Inquisition

by Marcy G. Dyer

  Ethan pushed on the door, but it didn't budge. Josh took a deep breath.

  "Suggestions? I don't have the tools we used in the fire department for forcible entry."

  Josh pressed on the door. "Dead-bolted. I have a tire iron in the truck. We can use that to break the glass."

  "I'll get it." Ethan walked to the truck and returned with the tire iron in one hand, and his weapon in the other. "Cover me."

  Ethan holstered his weapon and swung several times. The glass shattered on the ground. He then used the iron to clear the door. "Comes in handy."

  "I've had to use it more than once. Never on a tire."

  Ethan laid the tire iron next to the door and unholstered his 45. "Man, I'm not even going to ask." He stepped through the door. "There're windows all around, so we have plenty of light."

  "Great." Josh followed him. The shop was small enough and had low shelves. They could see all the way to the back. "Let's check the backroom."

  Ethan led the way to the storage room at the back. He pushed through the door. Boxes sat on the floor and on shelving units along the back wall. "We're clear."

  "I didn't figure we'd run into trouble here. It's when we're hunting for food that makes me nervous. Randi's brother-in-law was shot when they were scavenging."

  "Yeah. She's carrying that guilt around with her."

  Josh stretched the kinks out of his neck. "I've tried to talk to her about it, but for some reason, she's decided she must take on the guilt for anything that happens in her life. Whether it's her fault or not."

  "I hear ya." Ethan grabbed a basket and loaded it with enough Bibles for everyone in the Hill Country then he moved on to the Bible study section. "I'm going to grab this stuff, too. I know not everyone will participate in a study, but we need something. Our group is floundering."

  Josh frowned. He'd never pegged Ethan the type to lead Bible studies. "How well do you know the Bible?"

  Ethan looked up from the study he was reading and grinned. "Maybe I should explain. I was a firefighter and paramedic in Midland, but I also co-pastored a small church. My buddy was the pastor, but it was too small for him to have a true assistant pastor, so I helped him out. Preached quite often, and I led a Bible study group for men."

  Josh stared at him for several seconds. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

  "Xever does a great job with the group. No way would I take that away from him."

  Humility on top of being nice. Josh sighed. Why couldn't Ethan be a total jerk? He'd rather despise him than admire the man.

  They finished at the store, and Josh drove around. "Most of the stores around here were cleaned out long ago. The best luck we've had is going into houses, but we did run into some trouble. Randi had to take a guy down who wanted our truck and all of the supplies."

  "Can you think of any alternatives?"

  "No." Josh sighed again. "Finding Cooper's parents' B&B was the best thing that happened so far. It was full of stuff."

  "Lot's of B&Bs around Fredericksburg."

  "I didn't think of that." Josh turned onto the highway leading to Fredericksburg. "Do you know where any of them are?"

  "Yeah, my wife's idea of a romantic getaway was staying at a B&B." Ethan's voice came across strained as if it took every ounce of energy in his body to talk about his wife. He grew silent for a moment. "The boys, Jadyn and Justus could talk her into camping, though. We bought a small trailer and a tent for the kids. Every summer we spent time at Garner State Park. My boys were like fish. They loved the water. Last year, they got to tube the rapids for the first time." He stared out the window.

  "I'm sorry, man."

  "We've all lost people."

  "Why didn't you mention your family before?"

  Ethan didn't answer for a long while. "My heart's still raw." He slumped in his seat. "My sons were twins. They looked like my beautiful Latrice." He closed his eyes. Perhaps picturing his family in his mind? "Sometimes I still can't believe they're gone."

  Josh stared out the window. He didn't want to even imagine the pain of losing a wife and children.

  He shook himself. "No time for melancholy. We've got work to do."

  "Anytime you need to talk, I'm here." Josh clenched his jaw at his next thought, but this wasn't about him. "Randi's also a good listener. I know you're always there for her. Let her be there for you, too."

  Josh pulled into Fredericksburg. "There's probably no chance the Wal-Mart or HEB have anything left, is there?"

