End Days Super Boxset (61 page)

Five boys, from ages twelve to fifteen, rattled around in back of the truck together with three girls, from ages eleven to fourteen. Some of them were siblings, and all of them had been abducted from their families during the assault against their camp by dozens of fired-up, frightened, and deceived townspeople. In the back, one of the boys, Josh, held the railings of a wooden bench and tried to find a way out in the pitch-black darkness of the covered cargo bed.

“Where are they taking us?” Kelly, his younger sister, cried out.

“I don’t know,” said Antonio, the oldest boy among them. “Everyone just be ready to run.”

Escape was the most logical plan. They hadn’t been tied up, just tossed in the back of the truck and trapped inside, with a tarp tied shut.

Josh tried to stand and keep his balance. The truck’s erratic movements threw him back against the bench. “Damn it!” he shouted.

“It’s okay,” Antonio continued. “If they were going to kill us, they would have already done that. They need us.”

“Why?” Gabrielle, Antonio’s sister, asked.

The Atkins boys remained quiet as always, along with their sister, Allison. Seeing their mother beaten to the ground in front of them had put them into a state of shock.

Josh gained his footing and tried to stand again. The truck rocked to the side and almost threw him over, but he managed to stay upright. At the tailgate, he could see a thin slit in the tarp, where light shone through.

“Anyone have a knife or anything?” he asked.

Sitting beside him, Antonio checked his pockets. “I could have sworn I had one on me. Everything happened so fast. It might be on the floor somewhere.”

“We have to look,” Josh said. “Everyone has to look.”

The truck then hit a large bump that tossed everyone off their feet. Josh landed hard on his back and into a small puddle of water that soaked through his shirt. Kelly hit the bench, shouting out in pain.

The Atkins boys, seated on the passenger bench on the other side, grumbled and tried to hold on. The truck vibrated as they hit a dirt road. The driver was moving too fast with little regard for its passengers. But they weren’t passengers. They were prisoners. What that meant for them, no one was entirely sure.

Josh crawled around on the granite floor, searching. He could feel dirt and pebbles but no knife. “Antonio, get down here and help me,” he said.

Antonio grunted and slowly knelt down, trying to keep his balance. Josh continued toward the tailgate, sweeping his hand across the floor in front of him.

Josh felt something small and metal. “Think I got it!” he said.

The truck slowed and then halted. The force sent Josh tumbling back into Antonio, and they both rolled on the floor as the knife flew out of his hand. Josh gasped in return.

“What happened?” Antonio asked, sitting up on his knees.

“Nothing,” Josh said. “It’s just… I think I almost had your knife.”

The truck downshifted and vibrated twice as hard as before. The smell of noxious exhaust had drifted inside the canopy.

“You had it? Out of my way.” Antonio crawled past Josh and moved his hands across the floor.

Without warning, the truck squeaked to a halt and rustled the children around once again.

“Got it!” Antonio pronounced. The truck was still as the engine purred. Josh and Antonio stood up.

“Kelly?” Josh asked.

“Right here,” she said from a seat nearby.

Josh looked around. He could just barely make out the shapes of everyone else. “We need to stick together. That means everyone—Antonio, Gabrielle, Jeremiah, Mark, Luke, and Allison.”

“What’s the plan?” Antonio asked.

“Keep that knife hidden, for starters,” Josh said.

The engine shut off. They could hear the voices of several men approaching them.

“Everyone gather around,” Josh said.

Antonio pulled out his pocketknife and unfolded it. Josh could see its faint glimmer in the darkness. “I’m going to stab the first guy who sticks his head in here and take his gun. You ready?”

Gabrielle scoffed. “Have you lost your mind?”

“In a situation like this, it’s kill or be killed,” Antonio said.

Antonio was a big talker. No one was sure if he actually meant it. The plan, however, was much too risky.

“We’re outnumbered,” Josh said. “Keep the knife hidden and we’ll think of something later.”

Antonio remained defiant. “It’s now or never. I can do this.”

“No, Antonio,” Josh repeated.

