The Changing Earth Series (Book 5): Dark Days in Denver

by Hathaway, Sara F.

  “Any communications yet?” Bennet wondered, pacing the floor.

  “We’ve got nothing but static,” Virgis admitted. “The vehicles aren’t running because of all this damn ash. Even the ones we converted to the new air filtration system, failed.”

  “I’ve got to get news from the homesteads,” Bennet told Virgis. “Michelle, Daniel, and Nancy were there. Star’s at the medical tent too,” Bennet thought out loud.

  “I didn’t want to get her and Stan at the same time,” Nickleton commented. “Thought it might look too suspicious.”

  “I’ve got it,” Virgis declared.

  “What are we going to do?” Bennet asked Nickleton.

  “For now, you have to let him rest but as soon as he’s up we have to get you guys out of here,” Nickleton told him. “You two are always with Erika. If anyone notices you and not her, it’s over.”

  “I agree, as soon as he’s ready,” Bennet responded as Star burst into the tent.

  Taking of her mask she demanded, “Where is he?” with tears in her eyes.

  Bennet pointed the way.

  She ran to the back and hugged him tightly. Stan shooed her out of the room, so he could finish his work.

  “Mom?” Star asked Bennet.

  “They have her,” Bennet answered.

  “Kyle?” she asked.

  Bennet looked down at the ground for a moment. Then he looked into her eyes. “He’s dead.”

  “No!” Star cried. Bennet went and held her. “No, no, no, no,” she repeated over and over, pounding on Bennet’s chest. “You didn’t keep your promise, Bennet. You didn’t protect her, and now Kyle too.”

  Bennet held her tighter while she purged the feelings. His heart was just as broken, but he couldn’t allow himself to show it. They had a job to do. They would get her back.

  Chapter 28

  Erika could see the med center in the distance as the SUV drove south out of town. She knew Star was in there, recouping. Erika tried to mentally connect with her. She couldn’t get the image of Vince out of her mind. He was dead. She was alone.

  “Eyes forward!” Swenson barked, smacking her across the face.

  Erika looked to the front of the car. The man driving was a quiet, reserved guy. Erika didn’t hear him talk much. The passenger was the man giving directions.

  “I don’t know why I had to sit all the way back here. I got us the vehicle,” Merkley whined from the extra row of seats in the back.

  “Shut up, Merkley,” the man sitting to Erika’s right said in a Russian accent.

  “You shut up, Serge. I gave her to you guys, didn’t I? The Supreme General will put me in charge of the Western Region now, right, Carl?” he whined to the commanding man.

  “You’ll get what’s coming to you and don’t call me Carl,” he replied.

  “They all call you Carl,” Merkley protested.

  “They’re my friends, you can call me Commander (CDR) Grey,” he responded.

  “Now, shut the hell up!” Swenson snapped.

  “Yeah, we can do that,” CDR Grey spoke into a radio. “Pull over up here, Bishop.”

  The driver pulled the vehicle over by an overpass that looked back over the mountains.

  “Get her out of the vehicle, Swenson,” the commander ordered.

  Swenson wrenched her head forward and snapped the mask on her face. “Come on, girlie,” he barked at her as he ripped her out of the vehicle.

  Erika dropped down quickly and kicked his legs out from under him. He fell hard on the ground. Swinging her legs around she was back on her feet, but Serge was there. Grabbing the back of her head, he slammed her into the vehicle. Swenson stood up, infuriated.

  “Now that wasn’t very nice, was it? We’re gonna have to teach you a lesson,” he seethed, touching his mask with hers. His eyes were filled with hatred.

  Erika stood firmly in front of him.

  “Swenson, knock it off. The Supreme General wants her to see this,” CDR Grey told him. “Put her over here.”

  Swenson gripped her so hard, Erika thought her bones would break and she could feel the bruising forming instantly. He walked her across the edge of the overpass and shoved her to her knees. They were looking back at Denver. It was hard to see in the expanse but in the distance, she could see smoke from the recent battle, rising into the air. Then from the right side of the horizon she saw planes entering her view. Erika expected them to bomb Denver but instead she watched them fly into the foothills. The mountains lit up with bombing activity in a north to south pattern. Occasionally one of the planes would turn into a ball of fire itself, dotting the mountainside.

