Zero Hour: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Fiction Series (The Blackout Series Book 2) (16 page)

Alex followed her parents outside and watched as they descended the hill towards the Kaplans’ house. For several minutes she walked around the house and then looked for any activity up and down their street. It was desolate.

She felt for the keys to the house in her pocket and made a decision. This was probably her last chance to get the gun her family so desperately needed—the AR-15. She would beg Jimmy. She would turn on the waterworks in feigned distress. She would even kiss him if she had to. She was going to get that gun.

Alex quickly locked the door and made her way through the backwoods to Jimmy’s. The garage door was closed as always, but the sliding glass doors entering the den were open. She cautiously approached them and entered the house from the backyard. Something felt—
wrong
.

She didn’t call out Jimmy’s name as she had during her past visits. Today was different. She might not be welcome. She stuck her head around the corner and looked into the kitchen. Empty. Then she heard muffled voices and a crash that sounded like a box hitting the floor.

The door to the basement was open. Then she heard Jimmy’s pleading voice.

“Please! I didn’t mean anything by it. Just leave me alone. If you hate me so much, why don’t you just let me go?”

“Shut up, you snot-nose little …”

WHACK!

Alex couldn’t hear the rest because of Jimmy’s wails. He was crying in pain.
What’s happening down there?
Alex started to back away from the stairwell to return home.

WHACK!

ARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!

THUMP!

“Please, no more. I’m sorry. Please don’t hit me again!” Jimmy was begging for mercy.

WHACK!

Holder was beating Jimmy downstairs. The hackles rose up on Alex’s neck, and she pulled her gun. She bounded downstairs—fearless.

What she found in the dimly lit room sickened her. Jimmy was huddled in the far corner of the room, naked except for a pair of boxer shorts. He was curled up in the fetal position with huge bloody welts on his back.

Holder reached back with all his might and swung a studded leather belt down upon Jimmy’s back again, drawing more blood.

WHACK!

Alex stood motionless for a moment, unsure of what to do. Jimmy was sobbing and defenseless. Her trembling hands raised the gun and pointed it at Holder. Jimmy saw Alex and moaned, “Run!”

Holder spun around and stared at Alex. She tried to steady her nerves.

“Who are you?” he bellowed. “What are you doing here? Wait, I know you. You’re the Ryman kid. Great. Another brat that needs to be taught a lesson.” He started towards her.

“Stop!” shouted Alex.

Holder hesitated when he was twenty feet away and then charged at her.

Law enforcement officers were taught that a suspect armed with a knife or other non-gun weapon and within twenty-one feet presented a deadly threat. The average man could close that twenty-one-foot gap in less than two seconds. In those same two seconds, an officer must recognize the threat, draw, point their weapon, and then pull the trigger.

Alex didn’t have law enforcement training, but she did have survival instincts. Her physiological reaction to the threat Holder posed was to stand her ground, squeeze the trigger, and fire.

BOOM!

The sound of the gunshot within the confined space of the basement was deafening. The muzzle blast bounced back at Alex off the four walls. Her ears began to ring as she exhibited the concussive effect from the shot.

Alex tried to focus. Did she shoot Holder? She was partially blinded by the muzzle flash.

“UGH!” groaned Holder. She could hear him on the floor, clawing his way toward her. She couldn’t see.
But she could feel him
.

Through the fog that had consumed her senses, she saw him lunge toward her.

“You filthy little b—” he shouted as he grabbed for her ankles.

Alex quickly backed away from him and shot downward. The momentum of the pistol forced her backward, and she fell hard onto the concrete floor. Her head was pounding now, and she couldn’t hear. Alex quickly became disoriented.

She barely remembered Jimmy streaking past her and running up the stairs. He didn’t stop to help her. He just ran away.

Alex sat there, still pointing the weapon in Holder’s direction. He wasn’t moving. A rush of air entered the room as Jimmy apparently opened the front door, creating cross ventilation through the house.
Is he going for help? Did he leave me here alone? With Holder? Why isn’t he moving?

