streak of blood on the main aisle twenty feet away where she had fallen. As he glanced around two more people ran out into the main aisle, though they were slightly more prepared than the first had been. They tried to stay in cover, ducking behind display stands and flimsy metal shelves, mimicking what Jane, Rick and Dr. Evans had done when they were escaping from the initial assault.

  Seriously? Rick popped up again and dumped half of his magazine into the metal shelf where one of the people was trying to hide. The thin sheet metal offered practically no resistance to the bullets and the person shouted out in pain. Rick then turned his attention to the other person who was across the main aisle, hiding behind a cardboard center display unit. Rick finished emptying his magazine into the cardboard, spreading out his shots to magnify his chances of landing one on his target. He was rewarded with yet another scream and the hasty retreat of someone clutching their wounded arm.

  Stung by the vicious counterattack by their “victims,” the group beat a hasty and noisy retreat across the store, away from both the main entrance and the pharmacy. Rick watched them as they ran and realized that he, Jane and Dr. Evans wouldn’t get a better chance to escape.

  “Here!” Jane held out the full magazine as Rick popped out the empty one. He slammed the fresh one home and turned to look across the room and down the hallway at Dr. Evans.

  “You ready?” Dr. Evans gulped nervously and nodded. “Good. Jane, you stay behind me and help him with the cart. Collect any guns, ammo or supplies from anyone we drop along the way.” Jane nodded numbly and followed Rick as he ran back to Dr. Evans.

  Rick pushed open the door and held it while Dr. Evans and Jane got the cart out of the hall and back into the store. They made a beeline through the pharmacy area, stopping briefly at the body of the first person Rick had shot so that they could collect the woman’s backpack and rifle. After they finished they continued on towards the entrance of the store and emerged unscathed out into the street.

  “Which way to the car?” Jane looked around, realizing that she couldn’t remember where to go.

  “That way!” Dr. Evans pointed down the street and the trio took off running. Jane and Dr. Evans stayed in the lead, navigating the shopping cart full of supplies through the cracked and debris-riddled sidewalks and streets. Rick took up a position as a rearguard, watching their back and flanks for any signs of their attackers.

  The three moved through the streets quickly and neither saw nor heard any signs of anyone ahead or behind. The distant, unsettling rumbling that they had heard while inside the store came back three times on the way back to the car and each time it was accompanied by the sound of distant metal and glass shifting and breaking.

  “What the hell is that? An aftershock or something?” Rick spoke quietly to Dr. Evans.

  “Possibly.”

  “Great. All the more reason to get out of here.”

  When they arrived at the parking lot they saw that their car was sitting where they had left it, untouched and ready to go. “How long do you think we have till they follow us here?” Rick whispered to Dr. Evans, not wanting to draw the attention of anyone who might be lurking in the area.

  “You killed at least one, perhaps two of them. I don’t think they’d follow us.”

  Rick shook his head. “No, they’ll follow us.” He looked at the car and back at the contents of the shopping cart that Jane was swiftly unloading into the trunk of the sports car. “Dammit. I’m going to fill one of the five-gallon containers. Just so we have some emergency fuel.” He pointed at Dr. Evans’s waistband as he grabbed the plastic tubing and the empty container and ran to one of the nearby vehicles. “Get your gun out, get behind some cover and keep your eyes open.”

  Despite the cold weather Rick felt beads of sweat run down his chest as he squatted over the container, watching the amber-colored liquid slowly drain from the vehicle’s gas tank into the container. Without a pour spout they’d have to siphon the fuel out of the container and into their own vehicle but having to go through a bit of trouble would be far better than not having any should they need it.

  “Car’s loaded and ready to go.” Jane sat down on the ground next to Rick, her head constantly moving as she scanned the buildings surrounding them.

  “Have you seen any sign of people?”

  Jane shook her head hesitantly. “I don’t think so, no.”

  Rick looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t think so?”

