A handwritten sign hung on the window informing would-be patrons that the restaurant was closed until further notice. Tanner tried the door, and wasn’t surprised to find it locked. He bumped it with his shoulder, and the lock broke free of the doorjamb.
“Come on,” he said, ushering her in and pushing the door closed behind them.
A few seconds later, a group of four men rode into the intersection. Tanner recognized one of them as Wesley, a fellow inmate who had been doing time for molesting his neighbor’s fifteen-year-old babysitter. Like most sexual predators, he tended to stay with his own type while in prison. Wesley was a big man known in the yard for two things: he was the only inmate capable of bench pressing more than five hundred pounds, and he enjoyed forcing himself on young men who were new to prison.
For the moment, the four riders seemed completely enthralled with the helicopter crash. Tanner didn’t know how long that was going to last, but he was sure that, if they found the girl, she would become the unwilling object of their affection.
He turned to her. “Look around for somewhere to hide.”
“Okay,” she said, her face turning a sickly shade of white.
She walked around the small store, opening cabinet doors and looking in closets.
After a brief search, she said, “I found something.”
When Tanner turned around, he saw that she was holding a large revolver with both hands.
“It was under the cash register.”
“Bring it here.”
She held it out in front of her like a pair of dirty work boots. When she got close, she suddenly had a change of heart. “Maybe I should keep it with me.”
“There’s only one problem with that.”
“What?”
“That’s a Taurus Judge.”
“So?”
“It’s loaded with .410 shotgun shells, which means it will kick like a stick of dynamite. Even if you could pull the trigger, which I doubt, it would jump right out of your hand or, worse, smack you in the forehead.”
“Oh.” She handed it to him.
He opened the cylinder and saw that two of the five shot shells had already been fired.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“I’m Tanner. You?”
“Samantha. You can call me Sam, if you want.”
“Okay, Sam. Have you found a place to hide?”
“Under the sink, maybe. But if they look, they’ll find me.”
“I’ll give them a reason not to look. You stay put until I come back or you hear them drive away. Got it?”
“Yes.”
As he opened the door to leave, she said, “For what it matters, I hope they don’t kill you.”
All of the men had dismounted from their bikes and were standing around watching the helicopter burn. By the time Wesley saw Tanner approaching, they were only a few car lengths apart. Tanner had stuck the Judge in the front of his waistband where it would be clearly visible. Big as Wesley was, he wouldn’t want to take a .410 load to the chest.
“My man Tanner,” Wesley said in a voice loud enough to draw everyone’s attention from the rooftop spectacle.
Tanner nodded to him. “Wesley.”
“I didn’t know they let you out. I thought you hard timers were going to end up food for the rats.”
Tanner moved to within a few feet of the group.
“Most of them are still locked up.”
“You get out for good behavior?” he said, making a vulgar motion with his hand.
Tanner didn’t answer.
“You should get rid of those scrubs. Someone’s gonna to take a shot at you.”
Tanner saw that Wesley was wearing jeans, a pullover, and a black leather jacket. All of the clothes looked brand new. The other three men were similarly dressed in new biker clothing.
“Where’d you get the duds?”
Wesley pointed up Highway 275.
“We found a Harley Davidson store just up the road. An old guy was hiding inside, but he didn’t mind us taking what we wanted.”
“He definitely didn’t mind,” added one of the men, laughing.
Tanner wouldn’t be baited into hearing about their violence.
“You ever seen anything like that?” he asked, gesturing to the helicopter.
“Nope,” answered Wesley. “Looks military to me. Did you check it out?”
“Still too hot. Even if it wasn’t, it looks all burned out.”
Wesley nodded, looking around.
“You see any survivors?”
Tanner shook his head.
“I doubt anyone could’ve walked away from that.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway. It’s a brave new world, my friend. And we’re gonna be the conquerors. You should come with us. Fun times ahead, I promise you.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll go my own way.” Tanner turned to walk away.
Before he had even taken two steps, Wesley spoke.
“You know I always wondered …”
From his tone, Tanner knew there was going to be trouble. He looked back over his shoulder, his hand instinctively sliding up to the grip of the Judge.
“Yeah?”
“I always wondered if you were really as tough as everyone claimed.”
The other three men stood up straight, their eyes glazing over with cruel intentions.
Tanner pulled the Judge free, spun around and fired three times. With each boom of the cannon, a man fell. When the smoke cleared, only Wesley remained. His hand gripped a Beretta pistol stuck in his waistband, but he was so shocked by what had happened that he had yet to pull it free.
“Toss it,” Tanner said, pointing the empty Judge at his chest.
“Why did you go and do that?” Wesley said, his voice a mix of anger and disbelief.
“This world doesn’t need any more conquerors. Now, toss the piece, slow and easy.”
Wesley pulled the pistol out and tossed it about ten feet away.
“Now what?”
