This is the End 2: The Post-Apocalyptic Box Set (9 Book Collection)

by J. Thorn

  “Please don’t say it like that,” Raphael urged.

  Del laughed. “Anyone else, right now, wish our phones worked so we could take a video moment?”

  “Enough,” Mack told him. “Let’s try this again … Raphael. What is wrong with us taking out every city we go to? And don’t throw the destination answer at me.”

  “Well … Mackenzie …”

  Del laughed.

  Mack shot him a glare.

  Raphael continued, “There are only four arrows.”

  Mack cocked back his head, gave a single slow nod then leaned forward. “Come again?”

  “There are only four arrows.”

  “Well.” Mack cleared his throat. “See …”

  “We may need them in truly desperate situations.”

  “Uh huh.” Mack cleared his throat again. “I’m sure, as good of an archer as you are … four arrows aren’t doing anything against a group of Dokes.”

  “But they are God arrows,” Raphael said.

  “God arrows. Indian arrows.” Mac shrugged. “An arrow is an arrow.”

  “No, these are God arrows, and we only have four.”

  “OK, then since God gave them to you, then God can give you more.”

  “He said it was enough.”

  “Then God must know when you are using them.”

  “He doesn’t. We are given free will.”

  “Then I …” Mack fluttered his lips, “don’t know what to tell you.” He sat back down. “I’m pretty sure if you need another, God will sail one down. Until then … we have this covered.” He reached for the bottle again.

  “Are you sure.”

  “Positive.” Mack winked. “I’ll keep you posted and let you know when we need … an arrow.”

  “OK, I just want to help. That is why I am here. And so I can help … I’ll take roof watch.” Raphael bowed his head and turned.

  “Raph … I mean, Raphael?” Mack called, and waited until Raphael paused. “Since you only have four arrows.” He extended a rifle. “Be conventional tonight.”

  Raphael took the rifle and left.

  There was a long moment of silence.

  “You OK?” Alex asked him.

  “Yeah.” Mack brought the bottle to his lips; before drinking, he saw Billy had extended the napkin with the treat. “Thanks, buddy.”

  “Why don’t you believe him about the God arrows?” Billy asked.

  “Well, I kind of lost my belief in the God stuff.”

  Billy stood. “I’m tired.” He leaned to Mack and kissed him on the cheek. Then as he embraced him, Billy whispered in his ear, “I think you are more of a believer than you say. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here. Have faith.”

  Mack tightly squeezed the boy and then released the embrace. He looked down, the s’more was crushed. “Ah, man, now I have to have Rick make me another.”

  “No, you won’t.” Billy reached for Alex’s hand.

  She took it and started to walk, but paused and turned back to Mack. “What was that about? The whisper?”

  Mack shook his head.

  She stared at him for a second, then returned her focus to Billy. “Come on, let’s tuck you in.” She escorted him down the walk. “You have been talking so much lately. I’m so proud.”

  Mack listened to their voices as they faded and went into a room. He thought about Billy’s words. How the boy who barely spoke a word—now rambled, since the arrival of Raphael. Rambled maturely too. A similar change held true with Fr. Owens. His dementia was in remission, if that was possible.

  Thinking it was just a long day, Mack, again, reached for his bottle and opened his hand to discard the crushed treat. As his fingers spread, he saw the s’more was perfect. Mack swore he destroyed that treat. He was mistaken, maybe that’s what Billy meant by having faith. Mack didn’t know about having faith, but he was certain at that moment, as he closed out the night, he was going to have that s’more and another drink.

  ++++

  Billy wasn’t as tired as he let on. Alex supposed he just wanted to get away from the adults and the tension. She stayed with him in the stuffy hotel room; after, of course, she got him something to eat.

  Mack had moved his chair closer to the door. He was tired and Alex knew it; she also knew he was keeping a vigilant watch despite the fact that Raphael said he had it.

  Nicole, Del, and Rick were loud. Maybe not really loud, but their voices and laughter carried. What were they talking about?

