“I’m going to make a special meal,” Sarah said after she hugged Jessica.
Matt was so appreciative of this group and how they’d dropped everything to come together to find his beloved wife. He literally couldn’t have done it without them.
At dinner that night, Matt could tell Jessica was relaxed but tired. She’d given a shortened version of the events to everyone, downplaying her terror, but Matt remembered the way she’d taken off when she’d seen the Charger approaching. She’d been absolutely petrified.
He put his arm around her and tugged her close. She rested her head on his shoulder. So very grateful to have her safely home, he savored having her beside him.
“Walter’s here,” Brooke said as she walked into the covered patio area. She was on watch with Paisley and Chris.
A moment later, Walter and his son-in-law Jack appeared. Everyone greeted them, then Jack frowned deeply. “We have a problem.”
Chapter 20
Derrick
Couldn’t they have one evening free from worry? Derrick sighed as he waited to hear the news Walter and Jack had brought.
Jack pulled a flyer from his back pocket and handed it to Derrick. In large type the flyer said:
WANTED
For the murder of two State Security Officers
Beneath that were crystal-clear pictures of both Derrick and Jeff. Below their pictures it said:
Generous reward for any information leading to the apprehension of these fugitives.
“Crap,” Derrick muttered as he handed the flyer to Jeff.
The pictures had obviously been taken at the DMV when he and Jeff had gone to check out the gun exchange several days earlier. Frowning deeply, he shook his head. “Guess their cameras are working.”
Now it made sense why the man he’d tied to the tree had seemed to fear for his life—because he knew Derrick had already killed. The men who had come upon him, Chris, and Jessica while they’d been taking the solar panels had seen the Wanted poster. And they knew Derrick was in this general area.
Perfect.
Derrick looked at Jeff, who wadded up the flyer and tossed it into a nearby trash can.
“What is this about?” Jack asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he pointed to the flyer Jeff had just thrown away.
“Jeff and I had a little run-in with a pair of State Security Officers.” He did air quotes on their title.
“Care to elaborate?” Walter asked as he tilted his head like he was both curious and concerned.
“Jeff and I went to the DMV to check out their gun confiscation scheme. We brought guns we’d gotten off of Randy and the Emperors. Somehow those government guys knew the guns were stolen.” Derrick explained how he and Jeff had been hauled away in a van before the State Security Officers had pulled off in a random place in the middle of nowhere. “They wanted us to go into an orchard with them.” Derrick glanced at Jeff, who was scowling. “I don’t think it was to take us on a tour to see the almond blossoms.”
“So you killed them,” Jack said. It wasn’t a question.
Derrick nodded. “Didn’t have much choice. They’ve tossed due process out the window. They passed sentence on us without even formally charging us, let alone putting us on trial.” Derrick clenched his jaw. “Tyranny is alive and well here in California. And with taking our guns, they won’t even let us protect ourselves.” Frowning deeply, he shook his head. “The main people we need protection against is them.”
Jack nodded, like he agreed with Derrick’s conclusion and didn’t hold his actions against him.
“What should we do?” Emily asked, clearly worried that Jeff was a wanted man.
“I might be able to help,” Matt said, drawing everyone’s attention, including Derrick’s.
“What did you have in mind?” Derrick asked, happy for any help he could get.
“You said the guys at the DMV knew those guns were stolen.” When Derrick nodded, Matt went on. “That means they have access to at least one central database, which means they have some sort of network set up.” He grinned. “You know, in my other life I was a software engineer.”
Derrick’s eyebrows rose. It had never occurred to him that Matt’s skill set could prove useful. “Yeah. What are you thinking?”
Matt looked thoughtful. “If I could get inside that DMV and onto one of their computers, I could access their system and…” A smile slowly lifted his lips. “I could plant a virus that could wreak havoc.”
Now, that sounded awesome.
“Since I’ll have to write the program on the fly,” Matt continued, “it will have to be a simple virus, but they won’t be expecting it.” He paused. “And if they even have I.T. people, they can’t have that many.” He nodded as a grim smile played around the corners of his mouth. “This has the potential to cripple them.”
Derrick doubted it would stop the government from trying to confiscate everyone’s guns, but it might at least slow them down if they couldn’t keep track of what guns were out there and whatever else their database tracked. “I’m in.”
Chapter 21
Matt
It was two days later and the DMV was just ahead. Now that he was nearly there, Matt felt his gut roiling with nerves. He was a programmer, not a warrior.
Then he reminded himself that he’d been in a few gun fights since the world as he’d known it had come to an end. He could do this. He hoped.
“Ready?” Jessica asked from beside him as they walked hand in hand.
He turned to her and nodded. The plan was for the two of them to pose as a couple in need. The idea had been that a man and a woman coming to the government for help would seem less threatening than two men.
After what Jessica had been through, the way she’d gotten herself out of her deadly predicament, Matt had no doubt she could handle herself in this situation. Amazed by his wife, he gave her a side-glance, then tugged his ball cap lower on his head. If he could keep the government’s cameras from seeing his face, that would be ideal. Jessica, on the other hand, wore a blonde wig they’d managed to find. She’d done a good job of making it look like her real hair. If Matt didn’t know it was a wig, he wouldn’t have been able to tell.
