Sundown Series (Book 4): Torment

by Konstantin, Courtney

  "Do you know the building?" Rafe asked. Bo didn't answer, just nodded his head slowly.

  "Good. That information is going to save your life," Max said.

  "I can't help you. He'll butcher me if I do," Bo stammered.

  "What do you think we'll do if you don't help?" She replied.

  "I don't think you could do the things he does. We ran because he executed the guard that helped Lewis break the rules. He cut...pieces....off of him," Bo said. He choked on his words as if he were picturing the event again.

  "You don't know us. You have no idea what we would do to get our sister back," Rafe said.

  Bo sat, looking between them, weighing his options. He looked over at Trevor, who's eyes were also full of doubt and panic. But the other man just shrugged, putting the decision solely on Bo's shoulders. The man even looked over to Jackson, but he was still out with his head hanging limply. Bo looked back to Rafe once he realized there was no help for him.

  "Ok. What do you want to know?"

  They sat in the spot grilling Bo for an hour. At that time a plan began to form, and the gang members were locked inside the van, tied to the rings that were installed into the body of the vehicle. Marcus got angry again thinking about the women they must have strapped to the rings, but he controlled himself as they moved away from the van to discuss their options. It was getting late in the day and none of them wanted to wait any longer. Rafe checked on Charlie and her work on Albert. The little blonde gave him promising information as she hung an IV bag for her patient. Mateo insisted on being part of the planning and he followed Rafe back to meeting with Marcus and Max.

  Between the two of them they had two maps spread. They evaluated the fastest way to enter the town without being detected. Then the plan of how they would get into the building began to take form. Bo had confirmed that the back door was the least guarded as the Noble Lord's men tended to use it for smoke and bathroom breaks. Rafe took the lead on the planning and as he laid out what he wanted to do, the group stared at him in a mixture of surprise and shock.

  "It only works if we go in at night," Rafe said.

  "If it works," Max replied.

  "And doesn't get us all killed at the same time," Marcus said.

  "Then it's settled. We go in tonight," Rafe said. Before anyone could argue further, he walked away.

  Cliff and Marcus had tasks for the plan and the two got busy with little talking. Max decided they were going to take the van with them to the town. Depending on how many women they got out alive, they could need the extra vehicle for transportation. Where the women would go was a question they hadn't answered yet. Mateo waited for his uncle to wake up from the sedative Charlie had given him. She was able to remove the bullet from the man's leg. However, he wouldn’t be walking on it anytime soon.

  When darkness began to approach, everyone loaded into their vehicles. Max pushed the three gang members from the van. Using her gun she motioned for them to move into the trees. They stumbled and whispered to each other, as they assumed they were walking to their executions. When they were fifty feet from the vehicles Max threw an old hunting knife at their feet.

  "Do not try to follow us. Do not try to warn anyone at the brothel. If I see you again, I will not hesitate to kill you. Am I making myself clear?"

  "You're leaving us out here?" Bo asked.

  "You're alive out here, right? You're lucky I'm not strapping you to a tree for the wild animals or the dead to feast on you. But my brother tends to be nicer than me and he said that plan was too harsh. If I see you again, he won't be able to stop me," Max said.

  The men didn't speak again and Max backed away with her gun aimed at them the entire time. She climbed into the van, with Griffin riding shotgun. All the vehicles started up and began their short trip into town. Rafe took the lead and when they arrived about four blocks from the brothel, they turned the vehicles into an alley. The next step in their plan needed to be done when there was still some light.

  "I'm not sure about this," Marcus said.

  "We won't let you get eaten," Max replied.

  Marcus and Cliff stood in the middle of the street with bags they had gotten from the van. They were hoods the gang members used to kidnap women. They were now going to be used to capture their distraction. Each man held two hoods. Each was trying to catch two infected. Max and Rafe were walking on either side of the street, guns at the ready. Marcus could feel the sweat drip down his face. He understood Rafe wanted a serious distraction, but Marcus didn't like the idea of getting that close to the teeth of an infected.

