Holding Their Own XI: Hearts and Minds (5 page)

His presence at Ocean Towers was hurting no one. The odds were that the original owner had died during the collapse. Yet, the men out in the hall were bound and determined to keep him down, to put their boots on his neck and make him stay in his wretched place.

Fueled by the injustice of their actions, rage overwhelmed the normally composed defender. Screaming at the top of lungs, José came out from behind his shield and began firing at the entrance as quickly as his adrenaline-fueled arm could work the 12-gauge’s action.

The bold, unexpected charge was almost successful. Stunned by a seemingly insane man rushing at them with a blazing scattergun, one of the security men actually stopped firing and took a step backward, blocking his comrade’s line of fire.

Straddling the body of his own coworkers with blood-covered boots, another of Cunningham’s employees had the wherewithal to round the corner and blindly pour rounds into the opening.

Two high-velocity hollowpoints struck José in the chest, the impact knocking him sideways as he fired the final round from his weapon.

The rifled deer slug tore through the kitchen wall and pierced one of the Towers’ 3-inch water mains.

While José’s failing lungs gulped their last gasp of air, his younger sibling pushed aside the pain and managed to lift his weapon with weak, shaking arms. As his vision began to darken around the edges, he squeezed the trigger, releasing a swarm of buckshot into the cowering Cunningham and a survivor of the security team.

Three of the pellets caught the building manager in the back of the head while the remainder of the deadly load tore through the neck of the nearby guard. Both men died instantly.

A full 20 minutes after the sickening thud of a body slumping against the bedroom wall, the surviving trespassers ventured out. Nothing but the sound of gushing water greeted José’s family members when they finally emerged from the unit’s rearmost room.

Deputy Morgan almost didn’t return to Ocean Towers after his shift.

In addition to the dilemma of trying to resolve that ambiguous situation, the lawman had experienced an especially trying day.

Still, he’d made a commitment as a servant of the community. Perhaps more importantly, Cunningham and whoever was funding the refurbishment of the complex were going to be prominent members of the region he served.
No sense pissing off the folks in charge
, he mused.

After parking in the empty lot, the first hint something was wrong came as the deputy approached the front door. There, he noticed a small stream of water escaping down the stained concrete steps.

“Now Cunningham is really going to be testy,” he whispered. “I’m sure he will blame the leaky roof on the squatters.”

When Morgan opened one of the heavy glass doors leading to the lobby, a small tidal wave of water sloshed down the steps. “Oh shit, this looks like more than just a leaking pipe.”

Splashing across the floor, the deputy couldn’t help but feel that something was seriously wrong. Several ceiling tiles were already sagging under the weight of the flood.

He found the first two flights of stairs had now been transformed into a waterfall. Careful not to fall on the slick surface, he negotiated the steps as quickly as possible.

The carpeting on the third floor was also saturated, the thick material squishing under his shoes as he exited the stairwell. All that was soon lost on the deputy as the carnage in the hall came into view. He was taken aback when the loud torrent of gushing water was overwhelmed by lamented moans and languishing cries. Not knowing what to expect, he drew his weapon and approached the horrific scene.

In all of his days as a law enforcement officer, Morgan had never seen anything to prepare him for the blood and slaughter that filled the corridor.

Gingerly stepping over the bodies with his weapon drawn and ready, the deputy soon discovered the source of the sobbing. José’s wife and elderly father were huddled over the body of their beloved one. Three small children and a baby, all apparently in shock, were clustered nearby.

After verifying there were no longer any active shooters, Morgan holstered his firearm and began checking for pulses, feeling the bloodied, shredded bodies that seem to be scattered throughout the area. Other than the noncombatants, he found no survivors.

At that moment, the flood reached one of the building’s main generators. Gallons of water began pouring into the large, diesel-powered turbine. The entire building shook violently as the incompatible mixture of water and electricity reacted, the explosion sending heavy metal fragments into the support columns and nearby foundation.

Dust falling from the ceiling and flickering lights warned the deputy that Ocean Towers might no longer be a safe place. He was just about to hustle the mourning family out when the second explosion rocked the entire floor.

The detonations served to bring the survivors out of the sorrow-induced trance. Making eye contact with the deputy, José’s wife acted instantly to the threat and began gathering her children close.

Morgan followed the grieving relatives to the stairway. A few minutes later, he watched the old man, widow, and small children begin wandering toward the waterfront.

Even with the recovery, the lawman knew their chances of survival were slim. Taking a final glance at the once-glimmering structure, he returned to his car and exited the parking lot.

There was nothing else he could do.

Chapter 2

The two black SUVs rolled out of Alpha, speeding west toward Fort Bliss. The lead unit’s front and rear seats were filled with the Alliance’s best security team, each having been handpicked to protect the fledgling republic’s highest elected official.

All four were uneasy, their eyes scanning the road ahead for anything unusual that might threaten Diana.

They were men paid to be nervous, to question everything, and take nothing for granted. They all understood their charge’s importance to the Alliance and her citizens. Any of them would die to protect her.

Since Nick’s hospitalization, Diana had been making frequent trips to the distant base, journeys that caused her protectors to clench their teeth from stress. Redundancy led to predictability, and in their business, that often meant death. 

Like most governments, the Alliance’s capital was a relatively docile environment, heavily patrolled and well policed. Not all of the territories could make such claims. El Paso fell into a category the security forces called a “frontier town.” Unofficially, the border city was often referred to as the “wild, wild West.”

Except Fort Bliss, much of the city was still on the fringe of law and order. Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio were all at various stages of reintegration and recovery.

