A Powerless World | Book 4 | Outlive The Darkness Page 2

  “Hernández. Time to make peace with your maker. Any last words?”

  “Let me go. I won’t say anything. I’ll leave the county and never come back.”

  He chuckled. “All these years dishing out shit. Not so brave now.”

  “Please. I was going to leave after this anyway.”

  “After.” He tutted.

  “I meant—”

  “I know what you meant. You wanted to make sure all these men were escorted to the state pen first. You wanted to get paid. You got your priorities wrong. Now had you been like Parish here, you wouldn’t be staring down the barrel of this gun. So I’m going to ask you one last time. Have you made peace with your maker?”

  He shook his head, a firm no, but then dipped his chin and began to pray.

  Boone glanced at Tyler who was smiling. “Now those are some fine words. Strikes me as strange how defiant people can be in life but when faced with death, well, they sure as hell acknowledge the unseen then.” Hernández lifted his eyes and looked as if he was about to say something when Boone uttered some final words. “From the earth we came, to the earth we return.” He placed the tip of the barrel against Hernández’s head then squeezed the trigger. The round obliterated his skull, sending him down. Boone stood there staring for a second before muttering, “Dust to dust, and all that shit.” The men burst out laughing and Boone turned to embrace his brother. They gave each other a manly hug.

  “Everything is in place,” Tyler said.

  “Good.”

  Boone stepped back on the bus and looked at the other twenty-nine inmates asking to be unshackled. As he went down the narrow aisle unlocking each one, he quoted Isaiah 61:1. “Because the Lord has anointed me…” He spoke loudly to the cheers of those on board. “To proclaim liberty to the captives. And freedom to prisoners.”

  As soon as the men were out, they hustled out of the bus, most jogging off into the distance without a thank you. Others expressed their gratitude and then went on their way. Only a handful remained, keen and eager to serve. But he wasn’t in the business of enslaving others. That wasn’t his way. Kindness was quickly forgotten. Loyalty took years to earn. And he had more than enough family. “You are free to go.”

  Parish nodded and turned to leave, thinking his job was done, his debt paid.

  “Except for you.”

  “What?” Parish turned and offered a confused expression as Boone lifted his gun at him. He brought up his hands. “Whoa. Boone. Hold up. I helped you.”

  “Yes you did.”

  “And I brought you drugs. Risked my livelihood.”

  “That also.”

  “Then… what’s this about?”

  “Tying up loose ends.” The gun echoed loudly. Tyler brought over a horse for him. “Let’s go home and see what this town has become.”

  Chapter One

  Del Norte County, California

  It was the calm before the storm. It had been four months since the power grid went down, since darkness took hold and the world they knew came to an abrupt end. Life in Humboldt County was peaceful, well, as peaceful as anyone could expect when beyond Eureka the country was still struggling to survive.

  “Colby!” Alicia screamed as she wrestled on the ground with the buck-toothed thug. He loomed over her, grinning psychotically, his hands wrapped tightly around her throat. Colby was on the other side of the room fending off a thug intent on carving a slice off him.

  For a few seconds, the steel blade was inches away from his eye, its tip dangerously close. Drool from the man’s lips dripped onto Colby’s cheek, black, gooey, stinking of chewing tobacco. His teeth were a nasty brown and rotten.

  Despite the deadly situation they were in, they were doing exceptionally well since the odds had been four against two.

  Unable to grab the man’s gun out of his holster without releasing one hand off the thug’s wrist, he did the only thing he could and spat a mouthful of blood into his eyes.

  It worked.

  Startled, blinking hard, the thug pulled back.

  Instantly, Colby used that moment of distraction to twist the knife around and jam it up under his chin. Blood spilled as he shoved him off. Every muscle ached as he rose and wiped blood from his eyes and then reached for his 9mm.

  Across the room, a man let out a scream.

  In a last-ditch effort to avert death, Alicia had dug her thumbs into the man’s eyes. Screaming in agony, he released his grip then gave her a right hook to the face. “Bitch, you are going to….”

  Colby squeezed the trigger and a slug shattered the top part of the man’s skull, sending brain matter over Alicia. His heavy frame collapsed, pinning her beneath. She let out a large lungful of air as she pushed him off.

  Colby extended a hand.

  “Took your sweet time,” she said.

  “Figured you had him.”

  “Had him? Had him?” she repeated. “He nearly choked me to death. He was twice the size of me.” She rubbed her red neck as Colby helped her back to her feet. She stumbled away from the bloody mess, naked, breathing hard.

  “Well, I’d say that was some mighty fine sex, what about you?” Colby burst out laughing. She glared before a smirk appeared at the corner of her lips.

  They never expected to encounter anyone down at the harbor. They were on a medical supply run, checking facilities that most might have overlooked, when they got a little too hands-on with each other. It had been that way for the past month. Every day was like going from zero to sixty. An exploration. A new discovery. They’d been in the thick of making love on a desk in the upper room of an office when the thugs burst in. They might have avoided the struggle had they not been butt naked. Their clothes and guns were across the room. It’s not that they started out that way but in the throes of wild sex, the last thing they expected was four guys walking in on them at an empty marina.

