by Ellis, Tara
Tony Sutherland’s shooting gallery had the potential of eliminating a serious chunk of the survivors if he was left to his insane actions. Considering Scott had just given himself a pep talk about fulfilling his destiny to be an End Times cop, he couldn’t exactly crawl away from the homicidal guy with a clear conscience.
“Mr. Sutherland—Tony, I’m immune!” Scott yelled, as he tried to drudge up what he could remember of the brief negotiation seminar he’d attended five years earlier. He did remember that using the person’s first name was best, to make it more personal. “I’m one of the Immune, so I can’t give you The Kuru, because I can’t get it.”
More silence.
Encouraged, Scott closed his eyes and envisioned the last council meeting he’d attended, only three weeks before. He remembered how Tony’s wife had spoken on behalf of some committee. “What about your wife?” he called out. He wasn’t sure if mentioning her would succeed in deepening the personal connection, or cause another outburst, but he didn’t have many other options. “I can’t remember her name. What is it?”
When the silence continued, Scott risked sticking his head out again. The roof was empty. At least, he couldn’t see Tony anymore. “Tony!”
No answer. Leaning back against the tire, Scott mulled over his options. If the guy wasn’t willing to be talked down, the only other choice he had was to go in after him. Alone and at a disadvantage, it would be a really stupid thing to do. And Scott had already come to terms with the fact that he wanted to live. Looking over at the nearest body that was missing the top portion of its head, he closed his eyes briefly and grimaced.
He’d go to the station, gear up with heavier equipment, and use the radio to see if the other officer was still answering. Perhaps she’d be up for a stake-out later on, after he succeeded in getting some gas.
Having made up his mind, Scott holstered his weapon and prepared to crawl away in as much of an un-cowardly fashion as he could muster. But as he went to move away from the car, he sensed motion to his right among the trees, along the back of the parking lot. Before he could finish turning to look, something punched him in the neck with enough force to take his breath away. He suddenly found himself flat on his back, looking up at the surreal glow of the sun that was obscured by ash from an eruption on the other side of the world.
Scott’s hands flew instinctively to his throat. A surprisingly hot fluid shot through his fingers at the same time that a gurgle worked its way out of his mouth, spraying blood up and into his eyes.
That sonafabitch shot me.
His hands failing to stem the flow, Scott gasped and choked on the blood pooling in the back of his throat. In his final moments, he wondered if maybe it wasn’t better that way. To be shot down in Tony’s shooting gallery, rather than slowly going mad as he wandered the streets alone.
His eyes closing, Scott thought of his mom, and his only regret was that he wouldn’t be able to lay her to rest next to his dad.
Guess I wasn’t meant to patrol the End Times, after all.
A warmth spread over his body, beckoning Scott into the void and forcing him to leave the pieces to the less fortunate left behind.
Chapter 12
JESS
Amazon Jungle near Kumalu, Suriname
Northeast interior of South America
Jess jumped down from the stool when she heard the sound of a vehicle coming up the gravel driveway, and Akuba froze with a spoonful of scrambled eggs hovering over Amisha’s plate. She shot Jess a concerned look before dropping the spoon and moving with purposeful strides around the counter.
The three women were on their own at the moment, since Kavish and Slaider had left at first-light with the body of Amisha’s mom. Paul went to sleep after being up all-night patrolling, and the much older man was in a building on the other end of the preserve.
They’d left barely more than an hour ago, so Jess knew it wasn’t the two men returning. Cocking her head, her brows furrowed as the vehicle came to a stop and the engine cut out. There was something about the crunch of the tires that she recognized. “I’ll go check,” she offered, scooting away from the kitchen counter where Amisha sat with the young girl they’d started calling Pikin, which meant child in the local language.
Amisha had taken on the role of caretaker for the young girl she’d brought with her to the preserve, though the poor thing still hadn’t spoken a word. Pikin and Amisha had joined them in the kitchen after the crow of the rooster had announced the new day, and Amisha announced they’d both be helping with the chores.
Jess figured staying busy was the best way not to get stuck too far inside her head. It was the main reason why she’d eagerly thrown herself into the farm work this past week. While they were all still uneasy about the chickens that were killed the day before, there hadn’t been any other signs of what had done it. They couldn’t just stop taking care of the animals and gardens because of a random attack. Jess’s hope was that Kavish and Slaider would return with more help by the end of the day. Even one or two more people would make a huge difference. Otherwise, they were all going to get worn out before too much longer.
Her stomach knotting, Jess’s hand hesitated on the back door. She’d been expecting her dad to come back at some point, but she wasn’t ready to face him yet. There hadn’t been enough time for her to process the news about him not being her biological father, and in spite of what Akuba said, she knew something horrible had happened to Mr. Van. Brain damage or not, they could all try and deny or excuse the behaviors, but it was still all pointing back to the same conclusion about the Kra Puru. That Kavish could have been right from the beginning.
Jess shook her head to clear her thoughts. She couldn’t allow herself to think that way. She realized she’d been standing motionless at the door for some time, and glanced back to find both Amisha and Akuba watching her.