  The first groan made Marcus jump a foot. He turned toward the noise to see Max backing away from a broken out storefront. She motioned to Marcus to come forward and she readied herself with her tomahawk in her hand. Marcus whistled loudly to get the infected's attention. A shambling corpse showed itself and it immediately focused on Marcus in the middle of the street. The flesh from the infected's jaw was missing, but the remaining muscle allowed it to snap in the direction of his fresh meat. Marcus looked at Max who acted like she was looking at her nails.

  "Seriously?" He blurted out.

  That made Max grin widely as she snuck up behind the infected. Swiftly she grabbed both arms and yanked them back behind the infected's body. With no understanding, the infected continued to snap at the meal it could see. Without trouble, Max had the infected's wrists zip-tied together. Once Max stepped back, Marcus stepped forward with the hood. The smell coming from the infected made Marcus think of raw sewage mixed with death. He held his breath, but he couldn't stop the one large whiff he did get up his nose. He moved quickly to avoid the teeth that wanted to find purchase in his skin.

  Once the hood was over the head, Max led the infected toward the van. She struggled as its body couldn't react to her pushing. It was a long process to capture and corral the four infected they needed for Rafe's crazy plan. There were a million reasons the plan could fail. Marcus tried to keep his mind from wandering down the avenue of negative conclusions. He pictured Alex, thinking about how she needed them. If this got her and Mateo's sister out of the brothel, it was worth the risk.

  "Can we go over this again?" Marcus asked.

  "It's not hard, Marcus. We free these four in the brothel. We wait for the distraction to begin and we go in to find Alex and Sylvia," Rafe replied.

  "And the guards at the back of the building?"

  "I'll handle them quietly," Rafe said as he flipped one of his throwing knives in the air a few times.

  Marcus had no doubts about Rafe's accuracy with the blades. The man was deadly and if Marcus was honest with himself it scared him a little. Rafe had created a practice area near the bunkhouse where Marcus slept. The constant and rhythmic thunk sounds often echoed across the compound. Marcus had noticed that the targets had very little damage outside of the bullseye. Rafe had offered to teach Marcus once, but after he cut his hand, Rafe decided he wasn't ready for throwing.

  They lead the hooded infected by a paracord wrapped around their necks. Rafe and Max watched their backs as Cliff, Marcus, and Mateo struggled to get the bodies to go where they wanted them to. As they got closer to the brothel, the loud noises of people could be heard. Marcus couldn't understand why there weren't more infected nearby. When they got within view of the building and they could see the bodies piling up in the streets, he understood. The infected came close and were easily cut down by the waiting guards.

  The back of the brothel loomed in the darkness. The windows were all boarded at the first floor. The second floor showed the soft glow of candlelight in places. The street was pitch black, helping to hide the Duncan group as they hid behind a car wreck. Rafe hissed at them and Max nodded as he crept away quietly. He easily disappeared into the night and Marcus struggled to follow his movements. The infected they held groaned and hissed. The noise seemed loud in the empty street. The sound caught the attention of the guards that stood near the brothel backdoor.

  "Did you hear that?" A voice came from t
he darkness. Marcus could just make out the glow of a cigarette bouncing.

  "Walkers coming, I think," another voice answered.

  The quiet sound of gurgling met Marcus's ears and he knew that Rafe had struck. The second guard let out a short holler, but it was cut short by Rafe. Marcus stood frozen, holding the ropes connected to the infected.

  "The coast is clear," Rafe's voice came from behind the group and Marcus almost let out an unmanly like squeak. The man had silently circled the area to ensure there were no additional guards. Until he had spoken, Marcus thought he was still in the darkness in front of them.

  "Let's get these smelly bastards in there," Max said.

