Forsaken World (Book 1): Innocence Lost

by Watson, Thomas A.

  Ian shook his head. “I wish the Hummer was a tad quieter,” he said with a trembling voice. “I see three with rifles.”

  “The two on the shoulders have rifles also,” Lance said, never speeding up or slowing down. Some of the group started waving their arms when the Hummer was a quarter of a mile away. Several pointed at them. “They see us now.”

  “Yeah, the ones on the shoulders are moving further back from the road,” Ian said as his mouth went dry. They watched several of the smaller forms get in the middle of the road with a taller one, who was holding something in his arms. Just the way he was holding it suggested it was a rifle. “They moved the kids to the road to make us stop.”

  “Shit if I care,” Lance said, gritting his teeth so hard they squeaked.

  Ian looked from the group to Lance and back. “Lance, at least move a little to one side to let them know we aren’t stopping!”

  Not saying anything, Lance steered to the right side of the road, and the man in front of the kids moved them to the right side of the road. “He fucking cut me off!” Lance bellowed.

  “Aw shit,” Jennifer said as Lance bellowed, knowing this wasn’t going to end well.

  “Keep your night vision covered until I tell you!” Lance yelled, guiding the Hummer to the left side of the road, and the man and kids moved to block him. “You slimy, cock-sucking douche! This is my fucking road!”

  Ian and Jennifer reached up, covering their goggles with their hands as Lance flipped his up and hit the standby button. When he was a hundred yards away, Lance took his foot off the accelerator, and he could see the group relax as most of the others moved up to the road.

  Locking his arms and closing his eyes, Lance flashed his high beams and stomped on the accelerator. The bright light blinded the group, making them throw up hands to block their eyes. Hearing the vehicle speed up, many took off from the road since they now knew the vehicle wasn’t stopping for them.

  Letting the control arm go, Lance opened his eyes as the bright lights went off. “Now!” he shouted, flipping his goggles down and hitting the standby button, and the green world filled his vision. Ian and Jennifer took their hands off their night vision and saw most of the group scatter. The man that was standing with the kids was holding his hand over his eyes, aiming his rifle toward them with one hand. A flash lit up in their goggles followed by a boom.

  “That dweeb dick shot at us!” Lance screamed, pressing harder on the accelerator, which was already buried against the floorboard.

  “Sucks to be you,” Ian said just before Lance hit the man. Lance centered the man in the hood, and Ian saw the man’s eyes go wide as the front plate of the brush guard hit him in the chest. The man shot away from them in the air as Ian heard several thumps under the Hummer.

  A flash on the left made Ian turn as the Hummer bounced over the man it had sent airborne. Feeling the vehicle jerk to the left, Ian glanced to see Lance heading off the shoulder at the man who just shot at them.

  “I see you, newbie butt munch!” Lance screamed as the Hummer bounced over the shoulder and down into the ditch. Hitting the man with the driver’s side front corner, he sailed back twenty feet through the air, hit the fence, and bounced back, hitting the back passenger door with a loud thump. Dino let out a growl as Lance turned the wheels back to the road.

  Even with the small shoulder, Ian freaked, feeling the Hummer tilt to the side, still picking up speed. “I want to get on another ride, Momma!” he cried out, grabbing the dash and “oh shit” handle. The Hummer shot over the shoulder, and for a brief second, Ian only saw sky with the moon getting bigger, seemingly filling the front windshield. Opening his mouth to scream, Ian felt his balls at the back of his throat.

  The Hummer hit the road and bounced side to side as the tires continued responding to Lance’s foot buried in the accelerator. Behind them, the trailer bounced side to side and up and down, yanking the Hummer. Wind blasted in as Lance rolled down his window. “H1 Alpha Hummer, bitches!” Lance screamed out the window. “Fucking road hogging cock suckers! I’m coming back with tampons for your asses!”

  Lance rolled the window up as they heard a pop behind them. The Hummer shot down the road, and Lance saw a sharp curve ahead and a sign for the curve saying thirty-five. Panicked, Lance took his foot off the accelerator and looked down at the speedometer. “Sssshhhittt,” he said, seeing the needle at seventy, and hit the brake when they weren’t slowing enough for the turn.

