by LC Champlin
“It won’t be long before Woodside’s in the same boat as Redwood. We need a real solution. In addition, we have to get Zander and the other hostages back before . . .” The silence let imagination take over.
“Aside from the military, there is no one to protect us,” Carolyn sighed, heading back to the driver’s side.
“The government is in no hurry to help you; we need an army of our own.”
Beside him, Albin affected curiosity. “Negotiations?”
“Pardon me?” Carolyn held up a hand. “Are you suggesting we negotiate with those . . . those terrorists?”
“I know it’s a repugnant idea.” Nathan slid into the SUV and buckled in, Albin following suit in the backseat. “But we don’t exactly have an abundance of options. Right now, it seems you have two choices: death directly at their hands, or slow death by starvation.”
The Acura’s engine purred to life. Carolyn’s knuckles turned white at ten and two. “Even if we wanted to negotiate, I don’t know how to contact the raiders. They didn’t specify a time for their return.”
Tapping his fingers on the door’s armrest, Nathan licked his split lip. “Then we wait until they come back.”
She pulled a U-turn and headed back up Redwood Shores Parkway. “It sounds as if you are going to be part of the negotiating, or did I misunderstand?”
“If you’ll allow me, I’ll help with the meeting.” If help meant take over completely.
“Why place yourself in danger for us?”
“As it was my suggestion, I should have some skin in the game.” If they only knew his entire hide was on the line. “If it takes a downturn, it’s only right that I be there to help pull it out of the nosedive. This could help Woodside, too, by providing an in with the raiders.”
“You don’t have to risk your lives,” Carolyn persisted as she guided the car around the obstacle course of abandoned and wrecked vehicles.
“I’m not questioning your abilities, Carolyn. I . . . I want to be a part of this.” He applied the earnest overlay to his expression. “Every time I close my eyes, I see that bastard dragging Zander away. I have a boy about his age. My son is safe at home, though.” He is, damn it. “I don’t know what I would do if someone took my child.” That was pharmaceutical-grade truth.
The quiet that followed offered everyone the opportunity to picture how they would respond in a similar situation.
“Well.” Firm, Carolyn broke the spell. “You gentlemen make a strong case for your idea. At this point, we’ve exhausted our resources.”
Adding anything to this statement felt out of place. The rest of the trip passed in a silence as oppressive as the air before a thunderstorm.
Shifting the HT at his belt, Nathan squeezed the PTT. Twice, thrice, twice.
The Acura turned down Marlin Drive. Ahead, one of the residents moved a barrier car to allow them to pass.
The cannibal corpses still contaminated the street, but orange cones marked the biohazard. No Jen the Cannibal at the Nelson’s front door, though. Either the neighbors had wrestled her back into the garage, or she had escaped and now roamed the suburb. Wonderful.
As Carolyn rolled to a stop, a female voice came over her HT: “This is Point Five. There’s a convoy coming up the parkway. I think they’re heading for the park again. It’s some of the same trucks as before, but not as many.”
“They think we’re beaten,” the Redwood Shores matriarch muttered as she reached for the mic. “Keep me informed. I’m coming over there.”
“It seems the negotiations will begin sooner than expected,” Albin remarked.
Carolyn switched radio frequencies. “Amanda, do you copy?”
“I copy.”
“Pass the word that I don’t want anyone on the streets or near the intersection. The raiders are coming; we are going to negotiate with them Please oversee the neighborhood in my absence.”
“I . . . All right. Be careful. Tell Nathan and Albin to be careful too.”
“I will. Thank you.” A pained, sympathetic smile followed, as if Carolyn took them to storm the beaches of Normandy. Then again, if not for Nathan’s existing arrangement with the Red Devil Goats, the GIs wound stand a better chance facing German machine guns than he would facing Esau Seir. “This shouldn’t take long. One way or another, it will end.”
Chapter 75
The Magnificent Three
Dark Side - Bishop Briggs
The Nelsons’ house hunched nearby. Before Carolyn could begin the drive to the tennis court and the meeting, Nathan opened his door. “Wait. Please.”
