The man leaned back as he held his imaginary fishing pole. “I was like, ‘Woah, there, big fella!’ But that big ol’ fish wouldn’t give up! I let out some line…” he leaned forward, angling the imaginary fishing pole downward, “...then reeled it in,” he turned the imaginary reel. “Let out some, reeled it in. We went at it for about an hour. Let me tell you, I was gettin’ hungry. I had to have my buddy Cecil stuff a cheeseburger in my mouth!”
The children laughed gleefully at his comment, their attention solely focused on him as he told his story.
“We went back and forth, back and forth, until finally, finally, after all that struggle, I got that sucker -” He looked at Sarah apologetically. “Oh, sorry, ma’am.”
She smiled. “It’s okay. Go on.”
Damien nodded. “Anyway, that, bast- I mean, fish, finally gave in. I reeled him in as Cecil cheered me on.”
“How big was it?” Jason asked, his eyes filled with wonder.
The big man closed his eyes and shook his head in embarrassment. He held his hands out about six inches apart.
The group burst into laughter as the big man shook his head. “Yeah. Pretty embarrassing.”
Serrano let the laughter die down before he spoke. “Gonna be heading out in a few minutes.”
“Okay,” Sarah said, giving him a half-smile. She stood up from where she sat on the small wall at the edge of the parking lot and walked over to the car. Opening the driver’s door, she reached in and pulled the lever to open the trunk. She retrieved a light blue backpack from the trunk, opened it, and took out a black and red windbreaker, which had been rolled up tightly to conserve space. As she unrolled it, her eyes widened.
“Holy shit! I forgot about this!”
Serrano walked over to see what she was holding. It was a military handheld radio, which he quickly identified as an AN/PRC-148 multiband radio, similar to what he and his team had used in the field. “Where’d you get that?”
She told him about the Humvee she’d come across when they’d been heading north on the freeway after finding Camp Pendleton locked down. “Same place I got the gun,” she offered.
“Is it charged?”
She nodded. “Should be. It was when I found it, and I’ve kept it turned off since.” She turned the knob at the top of the radio, powering the device on. A green light shone brightly. “All I heard before was the standard emergency message you’d hear on the AM radio channels. I didn’t want to draw attention to us, so I never tried to use it.”
The two of them waited a few minutes before they heard the emergency message they’d grown familiar with. Nothing had changed. The government was still in need of someone who was immune to the Rage virus.
“Good find,” Serrano told her, nodding. He looked at the radio’s front display. The battery icon showed it to be about three-quarters full. “These things are great, but the battery life is at best ten hours when it’s fully charged. At this point, I’d safely give it six hours, so let’s turn it off, but keep it handy. We’ll check it routinely to see if there are any updates, but power it down after.”
Sarah nodded in agreement. “Okay.”
Ten minutes later, the group was back on the road, making slow but steady progress north along the 101.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
San Jose, California
“What’s in it for me?” The man asked, sitting back in his chair. Tall, muscled, and dark skinned, with a smooth, clean shaven scalp, the man looked like he was born to fight. The men standing on either side of him held their semi-automatic weapons tightly and wore grim expressions that said they’d gladly open fire should the man say the word.
“Opportunity.” The Scorpion replied, maintaining the man’s gaze without flinching.
Simeon Jackson had been ruling the northeast part of San Jose’s gang areas for the better part of three years without the slightest bit of resistance from any rival gang. They simply knew better. The man’s mean streak and brutal efficiency had made him a dangerous enemy to have.
Jackson spread his arms wide. “What opportunity? The whole damn country’s falling apart!”
“There’s still plenty to be had, Simeon.”
The man leaned forward suddenly at the use of his name. “What’d you call me?”
The Scorpion’s hands came up in appeasement. “Sorry. Skull Crusher.”
Simeon ‘Skull Crusher’ Jackson glared back for a moment before sitting back in his chair again. Bringing his feet up, he rested them on the mahogany desk in front of him. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a cigar and a cigar cutter. After snapping off the end of the cigar, he held his hand out. The man on his right put a lighter in the open hand. He lit his cigar, passed the lighter back, took a puff from the cigar, then exhaled a huge cloud of smoke before speaking again. “Maybe I should ask something else. What’s in it for you?”
The Scorpion smiled. “Obviously, opportunity as well, but something else. Better control. Leon has tried to take too much, and he can’t control it. People are hungry, and when they’re hungry, they get desperate. Soon they’ll revolt. It’s only a matter of time before the whole thing falls apart.”
Skull Crusher nodded. “Yeah, no doubt.”
The Scorpion went on. “I’m offering you both an opportunity and a truce. Once I’m in control, everything east of the One Oh One is yours.”
The man took another puff from his cigar as he considered the Scorpion’s offer. Though part of him preferred to have the western part of the city, he figured eventually the military would start venturing further south, entering the city in an effort to give people a clear path to reach San Francisco. Once that happened, there would be a lot of bloodshed. Whether it was The Lion’s gang or The Scorpion’s gang, they’d lose that fight.
When they did, he’d have the opportunity he wanted. The main difference was, when the opportunity came, he’d do it on the down low.
