“In South Carolina, me and the boys.”
Lenny slowed down and pulled onto the shoulder of the road. He sighed and turned to look at Robert. “I know you’ve been through a lot and you’ve lost people. Shit, we’ve all lost people, but we can’t give up.”
“I’m not giving up,” Robert shook his head. “I’m just sick of running. We could be safe here. We could stay here until…until it’s over.”
“When is it over Robert? When they turn everyone? When we’ve all been harvested or turned into some kind of fucking puppet? You saw Gloria, she was fucking gone. You want that for Drew?”
“Don’t you dare!” Robert raised his voice. “This isn’t about her. This is about what’s best for those kids. You go on, you win your war, but these kids deserve to live…however long or short that may be.”
Lenny took a deep breath and placed his face into his palms. He lifted his head and stared out of the window. “We don’t know anything about them Robert. We don’t know what they want, we hardly have any idea how to fight back. You discovered that, you discovered a way to hurt them. The battle is yours as much as it’s mine.”
“If that’s the case Lenny, then I’m waving the white flag. I can’t do this anymore. I’m not a soldier Lenny, haven’t I given enough,” Robert groaned as his hand absentmindedly moved to his missing eye.
“I guess there’s no changing your mind?” Lenny asked.
Robert shook his head from side to side. He frowned and stared out of the window with a sullen look on his face.
“Fine, next stop we’ll find another car and some gas. We can tell the others then,” Lenny said. He didn’t wait for a response. He cranked up the car and pulled back onto the road.
They drove until it was nighttime. No one said another word, but there was an uneasy feeling in the air.
After hours of driving Lenny slowed down and pulled over in a heavily wooded. He put the car in park and leaned his seat back.
“We’ll sleep here,” he said casually.
Rebecca opened her eyes and glanced over to Lenny. “I can drive if you need me to,” she whispered.
“Nah, we’ll head out again early morning. Rest up, I’m sure we’re gonna need it.”
She smiled back at him and then let out a deep, low cough. Clearing her throat, she swallowed then took a sip of water. Groaning, she winced then rolled into a ball.
“You ok?” Lenny asked.
“I’m fine,” she replied dismissively.
The night passed quickly. Lenny could only sleep in twenty minute increments and spent most of the time watching Rebecca as she mumbled and fidgeted restlessly. She seemed to be having some kind of nightmare and Lenny considered waking her up a few times.
Robert remained in the back of the SUV. He didn’t sleep much that night either. He watched Drew and Javier like a hawk. When he finally did fall asleep it was only in quick spurts.
Maddox was the only one that seemed able to find peace. He snored loudly and stretched his legs out across the floor. His grumbling played like an awkward drum against the hoots and other noises of the forest.
As the sun broke over the trees Lenny stretched and yawned. Reaching his hand into the back he grabbed a snack cake that Maddox had stolen from D.C. He ate it in one swallow then cranked up the SUV and headed back onto the highway before anyone else stirred.
He drove for a while with no sound but the wind buffeting against the windshield. His eyes were fixed on the road, but his mind drifted away to an unknown future.
Maybe Robert was right. Maybe everything they were doing was a waste. Maybe the world had already been lost and Lenny just couldn’t accept it. His mind cycled questions like these non-stop, until the sound of the others waking snapped him out of his trance.
“Where are we?” Rebecca asked.
“A little ways outside of South Carolina.”
She nodded then turned and stared out of the window. The others woke up shortly after Rebecca. If it hadn’t been for current state of the world, they could’ve easily been confused as being on a family road trip.
Maddox was complaining about the lack of flavor in his freeze dried pack of eggs and Drew and Javier were engulfing donuts two at a time. Robert watched them with a smile on his face, sipping water from his canteen.
“I heard what he wanted yesterday,” Rebecca whispered to Lenny. “It’s his decision, his right.”
“I know that,” Lenny responded. “Doesn’t make it a good idea.”
Rebecca smirked and turned back to the road.
