Pandemic (Book 4): Insurrection

by Kersey, Christine

  A smile slowly curved her lips. She went through the door, silently praying that the door leading into the house would be unlocked. Much to her relief, it was. But the moment the door opened, the stench of a rotting corpse stung her nostrils and made her gag.

  Just look for water.

  Breathing through her mouth, which only helped marginally, she sprinted into the kitchen and yanked open cupboards. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to find a stash of bottled water as well as a decent supply of food in the walk-in pantry. There were boxes of cereal, boxes of crackers, canned food, as well as baking supplies. But the thing that caught her eye was the large box of granola bars.

  She grabbed a bottle of water and a granola bar and closed the door to the pantry. It was pitch black, but the smell wasn’t so bad now. She took a moment to gulp down the entire water bottle, then by feel she tore open the wrapping on the granola bar and ate that.

  Feeling slightly better, she opened the door to the pantry—cautiously. She didn’t want to find someone on the other side of the door, although with the stink of death in the house she didn’t really think that would happen.

  No one appeared.

  Deciding it would be prudent to carry some food and water with her—who knew how long it would take to get home?—she went to the mudroom that led to the garage in the hopes of finding a backpack. To her delight, a dusty Star Wars backpack was hanging from a hook. She couldn’t help herself. She stared at the image from Star Wars, letting memories of watching the movies with her family before the world had ended wash over her.

  Softly sighing, she took the backpack from the hook, silently thanking whoever it had belonged to. She unzipped it. School books and papers were stashed inside. With a reverence that took her by surprise, she removed each item and gently set each one on the bench. These had belonged to a child who was probably dead. Maybe lying in one of the bedrooms at that very moment. It only served to remind her how lucky she and her family were to be alive.

  Once the pack was empty, she carried it to the pantry and filled it with bottles of water, granola bars, and crackers before setting it aside. Then, realizing she was getting somewhat used to the awful smell, she took the map out of her back pocket and spread it on the counter. It took a couple of minutes, but she eventually figured out where she was. She traced the path from her current location to the farm. Looked like she was less than fifteen miles from home. Still a long distance if she had to go on foot, but maybe she could find another way. Feeling more optimistic than she had since she’d been kidnapped, she opened the door to the garage.

  No car.

  “Are you kidding me?” she muttered, but when she heard the sound of a vehicle driving by, she softly closed the door and raced to the front window.

  It was Derrick’s truck.

  Wolf was back.

  Chapter 18

  Jessica

  Panic, powerful and swift, surged through her. She was too close to the house where Wolf was headed. He would find Shaggy dead and her gone and he would roar with fury. He would take that wicked-looking knife out of its sheath and hunt her down. He would kill her slowly and painfully, sawing through her flesh with the serrated edge of the knife.

  Trembling with fear, Jessica was momentarily paralyzed. Where could she go?

  Then she reminded herself that she had a gun. But so did Wolf.

  She needed some sort of advantage.

  He doesn’t know which way you went, she reminded herself.

  That was her advantage.

  Maybe she should stay where she was. If he came to this house, she would shoot him before he found her. She would ambush him.

  Feeling marginally better, she planted herself beside the front window, a finger on the blinds as she watched for him to approach.

  But what if he came through the back? She wouldn’t see him.

  She thought about the booby traps they’d set up at the farm. She could do something similar, right? Not a booby trap, but an alarm.

  Heart thumping painfully against her ribs, she barely registered the awful smell of death as she raced into the kitchen and pulled open cupboards. It didn’t take long to find what she was looking for—pots and pans and metal bowls. She took them all out and placed them on the counter, then selected a few and carried those to the garage door. She set them on the floor next to the door, then opened the door to test the alarm. When the door swung open, the metal bowls clanged together in a gratifying way. Smiling and nodding, she closed and locked the door, then placed the bowls back the way she’d had them.

  Satisfied with that alarm, she did the same thing next to the front door. Then she went to the sliding glass door at the back. An alarm there wouldn’t work. Wolf would see the items through the glass and be able to avoid them. Plus, seeing the make-shift alarm would alert him to the fact that she was inside.

  Then she noticed a section of PVC pipe resting in the track. Okay. The homeowners had already taken care of the problem. The door wouldn’t slide open with that in the way. And if Wolf broke the glass, she would hear that.

  Feeling more confident, she went back to her post at the front window to keep watch.

  Twenty minutes later, she saw him. He was marching down the road, his face a mask of fury. He must have searched each of the houses between his place and the house she was in now. Jessica dropped the slat back into place and hid behind a recliner.

  With her heart in her throat and her gun in her hand, she waited. Moments later, she heard Wolf trying the knob on the front door.

  Maybe when he saw it was locked—and the red X on the door—he would leave.

  The sound of a gun blasting the lock shattered Jessica’s hopes.

  Fresh panic made her want to scream, but she clamped her lips closed. A moment later she heard Wolf kick the door open before it swung inward.

  Pots and pans clattered as the door violently shoved her makeshift alarm across the floor.

  That’s when Jessica realized her mistake.

  Now Wolf would know she was inside.

  “Where are you, you little bitch?” he called out.