Alex’s entire body was shaking as she stood, still pointing the gun at Holder’s body. She was afraid to get too close, so she picked up a box of ammunition off the workbench and threw it at the body. It hit Holder in the back with an audible
squish
as the bullets splashed into a gaping wound.  

No movement or reaction. She grabbed another box, throwing it harder this time and with a little anger attached.
Squish
, followed by the sound of brass rolling around on the floor.

Alex was mad as she shouted at Holder’s dead body. “You made me kill you! What’s wrong with you? Oh, God!”

Alex collapsed against the workbench for a moment and stared at the body. She began to sob and shake uncontrollably. She tortured herself as she wailed in pain, grief, and anger.

Her head was pounding. Her ears were ringing. Her eyes were blurred from the flashes of light and the unbridled tears.

She’d taken a man’s life. She’d taken what God had given to every man and woman.

Then, fifteen-year-old Alex Ryman asked God for forgiveness and thanked him for keeping her alive.

Chapter 27

DAY NINE

1:00 p.m., September 17

Holder Residence

Belle Meade, Tennessee

Colton and Madison felt like two kids again as the raindrops began to pelt their faces. It was a welcome relief after two weeks of drought and searing heat. The meeting at the HPA went well. Wren, whose attitude had changed dramatically, was conciliatory and apologetic. The transformation was remarkable in the absence of his cohorts—Andrews and Holder.

As they began the trudge up the driveway, the rain came down harder. Colton actually laughed as they became drenched. The joyous mood quickly ended, however, when he saw his daughter. It was actually Madison who first noticed that something was wrong with Alex. She let go of his hand and ran in a full sprint to the front porch.

Alex sat with her elbows propped on her knees. Her handgun was barely dangling from her fingers. She was completely oblivious to the pouring rain that drenched her body.

Madison took the gun from Alex and set it on the step. She crouched down in front of Alex and moved the wet hair covering her face. Colton studied his daughter’s blank, expressionless look. She appeared to be in shock.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” asked Madison. “Why are you sitting here like this? Are you okay?”

Alex moved her head in an imperceptible nod. Colton looked around and placed his hand on his weapon.
Was she attacked? Is there someone inside
? He needed to get them out of the rain.

“Maddie, let’s get her inside,” said Colton, who then turned his attention to Alex. “Come with us, honey. We’ll go inside and talk, okay?”

Alex nodded. Colton led them to the kitchen door, eyes darting in all directions for a sign of a threat. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with Alex, but he needed to assess their surroundings because she was clearly troubled by something.

Madison led Alex to the sofa, and Colton gave her a bottle of water. After a few sips, Alex broke down in tears. Her emotions poured out as she recounted the events of an hour ago. Madison comforted her daughter while Colton cursed anything and everyone for putting his innocent child into this vicious world.

After Alex calmed down, Colton decided to go to Holder’s house. Alex claimed no one heard the shots, but he had to be sure. If there was going to be retribution by Jimmy or the surrounding neighbors, he needed to know about it now so they could plan accordingly.

“I’ll be back in a little while,” started Colton. “Alex, get some rest. Madison, please be aware that the neighbors may have seen something. Jimmy may show up here. I want you to be vigilant. Okay?”

Madison nodded, wiping away her own tears over the anguish her daughter was suffering. Then Alex stood and adjusted her holster. She picked up the handgun off the table and tucked it into her waistband.

“I’m going with you,” Alex announced.

“What? No way,” said Colton. “You’ve been through enough. I won’t be—”

“Daddy, it’s not safe for you to go alone,” said Alex. “Besides, I know my way around the house. It’ll be quicker if we go together.”

“Alex, please don’t relive this whole ordeal,” pleaded Madison.

Alex gave her mother a comforting hug. “I’ll be fine. C’mon, Daddy, let’s get this over with.”

Alex turned and exited the living room through the patio doors. Colton shrugged and kissed his wife. He whispered, “I love you,” as he pulled away. Madison stood with her arms folded as they left.

The rain had lessened somewhat as the father and daughter wound their way through the wooded trails that connected the backyards of the neighborhood. To their east, the sounds of kids playing outside and a dog barking made the world seem almost normal. But as they arrived at the Holder residence, reality set in.

