TORMENT (15 page)

“What’s that?” Chang asked.

Austin moved to the hatch, leading with his gun. “They’re coming.” He turned back to the group. “Get those packs on and grab as many weapons as you can carry.”

Garbarino picked up two handguns, one of them being the weapon taken from him previously, and a shotgun. Vanderwarf and White had the MP5s and one handgun each. Collins took the second shotgun.

A gunshot echoed loudly inside the EEP sending hands to ears.

“Fuck!” Garbarino shouted.

“They’re here!” Austin squeezed off two rounds. “Garbarino, take them south. I’ll slow them down!”

Mia followed Garbarino out of the EEP and on to the street of the McMansion lined neighborhood. The blacktop street smelled of new pavement and was bisected by two bright yellow lines, perhaps days old. The maple trees lining the street were bare, and the grass brown, but being the middle of February in what looked like the American Northeast to her, that was expected. What wasn’t expected was the temperature, which Mia pegged around eighty degrees. Other than that aberration, the neighborhood looked like so many others hastily built over the previous ten years. There was no rushing mob, but she did see two bodies lying face down one hundred feet away. As the others exited and followed Garbarino around the backside of the EEP, Mia stopped by Austin. “You shouldn’t stay by yourself.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You could die.”

“I know I’m not paid to do this anymore, but it’s still my job.” Austin motioned toward Liz. “And it’s not like you can help.”

“What about Garbarino? Why did you put him in charge?”

“He’ll toe the line as long as he feels respected,” Austin said. “If I don’t make it back, he’s in charge in a
fight,
you’re in charge of everything else. He’ll go for that.”

“If he doesn’t?”

Austin looked over her shoulder. “Then you’ll have help.”

Paul had waited for her. He stood there, brandishing his submachine gun like a true war hero. And he’d heard everything.

“But that’s not going to happen,” Austin said. “I just want to give you a head start. I can catch up.”

A terrified voice called out from the distance.

“Is that one of ours?” Paul asked.

“Wrong direction,” Austin said, taking aim past the two bodies he’d already shot. “Now go!”

Paul took Mia by the arm and led her around the EEP. She was surprised to see Garbarino waiting there for them and wondered if he had heard any of their conversation. But he just waved them on, shouting, “Move your asses!”

Two shots rang out from Austin’s position.

Mia saw the rest of their crew jogging down the street, away from the EEP and the oncoming crowd. She looked back the way they’d come. It didn’t feel right, leaving Austin. But then Liz leaned back, looked her in the eyes and said, “What the hell are you waiting for, Auntie Mia, move your ass!”

She started forward. Then two more shots set them all to running, like horses out of the gate. They didn’t slow until they caught up to Collins, who was already out of breath.

Mia thought about it and realized she’d never seen photos of or heard news about this president going out for jogs. In fact, she seemed to recall he had heart problems.
Great.

Two blocks from the EEP, more gunshots rang out.
Then a scream.
A man’s scream.

Then silence. They all stared back at the EEP, waiting for Austin to come running, but he didn’t.

After a moment, Mia turned to Garbarino, placed her hand on his arm, and very intentionally said, “Lead the way,” all the while feeling like she’d just handed them all over to the devil.

19

Within twenty minutes, Mia, Collins, Chang and the Byers brothers lagged behind their three Secret Service escorts. Mia was in shape, but lacked endurance, especially when carrying a fifty pound seven year old. Liz seemed to sense this and tapped her shoulder. “I can run now,” the girl said. “I’m not afraid anymore.”

Mia looked the girl in the eyes.
“You sure?”

She nodded.

“Stay right next to me.”

The nod continued. Mia put her down,
then
put her hands on her knees while she caught her breath. The brothers and Chang stopped with her, while Collins walked on ahead, his body soaked in sweat.

Garbarino heard the number of moving feet behind him change and turned around. “Hey! Keep moving.”

“We need to rest,” Mia said.

“Those people might still be chasing us,” he said, stomping toward her.

“There hasn’t been a sound or a gunshot for a while,” she countered.

Garbarino stood above her. “That’s probably because Austin is dead and those sons-a-bitches are sneaking up on us. Now...” He took her arm and yanked her up.
“Move!”

“Hey!” Liz shouted and went to hit Garbarino, but Mia caught her little fist.