  "We can check either one." Ethan pointed to the HEB. "We'll have to stick together, though. As big as the store is, we don't want to separate and risk getting overrun."

  Josh pulled into the parking lot and stopped near the front doors. "If we do this, are we fools?"

  "Probably." Ethan laughed. "Wouldn't be the first time I did something foolish, though."

  "Me either. Probably won't be the last."

  Josh shifted into park, but they both sat rooted to the seats in the truck. Neither man said anything for a long time, and Ethan broke the tension with laughter. "We cannot do this." He gestured toward the building. "It's too big for two of us clear."

  "What were we thinking?" Josh put the car in gear. "All of the supermarkets were raided long ago. Anything left will want to kill us or eat us."

  Ethan directed him to an inn located near the school. Since it wasn't on the main street, maybe they'd have something left. Josh parked, grabbed his flashlight and AR, and opened his door. "Let's do this."

  They walked to the door in short, quick steps. Josh plastered himself against the wall with Ethan behind him. He gave the doorknob a tug, the door sprang open and the stench of rotting flesh poured out. He took a deep breath, flicked on the flashlight, and stepped through the doorway. Ethan's noisy breathing let him know the man followed close behind. "Hang tight. Let's clear this place together. I don't want to risk getting separated."

  "Works for me."

  They walked into a quaint living room filled with antiques, and dead bodies. How many rooms did this place have?

  "Whoa. That stench is overpowering."

  "First time in a room with long-dead people?"

  "Nope, but I won't ever get used to it." Ethan's voice came out muffled, so Josh turned to look at him. He had his tee shirt pulled up over his nose and mouth.

  "First time I smelled decomp, I lost my lunch." The living room opened via a large doorway into a dining room. Josh pointed toward it. "Let's clear the large rooms before we hit any with closed doors."

  "Okay."

  They walked through the living room toward the dining room, and Josh's heart rate tipped up a notch. Clear. He led the way to through the dining room to the kitchen. His heart rate ticked up another notch. He stepped into the dining room and his pulse roared in his ears. His heart might pound out of his chest. Clear. Sweat snaked down his back, and every creak of the old house sent his nerves skittering. More dead bodies. He swallowed. They came back to the kitchen after they cleared the rest of the house. Large french doors sat to the left of the kitchen. Josh sucked in a breath and opened the doors. Hands clawed for him, and the groaning of several infected roared through the room. He slammed the doors, but several hands protruded.

  "How many are in there?" Ethan shoved at the hands.

  Crap! The door wouldn't latch until it was completely shut. "I don't know." Josh swallowed over the lump in his throat. Why didn't he just grab what was in the kitchen and get out? Had he just sentenced them to death?

  Ethan worked the last hand through the door, and they slammed it shut. Josh turned the latch. Ethan let out a little nervous laugh. "Thought we were dead."

  "Me, too. On second thought, let's not clear this place. Grab what's in the cabinets and let's book while we still have all of our body parts."

  Josh opened the pantry a crack and shone his light inside. No one in there, so he opened it and pulled out bags of chips, canned soup, beans, rice, and more while Ethan went through cabinets. His spine stiffened as the door c
racked. "Let's go with what we have. Those things are going to break through any second."

  Ethan grabbed a box. "Dump what you have in here, and I'll do the same."

  They loaded the box and started toward the car. The french doors burst open and several infected flowed out shuffling toward them

  Josh's pounding heart flooded his ears drowning out any other noise. The front was still several feet away. "Can you run?"

  "Yes." Ethan increased his speed to match Josh's, and they ran with the box between them. They reached the door as the infected gained on them. "Get the box to the truck. I'm right behind you." Josh turned and fired at the infecteds as they came toward him. The sound of the diesel engine reached his ears, he fired several more shots, ran through the door, slammed it shut, and hooked it to the truck. He slid into the passenger seat, and Ethan slammed the gearshift into drive and hit the gas.

  They were both silent for several miles. "Did you get bitten? Scratched?" Ethan asked.

  "No. At least not that I felt. You?"

