Sanctuary: A Postapocalyptic Novel (The New World Series) (9 page)

Many at the base had commented about how different he was since his surprise return. He was now a more levelheaded and even-tempered man. In private conversations some had even gone as far as to express their happiness in his changed behavior. He was aware of some of the new sentiments about him and he welcomed them. His desire to be a new kind of leader was strong. He had a purpose greater than himself, and he was going to do what it took to see his country survive.

Sandy, Utah

Sebastian’s change of heart about bringing Annaliese along resulted in a bitter back and forth with Samuel. Their fight was an accumulation of weeks of animosity. If Sariah hadn’t intervened, the argument would have escalated to a fistfight. Samuel didn’t like Sebastian from the moment they had met. There wasn’t a real reason, he just didn’t like that a nonbeliever was living among them and that he and Annaliese had developed an intimate relationship. Samuel was a deeply devoted Mormon. He didn’t believe in the need to travel back east like others had done, but nonetheless, he didn’t think it healthy to have someone like Sebastian around. He was also a very controlling individual and Sebastian’s talents threatened his own. When Sariah described Sebastian over the radio before their trek there, he was eager to have him, but upon meeting him all he could see was a young, handsome, and charismatic man who was out to take Annaliese away. When Sebastian had originally said he was leaving he supported it, but now this new development proved his own deep-seated prejudices about Sebastian.

Eventually, after much discussion, Samuel acquiesced to Annaliese leaving, but under one condition: He insisted that they take Luke and Brandon along with them. Samuel looked at the boys as just snotty-nosed, spoiled brats.

Sebastian was doing his best about being available to the boys for counsel since he found them that day in Rancho Valentino weeks before. He talked to them as much as he could. Luke was a nice kid and easy, but Brandon had been acting out, and Samuel didn’t want him around anymore. This wasn’t the plan Sebastian had in mind, but he was desperate to put an end to the conversation and to get on the road as soon as possible. Plus, if there was one thing he took away from the Marine Corps, it was to adapt and overcome. He could make this situation work.

To Sebastian’s surprise, Samuel put aside his animosity and gave them a truck for their journey, a 1983 Ford F-150 crew cab, to replace the car that he had arrived in weeks before. For all of Samuel’s faults, being unprepared wasn’t one of them. Samuel had prepared for every event. Most of his equipment, including the truck, had been kept in massive protective bunkers. All of his spare equipment, like radios, GPS, generators, phones, even CD players, he had kept in faraday boxes to protect them against EMP bursts.

Samuel approached the truck and handed a paper to Sebastian. “Here, you’ll need these.”

“What is it?” Sebastian asked, unfolding the paper.

“It’s the coordinates for the people along the way who can provide support if you need it. The GPS in the truck is working fine; I haven’t experienced any issues when I’ve used it since the attacks.”

“Ahh, thanks, Samuel,” Sebastian said. “Hey, listen, I’m sorry we got off . . .”

Samuel took a step forward, so he stood just inches away from Sebastian’s face. “You can say your thanks but I don’t want to hear it. Listen, boy. When you leave, don’t come back, you understand? You have soiled the Sorenson family. I don’t want you here anymore. I’m only doing this because my sister asked me too. If it were up to me, I’d toss you out with nothing more than what you came with.”

Sebastian took a step back. Given the way the conversation went yesterday, he wasn’t shocked by Samuel’s attitude, but he was fed up. He had done nothing to harm Samuel or his family—in fact, they owed him their lives.

“Guess what, Samuel? We have no intention on coming back now. There’s nothing here for us. You take your bullshit and shove it up your ass,” he snarled.

Samuel’s eyes widened. “Pack up and leave now! You leave
now
!”

Annaliese came out of the house the instant she heard Samuel yell, with Brandon close behind her. “What is going on?” she called out.

“It’s fine, Anna. It’s time to go.” Sebastian turned and stepped away from Samuel.

“Turn tail and run, boy!” Samuel blurted out.

Annaliese could see the expression on Sebastian’s face change from irritation to anger.

“Sebastian!” she yelled out.

Sebastian heard her but he was too far gone. He turned and struck Samuel in the jaw with a well-placed punch. The old man reeled backward and fell flat on his back.

Brandon shouted, “Yeah! Kick his ass!”

“Enough, Samuel, enough!” Sebastian barked.

Samuel was dazed from the hit and scrambled back to his feet. He charged at Sebastian, but Sebastian quickly sidestepped him and pushed him. Samuel hit the ground face-first with a thud.

