Meanwhile, Tim was getting worse by the minute. He was unconscious and running a blistering fever. Mark tried desperately to wake him up, but he wouldn’t stir.
“Come on buddy. Don’t die on me you prissy fuck,” Mark said as he shook him.
Tim didn’t respond. Aside from his weak breathing he looked like he was already dead. Mark poured the last bit of water from his canteen onto a rolled up t-shirt and laid it over Tim’s head.
“I’ll be back…hang in there,” he said then ran off to find Maddox.
~~~**~~~
“We…we’ve been running for as long as I remember now,” Robert said. “Wendy has saved my life more times than I can count. She was a good lady.”
Lenny looked at him and rubbed his chin. They were all sitting around a fire having as close to a civil conversation as possible.
Scott hadn’t joined them. He was huddled in a corner staring into the darkness. Crimley wasn’t there either. He hadn’t spoken to anyone since he’d found out that Wendy died.
“So what brings your band of merry men this way?” Rebecca asked aggressively.
“Benjamin here spotted the cave. Thought it’d be a good place to rest. We had no clue it was already occupied,” Robert explained.
“You always send your ten year old to scout out places on your apocalyptic picnics?” Rebecca continued pressed on.
“I’m nine,” Drew corrected her.
“Be quiet Drew,” Robert snapped at him. “It seemed pretty safe. We didn’t expect anyone to be up here. He’d been begging to explore for a while. I figured it was a good time.”
“It was a good time to get your son killed. What the hell is he doing with a gun anyway?” Rebecca asked angrily.
“What the hell is your problem?” Benjamin finally spoke up.
Rebecca turned and stood up. “Who the f…”
“So where were you guys headed?” Lenny cut in and pulled Rebecca back down to her seat.
Benjamin scowled at Rebecca and she shot daggers back at him. He fumed a moment longer then looked back to Lenny.
“We…we were headed North,” Benjamin said dismissively. “Heard on the radio it’d be safer there.”
“Ha!” Lenny laughed. “We heard the same shit about the civic center in Nashville. What a fucking mess that was.”
“Nashville, what happened to Nashville?” Robert asked.
“That’s where I found these guys, well me and Rebecca did. We were there for a while, couple of months. But it wasn’t what the broadcast said. No military, no real help. Just a bunch of people doing the best they could.”
“So…so what happened?” Robert pressed on.
“Same thing that always happens, things went bad. First we’d lose a few here and there, going out for supplies and what not. And then the shit really hit the fan. I know everyone’s screaming aliens and everything, but I don’t have a clue what’s out there. I just know it’s bad.”
“Hmph!” Robert laughed. “You can say that again.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rebecca asked and shot him an angry look.
“Well…”
“Sir,” Benjamin interrupted him. “Perhaps we shouldn’t.”
“Don’t be silly Benjamin. Well, I’m the…” Robert started.
There was a sudden rustling noise behind him and Robert stopped talking. Everyone turned in unison toward the noise.
Scott suddenly blew past them as he ran across the cave shouting. He had the same knife in his hands that Lenny had used to cut the zip ties and his eyes blazed red with murder.
On the other side of the cave Crimley had finally emerged from the tunnel. His eyes met Scott and he froze and dropped his rifle.
“I’ll kill you!” Scott screamed at the top of his lungs.
He charged him before anyone could react. In the blink of an eye Scott was on top of Crimley and they both fell to the ground.
Swinging erratically, he slashed at Crimley like a mad man. Crimley cried out in pain and tried to block the knife strikes with his arms. Scott drove the knife into Crimley’s shoulder then slashed at his face, leaving a gash across his cheek.
Lenny jumped to his feet and reached for his rifle, but Benjamin was faster and grabbed the gun before Lenny could get to it.
“What the hell are you doing?” Lenny shouted at him.
Benjamin didn’t respond. He charged towards Scott as he plunged the knife into Crimley again.
“I hate you! I hate you!” Scott screamed like a maniac.
