Defending No Where (The No Where Apocalypse Book 3)

by E A Lake

  I shot once, hoping to hit the man; Jean fired three more times. Pausing against the wood siding, I watched as she reloaded her revolver.

  “I don’t think I hit him,” I said, trying to catch my breath. “You?”

  She shook her head, spinning her cylinder several times. “I hit something. But if it was him he should have dropped.”

  She scowled at the writhing man on the ground at her feet. I could tell she was considering making good on her previous threat.

  I laid a hand on her arm. “Don’t, we need to find Barster before we do anything more rash.”

  Still staring at the body, she shook her head. “Okay. Let’s get this over with.”

  Sticking her head around the corner, she peeked once, then twice, at the last known location of the enemy. When I looked at her face, I could tell Jean hadn’t found what she was searching for.

  “No Barster and no blood,” she whispered, looking past me towards the front of the house. “You sneak around back and I’ll do the same on the front. Maybe we can trap him.”

  Hugging the outside wall, I inched along the back of the house. When I got to the window, I knelt to the ground and crawled past, just in case Barster had sought refuge inside. When I got to the far corner, I jerked my head out and back trying to spot him but saw nothing.

  Tiptoeing to the front of the house, I leaned around the corner. A figure caught my attention and I leaned back. Whoever it was looked close. I checked to make sure my safety was off, which it was. I flexed my trigger finger. I needed to be ready when the shot presented itself.

  Extending my arm around the corner, I peeked at my target again. Shit, it was Jean.

  She shook her head at me in a disgusted fashion. “You planning on shooting me?” she whispered loud enough for me to hear.

  It was my turn to shake my head. “Sorry,” I mouthed. In my defense, I hadn’t shot.

  She pointed at the front door. I slid my head away from the house and noticed it was ajar. I nodded back at her.

  “Nice and easy,” I whispered.

  She looked at me, perturbed. “Duh.”

  One cautious step at a time, we made our way to the opening. Jean bent down as she passed the front window. What seemed like an hour later, we stood plastered to the house, each of us two feet from the door.

  “Give it up, Barster,” I shouted. “It’s over. Come out with your hands held high.”

  Several rapid gunshots sent wood splinters flying through the air as he peppered both sides of the doorframe.

  “I don’t think he wants to play nice,” Jean said, glancing at the door.

  “I’ll come out, but I got a little present with me,” Barster replied, laughing as he spoke. “Back away from the house and stand out in the yard. Straight away from the door.”

  I knew what he meant and I’m sure Jean did as well. He still held the upper hand and he knew it. We had to do as he said.

  Standing side by side with Jean, I noticed movement by the door. The first person out was Lucy, the chain still wrapped tightly around her neck. Around her chest was Barster’s left arm. To her shaking head, he held a gun…my old gun.

  The pair stepped outside into the sunlight. Lucy squinted slightly. All she wore was a dirty button-down shirt and panties. No pants, no shoes, and since her shirt was opened in front, I knew no bra either. Jimmy must have been plenty busy again.

  In the light of day and up close, the girl looked tough, real tough. Her face was bruised and unwashed. Her hair looked like it hadn’t seen a brush in months. Through the opening in the front of her shirt, I could see bruised ribs. And she had a pronounced limp. A large, black bruise spotted her left foot that looked to be fresh.

  Barster hid behind her small frame, tried to at least. While some of his body was exposed, most of his face remained hidden behind Lucy’s head.

  “Toss those guns down,” Barster barked. “Half-way to me. I’ll have little Lucy collect them when you do.”

  I glanced at Jean and sighed. This wasn’t good, not good at all. I began to think this was my last day on Earth.

  Day 1,107 — continued

  Lucy retrieved our weapons. A yank on the chain tugged her back to Barster’s side. He inspected the guns before stuffing them in his belt.

  “I see you’re both packing 45s,” he mused, studying Jean more than me. “That’s a lot of fire power for little old me and Jimmy. You meant to do us in real good.”

  His narrowed eyes met mine. “Jimmy dead?”