  Had it not been for a steel letter opener on the desk, he might not have gotten the jump on them and it could have turned out a hell of a lot worse than it had.

  “I didn’t hear them approach,” she said, collecting her clothes.

  “It was all that moaning you were doing.”

  “Oh, blame me. It was your idea to get frisky,” she said as she slipped into black jeans, shaking her head. Colby came up behind her and nuzzled his face into her neck, causing her to squirm.

  “What can I say, I can’t keep my hands off you.”

  “Colby!”

  “What?”

  Alicia extended a finger toward the dead men.

  “All right, so we pick a better place next time.”

  “There won’t be a next time, bud. Don’t you get it? We could have died,” she muttered, pulling away from him, “Let’s get out of here before anyone else shows up.”

  He sighed. She was right. They had taken one too many risks lately. In some ways the safety they’d experienced inside Eureka had dulled them to the risk beyond. But their little get-togethers had been an escape from the routine, the mundane of life. With no entertainment so to speak, trips away from Eureka had become something he looked forward to. It wasn’t that they weren’t together inside but there was something about the thrill of being elsewhere that made them keep coming out — that and the curiosity to see how other towns.

  With the militia gone, it was up to the residents to pitch in and collect supplies on a weekly basis. Sheriff Johnson had created a schedule.

  Now, what probably didn’t help was they were only meant to venture into Humboldt’s towns and cities, but this time they’d gone further, heading north over into Del Norte County.

  “Alicia, hold up,” Colby said, trying to do his shirt up as she got away from him. “I know you’re in a rush to leave but our ride’s not here.”

  “So get on the radio and call Martha.”

  The very mention of her name made him cringe.

  The situation between the two of them hadn’t improved.

  Since she’d come clean about Skye’s death, he hadn’t seen her until today. It was his choice not hers. Rightly so, he had mixed emotions. He was torn between forgiving and hating her. Anyway, she’d opted to go with them on the run — made arrangements with Johnson behind his back.

  Colby knew his mother had no interest in putting herself in harm’s way and this was more about spying on the two of them than it was about trying to bury the hatchet. Although she apologized, and had justified her reason for killing Skye, he still wasn’t sure if her version of events was the truth. He got a sense she was holding back. She had a history of doing that —lying, that is.

  Martha hadn’t been forthright about their father, Ryland’s death or even the gold. In fact, the only good thing that had come from the mass exodus of residents to FEMA camps was that it had opened up room inside Eureka, and he and Alicia had opted to stay there instead of at the farm. That alone had pissed her off. But living in Eureka meant he didn’t need to see or hear her. The city was too vast, and with so much that needed to be done on a daily basis, it was easy to go weeks without seeing anyone.

  Of course his mother had sent Jessie to invite him and Alicia for supper but they never went. It wasn’t that he couldn’t forgive her. He could. In some ways he had. But her controlling ways still shone through, and within weeks of the militia being killed, she was trying to supervise and get them to take a dig at the Stricklands.

  He hadn’t seen them. The Stricklands, that is. They’d kept a low profile — avoided the city even though there was now a new sheriff, a new way of doing things. Not even Nina knew where they were. But that was a whole other story.

  A lot had changed since the confrontation with militia.

  Residents had rolled into place stalled vehicles and erected wooden and chain-link fencing to the south of Fort Humboldt State Park and east of Sequoia Zoo. The perimeter of Eureka was east of Harrison Avenue and ran south to Hemlock Street. It then cut west, and went south to encompass Lundbar Hills and Herrick Avenue.

  It was something to behold to see a thousand working together to erect fencing. They didn’t need convincing. It was being done for their safety.

  The danger wasn’t just desperate refugees seeking shelter and food, but roaming gangs, opportunists, those looking to steal. There was also the threat from folks who got their kicks and jollies by killing and raping. They were out there. Prowling like wolves. It was sad to think that life had been reduced to that, but humans were capable of all manner of heinous acts and with the power down, a lack of law enforcement and no one to stop them, it had only made it easier for the scum of society to live out their darkest fantasies.

  Sure, outsiders could scale fences. It wasn’t a sure thing but it was a deterrent. A first line of defense. The hope was it might make some think twice before entering the community.

  There were now only two entry points barring the bay to the west which was protected around the clock. They had also recently erected guard towers in the four corners of the city to ensure they could see trouble coming before it arrived. Those manning them were given flare guns to alert the town. So far it had worked. From outside, the new setup made it look like a prison. Still, the people believed that Johnson’s manner of steering the community was better than Dan Wilder’s. He had shot from the hip, making decisions without taking into consideration those it would affect.

  The community had dwindled from several thousand to a thousand. Most of them were locals, though some came from different counties — areas that had suffered far worse than theirs.

  With so many seeking help from FEMA, it meant that the resources they once had in the way of expertise like nurses, doctors and military were even fewer. That’s why some were open to bringing survivors into the fold. Engineers, medics, anyone previously trained in military or law enforcement were given priority.

  To avoid another situation like what had occurred with California Militia, they had divided Eureka into five wards. Each one was assigned to a different council member with Johnson presiding over them all until a new mayor could be appointed.