Robert yelled to him, pleading for him to stop, but Scott was too far gone. He cut and stabbed at Crimley over and over.
Crimley cried in pain, kicking his legs and thrusting his body off of the ground. No matter what he did he was unable to stop him.
“Scott!” Benjamin screamed. “Scott stop!”
Scott didn’t register anything behind himself and Crimley. They were they only two in the world, the only ones that mattered. Benjamin was left with no choice.
A crackling gunshot echoed through the cave and Scott fell forward. Lenny rushed to his side and pulled his lifeless body off of Crimley. A single bullet had torn through his skull and exited the other side.
“Crim, you okay?” Lenny asked.
He was covered in blood. His arms were riddled with gashes and stab wounds. His eyes were wide open, but cloudy. He looked like he’d gone into shock.
“Gloria!” Lenny screamed. “Gloria I need your help.”
“Drop that fucking thing,” Benjamin said in a grim tone.
Lenny felt something press against the back of his head and he froze. Benjamin stood behind him, pointing his own rifle at him with a face full of malice. In front of him was Rebecca. She had her gun aimed at Benjamin with a look of disgust on her face.
Benjamin jabbed the barrel into Lenny’s head harder and gave Rebecca a sharp look. “I said, drop that fucking gun!”
~~~**~~~
Maddox was now on the second to last unit and hadn’t found a running vehicle yet. Sighing, he cracked the lock off of the door and wheeled it open. Another military truck was inside.
This one was sand colored and much larger than the first one. It had ten wheels and a cargo area in the back covered by a tarp.
Maddox quickly climbed onto the wheel well and looked inside of the engine compartment. Everything seemed to be in order. Grinning, he climbed down and opened the door to the truck.
“Hey!” a voice called out of nowhere.
Maddox spun around in a panic. He looked from side to side, but didn’t see anyone. The warehouse was empty. Everything was silent except for the chain that swung back and forth against the door.
Maddox grabbed his rifle and tip-toed back outside. There was nothing in either direction. He looked around the storage unit one more time then decided he was hearing things.
Spooked, he quickly jumped into the truck and pulled the steering column apart. He unsheathed the wires and twisted them together expecting nothing to occur.
The heavy truck made a churning noise then stopped. Maddox grew excited. He touched the wires again and there was a pop then the grumble of a running engine.
“Yes!” Maddox exclaimed.
He patted the gas pedal a few times and the engine growled louder. He looked over the dash checking all of the gauges and lights. The truck had three quarters of a tank and Maddox had managed to find forty more gallons of gas throughout the warehouse.
Smiling, he slung the truck into gear and it started to roll forward. Rattling and squeaking the massive vehicle slowly drove out of the storage unit.
Maddox laughed to himself and relaxed a bit for the first time since they’d left the cave. He finally felt like their luck might be changing.
“Stop!” Mark screamed. He came out of nowhere and leapt in front of the truck.
Maddox frantically slammed on the brakes. With a loud, high-pitched squeal the truck stopped and he swung the door open.
“Where the hell did you come from?”
Gasping for air, Mark ran to the driver’s side and leaned against the step.
“It’s Tim,” he huffed. “I think…I think he’s dead.”
“Get in!” Maddox snapped.
Mark jumped into the passenger side and Maddox floored the gas pedal. The diesel engine groaned and then jerked forward. The truck tore out of the storage unit and swerved towards the back of the warehouse.
“I don’t know what happened,” Mark said in an almost hysterical tone.
The heavy truck rumbled across the grass towards the spot they’d left Tim. Dark smoke puffed into the air with every grinding gear change. As the cement slab came into view Maddox jabbed on the brakes and the truck slid to a stop. They both jumped out and ran towards the front, but Tim was nowhere in sight.
“What the fuck!” Mark screamed. “I swear he was right here. I left him right here.”
Mark paced back and forth slapping himself in the head. Maddox took a deep breath and started looking for tracks.
“Okay, you’re sure you…” Maddox started.
“He was fucking right here!” Mark pointed emphatically.
