“You need stitches.”
“Stitch it.” He said. “While you’re at it pierce my earlobe.”
“What?”
“Peirce my earlobe.” He said tugging on his lobe.
That’s when Riley realized Conman was sitting in a chair designed for piercing. She slugged him in his good shoulder, and it made him wince slightly.
“I’m sorry.” She said grinning.
“No, she’s not,” Ryan said on the radio.
“Quiet or I’ll pierce yours while you sleep.” She teased.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“On the left,” Jack said.
He appeared through the darkness and into the disappearing light. Riley glanced at her watch. It was already 4 PM. Soon the atriums light would disappear, and they'd be in total darkness. The cat’s eyesight adjusted to darkness and was an advantage while hunting its prey. Conman would be putting out a smell, and the cat would smell the blood.
Riley put the last of the packing into Conman’s wound. Jack’s expression was one hard to read, but she knew he hadn’t seen the tiger. She waited because it was something she wanted to see.
“All’s quiet.” He looked at Conman and handed him clothing he’d found somewhere close by. “Get rid of the bloody clothes.”
“What’s that sound?” Conman said causing them all to pause and turn.
At first, it sounded like water draining from a gutter and then in an instant the rush of falling water. The rain became too much even for the atrium. With the storm unleashing its fury, the overhead roof trembled under the weight of water and vibration caving in the center and releasing a river of rain.
“The entry,” Riley asked.
“There were several of them,” Jack said. “We did the best we could.”
"We could sweep the second level before it gets dark,” Ryan said. “Be done with this.”
“I’m good to go.” Conman said cutting into the conversation. “I still got one good arm.”
“I figured you would be,” Jack said looking at Riley. “Wad those gloves up into his clothes. I’ll toss them down.”
Riley looked down and saw the blood. “Bummer.” She said peeling off the only piece of clothing keeping her warm.
“I brought you a jacket,” Jack said rolling the bloodied clothes into a ball and then into a bag. He tossed his gloves in as well.
“I love shopping” Conman said trying to peel off his shirt. Riley reached up and pulled on the material. Several items fell to the floor. She giggled as she lifted a pair of pink boy shorts into the air and waved them around like a flag. Conman grabbed them out of her hands.
“It’s sacrilegious to tamper with a man’s undies.” He said.
Riley grabbed up the clothes Jack brought. He’d done well finding a sports shirt and a dark Hurley sweater. For her, a North Slope ski jacket. She handed Conman the Hurley hoody, and he pouted looking at her coat.
“I like that.” He said playfully.
“Let me help you get this on.” She said setting the sweater over his head. Worried he’d bleed through the gauze if he moved around too much, she helped.
“Hurry. We’re not the only ones here.” Jack said softly.
“You mean other sweepers or someone else?” Riley asked.
“Someone else,” Ryan replied rubbing his hands together. The temperature was dropping.
“Markers?”
“I heard someone talking,” Ryan said pulling out a pair of neoprene gloves.
“Listen, Guys wound is pretty deep. I stitched it, but I'm worried it may still bleed." Riley said.
“We’re not going anywhere Relay.” As if on cue, exploding thunder gave Riley reason.
An electric white light flashed overhead, flickering strands of electricity over the top of the atriums cover. Sounds of ripping metal groaned and then exploded. Several panels above them shattered. Jagged pieces fell downwards like razor sharp swords breaking as they hit the bottom level. Streams of water gushed to the floor producing a roaring sound. Riley ducked away as they ran for cover. When the lightning and thunder passed, the noise of the surging water took its place. There in the center of the mall was a full-blown waterfall coming down through the ceiling. Ironically, the trees made for a jungle affect. The water rushed to the center and then spread out into several rivers.
“It’s going to go,” Jack yelled over the roar.
A gust of wind surged through the gaping hole taking the American flag and lifting it into a ballet of movements. Riley watched in disbelief as the palm trees bent over and water began to creep down the breezeways of the mall. The storm was becoming increasingly angry.
Forced to move regardless of what decisions Jack made. Suddenly the tiger became an afterthought as Jack advanced them forward. They weaved towards the second level breezeway. Riley had a bad feeling. By the sound of the rain and the force of the wind, they were facing hurricane conditions. Leaving wasn’t a choice. They were safer in the mall.
“You know this mall?” Jack turned to her.
“Yes,” she said into the mic. The wind was now pushing inside the building.
They needed to get somewhere safe. Sears was near the food court, which was still on the second floor. There were many places to hide and plenty of tools if they needed them.