  The process of getting the infected into the brothel wasn't simple. As a team they forced the dead forward, fighting their bodies that had no coordination. When they reached the brothel door, Rafe tested the knob and everyone let out a sigh when the door opened silently. Rafe peered inside first, then he stepped into the dim interior. His hand poked out shortly after, motioning them in. Stepping inside, Marcus drug his infected through the open door. They had to move quickly if the distraction was going to help them find Alex.

  Rafe pointed to another closed door.

  "That leads to a larger room. I could hear people in there. We need to let them loose in there," Rafe whispered.

  "What about my sister?" Mateo asked. His concern was valid. Sylvia had no fighting experience against the living or the dead.

  "It's a risk, but we have to take it. We won't be far behind the infected. Hopefully she stays hidden until we can get her out," Rafe said. He placed a hand on Mateo's shoulder. Marcus knew that Mateo had a hard time moving on with the plan without his uncle by his side. However, the injured man was in no shape to fight and Charlie was tending to his wound.

  After cutting the wrist bindings, each infected was shoved through the interior door. Max slammed it shut after the fourth and leaned against it as the infected tried to get back through. It didn't take them long to realize they were in a room with more living.

  The screaming started next.

  Chapter Nineteen

  "What the hell?" The Noble Lord roared.

  Alex wondered if his anger was fueled by the frustration that he wouldn't get his hands on her again. Or was he mad that his little utopia was being upset by something else? He stormed across the room again to the bedroom door. Just as he opened it a guard burst through, almost knocking the Noble Lord to the ground.

  "Sir, sorry, sir. Infected are in the building!" The guard said.

  "So, take care of them," the Noble Lord said.

  "There's already a handful injured. I think we’re going to need more hands-on deck," the guard said.

  "So, go get Clive. He can get men to help," the Noble Lord said, waving his hand dismissively.

  "Uh, well, Clive is..." The guard trailed off.

  "Clive is what?" The Noble Lord demanded.

  "Clive's dead, sir. The infected got him quick," the guard said quickly.

  The Noble Lord stood silently for a moment, a hand on his chin as he thought. Alex found herself wondering if the Noble Lord had actually been in any fights with the infected. He had no problem sending his own men in to die, but wasn't too quick to jump in when he was needed. He turned and paced the room a few times as he thought.

  "Sir! I need to get back out there. The women don't have any way to defend themselves," the guard said. His words were punctuated by the high-pitched scream of a woman echoing into the room.

  "Go!" The Noble Lord yelled.

  The guard turned and ran back through the door. The Noble Lord paced the room. Rubbing his face with his hand, as he seemed deep in thought. The sounds of fighting, fear, and killing were loud in Alex's ears. She yanked at the handcuffs again, panicking at the thought of being trapped. If the infected were to get into the room, she wouldn't be able to protect herself. She rattled the metal until the Noble Lord finally looked over to her.

  "Let me go," Alex rasped. The Noble Lord didn't answer, he just stared at her.

  "Afraid it's not me you need to worry about now," she continued.

  "I'm not worried about you. You won't be my problem soon," the Noble Lord said.

  He turned away from her then, and she knew his plan. He disappeared in the room that served as his closet. When he came out, he had a backpack on. Alex couldn't say she was surprised to see him running from trouble. He went to the door of the room and looked over his shoulder before opening it.

  "I am sorry we never got to have a good time. You are full of fight. I would have enjoyed breaking you," he said.

  "You never would have. You're too weak," Alex said as loudly as she could.

  The Noble Lord's face darkened, Alex could see him debate coming back to her to teach her a lesson. Part of her wanted to get him closer so she had the chance of getting free. She didn't want to be left alone. And she would even take the company of this vile man over being left to be eaten by the infected. Her goading the Noble Lord didn't work, though. He took a deep breath and turned back to the door. Alex began to struggle with renewed vigor.

  "Don't just leave me tied up! Give me the keys!" Alex called out in a wracking whisper.

  For a moment she thought she had gotten to him, broken through the horrible shell of the man. The Noble Lord turned and looked at her, his hand fishing in his pocket. He walked back toward her, his eyes never leaving hers. When he was six feet from her, he stopped and stared. She looked down at the hand he was holding open toward her. In his palm, a pair of handcuff keys sat. He stared at her as he turned his hand over and dropped the keys on the floor.

