by Dennis Yates
We stopped to listen to an engine rumbling in the distance, moving fast. Coming from the direction of the garage where Ramos and Trevor had been working.
“Let's go,” Rash yelled to the other bandits. “Sounds like we’ve got ourselves a new set of wheels."
They pushed us down the stairs to the road and made us stand in the shadow of a wall before the truck pulled up. Ramos and Trevor got out and started toward the door when suddenly they had rifles pointed at their heads.
"Don’t move,” ordered a bald guy with a tattooed face of a buzzard on the back of his shaven skull. The buzzard opened its eyes and screeched mutely as the bandit turned his head and activated the hologram tattooed into his flesh.
"Nice work," Rash said. He slapped Ramos on the shoulder and held out his palm. Ramos stared at him with murderous eyes, dug the key from his pocket and dropped it in the man's hand.
Rash turned and winked at Laura. "You ready to go, baby?"
Laura smiled and withdrew Trevor’s automatic as she brushed past him. I watched the boy glare at her, fists shaking like two live fuses at his sides.
"Ready now,” the woman said.
"What about her?" The scrawny lizard asked, pointing at Jade. "I don't mind if she's missing a few fingers. I don't need them for what I want to do with her."
Rash grinned. "Sure, why not?"
They grabbed Jade and dragged her toward the truck. She cried out when they squeezed her injured hand.
Trevor ran at the men and tried shoving them away. "Leave her alone. She's not going with you!"
The scrawny lizard gazed into Trevor’s face. Even from where I stood, I smelled his god-awful breath. The stench wasn’t much different from a rotter’s, except for the presence of cheap liquor.
"If Rash says I can take her then that's what I'll do."
Trevor shoved the man in the chest. "I told you no."
The lizard grinned. A knife appeared at his side and he swung the blade toward Trevor, barely missing his stomach.
The other bandits quickly surrounded them and cheered.
Trevor and the lizard began to circle one another, the lizard thrusting wildly with his knife. Trevor deflected the lizard’s blade and shot his fist up into the smaller man’s jaw. The lizard stumbled backwards and spat crushed teeth.
The bandits roared with excitement. But the lizard wasn’t stunned for long, and when he smiled at Trevor his mouth was nearly a toothless maw of bloody gums.
"You're going to die tonight,” the man said.
And then came the low groaning sound that sent chills through me every time. I turned and saw a horde of rotters stumbling toward us. The half rotter I’d seen earlier was leading the way.
"Let’s go,” Laura said.
But Rash looked like he wanted to stay and watch Trevor and the lizard fight. The crab-scuttling rotter tried to grab the boy by the foot. He stomped down on it and crushed its soft skull, opening it up on the sand like an overripe melon. The other rotters continued to lurch forward, some within grabbing distance of Trevor.
Rash waved his hand and the bandits ran for the truck and climbed in. The lizard seemed reluctant, but soon followed.
"Thanks for everything," Rash laughed.
Rash hit the accelerator and left us standing in a cloud of red dust. Ramos and I picked up Jade and headed back for roof camp. Trevor was cornered by several rotters and forced to climb up the wall using the twisted remains of the iron fire escape. I realized then that he was headed toward the boarded windows above, where he told me he’d installed hidden latches allowing him access inside.
I threw open the door and Ramos and I staggered up the stairs with Jade swaying limply between us. When we reached roof camp, I was relieved to see the bandits hadn’t cleaned us out of everything. We soon discovered several places where they hadn’t thought to look.
Jade was still bleeding heavily and there was nothing else we could do for her. I'd tied a tourniquet on her arm but it didn't appear to be working.
"She's going to die if we don't do anything,” I said as Trevor walked up. I noticed lizard man’s knife had scratched up the boy’s arms pretty bad.
Jade woke up briefly, saw the blood-soaked bandage wrapped around her hand. She held it up and her eyes widened in fear, the memory of what the bandit had done to her rushing back.