Colton held his index finger to his lips, encouraging Alex to stay quiet. The two pulled their weapons and entered the den. Colton and Alex moved silently through the first floor, clearing rooms and closets like they’d practiced at home dozens of times. They made their way upstairs and continued the process until they were sure the place was empty.

“Where do you think Jimmy went?” whispered Colton.

“I don’t know, Daddy. All he had on were his boxer shorts. He may have grabbed some clothes and left. The other day, he talked about his real father in Antioch. He may have gone there.”

Colton approached the stairwell leading to the basement and listened. It was quiet. Once again, he pressed his finger to his lips, followed by an open palm advising Alex to wait upstairs for him.

She shook her head and mouthed the word
no
. He gave her the stern fatherly look like he meant business. She repeated
no
. So they both carefully descended the stairs.

Once at the bottom, Colton determined they were alone except for the dead body of Holder lying in a pool of his own blood and a bed of shiny brass ammunition. He approached the body and stepped on Holder’s hand by accident. It startled Colton, but at least he confirmed Holder was dead. He turned to Alex.

“Alex, let’s go.”

“No way, Dad. It’s our turn to finish what I started.”

Alex led her dad along the workbench, carefully avoiding the puddle of blood, which stretched six feet away from the body. She reached the back wall and found what she was looking for. She secured her weapon in her pants and reached for an AR-15 off the pegboard wall.

“This is what we need, Daddy,” started Alex. Colton holstered his Taurus and took the gun by the handle. This gun did not have a sight attached to it. “Here’s another one.”

Colton now had two of the Colt Manufacturing AR-15s strapped over his back. Alex pointed out two green military-issue ammo cans weighing twenty to thirty pounds each.

“How do you know these are the right bullets?” asked Colton.

“Jimmy told me this is the proper ammo. The cans also have extra magazines. I just need a couple more things.”

Alex rummaged around while Colton looked nervously toward the stairwell. They’d been there too long. A neighbor might show up, or Jimmy might return. Things were too unpredictable right now.

The metallic sound of ammo cans being opened and closed echoed off the walls. Alex was on a mission. Finally, she seemed satisfied and announced, “Let’s go.”

They stepped gingerly around the body. Colton contemplated burying Holder and cleaning up the mess. Then, he thought against it. If they hadn’t been discovered thus far, it would be better to stay as far away from the scene as possible.

As they climbed the stairs, Colton became fully aware that the bodies were just beginning to pile up.

Chapter 28

DAY TEN

Noon, September 18

HPA Meeting House

Trimble Rd. & Lynnwood Blvd.

Belle Meade, Tennessee

Colton held hands with Alex as they walked to the HPA meeting. Despite the cooler temperatures following the rain shower, Alex’s hands felt clammy. After yesterday’s shooting, Colton feared the neighbors would turn against him if Alex’s involvement were discovered. Attendance at the meeting gave them the opportunity see if Holder’s body had been found and to diffuse an angry reaction.

Outwardly, Alex was not struggling with her decision to shoot Holder. She justified the decision to defend herself. Justification and acceptance, however, are two different things.

Inwardly, her feelings could be suppressed. Shock, sorrow, numbness, anger, and disillusionment were all possible. Colton hoped this would pass over time, but he intended to provide her the care and support she needed to lessen the emotional impact. Ultimately, he hoped Alex’s self-reproach over the killing would become more manageable. Unfortunately, death was becoming commonplace.

Colton pulled Alex close and put his arm around her shoulder. “Are you okay, honey?” He wished the Youngs hadn’t left for 100 Oaks.  Their expertise would’ve been helpful.

“Yes,” replied Alex sheepishly. She paused in thought before adding, “Daddy, what if they know it was me? What if they try to arrest me or something?”

“I don’t think that’s gonna be the case. Knowing Wren, if he had even a hint of suspicion, he would’ve been bangin’ the door down. I’ll be curious if he even brings it up.”

“Okay,” said Alex, who hesitated before continuing. “What if Jimmy is there? What should I do?”