by Ned Sahin
Toshi checks the external GPS device attached to the front console. “The state camp is about a mile from here,” he says. I get off the highway and stop in front of a looted local grocery store.
“I think we shouldn’t get closer while they are in the back,” I say. I get off the truck and open the rear door.
“Jesus...” Miguel says, wiping the sweat from his face. Diego seems sleepy. I help them get down and hand Toshi’s radio to Miguel.
“We are about a mile away from the state base. It’s located at Exit 287. Once we check out the base and find out where Val is, I will let you know. Please hide inside this store,” I say.
“Excelente! We will be ready. I will see my daughter soon,” Miguel says, putting the radio into his pocket and checking the magazine in his rifle. He is heavily armed with hand grenades and extra magazines on his bulletproof vest. I am sure there are a lot more in his backpack. Even Diego has a similar rifle and backpack. I wish he were carrying books and going to school right now instead of preparing for a war against a ruthless gang.
I go to the passenger side of the truck. Toshi drives to the camp. His familiarity among the guards at the gate can make it easier to enter the base.
I see the base right after taking Exit 287. It looks like a factory building. The iron gate is surrounded by sandbags on both sides while the entire building is bordered by concrete walls with barbed wire on top. There are security cameras about every 100 feet.
Even before Saviors settled in here to use the building as a state base, this factory had been most likely well-protected. It might be one of those factories that made advanced masks and other protective equipment.
Toshi stops the truck in front of the iron gate.
“A little late this time,” one of the guards says, coming toward the truck while another one is checking the bottom of the truck with an extended mirror. The third guard rolls up the rear door.
“There was an abandoned car blocking the highway,” Toshi says.
“Ah, those lone wolves,” the guard says, then looks at me. “You’re new?”
Chapter 13
“Yes, my first delivery,” I tell the guard.
“That’s why I haven’t seen you before. Watch your back,” he says with a serious face, which makes me nervous. He continues to smirk while looking at me. “We are all in the same team here, man. Nothing to worry.”
“Good to hear. We don’t want to take over one of our own bases,” I say, returning his laugh.
“I like this guy,” the guard says. It looks like he enjoys the challenge.
Toshi smiles while listening to our conversation, but I can sense his fear about the tension building up.
“Open the gate!” The guard gestures toward the men. “Town leaders are meeting today. Don’t stick around long,” he says, looking at Toshi and me.
“Roger that,” Toshi says.
We pass the gate and drive to the backside of the factory where there are several military vehicles and some Saviors running around. It must be a busy day here.
“What’s going on today?” I ask Toshi.
“Town leaders get together monthly. They discuss the supply chains, expansion plans, and all kinds of stuff. It’s not the best time to be here if you want to keep a low profile.”
It’s not necessarily a bad thing. This big meeting may help us mix in with the crowd and look for Val.
Toshi parks the truck backward to one of the docks. Two Saviors open the rear door and start unloading the truck.
Weapons, except the side arms, are not allowed in the building, so Toshi leaves his rifle on his seat. We get off the truck and walk toward the stairs.
“We’ll be back after lunch,” Toshi yells at the two Saviors and they nod. He then turns to me and lowers his voice. “We can start with the cafeteria. We may see hostages and newbies grabbing food there.”
It’s a good idea. Since it’s lunchtime, the cafeteria should be packed. If we follow the gray man theory and blend in with the crowd by looking and acting like others, we won’t get much attention while searching for Val.
I follow Toshi through a series of doors and corridors before reaching the cafeteria.
It is more crowded than I expected. There must be at least 100 people in the cafeteria. Everyone has masks and are trying to stay a few feet away from each other in the line and around the tables.
There are boards on the walls showing duty lists and announcements. Somebody is handing flyers while cafeteria staff mops the floors and picks up dirty trays.
It’s uncomfortable to see this many Saviors at the same place. It feels like the good old government fell a century ago. I still don’t understand how fast they were to gain power and take control of this side of the country.
Most of the people are dressed like me and Toshi. Black jeans with a black jacket or gray hoodie with Saviors badges on their chests.
Only a few people are in casual clothes. Their hands are tied with plastic zips. Two Saviors closely watch them as they walk in a line to grab their sandwiches. They must be hostages or penalized Saviors.
There are several people with blue stripes on their shoulders. Toshi told me that they are town leaders. They have security detail around them. My eyes search for Big Six. As Asheville town leader, he must be here. I ask Toshi about him.
“He is not always invited. Some of these meetings are for leaders of bigger towns,” he says.
I hope he is not invited today. He may question me about why I came for delivery instead of doing my regular duty in the control room.
We grab our pre-made food containers and sit at a small table at the corner of the cafeteria. I have my eyes on the hostages. They wait for all Saviors to grab their food first, then they proceed in the line. As soon as the captives grab the bags prepared for them, two Saviors lead them to the side door.
We leave our food on the table and follow them as they cross the factory’s production line. The wide warehouse type of building helps us go after them without being noticed. I see them entering one of the storage rooms.