The tailgate dropped, revealing a dark, graying sky and several shadowy men standing below with their rifles aimed.

“All right. Everyone out!” a man in front announced.

The children stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

“Let’s move!” another man shouted, startling them again. “One at a time.”

With knife in hand, Antonio glanced back at Josh as if expecting guidance. With the canopy open, the group could see each other a little better. They were dirty and sweaty, with matted hair and worn, frightened faces. It had been a difficult day, with no end in sight. Josh nodded. Antonio folded the knife and slipped it into the side of his shoe.

“Ain’t got all day!” yet another man shouted.

Antonio took a deep breath and walked forward. Josh followed and pulled Kelly along.

There were ten men below, each one armed, and their faces showing no signs of empathy. No matter how young he and his group were, it was clear that they were prisoners and weren’t going to be treated any differently from any other prisoners. Antonio stopped at the end of the cab, where a ladder had been placed. He climbed down first, as Josh and Kelly followed.

A tall, clean-faced man came around the side, and Josh recognized him immediately. He had come to their camp to make a deal with Josh’s father. He had chased Josh and Antonio through the woods. He had tried to kill them. Josh got chills. Antonio looked up as the man placed a black beret on his head and smiled. Their group huddled together, ready to defend themselves.

“Welcome home,” the man said. His grayish eyes didn’t seem to blink.

The group said nothing in return—that was, until Antonio stepped forward. “What do you want with us?”

The men raised their rifles at Antonio.

“There, there,” the leader said, signaling his men to back off. “Let’s not make our guests uncomfortable.” They lowered their weapons halfway.

Antonio continued. “We’ve done nothing to you. Why do this?”

The leader took a long breath and then looked at his men. “Leave us,” he said. “I’ve got this under control.”

All but two of the men dispersed. The leader looked back at the group and examined them as their eyes looked away.

“This some kind of sick game for you?” Antonio asked, holding nothing back. Gabrielle grabbed his arm to quiet him down.

Uninterested, the leader simply looked past Antonio to Josh. “You,” he said, pointing. “Come here.”

Josh couldn’t help but to look up and make eye contact. Kelly squeezed his hand. He let go and took one small step forward.

“You must be Rob’s son,” the leader began. “I can see the resemblance.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Josh said.

The leader was amused. “Sure you don’t.” He then pointed at Kelly. “That your sister back there?”

Josh glanced back then did a quick turn, facing the man again. “Um. No.”

“Girlfriend, then?”

Josh scoffed. “No way.”

Antonio cut in. “We recognize you. You killed Grady then tried to have your men kill us.”

“Grady?” the leader said, perplexed.

“He was an old hermit who lived in the mountains. He was an old grouch, but he didn’t deserve to die like that.”

The leader tilted his head back and then opened his mouth. “Ah, yes. I already explained that to Rob. One of my men mistook him for an animal. The wilderness can be a very dangerous place, you know.”

Josh decided to press their captor. “You still haven’t answered our question. What do you want with us?”

The leader of the town nodded. “I’m the mayor of this town. And being mayor sometimes means I gotta do what’s necessary to keep my people safe from your parents.”

Josh wasn’t sure what to say. He looked around in the darkness for any place to run. If it was just him, he’d probably consider it, but that wasn’t the situation. He was part of a group and they had to stick together.

“I don’t have immediate intentions of hurting any of you unless you give me a reason,” the mayor continued. “We made a deal. At least, I thought we had a deal. Your parents, Rob in particular, backed out of our arrangement in the worst way possible. Many lives were lost as a result.” He paused to adjust the bill of his hat. “With their own children as collateral I can now minimize the threat of further violence.”

Further ahead, beyond the truck was a long, dilapidated warehouse.

The mayor opened his jacket halfway, revealing a holstered pistol at his side. “I’m confident that we can reach a compromise with your parents. Until then, we have you.”

“Our parents aren’t stupid,” Antonio said. “All you’ve done now is sign your own death warrant.”