When she obliged, he exited, heading for the front door. Before he reached it, Jeremy stepped out. In one hand he held an icepack to his swollen jaw, while in the other he clutched Zander’s stuffed animal to his chest.
“Jeremy.” Nathan preempted the grief and rage that appeared ready to flow from the abused man. “We’re going to get your son back.”
The two fathers regarded each other.
“I promise.” Then Nathan held out his hand. “Give me the toy.”
“You’d take this from me too?” Fury and pain twisted Jeremy’s face as he turned away, shielding the stuffed animal.
“Zander will need it.”
Pause. With a grunt of suppressed outrage, Jeremy handed it over. It was a stuffed lion.
++++++++++++
The Acura pulled into the parking lot of a tennis court. Coming up the parkway from the south was the love child of a pickup and a semi tractor-trailer: a red GMC 4500 pulling a railroad shipping container.
Behind it came a red, lifted Dodge RAM 3500 Heavy Duty with dualies. Its grill guard resembled the front of the Christian Bale Batmobile, while its diesel engine roared through twin stacks behind the extended cab. Impressive, but utter small-dick-compensation. How appropriate for its driver, Esau Seir.
As Carolyn parked the Acura, Red Chief swung his monster around in front. He hopped out with M4 carbine in hand and grinning-skull face shield in place. Around them ranged five mercenaries in full battle rattle.
The three defenders lined up in front of their vehicle with Carolyn at the center, Nathan to her right, Albin on her left.
In the back of Nathan’s mind, a portion of consciousness disengaged. It snickered in the darkness; the whole situation reeked of an old samurai movie. Or a Western. The urge to start humming an upbeat orchestral theme seized him. That idea no doubt came from the lingering oxycodone he had swallowed at the mercenaries’ headquarters.
Head in the game. Now the actors need only follow the script.
Carbine across his chest, Red sauntered up to face them from ten yards away. Gunfight range, barely. “Whatcha got for me, ma’am?” Tactical protective glasses obscured his eyes.
“We want to negotiate,” Carolyn replied, steady in stance and statement.
“What’s the matter? Start more shit than you can shovel? As I see it, ain’t much to be negotiating about after y’all decided to hack it solo. Now, boy, I don’t see no water or food or people, neither. If I recall rightly, our deal was you bring us shit as payment for protecting those four lucky fucks of yours.” The hostages they took at their first meeting. Bastard.
Carolyn glowered at him. “Even if you don’t kill us today, taking our supplies sentences us to starvation.”
“Not my circus, not my problem. It’s yours.” Red snapped his hand toward the three.
The flanking mercenaries closed with the speed and ferocity of hyenas. They grabbed Nathan, one thug to an arm. Albin and Carolyn suffered the same fate. Despite his allegiance to the Goats, the bastards weren’t cutting him any slack.
Ribs grating in protest, he snarled. “Easy!”
“Shut up!” The merc on his right arm twisted the extremity behind Nathan’s back.
The fucker’s partner proceeded to pat down his detainee. Well, having the pistol and tac knife was nice while it lasted.
“They wanna taaaalk,” Red
drawled. “Load ’em up!”
The mercenaries marched their charges to the back of the shipping container. Doors open, ramp down. They trudged into the cargo hold. A row of steel stanchions ran down the right side, while a chain-link fence reinforced the back wall. Chains with handcuffs and carabiners at their ends and around middle links festooned the scaffolding.
Heart battering in his chest, Nathan swallowed down sour nausea. One, two, three, four. The residual fear that contaminated the trailer fertilized his panic at the confinement. No. The Goats didn’t mean this for him and his pack. Not today, anyway.
“Git yer backs against the wall.” Seir shoved each prisoner in turn.
Nathan took his place at the end of the line, farthest from the door. Carolyn came next, with Albin still in the light of the exit.
“Y’all must think you’re special. Well, I reckon you are, seeing as you’re talking to me. You’re gonna call me Red Chief.” At this, he pulled the face shield down to reveal his real grin and the beard that backed up his claim to Red. “I’m the leader of the Red Devil Goats.”
