The Zero Trilogy (Book 3): End of Day

by Summer Lane

  Angry tears trailed down Elle’s dirty cheeks. She saw Felix through a haze of fury and shock. Beyond her, Cheng had collapsed on the ground, blood around him. Elle lifted the fallen gun and pressed the cold muzzle against Felix’s forehead.

  “NO!” he begged. “PLEASE. DON’T.”

  Elle’s lip curled.

  “You shot Cheng,” she said.

  “Cheng betrayed you,” he hissed. “Remember?”

  “No.” Elle pulled the trigger.

  The shot was loud. Felix was dead.

  “You betrayed me,” she whispered.

  She stuffed the gun into her belt and ran to Cheng. He was blinking at the sky. The gunshot had punctured his body near his shoulder. It was gushing blood. Elle touched his cheek.

  She wanted to break down. She wanted to sob hysterically.

  But she said, “You’re going to be fine.”

  “I’m going to die,” Elle,” Cheng replied, soft. “And it’s okay.”

  “No.” Elle looked up at Bravo, sadly standing vigil over the two of them. “I won’t let you die. Never.”

  Elle stood and ran to the Humvee at the end of the blockade. The keys were still in the ignition. She turned the key and the engine rumbled to life. Her hands were shaking badly as she threw the vehicle into reverse and lined it up, parallel to the direction of the road.

  She jumped out of the driver’s seat and opened the rear door.

  “Come on, samurai,” Elle said. “We’re going to get to Sacramento.”

  “No, Elle. Leave me.”

  “Shut up and let me save your life.”

  Elle placed her hands under his shoulders and dragged him toward the Humvee. It took every remaining ounce of strength in her body to get him to the car.

  Cheng was unconscious.

  “Please, God,” Elle murmured. “If you’re up there, please don’t let him die.”

  She barely managed to pull Cheng’s body into the Humvee and lay his body across the back seat.

  “Bravo,” she commanded. “Inside.”

  Bravo jumped into the front passenger seat and Elle slammed the door shut. Behind them, dead Omega troopers lay across the road. Blood was smeared on doors and pooling on the ground.

  “We’re going to make it,” Elle said, crying. “It’s going to be okay.”

  Bravo remained steady.

  Of course we are. Now drive. Fast.

  Elle shifted and jammed her foot against the accelerator. The Humvee’s tires squealed and the smell of burnt rubber permeated the air. The vehicle tore down the road.

  They fled into the night, heading north, the harsh sound of Cheng’s labored breathing a dagger in Elle’s heart.

  Chapter Ten

  Elle drove all night, trembling. She cried as she drove, great, heaving sobs that wracked her body and stole the air from her lungs. Bravo could not console her. For the first time since Day Zero, since the end of the world, she was crying. Finally, truly, crying.

  She struggled to stay on the road, whizzing down an empty freeway, passing abandoned towns and roadside rest stops. She stopped for nothing. When dawn came, she saw it.

  Sacramento.

  The outline of the city was beautiful and regal against the pink sunrise. It stood alone, the only object on a horizon preceded by miles of wet marshlands. The closer they got, the faster she drove.

  Help. Safety. That’s all she wanted.

  And then, suddenly, there was a massive blockade. Elle’s heart dropped. For a split second, she was terrified that they had fallen prey to yet another Omega ambush. But she saw an American flag, and recognized American uniforms. Sand bags, concrete barriers and pickup trucks. Watchtowers. The California State Flag flying beneath the American one.

  She slammed on the brakes. She got out of the car.

  Bravo was barking.

  Get back inside! Elle, be careful. They don’t know who we are!

  She didn’t listen. She stumbled toward the blockade, dizzy with exhaustion and pain and desperation. “We’re not Omega!” she yelled. “Please, help us!”

  She fell to her knees. Crying again.

  “Please.” It was a whisper.

  She looked up.

  An American soldier was reaching out to her.