“Wait for me,” Akuba said, as she rushed over to where a rifle was leaning against the wall near the back door. “I’ll come with you. It could be anyone.”
As they walked together around the back of the house, the unknown dangers of simply greeting a car in the driveway exposed how much things had changed. It also reminded Jess of what a dangerous situation they were in. She knew the preserve was some prime real estate in the area, and if the city and everything else was falling apart the way Slaider had described it, there was no telling what might happen.
As freaked out as Jess would be to see her dad standing in the driveway, it might be the lesser of the potential threats. Well, unless he decided to handle them the same way she suspected he did Mr. Van.
Moaning slightly, Jess put a hand to her stomach, and her step faltered as the barn came into view. Her father’s truck was parked in front of it.
“Jess.” Akuba sounded worried as she put out a hand to stop her. “You don’t need to come with me. Why don’t you go back to the house?”
Jess was extremely tempted to bail and run back to the relative safety of her bedroom, but retreat really wasn’t an option anymore. Not if she wanted to understand what was happening and then do something about it. She shook her head and began walking again without answering.
By the time they reached the truck, a man Jess didn’t recognize was coming out of the barn with the ham radio in his arms, and another guy was right behind him with other pieces of random equipment. A woman was leaning against the driver’s door, watching them approach.
“Hey!” Jess called out, unsure whether she felt relief at not seeing her dad, or irritation. “What are you doing?”
The woman pushed away from the door and took several steps toward them, looking bored. “Dr. Davies sent us.”
It was then that Jess realized she knew her. “Maya?”
Maya raised her eyebrows in response, but didn’t answer. It had been several years since Jess had seen the private piano instructor her father had hired for her. He’d gotten the idea that Jess needed more culture, and had even bought a piano. However, it turned out that she
hated it and didn’t get along with Maya, who was British and lived in town with her wealthy parents. Her father was an ambassador or something.
Ignoring the question, Maya took the box from the second man and placed it in the back of the truck. “Once we’re done here, I’ll need you to take me to where the food provisions are stored.”
Frowning, Jess felt helpless as the men went back into the barn for more supplies. Maya was staring stoically at her, perhaps waiting for a reply. “You already took a bunch of the food!” Jess knew it sounded petulant, but didn’t know what else to say. When one of the guys came out carrying two shovels and a rake, her frustration turned to anger. “We need those!”
Akuba pulled Jess back then and stepped forward, loosely cradling the rifle in her arms. “Jess is right,” she said pointedly to the man with the tools. “I’m sure the resort has plenty of yard equipment, given how well-maintained Mr. Sandwood kept the place.”
The other man came back outside then, and instead of a box in his hands he was holding a gun. It was pointed right at Akuba’s chest. “I’d rather not waste my ammunition,” he said in a way that left no doubt that he meant what he was saying. “But we’ll be leaving here with what we came to get, one way or another.”
When the other man lowered the rake and withdrew his own weapon, Akuba looked back and forth between them, and then at Maya. “So now you’re stealing from people, Maya? What’s happened to you? How can you support this?”
“These are Dr. Davies belongings,” she said, gesturing to the truck and barn. “We’re not stealing anything, but retrieving his possessions. I realize you don’t understand, given your incapacity for clear thought, but the rest of us have evolved, Akuba. The Kra Puru has shed us of the chains holding us back from our full potential as a race, and it is now our obligation to fulfill it. You should be grateful that he’s allowing you to stay. For now. It would serve you well to remember that.”
Akuba stook an unsteady step backward, lowering the rifle at the same time. Jess stopped holding her breath and moved up next to her, hoping the shaking in her legs wasn’t too obvious.
Jess knew how many people had been at the resort by Sunday, and based on what Slaider said, there were even more now. If her dad wanted to physically make them leave the Libi Nati, she didn’t think they could stop him. Where would they go? Jess was barely coping with things as it was, what would she do if she lost her home, too?
“What else does Dr. Davies want?” Akuba asked, sounding much more in control than Jess felt.
“For now, we’ll take another pallet of water, a case of beans, and some more flour,” Maya rattled off, as if discussing a regular shopping list. “We’ll be back in three days, on Saturday. You’re to have half of the past weeks produce, eggs, and milk ready for us to pick up. And don’t think Dr. Davies won’t know what that all amounts to.”
“Half!” Jess exclaimed; her fear momentarily overridden by anger. “That’s too much! We won’t be able to live off what’s left.”
Maya looked unconcerned as she scrutinized Jess and considered her reaction. “Then you had better figure out a way to produce more.”
Jess placed a hand to her stomach again, and briefly wondered if it was possible for a fourteen-year-old to get an ulcer. Were they supposed to be grateful that her father was allowing them to stay there? That her own dad was apparently using her and Akuba as free slave labor to provide for his growing group of…whatever they were. Followers? Tribe? A new species of super-humans that he thought was superior because their brains were whacked?
“And if we refuse?” Akuba asked the question Jess’s spiraling thoughts hadn’t quite come around to yet.
