by Paul Moxham
Xavier smiled as he shook his head in disbelief. “Well, what do you know? Where is she?”
Logan quickly explained. As he did, the smile left Xavier’s face.
The war veteran turned to the woman. “Where does Sanchez have his headquarters?”
“The tallest building in the city,” the woman said.
“The View,” Logan said.
The woman nodded. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring better news.”
Logan hugged the woman. “Thanks. You’ve helped tremendously.”
The woman hurried back to her friends as a man called out, “What’s taking so long?”
“Just give us a minute!” Logan turned to Xavier. “I’m going to rescue Lucy, but in case I fail, tell the soldiers about Sanchez when you reach Carson City.”
Xavier shook his head. “It’s too risky.”
Kenneth stared at his brother. “We were lucky to get to Daly City and back again without encountering too many men. God knows how hard it will be to get to the outskirts of San Francisco itself, let alone Sanchez’s headquarters.”
Logan glanced at the motorcycle that was parked nearby. “If I take that, it’ll be easier to slip through.”
“And then what? Do you think you can just stroll up to Sanchez and demand to have Lucy back?” Kenneth said.
Logan felt in his coat pocket and pulled out the key pass that Donald had given him. “This should give me access to any room in The View. I’ll wait till he’s asleep and try something then.”
“Is the pass going to work now?” Kenneth asked.
“Only if Sanchez has got a generator, which he probably would have,” Logan said. “After all, it’s his headquarters. I imagine he’s the type of guy that likes to show off. In addition, having the only building with lights on would show who the boss is in San Francisco.”
“But what if he doesn’t have a generator?” Xavier asked.
“I don’t know,” Logan said. “But I promised myself that if she was alive, I’d do everything in my power to be with her.”
Kenneth turned to Xavier. “Tell him that it’s a suicidal plan.”
Xavier paused as he looked into the face of Logan. “It’s going to be tough. Tougher than Iraq and Syria. The worst part is that you don’t know what you’re up against.”
“I’ll have to take that chance.” Logan walked over to the bus and grabbed a pistol. He put it into his pocket and went over to the motorcycle.
Just before he flicked the switch, Xavier called out, “Wait! I’m coming with you.”
Kenneth stared at Xavier. “Are you crazy? I can understand why my brother would go, but why you?”
Xavier looked at Logan. “I lost someone close to me when I was younger, and I don’t want to see that happen to someone else if I can help it.”
“But you can’t save everyone!” Kenneth spluttered.
Xavier gazed deep into Kenneth’s blue eyes. “No. You’re right. I can’t save everyone. But as long as I save one life, it’ll be worth it.”
“But it’s a suicidal plan,” Kenneth muttered. “What about the people we rescued? What are you going to do about them?”
“Nothing. You’re going to take care of them.” Xavier took out a piece of paper and a pencil and drew a rough map. “You can get to my friend Doug via these directions. He’s this side of Carson City, so go to him first.”
“So you expect me to go to Carson City with them?” Kenneth pointed to the people in the bus.
“If they want. Either way, I’d say head to San Jose and give them an option there. But afterward, go to Carson City. We need to find out if the army’s there.”
Kenneth took the piece of paper that Xavier offered him and put it into his pocket. “But how will I get in contact with you?”
“Well …” Xavier paused as he thought.
“Go to Stinson Beach,” Logan said, walking over.
“What? What’s there?” Xavier asked.
“The lodge,” Logan replied.
“Oh, yeah.” Seeing the puzzled expression on Xavier’s face, Kenneth explained, “Lucy’s dad owned a place there.”
“As long as it hasn’t been ransacked, we should be all right,” Logan said. “I went there once and saw an assortment of weapons, food, and other survival gear. Donald may have been a businessman, but he was also a survivalist. He put a bunker in the back garden that he boasted could withstand an atomic bomb.” He turned to Kenneth. “Do you know the address?”