“We want to discuss the Redwood Shores’s situation,” Carolyn began.
Seir cut her off with a raised hand. “One thing at a time, sister. I gotta take some precautions first.” He caught a chain that hung from the stanchion on Nathan’s left. A pair of handcuffs dangled from it. “See, when people get to yappin, they drop their guard. So for me to lavish my full and undivided attention on y’all, ya gotta play by my rules. Now put yer paws out.” A shake of the cuffs for emphasis.
No one moved.
“Now!”
Exhaling in annoyance, Nathan held out his hands, wrists parallel. He looked down his nose at the redneck. Cold bracelets clicked into place. One, two, three—The primal part of his brain didn’t know the difference between handcuff situations. To it, they all meant captivity.
“Don’t you cut them eyes at me, boy.”
Keeping up the act, Nathan averted his eyes. He would cut more than eyes, and they wouldn’t be his when the time came.
Carolyn offered no resistance, yet retained her poise.
When Red moved to Albin, the attorney remained impassive.
“A’ight, now we can parlay!” Esau clapped his hands, rubbed them together. As he spoke, his men closed the doors. Darkness fell.
Then LED brilliance blasted Nathan’s retinas. A headlamp. He looked away, afterimages hanging in the air.
Taking a breath, the neighborhood’s leader met Red’s gaze. “We came to ask for your protection.”
The mercenaries’ leader reached up to tug at his ear as if to dislodge water. “Sorry, don’t think I heard that clear. You want my protection?”
“Yes. MS-13 unleashed cannibals in the neighborhood,” Nathan announced. “The roadblocks didn’t stop them.”
Albin’s lip curled. “Perhaps these Goats lack the resources to face powerful criminal organizations. If that is the case, we should move directly to them rather than wasting time—”
Red’s right hand snapped out like a scorpion tail, sending Albin crashing backward into the wall.
“Bastard!” Nathan surged forward—to the end of his chain.
Shaking his head, Albin squinted through watering eyes that came with the palm-heel strike to his nose. Blood flowed down his upper lip, glistening in the headlamp. He stuck the tip of his tongue out to catch the rivulet.
“Albin, don’t—”
Chapter 76
Blood Shed
Wretched and Divine - Black Veil Brides
Too late. Albin half spit, half blew the blood at his enemy. It stippled Red’s face.
Already against the wall, Albin had nowhere to go when Esau slammed a fist into the captive’s abdomen. A hiss escaped as Albin absorbed the blow.
“Fucking—” Chains clanked as Nathan strained to reach Red.
“Shut it, boy!” Red roared, rounding on him. “Or I’ll punch in his throat next.”
Trembling with rage, Nathan bared his teeth at the motherfucking traitor. They hadn’t agreed to a beating! So much for the script . . .
Red grabbed Albin’s jaw. “You want me to wear your blood, fucker?” The tomahawk appeared in Esau’s hand, flashing in the LED. “Careful what you wish for.”
Albin faced him with death-level calm.
The chief stepped back—and his fist shot out in an upper-cut to Albin’s stomach. Another hiss as the attorney doubled over.
“Fuck—” Nathan’s back crashed the chain-link as Esau’s elbow rammed into his sternum. Jarred rib fractures made Nathan’s ears whistle as pain flapped black wings around him.
“Red Chief, stop!” Carolyn’s voice shook.
The light flicked in her direction. Slap! Her head snapped to the right.
“Don’t. Touch. Her.” Then pain lit up Nathan’s jaw. Stars peppered the dark at Red’s reprisal.
Esau had betrayed them. Are you surprised? asked reason.
“I give you my valuable time, and you waste it by fuckin’ mouthin’ off? Are y’all goddamned stupid!”
Wait, he still played along? Or could this represent a psychological game to break their wills?
“Please, Red Chief,” Carolyn began, her voice now steady. “These men don’t live here. They volunteered to help us.”
“Retards. So there ain’t no reason you should get yer undies in a bunch over ’em.”