  “The shadows and the light are playing funny tricks with all that broken glass and metal. I keep thinking I’m seeing something moving around in the tall buildings but so far it’s turning out to be nothing.”

  “As soon as I get this filled and stowed away we’ll get out of here.” Rick leaned his head against the side of the car, watching the thin stream of liquid slowly fill the container. When it was nearly to the top Rick pulled out the tube, coiled it up and capped the container. He hauled it over to the car and stared at the vehicle for a long moment, trying to figure out where to put the flammable liquid.

  “The frunk.” Dr. Evans said, still kneeling behind a nearby car.

  “Say what?” Rick looked at him, not sure if he had misunderstood what Dr. Evans was saying.

  “The frunk? Front trunk?” Dr. Evans pointed at the front of the vehicle and Rick instantly understood what he meant. While fully electric vehicles had helped bring the term “frunk” into the mainstream the recent surge of fully electric vehicles with backup gasoline engines had lessened the use of the phrase. In fully electric vehicles the entire space normally taken up by the engine under the hood was generally available for use as a second trunk to store items. Since new hybrid vehicles still had a gasoline engine—albeit a much smaller one than normal gas-powered cars—the “frunk” was significantly smaller but, in some models, still present.

  Rick pulled a lever next to the driver’s seat to open the hood and walked around to the front of the car. The gasoline engine sat on the left side under the hood as he faced it, taking up about two-thirds of the available space. The third on the right was a deep well protected by a thick firewall and heat shield and received a small supply of cool air courtesy of the vehicle’s air conditioning system. This ensured that anything placed in the front storage space wouldn’t become too hot if the vehicle’s engine was engaged.

  Rick placed the container of gasoline down into the recess, giving the engine a suspicious glance as he closed the hood. “I know that thing’s got a firewall two inches thick all around it but having that much gas next to an engine makes me nervous as hell.”

  “Better than in the back seat or trunk to get fumes or liquid all over us.” Dr. Evans replied.

  “I guess. Do we even need it, though? We can just run full electric and—” Rick’s musing was cut short by a metal ping next to him, followed a half-second later by the cracking echo of a rifle shot. He looked at the raised hood of the car, seeing a small hole that had been punched through the metal.

  “Let’s go!” Rick shouted and slammed the hood closed, jumping and ducking around to try and avoid getting shot. Jane ran for the vehicle and jumped into the back seat, curling her body into a ball on the seat to try and present as small of a target as possible. Puffs of dust and more metallic pings were accompanied by gunfire from multiple sources as Dr. Evans and Rick piled into the car.

  Rick switched on the motor and the lights inside sprang to life. He threw the vehicle into reverse and swiveled around to look out the back window. The street they had driven on to get to the parking lot was rapidly approaching and Rick spun the wheel as they got close, sliding the sports car around and bringing it to a halt on the road.

  He then put the car into drive and pushed the accelerator all the way down to the floor. With no internal combustion necessary to deliver torque to the wheels the car instantly sprung forward like it was trying its hardest to
imitate a rocket. Rick clung to the steering wheel, trying to make corrections to their course as small and as smooth as possible to keep from running off the road or causing the vehicle to fishtail. As they pulled away from the parking lot and back down the road the gunfire grew quieter and more sporadic until it either stopped completely or was too far away to hear.

  Rick eased up on the accelerator and looked over at Dr. Evans then back at Jane. Both had their fingernails digging into the leather interior as they braced themselves against the sides and roof in an attempt to compensate for the lightning-fast maneuvers they had just experienced. Rick grinned at them and tugged at his seatbelt. “Should have put yours on!”

  “No kidding!” Jane shouted at Rick from the back seat as Dr. Evans let out the breath he had been holding since they first started moving.

  “That… was incredible.” Dr. Evans whispered, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “Maximum torque at zero speed.” Rick smiled again and patted the car’s dashboard like it was alive. “It’s been a while since I drove an electric like that. I used to… wait… do you hear that?” Rick looked questioningly at Dr. Evans and Jane before rolling down his window and slowing down the car. Because the electric motor made essentially no noise Rick could hear what was going on in the city quite well.