  “Do you know what that was?” the commander asked her.

  Erika didn’t say a thing. She dared not utter the words that she thought were true.

  “That was everyone you love blowing up in a ball of fire,” he said without emotion.

  Erika tried to get up, but Serge and Swenson were on each side of her, holding her down. Her knees ground into the pavement.

  “Your husband is dead. Your son, that mommy left behind at the homesteads, is gone. It’s only a matter of time until they find your daughter. We know right where she is. You see, Erika. Your life is over. You are now the property of the Federal Republic of America,” CDR Grey told her. “Bishop, do you have the tracker?”

  “Yes, sir,” he replied, digging in his backpack. He produced an implant device and approached Erika.

  She tried to struggle and get out of the men’s grip, but they only squeezed her shoulders harder and ground her further into the pavement.

  The commander held her right arm out with the palm up while Bishop put the device above her wrist. He clicked a button and Erika’s arm burned with pain. She stared at him fiercely but didn’t utter a word.

  “She’s got a high pain tolerance,” Bishop whispered to CDR Grey as he dropped her arm and stood up.

  CDR Grey grabbed her arm and showed it to her. “See, Property of the Federal Republic of America,” he told her, making her look at it.

  There was a new tattoo of a barcode with a number above it and Property of FROA written underneath it. She knew the pain was not only superficial; they’d implanted her with something as well.

  “Now your family is gone, and you belong to the Supreme General Nicholas Henderson. That is your life now and the sooner you accept that, the easier your life will be.”

  Erika couldn’t say a word. She didn’t want to believe him, but she had seen Vince fall with her own eyes. I can’t believe he’s gone, she thought sadly as tears fell down her cheeks.

  “Look at it!” CDR Grey grabbed her chin and forced her to watch the fires burning in the mountains. “They’re dead!”

  Erika’s heart longed to be back there in the distance. She’d lost the love of her life, and the life of everyone else that she loved was in peril. She needed to think of some form of escape plan, but these men were relentless, trained and skilled at their work. As they stood her up, gripping her shoulders tightly, Erika quickly threw a side kick aimed for Serge’s midsection and immediately followed it up with a hook kick to Swenson’s head. The kicks landed, and they let her go but the hardened men were barely phased. She dropped down into a squatted position to evade them grabbing after her, but Bishop was there and grabbed her by the ponytail as she scrambled to get away.

  “Get me more zips,” Swenson told Serge, grabbing ahold of Erika’s neck as Bishop held her by her bound hands and ponytail. “Nobody runs from me,” Swenson whispered to her, touching his mask to hers.

  She stared into his dark eyes as Serge returned with four more zip ties.

  “Put her back on her knees,” Swenson directed Bishop.

  He pulled on her hair and hands. Erika steadied herself trying to resist. Swenson rolled his eyes at Serge and went around to the back side of Erika. He kicked her knee from the back and she fell hard on the ground. He came and held her shoulder, squeezing it with his hand and pressing down onto it. As Serge went around to put
the zip ties on her ankle, she gave him a firm back kick to the head and dropped down out of Bishop and Swenson’s grasp.

  She rolled forward and started to run. She could hear Swenson laughing sadistically behind her. He took out his whip and lashed it around her neck. Pulling down swiftly, he dragged her to the ground. Serge and Bishop grabbed her arms again.

  “Put her on her stomach,” Swenson directed, infuriated with her actions. The wind was exhaled from her lungs as he knelt his knee into the small of her back. Each ankle received a zip tie then he used two zip ties looped together to form makeshift shackles.

  “This is bullshit, sir. You gotta let me have one strike at her so she understands the penalties of her actions,” Swenson told the commander, kneeling harder into her back.