Before entering the storage area, I see the Centaur. I heard stories about this beast back in the camp. This is a tank-like vehicle built by a doomsday prepper years before the outbreak. It’s a 27-ton all-wheel truck built from half-inch-thick armor. It has a camper in the back that can accommodate three people. This beast is 35 feet long, twelve feet high, and eight feet wide. It’s equipped with solar power, battery banks, gas generators, and it can store 250 gallons of fuel, 200 gallons of propane, as well as 100 gallons of water.
Even though it’s a reputable gas guzzler, the Centaur can make a cross-country trip without needing a resupply thanks to the engine that can work with both fuel and propane stored in its sizable storage space.
It even has a small command center where you can monitor two miles around the truck with five high definition cameras attached all around.
There is an automatic 50 caliber machine gun attached to the roof to eliminate any threats within a mile range. There are also four toxic spray tanks placed on each side of the truck. They can be activated by pushing a button in the command center to incapacitate targets within the twenty feet range.
I have been a big fan of custom-built apocalypse vehicles since I was a kid. I can’t stop myself staring at a very popular one right in front of me.
I heard that the owner of the Centaur wasn’t lucky enough to make it to the vehicle in time when Saviors broke into his house. They killed him and stole the vehicle. It is now serving as the North Carolina state leader’s mobile office.
“Hey!” a Savior pushing a hand cart yells us while we are looking at the Centaur. We turn to him with our hands ready to pull our sidearms.
“Mind giving me a hand?” he asks, sweating heavily. One of the wheels of the hand cart seems to be stuck in a crack on the concrete floor.
Toshi and I look at each other for a split second.
“Sure,” Toshi s
ays and walks over to him. They try to push the cart together.
I turn back and walk on the hallway toward the room they took the hostages in. It’s a big room with two windows on each side of the door. The blinds are half-open. It looks like a break room for workers. There is a pantry on one side and portable chairs and tables in the middle. About twenty people with zipped hands are sitting on those chairs. Three hostages are distributing the food bags they brought from the cafeteria. Two Saviors are chatting near the door inside the room.
I get closer to the window to see better through the blinds. I see Val. She is on the other side of the room probably waiting for her food.
Her shoulders are slumped, and her half-open eyes are blood-shot red. Her entangled hair falls over her ears and parts of her cheeks. Losing her mom and being kept here for a week must have been traumatic for her. No matter how weak and devastated she looks, I can still see her strong personality in her determined eyes.
I walk away from the window and check other rooms. I find a door with a janitor sign on it. I enter the dark and quiet room. I close the door and pull my radio.
“Miguel, are you there?” I say on the radio. There is a continuous interference. The factory’s thick walls must be disturbing the signal.
“Si, Matt,” he says.
“She is here. Go to the back side of the factory where the unloading docks are. Wait for our signal.”
“Thank God… See you soon.”
I like his way of communication on the radio. Short and to the point.
I go back to the break room and look through the window one more time. Hostages are eating their food. Two Saviors are sitting half-asleep near the door.
I look toward the production line, but Toshi doesn’t appear to be around. I trust him. He probably got carried away in a conversation with someone he knows.
There is no way to communicate with him. Someone took his radio in the camp for a mission.
Time is running out.
I decide to do this alone and enter the room.
The hostages and the two Saviors turn their heads to me.
Chapter 14
“The Charlotte leader wants to see Valeri Hernandez. Is there someone with this name here?” I say, looking at the two Saviors. My mispronunciation of her name will hopefully make them think I have never met her.
One of the Saviors stands up and walks toward the kitchen counter to pick up the hostage list. The other Savior extends his legs on to a pile of plastic bags and leans back with his arms crossed over his chest while slowly closing his eyes. It looks like he is only interested in having a nap.
“It’s me. Valeria Hernandez,” Val says, raising her hand. She looks at me and pretends not to know me, but I can tell she has already figured out my plan.
“Come here,” I say, trying to look as tough as I can. I grab her arm by the wrist aggressively to make the scene look more realistic.
“It won’t be necessary,” she says and moves her arm away from my hand. She is playing along. I point the door with my head. She walks toward it and reaches for the doorknob. I think we are exhibiting an Oscar level performance.
“I’ll come with you. I’ve been wanting to introduce myself to the Charlotte leader. I’m sick of babysitting these people,” the Savior with a list in his hand says.
As much as I know how risky it is, I know that I can’t stop him from coming with us.
I clench my fist and force a smile. “Okay, but I should warn you. He is not having a good day.” I am hoping that the Charlotte leader is a man.
He pauses for a second. “I don’t have much to lose.” We leave the room and walk through the production line. I have no idea who the Charlotte leader is or where he might be. I decide to follow the signs “Executive Section.” Val is behind me. The Savior is following her.
I am not enthusiastic about finding the leader. I can’t see any way of getting out of the situation even if we find him. I plan to find an empty meeting room and take the Savior down somehow. Even if people hear the fight or a shot from my handgun, Val and I should have enough time to flee.