Arthur laughed. “I’m terrified. I really am.” He motioned the two guards over. They rushed forward and pushed the children toward the warehouse, jabbing them with their rifles. The children cried out in protest, frightened of what awaited them.

“Don’t worry,” the mayor said as they passed him. “They’re just going to show you your accommodations.” His voice trailed off as the armed men shouted to them to move faster.

Inside the warehouse was a long concrete hallway, with rooms on both sides—pure darkness, with glow sticks aligned on the floor in careful intervals. The larger of the two guards lead the way. He had a ponytail and wore a leather jacket. His neck was covered in tattoos all the way up to his chin.

The other one walking behind them had a bushy beard and scarred face. They were gruff, demanding men with no patience or care.

“Where are you taking us?” Antonio asked.

The bearded man raised his arm and smacked him across the head. The pop echoed down the hall as the group gasped. Antonio stumbled to the side as Josh caught him by the elbow.

“No… no,” Josh said quietly. “Don’t do anything. Not now.”

Antonio regained his balance and walked along holding his face, angry and humiliated.

The men’s black boots clicked along the hall as they passed door after door.

“What is this place?” Kelly whispered.

“I don’t know,” Josh said.

They came near the end of the hall, when the men stopped and opened a door. An even darker room awaited them—the air cold and sterile.

The men turned and held their weapons to their chests. The large ponytailed man pointed inside. “In the room, now.”

No one wanted to go. Josh’s legs were frozen to the ground. Arthur had said they wouldn’t be harmed, but he felt no trust. Once in the room, they would truly be prisoners. There would be no way out.

“Move your asses!” the bearded man shouted.

Josh knew they had little chance in resisting—not with three automatic rifles in their faces. He took Kelly’s hand and walked into the room as the others followed. He couldn’t see anything. No walls. No chairs. Nothing but darkness. He held his hands up to feel around and could faintly see the shape of his fingers. The Atkins boys piled in with their sister in tow.

“Josh,” Antonio called out. “Where are you at?”

“Here,” Josh said, feeling around. The walls were cement as well—rough and bumpy.

Once they were all inside, the door slammed shut. Gabrielle screamed. Any hint of light vanished, and they were left standing in a mysterious room in complete darkness.

The once-secluded campsite in Bear Mountain had been reduced to a wasteland. Bodies lay everywhere—townspeople who had foolishly stormed into the camp unarmed, crazed, and violent. Rob didn’t know what had turned them into a horde of wild-eyed maniacs, but he had his suspicions.

The fraudulent mayor, who had taken over the town with his gang of criminals, probably had something to do with it, and as Rob surveyed the area, walking past the gaping mouths and vacant stares of fresh corpses, he felt a call to action to get their children back.

Men and women alike lay on the ground, ravaged by gunfire. Rob’s people hadn’t fired at the unarmed invaders, of which there were many. The unarmed civilians had been shot in the back while running away from the cabins. That was not the work of Rob’s people. Arthur’s men, it appeared, had done the killing.

“My God…” Peter said as he approached Rob.

Over twenty people lay scattered among the trees, booby traps, and dozens of breached trip wires. But it was just a glimpse of the aftermath. They hadn’t even circled the entire area yet. Peter held a rag to his face as they moved along the damp ground of leaves, pebbles, and round casings. The noxious smell of gunfire was inescapable in the cool air.

Rob was no less shaken. He knew that if they were going to have any chance of rescuing the children, he had to think fast, but he wasn’t sure where they could even start.

Peter regained his footing. Rob kept a hand on his shoulder. With tears in his eyes, Peter took a deep breath and tried to focus. “I don’t understand how something like this is possible. Nyack is a nice town. A nice community. Things like this just don’t happen here.” Peter began babbling and stared off into nothing.

Rob shook him to snap him out of his daze. “Peter. Listen. I think it’s time you headed back. Go see Krystal. Make sure everything’s okay.”

Of the five cabins, all had been raided to some degree, but Peter and Krystal’s had seen the worst of it. An especially determined mob of townspeople had stormed inside and ransacked the place. What they found inside was more important than any stash of supplies: eight children taking refuge in a room, with two women protecting them.