"Don't let me die out here," she said weakly.
Trevor turned and walked away.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"I have an idea. Not a pretty one, but I think it might work.”
A few minutes later the boy came back with a blow torch. I stared at him, speechless. This could kill her, I thought. She's already lost so much blood. The pain might push her over the edge.
"Are you out of your mind?" Ramos whispered.
Trevor glanced over at Jade and shook his head. "We can cauterize her fingers," he said quietly. It’s going to be hell for her, but it’ll work better than anything else we’ve got."
"She's going to need something to knock down the pain," I said. "If she goes into shock, we might not get her back.”
As if he had anticipated what I’d say, the boy pulled a bottle of whiskey from his back pocket and passed it to me. "This is the best I can do."
"I’ve heard everything you guys talked about,” Jade blurted, startling us. Her dark almond eyes stared at the whiskey bottle.
I unscrewed the cap and took a small taste. It seeped down my throat like quicksilver and exploded with warmth.
Before I could even ask her if she was up for Trevor's crazy idea, Jade tore the bottle from my hand and took a huge slug. Afterwards, her dark eyes drifted between us as she lost herself in thought.
"Give me five more minutes,” Jade said. “I want Ramos to do the honors."
Ramos swore under his breath. Jade was right and he knew it. He'd been welding metal most of his life and had a steady hand. The difference was steel didn’t have nerve endings.
"You’re positive you want to go through with this?" I asked.
Jade nodded. She finished off half the bottle and set it down. Her eyes were droopy and bloodshot. She tugged her leather belt off and clenched it between her teeth. I'd hoped she'd turn her eyes away but she insisted on watching. I grabbed her arm as tight as I could.
Ramos ignited the torch. As soon as he got a solid blue flame, he brought it next to the bloody stumps of her fingers. Jade's teeth sank deep into the leather belt, and I felt her screams vibrate against my chest like a trapped animal. Her hand twitched wildly as Ramos brought the flame closer.
Gripping the stump of her ring finger, Ramos applied the torch while Jade bucked in my arms. The smell of burning flesh filled my nostrils and made me want to gag. Ramos grabbed her pinkie stump next and did the same. By now Jade was shaking all over and the scream locked inside her sounded as if it would soon rip open her throat.
When Ramos was finished, Trevor dunked her hand into a pail of cool water. She spat out her belt and passed out against me. I took hold of her wrist and felt her pulse while the others silently watched.
"I think she's going to survive the worst part," I said.
I passed Ramos the bottle of whiskey, noticed he was breathing hard. He tilted the bottle back and drank. Afterward, he stood up and stared at the stars. When he finally turned around and stared at Jade, I noticed his eyes were glistening with tears.
"That's got to be the worst thing I've ever had to do to a friend."
"You saved her life," I said.
Ramos lifted his eyes back up at the night sky. It seemed like he was searching for an impossible sign in the big void.
"I think it would be smart to get out of here," Trevor said. "Something tells me they're going to be coming back."
"Where will we go?" Ramos asked.
"There’s that cave I was telling you about, the one I stayed in during the outbreak. It's stocked and could keep us hidden, give Jade time to recover."
While Jade rested, we gathered up what
the thieves had left behind. We barely had enough food and water to last two days walking in the McCarthy. And although it was likely we were headed for our graves, it was still the best plan. There were too many threats in town, and a good chance we'd soon find ourselves trapped and unable to escape.
After we finished packing, we sat and ate some of the antelope the bandits had missed in their raid. Jade awakened but appeared drunk. She moaned as the nerves in her hand began to come back to life. I gave her a drink of water but she coughed it back up.
The cave would take us a full day to get to. We'd have to move at night when it was cool and potentially more dangerous. The idea weighed heavily on our minds and the strain was starting to show.
"If it hadn't been for that bitch you saved last night, we wouldn't be in this place," Trevor said. "You should have left her to die."
I ignored him while I redressed Jade's hand. He was right though. Laura had probably led those bandits to us. And now we were up against a wall and there was nothing we could do to change that.