  Occasionally, Alex drifted from her story to Billy, paused, and listened to hear if she could pick up what was so funny. But she couldn’t get the whole story—most of which were memories of their lives before the world went to hell.

  She caught a yawn coming from Billy. He tried to hide it.

  “Tired?” she asked him.

  He shook his head ‘no’, and Alex gave a motherly look to him. Being motherly wasn’t natural. She never had children; she thought one day she’d want a child, but that day never came.

  Billy was as close to a child as she would get.

  She watched him, hid him from seeing things. She was amazed how over the past day or two, he started really talking. Finally, she figured, he was coming out of his trauma.

  Maybe she’d learn more about him.

  Another yawn.

  “A-ha!” She jokingly pointed. “I saw that.”

  “I’m tired.”

  “I know.” She inched over to him.

  “We move on tomorrow,” he said. “When will we just stop?”

  “Hopefully, one day. Maybe we’ll find a place that the Dokes haven’t destroyed.” She ran her fingers over his hair. “Tomorrow though, we get up early and move.”

  “Are you blowing up another bridge?”

  “We are.”

  “Does the water wash them away?” Billy asked.

  “I don’t know. We just don’t see them. I think they sink and drown, not sure,” Alex said.

  “Wouldn’t it be nice if the water did wash them away? Like magic?”

  “It would be.”

  “Then the rain would do it, huh?” he questioned.

  “Yeah, it would if the water was a secret weapon.” Alex moved her face closer to him and kissed him on the forehead.

  “Maybe it will rain.”

  “Another nice thing, but … it hasn’t happened in a while.”

  Billy spoke through a yawn, “Then I’ll say a prayer. OK?”

  “You do that,” Alex spoke gently. “You do that.” She watched Billy close his eyes, and then she adjusted the sheet over him.

  It was warm in the room, and she wanted to open the door to let in some air. It was cooler outside in comparison. Rain would be nice, if for anything, just to take away the dry that had spread across the land. She knew, prayers or no prayers, the rain—just like a place where they could stop for a long time—wasn’t happening anytime soon.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Mack swore it was an explosion that jolted him awake. The loud—Boom—rocked his lawn chair and in turn, Mack, in a start, toppled to the ground.

  Splash.

  “What the hell?” Mack looked at the puddle of water. The same one he fell face-first into. Then he felt his body.

  He was soaking wet. He rolled to a sitting position and that was when he realized it was raining.

  “There.” Alex placed the shirt over Billy’s head and adjusted it. “I like this one better. Something about stripes always looks good on a boy.”

  Bang!

  The slam of the opening door caused Alex to jump.

  “Don’t get mad,” Billy said. “Mack didn’t mean it.”

  Alex looked at Mack who stood in the door, arms extended like a lunging Sasquatch. “Mack. You’re soaking wet.”

  “No kidding, Alex, it’s raining.” Mack shut the door. “Did you think for a second maybe I wanted to come inside last night.”

  “You fell asleep. You said if you fall asleep, let you be.”

  “It was
raining. I am soaked. You let me sleep out there in the rain.”

  “In my defense, it didn’t start raining until after I feel asleep. I didn’t know until we woke up. Right, Billy.”

  “We didn’t know until we woke up.”

  Calmly Mack nodded. “How long have you been up?”

  “An hour,” Alex answered.

  “An hour?” Mack grumbled. “And at no point did you think to get me?”

  “You were—”

  “Sleeping. Yes. Thank you.” Mack walked by her to the bathroom.

  “Mack, it rained. It rained, Mack.”

  He just glared at her. “You let me sleep outside.”

  “It hasn’t rained in months.”

  “And you let me sleep outside in it.”

  Billy jumped on the bed as he spoke, “I prayed for rain, and it rained.”

  “What do you think about that?” Alex asked.

  “Coincidence,” Mack replied.

  “But, Mack, it hasn’t rained in months. Months …”

  “Then it was long overdue.”

  “Mack—”

  “Alex.” He held up his hand. “I’m wet. I’m cold. I’m miserable and hungry.”

  “But …”

  Mack shook his head and closed the bathroom door.

