The Hunt Chronicles (Volume 3): Crusade

by Demers, J. D.

  As soon as we were in, Trinity turned and sealed the door.

  I scanned the barn as the shorter of the two men climbed down the ladder to greet us.

  There were four oil lamps scattered along the beams of the building to give the barn as much illumination as possible. To the back left were stacks and stacks of boxes. To the right were large jugs of water, cases of soda, tea, and other beverages.

  Off to the side and in the open was a toilet. There was a tube leading through a small hole in the wall and connecting to the back of the porcelain. They had a real, working toilet in that place. It was connected to one of the water collection barrels on the roof, providing gravity fed water. There was no privacy and I had no idea to where it flushed to, but from the smell, it didn’t go far.

  My attention turned back to the short man as he hopped off the ladder. He couldn’t have been taller than five feet four inches, but he was broad. That at least told me they were eating well.

  The taller, older man took a seat on the second level, never taking his eyes off me.

  I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to be careful asking about the nightmarish barn Trinity had led me to. This was their home. And though Trinity was my sister, I had this nagging feeling like I wasn’t welcome, even by her.

  Trinity walked over to one of the horse stalls and hung her zombie backpack next to two others. Evidently, her and her friends all wore them when they left the safety of the barn.

  She began to take off a layer of clothing. The underclothes were just as filthy as the outer layer, though more from sweat than mud and grime. Goblin flinched as she strolled by and she seemed to take some delight from the little man’s reaction.

  “Your brother?” the short man asked as he scratched his beard. His tone was simple and uneducated, almost feeble.

  He took a seat next to a small, iron wood stove. The chimney extended to the top of the barn. Atop the iron plating sat a cast iron pan covered in tin foil.

  “That’s what I said,” Trinity replied with ice in her voice.

  “Okay, okay,” he said submissively and then motioned to a fold out chair next to him. “Have a seat, brother.”

  “I have to report in,” I told him.

  “Report in?” the man on the second floor spat as he jumped to his feet.

  “My friends,” I told him, returning the cross stare he gave.

  I wasn’t really afraid of these people, including my sister. My rifle was mere inches away from being drawn and fired. Boomer was on edge and ready to pounce. He wasn’t comfortable either.

  “What’s he talking about?” the shorter man asked with a blank stare.

  “He traveled across the state to be here. Do you think he did that on his own?” my sister retorted and then glanced up at the taller man. “Sit down, Ray, before he shoots you.”

  The man named Ray eyed my sister for a moment, but soon complied. She turned to the shorter man.

  “Set a fourth plate, Gus. He will be joining us for the night.”

  Her last words were cold, unfeeling.

  I stayed near the door and hit the transmit button.

  “Fish, Campbell. I made it to her hideout,” I said in a whisper. They could still hear me and Gus seemed unhappy with the word ‘hideout’.

  “What’s the Sit-Rep?” Fish asked. “Friendlies?”

  I was happy no one could hear Fish, but I still had to be careful on how I replied.

  “More or less. I will report more in an hour. The barn we’re staying in seems secure.”

  “Barn? Give me a better description,” Campbell chimed in.

  I wasn’t sure how to do that without raising suspicions. It was obvious my sister and her friends were unnerved by my presence, not to mention the idea of my companions being somewhere out there. I had a nagging feeling they would not be happy if Fish and the rest rolled up to the barn in Big Red and the Stryker.

  “We’re relatively safe,” I replied carefully. “They have some fairly good Zulu defenses. Things we never thought of, like putting captured Zulus on pikes around the perimeter. Pretty smart.”

  “That was your sister’s idea,” Gus said as he portioned chunks of meat and vegetables onto four plates. “She’s the smart one.”

  Trinity didn’t seem too happy with my conversation, however. Her glare was penetrating as I spoke.

  “Come on, Christian,” she said as she walked over to the stove. “Say goodbye to your friends and join us for dinner.”

  I faked a smile and nodded. There was no question she was trying to get me off the radio.

