Apocalypsis: Book 4 (Haven) (35 page)

“The tank is coming!” said Jamal, practically crying.  “Get her in here before it smashes us!  We have to get inside!”

More shots were fired in the back, and then some from what sounded like inside the lobby.

I turned sharply to see if I was just hearing things and saw a flash of light from behind the glass.

“Someone’s inside!” I yelled over the sound of the rain.  “Winky’s in there!”

Fohi’s voice came out over the bull horn again.

“Heh, heh, heh … better run canners.  You too, Gail, you greasy haired, beady eyed redneck dumbass.  Triple Bar D’s all up in your asses!  Wooo hooo!!”

It was the next flash of lightning that finally made Fohi’s nonsense come together for me.

I saw the grill of the truck headed our way.

It was bashed up and dented like it had been in a smash-em-up derby, and it was headed right for the crowd of canners at the gate.

They scattered when they saw it coming.

Rifles picked them off one at a time as they tried to escape into the night.

Several disappeared into the darkness on the sides of the truck, missing being run over by mere feet.  Some weren’t so lucky.  The truck didn’t stop for anyone.

“Let me out,” I said, frantic I would miss the chance to save some lives.  There were still some treehouse kids standing there, and they looked like they were too scared to move.

“Come to the gate!” I screamed.  “Come to the gate!  Get out of the way!”

They couldn’t hear me over the sounds of the rain and the thunder and the truck.

Fohi’s bullhorn came again.

“Hey, treehouse kids.  You want to get run over or what?  Move, move, move!  Get to the gate now!”

They didn’t need to be told twice.  Those who could, took off sprinting in our direction.  The few who weren’t able to limped along, helping each other as best they could.

By the time they reached the fence, Peter had the lock undone.

I dropped my shield and grabbed onto the gate, pulling it for all I was worth.  It flew open far enough to let the kids in.  Ronald crawled out on hands and knees and pulled the girl who’d been praying on the ground in.

“Close it!” yelled Peter.  “They’re all in!”

“Not all,” I said, smiling like a lunatic.  “Just wait.”

“Are you crazy?” yelled Jamal.  “We need to get inside!”  He looked at the truck and screamed.

I smacked him on the shoulder.  “Stop that.”

He looked at me confused.  “But we’re about to die.  That’s what people do when they’re about to meet their maker.”

“You’re not going to die.  I know that guy.”  I gestured to the truck that had stopped just outside the concrete barriers in front of the gate.

The truck’s brakes engaged and a big shot of steam or air came out of somewhere.  Then the door opened and a guy got halfway out.

“Am I too late for the party?!” he shouted.

“No, you’re right on time!” I yelled.  “But wait there!  We have canners on the loose!”

“Not for long you don’t!” he shouted back.  “Whoo hoo!  I love me a round up, don’t y’all?!”  He got back into his truck and honked the horn a bunch of times.

Fohi’s voice came over the bull horn.  “Haven welcomes …  what’s his name again?  Oh, yeah  …  Jackson!  We welcome Jackson from the Triple Bar D Ranch.”

Jackson honked the horn a few more times.

“What in Jesus’s name is going on here?” asked Ronald, sounding totally confused.

“He’s the guy we met on the highway before.  The one with the big semi, smashing cars.”

“Oooohhh, that guy.  What excellent timing.”  Ronald shot me a huge grin, showing off the most beautiful smile in Haven.

“I’m sure he got a message from the Amazons just like we did.  Guess he decided to come rescue us.”

“Those are the kind of friends I like having,” said Jamal.

“Should we go get him?” asked Ronald.

“Yes.  I’ll go. You guys get these kids inside and take care of Winky.  She got tagged in the leg.  But be careful!  I saw light inside.  I thought I heard shots, too.”

Jamal nodded.  “Right.”  He faced the kids.  “Okay, you people.  Follow me.  Stay between my shield and Ronald’s.”

“You go too, Peter.  Leave me with the keys.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.  Go.”

Peter joined the group of kids, all of them huddled together and crying, several of them looking back at Robson on the ground.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get her later,” said Ronald.

I waved at Jackson through the fence, and he stuck his head out.  “Ready for me?”