“Alright, let’s check the storage units then.”
With the truck running, Mark and Maddox ran towards the first storage unit. Before they even made it inside they could see Tim’s boot hanging out of the door.
“Damn it!” Mark yelled as he sprinted inside. “Come on buddy, don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead.”
Tim was lying on his back. His eyes were wide open and sweat was pouring down his face. His body shook rapidly, his teeth chattered like he was freezing.
“He’s fucking burning up,” Mark yelled back to Maddox.
“We’ve gotta get him back now. I think he’s going into septic shock,” Maddox said as he grabbed Tim’s arms.
“What shock? What the hell is that?”
“Just help me get him to the truck,” Maddox responded.
Mark stood up and grabbed Tim’s legs. He started to lift him off of the ground when Tim suddenly shot forward and snatched his hands away from Maddox. He grabbed Mark by the collar and stared him in the eyes.
“When are we?” he said in a monotone voice that sounded nothing like his own.
“What?” Mark said.
“When are we? When are we?” Tim asked again more forcefully then started to shake violently.
He fell back and Maddox caught his head. He lowered him to the ground then grabbed him by the arms again.
“Let’s go!” he shouted.
“Did you just see that, what the hell is wrong with him?”
“I told you he’s going into shock. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. If we don’t get some antibiotics in him soon he’s gonna die.”
Together they carried Tim to the truck and lifted him into the cargo bed. Mark grabbed their bags and tossed them in as well. Then he climbed into the back with Tim.
Maddox closed the doors and started to pull off. The massive tires chewed up the pavement as they picked up speed. They were almost to the main road when Maddox remembered the gas he’d found.
He slung the truck around and sped back towards the warehouse. As he stopped he yelled to Mark to help him and together they loaded the gas canisters into the back. Then without wasting any more time they sped off down the road.
~~~**~~~
“I’m gonna tell you one more time to drop that gun or else…”
“Or else what?” Rebecca spat. “You obviously don’t know me very well.”
Benjamin laughed at her and pushed Lenny in the head with the barrel again. He stared from her to the others and then clenched his jaw.
Robert was kneeling next to Scott’s lifeless body. Drew and Javier had been playing in another part of the cave, but at the sound of the gunshot had come running to the opening.
“You made this happen,” Benjamin said and rested his finger on the trigger.
Rebecca didn’t flinch; she was staring at him as if he was threatening to kill someone she’d never met before. “I’m gonna shoot you in your face. Then I’m gonna kill your boss and that little fucking brat over there,” Rebecca shot back in a dark tone. “If you think I give a damn about any of you, then you’ve seriously misjudged this situation.”
“Benjamin!” Robert finally shouted.
“But sir, we have to, we have to finish the mission.”
“Look at us Benjamin. This isn’t what we do.”
“I’d listen to him Benny,” Rebecca grinned. “I can’t keep this finger from flinching much longer.”
“Lenny, please. We need your help,” Robert said and turned to him. “There’s no way we make it without you now. We could hardly function as it was. Together, it’s the only way. It’s the only way forward.
“Sir!” Benjamin stammered. “They’re common criminals, we can’t trust them.”
“We don’t have a choice. Benjamin put the gun down,” Robert said. “Lenny please just hear me out.”
Lenny looked at Robert and then to Benjamin and Rebecca. There was something about Robert that made Lenny want to believe him. He wanted to trust him, but trust wasn’t a quality he was very comfortable with. Foregoing his better judgment, he decided to give him a chance.
“Becca, put the gun down,” Lenny said in a low voice.
“Do what?” Rebecca shot back. “No Lenny. No fucking way!”
“Put it down now!” Lenny shouted.
Rebecca scowled at him then rolled her eyes. Clicking her teeth she dropped the pistol onto the ground.
“Benjamin,” Robert said.
Lenny slowly turned to face him. Benjamin was still holding the gun towards his head staring at him with a sense of loathing. Robert called his name again and Benjamin looked up.