  Ward one was located in Lundbar Hills and was to be used for newcomers. It was south of the town center, away from the armory, supplies and the bulk of residents.

  Dan Wilder had initially offered to oversee it as that’s where he lived but his offer was shot down by the city council. People still didn’t trust him. They felt that if he couldn’t discern trouble when it was right in front of him, how could he distinguish those who had come to the city with an agenda?

  So, Jessie and Nina had stepped up to the plate and moved into a townhouse to assist one of the council members. They along with fifty residents would watch over the neighborhood and assess newcomers and be accountable to the council member in charge of that ward. So far it had worked. It had given Jessie a new sense of purpose and their mother another reason to complain. She didn’t want him down there. It was too dangerous, she’d said.

  But that wasn’t the truth. It was the principle. How could Jessie do it after they’d put him in prison? He said she was short-sighted and didn’t realize that he wanted a life of his own, away from her drama, away from his past, like Colby.

  Still, that didn’t convince her.

  Ward one was unique in that it was a holding area, a place where they could observe newcomers over a two-week period and determine if they fit in or not. New arrivals weren’t told the timeline, only that they were being monitored. Some opted to leave instead of becoming a fish in a fishbowl and that was fine. It was better to have those who wanted to be there than those whose motivations were questionable.

  Ward two was where 50 percent of the community lived, those with leadership skills, those trained in weapons. These folks lived in homes northeast of H Street. It was mostly cops and volunteers that patrolled or went on runs.

  Young and large families, those with children lived in ward three located to the west; if the city came under attack, they could escape via the bay to Fairhaven.

  Everyone else were in wards four and five located in the south-southwest quarter.

  It wasn’t a perfect setup and they would make changes over time but it worked for now. After so much time in the hills, all of his family except his mother had wanted to be in Eureka. In many ways Colby had led the way, tipping the scales, and after Jessie followed, that gave the rest incentive to leave. Miriam stayed at the farm, feeling a sense of duty and not wanting to leave Martha alone. He could still remember the conversation they had as a family. The look on his mother’s face was priceless. It was the one and only time she was truly speechless.

  Zeke and Dylan moved into Carson Mansion, a huge Victorian landmark close to the northern waterfront. No one was using it. They were offered a regular home but Dylan had this thing about living life like Hugh Hefner. He’d envisioned the place full of scantily clad women all tending to his every whim while he pranced around in a velvet smoking jacket, instead he got Zeke in a pair of dirty underpants.

  As for Alicia and him, they’d taken up residence in the neighborhood of Green Park but not under the condition of becoming a deputy for the city. His days of carrying a badge were behind him, however, he’d told Sheriff Johnson that if he needed help, he knew where he was. In the meantime he volunteered to go on supply runs.

  Colby exhaled as he picked up the walkie-talkie.

  It crackled. Static coming through.

  His conversations with his mother were always awkward.

  “Anyone would think you were afraid of her,” Alicia said.

  “It’s not fear. It’s repulsion,” Colby said. He didn’t want to feel that way about his mother but she hadn’t helped herself. It was the reason why he’d been so eager to leave for L.A. Now he knew she was trying to wriggle her way back into his good books. It wasn’t so much about getting right with him as it was about making herself feel good. He knew her better than anyone. Once the waters were calm she would go right back to her old ways.

  No, the more distance he put between them the better.

  “I’ll be outside,” Alicia said.

  He nodded.

  They had traveled up to Crescent City with a crew of ten in two military trucks left behind by Captain Evans. His mother had gone in his with Alicia, Jessie, and Nina while the other five were in the second truck.

  Even after months the tension between them still hadn’t changed. In the days after the near execution, he’d tried to push from his mind his mother’s involvement in Skye’s death but with so many lies, it was hard to forget. It wasn’t just him she was pushing. She’d sown seeds of doubt in Alicia that he would leave her. That’s why he chose to move into Eureka. It made life less irritating.

  Colby pressed the button on the radio. “Mother, you there?”

  A moment.

  “What do you want?”

  Her reply was cold but expected because she felt he was to blame for the rest of the family moving out. “We were attacked. I’m not sure if there are others out there. I need you to swing by with the truck. Probably best we leave.”

  No reply.

  “Did you hear me?” he asked.

  Static came over the radio then her quiet reply. “We’ll be there in ten.”

  “Head to the airport. That’s where we will be.”

  “Why there?”

  “Well, I’m not going to stay at the harbor after this, am I?”

  He blew out his cheeks as he attached the radio to his belt. He was getting tired of her mind games. He could have said something, brought up the past, but it wouldn’t have helped. Instead, Colby collected the dead men’s weapons, ammo and what little snacks they were carrying and stuffed it all in his bag, and headed down to the ground floor.

  Alicia was standing by the window, peering out, gun in hand. She’d come a long way since her time in L.A. She was a quick learner. Even more willing to run toward trouble than away from it. Yet at the same time she wasn’t stupid. She knew when they’d bitten off more than they could chew. In many ways she had brought him back from the edge. Without her he wouldn’t have stayed this long in Humboldt. She had every reason to leave and see what had become of her family but she’d opted to stay.