  “Is that more rumbling?” Jane asked.

  Rick nodded. “A lot more.” He stopped the car on the highway, put it in park, opened his door and stepped out onto the pavement. The low rumbling they had been hearing was considerably louder and—worst of all—Rick could actually feel it in his feet. He looked back at Dr. Evans, a note of panic in his voice. “I’m no earthquake expert but I’d say this feels like more than just an aftershock!”

  “Then we need to move! Quickly!” Dr. Evans motioned for Rick to get back in the car. Rick jumped back in and Dr. Evans cast a wary eye up at their surroundings. “We’re not even halfway through the city and we’re still surrounded by buildings. If this is an earthquake then we need to get out of here as fast as possible. Also I’d recommend getting to surface streets instead of this elevated highway.”

  “No kidding!” Rick pressed down on the accelerator again and the car zipped down the road once again. The rumbling that had only been audible when they were quiet and motionless was now coming through even with the road noise and motion from the car.

  “There!” Jane stuck her arm forward between the seats as she pointed at an off-ramp from the elevated highway. “Pull off there!”

  “I have no idea where that goes!” Rick glanced between the highway ahead and the off-ramp, trying to make up his mind about where to go. An instant later his decision was made for him. Rick, Jane and Dr. Evans all stared slack-jawed as one of the buildings half a mile down the way they were driving, just off to the left of the elevated highway, began to sway back and forth. Rick slowed down as they watched the building’s movement grow more and more violent until it began to topple, twisting over the elevated highway as it went and carrying a huge chunk of the road with it.

  Rick accelerated the car again and moved into the right-hand lane, taking the off-ramp down to ground level as quick as humanly possible. “Nice call.” He nodded at Jane in appreciation. “Now the only question is… where on earth do we go from here?”

  Chapter 9

  The Water’s Homestead

  Outside Ellisville, VA

  Dianne awoke with a groan, waving a hand in front of her eyes to try and block out the light. As her vision became clear she realized she was lying on her side on the couch in the living room, a light blanket draped over her and the wooden covering for the back door open. Her feet were propped up on several pillows and light was streaming in through the back window and a broad ray covered her chest, neck and most of her face. She looked around the room, trying to piece together how she got onto the couch when the events of the morning and previous night came flooding back.

  Midway through the blood transfusion Dianne started to feel weak enough that she needed to sit down. After bringing her a stool Mark and Sarah had helped to keep Dianne upright until Tina was satisfied that Jason had received enough blood to give him the best possible chance at survival. With Dianne too dizzy and weak to do anything else she had gone to sleep on the couch, exhausted both from the transfusion and from the overwhelmingly intense time she and Jason had faced during their rescue of Tina.

  While Dianne slept Tina, Sarah and Mark made a pallet on the floor in the dining room next to the table and gently put Jason on it to rest. Some of his color had returned as a result of the transfusion and while his breathing was still slow the bleeding had stopped and he appeared to be stable. Leaving the cleanup of the table for the next day Tina went to sleep on a separate pallet near Jason while Sarah and Mark took turns keeping watch throughout the night. Sarah never strayed too far from the dining room, keeping a concerned eye trained on her husband at all times.

  “Mark?” Dianne spoke softly, her throat and lips feeling too dry and coarse to do much more than squeeze out a whisper. “Sarah?”

  The sound of footsteps came from the kitchen and Josie’s smiling face came around the corner. “Mom!” The young girl ran forward and squeezed Dianne tightly before recoiling with a terrified expression. “I’m sorry! Are you okay?”

  Dianne smiled and pulled her daughter in for another hug. “Of course I’m okay! You didn’t hurt me at all. I just got really tired from last night.”

  “Did you help Mrs. Carson save Mr. Statler’s life last night?”

  Dianne nodded and squeezed her daughter tightly. “I think so.” Dianne held Josie at arm’s length, fighting to keep tears from forming in her eyes. “Now where are your brothers? And everyone else, for that matter?”

