The executed, p.2
The Executed, page 2
Reed threw a thumbs up in acknowledgement and I turned to leave the center neighborhood streets, trudging back toward my own residence on the outskirts of town, closer to the wall. Socializing was something I could only take in doses.
A few paces away from my house, I heard her voice and inwardly groaned.
“Hi, Eliseo.” Mrs. Reyes from three doors down quickly walked toward me, trying to flag me down the way she usually did when she could catch me outside of my home. She was one of the many reasons why I didn’t hang around back here much.
I gave her a courtesy wave and continued through my front door without looking back. These women and their false sense of security behind the community walls. Didn’t they know that life was not promised to anyone? She could take her plate of alternative cookies to someone else.
Locking the door behind me, I gave my humble home a look over. Ashborne was lucky to be able to build the collective over a former gated community. Most of the homes were still sturdy and worked for the most part. Walking down the hall, I turned to look for my weapons cache. We had been able to collect a lot on our last run, increasing the ammunition supply. Grabbing the shotgun and pistol, I checked everything else in the house to make sure nothing was out of place.
Sure, it was nice to be within a walled community, but that didn’t stop thieves from being who they were. I would know. I’d thieved plenty in my time.
Strapping up, I went around inside my home to secure the house. I had lived alone here for a good handful of years, left the previous encampment behind with bad memories of a past I wished to forget.
I could still see her face, coated with blood and fear as I watched her choke and gurgle until her last breath. I should have never left on the hunt that day. I should have stayed and protected her.
Gritting my teeth at the flashbacks, I walked out my front door and looked left and right to make sure Mrs. Reyes wasn’t waiting for me. I appreciated the good neighbor sentiment, but there were things to be done and I didn’t have time for stupid little trysts with women who would only end up clinging to a man like me—a man with no commitment to offer.
Locking the door behind me, I quickly made my way toward the main building on the other side of Ashborne. My team and I liked to strategize and split into groups before we left the premises. It was good practice to have a plan of attack in a timely manner in order to keep our numbers up when we made it back. Despite the influx of new community members, it wasn’t good to lose the ones who were already established here.
“Fucker, hold up!” Samuel’s voice called out behind me, making me stop in my tracks.
I turned and saw he was finally dressed in cargo pants and a henley that had seen better days. At least his dick wasn’t swinging about.
“Where’s Hannah?” I asked.
“Pfft. Off somewhere cursing my name, I’m sure. Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine. She knows I’ll come back.”
Did she? Let’s hope his good luck streak doesn’t run out any time soon.
“Oi!” Another familiar voice came toward us. We both turned to find Reed walking beside Gunner who was fully strapped with a crossbow and bolts. It was smart to have quiet long range weaponory in case we ran into trouble.
“Hey, wassup man?” Gunner tilted his head in acknowledgement as we all walked toward the meet spot at the front center of town.
“Looks like they rounded up a good number this time,” Reed added.
I turned my head to find at least a good sixteen people milling about with weapons. Most of them looked around the age of my crew while some of them looked like boys, making my shoulders tense.
“Gentlemen, so glad you could join us,” Sergio’s, our makeshift governor, snarked. Always one with something to say, yet never had the balls to go out there to get his hands dirty.
I ignored his statement and chose instead to look over the crew. My eyes narrowed on a smaller fellow that looked to be the size of a young teenager. This won’t go well at all. We don’t have the luxury of losing people. Why were they desperate for numbers on this trip?
Sergio cleared his throat in an attempt to get my attention. I couldn’t care less. The only thing that ran through my mind was how far I could carry this kid in front of me if he were to go down in a fight and we had to retreat to home base.
“Eliseo. Glad you and your men could join us,” Sergio tried again.
I ignored him and took a step forward.
“Kid, we don’t need any casualties today. Why don’t you stay back and protect the people back home while we go out and fight the good fight, eh?”
The boy I addressed turned. He had a baseball cap covering most of his face. His oversized clothes didn’t help his case whatsoever, it only made him look younger, drowning in layers of fabric.
He didn't respond, instead just turned around and walked to the other side of the group, putting distance between us. Asshole. He would definitely be a liability. Couldn’t even take a command when he heard it.
“Reed, keep an eye out on that one,” I instructed.
Reed came up behind me and scanned the people. Once he saw where my sights landed, he answered, “You got it.”
Sergio cleared his throat again and I finally turned to face him with a scowl. What the hell is up his authoritative ass?
When he saw my expression, he backed up with both hands held up, palms out. I didn’t like asshole politicians who thought they knew better than the troops. He needed to know his place, and stay there.
With a curl of my lip, I turned to address the people gathered with Samuel snickering behind me. “Look, this ain't our first rodeo and if it is your first, then you're shit out of luck, because I’m not here to teach you a damn thing. Keep your eyes peeled for bloodsuckers, stay alive, and gather as much useful supplies as we can. Stick together. Don’t go trying to be a damn hero on your own because heroes die, ya feel me? That doesn’t help us one damn bit.”
Some of the newbies squirmed where they stood. Figured.
