Cascade (Book 4): Conflict

by Phil Maxey

  The judge stood up from her chair. “You will not get…”

  The sound of the handgun was deafening in the chamber, and the force of the blast knocked the middle aged judge back into her chair, which when slid backwards against the wooden paneling, all of which was now covered in deep red blood. At least two women, started screaming.

  “Well I did say ‘most’ would survive our little ordeal, you can’t say I didn’t warn any of you. And anyway as our elderly attorney over here,” Tinley walked towards Arnold and Daisy who was clutching her mentor. “Has very obviously made clear I am an individual who likes to kill as many people as I can. Usually I…well, I started out being very specific with whom I removed, but beggars can’t be choosers as they say. Right, most of you won’t be aware but there’s also been an incident elsewhere in this camp of yours, one which was meant to draw the guards from here, and it worked! It really is great there are no cellular phone networks anymore, really makes planning things like this a whole lot easier. Now, who wants to be my hostage?”

  The inhabitants of the chamber, apart from the two who were working with Tinley, cowered down even lower. He walked to the front of Arnold’s desk, looming over it, and picked up the name tag that was lying on top.

  “Daisy Castillo, hmm you’re a pretty one. You remind me of a girl I killed a long time ago.”

  Arnold leaned in front of her. “You stay away from her!”

  Tinley lurched forward and placed the barrel of the gun up against Arnold’s forehead. “Old man, do you want to die? Don’t you think those around you have been traumatized enough today?”

  Arnold froze in his seat. I have to do something.

  Daisy stood up. “I’ll go with you! Just leave him alone.”

  Tinley let the gun linger on the skin of the elderly prosecutors head, and then pulled it away leaving a red mark. “Another time then old man,” he then turned to the man with the pony tail and the woman who had joined them. “It’s time I had my freedom back.” All four of them, then left by the door the judge and foreman entered from.

  CHAPTER 6

  Dust, ice and rocks danced into the air as Zach’s pickup ploughed along the tree lined road to where the ‘incident’ was happening. They know that she’s changed. Maybe she’s done something? Hurt someone like Cal did? I should have told her.

  As he skidded onto the highway, he half expected the camps sirens to start up, but from what Trow had told him, people had been seen running and screaming from the newly decked out computer centre, with no apparent cause. There had also been reports of gun fire, but as far as Trow could tell none of her people were in the area nor the newly formed justice force, although they were both on their way.

  He clicked on his radio and tried Abbey again, but for the seventh time, there was only static as a reply. He then changed to another frequency, one that only he and the squad he were part of, would know to use and clicked again. “Fiona, Cal, anyone out there?”

  The pickup bumped up and down as Fiona’s voice came from his radio. “I’m here Zach’s what’s up? Over.”

  “There’s something going down at the computer centre in Granite Falls, I could do with some backup. Over.”

  “We’re on our way, should be there in about thirty. Over.”

  The new multi-story buildings that were in a race with similar in the west quadrant of the camp, were only a few miles away and Zach felt under his seat for the shotgun that he kept there. Pulling it out, he also reached behind and pulled forward his armored tactical vest and put both on the passengers seat. None of that was for Abbey, but for anyone who might be endangering her, regardless of her state of mind.

  He banged on the steering wheel. Should of told her.

  As buildings rose up around him, he pulled onto the main street, which was within eyeshot of the former Mexican restaurant that now gave people access to the camps internal database through a collection of old computers.

  He changed back to the main radio frequency, the Generals voice immediately came from the speaker. “Zach, you there, Over.”

  “I’m here General. Over.”

  “It’s not caused by E.L.F’s, seems to have been some men, stormed the place, I’ve sent a squad there to join you, they are twenty minutes behind you. Over.”

  Are the old computers that valuable? It was a question with no sensible answer, as he approached the forecourt in front of the single story building. Skidding to a stop, he looked around, there was no sign of anyone, but Abbey’s own vehicle, a red pickup sat just a few yards from the front entrance.

  Putting the body armor on, he grabbed the shotgun and opened the pickups door, placing one foot on the ground and waiting for a response, but none came. A clear sky above his head allowed the sun direct access to the ground, but it was still a chilly day that Zach stepped out into. Looking in as many directions as he could, and without seeing any sign of life, he walked towards the entrance of the computer centre, trying to see inside, but the smoked windows blocked out most of the daylight, and only gave a hint of what was within. He moved quicker into a jog, and approached the glass door. Even with the smoked glass he could see somebody’s hand pressed up against it, on the opposite side, near the floor.

  Leaning as close as he dared to, to the glass, he looked inside to a scene of carnage. Bodies strewn on the carpeted floor, together with partially smoking computer monitors filled the room on the other side of the door.

  Zach pushed the door gently, and the hand which belonged to a teenager, folded backwards just enough for Zach to smell the metallic smell which by now he knew all too well. He looked down at the young man, and seeing that he was obviously dead, pushed the door harder, causing the body to slide backwards slightly.