“Yeah.  Let me come get you.”  I looked all around, hoping we were alone but not trusting that we were.  Our riflemen hadn’t gotten everyone who’d come, and I had no idea what was going on behind us or on the sides.  I had to trust that my people had me covered.  I couldn’t leave Jackson out there like a sitting duck.

I ran as fast as I could with the awkward shield banging against my knees and the helmet sliding all over the place, only stopping when I was next to Jackson’s door.

He climbed down and stood next to me for a second in the rain.

“Long time no see,” he said, smiling down at me.

“Too long.  How’s Katy and the others?”

“Everyone’s good.  She sends her love.  And Chantal says she’s coming next time I make a visit.”

“Awesome.”

“I got a present for ya in the back.”  He jerked his thumb towards the trailer.  The distinct sounds of mooing came to my ears.

“Can I see it in the morning?”

“Yeah, it’ll keep.  Better get us inside before someone decides to take a pot shot at my hind end.”

I gave him my gun and put my arm around him, holding the shield in front of both of us.  “Ready to run?”

“Yeah, I’m ready.  Let’s hit it.”

We took off running across the pavement.

Halfway to the gate I realized my mistake.  I’d taken my eyes off the entrance for too long, standing at the door of the semi.

Gail had slipped through the gate and was headed for the lobby door.

***

“Gail!  Stop!”  I screamed, dropping the shield and running with everything I had.

Jackson shouted behind me as he tripped over the heavy barrier I’d been carrying and went down on his knees.

I couldn’t help him, I had to get to her before she could reach my friends.

“Stop!  Gail!  I have a gun!”  It was a lie.  I wasn’t armed.  I had to stop her anyway.

She spun around as I reached the gate.

I jumped through the opening, measuring the distance between us.  She was a good twenty yards ahead.

She raised her gun and pointed it at me.

I didn’t have my shield anymore.

I was closing the distance, but not fast enough.  My feet flew over the wet pavement, throwing water up to my back and neck.  My helmet fell off and I just let it go.

I heard someone shout my name from off to the side.

Maybe it was Paci.  The rain muffled his voice too much for me to know for sure.

Gail smiled.

I felt the bullet slam into me before I heard the shot fire out of her gun.

As I fell to the pavement, my chest going numb, I thought how strange it was to personally experience the speed of sound traveling slower than a bullet.

The last thing I remembered seeing as I fell to my side and my head hit the ground, was Gail’s body flying backwards and landing against the lobby door.

My eyes slid shut and I smiled before losing consciousness. 
At least that bad penny won’t be turning up anymore.

***

Rain washes the earth.  It rinses away all the oil and grime left by a careless civilization until there’s no more trace of it.

The blood that was left by the canners and their victims was long gone.

The bodies had been taken away and burned.

Any trace of their invasion into our haven had disappeared, making me wonder as I gazed over all of it from up on high if it had ever even happened.

But then I looked down on my friends and saw all their sad faces, and I knew.  I knew it
had
really happened, and that they’d lost people they really cared for.  Looked up to.  Respected.

I wept for them.  Just as they wept for themselves.

“Dearly beloved,” said Ronald, his voice booming out over the crowd.  “We are gathered here today to say goodbye to some friends.  Some very special people who gave their lives so that we might carry on…”

His healing words, his poem about our lives, washed over me, their individual syllables meaningless, but their goal still met.  Today was a new day for all of them.  For me.  Today we would start again and try to re-build what was lost.  We’d make it better and stronger and safer.

With the gifts of cattle and horses from the Triple Bar D, we would build our herd.  With the birds being sent from Jimmy and Sissy at the Cracker Barrel, we would increase our messenger system and rebuild the contacts poisoned by Gail.  With the contact that Bodo was making for us in the Keys, we would reach more people and spread more news and make more connections.  Have more friends.  Grow our family.

Paci reached over and took my hand and squeezed it.

I looked at him and smiled weakly.  It was the best I could do.

Together we would carry on and do whatever it took to build Haven into the safe place its name implied.

“Bryn, would you like to say a few words?” Ronald asked.