Rob had anticipated trouble from Arthur and his men, ever since their location in the mountains had become known. He and his group had built up their defenses and were prepared for a possible attack. But nothing could have prepared them for an overwhelming number of townspeople charging the camp. Rob had estimated their numbers at close to a hundred against nine—Rob and Mila, Peter and Krystal Dunne, Carlos and Mayra Santos, Brad and Ashlee Atkins, and their seasoned residents Elliot and Reba Perry.

The loss of necessities—power, fuel, food, water, communications, mobility—had totally transformed their quaint hometown. And from what Rob had heard from the semi-weekly emergency radio broadcasts, their circumstances matched those in cities and towns all over the nation. There had to be something to hold onto, some hope of normality on the horizon.

“I’ve got to go find Krystal,” Peter said with his voice trailing off. Rob watched him walk off without saying a word. Everyone was struggling. Not just Peter. It was the most difficult time they had faced since fleeing to their cabins in hopes of finding safety in an increasingly dangerous world.

Rob took the binos dangling from his neck and looked out. In the forest ahead, a deer ran by. He put aside his urge to shoot it and instead just watched. The sharp pain in his chest reminded him that time was of the essence. The shot from Arthur’s .357 cannon during their standoff had sent Rob to the ground, puncturing his bulletproof vest. No real damage, though. Without it, he’d be as dead as all the other unfortunates. Rob believed his survival was a sign to fight with every last bit of strength and heart to save his town and its people.

The camp was split. They had to get their children. That much was clear. The question was how to do it. Rob showed up just in time to see Mila leaving Brad and Ashlee’s cabin with her medical bag in hand. Her eyes were still glazed with shock. She had bruises and smudges on her face. Her long-sleeved shirt, vest, and blue jeans were torn, her black hair a tangle of sweat and dust. But she trudged on. Brad stood close by the door, the essence of vigilance. He kept his rifle close to his chest and a careful eye on anyone approaching.

Carlos and Mayra walked out of their cabin carrying bags and headed to their bug-out station wagon—hidden with the other vehicles under a camouflaged net. Elliot and Reba, a retired couple and oldest of the group, were nowhere to be seen. Peter and Krystal were busy surveying the damage to their cabin. The bodies of the townspeople had been moved outside and covered under blankets, but large red spots seeped through. The sky turned an opaque gray, almost comforting.

“We’re going to get them back,” Rob said to Mila.

She looked at him, weary and tired. “I know that. Ashlee is going to be okay.”

Brad stepped away from the door he’d been guarding and turned to her. His plaid shirt was covered in blood. “What’s her condition?”

Rob put his arm around Mila as she did her best to explain. “She’s resting right now. I don’t see any signs of concussion.”

Brad nodded. “Good.”

“Nothing broken, either. She just needs to take it easy.”

“I’ll see to it,” Brad said. He stopped halfway before entering the cabin and turned to Mila. “What happened in there? How did they get the children?”

Mila took a deep breath as Rob comforted her. “We heard them kick open the front door. We huddled in the corner behind the tables. Ashlee and I squatted down and aimed at the door. There was multiple footsteps coming down the hall like a stampede. I told Ashlee to be ready. Then they busted into the room. We fired. The kids screamed. The rest… is a blur.”

Rob took her hand in his and squeezed. “It’s okay. We understand,” he said.

“I know it’s not easy,” Brad said. “You guys did all you could.” He then looked at Rob. “What are we going to do? Where do we even start?”

“We call a meeting. Get everyone on board.”

Carlos and Mayra hurried with their bags. Their intentions seemed clear. The routine of their daily bug-out life—hunting, gardening, guarding, and preserving—was over. There was a new priority.

“Carlos, wait,” Rob said, running off after him.

Rob caught up and slowed his pace, walking next to them. “What are you guys doing?”

Raising a duffel bag he was carrying, Carlos glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “What’s it look like?”

Rob moved in front of them in an attempt to block their path. “Come on now. We need to stick together. Now more than ever.”

Carlos stopped and tossed the duffel onto the ground.