  Behind them in the distance, they heard several booms. Ian glanced in his mirror and saw the area between the Hummer and trailer and behind the trailer light up. “Take your foot off the brake! They can see the brake lights and are using them to shoot at us!”

  Yanking his foot back, Lance looked at the speedometer falling under fifty as he entered the curve. “I drive forty-five all the time; piss on that sign.”

  Hitting the curve low, the Hummer shot through as Lance guided it wide, feeling the trailer tugging at it. Glancing in his side mirror, Lance saw the trailer weaving back and forth behind them. “Why they don’t have trailers in NASCAR,” he mumbled as the vehicle slowed further.

  Taking a deep breath, Lance eased his foot back to the accelerator, moving the speedometer back to forty-five. “Everyone okay?”

  “What did you do that made them cover their eyes?” Ian asked, still holding on for dear life.

  “Flashed my lights at them. I remembered all the times we walked near a road at night and a car appeared in front of us. It took forever to see again.”

  “You are awesome, Captain Picard,” Ian grinned, dropping his hand to his lap.

  “Jennifer, you three okay?” Lance asked but kept his eyes locked ahead.

  “We were thrown in the floorboard. What the hell did you do?” she grunted, pulling the girls in the seat. Grabbing the seat belt, she used it to strap them in. “Sorry, but you stay buckled from now on.”

  Getting his breathing back under control, Ian glanced over his shoulder. “Lance had us airborne. For a second, if I would’ve reached out, I could’ve touched the moon.” He reached over and patted Lance on the chest. With every pat, a wet splat was heard. “From now on, the Hummer is the Enterprise, Captain.”

  “Very good, number one,” Lance grinned, using a French accent.

  Pulling herself forward, Jennifer stuck her head over Dino’s. “This isn’t Star Trek, guys, so knock it off. Did we break anything?”

  Shrugging one shoulder, Lance said, “Shit if I know. No lights came on, don’t hear weird noises, and we’re still moving, so I’m guessing no.”

  This close to Lance, Jennifer could smell the sweat pouring off him. Glancing over, she saw the A/C at max. “Lance, you need a break. You’re almost swimming in sweat.”

  “No shit,” he popped off. “This driving shit his hard, and I have to do it when the whole enchilada goes crazy. I’m sorry this is stressing me, but I’m doing the best I can!”

  Scurrying back from the wrath, Jennifer sat back down on the center console between the back seats. “I know, Lance, and we don’t want you to drop because you’re doing such a good job.”

  Letting out a long sigh, he slumped his shoulders slightly. “Sorry, Jen,” he mumbled.

  “Left turn ahead,” the GPS announced.

  Getting comfortable, Jennifer smiled. “I wish we had Data instead of GPS.”

  “Shit, I want La Forge,” Ian laughed. “I could call for warp speed and be at the cabin.”

  “Nah,” Lance said. “We’re in transporter range.”

  Feeling his own sweat drying from the excitement, Ian pulled out the map. “I was expecting trouble further ahead. We just came out of the sticks.”

  “Why were those people leaving the woods if you think it’s safer there?” Jennifer asked.

  “I tried to ask one, but they didn’t tell me,” Ian answered, studying the map.

  Jennifer let out a groan. “Yeah, that was a stupid question,” she said, reaching over and patting the girls, who were
just holding each other, waiting for the next off-world experience.

  “Programmed break area one point six miles ahead,” the GPS announced, making Jennifer jump.

  “Aren’t we close to that group?” she asked, wanting to look back, but the back of the Hummer was piled to the roof with stuff, and there was a trailer behind them.

  “They’re twenty miles back,” Ian said, looking hard at the map then looking up. “Looks like Uncle Doug picked another area with fields on both sides.”

  Lance took his foot off the accelerator. “If we can, we’re stopping,” he said as they eased to the top of a small, gently sloping hill. Coming to a stop, they looked over a small valley. Only a few dots of light were sprinkled over the valley.

  “There are more houses in this valley than those lights,” Ian said, looking from the map to the valley.

  Putting the Hummer in park, Lance felt the stress leave his shoulders for just a little while. “They don’t want to attract attention.”

