Red Rises (Book 2): Dead To Rights (HZA, Vol. 4)

by Brockschmidt, Marty

  Hannah raised the bullhorn and hailed the compound. “Rachel, all we want do is talk, no one is looking for any trouble.”

  Colton turned to the young woman, Vera, standing guard with him. “What you waitin for kid, go find Rachel.”

  Vera ran to find Rachel as Colton answered back. “We're getting Rachel. That you Hannah, is Ellen with you?”

  Hannah waved to a woman down the line and when she came over, handed her the bullhorn. “Colton, chill babe, just don't let Rachel push you into doing anything stupid.”

  Tim used his radio to contact Turk. “Turk, we're in place out here, we got their attention.”

  “Copy that, we'll get to a spot to make sure everyone plays nice.” Turk answered.

  Clay and Turk made their way out of the warehouse, to the chapel. It was a central location and the steeple was high enough to give them a good view, of most of the compound. Just as they were getting ready to cross a bit of open ground, separating the warehouse from the chapel, an RV drove by. Rachel slowed somewhat as she saw the two men and then continued on her way, to the rear gate.

  Clay and Turk looked at each other and then Clay smirked, “Guess the boss lady decided to cut and run.”

  “Still, best to stick to the plan and let this play out.” Turk answered, not convinced it could end this easy.

  Adelaine Smitt was on watch at the rear gate, when the RV pulled up. Adelaine was a tough cookie and Rachel would have wanted her in the sisterhood, except that Adelaine was fiercely independent and a, dyed in the wool, atheist.

  The RV pulled to a stop at the gate and Rachel slid open the driver window. “It was Clay, he killed them alll. Open the gate, I'm saving as many as I can.”

  Adelaine waved to her partner to open the gate, she had no idea what Rachel was talking about. Getting Rachel out of the way, would make it easier for her to get to the bottom of things.

  Once the RV cleared the exit and the gate was closed, Adelaine called to her partner. “Hold down the fort here Bob, I'm going to check this out.”

  Doing as Colton instructed, Vera made her way straight to the chapel. Finding the doors open, Vera made her way inside. As her eyes adjusted to the interior, dimly lit by the early morning sunlight coming through the windows, Vera could see a number of the Brothers and Sisters.

  It was wise to tread carefully around the zealous ones, Vera phrased her query cautiously. “Excuse me for interrupting your matins service, we have a situation that requires Mother's attention.”

  The group turned to face Vera and began to advance towards her, but since they did not answer Vera rephrased her question. “I ...really need to find Mother Rachel, is she still here?”

  The group was now close enough to Vera that she could tell that something was not right. Vera raised her hands to stop the advancing group. “It’s ... it's alright, I'll go look somewhere else.”

  Vera began to back out, but one of the creatures grabbed her outstretched arm. Another creature placed a hand on her shoulder and gathered in a handful of the fabric. Terrified, Vera twisted her shoulder free, causing the sleeve of her blouse to tear off in the creatures hand. Vera's scream was drowned out by the interior of the chapel, as she desperately tried to free her other arm. The creature holding Vera's arm, bent forward and put its mouth over two of Vera's fingers.

  The pain as the creature bit through the fingers was excruciating and gave Vera the strength to pull her arm free, spraying blood into the face of the thing chewing on her fingers, like they were a wad of gum.

  Vera stumbled back out of the open doors, screaming for help. She stumbled off the small step of the stoop and fall onto her back. Before she could rise, the creatures were on her, biting and tearing into her body. Hearing Vera's screams, Turk and Clay came at a run.

  Outside of the camp, Tim, Hannah and Ellen waited near the three children. From her position atop of Bo, Margo could see Vera make her way over to the chapel and then minutes later, watched her come out again attacked by zeds.

  “Hey ... hey ... there are zeds in there.” Margo exclaimed.

  Turk handed the radio to Clay and then drew his pistols. Vera turned her head, looking at Turk with a pleading expression. Turk did not hesitate and fired his first round into her head, ending her torment.

  In staccato bursts between rounds, Turk gave directions to Clay. “Tell them zeds are loose in here, we'll take care of them. Keep away, we don't need others gettin mixed up in this.”

  The two men kept backing up, Turk continued to fire as Clay explained the situation, over the radio. “It looks like Rachel has slaughtered most of her followers. We saw her leaving in an RV, she is using the confusion to make good her escape. Turk and I will deal with the fallen, er zeds, sorry. Try to keep everyone away, till we give the all clear.”

  As if on cue, Adelaine approached. “Clay Albright what the hell, I couldn't believe it when Rachel said you had killed these folks.”

  “Addy settle down ...” Clay started, but stopped when he saw what had been Brother Peter and his men, shambling up behind Adelaine.

  Clay and Turk opened fire on the three creatures and then Clay finished. “Who you going to believe Addy, the lady running a way, or the fella saving your ass.”

  Adelaine smiled, ruefully. “You got a point.”

  Suddenly, Adelaine expression turned to horror and she screamed. “Look out.”

  The few remaining zeds from the chapel had closed the gap, separating them from Turk.

  Margo watching from her position, began chanting. “No ... no ... no ... no”.