I pressed a cool cloth against Jade's forehead. She was burning up with fever. If she gets an infection she’s doomed, I thought. I peeled back the bandages and took a peek. Her hand was swollen and discolored. Trace amounts of blood wept from the charred stumps.
"Do you hear that?" Ramos asked.
I stood up beside him to listen. It sounded like an engine approaching. Trevor had been right. The bandits were coming back.
We moved down to the second floor and watched through a hole in one of the boarded-up windows. A truck hurled up the street, undeterred by the piles of rotting speed bumps that were once human. When it pulled up next to our building, I was shocked to see only Laura at the wheel. She glanced up at the roof and called out to us.
After we ran down to meet her, we paused to take in the scene. Laura had changed since we'd seen her last in a very big way. No longer the helpless young woman we'd saved from a clawing dead horde, she'd transformed into something just the opposite. Made me kind of dizzy to tell you the truth.
"You've got to be kidding me," Trevor said. When he raised his crowbar at his side, I reached out and pushed it down.
"Easy boy," I urged.
Laura got out of the truck and walked toward us with a pistol in her hand. It was then that I noticed the blood covering the seats and outside of the truck.
"Son of a bitch," Ramos sighed. "I never thought…"
Laura dropped the key into his hand. "You're welcome."
When she walked toward me I had the sudden urge to pull her close. She leaned toward me and her lips passed my mouth and skidded next to my ear.
“Does this make us even now?” she whispered.
Later that night after we’d packed up for the trip, Laura visited me while I was keeping watch from the roof. If the others were watching us they did a good job of pretending to be asleep.
She sat down next to me and covered our shoulders with a blanket. It was cold and my teeth had been chattering until I felt her body heat begin to work on me. Before I knew what I was doing, I put my arm around her and pulled her closer. I barely knew this woman and yet I already craved her touch. She laughed softly and pressed her head against my chest.
“Why did you save me after your friends tried to talk you out of it?” She asked. “You didn’t owe me anything.”
“I don’t know exactly. Maybe being frozen all those years gave me a deeper appreciation for life. In the past I was full of myself, thinking I could get away with whatever I damn pleased.”
Laura smiled. “I doubt if you’re the first Duster who’s felt that way.”
“It was my cocky attitude that caused the deaths of my brother and sister. I’d led the Federation right to their doorstep when I went to visit them. I had no idea they’d followed me.”
“I’m so sorry, Brand...”
Laura raised her head and kissed me on the mouth. After a few tender moments, I pulled away and stared into her eyes.
“But you know what? After all this time, I still fool myself into thinking they’re still alive.”
“What do you mean?”
“By wanting to believe it never happened. Back then I knew damn well I could be putting them in danger. But I had to see them. Later Federation soldiers surrounded the house and set it on fire while they hid inside. I’d tried to save them but I was too late. I was forced to run away into the desert night with the smell of their smoking bodies haunting me ever since. I think you should stay away from me. I’m not safe to be around.”
But she wouldn’t listen to me. She wrapped her arms around me and held me closer while we watched the first light of dawn sketching out the shapes of distant rocks.
****
We loaded up the truck with what we'd salvaged and headed out at sunrise. Laura drove with Trevor up front. Ramos and I were in the back with Jade jammed between us. She was fading in and out from it all.
"Is there anywhere we can get her something?" I asked.
"All the pharmacies were cleaned out a long time ago," Trevor said. "It would be sheer luck if we found anything left behind."
"We've got to do something. Think... Is there any other place we might be able to check? She’s not going to make it across the McCarthy unless we get her antibiotics and something for her pain."
"Wait a minute. I might know of someone we could go to," Trevor said.
"Who?"
"Doc Remington. He was an old friend of my father’s. Been doctoring their and his neighbor’s livestock for as long as I can remember. If he’s still around, he might be able to help.”
"How far is his place from here?" Ramos asked.