  Elle awoke to the rough touch of Bravo licking her cheek. She grimaced and blinked. The first thing she saw was his face – black, wet nose, glimmering dark eyes and fuzzy ears.

  “Bravo?” she muttered.

  He licked her nose. She sat up. She pushed the sheets aside and… Wait. Sheets? She looked around. She was lying in a sterile, white room with windows. Sunlight streamed inside. An IV bag hung on a metal post near her bed. The tube threaded across the bed and attached to Elle’s arm. She pulled it out quickly.

  Her feet touched the cold floor. She was wearing a gauzy hospital gown.

  What the…?

  It all came back to her in a flash. Cheng, the fight, killing Felix, driving to Sacramento…she shuddered and ran to the window. Outside, there was a busy boulevard of people. Most of them were wearing uniforms – Americans. Trucks, Humvees, cars and motorcycles rumbled by.

  Bravo wagged his tail.

  “We made it,” Elle whispered. “We’re in Sacramento.”

  The awesome knowledge struck her like a lightning bolt, and she stood there, transfixed by the busyness of the street below. It looked like a normal city. Granted, a normal city occupied by the military. But still.

  Normal. No Slavers. No serial killers. No Felix.

  She remembered being ushered into the city, exhausted and disoriented. She remembered lying down, sleeping. She remembered the soldiers telling her that they would take care of Bravo – that she should trust them.

  The door to the room opened.

  Elle swung around and raised her fists defensively, heartbeat quickening.

  It was a woman. She wore dark blue slacks and a white shirt. Her snowy hair was arranged into a tight bun.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” she said. Her voice was stern. “We’re the good guys.”

  “Americans?” Elle asked. “United States Military?”

  “That’s right,” the woman replied. “Militia and military, working together.”

  Elle lowered her fists.

  “Your dog is a wonderful creature,” the woman continued. “He has not left your side since you’ve arrived here. Such loyalty should be commended.”

  Elle pressed her back against the wall, never removing her eyes from the tall, regal woman. “How long have I been here?” she asked.

  “Since early this morning,” she replied. “You were severely malnourished, and you’ve suffered injuries to your head – something you’ve accumulated over time, I’m sure. Concussions. Nothing terribly serious, so don’t be alarmed.” She raised an eyebrow. “You were covered in blood, driving an Omega truck, and your companion was shot. We nearly didn’t take you in – we were afraid you were with Omega.”

  Elle raised her fingers to her lips.

  “Oh, my god! Cheng! Is he okay?”

  “The young man you were with?”

  “Yes!”

  “He’s fine.”

  “I need to see him.”

  “If you just wait-”

  “NO. I need to see him NOW.”

  The woman looked long and hard at Elle.

  “Very well,” she said quietly. “Follow me.”

  The woman rose, and Elle slowly followed, feeling exposed in the thin hospital gown. They walked through the door, into a cold, barren hallway. Nurses and doctors scurried from room to room. She heard voices.

  The woman gestured to a door right across the hall.

  “He’s in there,” she said. “I’ll be waiting. Don’t be long.”

  Elle looked at the woman, then back at Bravo.

  Go, Elle.

  She nodded, then turned the cool doorknob. She walked into the room, Bravo slipping in beside her. Cheng lay on a hospital bed, one of his arms in a cast. His other a
rm was connected to an IV drip. His head was bandaged. He looked young. Younger than Elle thought he could ever look.

  His clear, gray eyes were open, watching her.

  “Elle,” he whispered. “You’re okay.”

  Elle walked to the foot of his bed.

  “Of course.” She sat. “And so are you.”

  Bravo touched Cheng’s hand with his nose.

  “Hello, Bravo,” Cheng said, flashing a pained smile.

  “Are you in a lot of pain?” Elle asked, swallowing.

  “I’m just sore.” Cheng studied Elle’s face and dropped his free hand into Elle’s lap. Elle took it, holding his fingers. “I’m sorry this happened.”

  “Don’t be. We got here, didn’t we?”

