The Day After Never (Book 7): Havoc

by Blake, Russell

  “The Mexicans again. But this time they’ve already taken out two-thirds of our men.” He took a breath. “They’re saying they need to evacuate.”

  “Let’s go,” Snake said, and stormed to the radio room at the end of the hall as his bodyguards rushed to catch up.

  The operator looked up in surprise from where he was listening through headphones and, when he saw Snake closing on him, pointed to another set hanging on a hook. Snake pulled them over his head and turned to the operator. “I want to talk to them.”

  “Last transmission was a minute ago. It sounds bad.”

  “Get someone in charge on the horn.”

  The operator toggled the transmit button and spoke into the microphone. Nobody responded. Snake elbowed him out of the way and growled into the mic, “This is Snake. Answer, dammit.”

  A voice responded ten seconds later. “We’re taking heavy fire. Hundreds of men attacking. We’re going to have to pull back or–”

  Snake cut him off with the transmit button. “Listen to me, you shitgrub. You’ll fight them off or you’ll die trying, do you understand? The Crew doesn’t retreat or surrender. If you can’t beat them back, you’re as good as dead when reinforcements arrive. Do you read me?”

  Snake and the operator listened for a response, but none came. A minute went by, and then another, and the only sound was the hum of dead air with occasional static from interference.

  Snake jerked the headset from his ears and tossed it on the table. “Call me if you get anything more. I’m going back to bed.”

  The operator watched Snake, wearing only his underwear, march to the door and exit, the tattooed serpents on his back writhing as he moved.

  There were no further transmissions, and by the time the sun was high in the Texas sky, Laredo was no longer held by the Crew. The Nuevo Laredo Cartel was the city’s new governor, with a fighting force of well over a thousand men ready to defend the new territory to the last man.

  Chapter 37

  Denver, Colorado

  Julie and Anne strolled past the vendors lining the approach to the convention center. They were wearing the white tunics they’d been given for that night’s celebration; the hems were decidedly short, and the homespun fabric clung to their curves. Julie’s long legs were tanned bronze, and she wore sandals she’d bought at one of the street stalls – relics from before the collapse, made from synthetics that would outlast the buildings around her. Anne wore her combat boots, and the pair turned heads as they laughed together, to anyone watching them two young women without a care in the world.

  They passed the conference center entry with its massive bear sculpture and continued to the performing arts center, where an unsmiling guard with a rifle stopped them.

  “Sorry. This area’s off-limits.”

  “Really? Why? I thought the whole town was open for the festival.”

  “It is. All except this area. Church property.”

  “Oh, um, okay. We saw all the buildings and were wondering what it was.”

  “Now you know.”

  Julie flashed a smile. “Okay. We didn’t mean any harm.” She pointed to a green area across the street. “Is it okay if we hang out under those trees and eat?”

  The guard looked her up and down. “I don’t suppose there’d be anything wrong with that.”

  “Perfect. Thanks.”

  “No problem.”

  They went and got freshly baked breakfast rolls and apple cider from one of the carts and walked over to the small park across from the compound. They had no real plan other than to watch the comings and goings and try to learn anything they could. A perimeter wall built from a hodgepodge of brick, cinderblock, and stone encircled the grounds, its construction obviously post-collapse. It stretched all the way from the edge of a park to one side of the convention center, blocking the access road. People came and went through an ornate gate at the front of the compound, and Julie stiffened when she saw Ellen stroll through.

  “That confirms she’s one of the church bigwigs,” Anne whispered.

  “Yeah. God-fearing murderer and kidnapper,” Julie said under her breath.

  Others trickled through the gate to enjoy the final day of the festival, and Julie spotted a familiar face among a group of men and women. “There’s the creepy son,” she said, and stood, stretching so the tunic rose high on her thighs, displaying a tanned expanse of muscular leg.

