“It was with the rest of the bags in the other room, just as safe as anything else,” Lenny shot back.
“So…so you think someone stole the water?” Rebecca asked incredulously. “Stole the water and left the God damn guns?”
“Well it obviously didn’t walk away,” Benjamin said loudly before Lenny could get the words out.
“We don’t have time for this shit. We need to get going. Let’s just find water on the way,” Rebecca replied.
“Are you serious? Find water on the way? Yeah, I’m sure the local grocery store will have tons,” Benjamin shot back.
“Well I’m sure it has more water than we have here asshole. Besides bitching and whining about it isn’t gonna bring it back. And according to you and your fucking boss, we’re on a clock,” Rebecca rattled off the words like a machine gun.
Lenny gave her a look and then stared at Benjamin. He knew they had little time and Rebecca was right. At this point they had no choice but to look for water once they were on the move.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Lenny said then walked outside.
Once everyone had collected their things they headed off into the unknown. The only water they had was the amount in their individual canteens, which Lenny declared was up to each person to regulate.
“You run out and you’re on your own,” he declared loudly.
It was barely eight in the morning, but the sun was uncharacteristically warm. The heat and the two children with them made it pretty slow going and Lenny knew they’d need to find another vehicle soon. The more pressing concern however, was the few drops of H2O the swished about in his own canteen.
They trekked through the North Carolina backwoods for hours before they came to an abandoned gas station that looked promising. Lenny peered at it through his binoculars and decided he and Mark would clear it first and then flag the others in.
Handing his bag to Rebecca, Lenny gave Mark a nod and they headed towards the dilapidated building. From the looks of it, the gas station hadn’t been in much better condition before the end of the world. Lenny couldn’t really assess what damage was just part of it’s off the grid charm or caused by the collapse of society.
It was a small, rectangular, single story with two pumps out front. The bulk of the building was made from wood and had it not been for the gas pumps, most would’ve mistaken it for some type of shed.
“I’m gonna head round back,” Mark whispered. “Guess that leaves you with the front door.”
Lenny cut his eyes at him and then grunted in agreement. Mark shot up his middle finger and disappeared around the corner. Shaking his head, Lenny turned and moved toward the front door.
There was dirt and dust everywhere and the lack of footsteps told Lenny no one had been there in a while. Still, he had an uneasy feeling about the place.
The rickety shed had a tin roof that was weathered and rusted and stuck out about four feet. There were two small windows in the front that were covered in grime and a red wooden door that was bolted shut.
Lenny stepped onto the small, concrete slab that ran the length of the building. He tried to look in through the windows, but that was impossible. Instead he wacked at the locked door with the butt of his rifle until the bolts gave way and the lock fell to the floor with a loud clang.
In that same instance Lenny heard Mark let out a scream of panic. Smashing through the door with his foot, Lenny rushed inside with his gun ready.
The store was dark and a strange smell hung in the air. The shelves looked untouched, lined with canned goods and bottles and bottles of water. At the sight of it Lenny almost forgot he’d been running to check on Mark.
He paused, soaking in the gold mine. He might have sat there forever, but Mark let out another bloodcurdling scream. Lenny snapped out of his trance and darted to the back door. That had also been nailed shut, but Lenny smashed through it without slowing down.
He stumbled into the lawn out back and looked in horror as Mark was being dragged away by two enormous creatures. Fear struck Lenny like a dagger and he froze. It was nighttime when he’d last seen these things and he wasn’t able to really appreciate how terrifying they really were.
What had Robert called them? Scouts…scouts the alien version of hunting dogs. If they were there then that meant that trouble was close. Lenny’s head swarmed with questions.
“Lenny!” Mark managed to groan.
Something about the fear in Mark’s voice made Lenny spring into action. He ran forward, firing his rifle in three round bursts. Bullets ripped into one of the scouts and it grunted loudly then collapsed, releasing Mark from its grasp.