  Now he was inside, he ducked down, giving his eyes time to adjust to the artificial light. Six people he could count dead within twenty feet of him. This would have once been a bustling restaurant with families eating spicy food, and Abbey wanted it to have a similar vibe again, but also infused with learning for the young of the camp. She didn’t want them to regress to a time before computing, and thought it was her role to teach them just how useful a computer could be, especially now they had access to an internet of sorts.

  Abbey’s not here. He stood up and listened, no noise accompanied the lack of any movement, but he moved from body to body checking pulses anyway. Two of the six still had a beating heart, regardless of whoever tried to kill them. Looking towards the entrance to the kitchen, he walked slowly forwards, being ready to dive under a desk if he needed. He pushed the swing door to the kitchen gently open. This area they had kept in its original use, and steel pots and pans covered the floor, some with food still in. Zach walked in slowly, there was no one here. Where is she?

  The sound of vehicles pulling up outside made it’s way to where he was, and he squinted to see two Humvee’s and what looked like the General, accompanied with at least five soldiers. Justice officers were also arriving.

  Returning his attention to the kitchen, he walked through, avoiding the wet areas on the tiles, and arrived at a rear door which was propped open by a backpack, one that he recognized.

  “Zach you in here?” the Generals voice was just audible.

  “Back here!” he shouted in return, and then leaned down and picked up Abbey’s belongings. He quickly rifled through the bag, finding everything where it should be, including her radio. The external door at the opposite end of the corridor which ran from the back of the kitchen, looked a million miles away as Zach ran down it, pushing the door open without caring what might be on the other side. Nothing.

  A few vehicles sat motionless in the frost covered parking lot at the back of the centre, but there were no people or anything else to give Zach hope. Behind him, the kitchen door stirred, and he quickly turned the shotgun in that direction. A young soldier put his hands up, and Zach lowered the gun. The general then appeared from the kitchen and walked into the corridor, while talking on her radio.

  “I don�
��t care, close all the external exits and tunnels. Over,” she then turned to face Zach with an expression that told him something he didn’t want to know. “Zach, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  When the General told him Tinley had escaped from the courthouse, he quickly put the pieces together. He knew Tinley had Abbey. He fell to his knee’s holding her backpack and shook with a combination of emotions, until they all washed away leaving only numbness.

  CHAPTER 7

  Zach paced back and forth. “I need to leave! Each moment I’m in here, he can be another mile away and the harder it will be for me to track him!”

  General Trow walked up to him blocking his path. “Captain! Think! That’s probably exactly what he took Abbey for, for you to go after him!”

  Zach looked at Trow, his face full of pleading. “But she can’t be left with him!” he then backed against the wall of the meeting room they were in at the Core, and slowly slid down, tears rolling down his cheeks. “You don’t know what he’s capable of, I can’t lose her.”

  Trow walked up to him, and knelt down. “Zach, while you’re alive, she’s alive. He will use her to lure you to him. If I let you just blindly go beyond the walls who knows what you will be walking into, and then we will lose Abbey and you. This needs to be planned. Planned quickly, but planned nonetheless,” she put her hand on his shoulder. “I will put whatever resources it needs into getting her back Zach, you have my word.”

  Zach took a deep breath. “I need my team, and some others.”

  “You will have them.”

  He got to his feet and sat heavily in one of the chairs, which faced a monitor at the front of the room.

  “I’m going to bring some others in here to help with how we are going to get her back, you ready?”

  Just as she finished her request, Fiona came urgently into the room, walking up to both of them, with a large map in her hand.

  She placed it down on the table in front of them. “It looks like they left by one of the service tunnels in the east wall.”

  “All the exits through the walls, even the service tunnels have security gates, and are monitored, there’s no way he could have done any of this unless…”

  “He had help from people within the camp,” said Zach his eyes fixed on the thin red and blue lines of the map.

  “I’ve already got people interrogating the guards at the courthouse, but nothing so far,” Trows words crept out covered in guilt.

  Fiona looked at her. “There’s over ten million people inside these walls, we can’t expect everyone to be law abiding citizens.”

  “Was anyone hurt there?” said Zach breaking from his own pain.

  “Tinley shot the judge, and they took Daisy Castillo with them.”

  “Fuck, so they have two hostages,” replied Fiona.

  “That we know of.”

  “How did he get the gun?” Zach’s expression was one of increasing confusion.

  “Took it from the court foreman, who was knocked unconscious by another man that was there. He and a woman were working with Tinley.”

  Zach looked off into the distance for a moment. “So they used the computer centre as a distraction to pull people away from the courthouse.”

  “That’s what it looks like.”

  “The people that helped him at the courthouse, do we know who they are?”

  “No, but someone in the chamber managed to secretly get some photos with a phone,”

  “At least those old phones are good for something,” interrupted Fiona.

  “We have extensive records of everyone that arrives at the camp, and these two don’t show up anywhere. They must have sneaked in somehow.”

  “They weren’t part of the convoy that came from Portland? Not military?”

  “No.”

  Zach shook his head. “There’s something off about all of this,” a gray, formless mass of an idea was taking shape in Zach’s mind, but he couldn’t quite grasp it, even though he could feel it. “I need to see the photos from the courthouse.”