  Stuffing the map beside his seat, Ian pulled up his AR as Lance pulled his down from the dashboard. Cracking his window, Ian sniffed and didn’t smell stinkers, so he opened the door and got out. He could see a mile behind them. Feeling it was safe, he tapped the back passenger window.

  Jennifer opened the door, and Ian helped the girls out. When Jennifer climbed out, Ian saw Lance in the back seat, digging around. “What are you doing?”

  “Getting duct tape out of my pack,” Lance grunted, reaching with his arm into the pile of stuff. “Ah ha,” he grinned and extracted his arm, holding a roll of duct tape.

  “I’m scared to ask, but what are you going to do with it?”

  “Cover those damn taillights,” Lance said, climbing out.

  Feeling very stupid, Ian walked to the back of the trailer. “I would’ve just broken them.”

  Pulling a piece off, Lance said, “I would on the trailer, but I will not break anything on the Hummer on purpose.”

  Moving over as Lance placed a piece of tape of one of the taillights, Ian took the roll. “I’ll do it. You rest, get something to drink and eat.”

  “Not hungry, but I could use something to drink.” Lance grinned and looked at the back of the trailer. “They didn’t have very big guns,” he said, touching an indentation on it.

  “One of them did,” Ian said, pointing at a bullet hole at the bottom of the door on the back of the trailer.

  Raising his arms and stretching out his cramped body, Lance groaned with the exertion. “Not to sound like a pussy, but I hope that’s it for bitches shooting at us.”

  “I’ll sound like a pussy then,” Ian said, ripping another piece of tape off and putting it on the taillight. “I don’t want anyone to shoot at us.”

  Lance turned to see Dino sniffing around the road. “Dino, stay close, or I’ll leave your ass.” Dino lifted his head, glancing at Lance, then went back to sniffing the area. Walking around the Hummer, Lance opened the back passenger door and dug out two water bottles.

  Almost ripping the top off one, Lance sucked it down without pause. “You’ve drunk like six liters of water and haven’t even peed. You’re sweating out your water,” Jennifer said, herding the girls close to the Hummer.

  “It’s hot as hell in there,” Lance said, tossing the empty bottle and opening the other one.

  She shook her head. “No, it’s freezing, but you’re making your window fog up you’re putting off so much heat,” she said, reaching out and touching his chest. “And you’re soaking wet. I bet you could actually wring your clothes out.”

  Draining half the bottle, Lance nodded. “Not going to argue that,” he said, unbuckling his helmet to take it off. “I feel like I went swimming with my clothes on.” Handing his helmet to Jennifer, Lance poured the rest of the water over his head. “Oh man, that felt good.”

  “Will you eat a sandwich?” Jennifer pleaded.

  Taking his helmet back, he buckled it on and said, “I’m not really hungry, Jen. Since we’re stopped, let’s change out batteries for the night vision.”

  Putting her hands on her hips and letting her AR hang off her side, Jennifer snapped. “Enough!” Lance jumped back as she stormed over to the passenger door and yanked it open. “Sit!” she commanded, pointing at the seat.

  Not liking the attitude, Lance moved over and climbed in the seat, letting his legs hang out. “Okay, I’m sitting.”

  “Stay,” Jennifer snapped and dove in her floorboard. She pulled out a bottle of Gatorade and a sandwich. Opening the bottle, she handed it over. “Drink,” she ordered and unwrapped the sandwich, handing it over. “Eat this, and don’t say a word, or you and I fight here and now. I have a tampon in my pack, and I know how to use it, and you’re right; you won’t like it.”

  Feeling goose bumps spring up on his arms, Lance shoved the sandwich in his mouth and chewed. “I fucking knew it was bad,” he mumbled, taking a drink. “That’s why no one talks about the damn things.”

  Lifting her goggles up, she growled, “Lance, don’t make me pull it out. I like you and really care for you. It would hurt me to use it on you, but if you don’t eat, drink, and relax for a second, as God is my witness, I’ll ream your ass with that tampon.”

  He held up his full hands. “Okay, look, I’m eating and drinking,” he muffed with a full mouth. As Jennifer walked away, Lance shook his head. “I wonder if you defend yourself like a gun or knife attack from a tampon?”

  Jennifer came around the back of the trailer as Ian finished taping the last light. “That’s smart,” she said as he moved to the back of the Hummer.