  “We did.” Cheng squeezed her fingers. “Thank you, Elle. For saving my life. You shouldn’t have.”

  “Don’t be stupid,” Elle said. “Somebody had to.”

  Cheng laughed, then winced.

  “You should go back,” Cheng went on. “I know that woman is waiting for you.”

  “You met her?”

  “I did.”

  “What did you think?”

  “I think you should trust her.”

  “I figured.”

  “And I think that if she makes you an offer you can’t refuse…well, you shouldn’t refuse it.” Cheng slowly sat up. “Elle, they confiscated our swords.”

  “I know they did.” Elle sighed. “It’s okay. We don’t need them here.”

  “It’s a good feeling.”

  “It’s a great feeling.” Elle cocked her head. “Are you sure you’re okay, Cheng?”

  Cheng squeezed her fingers again.

  “I’m undeserving,” he said. “Go.”

  “I’ll be back to visit you later, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “I promise.”

  “Okay. And, Elle?”

  “Yeah?”

  “If they send you away…come say goodbye to me first.”

  Silence.

  “You know I will,” Elle whispered.

  Cheng nodded.

  Elle leaned over and kissed his forehead.

  She left with Bravo.

  The woman was waiting for her in the hospital room where Elle had awoken.

  “I want to know where you came from,” the woman said, direct. “And you should start by telling me your name.”

  “Elle Costas,” Elle replied. “And this is my dog, Bravo.”

  “Costas?” The woman raised her eyebrows. “Any relation to Manny Costas?”

  “He’s my uncle.”

  “I guessed.” The woman smiled slightly. “He’s talked about you before.” She extended her hand. “My name is Angela Wright. I’m a militia commander here. You’re safe now, Elle.”

  Elle shook Angela’s hand.

  “You know my uncle?” Her cheeks flushed. “Is he alive?”

  “Alive and well. He’s here, as a matter of fact.”

  “He’s HERE?!” Elle clapped her hands together. “Oh, my god. He’s here.”

  Angela took a seat on the bed.

  “You’re at the militia hospital,” Angela explained. “We took the Omega vehicle you were driving – I hope you don’t mind.”

  “It was never mine to begin with.”

  “Do you mind me asking where you got your hands on an Omega Humvee?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “I’d like to hear it.”

  Elle exhaled.

  “From the beginning?” she asked.

  “From the beginning, Miss Costas.”

  Elle sat on the cold floor. She put her arm around Bravo and closed her eyes.

  “It started with Day Zero,” she began.

  Chapter Eleven

  Elle told Angela Wright everything. The story of her family, and her survival in the streets of Hollywood and Santa Monica. She told her about the militias and Slaver Territory and Cheng’s mother, Veronica Klaus. She told her about Jay, Georgia, Flash and Pix. She told her about Nathan Ingalls, and how he had died, leaving her to care for Bravo. She told her about Bear Mountain and Felix’s betrayal, and she told her about Luli’s death, and how Elle had killed Felix herself.

  When she was done, her mouth was dry, and her eyes were moist.

  She had never really thought of her experiences as a chronological series of events. Her life simply was. Survival was day-to-day, momentary.

  “Miss Costas,” Angela said after a long silence. “Thank you. But you know, you’re a lucky girl – few people ever find a friend like Bravo.”

  Bravo’s eyebrows perked up, hearing his name.

  “I’m impressed,” Angela went on. “Under normal circumstances, the military would never utilize the skillset of someone as young as you are now, but these are desperate times. You understand that, I know. So I am prepared to make you an offer.”

  “An offer?” Elle echoed, thinking of Cheng.

  “Yes. The militia needs bright, young, skilled minds like yours.” Angela sighed. “And God knows, we could always use a bomb dog.”

  “Bravo has the best nose.”

  “Of course he does.” Angela smiled. “Miss Costas, if you join the militia and National Guard – and help us, you and Bravo both – we will provide you with shelter, food, clothing and military protection. You will be risking your life on a daily basis. I won’t sugarcoat it. I don’t have to. You know what it’s like out there. And that’s why I want you. You’re a fighter, Elle. We need people like you.”