  Jessica’s heart pounded so hard she feared she might go into cardiac arrest. Squeezing her eyes closed, she listened to his footsteps. It sounded like he was going into the kitchen, which was away from her position.

  She opened her eyes and moved her head ever-so-slowly to peer around the side of the recliner.

  Wolf’s back was to her as he walked into the kitchen. From her vantage point, she couldn’t tell if he was holding his gun.

  Terror crashed over her in waves. If he found her, she was dead. She would never see her family again. And they wouldn’t even know if she was dead or alive or where her body lay.

  She couldn’t let that happen.

  No one was coming to save her. She had to save herself.

  Gathering her courage, she slowly rose to a squat, stopping when she was high enough to see over the back of the recliner. Her eyes slid to the front door, which stood open. She could run, but Wolf would be right behind her.

  No. She had to finish this. Finish him.

  Drawing in a deep breath through her nose, she slowly and quietly exhaled through her mouth as she rested the barrel of her gun on the back of the recliner.

  “I’m gonna find you,” she heard Wolf call out. “And then the fun will begin.”

  Oh crap oh crap oh crap!

  Running through the front door looked more appealing than ever, but she knew she had to face her fears. She crouched back down behind the recliner, her gun pointed at the space where Wolf would appear.

  To calm herself, she silently counted off the seconds. One, two, three, four, five, six. Then she heard his footsteps. He was coming toward the living room. Bracing herself for the confrontation, she reminded herself to breath.

  A moment later she saw him. His gun was held in his hand. But he didn’t see her. His eyes were focused on the hallway that was off of the living room.

  He strode confidently in
that direction, like he was sure she was hiding in one of the bedrooms.

  Though she wanted to shoot him, the angle was all wrong and she didn’t want to miss. Instead, she watched him go. He disappeared down the hall.

  Forcing down her nearly overwhelming fear, she unsteadily got to her feet. With her ears straining to hear where he was, which was nearly impossible since he was walking on carpet, she crept across the living room and toward the hallway.

  At the junction of the hallway and living room, she pressed her back against the wall and peered around the corner. No sign of him. He must be in a bedroom. But which one?

  With her gun aimed in front of her, she resumed her position with her back against the wall, which would keep her out of Wolf’s view when he came around the corner. A few moments later she heard him muttering under his breath. He was coming.

  Half a second later she sensed his presence, like his bulk was disrupting the molecules around her. Then he was there, but his back was to her as he turned from the hallway into the living room. His head moved from side to side as he scanned the space, looking right where she’d been hiding.

  This was it. This was her chance.

  She lifted her gun and aimed it at his back. The larger the area, the better the chance for hitting her target. That’s what Derrick had said.

  She squeezed the trigger.

  Nothing happened.

  Panic engulfed her. He would see her. He would kill her.

  But squeezing the trigger hadn’t made any noise. The trigger was locked. It hadn’t moved. Wolf still didn’t know she was there.

  Forcing herself to focus, she remembered what Derrick had said about the gun’s safety. Quickly checking the gun, she flicked the safety off, then aimed it once again at Wolf’s back.

  Bracing herself, she slid her finger to the trigger, then squeezed.

  BOOM!

  Wolf jerked and cried out, but he didn’t fall.

  She took a step closer to him and squeezed the trigger again.

  Another ear-splitting boom.

  This time Wolf fell to his knees. But he wasn’t dead. With his gun still in his hand, he began turning toward Jessica. She took another step closer. She aimed at his head. Their eyes met. His were filled with cold fury. He wanted her dead. She wouldn’t let him have his wish. She pulled the trigger. A burst of red spray exploded from his head. He fell to the floor.

  Breathing rapidly, Jessica stared at Wolf. He didn’t move. He couldn’t. He was dead. The hole in his head made that clear.

  Her heart was like a jackhammer in her chest and she had to consciously breathe, in and out, in and out. She lowered her gun, her fingers still tightly wrapped around the pistol grip.

  She’d done it. She’d saved herself.

  She tucked her gun in the back of her waistband, then, as the adrenaline started to recede, she began to tremble. Taking a steadying breath, after a moment she began to equalize.

  It was time to go home.

  With a mix of elation and horror, she devised her plan. She would go to Wolf’s house, she would get Derrick’s truck, and she would drive home.

  Grimacing, she dug through Wolf’s pockets, coming up with the keys to Derrick’s truck. She also took his gun. Next, she went into the kitchen and shouldered the backpack before walking out the front door.

  The air was blissfully fresh and clean as she forced one foot in front of the other. She’d killed two men that day. The thought was horrifying, but she would do it again in a heartbeat. She’d had to do it. It had been self-defense.

  Shaking off her memories of those awful moments, she made her way toward the street. Certain of her plan to get home, she walked boldly down the street toward Wolf’s house.

  Nearly there.

  The sound of a vehicle filled the air. A black Charger appeared at the end of the street.

  How could she have been so stupid? She’d been so preoccupied with what she’d been through that she’d completely forgotten that Wolf and Shaggy’s boss was supposed to be coming.