Tanner threw the Judge over by Wesley’s Beretta.
“Now, I answer your question.”
It took Wesley a moment to understand the situation. When he finally did, his lips curled up into a confident smile.
“So, that’s how it’s gonna be?”
“Yep.”
Without hesitating, Wesley charged him like a linebacker looking for the game-winning sack. Tanner managed to deflect much of Wesley’s energy by spinning away to his right and landing a solid elbow to his ear. If it had been a few inches further back, he might have dropped the big man with a single blow to his mastoid.
As it was, he ruptured Wesley’s eardrum and sent him stumbling away. Tanner immediately stepped forward and shot a front kick at Wesley’s knee. The kick contacted with a muffled crunching sound, and his leg bent to the side as ligaments tore free. Wesley screamed in pain and lunged for Tanner again. This time, he managed to get both arms high around his waist.
Tanner was a big man, but Wesley was an ogre. Not only was he giant, he was also incredibly strong. Using his superior strength to his advantage, he pulled Tanner into a bear hug, pinning one of his arms against his body. Wesley’s knee wouldn’t quite keep him upright, so he stayed bent over as he applied the powerful hold. Tanner felt his ribs compressing as if he had been caught in a junkyard car crusher. He felt around with his trapped hand and found the inside of Wesley’s thigh. Grabbing a handful of the tender skin, he tried to rip it away. Wesley screamed and shifted his body.
Tanner felt a weakening of the bear hug and tried to break free by jerking violently to one side. Just as Wesley’s fingers came apart, Tanner leaned in and dropped a powerful elbow onto the back of his neck.
Wesley fell to his weak knee, stunned by the blow. Tanner grabbed the back of his head and drove his knee up into the man’s face … once, twice, three times.
Wesley fell back unconscious, his nose broken and his eye socket partially crushed. Bright red blood drizzled from his nose,
and his eye bulged out like an overripe cranberry. Wesley wouldn’t be a threat to anyone for quite some time. Tanner started to walk away, and then thought better of it. He turned back and, with a powerful stomp to the head, snapped Wesley’s neck.
Samantha said, “I saw what you did out there.”
“I figured.”
“Were they bad men?”
“Yes.”
“That’s why you killed them?”
Tanner thought about it a moment.
“Could be.”
“You don’t know why you killed them?”
He sighed. “We have to go.”
“Where?”
“You said you wanted to head east.”
“So you’re going to take me?”
“You’d rather I leave you here?”
“No.”
“Then, I guess I’ll take you.”
“All the way to Virginia?”
Tanner shrugged. “Let’s take it an hour at a time. You talk a lot.”
She didn’t say anything for a few seconds, pressing her lips tightly together.
“Proving me wrong?”
She grinned.
“I can tell this is going to be a long trip,” he said, shaking his head.
“I should warn you that my mom says I’m socially awkward.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“I think it means that I don’t always say the right things.”
“Who does.”
“We’re going to need food and water for the trip.”
Tanner pointed to a large glass case filled with bottled beverages.
“We’ll need other things, too. Backpacks, blankets, and flashlights. I’ve been camping a few times, so I know about these things.”
“I think we can find most of what we need in the stores around here.”
“What about a car?”
He looked out the window
“Plenty to choose from. You got a preference?”
She thought for a moment.
“Something red?”
“Fine. You stay here and see what food and water you can round up. I’ll go get some clothes and a car.”
“Where are you going to find clothes big enough to fit you?”
Tanner thought of Wesley’s new biker clothes.
“I’ll find something.”
CHAPTER
10
President Glass couldn’t stop crying. Tears rolled down her makeup like beads of rain across the surface of a waxed limousine. The president’s bedroom was deep underground, and she felt as if she was living in a cave at the center of the Earth. It was her personal hiding spot, similar to the closet that a child might retreat to when afraid. And, like that child, President Glass was deeply afraid.
Her worst fears had materialized. The country had died. The world had died. Her husband had died. Her daughter was missing and presumed dead after her helicopter reportedly crashed. Nothing remained for President Glass. She didn’t know why she had been spared. She didn’t want to be spared. Not now. Not in the lonely hell that remained.
A small chirp sounded from the secure phone on her nightstand. Conventional phone service had been lost all across the country, but engineers had managed to wire up the emergency operations center in Bluemont, Virginia, to satellite communications.
She rolled over and put the pillow over her head.
The phone sounded again.
She wanted to ignore it. Answering it meant making decisions, and that was something she felt utterly incapable of doing. If she had her way, they would just let her wither away like flowers on a grave.
The phone continued to ring.
She sighed and picked it up.
“What?”
“Madam President, are you feeling better?” The voice was that of Lincoln Pike, her newly appointed vice president. The elected vice president had died from the virus two weeks ago. As the Speaker of the House, Lincoln had all but insisted that he be appointed vice president. With few other options available, she had finally acquiesced.