"About ten miles outside of Cranston."
“Let’s do it,” I said.
I felt relieved when we passed out of the main part of town. It was open country once again and more difficult for someone to ambush us. I noticed a heat mirage glimmering in the distant red desert. It was as if it were the ghost of an ancient sea coming back to reclaim the land.
We passed more dead bodies, unable to tell if they'd turned or not before their heads were crushed or shot through. Tall rounded mounds of smoke-darkened bones lay across the barren land. As we got further down the road, we started to see gape-jawed skeletons tied to crude wooden posts with barbed wire. The message couldn't have been any clearer. We were being told to turn back or face death.
"What’s this bullshit?" Ramos said, nervously pointing his rifle at the remains lying around us as if he were expecting them to suddenly reanimate and attack us.
Trevor pointed out a narrow dirt road that carved through burnt hills. There was still no sign of the doctor's house.
I tapped Trevor on the shoulder. "You sure you got the right place?"
The boy's face flashed with anger. He shook his head and turned back to face the road. "I've got the right place."
I glanced over at Ramos. His eyes told me he wasn't comfortable with the detour and neither was I.
We continued following the road. Once we passed over the highest rise, it dropped sharply into a canyon. At the bottom was a dried riverbed of bleached stones.
We pulled over at a lookout. Trevor pointed at a structure down next to the dried river bed. It took me a few moments to find it with the spotting scope. The home blended in so well with the canyon wall.
I passed the scope to Trevor and picked up my rifle. I hadn't seen any red flags, yet a chilled finger of sweat had run down the back of my neck. I turned to Trevor.
"If we stir up trouble, is there any way out of the canyon other than this road?"
Trevor handed the scope back and nodded. "Not sure what kind of shape it's in, but there's a trail that follows the creek. I've never walked to the end of it so I’m not sure where it lets out."
I turned to Jade and saw her waking up from what must have been a nightmare. Probably reliving the crude surgery we'd administered earlier. I felt a dull ache in the pit of my gut. We have to get some antibiotics for her, I thought. There'
s no guarantee her cauterized stumps won’t become infected. She could lose her entire hand if she gets gangrene. Or even worse...
Ramos and I left Trevor with the women and the truck while we climbed down through the undergrowth. We found the creek trail and followed it to the side of the dwelling. We saw an old man sitting under the shade of a cactus. It looked like he'd been reading a book and had just set it down to take a nap.
I motioned Ramos to follow me up behind a row of rocks where we could get a better look at the old man. A sawed-off shot gun lay next to his feet along with a mouse-fat gray cat. Both man and cat appeared to be enjoying a deep snooze.
We passed quietly before coming to a steep slope where we stopped in the shade to catch our breath. Without warning we heard the dry thud of a shell being chambered, followed by the voice of a young woman approaching from behind us. We’d had no clue we’d been followed.
"Drop your weapons."
We did as she asked and set them on the ground.
"We're not here to make any trouble," I said. "We only came because we heard there might be someone who could help our friend. She's hurt really bad."
"Start moving," the girl ordered. "You're going to walk up the hill and onto the road. Try anything and you'll end up being a scarecrow like the others."
The tortured human forms we'd seen earlier flashed before my mind. I had no doubt this young woman was to be taken seriously.
We could hear her gather our guns from the ground as we struggled up the steep ridge. When we reached the top we saw the truck rolling down the road toward the house. In the front passenger seat sat another girl with an automatic pointed at Trevor's temple.
No wonder the old man didn’t seem concerned, I thought. These two seem to know what the hell they’re doing.
They ordered us and everyone in the truck to get down on our knees. I heard Jade breathing sharply, noticed her bad hand was twitching in agony. I didn't know how much longer she could go before the shock took over again. When I glanced up at our captors, a rifle barrel was promptly jammed into my forehead.
"Keep your eyes on the ground,” the girl ordered.
"Please," I said. “Let my friend sit down. You can see she’s not doing well."