  Trow went to respond when the door opened again, and a soldier entered. “General Trow, councillor Sawyer is asking for you in central op’s.”

  Trow sighed. “I need to take care of some things, Sergeant Bass and General Garland will be in here to help plan things soon. I’ll get you those photos.”

  As soon as the General left, Fiona hugged Zach who was still sitting. He winced a little. “Oh, sorry, the shoulder still hurts?”

  “A little.”

  “We’ll get her back Zach, and this time, how about we finish that S.O.B off once and for all?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  Again the door opened, Bass and Garland both came in.

  Garland moved closer to Zach. “We’ll get her back Zach, you have my word.”

  Zach took a quick glance at her as a thank you, then focused on the map. “Let’s get to work.”

  * * * * *

  Nathan Miller played with the frayed part of his worn denim jacket trying to ignore the hunger pains in his stomach. He was used to going without eating for long stretches, but by his counts this was nearing twenty hours without a bite and he needed his grub. Didn’t matter what it was, some roots, some seeds, a three year out of date can of prunes, he wasn’t fussy. Dreams of roast beef drifted through his mind, and he swallowed, closing his eyes to picture the feast more clearly. He never heard his cell door open nor the swish through the air of Zach’s fist slamming into the side of his head, knocking his momentarily unconscious.

  Zach lifted him up, and against the damp wall of hewn rock. “Wake up Nathan, time for me and you to talk some more.”

  Nathan eyes fluttered open. “Wha…why did you hit me?”

  Still holding him with one hand, Zach pulled his Glock handgun from it’s holster and held it near his head. “Nathan! Do you see I’m holding a gun?”

  “Yes, yes! Don’t shoot!”

  “Don’t worry Nathan I’m not going to shoot you in your head,” Nathan calmed slightly. Zach then moved the gun lower and placed it against Nathan’s thigh. “I’m going to shoot you in your leg, Nathan.”

  The middle aged man tried to struggle free, but Zach’s grip was vice like.

  Nathan looked beyond Zach to the still open cell door. “Help!, he’s going to kill me!”

  “You might die from this wound Nathan, you might not. Shall we find out?”

  “No, no…Okay! I’ll tell you what I know!”

  Zach pulled him off the wall like a rag doll and slung him onto the bench. “Start talking.”

  Nathan breathed quickly and heavily. “I don’t know much okay?” Zach started to raise the gun towards his leg again. “But! There was talk that something was going down in this camp, something big.”

  Zach lurched towards him. “What talk? Who told you this?”

  “Some Hell Fire members that I came across some days ago.”

  Zach stood stunned as the unclaimed thoughts of the previous day fell into a coherent idea. Tinley and the Hell Fire gang working together?

  “Tha…That’s all I know!”

  Zach stepped back and fell silent, lost in his thoughts. They must of had people in the camp already, maybe some are still here?

  Nathan stood up slowly, keeping his back close to the wall, and half slid, half walked against it in the doors direction. “I helped, so I’m going to leave now, okay? Yeah I helped you good.”

  “You’re not leaving yet Nathan.”

  Nathan sighed and sat back down on the bench. “Can I get some food then?”

  Zach ignored the request and left slamming the door behind him.

  CHAPTER 8

  The sound of an eighties rock band seeped into Abbey’s mind. In front of her a man with long black hair in tight black leather pants, danced while on a dark stage, around him strange creatures played instruments. Abbey smiled and laughed at the strange scene in front of her. She was sitting alone in a huge stadium, when she looked up she could see three
eclipses in the sky. Dark circular shapes that looked like they had been cut from the night above her. The singing man continued to cry out, screaming more than singing. “Wake up bitch, wake up bitch!”

  Sound and sensation flooded Abbey’s ears and nose, but not her eyes as she could only see a blue hessian cloth in front of them.

  “Finally, she’s awake, I really thought Clovis had hit her just a bit too hard,” the mans southern accent was close but her head was spinning and she couldn’t tell if she was even upright, let alone the direction he was from her.

  Abbey opened her mouth, with the intention of requesting some water, but instead, only rasping sounds emitted from her throat. She tried swallowing but it made no difference.

  “I think she’s trying to say something,” the mans voice was louder as he finished talking, and she was sure he was only a few feet away. “Hey, did Shane give her any water?” the man paused as if someone was talking to him, but Abbey couldn’t hear any other person. “Well, she ain’t gonna live for long, without any water is she?”

  Abbey heard some shuffling and then shortly afterwards, the feeling of something plastic pressed against her dry lips. The cool liquid started to pour out and she gratefully gulped it down.

  “Whe…” she cleared her throat, and tried again. “Where am I? Why did you take me?”

  “Shhh…don’t talk, it will only go worse for you if you do, here have some more,” the stuttered voice of a young man, was followed with more water from the bottle.

  “But…”

  Again the young man shooed her. “They will be back soon. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

  “You’re already in trouble!“

  Abbey’s words came out more angrily than she meant, and footsteps moved away from her, followed by a cool blast of air hitting her face.