Justin focused intently on the road sign ahead.
“Hingle,” the guys announced in unison.
“Go left,” Justin advised, trying to think logically. “It has to be near the Forbidden Zone’s border wall.”
“Over there!” Twila pointed to the huge Frito-Lay warehouse. “Behind that building. There’s a hole in the fence. Can’t you see it, Mommy?”
Scarlett pressed her hands to her forehead. “I just see a warehouse—”
“Don’t they patrol the border?” Dean asked.
Justin thought hard, unable to forget the heartless acts he had committed while working for the Think Tank. His A.I. algorithm had ended up condemning good cits as dissidents, which had caused them a life of strife in Tent City, or worse, tortured rehabilitation at the re-education camps. “Only drones. But Last State’s probably using them to contain the horde outbreaks.”
“I’ll park in the back. Out of sight,” Luther uttered.
Dean swung open the caged-door, ducking under the bulkhead. “Justin, hot as it is, how’s ’bout you and I slip on those blasted HAZMAT suits. We can recon the area. See if Twila’s right. If a drone spots us, we make like we’re responding to an incident.”
“Awesome plan,” Justin quipped. “Forget the respirator. Just slip on the face shield.” He didn’t think he could handle a respirator in the stifling heat.
After Luther parked the van, Justin and Dean suited up.
Ella’s long-lashed, rounded eyes revealed it all: her fear, her hope—her confidence in him. “Love you, hon,” Ella burst as he stepped out the back of the van. Mateo finally slept. Which was probably the only reason she didn’t protest.
“Love you back.” Justin blew her a kiss through his shield as if he didn’t have a care in the world. But the Forbidden Zone was overrun with Zs!
Chapter 4
Scarlett Lewis fanned Twila while they waited in the back of the stifling hot van for Dean and Justin to return from the Forbidden Zone.
“Shouldn’t they be back?” Ella gingerly patted Mateo with a damp scrub top.
An antsy Luther looked from window to window. “You getting any bad vibes?”
“Nothing at all,” Scarlett assured. She was beginning to feel a bit normal. Still, it bothered her that she could no longer tap into the Akashic Records. That familiar metallic aftertaste warned the Ancient Ones were winning the final battle. According to the Silver Lady, once humanity was completely erased from the Akashic Records, there would be no future-self to access. The rest of humanity would live in a void state until the last heartbeat.
“Do you see anything?” Scarlett asked Twila.
“I think they found the secret place,” Twila said with her hands to her head.
“Thank you.” Ella fondled the rosary beads around her neck.
It seemed as though they had been in the van for hours. The last time she had asked Luther the time, it had only been forty minutes. Not enough time to worry. She refrained from asking again. Instead, she waved a piece of cardboard for fleeting wisps of cool air. They had even changed into the light-weight cotton scrubs earlier just in case a drone spotted them.
“Phew, here they come.” Luther wiped off the beads of sweat rolling down his face with the back of his hand.
Justin hopped into the back of the van. “Guys, guys, we found it. A gigantic warehouse with tons of cool military stuff.”
“You ready to blow this sweat lodge?” Luther grumbled.
“Think we should wait ’til dusk,” Dean said. “Less chance of being spotted. Say, Luther, there’s more shade under the awing on the north side of the building.”
“Now you tell me.” Luther started the ignition.
“With any luck, we’ll catch a breeze,” Dean said, checking his watch. “We’ve got a good three hours before sunset. Who else needs to be chipped?”
“I guess just Ella and me,” Scarlett said. She had removed the RFID chip Shari had implanted a while ago.
“Justin,” Dean said hesitantly. “How well do they enforce this mark of the beast so to speak?”
The impact of Dean’s profound statement jolted her. He had definitely nailed that one.
Ella’s eyes rounded in acknowledgment. “O-M-G, do you think that’s what the Book of Revelation is talking about?” Ella shivered despite the heat.
Luther groaned. “My crazy Aunt Matilda used to preach about the apocalypse as if it might happen any day. I was never into that.”
“Zhetto doesn’t usually hassle unchipped cits,” Justin said. “That’s why dissidents and the homeless live there. But you won’t last long in Zones A to Y without one. And when 6G takes over, forget about it. Facial recognition will be everywhere. Way worse than China ever was.”