  “Alright, Fish. I’ll contact you before I bed down for the night.”

  “Roger that, Christian,” he responded. “Just sit tight. You’ll be fine, just like when I found you with Cecil.”

  He was trying to find out if I was in danger. I was certain of that. Fish had no way of knowing if our communications were secure. I also had the feeling he heard the tension in my voice.

  “Eh, not the same, but who knows,” I said as my gaze met Trinity’s again.

  “Understood. Just watch out for ghosts. Fish out.”

  I tried to keep a straight face as I moved up to take a seat next to Trinity. Fish said ‘ghosts’ for a reason. Ghost was our drone with night vision. I suspected I might hear the little bird flying after dark.

  Reaching down, I switched the radio off. There were only a few hours of battery life and I had to conserve it.

  Boomer decided he liked it better next to the door and far away from everyone else, including the other dog.

  Leia was lying in a patch of dirt across the barn.

  Gus handed me a plate before he stood and climbed halfway up the ladder to give Ray his portion.

  Trinity was already eating and it was then that I noticed her right hand. She had been wearing gloves since we ran into each other, and I hadn’t noticed in the dim lighting that she had taken them off. Her entire pinky and half of her ring finger had been amputated. Like Goblin’s, it appeared to have happened some time ago.

  My sister had been mutilated, from her face to her hand and God knows where else.

  I looked down at my meal, trying not to stare. There would be time for questions, but I had to be smart about it. My sister, and her two friends, were off somehow.

  The vegetables almost looked fresh, but I couldn’t tell where they had gotten fresh meat from.

  “This is quite a meal,” I said, lifting up an evenly sliced carrot. It was moist and soft.

  “Thank the crazies,” Gus chuckled.

  “What do you mean?”

  “We were able to get some supplies from a local militia warehouse. Remember, you’re in the south,” Trinity explained.

  “That Walmart truck was a nice find, too,” Gus added.

  “Just tell him everything,” Ray complained from above. “We don’t know this guy from nothin’.”

  Trinity glared up at Ray, but didn’t say anything.

  I took a bite of the carrot. I could immediately tell it had been rehydrated. Over the course of the last few months, I had eaten plenty of survival meals specifically designed for rehydration. The meat had the same dry taste, but it wasn’t stale. Those prepper food packets were not cheap and the seasoning was right on par with your average restaurant.

  “Don’t worry, Ray. I’m not here to take your food. We have plenty.” And then I thought to myself, Even more since we lost three men a weeks ago.

  “Eatin’ our food now, boy, aren’t ya?” Ray growled.

  “Enough, Ray,” Trinity hissed. “He’s my brother and he gets a plate.”

  “Less for the rest of us,” Ray mumbled.

  “Sorry, Goblin,” Gus chuckled. “Looks like you go hungry tonight.”

  The little man moaned silently and laid down on the dirt.

  “What’s the deal with him?” I whispered to Trinity.

  She eyed me for a moment and then smiled. Quickly, she finished the food on her plate and stood up.

  “Goblin here, i
s a rat. Aren’t you Goblin?” Trinity asked as she walked over to him.

  “Y-yes,” he stuttered as he cowered in front of her.

  “Yes?” she mocked. “Yes, what?”

  “Y-yes ma’am,” he replied, almost crying. “I’m a…I’m a rat, ma’am.”

  He groveled beneath her. Trinity turned her head and smirked. There was darkness in her eyes. Quickly, she kicked the little man in his ribs. He rolled to the side, groaning with pain.

  “Trinity!” I said, standing.

  She whirled around.

  “What?”

  “What are you doing?”

  “She’s showing him love,” Gus chuckled. “Goblin loves it.”

  “Seems your brother doesn’t like how you treat Goblin,” Ray snorted.

  “I don’t understand,” I told her. “No one deserves—”

  “Deserves what?” she said angrily. “Deserves to be treated like a dog? No, not even a dog,” she hissed.