  CDR Grey didn’t reply to his request. He was headed for the car and opened the door, looking back at Swenson. Erika’s mask pressed tightly to her face as they held her down. It was hard to breath with Swenson pressing on her and the stifling mask. She struggled as she listened to them banter, which only made Swenson grind his knee into her more.

  “She killed Gerber,” Swenson told the commander.

  “You’re just pissed because she knocked you on your tail. Get over it, TJ,” CDR Grey replied.

  “So maybe I am. That’s just one more reason I should get a whack at her,” he countered.

  “General Henderson said pure and unbroken,” he insisted.

  “Dang, Carl, I’m not raping the girl. I just want to hit her one freaking time with Sheila,” TJ huffed.

  “Fine, but just once,” CDR Grey acquiesced. “Bishop, Serge, put her back on her knees. I do love watching Sheila work,” he said, sitting down in the car.

  The two men lifted her torso up so her knees would bend and then held her firmly in place. Erika could hear TJ pacing around like a crazed tiger behind her.

  “That’s right, Sheila, we only get one snap, so it better be good,” he said, talking to his whip.

  Erika braced herself for his strike. She kept tensing her muscles, waiting for the moment of pain, but it didn’t come.

  “Nope, not yet, Sheila,” TJ said, dancing around a little now.

  “Just freaking do it,” Serge urged him.

  Erika stayed tensed and ready, but her muscles were starting to give out. Today she had entered hell and her brain burned with pain. She relaxed for a moment, trying to regather her strength, when crack. The whip tore through her back. Then crack, TJ snapped it again quickly and it tore through her again, forming a T.

  “I said once!” CDR Grey barked at him. “Don’t mess around, TJ! The General will put your head next to hers.”

  “Sorry, I always mark my territory,” Swenson said, admiring the T bleeding on Erika’s lower back.

  “Get her back in the car,” CDR Grey said, shutting his door.

  As she was shoved into the car by Swenson, Erika’s mind and body became numb with pain. She could barely feel the steady trickle of blood, as it slipped down her back and pooled underneath her.

  Chapter 29

  Vince opened his eyes. He couldn’t remember if he’d just dreamed a horrible nightmare or if Erika was really gone. As he went to move, the pain reminded him that it was not a dream.

  “Hi, Dad,” Star said, squatting down next to the cot. She grabbed his hand and held it.

  “Star. . .” he said, trying to get his bearings. “Where are we?”

  “We’re in the command tent. Bennet brought you here,” Star reminded him.

  “Oh yeah. . . “ he said, rubbing his head. When his hand touched the huge knot, he pulled it back away. “Oh shit!” he suddenly burst out, sitting up rapidly. “We have to go get her and the homesteads.”

  “One step at a time, Dad. Take it easy,” Star told him.

  “We can’t, Star. There’s no time. She thinks I’m dead. They shot me in front of her. Remember Montana?” he told her.

  Star looked at him with wide eyes, realizing the implications of his statement. “Then we have to go get her, now,” Star declared.

  “What about the homesteads?” Vince asked.

  “No news yet,” Bennet said, popping his head into the back after hearing Vince awake.

  “How long have I been out?” Vince wondered.

  “About ten hours. The sun’s just about up,” Bennet told him.

  “What? You guys let me sleep all night. We gotta get out of here,” he said, standing up swiftly, but the movement was too much for him and he sat back down for a moment on the cot.

  “Dad, you need to rest,” Star told him.

  “The hell I do. I’m going after Daniel and then I’m going to get Erika,” Vince stated, standing back up and grabbing his pack.

  “Let’s at least get a meal in you before we do that,” Stan said, coming back in to check on him.

  “I’m fine, Stan,” Vince declared.

  “You have one hell of a concussion and a broken rib above your heart,” Stan told him.

  “No, I have a broken heart because they took my wife! The faster I can get to the homesteads to make sure my son is alive, the quicker I can go and get her back,” Vince ranted angrily.

  “Here, eat this,” Nickleton said, shoving a plate of food into his hands. “If you guys are going to walk, you’ll need the nourishment. SSgt Gleeson,” he called.

  “Yes, sir,” she replied, approaching from the front of the tent.