  “Mark and Jacob are outside with Mrs. Carson showing her around. I think Mrs. Statler’s in the dining room with Mr. Statler, but she’s probably taking a nap. You want me to go wake her up?”

  Dianne shook her head. “Nah. She could probably use the sleep after dealing with you three while Mr. Statler and I were out. Tell you what, though. I could use something to drink. Could you get me some water and something to eat, too?”

  “Sure!” Josie bounded off into the kitchen while Dianne rose to her feet. Talking to her daughter had made her temporarily forget about the condition of her mouth and throat, but she quickly rediscovered the dryness as she slowly shuffled toward the kitchen. She felt weak all over her body and her head hurt but she continued on, heading into the dining room to check on Jason.

  The dining room table—parts of which were stained a dark crimson red—had been pushed to one side. Jason was resting on his back up against the wall while Sarah was on her side next to him, her hand resting on his hip. They both appeared to be sleeping and Dianne eased down onto the floor near Jason’s head and whispered in his ear.

  “Hey. You still alive?” Jason’s eyes slowly opened, proving Dianne’s hunch right. Jason swallowed hard and nodded slowly, whispered so as to not wake up Sarah.

  “I think so. It hurts like the dickens, though, so I’m not too sure.”

  Dianne smiled and nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. Just stay still and rest some more. We’ll get some food in you here soon.”

  Jason nodded again and closed his eyes, returning to a state of pain and restlessness that was keeping him from fully falling asleep. Dianne stood back up and headed back into the kitchen, fighting against the urge to fall over with every step. She sat down at the kitchen table and smiled at Josie as the young girl brought over a glass of water and a plate with a few pieces of toast with butter, some crackers and a bowl of canned fruit.

  “Mrs. Carson said you should have plain toast for your first meal along with a vitamin. Just until you start feeling a little bit better.”

  Dianne nodded sagely and took a bite and a sip of water. She quickly found that there was a raging appetite beneath the dizziness and exhaustion and finished the toast in another few bites. “That was fantastic. Got any more?”

/>   Josie shook her head. “She said just one piece.”

  “That’s exactly right. Just one piece for now. You can have more in a bit.” The back door slid open and Tina poked her head in, jumping into the conversation before Dianne had a chance to reply.

  Dianne turned in her chair and smiled at Tina as the older woman stepped inside, taking her shoes off at the door. She was dressed in somewhat ill-fitting clothing that looked like a combination from both Dianne’s and Sarah’s closets. Tina caught Dianne looking at her outfit and gestured to it, rolling her eyes and throwing her arms into the air. “Yes, yes, I know. I look ridiculous.”

  “No,” Dianne said, shaking her head, “I was just thinking how much better that looks than that ratty pink bathrobe and slippers you were in.”

  “Your shoes are a bit large but it’s nice to have socks on, I will say.” Tina smiled and walked over to the kitchen table as Mark and Jacob looked in and waved at their mother.

  “Hey mom! We showed Mrs. Carson all around. We’re gonna go make sure everything’s fed, okay?”

  “Take Josie with you, will you? And stay safe out there. Keep the noise levels down. Any sign of something strange and you two head back.”

  Both boys nodded as Josie grabbed her jacket and ran out back with her brothers. Jacob closed the door before they ran back down the steps of the back porch, heading for the barns. Tina reached down and picked up a small plastic pail off of the floor that she had been carrying and placed it onto the table. “You guys have a lot of chickens. Also, we have more eggs if anyone wants any.”

  “Tina.” Dianne put her hand on Tina’s and spoke softly. “What happened? Where’s Dave?”

  Tina Carson was a tough woman. She had been through a lot in her life and thirty years of being a nurse had both exposed her to a massive amount of pain and suffering while simultaneously teaching her how to step back and isolate herself from it so that she could function on a daily basis. Applying those skills to her personal life wasn’t something she had ever anticipated doing… up until when she did.