The entry was just in front of them. Jack was moving them there. They didn’t stop until they got to the center of the store, passing several rotting bodies and a mountain of debris residue of someone’s rage. As the airflow became blocked and the wind lashed out its fury, Riley gathered her thoughts. Less than a minute passed when outside in the center of the mall sounded another crash. The building trembled violently. The sound was thunderous shaking the floor under them.
Riley looked over and saw Conman holding onto a counter. Boxes of coffee pots and fancy mixing machines crashed to the ground. On top of the freak storm, they’d just experienced an earthquake.
When the floor under her feet stopped shaking, Riley realized she was white knuckling the base of her gun. She took in a deep breath.
“That was weird.”
“I have a bad feeling,” Jack said trying to reach Chambers. “Chambers do you copy?”
Riley was standing not far from Conman and Ryan was beside her, Jack, however, was on the opposite side of Conman shielded by a partition that separated kitchenware from bedding. She saw the movement before anyone else. Riley tapped Conman on the back. She was the only one who could see the cat. It stopped mid-stride several hundred feet away, paused and turned towards them. He lifted his head into the air as if proving its placement on the food chain. Their scent was mixing into the swirls of Mother Nature’s fury.
The tiger snarled and with great confidence turn in the team's direction. Shaking earth and concrete started again. All the sounds combined horrendous and terrifying. The cat scrambled, panicked. It lunged out of Sears towards the center of the mall. If the cat had left the store, they could shut the gate to the entrance and keep the cat out.
“Why not?” She said aloud.
The sound of the earth moving was no match for the storm outside as the wind bent over trees and slung abandoned cars until they found barriers where they gathered. The sound of that, as well as freestanding objects propelled into the side of the building, joined in with the chorus of Mother Nature’s ferocity.
“Why not what?” Jack said. She could hear the tone of his voice.
“Shut the gates. I think he ran towards the center of the mall.” She yelled grabbing the edge of the counter as the shaking motion increased.
Jack looked over at Ryan. Before she could say anything else, Jack and Ryan were gone leaving her and Conman in the housewares isle knee-deep in Kitchen Aide and Black and Decker. Near her feet sat a Krupp’s cappuccino maker and her mouth watered slightly. Coffee.
“I think.” Conman repeated.
If they could close the gates, it’d be enough to keep the tiger out and them in. Passing late day moved into early evening,
and darkness crept its way through the aisles and partitions taking even the dimmest light away.
“What is it with you people and tigers anyway?” Conman said as the light faded. “Shit, I hate the dark.”
He turned suddenly spooked like a child locked in a closet. Within seconds, it was dark. She could barely make out the aisles in front of them. The store turned eerie and alive. Locked in a shopping mall overnight wasn’t her idea of fun shopping.
“What do you see?” She asked Conman.
“I heard something.”
Riley raised her gun searching to the left of Conman.
“Wax people?” He asked.
“I hope not.”
Riley took a step forward, and as the toe of her boot landed, she felt the tip of a barrel press into her back.
“Stop.” The voice came in a whisper. Metal pressed into her back.
“Shit!” Conman said.
Her mind flicked back and forth from the weapon in her hand to thinking about how fast she could roll out of this and counterattack. Through the darkness, Riley could barely see Conman who was grasping the table and shaking his head. There was more than one stranger.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Riley froze in place and waited. The barrel pushed further into her spine forcing her to step forward. She slowly turned around. As she did, she felt another barrel press into her back. Riley glanced at Conman, but his light mocha skin was hard to see.
Through the darkness, Riley made out the features of an innocent face. An all-American apple-pie face riddled with a harsh innocence. She said nothing intimidated by the gun in his hand. Riley took him serious regardless of his age and the sights tilted just slightly but aimed in her direction.
Riley held her hands up into the air. Her gun stayed in her hand.
"Put your weapon down." He said. Conman looked at her, and she could suddenly see the whites of his eyes.
“Do what he said.” This seems familiar!
“Okay, okay.” Conman said keeping his eyes on her. She could see him sway unbalanced. She heard his gun slip onto the counter.
Riley considered her next move. “We were sent here to help.” She said.
“I don’t think, so lady,” One of them said, and suddenly Riley felt old. Lady? “We got this.”
“I don’t think so. We shot three people in the mall that look like they just came off a movie set for some B-rated zombie flick. I’d say you have a big problem. And don’t call me Lady!” She said keeping her tone even.
“You infected?” he asked. “You seem a little agitate.”
Conman chuckled. “She’s no lady!”
Riley looked over at Conman. “Thanks.”
“No. If I were, you’d be dead. No drugs either. Just here to help.”
“I just meant this lad…woma…person is one hell of a…ah hell, I have no clue what I’m saying.” Conman said grasping the counter.