  After a second of quiet, Alex looked at Billy. “Maybe we should have woken him.” A pause. “Oh, well.” She shrugged. “Let’s go get the others so we can eat.” She grabbed his hand, Billy jumped from the bed, and thinking no more about Mack being angry—he never stayed that way long—she and Billy sought the others.

  ++++

  Nicole and Rick had placed the small hotel-room tables in a long row at the corner-end of the balcony. The door of the nearest room was ajar and the odd aroma of bacon flowed—and frightened Mack—as he saw the entire gang seated and eating when he turned the bend.

  He stopped, looked at his watch and then to the table. “Is there a reason everyone is still sitting around.”

  Nicole answered, “We’re eating. Look, Mack, bacon.”

  “First, it’s been over three months since the power went out. What would make you think bacon hasn’t gone bad?”

  “Raphael said,” Nicole replied.

  Mack groaned. “Ah, Nick, not you, too. You don’t believe this guy has powers, too.”

  Nicole laughed. “I believe he spotted then found the only place that still had power. I know. I know …” She held up her hand. “How odd is that? But I smelt the bacon, Mack, it was good. And it’s delicious.”

  “Dude,” Del said. “Really, eat the meat. It’s not admittance to an angel tale.”

  Alex waved out her hand. “He’s in a bad mood because he slept outside in the rain and we didn’t wake him.”

  “Told you.” Del pointed the fork. “When I stopped in your room this morning, I said to wake up Mack.”

  Mack curled his lip. “Why didn’t you wake me, Del?”

  Del shrugged. “I thought it was funny.”

  “Asshole.” Mack shook his head. “Anyhow, eat up. We have explosives to set and a town of Dokes to get rid of. I want to be on the road by this afternoon. Before you people get sick.”

  Suddenly everyone stopped eating and just looked at Mack.

  “What? What I miss?” Mack asked.

  Alex softened her voice, “It rained, sweetie.”

  “OK, I know that …” He raised his voice some, “I slept in it.”

  Alex cringed. “The rain is water.”

  Mack closed off one eye with his finger as if he had a headache. “Seriously? You think because it rained, the Dokes here are gone?”

  Billy spoke up, “Rain makes them go away, Mack.”

  Mack shook his head. “No, Billy, the lake and river water drowns them, they sink.”

  Rick interjected, “Water is cleansing. It Cleansed.”

  Mack tried, he really tried, to remain in control. “Rick, this isn’t Wizard of Oz, they don’t melt like the Wicked Witch. There is a town of Dokes—”

  “They’re gone,” Rick interrupted.

  “How …” Mack asked with edge. “How do you know they’re gone?”

  Every pointed at Raphael. Upon indication of him, he stood.

  “I see.” Mack nodded. “What are you doing?”

  “Trying to open eyes, Mackenzie,” Raphael said.

  “Well … Raph. I’m really lost at what you are talking about?”

  “Trying to get everyone to believe that there is more to this, more out there than the walking dead.”

  Mack nodded. “And how is this accomplished?”

  “Billy …” Raphael pointed. “Prayed for rain to wash them away. It rained. Fr. Owens added at the end of his prayer that he’d just like some meat other than Spam. You have bacon.”

  “Yes, well, it hasn’t rained in months it was long overdue and the bacon … I wouldn’t touch it. All these folks are gonna be sick from eating bad food, thank you. And I’m gonna be cleaning up vomit and shit because they think it’s fine and there are no more Dokes around here.”

  “There aren’t,” Raphael replied.

  “How do you know?”

  “I looked.”

  Mack’s eyes widened and he spoke sarcastically, “You looked? You drove twelve miles into town, rode around, came back, and it was all clear. All in five hours.”

  “Actually I flew.”

  Mack brought his hand to his face with a smack. “You flew.” He cleared his throat. “That’s right. You’re an angel.”

  “Why are you so hostile?” Raphael stepped closer to him.

  “You’re an angel of God, you tell me.”

  “You hesitate to even contemplate believing.”