  "Same. When we get back, we need to check. You're right. After Candy, we can't take the chance on bringing this demonic plague into our home."

  Chapter 16

  Randi crept through the trees without making a sound. The man had a camera with a gargantuan lens focused on the camp. Taking a deep breath, she slipped her Kimber out of the holster and pressed it against the base of the man's skull. Sweat snaked down her back. How many more were there?

  "What are you doing?"

  He jammed his hands up over his head. "Look, I need sanctuary, but I didn't want to ask until I watched for a while. What if you turned out to be a bunch of wackos?"

  "Why are you taking photos? Where'd you get the electricity to charge the batteries for your camera?" She shoved him with the muzzle of her pistol. "Don't lie to me. I'll kill you where you're standing."

  "I'm not lying. Honest." His voice cracked. "I've got a car charger for the camera. Since I don't have binoculars strong enough to see what you're doing in there, I used the camera. My name is Daniel Cage, and I'm tired of trying to survive on my own."

  Mark pulled up in one of the trucks. "Everything okay?"

  "No." Randi shoved the guy again. "This lying sack is trying to tell me he's been watching us and taking photos because he needs 'sanctuary'. I'm not buying it." The guy had reasonably clean clothes, food, and water. No way had he been out on his own for any time at all.

  "Please--"

  "Shut it." Mark grabbed the guy's hands and zipped tied them behind him. "Let's go."

  "Where'd you get the cuffs?" Randi asked.

  "The truck. They're cable ties." He pointed at the cuffed man's hands. "Thought it would work better than trying to use rope."

  She should've known Leon would have zip ties. Her heart clenched Poor Leon. They shoved him into the truck and asked him where his vehicle was since he claimed to have a car charger for the camera.

  His hands shook as he handed Randi the keys to the car. She watched him for a few seconds. Even if he had a charger in the car, no way was he telling the truth about wanting sanctuary. "I'll drive it back, search it, and we can decide what to do with this guy."

  Mark took Daniel back to the camp, and Randi climbed in the man's spotless white Tundra.

  She pulled into the compound beside Leon's truck. Mark led Daniel toward one of the corner towers. A few minutes later, he returned. "I locked him in there while we search his pickup."

  The sound of a diesel engine caught her attention. Josh and Ethan pulled into the compound and parked. They climbed out of the truck, and Josh furrowed his brow. "Who's the truck belong to?"

  "Found a guy watching us. Mark locked him in the corner tower while we search his pickup."

  Ethan and Josh nodded in unison. "Where's Xever?" Josh asked.

  "He was in the house when Mark and I started on rounds."

  "We'll come help you after we get checked for scratches and bites."

  "Was it bad?"

  Josh grinned and chucked her under the chin. "We've had it worse."

  "That's not saying much." She climbed in the Tundra and opened the center console. Hmmm. The power inverter with the camera charger and an extra battery were plugged into the outlet. So far Daniel's story checked out. Something still etched at her insides. The console was empty except for the charger. "If he was watching us to decide whether or not to seek sanctuary, why did he need extra camera batteries? Watching us for thirty minutes or so should be enough. Besides, you can look through the lens without a battery in it, can't you?"

  Mark lifted a shoulder. "No clue. I never used a real camera, just my phone."

  "Jose, my foreman, took care of the photos for the customers. He had a fancy setup, but I never used it." She popped the battery out of the camera and held the viewfinder to her eye. "Yep. Just as I thought. He didn't need the battery to watch us. It'll manual focus and everything."

  Reginald walked up to the truck. "Where'd this come from?"

  "A man watching us from the woods." Randi reinserted the battery and flipped through the pictures the man had taken. "Lying sack. He had a ton of pictures. He's been watching us for a while."

  "Where is he?" Reginald's voice cracked, and his face had turned ashen. "I need to see him. Now."

  "You okay?" Mark asked.

  "No. That looks Vixen's truck. If this jerk is from their community, we're in big trouble."

  "He's locked in the western corner tower for now." Randi walked with Reginald. "Need some help questioning him?"

  "Only if you have no compunction breaking his legs if he doesn't tell us what we need to know."