The stranger stepped around her keeping the gun pressed to her body. He kept enough distance to shoot. An odd sense of recognition slipped past Riley as his face caught the dimmest of light. This time it wasn’t a memory or vision. She’d seen this kid somewhere.
“Adam,” Riley whispered.
Riley didn’t remember seeing Ellie’s kids, but maybe pictures on the walls she’d filed to memory. Adam was the older of the two boys, and he was the one standing in front of her. Trenton was the youngest.
There was a thunderous crash outside followed by an explosion. The second level of the mall shook underneath them. Riley ducked covering her head.
“I’m Riley Collin’s. You’re living in my house.” She yelled out. Suddenly that sounded threatening, so she tried to correct what she meant. “Your house now. My old house.”
Conman stared over at her “Which is it Relay?”
“There house.” She said.
Trenton lowered his gun just a little, but Adam held steady. The likeness between the two was clear. They were already tall boys for their ages and far more advanced than any teenager their age in the past could ever be.
“Adam,” Trenton said.
Adam kept the gun pressed to her. Riley waited patiently.
“There are two more of us out there.” She said shifting her eyes to the entrance. “It won’t look too good if you’re holding the two of us up at gunpoint.”
Adam stared at her and then slowly lowered the gun. “You taking back the house?”
“No. The house is yours.” Riley said lowering her hands.
He dropped his gun some more while keeping it within his comfort zone. Conman went quiet bent forward letting out a grunt. He grasped his shoulder and started to fall forward. Riley caught him just in time. Under her fingers, she felt warm blood penetrating bandages and soaking his clothing.
“What’s wrong with him?” Trenton asked.
“He was shot.” She replied letting Conman slide down onto the ground. Adam stepped around to help steady him as he slid to the floor. “You’re bleeding like a stuck pig Conman.”
“Slit me open and stick me on a BBQ.” He chided.
“Ewe!” Riley said. “Jack and Ryan.”
Riley stepped away. “We have visitors.” She said. “Friendlies.”
“Coming back to you now,” Jack said.
“Copy.”
Riley waited for the next burst of thunder and lightning to explode or for the ground to start shaking. The wind blanketed sounds except a high-pitched whistling sneaking through cracks in the structure. The inside of the store shook as another window exploded apart. A heavy object tore through the cement and slid across the floor. The intensity of the storm sending unknown projectiles through windows. Searching for the cause, Riley could only see darkness.
“It’s the wind pushing debris through the front windows,” Adam said trying to ease her anxiety.
“It’s ripping the mall apart,” Trenton added.
When Jack and Ryan came around the bend, the boys raised their weapons. Before Riley had a chance to speak, Jack and Ryan stopped mid-stride. Riley moved in front of the kids shielding Jack and Ryan with her body.
“There with us. There with us.” She repeated.
There was a brief moment Adam, and Trenton’s childlike expressions became those of killers. Riley realized that they hadn’t been kids for a long time. Adam was the first to lower his weapon and Trenton followed.
“These are Ellie’s boys,” Riley said. “Ellie who lives in my old house.”
“Mmmm,” was all he said at first? There was a moment of no words spoken, and then Trenton stepped forward and extended his hand.
“Trenton, and that’s my brother Adam.” He said.
Jack took his hand and shook it. “Jack.” He said. “Colton.”
Adam stood his ground looking like he wasn’t sure if he was going to trust any of them and she didn’t blame.
“We need to get Conman somewhere where I can look at this shoulder. He needs something for the pain, or he’ll go into shock." Riley said.
“No, that’s just Conman. A little off-kilter.” Ryan replied.
“I’ll off-kilter you surf boy.” Conman sneered back. “Son of a bitch Wax person shot me.”
Jack looked at both Trenton and Adam. “We need some medical supplies. Something with more than a Band-Aid in it.”
Adam shook his head. “Nothing in here and out there you can’t walk two feet without pushed backward three.”
“I’ll be right back,” Trenton said. Adam, unconcerned for his brother’s safety, let him go.
“Shouldn’t someone go with him?” Ryan asked.
Adam nodded. “He can take care of himself.”
Riley looked over at Jack and then Conman. Riley knelt down. “We need to get your shirt off.”
“I can’t lift my arm Relay.”
Riley took out her knife and slit the material away from his skin. The bandages soaked in blood, as was his shirt. She could even smell it. Concerned, she looked up through the darkness at Jack.
“Stop bleeding,” I replied. “Lucky for you, we’re in a store that has more shirts.”
“You’re going to need more than a shirt,” Adam said glancing down at the wound and then he too disappeared into the store.
In the Shadow of the Tiger (The Fighter Series Book 2) Page 20