The other scout was much faster. It backed away and then lunged at Lenny with a speed that was unnatural. Lenny barely had time to side step it, catching only a glancing blow as it flew by in a blur.
As it was the impact spun Lenny around and his rifle flew from his hands. The scout turned around and faced Lenny again. Its dagger-like teeth were bared, its black lips snarled and wrinkled.
Lenny reached into his boot and pulled out his knife, a seven inch Bowie. It probably would have little effect judging by the animal’s thick, spiked fur, but it was worth a try. And with his AR 15 lying in the grass ten feet away, he had little choice.
“Come on bastard,” he heckled.
Looking behind him, Lenny stole a glance to make sure Mark was still breathing and that’s all the scout needed. It dove forward, razor sharp claws swiping at the air, a hungry mouth longing for human flesh
Lenny didn’t have time to move. The beast hit him hard and they both flew backwards sliding into the dirt and tumbling through the grass like football players.
When they came to a stop the animal was on top of Lenny, bearing down on him. Lenny’s hand was pinned under his side with the full weight of the creature preventing him from moving. His only weapon was trapped.
In no time the roaring animal reared its head back and clamped down on Lenny’s free arm. He let out a muted screamed and then grunted, deciding that if he was gonna die he wouldn’t give this thing the satisfaction of knowing it hurt.
“Get up Mark!” Lenny yelled hysterically.
The scout snorted and shook its head violently, no doubt trying to rip Lenny’s arm off for a quick snack. Lenny clenched his teeth, fighting back against the animal’s strength. He could feel his body swaying from side to side as the beast pulled. And just like that his pinned arm was free.
With knife in hand Lenny swung wildly, slashing and stabbing at a frantic pace. At first it didn’t seem like the scout felt anything, but as a deep, blue blood started to ooze from its wounds it let Lenny go and scuffled a few feet away.
Lenny scrambled to his feet. Blood dripped from his fingers into the grass. His left arm was useless, but he gripped the knife tightly in his other hand, poised for the creature’s next attack.
As he slowly circled the scout his foot hit something and he looked down at his rifle, resting right below him like a life line. In a flash Lenny dropped his knife and grabbed the rifle, dropping onto the ground in a prone position.
The creature sprung forward again, but Lenny squeezed the trigger just as it closed in. Three searing bullets ripped from the barrel and flew into the scout’s head like a dartboard. With a deafening roar the scout fell to the ground and slid, stopping less than a foot in front of him. Snot and blood poured from its head, but it was no longer moving.
Lenny took a deep breath and dropped his head into the grass. A sense of relief rushed over him and he relaxed a bit.
“Um, Lenny we got a problem,” Mark suddenly called with a sense of despair in his voice.
CHAPTER 16
THE MANSION
Panic gripped Lenny’s heart as he looked up into more than a dozen gleaming, red eyes. A cluster of snarling, snapping beasts glowered from the tree line. They formed a semi-circle around him and slowly moved forward.
Lenny stared at the pack of scouts and swallowed hard. Moving at a snail’s pa
ce he raised his rifle and took aim. The scouts moved closer, each step like a minute of his life being ripped away.
He steadied his hand and squeezed the trigger. The unmistakable click of an empty magazine echoed in his ear like a spike through his heart. Lenny felt his stomach drop and nausea swept over him. The creatures bared their long pointed teeth and rolled their lips into a wicked smile.
Check mate, Lenny thought. There was no way out and the reality of it all fell on him like a house. But Lenny didn’t crack, he didn’t cry. Instead he tilted his head back and laughed. Hysterical laughter, that even made the scouts pause for a moment.
Grunting, Lenny scrambled to his feet and continued to chuckle. “Mark, this is it. Bet you didn’t think you’d be killed by a pack of mutant bears or Goddamn aliens.”
Mark didn’t respond. And the only recognizable sound was the grunting of the scouts as they closed the distance. Their growls and heckles echoed into the air stirring excitement amongst them. Some of them snapped at the wind, slinging globs of drool and licking their teeth.
