The Complete Lee West Post-Apocalyptic Box Set, page 39
part #1 of The Complete Lee West Post-Apocalyptic Box Set Series
“What do you think our next move is?” asked Sam.
“You mean our move as a family? With Lea? Or the next move for all of us at the camp?”
“Both, I guess,” said Sam.
“Chief is talking about moving HQ down to Doris’s house. I imagine now that Porter is safe, he will want to do that sooner rather than later. This camp has been great in terms of relocating the officers from Evansville, but we need to consolidate and form safe zones. We’re sort of on our own out here. As for us? I don’t know. Part of me wants to stay with the group for safety, and part wants to leave. Being asked to leave Lea behind while the two of us went to Doris’s house to fight didn’t feel right at all.”
“I agree. I felt okay about it at first when I left the two of you here. But when you eventually came down as well, leaving Lea alone, I was scared to death. Especially given how hard it was to get her back from Tank.”
“That and considering Lea’s little stunt while we were gone. What was she thinking? Trying to ‘slow Tank down,’ as she put it. That was a very bad idea and could’ve gotten her captured.”
“I liked her creativity and bravery. She definitely takes after her mom on both fronts,” said Sam, snuggling closer to Jane.
“You’re just saying that because you know there’s nothing under my towel.”
“Am I that transparent?”
“Just a little,” she said, kissing him.
“Despite the chance of being separated from each other during the fighting, I still think we should stay with the group. We really don’t know what’s happening out there. Given what we’ve seen so far with the New Order, I think we’re far safer in numbers.”
“Me too. Besides, where would we go? Tank and crew trashed our home and discovered the storage facility where we hid our survival supplies. We could potentially be wandering on our own with nothing.”
“I know. I thought of that. Maybe we’ll get lucky and discover that Tank never got into the unit holding our supplies. We never confirmed that he broke into our unit. All we know is that he was opening units at the facility. Who knows? Maybe our things will still be there,” said Sam.
“We can only hope. You stockpiled enough in there for the three of us to last a few years—with rationing. It would be a real shame if the New Order indulged in our preparedness.”
“It would be infuriating to think of those hoodlums enjoying that bounty. I think we’re better off staying with the police. I’d like to see this through. Help the police push into Evansville and get our lives back. Or should I say get back to as much of our lives as we can regain while the power is still out.”
“Me too. But for now, I’ve got other plans,” said Jane as she stood.
In one swift motion she lifted her arms sky-high, stretching to dive and dropping her towel, exposing her naked body to Sam. She felt his eyes on her. His desire fueled hers, and she reconsidered her swim.
“Be right back,” she said with a wink.
Jane slid gracefully into the water, making sure Sam had an ample view of her backside as she went in. Smiling to herself, she knew the after-swim activities would be better than the swim.
Chapter Two
Tank stomped around in the darkness, nearly plowing into Mac Bower, his lifetime friend and the only surviving member of his original crew. Since he’d taken up residence in this “quaint” colonial home near the center of Evansville, nothing had gone right. The Boss had rolled into town and forced Tank out of the Victorian house while simultaneously stripping him of his rank as the top dog in Evansville. Not only had the Boss relegated Tank to this shithole colonial, he’d forced him into an even lower position in the New Order pecking order. Being forced to take orders from the Boss irked Tank to no end. The guy was nothing but a convict gangbanger.
“Fuck!” screamed Tank.
He clipped his toe on the coffee table again. A flash of hot rage pulled through the pain in his toe. Screaming, he lifted the coffee table and smashed it against the wall.
“Motherfucker! I am so tired of jamming myself against shit!”
“Hey, man, settle down. I brought a bag of food from the car. We don’t want the Boss or any of his guys coming over to join us. You know how those guys are. Like a bunch of spiders just waiting for something to jingle their web. Unusual sounds or gunfighting brings them out like roaches.”
Sitting down close to a window, the moon illuminated their faces and the bag of food, which they’d need to ration. The few supplies they’d managed to squirrel away for themselves had started to dwindle.