  Refusing to show him any fear, I shook my head in a tiny fashion. “Don’t know really. Last time I saw him, he was slithering around in the dirt on his belly. Seemed like his natural environment to me.”

  Barster chuckled and pointed his gun at me. “Jimmy’s a real piece of work, I admit. And if he ain’t dead after I kill you two, I’ll probably have to finish him off myself.”

  The reference to killing brought a rise of emotion from Lucy. “Please, Clyde, don’t hurt them,” she begged, pulling at his bare arm. “Just let them go. They won’t come back.” She looked at us, pleading. “Isn’t that right? If he lets you go, this is all over. You’ll never come back, right?”

  I shrugged, but noticed Jean stiffen. “I’m here to get my sister. I plan on killing you and taking her back to where she belongs. That’s the only way this ends.”

  Barster smirked at her words, breaking into a chuckle that became an evil laugh. “Oh, I wondered when big sis would come to save little Lucy. Jimmy always said you were quite a looker. He also said you had a mean streak in you a mile long.”

  He hooked the chain to a bolt sticking from the siding out of Lucy’s reach. Grabbing the sides of her face, he forced her head up. “Don’t you do anything stupid now. I need to talk to big sis man to man for a bit. You try to unhook yourself and I’ll hurt you worse than Jimmy ever did. Understand?”

  Through rivers of tears, Lucy nodded. She tried to speak, but Clyde shushed her before turning his attention on us.

  “Kneel, both of you,” he requested in a tone that at any other time would have been considered civil. When we didn’t comply, he waggled the gun between us. “On your knees, on the ground.” He grinned, pointing the gun behind. “Or Lucy gets the first shot.”

  Begrudgingly, I knelt and pulled Jean down with me. I noticed she looked more determined than scared. And there were no tears. If she were about to die, she was ready to face her maker without giving Barster any satisfaction of emotion.

  He approached with the gun at his side. “I was led to believe that big sis was without a man. But here you are and you have one. Interesting what a pretty girl like you can convince someone else to do just by parting your thighs.”

  Maybe Jean planned to answer the filthy soul, but I didn’t. We remained quiet.

  He took a stance directly in front of Jean, about three feet away. “It didn’t have to be this way. You could have just stayed put and Lucy would have been fine. I wouldn’t have let Jimmy kill her. I ain’t that rotten.”

  I saw the corners of Jean’s lips curl upward. “Could’ve fooled me,” she replied defiantly.

  He moved directly in front of me. I stared him in the eye.

  “You, I know you from somewhere,” he surmised, scratching his beard as he thought about it. “I’m good at faces. We’ve met before.”

  My turn to smirk. “Can’t say that I recall.”

  He nodded several times, bobbing his head from side to side, inspecting my face.

  “You’re that fool who was living at old lady Hamshire’s place,” he proclaimed proudly. Damn, he did have a good memory. “You ain’t all pissy because we took a little food from you, are you?”

  I thought carefully about my reply. If there was the slightest chance of getting away alive, my next words probably dictated my fate.

  “You have no idea,” I seethed, spitting at his feet.

  In all likelihood, I was a dead man. So be it.

  Day 1,107 — continued

  The menace pace
d for quite a while. I saw his lips move as he spoke, mostly to himself. Occasionally he went back and tormented Lucy for a moment, only to return in front of us.

  “See, I gotta do this,” he said, pointing his gun at Jean’s head and then mine. “Can’t have people chasing after me all the rest of my days. And the way I see it, you,” again the gun was at my head, “are probably out for revenge. I don’t blame you, I guess.”

  Again, the pacing began and I grew impatient. “Are you going to try and bore us to death?” I asked in a snarky tone. “Or are you going to be a man and do something? Because I’m getting sick of kneeling before a worthless piece of shit like you.”

  He grinned before he spoke. “If I could trust you, I could let you go. But I can’t trust you not to come after me again, can I?”

  I didn’t bother to dignify the stupid question with an answer. I just stared at him and he stared back.