“There,” Lenny said.
He slowed down and pulled into an aging gas station. It was small and far enough off of the grid that it might still have some supplies.
All of the windows were boarded up. The front door was broken and lying on the floor. There was a dusty pickup truck out front that obviously hadn’t been moved in months.
Lenny grabbed his pistol and opened the car door. “Stay with them,” he said turning to Rebecca. “Maddox you’re with me.”
Together they cautiously approached the tiny store and stopped near the front. Maddox nodded and dipped through the entrance moving straight and deliberate. Lenny stepped in behind him and swung to the left before panning to his right.
A putrid stench hit them almost immediately. It was the smell of old death, like an abandoned cemetery. It was the smell that lingered long after all of the life had gone, when only pain and sorrow were left.
Lenny covered his mouth and glanced around the store. It was almost empty with only two rows of shelves. Each row had a few cans of food and some miscellaneous snacks, but nothing more. The rest of the store was bare.
“Lenny,” Maddox called from across the room.
Lenny turned and found Maddox standing in front of a rocking chair. Sitting in the chair was the decaying remains of what Lenny could only assume had been a man. His face was shattered and disfigured. His head was wretched backwards with silvery strands of hair licking his scalp.
The man was dressed in overalls and a flannel shirt. He had a silver chain around his neck with a crucifix on it. Propped in between his legs was a shotgun with the barrel pointing up.
Lenny moved closer to get a better look. The man had dried blood down his chest and a piece of paper affixed to his overalls with a safety pin. There was a message written across it in black marker that read, “Couldn’t find my damn truck keys.”
Lenny stared at the man for a while. Only now could he understand the type of despair that would lead someone to suicide over lost car keys. He’d seen that despair in Robert’s eyes, that loss of hope and belief in tomorrow.
Shaking his head, Lenny walked back outside. He opened the back of the Suburban and started unloading the empty gas canisters.
“It’s working,” Maddox screamed to him as he squeezed the handle on the pump and gas flowed out.
Robert watched him from the backseat. He took a deep breath, summoning his conviction and trying to reassure himself he’d made the right decision.
“I’ll be right back,” he said to Drew and Javier.
He got out of the car and helped Lenny carry the gas tanks to Maddox. He sat them on the ground and then turned to head back, but Lenny stopped him.
“One second,” he said to Robert then turned back to Maddox. “I’m gonna see if I can get that truck to run, and if I can, Robert and the boys are staying here in South Carolina.” With that he walked off towards the truck and left Robert to explain the rest.
Maddox’s mouth fell open. He stumbled over his words a few times before getting anything intelligible out. “Why…why would he say that? You want to stay here?”
Robert sighed. “Maddox, it’s better for all of us. We can’t keep dragging the children along as we try to save the world. It’s not safe. I, I’ve done all I can. You don’t need me and the kids will just slow you down.”
“It’s not safe for you to stay. We have to stick together and you said it yourself, Florida is probably the safest
place in the nation.”
“It’s what needs to be done Maddox,” Robert finished then picked up two of the gas tanks Maddox had filled and walked away.
Maddox stared after him in bewilderment. He couldn’t believe what was happening; he couldn’t believe that Lenny would let it happen.
On the other side of the store Lenny climbed into the cab of the truck. It smelled like rotten oranges inside. The seats were made of dark, cloth and seemed to be in fair condition despite the foul odor.
Grunting, Lenny crawled under the dash. He yanked at the steering column and a bundle of wires fell out.
Using a small pocket knife Lenny unsheathed the wires and twisted two of them together. The engine churned and then popped to life. Sliding out of the cabin he looked up and found Robert gazing at him.
“So…I guess that’s it,” Robert said.
“It doesn’t have to be like this. Come with us,” Lenny retorted.
“I would tell you to come with me, but I know you can’t. It’s not in the nature of men like you to let others do their fighting. Just like it’s not in my nature to go to war.”