Nodding, he gazed at The Scorpion through the cloud of smoke he’d released into the air. He had to admit, coming here with only one bodyguard was pretty brave. Maybe the Scorpion was ready to take over Leon’s gang.
“Alright, so what are you proposing?” He asked.
The Scorpion smiled deviously, showing flawless white teeth. “I’ll tell you where he’ll be and when. You and your men ambush him.”
Simeon nodded, taking another puff. “Sounds easy enough.”
“It should be.”
“You better not fuckin’ cross me on this.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not stupid. Besides, once Leon’s out of the way, there’s plenty for both of us. I’d rather have tight control of a smaller area than weak control of a larger one. Like I said, everything east of the One Oh One is yours.”
“I want something else.”
“What’s that?”
He told her, explaining his rationale.
Nodding in understanding, she replied, “You got it.”
Smiling, Skull Crusher said, “Alright, then. Let’s do this.”
She smiled again. “Great. Lizette here will be in touch.”
Simeon looked the young Latina up and down. Light skinned and lean, she was both attractive and mysterious. “I’ll look forward to that.”
The Scorpion’s head shook back and forth. “Don’t get your hopes up. She don’t swing that way.” A short laugh followed before she added, “Trust me, I know.”
Simeon shook his head in disappointment. “Damn, that’s a shame.”
“Maybe for you,” she replied. She stared at him for a moment, giving him that half-smile she favored when making deals. She could hold it in place no matter what the situation, effectively blocking people from reading her emotions.
The Scorpion’s hand came out for a shake. “Pleasure doing business with you, Skull Crusher.”
The man stood and grasped the offered hand, shaking it. “Same.”
“Just one more thing, though.”
“What’s that?” He asked, frowning. He didn’t like l
ast minute changes.
“When it comes down to it, don’t kill him.”
“Say what?”
“I wanna do it myself.” With that, The Scorpion turned and walked out of the room, followed by the young woman.
Skull Crusher sat back down in his chair and resumed smoking his cigar. He looked at the door, wondering if he’d missed something. The deal they’d made seemed simple enough on the surface, but still....
Blowing out a huge cloud of smoke, he looked at the man on his left.
“Go get me one of the bitches.”
“Yes, boss.”
A little release would make him feel more at ease.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
South Bakersfield, California
“This is not good. Not good at all.”
Looking towards the fires on the horizon, Serafina shook her head. “Nope. Definitely not good.”
“Son of a bitch!” Daniel muttered in frustration. The central downtown area of Bakersfield was engulfed in flames, burning unchecked, sending smoke and ash into the afternoon sky. Though it was still early in the day their goal of getting through Bakersfield and to Lemoore was in jeopardy. Four miles ahead, State Route 99 ran almost directly through the downtown area, heading straight into the smoke and flames. At this point, their only choices were to backtrack and take a series of highways that would route them in multiple directions before finally rejoining the 99, or to find one of the sidestreets that would follow the highway north while keeping enough distance between them and the raging fires that were consuming the small city’s highrises.
Shaking his head, he turned and stepped away, kicking a can that lay on the road in front of him.
“It’s alright, Dad,” Ashley offered. “We’ll find a way around it.”
“Yeah, but this delay will most likely mean that we’ll be driving at night, something I really prefer not to do. The headlights will make us targets.”
Serafina looked over before walking to the front of the car. “Either way, we can’t stay here, so let’s figure this out.” She took the map she held in her hand and spread it out on the hood of the car. Looking up, her eyes found the exit signs in the distance. “Okay, the next exit in a mile and a half is for the mall, which is off Ming Avenue.” Looking back down at the map, she said aloud, “If we take that exit and head west, we’ll reach New Stine Road.” Her finger traced the route on the map. “Following that north, we’ll reach Mohawk Street, which will take us across the river. When we reach Hageman, we can either go left and give the highway more space if the fires are still too close, or go right and make our way back to the highway.”
She looked up at Daniel, who was still standing there, looking at the distant fires with his hands on his hips. “Hey. Are you listening?”
Daniel snapped out of his trance and looked at her. “What? Oh, yeah, okay.”
“What did I say?”
“You said, take another route.”
“What route?”
Coming over to the map, Daniel looked down, then looked up at the highway signs. “Okay, so exit up there at Ming, then head west. Go north on, what’s this? New Stine Road. Take that to Mohawk - ”
Serafina pulled the map away. “I’m driving. Get in.” She turned and headed for the driver’s side of the car, leaving Daniel and the others standing there.
Brenna looked over at Ashley and raised her eyebrows. “Someone’s in trouble…”
Daniel shook his head. “It’s fine. Let’s go.”
Once loaded up, Serafina pulled the car forward, checking in the rearview mirror to make sure Logan and the others were close behind. She followed the route she’d outlined, exiting the highway near the mall, then carefully maneuvering the car through multiple stalled vehicles to get away from the mall area as they headed west.