  She spun back around and smacked Goblin in the head with her empty plate. He dipped low, covering his head as he writhed in the dirt.

  I took a step forward, holding my hands up.

  “Trinity!”

  “You don’t approve, big brother?” she asked snidely. “I don’t care. You haven’t been here. You don’t know what this little turd has done.”

  I watched her take a knee next to Goblin. He flinched as her hand lightly glided down his back until she grabbed a chunk of loose skin on his hip. She tightly pinched it and he squeaked in pain.

  “Tell him, Goblin. Tell my brother why you are my toadstool.”

  Goblin hesitated. He glanced up at Trinity, fearfully.

  She stood and threatened him with the plate.

  “Tell him!”

  Goblin, fearful to get hit again, looked over to me. His eyes were wide with fear as he spoke.

  “G-Goblin was bad,” he murmured. “Goblin did…bad things.”

  “Bad things to who?” Trinity asked.

  He lowered his eyes.

  “B-bad things to you, ma’am.”

  Bad things. No more needed to be said.

  My own blood began to boil. How long did it go on? How much did my sister have to endure before she got the upper hand? Did Gus and Ray help her? She seemed more of their leader than on an even par with them. They listened to her and in some ways, I could tell they feared her.

  Trinity was not the same person I grew up with. She had changed and I was sure it was for the worse.

  She looked up at the tall man above us.

  “Ray, check the grounds and barrels. Make sure our water is good.”

  He took one last bite, shrugged, and then climbed a ladder that led to the roof. Trinity turned to Gus, who was still smiling at the abuse Goblin had endured.

  “Gus, feed the Geeks before the sun goes down.”

  He nodded and quickly headed out a side door.

  I waited a few moments. After I was sure they were out of earshot, I marched over to Trinity. She flinched but quickly regained her composure.

  “What the hell is going on here?” I demanded.

  She tilted her head.

  “What do you mean?”

  I waved my hand around the barn.

  “This! All of this?” I brought my tone down. “Those two out there. This guy,” I motioned with a hand to Goblin. “And you. You’ve turned into…”

  I stopped, not wanting to finish my sentence.

  She looked me up and down, pointing out my gear and clothing.

  “Look at you,” Trinity replied with an edge in her voice. “Not all of us have had it easy, Christian. You don’t know.”

  She paused, and her voice cracked as she spoke. “You can’t know. Look at my face. Look at my hand.”

  Tears began to well up and her hard composure began to splinter.

  “Then tell me!” I demanded. “Trust me when I tell you, I have not had it easy. But this?” I glanced down at Goblin, “this is beyond gone. If this man hurt you, just kill him and be done with it!”

  She half turned away and wiped her eyes. When she faced me again, the bitterness was back.

  “Killing him would be doing him a favor.” She looked at the pitiful man on the ground and spoke softly. “He’s asked for death plenty of times. One day I will kill him. But I will do it when nothing of that creature is left. He knows this.”

  I grabbed her by the shoulders but the look in her eyes was so full of hate I recoiled and let her go.

  “Trinity, you can’t stay here. You can’t stay with these people. You have to come with me. I’m with good people. People that will help us, people that are trying to help everyone.”

  She walked past me toward the stove.

  “I help myself. Ray and Gus are good little soldiers. Well, Gus is. Ray just wants to eat so he listens. I will never depend on anyone else ever again.”

  The door creaked. Gus entered and quickly shut the door behind him. In his hand, he held rotting flesh. After a quick smile to me and Trinity, he went over to the horse stall and started to feed the three zombie backpacks that hung there.

  Ray hadn’t come back in, and for that, I was happy. He unnerved me. Something about the guy was wrong. Gus’s simple, happy composure made him seem more like a king’s fool than a threat. It was disgusting how he accepted Trinity’s treatment of Goblin and found some sick, twisted humor in it.

  Trinity had taken a seat again and I joined her as Gus went to one the stalls and prepared for bed.

  “G’night, miss Trinity,” Gus said from behind the wooden partition.