“How in tarnation did it come to this?” Dean pondered in apparent disgust.
Justin unpackaged a syringe. “This one says Jerry Smith.”
Ella rolled her eyes. “Really?”
Twila giggled. “You can’t be a boy. Don’t you have one for a girl?”
“It’s better if we assume the identity of men,” Scarlett said.
“Ye-ah, women are heavily surveilled,” Justin said. “No one wants a woman to turn Z on their shift. Remember, men outrank women about ten to one.”
Scarlett thought back. “According to Shari, Zac’s CitChips only work for scans. They won’t work if we get taken into custody.”
“I so miss Shari!” Ella lamented.
She reached for Ella’s hand. Twila grabbed Ella’s other hand, and they shared a silent moment of remembrance. Their Mystery School teacher and dear friend’s untimely demise still tormented them.
“Anyone else curious what’s in that Best Buy warehouse?” Luther changed the subject.
“El zilcho.” Justin smirked. “When the Last State regime took over, the good stuff was shipped to MeBuy warehouses in the inner Zones.”
“MeBuy?” Luther spat with disgust. “This is one messed-up place.”
“If anyone needs the restroom, take care of your business behind that stack of pallets next to the building.” Dean pointed outside. “Everyone else, keep your eyes and ears peeled for trouble.”
***
Scarlett awoke famished. Apparently, she had fallen asleep despite her anxiety. Grateful her mental capabilities had returned, she focused on her lightbody Merkaba shield, building it stronger and stronger.
“Ooh, Mommy, I’m so happy you feel all better now.” Twila gave a toothy grin. She had been extremely good today.
“Sorry, for falling asleep,” Scarlett said. “I’m absolutely starving.”
“No apology needed,” Dean said. “Not after what you went through the past twenty-four hours. Speakin’ of which, we should eat while we can.”
Justin dug through the pile of suits for the MREs. “Found them.”
Scarlett grabbed one before handing the box to Dean. Honestly, she didn’t think she could wait one more minute.
“I want the one with creamy soup,” Twila insisted.
Dean rifled through the box. “Hmm, don’t see any soup. How’s ’bout this one? Creamy Spinach Fettuccini. Says right here on the package Warfighter Approved just for my Twila.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Dean.” Twila scrutinized the front and back of the package as if reading every word before opening it.
Good, Twila needed to feel like she was part of a family, not just a desperate soul fighting for day-to-day survival, even if it was delusional thinking. In reality, what were their chances of returning to a normal life?
Justin watched intently. “Don’t put too much water in the—”
“Duh, I know how to use flameless heaters. I’ve been on the road for-ev-er,” Twila jeered like an annoyed veteran.
Scarlett caught Dean’s twinkle in the rearview mirror and held her laughter. Life on the run had taught Twila more than the schoolteacher in her ever could have. The child was tough and self-reliant. If only she learned to control her emotions, Scarlett mused w
hile force-feeding herself flour tortillas dipped in barbecue beef.
She tucked the chocolate chip cookie in her pocket for Twila when a random vision blindsided her. An image of a tense Zac hammered by a barrage of questions took over her inner vision. Zac’s in trouble!
“Don’t worry”—Twila munched—“Zac’s smarter than them.”
“What is it?” Ella whispered.
“They’re interrogating Zac about his last mission,” Scarlett informed. She wished she had taught Zac to use his Merkaba force field of protection. Then again, for him to have survived all those trips from California to Last State, meant he must have the innate ability.
“Not to worry,” Dean said, trying to keep everyone happy as usual. “Got a hunch Zac will come out of it unscathed. That one’s a sly fox.”
That reminded her. “How’d you, Luther, and Zac get into Last State?” Scarlett asked, mixing the instant coffee into a paper cup she found in the van’s cupboard.
Dean handed her the canteen from around his neck. “Remember the Ravers? Well, they made an impromptu visit to Boom Town. Only Zac got there first.” Dean and Luther exchanged pensive glances.
“You got that right. Your boyfriend saved our lives,” Luther said.
Boyfriend? Was that how they saw Zac? He was so much more. Like an extension of her, like two souls melded into one. Lifetime after lifetime.