“All I want is a slice of cheese and onion from Rizzo’s. I’ve had enough of this canned-beans shit,” said Tank as he opened a can.
He loudly slurped the warm thick can water before hungrily plunging his fork into the beans.
“No way. Boccie’s is way better. Their thick crust and breadsticks are the best. Not to mention the mozzarella—”
Interrupting, Tank waved his hand and said, “Shut the fuck up, man. I can’t think about real food right now.”
“Maybe we should consider leaving for another run? Who knows. Maybe there’s more out there that no one has discovered. We scored this stuff,” said Bower, nodding to the bag.
“You’re just trying to get us out of here. There’s nothing left to discover. The world has been picked over. The only thing I want to discover now is where Lea has been hiding. Nothing else matters. Get that right, and everything else falls into place.”
“Here we go again. Look, man, the Boss and his henchmen are starting to circle us like sharks. It’s only a matter of time before he gives the order to kill one or both of us. You see how he looks at us. We have to leave before they kill us.”
Tank dropped his can and punched the wall. He growled, “No! I’m not leaving without Lea. That bitch is mine. She comes with us.”
Bower stiffened and continued eating. A cloud passed in front of the moon, plunging them into momentary darkness. The thick, humid air in the house seemed to stand still, sticking to their tired bodies. The heat only added to Tank’s vile mood, fueling his anger at the Boss, Lea, and anything else in his way. He preferred to eat and sleep outside. But he knew Bower was right. They were no longer safe. The Boss and his guys were waiting for any excuse to murder the two of them. It was obvious that their time was limited. Maybe the Boss was looking for an excuse, or maybe he would order their executions for the fun of it—just to keep the guys entertained. Either way, they needed to get away from the New Order.
“We make one more run up to Lake Sparrow first thing in the morning. If we don’t find her, then we keep going. I’ll leave that dumb bitch behind. Serves her right. She can starve on her own. It’ll teach her a valuable lesson. She never had it so good as she did with me.”
“Sounds like a plan. Later tonight, I’ll throw the rest of our shit in the car so we’re ready in the morning,” said Bower excitedly.
“I’ll get the last of the gas cans. We should have enough fuel to drive pretty far away from this dump.”
“Where do you think we should go?”
“I have no clue.”
Tank shifted uncomfortably, thinking about how they had arrived at this point in time. Once the lights went out, he’d sweet-talked himself back into Lea’s heart and home. Her parents were on some trip, making it easier to reconcile with her. Once he moved in to protect Lea, things were great. He ran Evansville, with the help of some New Order goons. Then it all went to shit.
Lea’s parents managed to grab and hide her. Then the Boss rolled into town, driving a black SUV that looked as though he had been in a major gun battle. The Boss seized power and things had increasingly gotten worse.
Turning back to Bower, Tank said, “What do you think happened to the Boss in Porter? He has been very tight-lipped about it.”
“I’ll bet he doesn’t want to admit that he lost Porter. The cops probably kicked his ass. That black SUV looks like Swiss cheese. Just another reason we need to leave. Eventually the cops will retake the rest of the town. I don’t want to be anywhere near those New Order guys when that happens. We’ll either get killed or end up in cells next to them. As I see it, either way, we’re dead—unless we get out of here.”
“No shit. Finish up. We have some packing to do.”
Tank stood up and threw the empty can on the glistening hardwood floor. He loved the freedom of doing anything he wanted. Even the simple act of throwing garbage or furniture around someone’s house gave him an intoxicating rush of freedom. No cops, no rules. Smiling to himself, he knew the New Order had been good for something, but all good things eventually end.
Chapter Three
Charlie spooned Gayle, listening to her soft breathing. The gentle predawn sunlight created a soft golden hue in Gayle’s lavender bedroom. Charlie always felt loved in her home. Gayle had an amazing ability to make her house feel cozy and inviting. While dating, they rarely hung out in his minimalist bachelor pad. The nights he spent with her, making dinner and snuggling in front of the television, were some of the best nights he ever had.