  “You’re going to make the trip with them, right?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir, my family is back there. I have to know that they’re okay,” she told him.

  “Go get supplies from the mess. Make sure you have two days supply for each person,” Nickleton commanded.

  After they ate, and Victoria resupplied them, they headed out into the ash that continued to gently sprinkle from the air. Vince huffed in the mask as they went along, but he was determined to succeed. He was not about to lose his family.

  

  On the second day of walking the ash finally stopped falling completely. The gas mask was so stifling, Vince relished the fresh air. He stared up toward the sun that was still veiled in orange. It cast a gloomy light down on Bennet, who was tinkering with his radio. As Vince watched him, he realized the pounding in his ears was quieting and his mind was clearer.

  “Still not working?” Vince asked Bennet.

  The radio hadn’t worked since the bombings, but whenever there was a moment, Bennet tried anyway.

  “No, it’s still dead. How can that be, Vince?” Bennet looked at him.

  “Can’t get mine to work either,” Victoria commented.

  “When they cut California off after the Great Quake, the same thing happened. They didn’t want anyone to be able to communicate with the outside world,” Vince told them.

  “Hey guys, we got a large group of people approaching us,” Star warned.

  “They’re evacuating,” Vince commented, watching a man walk by. “Excuse me, sir. Do you know what happened at the homesteads?”

  “Chaos broke out after the bombings. Thirty or so feds portrayed themselves as new recruits within the camp and they attacked,” a man explained to Vince.

  “Is everyone okay?” Vince asked.

  “From what I heard, they took some serious damage, but they have tough fighters within their ranks.”

  “Did you see a boy? About eleven years old?” Vince wondered.

  “I didn’t see anyone. I was on the northern road. I’m just telling you what I heard,” the man responded.

  “What happened up north?” Vince asked.

  “A lot of death,” the man said sadly. I’m going south. Maybe all the way to South America, if it’s still there,” the man said.

  “Good luck, buddy,” Vince told him, happy for the information.

  “Good luck to you guys, too,” the man said as he left.

  “What if they’re evacuating too, Dad?” Star asked Vince.

  “I don’t know, Star. I don’t think they would. The pla
n was to meet back there and that’s what we should stick to. If Grandma Nancy is still alive, I think that’s what she would do,” Vince replied, worried sick.

  He couldn’t sleep anymore, even though his body begged his mind for it. He didn’t know if anyone he loved was still alive: his sons, his wife, his parents. He looked at Star, thanking God that she was at his side, but she was sickened with misery as well. She lost Kyle on top of everything else.

  “You gonna be okay, Super Star?” Vince asked.

  “We survived, right?” Star asked.

  “Yup,” Vince answered.

  “Then God has a reason for that, and right now I think it’s finding Daniel and getting Mom back,” Star said, tuning out the pain. It was too much.

  “Couldn’t agree more,” Bennet interjected into their conversation.

  The four of them continued down the dusty highway. The road was flooded with refugees headed in the other direction, but they continued their course through the night.

  Chapter 30

  “What do you mean, it won’t start?” Erika heard the commander ask Bishop.

  She sat in a half-conscious state. The pain from Swenson’s whip and the lashes on her back burned. She knew there were other injuries she sustained in her last attempt at escape, but she couldn’t worry about that now.

  “It’s toast, sir. Even with the modifications, the ash still clogged it up,” Bishop told him, looking in the window of the SUV. He was wiping the ash and oil off his hands with a rag.

  CDR Grey turned back to Merkley. “What the hell is this, Merkley?”

  “I’m sorry, sir. The scientist assured me it would work,” he stammered.

  “It did . . . for a while. Looks like we’re hoofing it now boys,” CDR Grey announced, getting out of the vehicle and slamming the door. “Get the girl and the gear out.”

  “You want her mask on, boss?” Swenson asked.

  “I think we’re all good now,” CDR Grey responded.

  Swenson pulled Erika out like she was a rag doll. “Bishop, you better take a look at the girlie.”

  Erika didn’t have the will to move. She just slumped into a blob on the ground.