I moved over to the pulpit, looking down off the stage that had hurriedly been built to manage our memorial service.

“I’m proud of all of you,” I said, looking at each of their faces.  “Proud of how you worked together before they came and during the fight.  I’m proud of how you made hard decisions and took risks that showed how much you value human life.  That’s the difference between us and the canners.  We value the gift of our humanity.  We must never lose that.”

I took Ronald’s hand and pulled it above my head.  I would have done the same with Paci’s, but the bruise from my flak jacket taking that bullet still didn’t allow for it.  “Lift your hands with me as we say goodbye to our friends.”

I waited until all the hands were up.  I spoke loud and clear, making sure my voice spread out across Haven and beyond.

“Goodbye, Robson.”

“Sarah.”

“Rick.”

“Kenny.”

“Gretchen.”

“Bianca.”

“James.”

“Yokci.”

“Zach.”

I had to stop a moment before I could finish.  I needed to collect myself so I didn’t have a breakdown.

“And Winky.”

I dropped my head and waited a full two minutes before continuing.  I wanted to remember how my friend Winky had single-handedly fought off three very enterprising canners who’d cut in through an unguarded part of the fence and then found their way into our home through a service entrance, surprising Winky in the lobby.  She was bleeding to death from a bullet wound to her leg, but she took them out all the same.  She gave her life for Peter’s and for everyone else’s who ran into that lobby after her.

I raised my head, letting my tears fall freely.  “May you all who have died … our friends … our family … rest in peace and be there to guide us when it’s our time to join you.”

“Amen,” said the crowd.

“Amen,” I said softly to myself.

“Thank you for joining us,” said Ronald.  “We have food in the lobby for everyone.  Please come in fellowship and remembrance.”

I stood behind Peter and Trip, waiting for them to go down the stairs from the stage ahead of me.  Peter was crying softly and Trip had his arm across Peter’s shoulders.  I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about my friend or Buster.  Trip only stopped hugging my best friend in the world and soul brother to sweep the naked poodle up into his arms and hold him close.

Paci noticed me crying again and pulled me to him, folding me gently into his arms, mindful of my injury.

“Where to now?” he asked.

“Will you take me to my room?” I asked.  “I just want to lie down and forget this day.  Forget the fight.  And think about my friends I lost.”

“Yes, I’ll take you.  Do you mind if I stay with you?”

“No.” I hugged him hard, burying my face in his chest.  “Please don’t leave me.  I don’t think I can be without you anymore.”

He squeezed me a little tighter and leaned down to kiss me tenderly on the cheek.  “You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that.”

EPILOGUE

“Can you believe this is the same place we rode up to on our bikes five years ago?” I asked.

“Five years ago, today.  To the
day
,” said Peter.  “And yes, of course I can.   I planned every square inch of this place out on paper in case you forgot.”

“How could I forget?  Holy crap, you wallpapered eight offices with those plans.”

“That wallpaper is now responsible for the thriving metropolis that is Haven, population one thousand, two hundred and eighty four, thank you very much.”

“Five.  Jenny and Fohi had their baby last night.  A girl,” I said, biting into a turkey sandwich.

“They did?  Why didn’t anyone tell me?   I have to put that into the log book.”  Peter immediately started searching around for something.

“There are no pens or paper allowed on family picnic day, you know that.  Stop looking for something to write with.”

A small, handmade soccer ball created with about a hundred yards of twine landed in the middle of our grilled vegetables.

“Do you mind?” asked Peter in an offended voice.  “We’re trying to picnic over here.”

Trip came running over, all sweaty, his long, black hair a mess.  “Toss it here, babe!  I’m on the run!”

Peter tried, but failed miserably.  It landed at the feet of the nearby toddler who quickly bent over to get it into his fat little hands.  It immediately went into his mouth.

“Oh, man!  Not again!”  Trip dropped down onto hands and knees, playing growling bear very convincingly.

“Give the ball to Uncle Trip,” I said.  “Go on, give it to the scary bear.”

“Bear!” shrieked the little boy, throwing the ball in a panic and nailing Trip right in the forehead with it.

Trip feigned being knocked out and fell over onto his back, closing his eyes and letting his tongue hang out.