  Randi raised her eyebrows. "You don't know me very well, or that wouldn't be a question."

  They unlocked the tower door, and Daniel rolled his chair to a back corner. "Look, I told you I just want sanctuary. Why are you treating me like this?"

  "Like what?" Randi crossed her arms. "You aren't restrained, and you have water handy. Don't be such a wimp."

  His eyes locked on Reginald, but Randi didn't see any signs of recognition. "What's happening? Is he here to beat me up?"

  Reginald pointed to Randi. "No, that's her job if I don't get some answers. Now."

  Daniel bobbed his head.

  "Where'd you get the truck?"

  "I stole it from a dealership in Kerrville."

  "How'd you get the keys?" Randi spun a chair around backwards and sat with her arms crossed over the back. "Dealerships don't just leave the keys in the cars."

  "No. I broke in, stole the keys, and took the truck." He flattened his hand against his chest. "I'm not lying."

  Reginald raised an eyebrow. "What about Vixen?"

  His face tensed. He relaxed his muscles and widened his eyes. "Who?"

  This dude was good. Either a natural born liar, or he'd worked undercover. "What'd you do before the fall?"

  He blinked several times and furrowed his brows. He wasn't faking confusion this time. "Huh? What's that got to do with anything?"

  "Humor me."

  He took a breath. "I was a cop."

  "More specific."

  Reginald shot her a questioning look.

  "Narco."

  "Undercover?"

  Hesitation again. "Yeah. Ten years."

  "Now you understand why I don't believe you? What's Vixen's plan?" Randi asked.

  "Look, I don't know any Vixen." He made good eye contact and didn't flinch. "I wanted help, but I guess y'all are a bunch of freaks who don't trust anyone."

  "You're right. We don't trust anyone. With good reason." Reginald stepped closer to him. "Vixen imprisoned my family. She beat my daughter and blamed it on a bully at the playground. If she's coming here to attack, we need to know. The woman is ruthless and will kill all of us, including you, without a second glance."

  "Do you have children?" Randi asked.

  "Two. My daughter's six and my son is ten."

  "That's a shame. If this Vixen character beat Belle and lied, what's
going to happen to your kiddos when she finds out we've captured you?" Randi stood. "Let's go Reg. I'll come back in an hour and take you to use the facilities. Think about those precious children while I'm gone. So sad. If you'd brought your family here, and been upfront from the start, we would've protected all of you."

  They stepped outside and Reginald said, "That's it? We need to beat the answers out of him."

  "His kids are in trouble. That'll provide more incentive to talk than anything I could do to him." She put her arm on Reginald's shoulder. "Think about it. If you knew this vile woman beat someone else's daughter, wouldn't you start worrying?"

  "I'd be terrified. She'll kill his family without a second thought."

  Bryan watched the group bring Daniel into their camp. How did they find him? Were they good enough that they picked up on a slight glint from the camera lens? If so, Vixen needed to forget about this group. He'd seen the sun glinting off the glass several times, but it wasn't obvious.

  They put Bryan into one of the towers. Probably locked him in to question him. What vehicle did he drive? Something distinctive? If so, they'd already tied the man back to Atlas. Vixen was going to get everyone in her group killed.

  He'd watched them bring strangers into their group, including the family he sent to them. No way was this group evil. Since he'd been watching, a family and a single woman had joined them. None of them except Daniel had any restraints placed on them.

  One of the little girls ran up to the woman with short hair. She leaned over, spoke to her, then swung the child up onto her shoulders and carried her around. Daughter or niece perhaps? Too bad he didn't have ears in the camp. He'd like to know more about their daily happenings, and their interpersonal relationships. On this side of the river, he didn't stand a chance of hearing their conversations. Any closer, they might make him. If they picked Daniel out based on the glare off his camera, no way to risk moving closer.

  The shorthaired girl and the dark-skinned man crossed the bridge and stood near the fence closest to him. He could only make out a few words. At first, he thought they might be getting away from the group for an intimate moment, but they just talked. A few minutes later, the blond man joined them.