  In the last second, before the nearest of the creatures could reach him, Turk raised an arm to block its strike.

  Seeing the zed bite down on Turk's forearm, Margo screamed. “Paaa .. pa ... noooo.”

  With the RV speeding away from the back gate, Margo's shock and despair turned to rage. Margo glanced at the white flag fluttering from her lance, tore it off and threw it to the ground. Before she could be stopped, Margo urged Bo forward and set off at a gallop to intercept the RV, carrying the escaping Rachel.

  “We're going to make that bitch pay Bo, she doesn't get to run from this.” Margo told her mount, while blinking away tears of anger.

  Bo could sense the urgency in his rider and as she gave him his head, Bo sped across the field. Margo directed Bo towards the intersection, where Rachel would turn off towards the open road. Rachel, unsure of how much time her ruse at the gate would buy her, drove the RV at a dangerous clip across the bumpy two track, leading from the rear gate to the road.

  As Rachel slowed to turn the corner onto the open road, the first thing she saw was the black stallion, barreling at her. Unsure of what was happening, Rachel caught site of the horses impish rider, her face a dark grimace of anger. Just as Rachel tried to veer from the path of the horse, the tip of the lance penetrated the windshield and pinned her shoulder, into the back of the seat.

  As soon as she released the lance, Margo turned Bo away from the path of the RV. Once they were clear, Margo drew back on the reins, bringing Bo to a stop. The RV swerved out of control and tipped on its side. Breathing heavily, more from the anger still seething inside her, then the exertion of the short ride, Margo rode Bo slowly towards the RV, steeling herself to finish the job.

  Margo reined Bo to a stop along side of the RV, stood up on his back and climbed on top of the overturned RV. Using her knife, she pried opened the door and was immediately assaulted, by the smell of fresh blood. As Margo's eyes adjusted, she could make out the forms of ten women, laying on what was now the floor of the RV, with their throats slit ear to ear.

  Lucy and the other sisters had chosen suicide, so they would be able to move on with their matriarch. Margo started to close the door, if Rachel wasn't dead she would be soon, but stopped when a boy, about Prescott's age, poked his head out of the back room of the RV.

  “Hello up there, can we come out now? They told us not to leave, so we'll stay put if we're supposed to, but some of us got banged up pre
tty good.” The young man called.

  Margo dropped in through the doorway, nearly slipping on all the blood. “Get a move on, can you all walk?”

  “Yes'm, just bounced around a little.” The boy responded, as he helped a girl of about sixteen, or seventeen through the sideways door.

  The young man continued to help the teens out of the back room and Margo stacked up a couple of coolers to get the teens out, through the open doorway. In all, three boys and seven girls were rescued from the RV, Rachel's breeding stock for her next generation of True Believers.

  As Margo was preparing to exit, Rachel called weakly from the front of the RV. “Young woman, please, help me.”

  A fresh wave of anger, washed over Margo. This foul woman to plead for help, after what she had done, after what happened to Turk, was like opening a wound. Margo quickly made her way to the front of the RV and balling up her small hand into a fist, punched Rachel as hard as she could.

  “SHUT UP.... YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH.” Margo screamed. Then laughed, a bit maniacally. “You know about the only person who would even give a shit about saving your sorry ass can't, because of what you've done. Personally, I want you to die screaming.”

  As Margo climbed out of the doorway and closed the door, Lucy began to stir. Rachel's sobs and pleas driving her to move. At first only able to crawl, Lucy made her way slowly to the woman, who had become her world. Lucy had pledged her mind, body, love and devotion to this woman, on a promise of ascension to a higher state. The fact that Lucy was now an undead corpse. proved the extent of that lie.

  “Oh God Lucy ..... NOOO” Rachel cried out.

  Dangling in the seat of the RV, Rachel's right arm had gone limp, when the lance went through her shoulder and into the seat. Her left arm was stuck between the armrest and the weight of her own body. Defenseless, all she could do was look into Lucy's cold dead eyes and plead for some portion of the woman she had taken as her lover, to still be in there.

  As Rachel turned her head to look at Lucy, Lucy reached out and firmly, yet somehow gently to hold Rachel's head. Rachel was stunned by how cold Lucy's hands felt, on her cheeks. Rachel pleadingly looked into Lucy's eyes, but only recieved a cold passionless stare back. Lucy drew her mouth close to Rachel's and in almost an open mouthed kiss, covered Rachel's lips with her own, then closed her jaws tearing the lips from Rachel's face.

  Outside, Margo listened to Rachel's screams of pain, then heard them briefly intensify as the other sisters joined Lucy, in her feast. As the screams died down, Margo looked out in surprise as Turk rode toward her, mounted on Ghost.

  “Anyone else still alive, Li'l Miss?” Turk asked.

  Margo shook her head. “Not anymore.”

  Turk looked quizzically at the girl, who just weeks ago, had been so fearful of the world. Her self appointed attack on the RV and cold dismissal of its occupants, was a side he had never seen in her. While Turk was contemplating Margo, she was trying hard to check out Turk's arm, without him seeing her scrutiny. She didn't see any bandages, but of course,they would be under his sleeve.