  Elijah looked over at the pair of women. He stopped what he was doing when Anne rose as well. Both women laughed, flashing white teeth in the sunlight, and he broke away from his entourage and crossed the street.

  “Good morning, ladies,” he said, his voice a purr.

  “Morning,” Anne said.

  Julie smiled and looked down demurely. “Good morning.”

  “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

  “Oh, it’s perfect,” Julie said. “I love it here. It’s like…like heaven.”

  They chatted about nothing much, and Anne excused herself, holding up her empty cider cup. “You want some more?” she asked Julie.

  “Sure. Thanks,” Julie said, and handed Anne hers.

  Anne strutted away, and Elijah’s eyes followed her before settling back on Julie. “The dress means you’re joining us permanently, I take it?”

  “Yes. It’s so…impressive. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “And your…I believe you came with a young man, didn’t you?”

  Her expression clouded. “Yes, but he’s not going to stay. He said this wasn’t for him. We got into a huge fight about it.”

  “Oh, dear. I’m sorry to hear that.”

  Julie shrugged, looked away, and then brightened. “It’s probably for the best. He was kind of a jerk.”

  “Yes, well, still. It can’t be easy.”

  “I’ll get over it.”

  “Do you have any other…friends here?”

  “Just Anne. We met on the trail coming to Denver. She’s really sweet and a lot of fun. Not like the jerk. He was a total sourpuss.”

  “A shame. You seem like you can do better than that.”

  “Well, I hope so. Though I suppose it will take some time.”

  Elijah snapped his fingers. “I have an idea! Why don’t you have lunch with me today, and I’ll see if I can think of anyone suitable? You can tell me all about yourself, and I’ll see what I can do. I know everyone. And you’re far too beautiful to be alone. It’s a crime against nature.”

  Julie blushed and looked away, allowing Elijah time to fully appreciate her considerable charms. When she looked back at him, she did her best to appear both shy and interested. “Lunch with you? I’m…it would be an honor!”

  “Wonderful. Then it’s settled. Come to the gate at noon and tell the guard you’re my lunch guest. What was your name again?”

  “Julie.”

  “Julie,” he said, savoring the syllables like a fine wine. “Excellent. I can’t wait. Is there anything special you’d like? There’s no limit.”

  “Oh, um, no. Whatever you’d normally eat. Don’t go to any trouble.”

  He returned to his group, and Anne arrived with the cider. “What did Creepo want?”

  “I have a lunch date with him today.”

  “Ew.”

  “I know. But it’s the only way any of us are going to get in there. You saw the guards.”

  “How far do you think he’s going to try to take it?”

  “I played young and dumb, so he’s got a good chance. Besides, you can tell he’s used to getting anything he wants. He’s got that spoiled thing going on. He probably thinks I’ll show up and spread for him before appetizers arrive.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “Whatever I have to in order to find Eve.”

  Noon arrived quickly, and after telling Arnold what she’d managed, Julie was at the gate early, with some vanilla extract she’d bought from a vendor dabbed on her neck and arms, and wildflowers woven through her hair by Anne, who’d fel
t the innocence they lent her would be a further aphrodisiac for the lecherous son.

  A woman in her late thirties greeted Julie at the gate and escorted her to Elijah’s suite of rooms in one of the smaller theaters. Julie admired the towering glass and steel arches over the walkway, and pretended awe at the extent of the facility as well as the condition, which was immaculate by post-apocalyptic standards.

  “In here,” the humorless woman said, holding open a glass door. Julie entered, and the woman closed it behind her and indicated a hall to the right. “He’s waiting for you in the last room on the left.”

  “Thanks,” Julie said, and headed down the corridor.

  Elijah was seated at a dining table laden with a feast large enough to feed a party of twenty. He stood when she came in, and she beamed a ten-thousand-kilowatt smile at him. He motioned to the food. “I wasn’t sure what you might want, so I told the staff to just make some of everything.”

  “That’s…amazing. You shouldn’t have.”