Kenneth nodded. “Of course. We only went there three months ago. Though it seems like three years ago.”
“Okay. We’ll meet there in a week’s time. That should be enough time for both of us. Good luck.” Logan shook his brother’s hand.
Kenneth gripped Logan’s hand and held it tight for a few seconds. “Be safe.” He turned to Xavier. “Take care.” He walked back to the bus.
While Kenneth climbed into the driver’s seat, the other two grabbed whatever weapons they could fit into a backpack. They then waited as Kenneth gave a wave and the vehicle roared down the road.
Without further ado, Logan walked over to the motorcycle. Logan sat in the front while Xavier, with the backpack on his back, sat behind him.
Logan paused before he switched on the ignition. “Thanks for coming. It means a lot to me.”
“I just hope it’s not in vain,” Xavier muttered.
“Me too.” Logan turned the key and the motorcycle roared to life. He pushed his foot down on the pedal and turned the machine so he was facing San Francisco. He gunned the engine and the machine roared down the road.
Chapter 8
As traffic had been nonexistent and the road surface was in relatively good condition, Kenneth, now driving a red Humvee Wrangler, was feeling good. He’d left the bus and the locals that he and the others had rescued in San Jose and was now heading to Carson City. But he wasn’t alone.
He glanced back at the two sleeping figures. It looked as though the adventure the night before had worn out both Derek and Molly.
Deciding to wait until they reached Doug’s to wake them, he looked at the slip of paper that Xavier had given him. Fortunately, he’d been able to barter with someone for a map of the area, as well as some tire chains, when he stopped for gas.
He had the map spread out on the dashboard and, now looking at it, saw they were approaching the town of Gardnerville. Calculating the distance between there and Carson City, he realized he still had to drive another twenty miles or so. He then checked the map again and found Tahoe Summit Village. This was where Doug was staying.
Suddenly, a blast rocked the silence. Kenneth didn’t bother searching for the trouble. Stepping on the gas, he glanced back at the teenagers. “Did you hear that?”
Derek nodded as he peered through the front windshield. “What do you think it was?”
Kenneth shook his head. “I don’t know. But—” He paused as yet another explosion rattled them. “It’s got to be connected to the soldiers.”
“Are we close to Carson City?” Molly asked, now fully awake.
Kenneth shook his head. “No, but if the soldiers are heading to the coast, we should run into them before then. Just keep your eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary and hope that we’re not too late.” He pushed down on the accelerator and the speedometer passed ninety as he sped down US-395.
~*~*~
The View, the highest building in San Francisco, stood at just over one thousand feet. With eighty-five stories in total, it was mainly commercial, all except for three floors near the top, which were residential and owned by Mr. Thorn.
Even though Logan was quite some distance away, peering through a pair of high-powered binoculars, the building seemed close enough to touch. He could even see the guards standing by the entrance, their semi-automatic rifles slung over their shoulders.
Looking upwards, he studied the roofs of the nearby buildings. He couldn’t spot anyone at first, but then, just for a second or two, he caught a glimpse of a m
an glancing around.
He took one more look at the building before turning to Xavier. The ex-military man turned survivalist was studying a map laid out on top of a trash can. “Do you think this street is better than the previous one?”
Xavier nodded. “Yes, but that’s not saying much. There’s just too much distance between here and the building. And with those men on the rooftops, it’s going to be pretty hard to get close.”
“I’m not just going to sit here and do nothing!” Logan turned back toward The View. The building was two blocks away. In between were some burnt-out cars, a pile of trash, and some men playing cards. He gazed up at the eighty-third floor. Even with the binoculars, it was impossible to see if anyone was standing by the windows since it was so high. “I just want to see her.”
“I know, but rushing in isn’t going to get you there sooner. Besides, we only have one chance. If Sanchez sees us, he’s going to double the guard. If that happens, it’ll be impossible to get in.” Xavier folded up the map. “If we’re going to have any chance, we’ll have to create a distraction.”