Lenny smiled at him and shook his hand. He reached into his waistband and pulled out a handgun. He looked it over, rubbing his fingers across the smooth barrel and smiled.
“Here take this,” Lenny said offering the gun to Robert. “It’s kept me alive. Hopefully it’ll do the same for you.”
Robert reached out and took the chrome 1911 into his hands. “I, I can’t take this,” he said.
“Keep them safe,” Lenny replied.
Maddox groaned and sat the rest of the tanks down behind the truck, gas sloshed about and spilled onto the dirt. Rebecca followed after him with Drew and Javier in tow and a duffel bag slung across her shoulder.
“He’s leaving Rebecca,” Maddox stammered.
“I know,” she said and sat the bag down. “Be safe.” She smiled at Robert and gave him a big hug.
“Dad where are we going? Why aren’t we going with them?” Drew asked looking up at his father.
“We…we just have to do something first.”
Lenny turned to Javier and picked him up. He hugged him tightly and for the first time he felt like this might be more than a tactical loss. “You be good okay. Listen to Robert and I’ll see you real soon.”
Javier squeezed his neck. Tears fell from his face and rolled down Lenny’s cheek. “I love you Mr. Lenny,” he whispered.
“I love you too buddy. I love you too.”
Before Lenny could lose his nerve and stage a kidnapping, he sat Javier into the truck. Drew crawled in beside him and waved.
“So the truck is full. We have eighty gallons of fuel we split down the middle,” Lenny said as he loaded the tanks into the truck bed. “There’s food, water, ammo and a few guns in here. Find someplace safe Robert.”
“I will,” he said with a smile on his face. He turned and gave Rebecca a hug and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re the most hardcore woman I’ve ever met. Take care of him okay.”
Rebecca smiled. “You’re pretty badass yourself.”
“Maddox, don’t let these two get lost,” Robert declared as he gave him a hug as well.
Maddox nodded then stepped back. Robert climbed into the truck as they watched with grim faces.
“Robert one sec,” Lenny said. He held out a small black and yellow radio. “Long range radio. It’ll only work for maybe 100 miles, but if you get into something or you change your mind, you call and we’ll come right back. I have the other one right here in my pocket,” Lenny said and stuffed the receiver into his cargo pants.
Robert smiled and took the radio then closed the door. With one last glance and a wave, he pulled onto the highway and headed back the way they came.
“Well that was fucking depressing,” Maddox mumbled.
They headed back to the Suburban, loaded the gas tanks into the back and then filled it up at the pump. Rebecca took one last look around and then opened her door. She suddenly started to cough and leaned against the hood. She tried to clear her throat, but the coughing just kept getting worse. She struggled to catch her breath and collapsed into the dirt on all fours.
Lenny rushed to her side and grabbed her arm. “Becca, you okay?”
Sprinkles of blood were in the dirt and she quickly swept her hand over them and cleaned her mouth. “I’m fine, I just need some water.”
Lenny helped her into the truck and grabbed the canteen. She took a couple swigs from it then smiled and reclined her seat. “I’m gonna take a nap for a little.”
Maddox gave Lenny a worrisome look as he jumped into the driver’s seat, but didn’t say anything else. Without another word they pulled back onto the road and drove off.
Rebecca slept for hours as Lenny sped down the desolate highways. For the most part he carried on conversation with himself, but Maddox joined every now and then.
His mind drifted as the SUV hummed along, replaying everything that had led up until now. Losing Benjamin had been a bigger blow than Lenny let on. They were cut from the same cloth and in the short time he’d known him, Benjamin had become like a brother. Losing Javier was something he forced himself not to think about. He was still alive and that made him happy, but Lenny felt like he owed it to him and Gloria to protect him.
Lenny thought about Tim and wondered what had actually happened to him out there. He thought about Rango and how much he missed him. He thought about poor, old Crimley and Mark. So many people had been lost and for what?
Something else bothered him, something he hadn’t really been able to contemplate until now. Why on Earth were they so interested in him? That question, he didn’t have an answer for.