“Ha, ha! Get ’em, Sebastian!” Brandon cawed.

“Shut up!” Annaliese yelled at Brandon, running to break up the fight.

“Just stay down!” Sebastian yelled.

Samuel picked himself up again and was approaching Sebastian when Annaliese grabbed him. Instinctually he elbowed her, hitting her square in the face, with such force she was knocked off her feet. That was enough for Sebastian. He grabbed Samuel by the throat with his left hand and punched him with his right. Finally, the old man collapsed to the ground.

“Stop!” Annaliese screamed. Sebastian knelt down and struck him once more.

“Oh my God, he’s fucking up that old man!” Brandon laughed.

When Luke finally appeared from the house, he stopped in his tracks. He had seen Sebastian in action, but this was different. He wasn’t fighting to defend himself; he was unloading pent-up anger and stress.

Sariah pushed her way past the boys and ran over to Sebastian. She grabbed his arm tightly to prevent him from striking. Sebastian turned around with a crazed look in his eyes. He looked at Sariah, then looked at Samuel. The rage melted away and he let go of Samuel. Wearily, he got up and walked away.

Annaliese crawled over to Samuel and picked up his head.

Sariah yelled at the boys, “Get over here and help him into the house!”

Luke and Brandon came over immediately. Brandon still had a grin on his face as he bent over to pick up Samuel’s legs.

“Wipe that smile off your face, you evil little brat!” Sariah yelled as she smacked Brandon in the back of the head.

Annaliese and Sariah followed them inside, leaving Sebastian outside.

Sebastian walked down the gravel road and looked at the horizon. A throbbing pain began to emanate from his hand. He looked at his bloodied hand and rubbed his thumb across the cut and bruised knuckles. As he flexed his right hand he knew that the next few days would be painful, but not as painful as Samuel’s.

Sebastian began to look into his soul to find a deeper reason for why he acted out so violently. Samuel had been berating him since the day he had arrived there. The snide and rude comments, the cold stares. The uncomfortable meals where he’d not even speak to him and would mumble complaints under his breath. Normally one to keep his cool, Sebastian had reached his breaking point. There was only so much disrespect he could take. He did feel bad, but in some ways he felt justified in hitting him. No person needed to be treated in such a way. Not once had Samuel thanked him for bringing his family there safely. Not once had he ever mentioned anything of gratitude. It would have been nice to receive just one comment positively remarking on his sacrifice. Looking toward his hand, he regretted losing his temper, but he did feel a bit righteous.

The door swung open with a bang. Annaliese marched over to Sebastian and blurted out, “What the hell was that?”

Sebastian didn’t say anything, instead choosing to start loading gear into the truck.

“I know my uncle can be an ass, I’ve known him my whole life. But what you did to him was uncalled for,” she chastised him.

“Stop it!” he barked.

“Excuse me?” she responded, shocked by his demeanor.

“He had it coming. He’s treated me poorly from the day we arrived and he got what was coming to him. If you’re out here expecting me to apologize for kicking his ass, it’s not going to happen,” he snapped.

Annaliese didn’t know how to respond. Her instincts were to lay into him, but she saw that he was still very upset. He had hit Samuel more than needed, maybe, but she more than anyone knew that Samuel had been applying pressure relentlessly, every day. She thought about throwing another comment but cut herself short, knowing it wouldn’t accomplish what she wanted.

“I’ll be inside when you’re done loading,” she said, walking away.

As he watched her, he became overwhelmed with regret. This regret didn’t come from hitting Samuel but from a sense that he might have let her down. He tossed the sleeping bag he had in his hand and said, “Wait. Annaliese. How’s your face?”

Her hand touched her cheek. “I’ll live.”

“Come here,” he pleaded.

She hesitated for a moment, then walked up to him, stopping short of embrace.

“What?” she asked.

“I want to say I’m sorry for hitting him but it’s hard. He’s been so cruel, he’s like a bully.”

“I know, I know, but you’re younger and stronger than he is. If you had to hit him, all you needed to do was hit once. Not multiple times. My mother is so angry with you and you really disappointed me.”

“He had it coming—he hit you!”

“That was an accident. He didn’t mean to do it!” she snapped at him.

“Why are you so quick to forgive him of endless snide comments and his . . . he’s an asshole. I’m sorry, I can’t apologize to him. I’m sorry that you had to see that, but bullies need to be dealt with; that’s something my brother taught me years ago.”