“We could try at night, when it’s dark.”
“If those men have night-vision goggles, we’ll be sitting ducks. No. We need something that’ll draw their attention away.”
“What do you suggest?”
“We’ll have to go and see Peter.”
“Peter?” Logan frowned. “As in the Peter we met the other day?”
Xavier nodded. “The two of us are not going to cut it. And as we don’t know anyone else in the area, he’s our best bet.”
“But we don’t know where he went.”
“Not exactly, but there shouldn’t be many warehouses in Daly City.”
Logan thought. “I guess you’re right. Well, we can always take a chance and see what happens.” He walked to where he’d parked the motorcycle and climbed on. After Xavier joined him, Logan gunned the machine and drove down the road.
Several shots were fired at them from passing strangers as they retreated out of the main part of San Francisco and into Daly City. Once there, they went to Derek’s grandmother’s house.
“Do you think we should go on foot or stay on the motorcycle?” Logan asked.
“Stay on the machine. It would take too long otherwise,” Xavier said. “Let’s drive slowly and take it street by street. If you see anything suspicious, stop.”
Deciding to head left, Logan drove down the road. It wasn’t long until they found the first warehouse. While Logan stayed on the motorcycle, Xavier climbed off and tried opening the door. It opened without any trouble and, by quickly glancing around, he could see it was empty.
This process was repeated for the next three buildings, but as he attempted it on the fourth one, he paused. The door didn’t open. He could tell that it was locked from the inside. He signaled to Logan.
Logan turned off the engine and walked over. “Is it stuck or locked?”
“Locked. We should try the back.”
The two of them walked around to the back of the warehouse and tried to open the door. This one opened without any trouble.
With his hand on his weapon, Xavier stepped inside. No lights were on, so it was almost pitch black. But as Logan walked up to Xavier, the area was flooded with light.
~*~*~
The smoke had been visible for the last few miles. As they got closer, Kenneth slowed the Humvee down and came to a stop as they approached Gardnerville. Asking Derek to hand him the two weapons, a shotgun, and a pistol, he checked them over to make sure they were fully loaded.
Once that was done, Kenneth resumed driving. The minutes quickly passed, and as they came around the final bend in the road, the town came into view. He pushed on the brakes.
Several buildings smoldered. Although smoke was still drifting up and several small flames licked the edges of walls, it was plain to see that the fighting had stopped some time ago.
“What a mess,” Derek said.
Molly cried out as she spotted a man lying face down in the dirt. “Oh no! Look!”
Kenneth drove slowly down the road, stopping again when they’d reached the main street. He climbed out of the vehicle and glanced around. The street was littered with bodies. None of them appeared to be moving. After grabbing a shotgun from the Humvee, he handed Derek a pistol. “Here, take this, just in case.” He then walked northeast, toward a grassy area that seemed to be the headquarters of the army camp.
Dead bodies littered the ground. Kenneth checked the pulse on several of them, but when he didn’t have any success, he stopped bending down. “Whoever killed these men did a thorough job.”
“Was it Seods?” Derek said.
“Had to be. You’d have to have a pretty big force to attack an army camp this big and get away with it.” Kenneth paused next to one soldier, a corporal, and bent down. As he stared at the man, something dawned on him. Something was missing. “Hmm, that’s weird.”
“What’s weird?” Derek asked, also bending down.
Kenneth stood up and walked over to another soldier. It took only one glance to see that he was also missing something. Walking to yet another soldier, he saw the same thing. He shook his head in wonder. “That’s strange.”
“What?” Molly asked, frowning.
“Where are their weapons?” Kenneth questioned.
Derek glanced around, as did Molly, and they both realized that Kenneth was right.
“Whoever killed them must have taken the guns,” Derek said.
Molly agreed. “It’s the only answer.”
“But why?” Kenneth said. “Seods already have their own weapons. What possible use would they get by grabbing ours, especially since ours are less advanced than theirs?”