“Yep.” Dean hung his head low. “They would have slaughtered us in our sleep if Zac hadn’t warned us.”
Sitting on a crate near the cab’s caged-door, she nudged Luther. “I thought you despised Texas.” He had sworn off Texas at Ella and Justin’s wedding. Besides, Luther was considered a Class-Z, forever banned from Last State since he’d been bitten once but was apparently immune.
“I ran out of options,” Luther said. “Sheriff Wormer ordered me to hang with Zac and Mindy in that smuggler’s tunnel behind Boom Town. Never did thank you for that.” Luther turned to Dean. “You saved my ass. I could have been pulling guard duty on one of the towers when the invasion started. Thanks.”
“Ooh, I didn’t know that.” Twila’s golden-flecked eyes sparkled even brighter. “Grandpa Dean’s a hero!”
“Naw, I don’t deserve all the credit. As I recall, ol’ Luther badgered me into wearing the flak jacket. We were all heroes that day,” Dean commented wistfully.
“What happened at Boom Town?” Scarlett tried focusing on the western town but drew a complete blank.
“Afraid to say, they blew the place to kingdom come.” Dean rubbed his chest as if recalling the incident.
“What—Ravers blew up Boom Town?” She knew they were dangerous.
“Nope, Last State beat them to the punchline,” Luther said in a low tone.
Ella gasped. “Scarlett, I’m so glad you didn’t take me there.”
“Why would Last State blow up Boom Town?” Scarlett puzzled.
“Beats me,” Dean said. “Zac’s theory: drones spotted the pending Raver attack. And didn’t want it escalating to the border. Guess the Ravers finally got their due process. Draconian justice at its best.”
Scarlett was astounded. The seemingly random events that had unfolded within the past twenty-four hours had miraculously reunited them. Except for Zac. Was she fated to a doomed love affair?
“My dear, think not this mere happenstance. At this juncture, the timeline cannot be foretold. The forthcoming sequence of events remains crucial. Know that I am with you, championing you and your devoted soul-friends who made the celestial oath to save Hu-manity lifetimes ago.”
A visit from the Silver Lady was the last thing she had expected. “What should we do next?” Scarlett requested silently.
“My warrior-child, that I cannot ascertain. You must persevere.” The words faded away until she doubted they had been said.
They nibbled their MREs in silence. The baby had finally fallen asleep. Ella’s dark circles and shortness of breath worried her. Ella needed the monatomic tea to endure the tumultuous journey that lay ahead. Tonight, after they were settled, she decided.
Dean cleared his throat softly; something troubled him. “Say, Scarlett, if you don’t mind me asking? And I think I speak for everyone. Precisely what occurred during your kidnapping of sorts?”
All eyes turned to her. How could she explain it? The entire ordeal was not plausible. Not even to her.
“ ’Course, you have the right to tell me to mind my own business,” Dean offered after her hesitation.
Dean had a right to know; they all did. Every minute detail was of the most importance. That was the one thing she understood above all. Every action or nonaction, every word spoken or unsaid, including the slightest of thoughts—all held the power to manifest a particular future.
She dreaded the retelling. “Just before I left Boom Town, I knew they were after Twila and Ella at the cabin. Remember?”
“Like it was yesterday,” Dean said.
Twila’s lips pooched-out into a pout. “I was so scared for you, Mommy.”
“This clan of creepers—knew I was going back through the tunnel. And, well, they were waiting for me.” Scarlett stopped when her throat tightened. She would never forget the bony arms scuttling her across the tunnel’s ceiling. On second thought, they shouldn’t have to relive her terror.
“That’s so scary!” Tears clung to Twila’s lashes. Scarlett hadn’t meant for her to see that. She quickly redacted that bit from her thoughts.
“Something tells me there’s more to it than that,” Dean pushed, wanting more.
Dean was right. She hadn’t divulged everything. Were they ready for it? “The leader of this clan of Zs, the King of the Undead, managed to access the Akashic Records. There, he discovered a prophecy: a blue-eyed one had been fated to awaken his kind with an alchemy substance called Etherium Gold. Which we know as Ella’s monatomic powder. Once healed, their species would take over the earth and nullify the New Hu.” Scarlett still couldn’t forgive herself for betraying humanity by giving them the monatomic powder. But she hadn’t had a choice. Had she?