  “Good night, Gus,” she replied as she dug around in a backpack near the stove.

  “How long will Ray stay on the roof?” I asked.

  “Until Gus replaces him,” she said as she twisted the lid off a glass bottle. The label had long worn off, but the brownish clear liquid reeked of bourbon as she downed a shot.

  “Why are you with these two?” I asked in a low voice.

  She smirked.

  “They’re with me. I let them live and they follow me around and do what I say.”

  She offered me a drink but I declined. I fished out some jerky for Boomer and threw it to him. Leia, jealous of seeing another dog eat, stood up and began to beg. I obliged and gave her a few strands.

  “You let them live,” I repeated. “And Goblin?”

  “The same.”

  She didn’t seem like she wanted to discuss what had happened. If it was what I suspected, I understood. It didn’t explain the odd relationship between her, Ray and Gus, but I decided to let it lie for the moment and turned my attention to our parents.

  “What happened with dad?” I asked cautiously.

  She paused, holding the top of the bottle to her lips. She took a quick pull and rested it on her lap.

  “Dad…” she murmured. “I thought Dad died. I waited at the house for two days. He never returned. Refugees from Eglin Air Force Base began to flood the area. I guess their camp fell. They were led by a group of Army Rangers…well, soldiers that were in training to be Rangers.”

  “You met up with them?” I asked.

  “Yeah. They sent out radio transmissions on FM and AM bands, asking for people to join them in setting up a new refugee center. After two days of being alone, I decided to seek them out. My car was almost out of gas, if you can believe that,” she said, chuckling.

  It was a long-standing joke in our family. My sister must have run out of gas twenty times during high school, riding the E line too many times. Watching her chuckle, just like she did when we were teenagers, gave me a warm feeling. She soon stopped and her stoic expression returned.

  “Mom’s keys were with her and dad had his truck. I decided to load up Kenobi with as much food and ammo as possible. I led him while I rode Anakin to the water tower. That’s where they said we should all meet. Leia came with us, but after we were attacked by some Geeks, she fled.”

  “Let me guess. The new refugee camp didn’t last long,”
I stated.

  She shook her head and gulped another swig of bourbon.

  “No, but not for reasons you may think. See, the Rangers didn’t have a lot of ammunition or weapons, or even food for that matter. What they did have were a couple thousand hungry mouths to feed. Most of the locals that were still alive stayed away. After all, they had their own chickens, gardens, and enough firepower to defend themselves. Why depend on people who had nothing?”

  “The military guys tried to get the help of the locals, but it ended up getting ugly. Most of the military died. All the while, more refugees from Fort Walton and the other coastal cities began to pour in. No one went near Crestview. It was crawling with Geeks and Fiends, so they tried to set up camp in the woods. The locals saw it as a threat and a bloodbath ensued. It lasted for a couple of weeks before things calmed down and people stopped killing each other. There just we not enough people left to fight.”

  “Where were you when all this was happening?” I asked.

  “I stayed at the camp for a little while. When most of the soldiers didn’t come back one day, I decided to leave with a couple people. We went back to my house. I knew there was still some food and a few weapons, plus I didn’t know where else to go.”

  “That’s when you saw dad?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. Three weeks had passed by that time. When we got to the house and I saw his truck, I rushed inside.”

  “Where were the horses?”

  She cringed at the question. “Like I said, we were short on food.”

  “When we walked in the house, Dad wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I ran through the bedrooms looking for him. That’s when I came across mom.”

  “She was still alive?”

  Trinity frowned and took another drink.

  “No. She had turned into a Geek. Dad had bound her hands and feet to a chair. She had fresh blood on her mouth. Before I could do anything, I heard shouting and gunshots in the living room. I ran back to find the people who came with me dead. Dad was there. He killed them all, thinking they were looting the place.”

  “That…” I paused for a moment. “That doesn’t’ seem like dad.”

  She shrugged.

  “I didn’t think he could do that either. Almost a month alone with mom and I think he went over the edge. He thought you and I were dead.”