Molly nervously glanced around. “Well, maybe aliens didn’t kill these men after all.”
Everyone fell silent as a small explosion nearby sent shrapnel in every direction. Kenneth and Derek reached for their weapons and turned to the spot where the noise had come from.
They relaxed when they saw that it was just a fuel can that had exploded after catching fire next to a burning building.
Turning back to the man, Kenneth bent down. “See these holes?”
Molly gazed down and saw the two spots he was indicating. They were like bullet holes, but bigger, and around the edges of the holes were some black marks.
“That’s the work of a silencer,” Kenneth said.
Derek frowned. “A silencer?”
“It’s what Logan and I nicknamed the weapon that the Seods use,” Kenneth explained.
“Because it’s silent?” Molly asked.
Kenneth nodded. “Yes. It also has a much greater impact than a regular bullet, so the hole is bigger, and due to the heat that it contains as it goes in, you can often see burned bits around the wound. Plus, due to the extreme heat, there’s not much blood.”
Molly looked down and saw that Kenneth was right. “But if it was the Seods, where are the bodies? Wouldn’t our soldiers have killed some?”
Kenneth stood up and glanced around. “Yes, that’s also weird. Let’s have a look around.” He led the teenagers across the fields and right into the heart of the camp.
The bodies of dead soldiers lay scattered everywhere. Derek spotted something by the side of a crumpled tent. He rushed over and picked it up. It was an M-16. Checking the weapon, he saw that it was empty of ammunition. He tossed it to the ground.
“There may be others around,” Derek said. “Not all the weapons would’ve been taken.”
“Maybe not,” Kenneth replied. “Either way, I’m going to feel safer when we get to Doug’s.”
“How many soldiers do you think died here?” Molly asked.
Kenneth shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Hopefully some escaped.”
“But where would they have gone?” Derek questioned.
“They have a couple of hours on us, so they could be anywhere,” Molly stated.
Kenneth nodded. “You’re right. Best
if we go to Doug’s and talk to him. He might know something. Come on, let’s get back to the Humvee.” Carrying the shotgun in one hand, he hurried back to the vehicle. He wanted to get away from here as soon as he could. Soon, the smell of death would cover the area. He didn’t have time to give the soldiers a proper funeral, but he did pause for a moment to whisper a prayer.
They drove down the main street and were soon in the neighboring town of Minden. This one didn’t look as bad, but it was clear that no one was living there. It was a mess.
“I wonder if any of the soldiers escaped,” Derek muttered.
“Maybe,” Molly said. “Doug thought there was one thousand, and even though I didn’t stop to count every single one, there must’ve been over five hundred bodies in the town that we just passed.”
“Maybe Doug will know. After all, he might have seen the fight firsthand. Let’s head toward Tahoe Summit Village and see what he says.” Kenneth turned left at the next intersection, and before long, they were driving down Kingsbury Grade Road.
Shortly afterward, Kenneth decided to stop and put on the tire chains. With Derek helping him, it didn’t take long. They’d just finished when Molly wound down the window and gasped. “Look!”
Kenneth glanced across the road at a bunch of trees. He frowned when he saw a man, visibly injured, walk across the snow toward them.
Chapter 9
As soon as Logan saw the men with shotguns, he raised his hands. “Don’t shoot! We come in peace!”
One of the men, a bald man with scars across his face, strode forward, clutching his sawed-off shotgun. “What’s the password?”
“Password?” Logan questioned, not sure what was going on.
“Yeah. What is it?” Baldy said.
“We don’t know. We’re not members yet,” Logan replied.
“Follow me then!” Baldy motioned his weapon at them, urging them to move.
“Where’re we going?” Xavier asked.
“To see the boss,” Baldy replied.
The prisoners followed the men as they walked through the abandoned warehouse. There were a ton of wooden crates stacked together, but seeing as the lids were down, Logan had no idea what they contained.