The city was quiet, with little to no signs of life present aside from the occasional dog or cat, which ran at the sight of the approaching car. Though the fires were still miles from them, the air had taken on a hazy look, reducing both available light and visibility as they drove. Once they turned on New Stine Road and began making their way north, the smoke got even thicker, forcing them to reduce their speed out of concern for abandoned cars, which seemed to appear magically out of the smoke as they approached. It seemed as if the entire city itself were on fire, making them feel as if the world around them was closing in as the smoke got thicker and thicker outside the car. Serafina reached over and turned off the daytime running lights for the vehicle to keep from illuminating the wall of smoke in front of them.
Finally, turning left onto Mohawk Street, the road traveled both North and West, taking them over Kern River and away from the downtown area of the city. Little by little, the smoke and haze dissipated, eventually giving way to clearer skies as they left the burning areas behind.
They were nearly back to the highway when Daniel called out, “Pull over! Kill the engine!”
“What? Why?”
“Just do it, quick!”
Serafina pulled the car to the side of the road, bringing it to a stop behind a semi-tractor trailer that was parked half-on, half-off the asphalt. Looking in the mirror, she saw Logan pull his car off the road and park behind her. When she turned off the car’s engine, she saw him do the same.
“What is it?” She asked, looking over at Daniel.
“Hold on.” He pointed towards the road up ahead, where the highway rose up to cross over the small river ahead of them.
There was nothing.
She waited.
Daniel kept watching as he kept his eyes fixed on the overpass.
Just when Serafina was ready to ask again what had spooked him, a black Ford Mustang charged towards the bridge, its heavily powered engine roaring loudly, making its presence known. Loud music came from inside the vehicle, some country western song neither of them had ever heard. An empty bottle flew out the window, falling downward until it splashed in the river. The car powered onward, drowning out all other sound until it disappeared as the road descended and then curved away from where they waited.
“The hell was that?” Serafina said aloud after the car disappeared.
Daniel shook his head. “Don’t know, but something tells me it was trouble. No one goes around making that much noise unless they’re looking to stir something up.”
“How long should we wait here?” Serafina asked.
Daniel paused. After a moment, he said, “Let’s check the map again.”
His wife stared at him. “You gonna pay attention this time?”
He nodded, grinning. “Of course.”
The two of them got out of the car, telling the girls to remain where they were. They went to the front of the car, remaining in the shadow of the big semi truck as they spread the map out again. Daniel looked back towards the other car and motioned for Logan to join them. The man got out of the car and trotted up to where they were.
“What’s up?” He asked.
“I didn’t like the look of that car.”
He shook his head. “Me, either. A little too boisterous to be anything other than trouble.”
“Exactly,” Daniel replied.
Serafina rested her finger on the map. “Alright, here we are. I say we follow this road along the highway, then take a left on Seventh Standard Road. We can follow that all the way to the Forty Three, then take that north.”
Daniel nodded. “Sounds good.”
Logan nodded as well. “I like it, but is there any reason we shouldn’t just follow Seventh Standard all the way to the Five?”
Daniel placed his finger on the map, indicating a spot northwest of where they were. “I want to stop by NAS Lemoore. It might be pointless, but maybe some of the military are still operating there. We can see if they have comms with the Protective Zone.”
Logan nodded. “I see. Makes sense. Alright, I’m in.”
“Okay,” Serafina said, reaching down and lifting the map from the hood. She folded it back up and passed it t
o Daniel. “Let’s do this.”
They spent the next two hours working their way north, covering long sections of highway without issue. By all appearances, few people had bothered using the small, two-lane highway during their efforts to escape the outbreak of the virus.
Sometime around midday, Serafina spotted a small copse of trees on the side of the road and guided the compact vehicle off the road and into the shade so that they could enjoy a brief lunch. They snacked on dried fruit, beef jerky, and chips, chasing it all down with water mixed with flavored Vitamin C powder.
Taking time to stretch their cramped muscles, the nine of them flexed their muscles and walked around the small area, enjoying the fresh, clean, dry air.
Daniel was in the middle of doing shoulder rotations when he heard Logan say, “Heads up.”
Looking over, he saw a small, multi-colored rubber football coming towards him. Reflexively, he reached out and caught it easily, squeezing the ball in his hands.
“Where’d this come from?” He asked as he pulled his arm back and threw the ball towards the Army Combat Medic.
“Father Rolando. He thought it might be nice if we had a chance to just enjoy the physical aspect of throwing a ball around. Said it’d be therapeutic.” Logan tossed the ball back, zipping it in a line to Daniel.
Daniel caught the ball and offered it to Serafina. Grabbing it, she threw the ball back to Logan. The ball floated through the air before landing softly in the man’s hands. When he pulled his arm back to throw it, she pointed at Daniel.
“He’ll catch it.”
Daniel smiled as he held his hands up. The ball smacked his palms as it landed, bouncing slightly before he corralled it.
The two men tossed the ball back and forth for a few minutes before Ashley and Brenna joined in. Both girls slung the ball back and forth with ease, remembering the mechanics their father had taught them.
When Paul was encouraged to join in, he politely declined. “I don’t know how to throw a football.”
Daniel smiled encouragingly, motioning for the young man to come over. “Come on. It’s easy. I’ll show you.”
Surviving Rage | Book 2 Page 33