Maya tsked, the same way she used to at Jess when she messed up on her finger work after an hour of being forced to sit at the piano. “It will be in the best interests of everyone involved if you comply.” Bending over, she picked up the rake her associate had dropped and held it out to Akuba. “Here. You’re right that these tools will be put to better use on the preserve. If you choose not to do what’s required, we’ll find a better use for you in much the same way. Now, I need Jess to show me where the other supplies are. We still have a lot to do today.”
Akuba took the rake and then handed it and the rifle to Jess. Her face was a mixture of confusion and fear, but also a deep resolve. She came from a long line of leaders—prideful women who ruled with intelligence and strength, and Jess knew it wouldn’t be that easy to bend her will.
“I will show you where the provisions are,” Akuba said, lifting her chin and facing Maya again. “Jess has work to attend to, if we are to meet Dr. Davies demands.”
Demands.
Somehow, they had gone from working together to eke out a survival on the preserve, to being indentured servants to her father, who wasn’t really her father.
Jess’s fingers squeezed around the stalk of the rifle as she watched Akuba lead the three Kra Puru to where the food was kept. She knew what Akuba was doing. She was buying them time. But time for what?
There was a sudden weight pressing down on Jess, making it hard to breathe, and she looked up at the hazy sky like she might find the source there. Except, you couldn’t see time, and that’s what was threatening her determination. Time. She could feel it slipping away, and they were running out of it. A countdown had started, and the most terrifying part was that Jess didn’t know what it was counting down to.
Chapter 13
PETA
Near Guayana City, Venezuela
Peta twisted around in the cramped space of the bench seat to look out the back window. She could see that Marty was curled up in the space between Hernandez’s legs, while Tyler and Devon were seated to either side of him. They were both awake, wedged up against the wheel wells. Tyler raised a hand in acknowledgement when he noticed she was watching them. She only nodded back, since it would have been too difficult to work her arm loose from where Jason was pressed against it.
There was only room for three people inside the old truck, and they’d been rotating through drivers all night. She was up next, and Jason was trying to get some rest before his shift, after her. He’d started out slumped against the window but had eventually slipped her way and was currently drooling on her shoulder. He was a big guy and not an easy load to bear, but Peta didn’t have the heart to elbow him and wake him up. He’d hardly slept on the helicopter, and she knew how badly he needed it.
They’d managed to get a good ten hours of drivetime in since setting out around sundown the night before, and fortunately the rain didn’t last very long. She was thankful Jason had suggested waiting until it was dark out to drive through Barinas. It had still been very sketchy, with some small groups that were actively looting, and Peta was already getting nervous about the next major city coming up. They couldn’t afford the time it would take to stop and wait all day. Similar to Barinas, there weren’t any other roads on the map that would allow for them to drive around Guayana.
“The Aspirin you found at the farm hasn’t done a thing for his fever,” Eddy said, pointing out the obvious fact that Hernandez had continued to decline throughout the night.
Peta squinted at Eddy as he stared straight ahead, both hands firmly gripping the steering wheel. It was the most he’d said in the past few hours, and she didn’t really feel like broaching the whole “dead weight” topic with him again. He’d tried to bring it up as they’d been loading Hernandez into the bed of the truck, but Jason had shut him down.
“I didn’t expect it to,” she said with a hint of annoyance. “And I don’t need you to point out that nothing is going to help him anymore. I’m well aware of it.”
Eddy shifted slightly on the seat, the only outward sign that he was listening to her. Glancing down at the dashboard, he then gestured at the passing landscape. “We’re almost on empty. We were fortunate with our last two stops, but I believe our luck is about to run out. You might want to retrieve the map and attempt to figure out the milage to the next settlemen
t, if there even is one before Guayana.”
Though relieved he wasn’t going to try and talk her into leaving Hernandez on the side of the road, if they ran out of gas that was where they’d all end up. She’d been surprised at how populated the initial countryside of Venezuela had been. After Barinas she’d expected nothing but rainforest, but instead the main road had been scattered with small towns, which made refueling relatively easy at first. Though there seemed to be more people left alive there than in California and Mexico, there were still plenty of abandoned vehicles, and even a small gas station with gas left in its main tanks.
Eventually, the houses gave way to increasingly flat, empty land with scattered clusters of trees and the rising mountains of the Sierra Nevada Range in the distance. Peta realized it was likely to change dramatically again at some point, but had to admit that Eddy was right. Now that the sun was up and they hadn’t spotted any signs of civilization or passed another car for several miles, they needed to get a grip on where they were. Running out of gas would be disastrous if they landed in a really remote area.
Leaning forward to reach for the map jammed on top of the dash, it was impossible for Peta to do it without jostling Jason in the process. With a small grunt, he startled awake. His hands flew up at the same time, possibly in reaction to whatever was happening back in the dreamworld he was pulled from.
“Whoa!” Peta shouted, barely dodging a blow to her face. Pushing against his chest, she shoved him hard enough to get him a few inches away and hopefully finish waking him up. “It’s Peta! You’re okay, Jason.”