  Margo had seen what happens to people when they are bit and knew it takes a while for symptoms to appear. However, she couldn't help but wonder if Turk wasn't sweating too much, breathing too hard, or a number of other signs of the infection.

  Turk looked over the teens Margo had rescued from the RV and sent them up to the main gate to find their parents. When Turk had finished he looked over at Margo, still sitting on Bo, and staring intently at him.

  Turk, clueless as to why Margo had taken it upon herself to attack the escaping RV, cautiously, started a conversation with her. “Why don't you hop on down and we'll let the horses graze here, a bit. You and I can take a sit down, under this here shade tree and take a break for a bit.”

  “Are ... are you tired?” Margo asked, worriedly.

  “Hell girl, I ain't had nothin, but itty bitty catnaps the last few days. I'm beyond tired, but we've done what we came here to do, I guess I earned me a break.” Turk answered, settling himself down under the branches of the big lone oak.

  “Oh ok.” Margo answered as she sat down next to him, resting her head against his shoulder.

  Turk put his arm protectively around her shoulders and patted her arm as she snuggled deeper, into his side. “That was quite the ride you took there, Missy.”

  “I guess. I didn't really think about it. I just got so mad, at what that woman had done.” Margo said, hotly.

  “You scared me. Next time, try to give me a little warning.” Turk soothed.

  Margo was becoming annoyed that Turk was talking about anything, but the bite on his arm and without looking at him, changed the subject. “Is there anything, you would like me to tell Red for you?”

  The question came out of the blue and Turk took a moment to answer. “I'm a big boy, I reckon anything I have to say to Red, I can tell her myself.”

  “Okay. We are heading back soon, then?” Margo pressed.

  “Soon enough. We'll make sure these folks are set first, havin friends nearby will be a good thing. What's the hurry?” Turk quizzed.

  Margo looked Turk in the eye. “You know.” Then she patted the pistol on her hip. “I just want you to know when the time comes, I'll take care of things.”

  Turk raised an eyebrow as he met Margo's gaze. “I sure do appreciate that, but if it's alright with you, I'll be askin you not to be in any hurry.”

  Margo, in total frustration for the first time ever, raised her voice to Turk. “Damn it all Papa, you got bit and you can't keep pretending nothing is going to happen.”

  Totally shocking Margo, Turk broke out in deep, rumbling laughter. It took some time, before Turk could speak again, “So that’s what all this is about? I ain't been bit girl.” Turk exclaimed, pulling up his sleeve to reveal the leather jerkin, underneath.

  Margo felt a bit embarrassed, after making such a fuss over nothing, she could feel the heat rise in her cheeks, even though her dark complexion. hid the blush that came to her face. “Papa don't make fun, I was worried about you.”

  “I ain't pickin on ya, it’s just this whole business of you runnin down this RV, weren't like you. I was frettin over you and you were frettin over me.” Turk exclaimed, giving Margo a hug.

  Before Margo could feel completely relieved, she had to push up the sleeve of the leather jerkin and examined the skin of Turk's arm. The zeds bite had left two crescent shaped bruises, but she could find no breaks in the skin.

  “What's the word Doc?” Turk asked, jokingly.

  Margo slid his sleeve back down and looked at Turk, with a stern face. “You need to rest, so do the horses.”

  “Message received. Let's head up, make sure nobody else is gettin worried about us. We'll figure out some transport back and then rest up a bit, before going home.”

  Clay Albright was surprised, by how quickly the whole situation resolved itself. Yet it wouldn't have, if it weren't for the assistance of their new allies and the preparations made by Silas and Sofie. With a little prodding from Tim and Hannah, Clay quickly took charge of the situation, within the compound.

  He assembled crews to dispose of the bodies of Rachel's followers, he and Turk had dispatched. He also ordered that the zeds, in the corridor between their fences, be put down. The same for the zeds in the chapel, that were kept for the religious services. These things were just a reminder of the lies, they’d been told.

  Clay turned his attention to the children in the dormitory, guarded by Silas. First, Clay radioed Sofie and Abigail to let them know the situation was over. Then, with a change in frequency, attempted to hail Silas, but was unable to get a response.

  Hannah, still acting as Clay's liaison, was nearest to him so Clay turned to her. “Hannah, find a couple of men to retrieve the ladder from the warehouse and meet up with me, at the dormitory.”

  Clay, holding Chloe's hand, hustled over to the dormitory and in short order, were met there by the two men Hannah had sent to retrieve the ladder, as
well as Sofie, Abigail, Seth and Zoe.

  “I can't reach Silas, I hope it's just a fault in the radio, but he's exerted himself quite a bit today. I'm hoping the ordeal wasn't to much for the old codger.” Clay explained.

  As soon as the ladder was up, Abigail stepped forward. “I should go up first, when Silas sees me, he'll know its safe. Anyone else and he might think he's under attack.”

  Abigail quickly ascended the ladder and with pry bar in hand, slid up the second story window. As soon as she slipped inside, Clay followed her up the ladder. As they passed the sleep chambers, nervous children would poke their heads out and the pair, hurriedly assured them all was well and they would be allowed out soon.