I whistled to my guys and they started to number people off. Samuel’s jovial voice boomed loud enough for everyone to hear. He knew my temper was short for stupidity.
“Alright, we’re splitting into three groups. Gather around, everybody.” Samuel pulled a map from one of his cargo pockets and walked toward the wall of the closest building, spreading it out. “Team A, you will be heading east. Team B, you hit up the north area. Team C will scour the west. We meet back in this spot in two point five hours. Any questions?”
“I don’t have a watch. How will I know two point five hours have passed?” The question came from the kid who announced the group was gathering this morning. Was he shitting me?
Samuel chuckled. “That’s exactly why I split you all up the way I did. Each team will have a time keeper. Stay alive, or we’re leaving you behind. We’re not about to harbor the infected, got it? We’ve got too much at stake.”
I stared at the kid who spoke, emphasizing everything Samuel pointed out with a look. When he caught my eye, he audibly swallowed and turned away from my ire. We had yet to leave and I was already tired of this nonsense.
“Alright, let’s gather the vehicles,” Gunner continued, his voice loud and clear.
As everyone began to move into position, my temper slowly died down, knowing that I would get some action today. Living in a walled community was nice, but it made a person too lax. Some days, as much as I hated to admit it, I missed living on the run, hopping from abandoned building to abandoned building. It kept my skills up and my mind sharp. And in a world where bloodsuckers were out to devour you, it was a necessity.
We needed to be on our P’s and Q’s in this life. Bloodsuckers continuously grew in number, and for all we knew, we’d be surrounded and taken as cattle for their blood farms. Rumors about people going missing gave most people nightmares but I wasn’t going to let that happen. We survived too long to become mindless blood banks.
Having a crazy doctor in the camp was enough.
“Gunner, take the jeep,” I ordered.
He nodded at my command and moved toward our outer garages.
“Samuel, you’re going to be with me.” The fucker saluted me like an imbecile, but I ignored it.
My prior military background would go with me to my grave. I hated to let people know what I was capable of, because expectations were then placed on you. No. These days, it was everyone for themselves. We did what we had to to survive. I’d done what I had to to survive—from thieving to murdering.
I didn’t regret a thing.
I made my way toward the vehicles and caught the small kid in my periphery, following me with a few others. Crap, was he on my team?
Samuel, the asshole, laughed and walked toward one of the other teams, pretending he knew nothing of what occurred.
Gunner started the first jeep while Reed grabbed the only Humvee we had. Looking at the crew cab truck, I wondered if I should just chuck the kid with Reed for more protection.
I unlocked the driver’s side door, rolled my shoulders, and turned to address my designated group. “Team A, get your asses in the truck so I can do a headcount!”
A few people followed Samuel with the kid a few paces behind. I counted the heads around me and spotted Reed with the other team of five.
“Alright, are we all strapped up?” I asked, scrutinizing everyone. “What kind of weapons are you all carrying?”
“Everyone’s got at least a pistol on them,” Samuel supplied. “I’m strapped with a few extra knives.”
At least a pistol… I wasn’t feeling good about this.
“Anyone with a quiet, long-range weapon? Silencers? Anything at all?” I looked over the men to see how they would fare in hand-to-hand combat based on their build.
The kid I was uncertain about cleared his throat but didn't say anything. His baseball cap was tilted down, hiding his face. Let’s just get this outing over with, I inwardly groaned.
“Alright, everyone in the car,” I commanded.
Samuel snickered again, and I slapped him upside the head. He flinched and scowled at me. It was his fault I got this group. What the hell kind of division was that? He couldn’t get me anyone reliable at all.
“Damn, Eliseo, don’t be such an ass,” he complained as if knowing my thoughts. “You still have me.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better whatsoever.” I was lying. It did, but he didn’t need to know that.
The other two teams had already left the garage and were headed toward the gates. Once the last man got in and shut the door, I pulled out after them, thinking over all our strategies to make sure we made it back alive.
Let’s hope we didn’t run into any other bandit groups or bloodsuckers. I really didn’t feel like saving another group of humans if I was being honest. My mood soured as I thought of the group that was with me now.
Hopelessness was stifling. I opened the window, leaned my elbow out, and rubbed my head.
The air already felt different on the other side of the gates. The ominous sound of the wall shutting us out, reverberated in my skull as we drove down the desolate streets right outside the community. Rusted-out, abandoned vehicles littered our view as we trekked toward our destination. This outing would lead us a third of the way north towards the Clan Lekim’s territory.
Looking at the rearview mirror, I cataloged what we wore. It got colder the further north we traveled, but it wouldn't be freezing like Clan Cirse’s territory.
Gunner drove off the road on the next right and led us toward the last town we’d ransacked. When we crossed into the town’s limits, the scenery was desolate and rundown, the same as it was the last time. Windows were shattered and some buildings had been decimated for ages. Despite the uninhabited area, something was off.
My eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Samuel, when was the last time we came this way?”
Samuel looked around and answered me with his face toward the passenger side window. “Two months.”