Glancing down at Gayle, his eye caught a glimpse of the sparkling engagement ring on her finger. Despite vandalizing his home, the New Order had never found the diamond solitaire ring hidden in the pocket of an old flannel shirt. That shirt and all the others had been thrown out of the closet and onto the floor. At first glance, he thought finding the ring would be hopeless given the condition of his house. However, the ring had still been nestled safely in the shirt.
Giving it to Gayle the night before attacking the New Order’s stronghold in Porter hadn’t been the way he had imagined proposing, but he wanted to make his feelings for her clear in case one of them—or both—didn’t come back from the mission to recapture the town.
Gayle stirred, her eyes gently fluttering open.
“You awake?” she said with a scratchy voice.
“Yes. I have been for some time. Despite knowing the New Order has been driven out of town, I’m still finding it hard to sleep deeply. I thought yesterday’s run back from Doris’s house would have tired me out enough to make me sleep like a baby. No such luck.”
“I know, me too. But the veterans and citizens are doing an excellent job keeping watch. I really don’t think the New Order would be able to get through their defenses. And even if they did, it wouldn’t last long. The entire town is locked and loaded, waiting for those jerks to try something,” she said.
“You know, I’ve always been a little on the fence about militia groups, but after yesterday—I think civilian gun ownership should be mandatory. We wouldn’t be sitting here right now if it hadn’t been for the veterans and the armed citizens of Porter.”
“No kidding. They were amazing,” she said before kissing him softly. “What’s your plan for the rest of the day?”
“I need to get to the station for a ten a.m. check-in with the officers at Doris’s house. You?”
“I’m standing watch on the north trailhead at nine. Then going to the church to help distribute lunch.”
“I think the chief will start relocating some of the officers to Doris’s house. We need to think about plans to secure Evansville and Grant. The New Order has been very active in those areas. Until the surrounding towns are safe, none of us are.”
“I’m hoping the chief gives us a little rest from the action. I think we’re all a bit weary,” she said.
“Weary, yes. But still wired to fight. I plan to volunteer to head up the first wave of officers going to Doris’s house,” said Charlie.
“What? Why? You just got back. We need to stay together and keep our town safe. All of the police can’t just leave Porter, even with the citizens’ militia and the veterans working together. It would be crazy to reduce Porter’s defenses. Besides, we need to stay together. I don’t like the risks of being apart. Anything could happen.”
“I don’t want to leave you. But either we continue to bring the fight to the New Order, or they will bring it to us. I plan to recommend that we hit them hard and fast before they have a chance to reorganize,” he said.
“I know you’re right. I just want to feel safe and be together for a little longer before we have to venture back out into the hell of our new reality,” she said.
“I’d like that too. But really, we’ll never feel safe until the New Order has been crushed.”
Charlie reluctantly got out of bed and shrugged on his camouflage cargo pants and black T-shirt. He leaned down, smoothed Gayle’s soft hair from her beautiful face, and kissed her gently. “You want to see what the Reverend has for breakfast before your watch?”
“Sure thing. Give me one second to get dressed,” she said.
Charlie sat on the edge of the bed, resigned to wait for Gayle. Despite not having electricity or running water, he knew Gayle would take a good amount of time getting ready. What she was doing in her walk-in closet was beyond him. A few minutes later Gayle emerged wearing a slim-fitting pair of jeans and a completely unbuttoned white top. She fastened each button as she walked past him, oblivious to his eyes on her. Charlie could glimpse the lace of her bra through the opening.
“What time are you on watch?” he said with a devilish grin.
Chapter Four
Kim Stark walked slowly behind her husband. The blisters on her feet ruptured, scabbed, and then were ruptured again countless times over the past few days. Her flat slip-on shoes afforded her absolutely no support or comfort during their long trek to find their daughter, Lily. They had dropped her off at summer camp before heading out for a rare escape—just the two of them.