The hallway divides into two small corridors. I turn right without hesitation, pretending to know where I am going even though I have no idea.
This corridor has rooms on one side and floor to ceiling windows on the other. I see the front gate from the corridor. We are in the fancy executive building in front of the factory.
I stop in front of one of the doors. From the small window, I see the lights are on, but I don’t see anybody. I knock the door and enter. This will be the room to execute my plan.
As soon as we enter the room, a Savior sitting in the corner of the room stands up and salutes. This is one of the security details I saw in the cafeteria. He probably thought his leader entered the room.
“Hey, did the Charlotte leader go somewhere?” I ask him. He looks confused as I expected. This room is probably assigned to another leader.
“He must be in the Patriot Hall around the corner with other leaders.” He points his index finger to the end of the corridor. He is probably thinking if he disobeyed his leader somehow.
“Ah, right. I forgot what time it started. Thank you,” I say and then slowly close the door.
Val must have noticed the struggle I am having, but she knows she can’t help, especially when her hands are tied. Fortunately, the Savior who has been following us doesn’t seem to be suspicious. At least for now.
“Let’s go to the conference room,” I say, heading to the end of the hall. They follow me.
There is a big door with a Patriot Hall sign above it at the end of the hallway. From the small opening, I see lots of people talking loudly in small groups. Val and I might be able to disappear in this crowd.
We enter the room. The Savior is looking at me, hoping that I would take him to the Charlotte leader. I scan the room to pretend like I am searching for him, but I am actually trying to make a plan on how to get rid of him by walking through the crowd.
Seconds after, I see someone in the crowd. Someone a lot more dangerous than the Savior next to me.
Leyton Fowler.
There are blue stripes on his shoulders. He has a hat with CLT letters on it. He must be the assistant of the Charlotte leader. It looks like he joined the gang and climbed up in the command chain quickly after his betrayal at the cabin.
“I don’t see him. Let’s wait outside of the hall,” I tell the Savior. I look at Leyton one more time to make sure he didn’t see me.
He is looking straight at me. His smiley face turns to a confused look before converting to a hateful expression. The fire builds up in his eyes quickly. The situation got messed up so fast. I have no idea what to do next.
The sound of a heavy shooting comes from the outside and interrupts the moment I am having with Leyton.
People start running around. Some of them take cover under tables while others go to the door, pulling their guns from their holsters. Somebody bumps into me amid the chaos. I push him away. The shooting continues without even a break.
It must be Miguel.
“No…” I say. This wasn’t the plan.
I glance at Val, and we both run out of the hall. The glass covering in front of the building is scattered in pieces. People are running around, trying to get cover and shoot back.
Several guards lie dead around the gate. Somebody is on top of one of the deceased guards. This reminds me of the scene back in the jungle. He is a Rica, an ex-human being that turned into an extremely aggressive killing animal. Several other Ricas are trying to jump over the gate. Either Miguel somehow drew them here or they wanted to check out today’s event on their own will.
The drum fire continues non-stop. It looks like Miguel and Diego are targeting everything and everybody in their range. They will finish their magazines quickly if they don’t slow down and pick their targets carefully.
Val and I run back to the hallway where we came from. Nobody
seems to question where we are going or why her hands are tied. The base got caught up in this unexpected attack. It’s a total chaos. Miguel’s version of the plan might have worked after all.
Toshi is still not around. He has the truck’s key. I am not sure if the truck is still there, though. All I know is I can’t wait for Toshi. This chaos is our only chance to escape from the base.
The state leader is running in front of us with three security details. We follow them. They pass the production line.
I know where they are going. They are going to the Centaur.
Once they reach the truck, we take cover behind some equipment boxes. A Savior reaches for the driver's door. The state leader and another one of his details go around the truck to get in the passenger seat and command center of the truck. Another Savior runs to the control box of the garage door and hits the green button.
As soon as the door raises a few feet, an influx of Ricas runs into it. One of them jumps onto the Savior who opened the door. A group of Ricas race toward the other two Saviors, who are shooting at them. The state leader rushes away toward the back side of the factory.
I decide to wait and see how this little war comes along. Val is watching the scene on her knees next to me.
Two Saviors are down while at least five Ricas are lying dead around them. The Savior who tried to unlock the driver door gets bitten from his neck by the last Rica. He manages to put a bullet in the savage’s brain, and he falls down, holding onto his neck.
I touch Val’s arm to signal her to follow me. We run to the truck. I grab the key the driver had dropped on the ground.
“Help!” he groans, holding his back on the floor. I take off one of the dead Ricas shoes. Then I take his socks off. I roll the socks around the driver’s neck to stop the bleeding. It looks like Rica didn’t get to the main artery, and the Savior should survive.
I unlock the doors and help Val get on the passenger seat. I go around and climb to the driver seat.
I try familiarizing myself with the cabin and dashboard. Everything in this truck is big. Steering wheel, gear, odometer. I look for the ignition switch. I place the key and pull the switch up. Nothing happens.