Before the sun went down they made several more stops at any store they passed, in search of supplies. Lenny let Rebecca sleep as he and Maddox cleared each one, finding small items here and there.
After the last stop Lenny got back into the truck and brushed his fingers over Rebecca’s face. The touch of her skin made him jolt and his heart almost leapt out of his chest. Her skin was freezing, it was like rubbing a block of ice.
“Rebecca!” Lenny yelled and shook her.
To his relief she opened her eyes and groaned. “What?” she asked.
“Something’s wrong with you. Maddox get me a blanket and the med kit from the back.”
“I’m fine. I’m just tired,” Rebecca protested. Her face had lost all of its color and blood started to seep from her eyes.
“Oh my God,” Lenny gasped. He was frantic. For the first time in his life he didn’t know what to do. For the first time in his life he was lost.
“I need to…I need to see if you’re cut, if you’ve got an infection or something,” he said and reached across her.
Rebecca groaned as he pulled her shirt up and rolled her onto her side.
“Do you see anything? What’s wrong?” Maddox called out.
Lenny shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t see anything, but her skin feels like ice.”
Maddox curiously leaned across the seat, but was slung back as the SUV suddenly started to shake. A loud booming noise erupted behind them and the windows and doors started to rattle.
Lenny glanced out of the back of the truck and his mouth fell open. Trees were being sucked out of the dirt and obliterated. Their roots snapped and popped as they were torn from the ground and shredded into nothing.
The ground cracked and buckled all around them. Chunks of Earth were ripped into the sky and crumbled into millions of tiny particles. It was like an invisible vacuum was moving closer and closer to them, chewing up everything in its wake.
Wind whipped the SUV back and forth. It howled as it blew debris through the sky. It was a cluttering, clanking train of destruction.
Lenny fumbled with the keys. He scrambled to get a grip on them and finally jabbed them into the ignition. He twisted his wrist and the truck grumbled then fizzled out.
“No, no, no!” he cried out. He tw
isted the key again, but nothing happened.
Beating his fists on the dash, Lenny yelled out in frustration. He looked at Rebecca then back at the rumbling destruction that was nearly on top of them.
“Maddox you have to go. You have to get out of here. Run!” Lenny yelled as he reached across the seat and pulled Rebecca toward him.
Maddox looked at him then stared out of the back window. The whirling cyclone of debris was only meters away. The tail of the Suburban lifted into the air and slammed back into the ground. All of the windows shattered and a gust of wind ripped through the cabin.
“Run Maddox, run now!” Lenny yelled and then everything went black.
~~~**~~~
Lenny wasn’t certain how long he’d been out, but awoke to find himself strapped to a hard, metal table. His wrists and ankles were restrained with a thick, leather band that was bolted down. His body felt sore, like he’d sustained a vicious beating, but he had no visible wounds.
Straining his neck he looked to his right and could just barely make out Maddox’s unconscious body. He was strapped down as well and looked to be in the same condition.
“That was a close one,” a familiar voice called.
Lenny looked up and found Rebecca staring back down at him. She had an awkward smile stretched across her face and an empty look in her eyes.
“What…what is going on?” Lenny grumbled in a groggy voice.
“All brawn and no brain. It suits you I suppose,” Rebecca grinned and pressed a button next to the table that made the upper half incline. “I must say, had you actually known what you were doing, it would’ve been an ingenious plan. Unfortunately I’m sure you had no clue.”
“Rebecca what the hell is wrong with you? Let me out of here, we have to leave now.” Lenny said, his voice trembling with panic.
“See what I mean,” she responded dismissively. “You’re not going anywhere Lenny. We have much to discuss,” she smiled and swept her fingers across his face. “Make yourself comfortable.”
With that, she walked away and disappeared down a long hallway. Lenny looked around trying to make out where he was. The room was all white and had a familiar tone to it, like in D.C. But it was more like a hospital.
Escape: The Wasteland Chronicles Book Two Page 20