“They actually kidnapped you?” Luther still seemed stuck on that.
She simply nodded.
“For cryin’ out loud.” Dean threw up his arms. “That’s a bit much to assimilate. I mean, how could this particular dead-head reason things out. Before having the tea?”
“I know, it sounds far-fetched. See, a few creepers never fully crossed over to the zombified state,” Scarlett attempted to clarify.
“Oh yeah,” Ella said. “Shari called them Thinkers.”
“Exactly,” Scarlett said. “Anyway, a huge shift occurred once they learned to harness their collective consciousness. Apparently, that’s how this wannabe king gained access to the Akashic Records and learned of the healing properties in Ella’s powdery tea mixture.”
Justin frowned. “So, explain this Akashic thing again?”
“Oh, my turn.” Ella took over. “It’s like this omniscient diary of all the souls—throughout the multiverses.” Ella had learned so much since her time with Shari. “Think of the universe as a supercomputer where all events, actions, and thoughts are stored. Every single intent, feeling, and thought really does matter.”
“Ye-ah, okay,” Justin said. “Like a cosmic cloud where all the data that ever existed is stored. It reminds me of Edgar Cayce. My mom used to talk a lot about him. She believed in all that stuff.”
“Well, don’t you? After everything that has happened?” Ella chastised.
Justin shrugged.
“Did this tea concoction do the trick?” Dean asked.
“I’m not sure. It certainly affected them.” She couldn’t get that disturbing scene of the creepers diving into the steaming cauldron out of her head. And the King of the Undead’s unwavering black, fiery eyes . . . A wave of repulsion rippled through her at the thought of the King wanting her for his wife.
Twila gasped. “He wanted to marry you?”
I need to block harder. Either Twila’
s abilities had strengthened, or hers were still weak. Everyone stopped eating after Twila’s outburst.
Scarlett couldn’t recall much after that. “Luther and Zac saved me before the actual marriage ceremony.” But, she wasn’t so sure.
“Guys, guys, this is getting freakier by the minute.” Justin and Ella held each other’s hands.
“What do you make of this bizarre turn of events?” Dean inquired.
“It’s difficult for our egocentric brains to comprehend,” Scarlett attempted to explain. “All things have a cosmic consciousness. Think of it this way. The regular creepers and X-strains have evolved into two different races. They’re learning the power of their innate abilities while we’re still struggling to accept our latent abilities.” In that sense, the undead had surpassed humans.
“Kumbaya . . . Kumbaya . . . Kumbaya.” Luther’s nervous chatter released a bout of pensive laughter.
Poor Luther. This was too much for him.
“So, what can we do?” Justin asked.
Scarlett had thought about that during her imprisonment. “We have to stay a step ahead of them. I think there will be a battle between the two races as they struggle for superiority. Let’s hope they’ll be so obsessed with winning, that we can find a stronghold in the Lost States.”
“Meaning, heed that little voice in the back of your head otherwise known as our gut instinct,” Dean said matter-of-factly.
“That’s what I was trying to tell everyone,” Twila burst. “We need to use our special abilities. All of us! When we work together, we solve the riddle faster.”
“Mystery Theater,” Justin sang in a sinister tone.
“While we’re waiting for Zac at the safehouse, I should teach everyone a simple Merkaba meditation. If we combine our energies, it will be harder for the Ancient Ones and X-strains to penetrate.” She didn’t know how they would take her suggestion.
“That’s a great idea,” Ella said. “Twila helped for a long time in the cabin until Justin saved us.”
“I knew I wasn’t done with this Voodoo shi—nonsense,” Luther denounced with vehemence.
Ella and Twila giggled.
Dean checked his watch again. “Folks, hate to interrupt this enlightening chat. We’ve got maybe forty-five minutes before it’s too dark. Only take what you can carry without impeding your agility. I’ll take a look-see outside, see if the coast is clear.” He opened the door. “You see anything?” Dean sincerely asked Twila.
Only The Dead Don't Die | Book 4 | Finding Home Page 5