Mark looked up at Lenny with wide eyes. He wasn’t laughing he was breathing heavily trying his best to contain his fear.
“Fuck you!” Lenny continued. “Fuck all of you! Come and get your piece of shit friend.” Lenny stepped forward and kicked the dead animal in front of him. “What are you waiting on? Come and get me mother fuckers!”
The lead scout lifted its head and let out a shrilling cry. With that, they all rushed forward like a herd of death, a wave of terror with jagged claws and razor sharp teeth.
Lenny smiled and closed his eyes. He took what was sure to be his last breath, a slow and ragged drawl. Time crawled to nearly a stop and he savored his last few moments. Then a storm of sharp hisses and snaps erupted around him.
Lenny opened his eyes to the thunderous sound of a firing squad. Scouts were dropping like flies, their bodies being ripped to shreds as Benjamin and Rebecca opened fire from across the field. It was a sight to behold and one that left Lenny utterly speechless.
Bullets sailed into the swarm of beasts like hundreds of tiny arrows. The air sizzled and smoke drifted across the grounds from the barrels of their guns. Brass shells rained into the grass like confetti, blood painting the blades into crimson polka dots.
Once the shooting finally stopped nothing was standing except for Lenny. He looked up towards Rebecca and smiled.
“We heard the big guy crying like a girl,” Benjamin announced.
“Yeah, figured he’d bitten off more than he could chew,” Rebecca added.
Mark had no retort aside from a lopsided grin. Breathing a sigh of relief, he stood up and gave himself a once over. His boots had taken the brunt of the attack, evident from the gashes and teeth marks. His legs had a few scrapes, but he’d live.
Lenny on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. His arm had been used as a chew toy and was in need of medical repair. Gloria spent the next hour stitching him up and wrapping his arm in thick gauze.
While Gloria worked on Lenny, the others went back into the gas station and raided the shelves. They found water, food and even a few flashlights. It was amazing that something with so many supplies had been untouched, but then again it was in the middle of nowhere.
Once they’d taken what they could carry, they packed up and headed off in search of a vehicle. They marched for hours with no luck. Every car they found had been raided or completely trashed. Lenny was starting to wonder if they’d ever find anything in working order.
“My feet hurt,” Drew said and pulled on his father’s arm.
Robert smiled and hoisted him onto his back. Drew laughed and wrapped his arms around Robert’s neck. Javier watched them with longing in his eyes and then continued trudging through the thick grass.
“You want a ride too?” Lenny asked.
Javier’s face lit up and he rushed to Lenny’s side. He hopped onto his back and Gloria smiled at them both.
“Building, up ahead,” Benjamin called back.
He’d been running point and was nearly twenty yards in front of everyone else. The group came to a stop and Robert and Lenny sat the boys down.
“Be right back,” Lenny said and patted Javier on the head. “Becca keep an eye on them.”
Lenny turned to catch up with Ben, but Rebecca grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. He looked down into her eyes and she rubbed his face with her hand.
“Lenny,” she started. “I know I’ve been crazy and all lately, but I just wanted you to know I love you. Be careful out there.”
Lenny was stunned. His relationship with Rebecca had become quite complicated as of late, but she was never one to pour out her emotions. He looked at her with new eyes.
Smiling, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her forward. Their lips were drawn together like magnets and for the briefest of moments nothing else in the world mattered.
Her soft lips met his. There was a sweetness to them like the juice that seeps from a freshly cut apple. A tingling feeling sped through Lenny’s body and fizzled.
And then just like that it was over. Lenny pulled away and a grin spread across his face. Rebecca smiled back at him and gave him a little nudge on the arm.
“Now go, don’t make Benjamin call you again.”
“Love you too.”
They looked at each other for a moment longer and then Lenny turned and walked away. With a quickened pace he headed towards Benjamin who was at the top of a shallow hill overlooking an expansive field.