  "See ya," he said and turned for the door again.

  "You're a monster," Alex tried to yell. It came out low and broken, her throat burned in pain as she tried to force the sound.

  "No. The monsters will be in soon, I'm sure," the Noble Lord said, as he disappeared through the bedroom door.

  Alex stared at the open doorway for a long moment. With the door open, the terror of what was happening in the brothel was even more real. She could hear people running, screaming, and the thuds of bodies against the walls and floor. A nearby scream startled Alex and she realized she was a sitting duck. She could see the handcuff keys, so close, but just out of reach. That didn't stop her from trying.

  Sliding the handcuffs as low as she could on the bedpost, Alex tried to stretch her body toward the keys. She grabbed the metal chain of the cuff and stretched her arms out straight. Balancing on one foot, she tried to use her other to reach the keys. She was at least a foot away still and she cursed as loudly as her bruised vocal cords allowed.

  As she was straightening a woman came running into the room. Alex jumped up and backed up against the wall, judging quickly that the woman was alive. The woman's eyes flew around wildly and came to rest on Alex. She studied Alex for a moment before stepping forward. Alex prepared to jump onto the bed if she needed to retreat any further.

  "Are you Alex?" The woman asked. Alex just nodded. The woman turned and ran out of the room again.

  What the hell? Alex thought to herself. She didn't even get the chance to ask the woman for the keys before she ran back out. Alex started to stretch to reach the keys again, wondering to herself how the woman knew who she was. She couldn't see the door and was startled when a voice came from behind her.

  "What in the hell are you wearing?"

  "Max?" Alex said, standing up quickly and turning to see her sister entering the room.

  "Lace isn't exactly good for the apocalypse, Alex," Max replied.

  "Keys, right there," Alex said, pointing.

  Max spotted the keys quickly and was scooping them up when Rafe and Griffin entered the room with a Hispanic man Alex didn't know. Rafe came straight to her and studied her battered face and neck.

  "Where is he?" Rafe asked.

  "Gone," Alex rasped.

  "How long?"

  "Five minutes max," Alex replied.

  "Stop making her talk, Rafe.
It's obvious it's hurting her. Charlie will need to check out that neck," Max said.

  When Alex was freed from the bed, she rubbed her wrists. Max threw her bug out bag on the bed and rifled through it until she produced a pair of pants and a long-sleeved thermal. Alex grabbed them, thankful her sister was always so prepared. Alex was slightly taller than Max, but she would wear short pants instead of a lace nightie anytime. When Alex put her injured leg into the pants she hissed.

  "He do that too?" Max asked.

  "During a fight," Alex replied.

  "I knew you wouldn't go down without a fight," Max said.

  "A lot of good it did me," Alex said as she pulled the thermal over her head. She let the nightie bunch underneath, not wanting to take the time to remove it. In her mind, she would cut it and burn it later.

  "Where's Marcus," Max asked suddenly. The Hispanic boy, who Alex now noticed was standing with the woman that knew her name, turned to her.

  "I lost him inside the brothel. He was there and then he went off to help a woman that was fighting off an infected," the man said.

  "Marcus? He's here? Who are you?" Alex asked questions in quick succession.

  "This is Mateo and his sister Sylvia, long story. Marcus is here. We need to find him so we can split," Max said.

  "Which way did he go?" Rafe asked.

  "Follow me," Mateo said.

  The young man put his rifle to his shoulder and headed back out the door. His sister stayed close behind him, her hand on his shoulder. She was wearing a bra and panties under a jacket that she was given by her brother. Her shoes were clunky working boots. The woman didn't seem to care as she moved quickly into the brothel. Alex watched the new additions and raised an eyebrow at Max. Max just shrugged and pushed her toward the door. Alex held out her hand and it was all the signal Max needed to place a 9mm in her palm.