  Elle looked at the ground.

  “And my uncle?” she asked.

  “You may visit him.”

  Elle’s heart buoyed. She grinned.

  “I’ll do it,” she said.

  There was no hesitation, no question in her mind. This was right. This was what she had been waiting for all along.

  “And Cheng?” she asked.

  “He is free to stay here as long as he needs to so that he can recover.” Angela stood. She opened a small closet in the wall. “Militia-issued clothes and shoes are in here. When you’re through, meet me on the ground level.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Elle replied.

  Angela nodded, approving.

  “And Miss Costas?” Angela said.

  Elle waited.

  “We’re glad to have you with us,” she finished. “Both of you.”

  Angela left the room. Elle looked through the closet and found the clothes. Dark camouflage pants, dark shirt, dark boots. She pulled them on and looked at herself in the reflection in the window.

  Good. She looked good.

  She turned back to the closet. There was one last item. It was an armored vest, but it was too small for Elle to wear. She studied it for a moment, and then it dawned on her. She smiled and knelt to the ground.

  “Come here, Bravo,” she said. “Your turn.”

  He looked at her.

  For me?

  “Yes. For you.”

  I’m in the military again.

  “I know.”

  Elle helped Bravo into the vest, cinching it up. It fit him perfectly, and he looked handsome in it.

  “I love you, Bravo,” Elle whispered. “More than anything. Or anyone.”

  Bravo nudged her cheek with his nose.

  Same.

  “Are you ready?” Angela asked.

  They were on the ground level of the hospital. It was loud. There were lots of people, soldiers, militiamen and medics.

  “Ready enough,” Elle replied.

  “I have a proposition for you.”

  “Okay.”

  “There’s a mission. An assignment. And we could really use a bomb dog – to detect explosives.”

  Elle looked at Bravo.

  “You want us to do that for you?” she asked.

  “Yes. It won’t be easy.”

  “I understand.”

  “Good. I’ll bring you into the fold soon.”

  “Perfect,” Elle replied.

  She felt no fear
. Only determination, and a fierce will to overcome.

  “You come with me,” Angela said. “I’ll put you in contact with someone who will brief you on the details of your position.”

  “And my uncle?” Elle asked.

  “Coincidentally,” Angela smiled, and there was a sparkle of mischief in her eyes, “he will be downtown this week.”

  Elle’s breath caught in her throat.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” she said softly.

  “Thank you, Elle.” Angela gestured to the door. “Let’s go.”

  Elle hesitated. She looked over her shoulder, at the stairwell. She thought of Cheng, lying upstairs, safe. She looked at Angela, walking toward the door. She looked at Bravo. He tipped his head up, eyes sparkling.

  “Here we go,” Elle whispered.

  Epilogue

  The end had come. But here, in Sacramento, there was a new beginning. Elle sat on the curb of a silent street in the city, listening to the distant steady thrum of military traffic. Angela had left her here. She had promised to be back soon. There was an important meeting happening at the Capitol Building. A negotiation between a makeshift, emergency government, and militia leaders from all over the state of California. They had convened to discuss merging into an alliance with a greater power to defend themselves against Omega.

  Elle sat with her head against Bravo’s shoulder.

  He was warm and soft, yet firm.

  “We’re safe now,” Elle said. “Finally.”

  I knew we’d get here.

  Elle closed her eyes.

  “I think it’s going to be okay this time,” Elle went on, her voice quiet. “For real.”

  Bravo trotted into the street, barking happily.

  Elle laughed. She picked up a small branch that had fallen to the sidewalk and tossed it across the empty street. He ran to retrieve it and dropped the stick at her feet.

  “We’re a team,” Elle said, scratching behind his ears. “Always.”

  Bravo’s tongue lolled out of his mouth. He was smiling.

  Always.

  And they played in the street, the girl and the dog.