Lenny seized the opportunity. Whipping around he grabbed the barrel with his right hand and shoved his left palm into Benjamin’s nose. Blood immediately sprayed into the air as Benjamin went sailing backwards and landed on his ass in the dirt.
Lenny stepped over him and aimed the rifle. “If you ever put a gun to my head you better pull the fucking trigger.”
Benjamin sighed and wiped his hand across his face. Blood was flowing freely into his mouth and he squeezed his nose and winced.
“I think you broke it,” he said angrily.
“You’ll fucking live,” Lenny spat back. “Now Robert, you had something you wanted to tell me.”
Robert cleared his throat. He looked at Benjamin and raised his eyebrows. Benjamin grunted and shook his head from side to side.
“I’m sorry.” Lenny said. “I didn’t mean to imply that you had a choice in the matter.”
Robert looked down at Scott’s lifeless body and took a deep breath. He rubbed his face with his hands and stared down at the ground. “We’ve, we’ve lost too many. This is senseless. To die for our purpose, yes…but we’re killing each other. And we need everyone we can if we plan to survive extinction.”
“Lenny! Lenny!” a voice blared from outside.
CHAPTER 10
A DAY TO REMEMBER
Rebecca turned around and looked out of the cave. The voice yelled again and she grabbed her pistol from the ground and made her way outside.
“Rebecca!” Lenny called after her.
Ignoring him, she moved cautiously across the rocky floor. She walked to the edge of the plateau and stared down into the brush. Under the early morning light she could see Mark and Maddox stumbling up the hill carrying what looked like a body.
“Tim?” Rebecca gasped.
His body seemed ragged and broken. His clothes were torn and he was missing a shoe. He flopped and turned freely as they dragged him up the steep, rocky incline.
“We could use some fucking help,” Mark yelled.
“Get Lenny and tell Gloria Tim’s gone into septic shock,” Maddox screamed.
“Got it.” Rebecca said and darted back into the cave.
A few moments later she emerged with Lenny and Gloria on her heels. Ma
ddox was already clambering onto the plateau by the time they arrived. He pulled Tim’s limp body by the arms, struggling with every step.
“Tim!” Lenny shouted.
He ran to the edge of the plateau and helped Maddox pull Tim the rest of the way up. They laid him across the ground and Gloria immediately started tending to his wound.
Rebecca stood behind her, gazing at Tim. She stared into his eyes and suddenly a wave of panic and fear rushed over her. She put her hand over her mouth and gasped, but no one noticed.
“What happened to him?” Gloria asked.
“He got shot, in the arm. I think he’s got blood poisoning,” Maddox responded.
“Rebecca I need to run an IV. My kit is with the rest of the supplies. Rebecca!” Gloria yelled.
Rebecca snapped out of her daze and nodded. She headed into the cave passing Robert and Benjamin. Robert reached out and grabbed her arm.
“What’s going on out there?” he asked.
She stared at him for a moment in silence. She sighed and she shook her head in annoyance. “One of our guys has been shot,” she said angrily and snatched her arm away. She glared at Benjamin and then walked off.
“How long has he been like this?” Gloria asked.
“Hours,” Mark said grimly.
Gloria took a deep breath and clenched her jaw. She placed her hand on his cheek and then quickly pulled it away. “He’s freezing.”
“He was burning up just a few minutes ago,” Maddox replied.
“Gloria, what about Crimley? Is he ok?” Lenny asked.
“What happened to Crimley?” Mark asked with a confused face.
“Long story,” Lenny responded.
“He’s fine. It was only superficial,” Gloria replied. “He’ll snap out of whatever he’s going through. This is much more serious.”
She pulled at Tim’s shirt so she could see his wound. The area around the bullet hole was swollen and discolored. Blood was dried to his skin and she could see the remnants of Quick Clot stuck in the wound.
“You guys did good,” she mumbled.
Tim grunted and rolled over onto his side. He slapped at Gloria’s hands and growled. Gloria squeaked and slid backwards.
Escape: The Wasteland Chronicles Book Two Page 10