  “Thank Captain Picard,” Ian huffed, ripping a piece of tape off. “We should’ve thought of this before we left.”

  “Ian, we are doing this on the fly, and are doing the best we can.”

  Finished with one light, he stepped over the trailer’s tongue and went to work on the other. “Jennifer, if we make a mistake, it could cost some of our lives.”

  “I know, but we never make the same mistake twice.”

  Ripping tape off, Ian nodded. “Yeah, that is a valid point.”

  “I wish you two would include me more so I could help,” she huffed, pulling her AR across her chest and lowering her goggles.

  Looking up at her, Ian grinned. “Just how do you use a tampon?” he whispered.

  “Piss me off and find out, number one,” she grinned.

  Finished with the tape, Ian stood up. “Go press the brake, and let me see if we need more.” Jennifer took off and climbed in, pressing it. “Okay,” Ian said, and he and Jennifer had to add two more layers to all the lights before no light would come out.

  When they finished, Lance was back in the driver’s seat, and the girls were buckled up in their chairs. They had their arms wrapped around each other and were sound asleep. Jennifer looked up to see Dino already in the other seat, sprawled out with his head between the front seats.

  “How am I supposed to get in now?” Jennifer said, looking at Dino. Dino just looked at her, panting. “Fine,” she said, closing the door, and went to the other side and climbed over Dino to sit on the divider with him.

  Lance glanced over his shoulder and waited until Jennifer got situated. “Ready?”

  Jennifer grinned. “Let’s light fires and kick the tires.”

  Chapter 14

  Pulling down into the valley, they saw several wrecked vehicles in the ditches. They passed the remains of a smoldering house, and everyone started feeling uneasy. “We’re in the sticks; how can this much destruction be here?” Jennifer asked, looking at the burnt down houses.

  “Sticks, we are at the ass end of space,” Ian mumbled, seeing another car in the ditch. “Where are the bodies of the stinkers? Surely, they killed some.”

  Seeing a truck crashed into a tree ahead, Lance slowed for a second and looked over at it then hit the accelerator hard, and everyone jerked as the Hummer jumped. “Unless stinkers know how to use guns all of a sudden, people shot that truck, making it crash.” />
  Grabbing his AR and pulling it up to his lap, Ian shouted, “I’m sick of this spazzed out, bullshit, tiny dick new world!”

  “Personally, I think this new world has a big dick because it’s tried to fuck us repeatedly,” Lance said, settling the needle at fifty.

  “That’s why it’s trying to fuck us; it has a little dick,” Ian shouted, grabbing the map, leaving the AR in his lap.

  “You see any faster way around or a more back-road route?” Lance asked, even taking his eyes off the road directly in front of him to glance at the road behind them.

  Throwing the map in disgust, Ian grunted, “Fuck no, Lake Cumberland has us blocked to the north and Dale Hollow Lake to the south. We either go between them like we are or go around.”

  Slowing down, Lance looked around and didn’t see anything close. “Find us the fastest road through that puts us close to our route.”

  “You serious?”

  Lance looked over at Ian. “Dude, someone is hunting around here way off the beaten path area like we are going through. You already said we were going to have to cross a bunch of big roads; let’s just get it over with and use one to get through.”

  “Uncle Doug said try to stay with the route,” Ian said, shaking his head.

  “Did he see fucking zombies? Did he see butt monkeys killing people out in the middle of nowhere at the ass end of space?”

  Ian looked down at the map. “Point taken.” He studied their route and what was close. “We can take ninety up ahead between the lakes and get off just after the town of Susie.”

  “Any towns on the way?” Lance asked, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel.

  “Just Susie, and it looks like it doesn’t even have a stoplight.”

  Slowly pressing down the accelerator, Lance said, “Tell me how to get on ninety.”

  “Instead of crossing the black top ahead, hang a left. That’s ninety,” Ian said.

  Slowing enough for the turn, Lance grinned. “Let’s boogie.”

  As the GPS started freaking out because they weren’t on the route, the Hummer picked up speed, rolling down the two-lane blacktop until the speedometer needle settled at fifty-five. “You know if they can add a lane every few miles for people to pass, they should be able to just make a four-lane highway,” Ian said, seeing the sign for “Slower traffic pull right.”