  “That’s not why I’m here. If … if I am meant to live, meant to clean this Earth, and if there is a God, I’m pretty sure he’s OK with my attitude.”

  “But you’re angry …”

  “I’m angry …” Mack drew back his tone. “Because I don’t want you to lead these people with some blind faith into a false sense of security.”

  “And I don’t want you to lead these people under the pretense of security, blindly away from faith.”

  Mack grumbled, “Oh my God.”

  “I asked you not to say that.”

  Mack bit his lip and pointed. “I’m done. I have Dokes to kill. The rest of you … eat your bad bacon.” He turned to walk away.

  “Mack.” Alex stood “Wait. I’ll go with you.”

  Raphael called, “Mack, there are no Dokes. You will waste your time setting explosives that aren’t needed.”

  “I’m sorry,” Mack said. “I can’t buy that.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Raphael stated. “If they are there, I help. If not … will you agree to just head West.”

  “We have plans to go South.”

  “West, if there are no Dokes.” Raphael held out his hand.

  Mack took a few breaths. “And no more misleading them if they are still there.”

  “Deal.”

  Mack looked down at Raphael’s hand. After hesitating, he reached and shook it. There was a pause, and he withdrew his hand with a look to Alex. “Deal.”

  He wiped his hand on the side of his pants, turned once more, and walked off.

  ++++

  Papers shifted across the empty streets; clothes fluttered in the breeze. The sound of a can rolling was the only noise they heard.

  “Anything?” Alex asked through the radio.

  Mack hesitated then answered, “Nothing.” He shifted his eyes to Raphael, who gave a smug look. “Thought modesty was a must with angels and pride was a sin.”

  “Superbia,” Raphael corrected. “And I believe it is more a I told you so look.”

  “You didn’t tell me anything yet. She …” Mack pointed to Nicole walking down the street with Rick. “She will.”

  Nicole tossed out her hands. “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  “Not a scent. Not a sight. You heard Rick cal
ling out. Nothing emerged. Not a single Doke.”

  “You kidding me?” Mack asked. He felt the tap to his shoulder and turned to Raphael. “What?”

  “Modesty may be a must with angels, but humility is appreciated among men.”

  Clenching his jaws, Mack nodded. “I just don’t get how fifteen thousand Dokes just vanished.”

  Rick answered, “It rained.”

  Mack huffed out, “Nicole.”

  “Hating to say it, Mack,” she bit her lip, almost fearful, “it did rain. Now …” She held up her hand. “Not saying it was a God thing. More like a nature thing. Maybe the Dokes have been broken down so much by decomposition that they’re literally hanging on tissue by a thread and the rain just finished them.”

  “Yeah,” Mack said sarcastically.

  “Only explanation I have,” Nicole stated.

  “I have one.” Raphael held up his hand.

  “Pride guy,” Mack said. “Remember that.”

  “Humility man. Remember that.” Raphael smiled. “West?”

  Mack huffed. “Fine. We go West.” He lifted the radio. “Alex, it’s clear. We’re moving …” he choked a little on his words, “West.” A pause. “Quit laughing.”

  “I didn’t say anything,” Alex replied.

  “I know you.” Mack hooked the radio to his belt and looked around again. The street—the day before, filled with wandering Dokes—empty. He still didn’t believe they were gone. He thought maybe they were hiding, but a deal was a deal. He didn’t see a Doke. With a wave of his arm, he summoned Raphael, Nicole, and Rick to follow him.

  “Mack?” Raphael asked. “Since I was correct about this town, next encounter will you allow me to use an arrow …”

  “You’re pushing it,” Mack stated, and walked.

  “I’m quite good.”

  Mack walked backwards. “Superbia.”

  “Humility.”

  Mack grunted turned again and continued to walk.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  There was a sense of justification to Mack when he saw it. He admitted to Alex on the ride, to feeling a little dejected and perhaps jealous.

  “I understand,” Alex said. “I do. You led and protected, and then hot Latino guy comes along and says he’s an angel and everyone just suddenly thinks he’s the man.”