“I’m sleeping. What do you want, Lincoln?”
“I think we should meet.”
“Why?”
“There are matters to attend to, Madam President. Serious matters.”
She wanted to argue the point, but she knew he was right. The country needed leadership now more than ever. Unfortunately, she was not up to being that leader.
“Fine,” she said. “When?”
“Tomorrow. I’ve already arranged a flight.”
“Tomorrow isn’t good.”
He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft and warm.
“Allow me to help you, Madam President.”
She wiped tears from her eyes and swallowed hard. Lincoln cared about her in the way a lion cared about a wounded gazelle. She considered refusing to see him. But then what? He would be relentless until he got his way.
“Fine. Tomorrow at noon.” She hung up the phone and fell back into bed.
There was a strong knock at Vice President Pike’s door.
“Enter.”
The door opened and General Hood stepped inside. With his perfectly pressed uniform, cluster of commendation medals, and spit-shined shoes, he looked every part the professional soldier.
“Have a seat, General.”
“I prefer to stand.”
The vice president smiled. He liked General Hood. He was smart, ruthless, and most important, trustworthy.
“What did you find out?”
“The girl was not at the crash site.”
The vice president pushed his chair back from the desk.
“How’s that possible?”
“It appears that she survived and fled the scene.”
“With who? Surely not alone.”
“Unknown, sir. There appears to have been a firefight. Four men dead.”
“Killed with military weapons?”
“No, sir. Three were killed with a shotgun. One was beaten to death.”
“That sounds more like a street fight, probably involving some of the miscreants that the president felt compelled to release from our penal institutions.”
“It would seem so.”
“You know, whoever grabbed her might just solve this problem for us.”
“I prefer to clean up my own messes.”
The vice president nodded.
“I assume you’re actively looking for her.”
“Yes, sir. We have two helicopters in the area. A small ground contingent is also en route, but they won’t arrive for some time.”
“Do you think she’ll try to make contact with friendly forces?”
“Assuming that she’s able, that would be a logical course of action.”
“Find her before that happens.”
“Yes, sir.”
“The man I have leading this effort can be trusted implicitly. He will do exactly as we instruct. You should also use only your most trusted people. There can be no leaks on this, General.”
“While I would trust the soldiers with my life in combat, this mission is unconventional. Some may have to be expunged when the operation is complete.”
“Expunged?”
“Yes, sir.”
The vice president nodded again.
“We do what we must to save this struggling nation.”
“Indeed,” said General Hood. “I do wonder, however, if it might be prudent to inform the president of the girl’s possible survival.”
“Why?” The vice president’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“If we get to the girl first, then the plan remains unchanged. However, if she turns up elsewhere, such a report might help to deflect suspicion.”
“Ah, yes, I see your point. The problem is that, if the president even suspects that the girl is alive, she will use every possible resource to find her. We can’t have that. Certainly not now when we’re so close.”
“Understood.”
> “For now, let’s allow her to assume the worst. It helps to keep her weak and ineffective, and that’s the only way we can save this nation from the coming evil.”
The tray of food looked like something from a hospital cafeteria. President Glass picked at a blob of green gelatin as if it was an alien life form. As a child, she had always liked Jell-O. In her current state, however, she saw it as a food perversion that was hard to look at, let alone eat. A knock sounded on her office door.
“Enter,” she said with as much authority as she could muster.
Vice President Pike entered. He nodded and offered a smile.
“Madam President.”
She looked down at the food before finally pushing it aside.
“Lincoln.”
“Thank you for agreeing to see me. I know you must be very busy.”
She squinted at him. Was he digging at her? Of course he was.
“Yes, I am. So, let’s make it quick.”
“Yes, of course,” he said, sliding out a chair. “Right to the point, then. Madam President, we have a very important decision to make.”
“And that is?”
“As you know, the virus claimed about ninety-five percent of our population. Of the roughly twenty million people remaining, it’s estimated that nearly five million were exposed to the virus, but subsequently survived.”
She closed her eyes, wondering how her own family could be counted in the dead.
“I’m familiar with the numbers. What are you getting at?”
“Madam President, it may be even worse than we thought.”
She fought back tears.
“Nothing could be worse.”
He slid his chair a little closer.
“Ma’am, I’ve been told by several CDC scientists that they are seeing an unexpected side effect of the virus. One that could threaten the remaining population.”
“What kind of side effect?”
“They describe it as acute delusional paranoia.”
“Paranoia? Like believing people are out to get them?”
“Yes, but it’s very specific. Those affected seem to target their paranoia toward people who were not exposed to the virus.”
“They probably just feel like outcasts, that’s all. Have you seen what the virus has done to these poor souls? Besides, how could a virus cause paranoia?”
“It appears that Superpox-99 introduces chemical changes in the brain. Those changes cause the person to feel overwhelming paranoia. It continues to deepen over time, until they eventually lose touch with reality.”
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