  Moving in front of Jean, he stroked the top of her head. She pulled away, disgusted by his touch. Grabbing a handful of hair, Barster jerked her forward again.

  “Maybe I’ll kill Lucy and keep you around for fun,” he sneered, licking his lips perversely. “Jimmy pretty much used her up. I ain’t interested in second-hand sluts. What would you think of that, darling?”

  Jean glared at him. “I’d rather be stripped naked, have my guts cut open and left in the middle of the road for the wolves to feast on while I was still alive. Your touch repulses me. You make me want to puke just by being in your presence. You keep me and I’ll hang myself on the dog chain before you ever get a taste of me.”

  His evil grin made me shiver. “I think I’ll take that taste right now. See if you’re worth keeping around.”

  “No!” Lucy shrieked. “Leave her alone, Clyde. I’ll be good, I promise. Just let her and that man go. You won’t come back, will you Jeanie?”

  A huge lie might’ve come in handy right about then. But for some reason, neither Jean nor I were able to hide our true feelings.

  “I’ll hunt you down like the filthy pig you are, Barster,” Jean growled. He backhanded her and knocked her to the ground.

  “Get your shirt off,” he barked. “Let me see what you got so I can decide who dies today. You and him…” he pointed the gun at my head, “…or him and your sweet little sister.”

  My head swiveled in Jean’s direction. “Don’t do it,” I stated in a plain tone. “Don’t give him the satisfaction.”

  Jean stared into my eyes, trying to say something without words. What was she trying to convey to me? It will be okay? I have a plan? Or maybe, today’s a good day to die.

  “I have to,” she whispered. “I have to do it for Lucy. Don’t let her die, Bob. Please don’t let her die.”

  “Shirt, off!” Barster barked, causing Jean to flinch.

  She turned and faced him. “Okay, I’ll do it. But you gotta let Lucy live. Deal?”

  He drew a deep breath and nodded at her. “That could happen. Let’s see what you got and maybe I’ll let you both live. But the man dies, today.”

  Jean looked back at me, tears filling her reddened eyes. “I’m sorry, Bob. But you know this is about Lucy, not you, right?”

  I tried to give her a comforting smile to show it was okay, but a single word was all I could muster instead.

  “Yeah.” I was going to die. But maybe they’d both survive, somehow.

  “I got a bad shoulder,” Jean said to Barster. “I need Bob to get behind me and help me take my shirt off. All right?”

  Barster’s eyes shifted between us. If he was trying to decide whether to allow it or not, he sure was taking his sweet time. I guess it extended my life expectancy by a minute or two, so I didn’t complain.

  “Okay,” he agreed. Smiling, he placed the barrel of his gun — my gun — against my forehead. “I’m sorry you won’t get to see the show, Bob. But you’re probably a gentleman, I imagine. A little modesty for the woman is probably proper. Get behind her but stay on your knees. No funny business, otherwise I shoot you both.”

  I tried to decide whether being non-compliant was worth it. He’d probably just kill me. That would leave Jean alone to do her best against him. Chances were all of us were dead by sundown. Though I knew I’d never see another sunset again.

  I nodded in compliance and crawled behind Jean.

  Day 1,107 — continued

  Kneeling behind my new friend, or lover, or whatever we were, I tried to recall which was the bad shoulder. That’s what didn’t make sense; I didn’t think she had one. However, as she peeled her right arm from her shirt, she pointed at the left.

  “Don’t raise it up,” she said. “It might make me pass out from the pain. Just slide it down.”

  Completely confused by her words, I began delicately sliding the shirt away from her left side. Her bare torso caused Barster’s grin to grow.

  “Bob,” Jean continued, “there’s something stuck right at the belt line in the middle of my lower back. It’s been digging in for the past hour. Will you pull it out please?”

  Okay, I thought. If she was going to be naked, she may as well be comfortable. I leaned back slightly and let my eyes slide down her slender back.

  And there it was…hope.