Today, their heightened senses were taxed far beyond the usual trip to El Paso. Instead of one of their own behind the wheel of the leader’s personal vehicle, Bishop was doing the driving per Diana’s strongly worded request. That was a change from the security team’s well-established protocol, and they were men who didn’t appreciate even the slightest deviation.

They all knew the man, trusted his loyalty, and respected his willingness to fight. His reputation was well known throughout post-collapse Texas… and even beyond. But he was a lone wolf, and they were a team. Their methods and tactics were unique and well drilled. If trouble did rear its ugly head on the way to Fort Bliss, Diana’s protection would be handicapped by having him onboard.

Even more troubling was the fact that Nick was being released from the hospital today. None of the protectors knew what to expect when their boss returned to duty. Throughout their careers, all of them had seen the impact of such serious wounds and how their comrades had been affected. Sometimes the experience could make a man timid, other times the result was dangerous aggression. Now and then, a hollow, empty shell was released from the doctor’s care.

Nick was exceptionally well liked and respected. No one wanted to see the big man damaged in any way.

Which led to the primary reason why Diana’s bodyguards were on edge.

Since Nick’s hospitalization, the Alliance’s leader, their boss’s fiancé, had been spending a tremendous amount of time with Bishop. So much so that rumors were beginning to circulate among the security forces.

Being professionals, they had all initially taken a position that the relationship was none of their business.

But as time passed, a state of melancholy began to descend over the innermost ring of Diana’s team. Trouble between their commander and someone like Bishop could easily escalate to violence. Domestic disturbances were still a leading cause of homicide within the territories. No one wanted to see the Alliance’s first and second couples soiled by scandal or split in half. Some of the men had even speculated that an internal feud could lead to civil war.

At first, Bishop’s constant presence had made sense in a way. Nick was at Bliss, Bishop’s wife in New Mexico. Everyone knew the two couples had fought side-by-side numerous times to create the Alliance. If the stories were only half-exaggerated, Bishop and Nick had saved each other’s lives a dozen times.

Late night laughter drifting from Diana’s private quarters had begun to erode some opinions. Bishop’s delivery of a few gifts had furthered the slide. After a few weeks of watching the pair, even the most optimistic witnesses began to have doubts.

To many of the professionals guarding Diana, Bishop’s actions, even if completely innocent, were treacherous behavior. Nick was supposed to be his friend and had stood by the Texan during the worst of times. Wearing a path to Diana’s back door while the boss was incapacitated was dastardly.

The fact that Nick was being released today could spell trouble, and guarding someone like Diana was difficult enough without internal strife and turmoil. A thick fog of apprehension filled the lead SUV.  

The eastern sun was barely peeking over the horizon as Alpha faded in Bishop’s rearview mirror. Sitting beside him in the passenger seat, Diana was giddy. “I’ve been looking forward to this day for weeks. I finally get to bring Nick home from the hospital. It’s been wearing me a little thin, driving back and forth, worrying about the big lug, and trying to manage government business all at the same time.”

Bishop understood. “I hear ya. I know how much I miss Terri and Hunter, and they’re in good health. They’re supposed to be back from New Mexico in a few days. We should all get together and have a celebration.”

Beaming, Diana gushed, “Now that’s one heck of an idea. But you have to promise me that you’ll keep Nick from coming back to work too soon. The docs wanted to keep him another week, but I guess he’s being a difficult patient.”

“Imagine that,” Bishop said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Hard to picture Nick being anything but a low-key, meek, cooperative soul.”

Both of them had a good laugh over the vision conjured by the Texan’s words. Both felt a little sorry for the staff at the hospital.

“As far as making you that promise,” Bishop continued, “No deal. I’m not the smartest guy in the country, but I’m not the dumbest either. Other than you, no one makes Nick do a damn thing he doesn’t want to.”

“He’ll listen to you, and you know it’s true. Please, Bishop, I don’t want him trying to do too much too soon and having a relapse.”

Nodding, Bishop responded, “I remember when Terri and I were bugging out from Houston and I took a bullet… lost a lot of blood. Getting shot by those kidnappers was even worse. I was on the same floor of that hospital for weeks,” he paused as his brain surged with memories. “It’s tough. Your mind is just fine. It wants to get up and move, do things, and start living again. But your body won’t cooperate. It’s a difficult, frustrating situation to manage. No worries, Diana. You have my word that I’ll do my best to help my hardheaded friend deal with it.”

“Thanks. By the way, speaking of hardheaded, I’ve got a scheduled call with an old associate of yours today, the President of those United States.”

Bishop laughed, “Why do you surround yourself with these types of men? Give the Colonel… err… I mean the president, my regards.”

Diana hesitated for just a moment, and then said, “I’d like for you to be there, Bishop. It’s going to be an important call, and normally I’d have Nick at my side. I could use a sounding board.”

“Of course,” Bishop replied. “I’ll do my best. Besides, it will be good to say hello to the Colonel again.”

A smile lit Diana’s face, “Thank you. I swear I won’t be burdening you with this crap much longer. You’ve been a wonderful friend these last few weeks. I don’t know if I could have made it through without you.”

Bishop waved her off, “You would… and have done the same for Terri and me. None of us would have survived the apocalypse without each other. Together, we’re all stronger.”

The Alliance’s leader nodded and then turned her attention to the passing West Texas countryside. Bishop had been there for her, filling a void created by Nick’s absence. Like no one else in the bubble that surrounded her office, she could share her fears, anger, and doubts with him. He would never betray her… or Nick. He would never run off at the mouth or wield her humanness as a political weapon.