Together, they walked toward the DMV, their pace unhurried, like they were a down-on-their-luck couple, not a pair of rebellious citizens with ill intent.
It was mid-morning, and as Matt opened the door to the DMV, he saw a handful of people waiting to exchange guns for supplies. The place was just as Derrick and Jeff had described, right down to an armed man marching toward them, his face serious.
“Hands where I can see them,” the man said.
Slightly alarmed at the man’s commanding tone, Matt did as instructed. Jessica did as well. The man searched them both, finding the one knife Matt had brought. Jessica wasn’t armed at all. They hadn’t wanted a repeat of what Derrick and Jeff had gone through, so they hadn’t brought any of the guns they’d taken off the Emperors. And they certainly didn’t want to give away their own identities, so they hadn’t brought any of their own weapons.
“This is a gun buyback,” the armed man said to Matt, his lip curling in annoyance like he had a lot to do and Matt was wasting his time.
“We know,” Jessica said with pleading in her voice. “Please, we need food. We’re desperate.”
The man shifted his attention to her, his eyes sliding up and down her body, then he frowned. “Can’t help you.”
Tears filled her eyes. “But you’re the government. I thought…I thought you were helping people.”
Matt was impressed with her acting.
The man huffed an impatient sigh, then shook his head before pointing to the chairs. “Take a seat.”
Okay. So far so good.
They huddled together, their hands clasped like they were in dire straits. Surreptitiously glancing around, Matt counted two men behind the counter and two men in the main space keeping an eye on the people who had come to exchange their guns for supplies.
Several minutes later a loud explosion in the near distance rocked the building.
That was their signal.
Matt watched as all four men raced toward the exit, their guns drawn. He knew that Chris and Derrick would have left the area where they’d set off the explosion, taking cover close enough to see what was happening and to take further action if needed.
The moment the men left the building, Matt and Jessica leapt to their feet and raced toward the counter.
“Hey!” one man—a citizen—yelled at them. “What are you doing?”
Matt ignored him, climbing over the counter to reach the offices in the back, but he heard Jessica say, “If you want these supplies, help yourself. We won’t stop you.”
Focused on his task, Matt barely registered the sound of gunfire as Jessica did her part, shooting out all the cameras from a gun she must have grabbed from behind the counter.
His gaze swept the space.
There.
An open laptop sat on a desk. It didn’t take long to access the database these guys were using, and for a brief moment it felt like the time before. Like the world hadn’t gone to crap and he was sitting at his desk doing his run-of-the-mill job writing code.
It was only when he heard more gunshots from somewhere outside that he was reminded of the stakes.
Chapter 22
Derrick
Derrick covered his ears as the blast of the explosion filled the air. He just hoped the timing was right and that Matt and Jessica hadn’t run into any unexpected problems.
Regardless, he had his own job to do.
Seconds after the blast, four men burst through the doors of the DMV with guns drawn.
Perfect.
Among them was Mr. Friendly, the man who had arrested Derrick and Jeff when they’d come to the DMV. The man who had ordered their execution.
Taking cover around the corner of a nearby building, Derrick put Mr. Friendly in his rifle’s sights. His finger slid to the trigger, but he hesitated. Was it wrong to kill him and his cronies? In the world they used to live in, yes, absolutely. But now? Mr. Friendly had sent both him and Jeff to be killed for the “crime” of being in possession of stolen guns and giving them false names. No trial, no chance to defend themselves. Mr. Friendly had been eager to have them “disappeared”.
Out of Derrick’s peripheral vision, he saw Chris aim his rifle at the men as well. “I’ve got the one on the right,” he murmured.
Second thoughts poked at Derrick. If he killed these security men from cover, he would be just as bad as Mr. Friendly.
He lowered his rifle. “Hold on.”
Chris turned to him, his rifle moving downward a fraction. “What’s wrong?”
Derrick shook his head. “When did we become cold-blooded killers, Chris?”
Lowering his gaze, Chris sighed, then he met Derrick’s eyes with a nod. “We’re not.” He paused a beat. “But we do need to protect Matt and Jessica.”
Derrick agreed. “Absolutely. If those men become a threat, they’re fair game.”
Nodding agreement, Chris moved a short distance away. Derrick pointed his rifles at the men, who had spread out, obviously on the hunt for whomever had set off the explosion.
How much time would Matt need? When Derrick had asked him, Matt hadn’t been able to give him a precise time. Derrick just hoped it wouldn’t be too long.
A man ran out of the DMV offices, a box overflowing with food in his hands.
Derrick grinned. Good. The people were getting what the government should have been giving them anyway.
“Hey!” one of the government bullies shouted at the fleeing man. “Stop or I’ll shoot.” Using a two-handed grip, the State Security Officer pointed his handgun at the man. Then, without giving the man a chance to stop, he shot him in the back several times. The box the man had been holding tumbled to the ground. Cans of food rolled on the pavement as the man collapsed to the ground.