  Noticing Barster’s interest piqued, I fiddled on the ground desperately, searching for something to show him. I found a hunk of tree bark and held it up, halting his approach.

  “Oh, that was a nasty piece of crap caught in there,” he said, looking down and smiling at Jean. “Must have got caught in there when you two snakes were slithering around in the brush, trying to figure out a way to kill me.”

  He leaned closer to Jean, reaching for her chest. “How’d that work out for you, sweetie pie?”

  Behind him, Lucy tugged desperately on her chain. “Leave her alone, Clyde. Please, leave her be.”

  He turned, laughing at Lucy. That gave me the chance I needed to retrieve what was really digging into Jean’s back: a small, dull, black handgun.

  Barster was busy shouting at Lucy. I leaned in close to Jean’s right ear.

  “Does it have one in the chamber?” I asked in a breath.

  She nodded slightly. “Just flip the safety off. But be sure he’s clear of Lucy before you take a shot.”

  Barster turned and saw us mid-sentence. He approached too fast for me to make a move.

  “Secrets will get you killed, you two,” he laughed, pointing the gun at Jean. “You probably need to stand up now so I can see the whole package. I hate to make a deal without inspecting the goods.”

  Neither of us moved and he stepped closer.

  “Can she have some water?” I asked, placing my left hand on her bare shoulder. “She said she was about to pass out from the sun and heat. I’m afraid if she tries to stand, she’ll collapse.”

  He considered the request, his face twisting with each thought. He turned and walked directly at Lucy, taking any shot away. Nervously, I fingered the trigger behind Jean’s back.

  He unhooked the chain from the wall and led Lucy to the doorway. “Go inside and grab that pail of water,” he demanded. “And be quick about it. I got other stuff to take care of today besides babysitting your sister.”

  Lucy disappeared inside and Barster stared after her. As silent as possible, I stood and raised the gun at the man. He might have been 20 feet from me, probably no more though.

  “Barster,” I shouted, causing him to spin. When he saw the gun, he raised his own but I got the first shot off.

  Splinters of wood kicked up from the house next to where he stood and he fired at me. Damn it, I’d missed. Just before he managed to get that shot away, I dropped to the ground, covering Jean.

  “Get him,” Jean seethed below me. I rose and saw Barster running towards the right side of the dwelling.

  He was maybe 10 feet from the corner when I drew a bead on him. Lowering the sight to center mass, I released a second shot while he was still five feet from safety. He shrieked and reached for his leg. Bingo!


  I saw him flop on the ground just around the corner and waited for him to return fire. Two quick shots sailed past, missing me by a wide margin. He couldn’t see me, but I could see his legs. He was down and scrambling to get up.

  Rounding the corner, I shot him again in the mid-section, causing him to drop his weapon. His hands searched for the Glock, but I kicked it away. Taking him by the injured leg, I drug him back in front of the sisters he had tormented for long enough.

  This ended now.

  Day 1,107 — continued

  Seeing Jean and Lucy reunited, hugging in tears, I stepped on Barster’s free hand. The other looked mangled, like he had fallen on it. Not that I cared.

  “That first shot was for stealing from us,” I vented. “The second was for Lucy.”

  I pulled the trigger again and a small caliber bullet buried in his waist. “That’s for burning Lettie’s house down.” Another shot to his right shoulder. “That’s for those people you burned to death.”

  I pointed the gun at his groin and jerked the trigger. He let loose a primal moan that probably sent animals for miles around into hiding.

  “That’s for threatening my family.” I knelt on his heaving chest and aimed at his forehead. “And just so we’re clear on this…this one’s for Dizzy.”

  His face went confused; his head shook wildly. “That’s what this is all about? A piece of shit like him? You’re an idiot for revenging another man’s death. Especially that turd, Dizzy. Tell me that’s what this isn’t all about? Tell me you got a lick of common sense in your brain, boy?”

  The last shot ended any further conversation from Clyde Barster. He shook for a few seconds before his eyes rolled back. Then he was no more.

  “That’s exactly what this was all about,” I spat between gritted teeth.