Lenny stopped beside him and took a knee. He scanned the area from side to side and scratched his head with a puzzled look on his face.
“Down there,” Benjamin pointed and handed him a pair of binoculars.
Lenny grabbed them and stared down into the field. A little less than half a mile away was a large, white, Victorian mansion. Lenny gazed at it in shock, considering all that had occurred it was in magnificent shape.
The lawn had grown a bit wild, but beyond that it looked move-in ready. Wide, concrete steps led up to a wrap-around porch. The house was at least three stories and was four times the size of any home Lenny had ever seen.
“Sun’s going down,” Benjamin mumbled.
“We could never clear that place though,” Lenny said more to himself. “But it would be nice to sleep in a bed.”
“With the kids and all…it’s worth a try. We could take Mark. Maddox, Robert and Rebecca could keep look out til we get back. One way or the other we’re gonna have to stop.”
Lenny handed the binoculars back and nodded. “Okay I’ll get Mark.”
He headed back across the field at a jog. A few minutes later he returned with Mark right behind him.
“So, you found us a house?” Mark grumbled.
“Just don’t fuck this up,” Benjamin replied.
Together the three of them moved across the field towards the enormous estate. They fanned out as they grew closer, descending on the house from three sides. Lenny rushed up the steps to the front door as Mark and Benjamin went around.
Leaning against the door, Lenny slowly turned the brass handle and to his surprise it gently swung open. He cautiously stepped inside and switched on the light attached to his rifle.
The inside of the mansion was just as elaborate as the outside. Twin spiraling staircases, wide enough to fit a car, echoed up to a landing that overlooked the foyer. The winding handrails were made of marble and fitted with ornate, gold lining. The floors were made of thick, Italian stone and a sparkling diamond chandelier hung high overhead.
“Fucking rich people,” Lenny mumbled to himself.
He slowly inched around the first floor. He fanned from side to side, anticipating any movement. The house seemed to be completely empty.
Moving to the right he walked into the formal living area. A stone fireplace sat at the far back wall with a pile of chopped firewood covered in cobwebs.
Lenny slowly approached it, scanning the room with each deliberate step.
Stopping in front of the fireplace, he knelt down and stared into it. A mesh gate covered the opening. The outside was encased in an ivory stone and a white lions head was centered at the top.
Lenny ran his fingers along the chopped wood and a thin layer of dust floated into the air. From the looks of it the wood had probably been no more than a month old.
A golden rack stand was set to the side of the fireplace. Lenny pulled the poker from it and opened the mesh gate. He stabbed into the ash, sliding it around before standing up and sighing.
As he slid the poker back into place something in the ash caught his eye. Kneeling back down, he reached into the fire place and moved some of the burned wood to the side.
A severed hand gleamed under his flashlight along with a foot and what looked the remnants of someone’s head. They were charred and deformed from the fire, but still unmistakable.
Lenny let out a muted yelp as he scuffled backwards and slid across the floor. Footsteps echoed behind him and a loud crash rang out in the dark.
Lenny turned with his rifle raised, adrenaline now fueling his system like a machine. He quickly shuffled to his feet and then with a pop all of the lights suddenly came on.
“Hey!” a deep voice shouted.
CHAPTER 17
CALM BEFORE THE STORM
“Why are you dicking around with the fireplace?” Mark’s voice asked.
Lenny let out a deep breath and then scratched his head. Mark was standing near the entrance to the living room with his gun dangling from the sling around his shoulder. He was staring at Lenny with a confused face, but didn’t look overly concerned.
“They’ve got power?” Lenny asked as he found his voice.
“Generator out back, me and Benjamin found it. Place is clear though, we’ve been upstairs already.”
Mark saw his puzzled face and continued. “Back staircase on the pool deck, yeah they got a pool too,” Mark smiled.
Escape: The Wasteland Chronicles Book Two Page 14