  “Nonsense. A young woman who’s been through hardship should be denied nothing.” He indicated a seat. “Please. Sit.”

  Julie did so and smiled again. “This is a gorgeous building. Do you live here all by yourself?”

  “Running the church with my father is demanding work. I need space where I can retire and think.”

  “You have to give me a tour.”

  “Of course. After lunch.” Elijah reached for a pitcher. “You should try this. It’s excellent. It’s a fortified fruit punch one of the deacons makes. Absolutely delicious.”

  “Fortified?”

  “With neutral spirits,” he said, as though that was an answer. Julie knew he was describing alcohol, probably white lightning, and couching it in double-speak so she wouldn’t object. She’d expected as much, if not outright drugging of her food.

  “Oh, um, sure. Do you like it?”

  “I love it,” he said, and poured her goblet full and his half full. “You must be parched from walking in the sun all morning.”

  She took a sip and smiled. “Hmm, this really is good.” She thought it tasted like at least fifty proof, the flavor of the moonshine masked by cherries and apples and berries.

  “I find it just the thing after a hard day.”

  Julie eyed the platters of food. “What is all this?”

  “We have a little of everything. This is rabbit stew, and this is venison, and this is ham, and pork belly. Chicken curry, poached trout, steamed and grilled vegetables, ten kinds of fruit in a fruit salad. Fresh baked bread, and soup to start.”

  “I…I can’t remember when I saw this much food…”

  “Fate has been kind to us.”

  Julie picked at the samplings he ladled onto her plate, watching him to confirm he was eating the same dishes as she in case he’d drugged them. They made small talk about the burdens and responsibilities of tending the church’s flock, and she felt the alcohol as the level of her cup dropped. When she’d eaten all she could, Elijah invited her to sit with him in his living area.

  “More fruit punch? I think it’s the best I’ve ever tasted,” he asked.

  “Maybe later. After the tour. I can’t wait to see everything. It’s like some kind of wonderland.”

  “Oh, sure. Perhaps we can do that later…”

  She pouted and then smiled. “I don’t know. More punch will make me woozy. I’ll be too tired later. Can’t we go now?”

  Elijah leaned forward and brushed a lock of her hair from her brow. “Of course we can. It’s just…I don’t often have company, so I’ve forgotten my manners. All I seem to do is work these days. It’s been forever since I got to spend time with someone as…breathtaking as you, Julie.”

  Another smile. “Show me around, and then I’ll have that second drink, Elijah. And thank you for taking time out from your day to have lunch with me. You really didn’t have to.”

  “I wanted to. I…I sense there’s something different about you, Julie. Something…unique.”

  I’ll bet, she thought, but didn’t say it. Instead, she took his hand and stood. “Come on. Let’s see what you’ve built here.”

  He rose, a disappointed smile in place, and smiled back at her. “Sure. Anything in particular you’re interested in?”

  “Anything you’re proud of. I think what you’ve done here is incredible. It’s like the collapse never happened.”

  “We’ve worked hard to restore civilization. With God’s help.”

  They walked through the complex, and he pointed out the various buildings. “This is where the church elders meet to deal with matters of government. And that serves as our courthouse, where we hear accusations and dispense justice.” He paused in front of another. “This is my father’s retreat. And this is where the inner circle of the church live.”

  “Inner circle?”

  “Those who’ve devoted their lives to the church. Like nuns and priests in other religions.”

  “Ah. Can they have…can they marry?”

  “Oh, certainly. Our view on relations is more progressive than some. My father was told in one of his visions that we’re perfect creations, and if we allow ourselves to be purified, our actions are also pure. As long as we don’t have sin in our hearts – greed, sloth, envy, jealousy, and so on – then our actions are all part of a larger plan.”

  Julie noticed he didn’t mention lust, and her smile was genuine. “Oh. Then why the separate rooms for men and women at the hotel?”