  The Charger’s engine grew louder, like whoever was driving it had seen her and was coming for her.

  Fresh panic engulfed her. Her gaze darted toward the orchard. There was nowhere else to go. She had to get away, had to hide.

  Run! her mind screamed.

  Without hesitation, she obeyed, running flat-out toward the orchard.

  Chapter 19

  Matt

  “There she is!” Matt yelled, not believing his eyes. Jessica was walking toward them. Alone. Then she stopped and looked their way. After a tiny hesitation, she darted away, running as fast as he’d ever seen her go. “NO!”

  He knew she couldn’t hear him, but he willed her to stop, to know it was him.

  It didn’t work. She ran like the devil himself was after her.

  Derrick pulled the car to the curb at the spot where she’d dashed toward the orchard.

  Barely waiting for the car to come to a halt, Matt threw the door open and leapt out. Pain radiated up his bad leg. Ignoring the pain, he screamed, “Jessica! Stop!”

  He could see her. She’d nearly reached the orchard.

  Hobbling after her, he didn’t care that his leg was screaming at him to stop. He kept going.

  Dylan flew past him. “Mom! Mom, wait!”

  Proud of his son, Matt tried to keep up, but struggled.

  Glancing over her shoulder, Jessica slowed, then stopped.

  “Dylan?” she cried. “Is that you?”

  “Mom!”

  Matt kept going, watching as Dylan reached Jessica. They threw their arms around each other.

  Derrick appeared beside Matt, slowing his pace to stay beside him as he asked, “You okay?”

  Matt realized tears were streaming down his face. They’d found Jessica. She was alive. Ecstatic, Matt turned to Derrick with a face-breaking grin. “I’m great.”

  Eventually, Matt and Derrick reached Jessica and Dylan. Jessica flung herself into Matt’s arms. He held her tight, not caring that his face was soaked with tears.

  After several long moments, she drew away and stared at him, her own face awash in tears. “You found me.”

  Using his thumbs, he wiped at her cheeks. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” He wanted to slowly kill the men who had taken her.

  A smile lifted her lips. “I’m fine.” Then she shook her head. “They didn’t hurt me.”

  All the tension he’d been holding left his body. She was all right. Unharmed. His eyes briefly closed, then he opened them before wrapping her in his arms again.

  “How did you find me?” Jessica asked.

  He explained how they’d followed Derrick’s truck but had lost it. “After that, we just drove up one street after the other, looking for you.”

  “Where are the men who took you?” Derrick asked.

  Matt wanted to know the same thing. He wanted to get his hands on them, make them suffer. He released Jessica.

  “They’re dead,” she said. “I…I killed them.”

  Matt listened in stunned amazement as Jessica told them what had happened. She pointed to a nearby house. “That’s the house where they took me.”

  Together, the four of them walked to the house. When they reached it, Derrick motioned for them to stay outside while he cleared it. Matt was fine with that. His priority was keeping Jessica safe.

  A short time later, Derrick came back out. “No one’s here.” His gaze went to Jessica. “Just the guy you killed.”

  Matt looked at her, wondering how she felt. She wore a grim expression as she nodded.

  Derrick shifted his eyes to Dylan. “Help me get our stuff from the house. We’ll load it back in my truck.”

  As the pair carried the solar panels and other things out to Derrick’s truck, Matt turned to Jessica, studying her face, trying to read her eyes. “How are you holding up?”

  She turned to him. “I’m okay.” Her voice was upbeat, like she was proud—and kind of shocked—that she’d been able to save
herself. Like her confidence had grown exponentially.

  He was amazed by her strength. Amazed by her. “I was so worried.” Such an understatement.

  Nodding, she lay her head against his chest.

  Matt tried to imagine how Jessica had felt as she’d had to deal with being kidnapped, then killing the two men who had taken her. It could have ended very differently, but she’d come out on top. His confidence in her ability to survive soared. “You astound me,” he murmured.

  She lifted her head and faced him, her expression solemn. “I did what I had to do.”

  He smiled at her. “I know.” He chuckled. “What I didn’t know was that you were such a badass.”

  With a tilt of her head that conveyed her own surprise, she said, “I didn’t either.”

  Derrick and Dylan joined them. “We’re ready to go.”

  “What about the boss those guys talked about?” Jessica asked.

  Derrick shook his head. “He’s not here.” He paused, his eyes on her. “We can wait if you want. It’s up to you.”

  She looked thoughtful, then she shook her head. “I have no idea when he was supposed to return, but with Wolf and Shaggy dead, maybe he’s not such a threat.”

  Derrick nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Matt and Jessica took the Charger, while Derrick and Dylan got in Derrick’s truck. They caravanned to the home improvement store and picked up Matt’s truck, then the three vehicles headed back to the farm, with Jessica driving the Charger.

  As Matt drove, he heard Derrick over the walkie calling for Jeff and Chris. After several tries, they both finally answered.

  “We’ve got her. Over,” Derrick said.

  Matt grinned and looked in his rearview mirror to see Jessica and Dylan in the Charger.

  Jeff and Chris both replied, expressing their relief.

  When everyone was back at the farm, there was a joyful reunion.