“The corner store. That’s new,” I pointed out.
Samuel turned his head to look at the location I indicated. “Yeah. That wasn’t there before.”
He grabbed the radio and it crackled to life before he pressed down the button. “Keep your eyes peeled. Looks like recent activity.”
“Roger that,” Gunner’s voice clearly came over.
An hour on the road, and the scenery went from city buildings to vast areas of farmland. There hasn’t been a time I remembered it looking like anything else. What was the world like before the change? Before we mutated and became two different types of people. I didn’t think the answers would ever be found, not in this lifetime. I kept eyes peeled on our surroundings as I continued to wonder if the world was a better place before my existence.
Were vampires always here? Were stories about the genetic mutation all a myth?
That was a question for old Otis back at home base. Ashborne’s crazy doctor more than likely knew something but no one was willing to ask. He gave me the creeps most days, but he was all we had.
The truck went over a bump and suddenly we were back on an actual road. Dirt kicked up behind us, sending dust into the air that clouded our rear view. It made me antsy, but I didn't show it. I didn’t like being blinded from one side. Once it settled, so did my nerves.
I continued to replay what I witnessed in the previous town. Something broke through the side of the building, a fight of some sort—but what created that much power?
Gunner pulled into a field a few paces from what looked like an abandoned old-town style shopping center. Once we all parked, I whistled for everyone to get out and keep their eyes open. Everything appeared quiet beside the rustling of trees behind us. Cars looked to have already been looted and broken into. We would avoid them to save on time.
“Eliseo! There were three houses in this area the last time I scouted,” Reed hollered at me.
Without looking at him, I tipped my head in acknowledgement and led my group, Team A, toward the shop in front of us.
“If you see any extra backpacks or bags, grab ‘em,” I instructed.
Samuel passed the message to the others, followed by murmurs of agreement, as I lifted my shotgun and began to clear out the first store. A few of the guys looked through cabinets and drawers while Samuel and I continued toward the back.
“Clear.” I lowered my gun and headed back to the front of the store.
“Anything?” Samuel asked.
“I found a container of seasoning,” one of them piped up, lifting said item in the air.
“Grab it and let’s go,” I instructed as I headed out the front door. We needed to keep on a steady timetable.
Samuel cleared the next building but it was ransacked heavily so it wasn’t worth our time. Crossing the street, the next store looked more promising. Once cleared, we all start combing through the shelves and walls.
“Got some pain killer,” someone called out.
“Good. Keep looking,” I told him.
“Shit, half a box of ammo,” Samuel grinned.
Maybe luck was with us after all.
BOOM! A loud crash against the brick wall of the store shut us all up. Brick and broken pieces of cement came at us like shrapnel as we dove behind the counter, dust obscuring our vision and clogging our nostrils. Waving my hand in front of my face, I looked around the room to do a head count, when two extra bodies emerged from the gravel.
It looked like a sight from hell, skin boiling as they growled at each other while their flesh sizzled beneath the peaking sunlight. They instantly threw fists and grappled like two mad men, the only difference was the strength they showcased with each blow. It was incomprehensible—it was inhuman. Bloodsuckers. The fact that their skin sizzled in the daylight only reiterated what I already suspected.
As I low-crawled around the counter, I caught Samuel behind one of the shelves still standing. I flicked my fingers and wrist to catch his attention. He nodded when he saw me direct him toward me. We’d bust a hole out the back wall if we had to, but I thought I remembered catching sight of a handle to a back exit door.
BOOM! One of the vampires lunged at the other again, knocking them through another part of the wall. More dust and debris flew but I used it to my advantage as concealment, holding my breath for short bursts. Crouching low and covering my nose with my arm, I walked around and gathered my men, shoving them behind the counter. I could hear Samuel shuffling them to the back room when I realized we were missing one.
Where’s the kid?
The sound of rustling beneath one of the fallen shelves caught my attention. A hand clawed at the ground and I quickly grabbed it and pulled.
We both coughed and sputtered as the two vampires outside continued to slam into each other, knocking more walls down. Some debris hit my left eye, but all I could do was shut it, wincing through the sting, while I held onto the kid.
The sound of a crunch made my heart skip a beat, followed by the groans of a man in throes of passion—or from feeding. I’d heard it once before and it was a sound I would never forget.
I shook my head and dislodged the past. There’s no time for this! I pulled the kid out again with all my might and he finally broke free. I quickly bent down and tossed him over my shoulder. I was taken aback by how light he was.
The kid coughed against my back as I jumped over broken pieces of wood and concrete, careful not to slip my footing. As I ran toward the back, a growl broke my concentration. It sounded too close, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
Something slammed into me and took us both down, right into the back wall with a painful thud. The wind was knocked out of me, but the only thing I could think about was the damn kid.
“Seems I came at just the right time,” one of the bloodsuckers growled. “I’m getting a little hungry.”
Clenching my fist, I got to my feet and gave myself a few seconds to get my mind back on track. I hated vampires—they were the bane of my existence in a place where survival was hard enough.