“Calm down,” Mayra said to him. Her face was red and puffy, covered in dried tears.

Carlos turned to Rob with one finger in the air. “We’re going into town to get our children. Then we’re leaving for good.”

Rob took a step closer, pleading with Carlos. “Do you really think it’s going to be that easy? Arthur is toying with us. Don’t you see that? We have to strategize. It’s the only chance we have of getting them back.”

Carlos crossed his arms and shook his head. “No more. We’re done. I’ll shoot that son of a bitch myself and be done with it.”

Mayra seemed more hesitant to go through with the plan. She set her bags down and approached Carlos with a calm voice. “Rob’s right, honey. We can’t do this alone.”

Carlos bit his lower lip and glanced at them both. His face was flushed with anger. He took a step back and kicked the duffel bag with his thick, black mountain boot. The bag went tumbling down a slope toward the vehicles.

Mayra gripped his arm and pulled him to her. “Stop this nonsense,” she said.

Her touch seemed to do the trick. Carlos simmered down with a look of defeat. “We’re stuck. Our children taken from us, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Let’s work together. We can help you,” Rob said.

Carlos raised his head. His eyes were red and watery. His shoulders dropped, and the creases in his forehead went away. “What’s the plan?” he asked.

“We get everyone together. Plan and execute just like last time,” Rob said, patting Carlos on the shoulder.

Under the cool, gray sky, the group assembled at their meeting place. Mila sat down next to Brad just as Carlos and Mayra arrived. Peter and Krystal walked up, still visibly shaken, with Elliot and Reba at their side. Rob took his place in front to address them. The despondent faces before him were less encouraging. There was no skirting around the issue at hand. Arthur was holding the cards. They were low on ammo. Their defenses—booby traps and trip wires—had been breached, the cabins ransacked, and the stench of death permeated the camp. They needed a plan.

Rob was certain that Arthur was going to move against them fast. “We’re angry and fed up. We’re scared and desperate,” he said. “We want our sons and daughters back, and we want vengeance.”

Carlos held Mayra, who looked close to weeping. Brad and Mila sat huddled together. He put his arm around her and gave her a reassuring squeeze. A tear streamed down her cheek.

Rob paced the small platform and continued. “For the past two months, we’ve been asking the same questions. Who launched the EMP? How long will it take to get the power grids back online? Where are our government officials? Where are the police and military? But right now, the only question we should be asking is how we’re going to rescue the children.”

Peter rose from the bench in a timid manner. “Excuse me, Rob. Before you go any further, I think it would be fair to let you know that Krystal and I are leaving. We care about you guys, but we’re not fighters. It’s not safe here.”

From in front of Peter, Carlos turned slightly. “Mayra and I were planning on doing the same thing. But there has to be another way.”

Brad stood up. “Agreed. My wife is in no condition to go anywhere.”

Carlos jumped in. “We need to take action. Mayra and I can’t spend a single night here with our children out there.”

“Listen,” Rob said in an attempt to redirect the conversation. “This is the plan. The safety of our children depends on how prepared we are to deal with this threat. Arthur wants us to come into town. He’s counting on it. And he’s counting on it because he knows we’re a small group. We’re outnumbered.” He glanced at Mila. Her gray eyes looked fierce with conviction. “Mila and I agree that the best course of action is to find others.”

He let the words sink in as Carlos asked, “Others? Other what?”

“People like us,” Rob answered. “We’re not the only ones staying out of sight. South of Rockland Lake, there’s a town. Small town, just like Nyack. We need to check it out and see if we can find people to help us.”

Carlos shifted in his seat. “Why would they help us?”

“Exactly,” Peter said.

“We trade. We barter. We do what we have to,” Rob said.

“If you really believe it will work, I’m with you,” Carlos said.

Rob took a step back and examined the group, feeling more confident. “Each step will be crucial, from now until we get into town.” He looked around. “But we can do this. They’re counting on us.”

There was no cheering—only apprehensive quiet. However, the group was still seated. No one had left yet, and that was a good sign.