Nathan licked blood from his lip where the split had reopened. “No, there isn’t. We did come here to bargain, though. If you protect the neighborhood from other raiders, the people here will do their best to help you. They can salvage supplies, or provide transportation and housing. They will be your liaisons, even your inside agents, with the relief organizations. The Army won’t try to wipe you off the face of the earth if the residents vouch for you.”
At the far end of the container, Albin sniffed. “If the residents and the Goats are in conflict, the government will notice and take action.”
“No shit.” Esau began to pace. “Tell y’all what I’m gonna do.” He pivoted and bashed his ax against the container wall. “Boys!”
Illumination from headlights spilled in as the doors swung open. Switching his headlamp off, Esau moved to Carolyn. Against the wall, she watched him, wary. He unlocked her cuffs. Grabbing her by the elbow, he shoved her toward the exit. Stumbling steps, then she recovered. Confused, she backed toward her vehicle.
Esau trotted down the gangplank after her. In the parking lot, he sheathed his tomahawk. “I’m gonna give you time to collect a nice passel of supplies for us, then I’m gonna come back tonight.”
“What about Nath—”
“What’s that?” Red leaned toward Carolyn. “Why, yes, you’re welcome for not droppin’ yer ass right here and now.” He spun on his heel toward the shipping container. “Lock it down and let’s roll.”
The doors swung closed.
“Bastard!” Nathan roared, only a fraction of his rage feigned.
The red fucker’s furry grin burned itself onto the back of Nathan’s eyelids as darkness descended.
One, two, thr—Nathan’s breath escaped in a grunt. Esau would release them. He and his pack filled the Goats’ needs far better as workers than as sex slaves or whatever other degrading function the bodies and souls of mankind served. Nathan’s mouth remained dry. Evidently his body didn’t believe the rationalization.
In the dark, three yards away, Albin sniffed, then cleared his throat.
“Albin, did he break anything?” Righteous fury flared to life, consuming pain and self-pity.
“I have sustained worse after falling out of a tree, sir,” the attorney replied.
“Thank God.” Nathan looked to heaven and let out a breath.
“And you?”
“What difference do a few more bruises make?”
The rumble of the GMC’s diesel engine and the hiss of the tires on asphalt took over. Feet spread for balance at t
he container’s rocking, Nathan leaned his head back against the chain-link. Nausea writhed, grew.
Chains rattled off to the left. Albin. “All this . . . was necessary.” A statement. A rationalization.
With Nathan’s eyes squeezed shut, thoughts formed, coalesced, fled, then repeated the dance too quickly to comprehend. Like lucid dreaming but without the dream, his mind processed the day’s events. Golden eyes flamed to life in the darkness. “The people here may bleed a bit, but at least they’re not dead.”
“The best time to buy is when blood is in the streets. Our blood is mingling with theirs.” Another wet sniff emphasized the point.
“I . . . I’m sorry, Albin.” Nathan heaved a sigh. Ribs protested. “I’m sorry I pulled you into this.”
“As I recall, Mr. Serebus, I was a willing participant.” Pride resonated.
“Thank you. You played your part to perfection.” He should say more. What had he wanted to discuss? Everything seemed . . . if not redundant, then trivial.
Time grew more and more relative as the truck rumbled along. At last it stopped. The engine fell still. Silence lifted the weight one only notices when noise ceases.
Clanking at the door, then light and fresh air washed in. Squinting, Nathan watched the exit. Esau bounded up the ramp, silhouetted against the late-afternoon sun. His boots echoed in the steel box.
“Good news, boys! I got buyers for ya both.”
Chapter 77
Thicker Than Water
Ghostwriter - RJD2
“Ah, I’m kidding!” The ginger bastard waved off his disgusting excuse for a joke. He flicked his headlamp on and moved to Nathan, who restrained the urge to kick out one of Red’s knees. “Lemme see them cuffs.” The bracelets clattered to the floor. Merciful release!
Before Nathan could move, Red caught him by the jaw. The LED blinded Nathan for an instant. “Ah.” Esau let go. “You’re fine. I just bopped ya.”