“Holy crap,” Derrick muttered as he put the government security man in his sites and, without hesitation, pulled the trigger. The security man fell to the pavement.
Mr. Friendly and the other two security men spun in Derrick and Chris’s direction, their guns leading the way. Bullets pinged against the side of the building. Derrick jerked back.
Unseen by the security men, Chris poked his head out and took one of them out. That drew their fire in Chris’s direction.
Smiling grimly, Derrick took aim at Mr. Friendly, who was marching in Chris’s direction as he fired, and took the shot. Mr. Friendly’s head exploded in a red mist. Not hesitating a moment, Derrick took out the last security man.
Having no idea if any other security people were supposed to show up, Derrick wasn’t about to relax. Instead, he continued to scan the area.
A few more people left the DMV with boxes of supplies, but no one new showed up. An hour after the explosion had gone off, Matt and Jessica emerged.
Exhaling in relief, Derrick, with Chris right behind him, jogged over to the pair. “How’d it go?”
Wearing a huge grin, Matt said, “Wrote the virus and planted it in their system.”
“Nice.”
Matt looked around before shifting his gaze to Derrick. “What about you guys?”
Not feeling guilty in the slightest, Derrick said, “Had to take them all out.”
Chris replayed the way one of the men had shot a citizen.
Matt’s eyebrows shot up. “Wow. That’s insane.”
“I wonder how many people working for the government are the same way,” Jessica said.
Derrick shook his head. “Don’t know, but I suspect it’s a lot.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Chris said.
With a nod of agreement, the four of them set a brisk pace to Derrick’s truck.
On the drive back to the farm, Derrick couldn’t help but wonder what would happen next.
Chapter 23
Derrick
Three days later, Derrick and Chris went on a supply run. As Chris drove the Charger, Derrick looked at the sheet of paper in his hand. “This run might be a bit challenging.”
Chris glanced at him before looking back at the road. “I know.”
Sarah had requested a number of medications. Between Matt getting shot in the leg and some other minor injuries among their group, Sarah had expressed concern over not having the medical supplies she would need in an emergency situation. She’d also said that she wanted to have a variety of antibiotics on hand. Derrick had seen the wisdom in her request, so he’d been happy to go on the hunt for all the supplies she’d asked for.
Now, as he and Chris drove to the first pharmacy they were going to hit, Derrick watched for trouble. Soon, they arrived. Hoping they’d be able to get many of the items on Sarah’s list, when Derrick saw that the shelves were virtually empty, he sighed and shook his head.
As he and Chris got back in the Charger, Chris asked where they should try next.
“Let’s go to the hospital. We haven’t scavenged there yet.”
Chris nodded. “Sounds good. Maybe we’ll even get lucky.”
Derrick didn’t hold out much hope, but it was worth a try.
On the way there, they saw other people here and there—a man in his front yard working on a garden, a woman walking down the sidewalk pushing a shopping cart filled with blankets and other supplies. Not many people, but enough to tell him that people were still around. He didn’t see anyone else driving though. Getting fuel for vehicles was tough—not something the average person would be able to do. They’d only managed to do it because whenever they found a gas station that had a working generator, they stocked up on as much gas as they could store. Still, they had to be careful with their supply. Eventually the gas would run out. After all, no one was delivering anything these days.
“There it is,” Chris said as he angled into the parking lot, which had a number of cars parked in it.
Derrick let his gaze slide over the vehicles parked there. C
ould there be people inside actively helping those who were sick or injured?
“Do you think there are people in there? Doctors and nurses?” Chris asked, obviously in the same mindset as Derrick.
“Maybe. Or these cars are abandoned from before.” That seemed the more likely scenario.
Chris parked the Charger near the emergency room entrance and turned off the engine. He turned to Derrick with a grin. “Only one way to find out.”
After grabbing the battering ram they’d brought along, they strode toward the door. Which was when Derrick saw the shattered glass where the doors should have been. And it was dark inside. No movement either.
“I don’t think there are docs here.” Derrick was surprised at the disappointment he felt. Having a working hospital would have felt so…normal. Shrugging it off, he drew his gun and his flashlight and stepped through the glass. Chris was right behind him.
Sweeping the space with the beam of light, Derrick didn’t see anyone. Only a mess of a room—chairs overturned, papers scattered everywhere, a hospital gown crumpled in a corner.
“Just gotta find the pharmacy,” he softly said as he moved forward. With Chris keeping an eye on his six, Derrick went down a hallway, on the hunt for the main lobby. It was obvious when they reached it. Light flooded in through soaring floor to ceiling windows. Tucking his flashlight into his pocket, and while keeping an eye out for anyone lurking about, Derrick strode right to the directory.
“Second floor,” he murmured. Slowly spinning in a circle, he spotted the stairs and trotted over to them. Chris was right behind him, keeping an eye on things.
Once he reached the landing, Derrick flicked his flashlight back on. There was still some light from the windows, but farther down the hall it was dark. Moving steadily forward, it didn’t take long to find the pharmacy, and when he saw it was locked up, he smiled—better chance no one had ransacked it yet.
Pandemic (Book 4): Insurrection Page 8