She had dreamed about spending a carefree week with Mitch for the past few months. Just the thought of not being responsible for anyone but themselves had a relaxing and oddly exhilarating appeal. Looking back, she couldn’t believe they had left their daughter at camp. The guilt over leaving Lily had been overwhelming throughout their journey back to the camp.
Surges of love competed with catastrophic images of their daughter’s potential fate, destroying Kim a little more every day. Questions swirled in her mind—an unending loop of stress. Why did they leave Lily at that camp? What were they thinking? They could have vacationed together, just as they had always done. What sort of mother left her child behind in the care of strangers just so she could have sex and order room service with her husband like a couple of newlyweds. What if Lily was killed or was starving? Weeks had gone past. She might not even be at the camp anymore.
“Kim? Kim?” said her husband softly. Mitch took her hand and squeezed it until her eyes focused on him. “You with me again?”
“Yes. I’m here. Sorry.”
“Beating yourself up again?”
“Sort of. But I was planning to move on to my second favorite mental trap, blaming you for our current situation,” she said with a hesitant smile.
“Go right ahead. I’m good at taking the blame.”
She gripped his hand and pulled him closer. “I love you. Even if all of this is your fault.”
They continued to walk down the center of the road. She couldn’t get over how loud nature sounded without human competition. The fluttering and chirping of birds in the forest combined with the sounds of rustling leaves comforted her. Somehow the animals seemed to carry on as though nothing had happened because nothing had happened to them. She tried to focus on the normalcy of their existence in order to calm herself.
“We’re really close now. I think this is the turn,” he said.
“Finally. I don’t think I can walk another mile in these stupid shoes. I always thought these were so comfortable. Now I just hate them. My blisters have blisters.”
“Walking for weeks on end would challenge even the best hiking boots. I’m just glad I decided to bring my running shoes. I almost didn’t. Figured the only exercise I’d get was the me-and-you kind.”
The thought of the two of them in that hotel room, just before the lights went out for good, threw Kim back into the darkness of her thoughts.
“Hey, look,” said Mitch, pointing up ahead. “Someone must have taken the sign down. If one didn’t know the camp existed, they would drive past without giving the narrow dirt road a second glance.”
“What do you think happened to the sign? Maybe this isn’t the right street? It’s all blending together. Trees, dirt road, trees, dirt road—it has been an endless monotony of landscape. Sort of looks the same as all the other dirt roads and paths we passed. Are you sure this is it?”
“Positive. Look at the huge oak tree just there. I noticed it when we made the turn originally. I remember wondering how long the tree had sat at the entrance and if they had to design the entrance around the tree. This is definitely the place. I never forget a horticultural splendor,” he said with a wink.
“You’re a very strange person at times. One of your many charms. I’m so nervous. What if she isn’t here? Then what?”
“One step at a time,” he said.
They picked up speed the closer they got to the turn. Kim’s single focus on finding Lily made her forget the searing pain in her feet. She moved quickly and with purpose toward the camp. After rounding the corner to the turn, a chain-link fence came into view. The fence blocked the road to the camp. A formidable lock kept the fence closed.
“Damn it. Now what? What does this mean? Did they just leave? Where are the kids?” Kim demanded.
She could feel herself reeling inside—coming completely unhinged. She needed to control herself; otherwise she would be no help to herself, Mitch or Lily, if they ever found her.
“What do we do now?” she shrieked.
“I don’t know. I need a minute to think. I just assumed the camp would look like it did when we left. Or it would be completely abandoned. I don’t know what to do.”
Kim broke free from Mitch’s hand and ran to the fence. “Lily! Lily! Are you there? It’s Mommy!”
Kim clasped the fence tightly and screamed their daughter’s name at the top of her lungs. She knew she shouldn’t, but she felt so close to her now. If she could just call her, it would be like the girl was in another room and she was trying to catch her attention. She shook the fence as hard as she could and screamed again.