“So you deal with family that way, you beat them?”

“Beat? He got a few love taps; what he does deserve is a beating! Again, you’re coming at me with the family bit and you let him get away with his behavior?” Sebastian asked, turning around.

“Don’t turn away from me!” she snapped.

“We need to get packed up if we’re leaving soon. Plus, I don’t have time to detail every action I make. You are so quick to forgive him but question me. You know me.”

“Do I? Do I know you? I’ve never seen you act out like that before. You are not that man. I agree you have a right to be mad with him, but he’s an old man!”

“Annaliese, let’s agree to disagree about this!”

Watching him toss gear and equipment around in the truck, she thought about saying something but stopped herself. Sebastian was right, for now they would have to agree to disagree. He was upset, she was upset, and the timing wasn’t right to find a resolution. She turned and walked back to the house.

Watching her walk briskly away from him, he leaned heavily against the truck. The stubborn Van Zandt blood ran through him and he was sorry that he had disappointed her. Making her angry wasn’t his intent; he loved her, but he also felt strongly that Samuel had it coming to him.

Tossing the small box he held in his hand, he said out loud, “This is going to be a long trip.”

Seventeen miles outside of Rajneeshpuram

Lexi’s gunshot blew off the side of the man’s head. Brain, skull, hair, and blood splattered the interior of the car. Not hesitating a moment, she trained the pistol on the woman and shouted, “Don’t fucking move or I’ll plant one in between your eyes.”

Gordon unslung his rifle and turned it on Lexi, but paused before pulling the trigger. “What the fuck, Lexi?!”

Rubio jumped, dropping the fuel can on the ground. “What the hell!”

McCamey and Jones had been quietly talking and keeping watch to the rear. When the shot broke the quiet, they instinctually took cover behind the Humvee.

“Where did that come from?” Jones asked.

“These are Rahab’s people! I recognized that piece of shit behind the wheel,” Lexi spat.

“Holy shit!” Rubio shouted. “Are you sure?”

“When you’ve been raped repeatedly by someone, you never forget their face,” she said bitterly.

Gordon still had his rifle aimed at her.

“Gordon, I’m on your side, put down your rifle. These assholes were going to ambush us farther down the road. If you don’t believe me, ask her,” Lexi said as she pressed the pistol firmly against the woman’s head.

“She’s right, there are more of us down the road,” the woman cried out. Gordon lowered his rifle.

“Get on the radio and tell them you need their help with someone you just killed,” Lexi ordered the woman.

The woman nodded and slowly walked past Lexi to the front of the car. Lexi kept the pistol pressed against her head as she leaned in and grabbed the bloody radio. She keyed the button and said, “Hi, Malcolm. We need some help up here.”

The radio crackled and a voice came over. “What happened?”

“It’s okay, we had to shoot someone. We need . . .” She paused out of fear.

Lexi pressed the barrel harder against her head.

“We need your help with the others. Brother Clarence has them at gunpoint.”

There was a pause before the radio crackled again. “Okay, we’ll be right there.”

“They’ll come from that direction,” the woman whispered, pointing ahead.

“How many are there?” Lexi asked.

“Um . . .”

“How many? Answer the fucking question!”

“Three, there’s three. Please don’t hurt me,” she begged.

“We won’t,” Gordon assured her.

Ignoring Gordon, Lexi hit the woman over the head with the pistol, knocking her out.

“What the hell, Lexi! Why did you do that?” Gordon yelled.

“We can’t trust that she won’t signal them,” Lexi shot back as she re-holstered her pistol. She grabbed the keys from the steering column and unlocked the trunk, then grabbed the woman and dragged her toward the rear of the car. “Well, are you going to help me?”

Rubio, Jones, and Gordon all exchanged looks.

“I told you she was a piece of work,” Jones quipped from behind the machine gun.

Rubio jumped up and helped her toss the woman in the back. They quickly came up with a plan, knowing that the backup was only minutes away. They decided that Jones would hide inside the Humvee and man the machine gun; Gordon, Rubio, Lexi, and McCamey all went to hide in the grove of trees. The plan was to use an L-shaped ambush. Based on what the woman had told them, they assumed the men would approach from the road ahead. When they stepped into the kill zone, Gordon and the others with him would open fire. The men would most assuredly turn toward them. Jones would then get behind the machine gun and take them out. This was textbook tactics, and if all went accordingly, it would be a relatively simple assault.