  “Because you haven’t been baptized yet, so you aren’t pure in God’s eyes.”

  Her lower lip extruded in another pout. “I want to be pure, too.”

  It was Elijah’s turn to smile, a predatory grin. “I can baptize you after the tour if you like.”

  “You can?”

  “Of course. I’m the number two man in the church. I’ll be doing the mass baptism tonight as well.”

  “Would you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Julie leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek, and then put her hand over her mouth. “Oh. I’m sorry. I…”

  “Don’t be. You’re one of God’s children, and I’m one of his messengers. There can be no sin between us.”

  “Really?”

  “I have it on the highest authority.”

  They continued walking the grounds, and Julie stopped where workers were affixing a large ventilation shaft to the side of the convention center.

  “What’s that?”

  Elijah frowned. “I…I’m not sure. Repairing something, probably.” Elijah approached the workers, who stopped when they saw him. “What are you doing?”

  “A project for your father.”

  Elijah appeared confused. The worker indicated one of the buildings they’d walked by. “Direct orders from him.”

  “He didn’t say why?”

  The worker shook his head. “The Prophet says jump, we jump. That’s how it works.”

  “Very well. Carry on.”

  Elijah edged closer to Julie and took her hand. “Come. I’m getting thirsty. Let’s get something cool to drink, and then I’ll baptize you.”

  They retraced their steps to Elijah’s suite, and when they were inside, he poured two more goblets full from the iced pitcher and handed her one. “To purity!” he said, and watched as she gulped down several large swallows while he sipped his.

  She put the cup down and smiled. “That’s really so good.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” He took her hand again. “Let’s go to my bathroom, and we’ll wash away the sins of the past.”

  Julie followed him to the adjoining bathroom, and he pointed to a tub that was built to accommodate two people. He turned on the water and eyed her as it began to fill. “We have water tanks on the roof. Gravity fed. And solar heaters. That way we don’t need pumps, but we have running water.”

  “Ingenious.” She eyed the tub. “So…what do I have to do?”

  “Once it’s half full, I’ll bless the water and immerse you in it, and
you’ll be purified.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Not everything in life has to be difficult. You’ve already done the hard work by coming to us and deciding to join the church. This part is easy.”

  The tub filled, and he shut off the stream, murmured a few words, and then stepped back. “Take off your shoes and get in the tub. Don’t be afraid when I lower your head below the surface for a few seconds, and don’t splash. When I pull you from the water, it will be done.”

  Julie climbed into the tub with Elijah’s help, which consisted of his hands around her waist. When she was in, she looked up at him.

  He said something in a language she didn’t understand, and then gently pushed her head beneath the water and held it there for a count of three. Then he pulled her from the tub with both hands and handed her a towel.

  She dried off as best she could, noting that her soaked tunic was nearly translucent and left nothing to the imagination about her body. Elijah eyed her the way a wolf eyes a bunny and took her hand.

  “Now for that drink,” he said, and led her back to the living area. They got their cups, and he invited her to sit with him on a large sectional sofa with a big-screen television and a computer in front of it.

  “Now that you’ve been purified, I can give you some idea of the work we’re forced to do to protect the congregation. You have no idea the wickedness that we have to be on guard against,” he said. “Just this week I found someone selling perverted filth outside town. We seized his entire stock and banished him from the city limits, but still. It’s a danger to our children.”

  He switched on the computer and the screen blinked to life. A young woman in a skimpy Greek smock approached a handsome gladiator whose hands were bound behind him. She said something unintelligible and then pulled the smock over her head, revealing her naked form. Julie didn’t need to see the rest to grasp the plot as the woman removed the gladiator’s loincloth and went to work.

  “Shocking,” Elijah said in a husky voice, his hand on Julie’s thigh.

  “I don’t know. It looks…interesting.” Julie paused. “Do you wish you were the gladiator?”

  “I…”

  “I mean, tied up and helpless as a woman does whatever she wants to you?”