She stood face-to-face with the man, and when she did she realized she stood a good two inches taller. “Right now, if those people charged us, I wouldn’t have the energy to run. We’ve been through a lot and the non-stop adrenaline rush of being launched into space by a series of nuclear blasts, watching the world be destroyed, floating in zero gravity, dropping back down to Earth and then being attacked by crazed survivors, is starting to wear off.”

Garbarino’s face slowly fell as he listened to her. The words seemed to suck the energy out of him. He looked around the neighborhood. “Houses up there look big.
Might be a good place to hole up.”

Mia looked up the road and saw several new and very large houses. They were the kind contractors built in a month, the kind she mocked when she drove by, but right now they looked incredibly normal and inviting. She smiled. “Thank you.”

“Let’s move,” Chang said. “Maybe the plumbing still works.”

Mark followed after her. “I could go for a shower.”

“I’ll take a bath,” Paul said, loping ahead of the other two, looking ridiculous with his submachine gun.

Mia took Liz’s hand and nodded at Garbarino. “You did the right thing.”

“Yeah, well, let’s hope it doesn’t get us killed.” He motioned for her to get moving and followed behind her. She looked back and was happy to find him walking backwards, keeping watch behind them.

They reached the line of massive homes five minutes later and selected a three-story giant. The choice had nothing to do with how opulent the house was, with its perfectly shaped, leafless hedges, a waterless fountain and a new BMW in the driveway. The third story fire escape appealed to all of them. If trouble came through the front, back or garage doors, they had an alternate escape route. The third floor would also offer them an excellent view of the neighborhood and anyone that might be looking for them.

While the others let themselves in through the unlocked front door, Mia stopped in front of the house. She pulled her handgun from her pocket and ejected a single round. It landed on the sidewalk. She bent down and positioned the round so that it pointed toward the house.

“What are you doing?” Liz asked.

“Leaving a message.”

“For Mr. Austin?”

“Yup.
For Mr. Austin.”

She stood and scooped up Liz. “Can he be my new daddy? I’ve never had a daddy.”

Mia laughed. “You like him that much?”

She bobbed her head up and down. “And you can be my new mommy.”

“Liz...” Mia didn’t know what to say. She had avoided the subject for as long as possible, but now it seemed Liz needed to process the loss.

“I know she’s dead,” the girl said. “
Everyone
is dead.
Except for us.”
Tears formed in her eyes, causing Mia to tear up as well.

This is a new world
, Mia thought. As awful as it felt, if Liz was going to survive, she would have to get tough. They all would. And she swore to herself that this was the last time she would cry. Blurry crying eyes couldn’t aim a gun very well. And they didn’t evoke confidence in the people she now led.

A knock on the door turned her around. The priest stood there with the shotgun. “Shake a leg, ladies.”

Mia wiped her eyes and put Liz down. “I’m your mommy now. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

“And Mr. Austin?”

Mia smiled. “I’ll let you ask him.”

“You don’t want to marry him?”

The smile faded.

“You still love Uncle Matt?” Liz answered the question in her own mind and shook her head. “You’re
right,
I don’t think he would like that.”

Liz ran to Mark, who was waving her on. She left Mia standing alone on the sidewalk, frozen with guilt. For a moment she wished one of the savage survivors would leap out from behind a tree and tear her to pieces. She deserved nothing less. She had betrayed the man she loved.
Over what?
A little boredom.
Some lonely nights?
Her fucking libido?

“Mia!” Mark was whispering now, but more insistent. His voice snapped her from her reverie. She turned toward him and found Liz waving her in, too. If it weren’t for Liz she might put the gun in her mouth and escape this horrible world once and for all.

After scanning the area, she entered the house and closed the solid red door behind her.

And open concept interior and a group of relieved faces greeted her.

Mark had just taken a seat behind a baby grand piano.

The three Secret Service agents and Collins were searching through kitchen cabinets and sharing a box of Funny Bones.

Paul exited a bathroom and announced, “Water’s running.”

Garbarino entered from the garage. “Power’s out, but they have a generator and a really big propane tank.”

Chang sat in a reclining chair, scanning a DVD collection. “They have Khan!”

Mark poised his hands over the piano keys.

“Everyone shut up!” Mia said in such an angry voice that it came out as half growl. “Are you all insane?”

When no one answered, she continued.

“There are people outside who want to kill us.
With their bare hands.
They already killed at least thirty-one other survivors and maybe Austin.” She looked at the agents and Collins. “You going to offer them cookies and spoiled milk when they come knocking?” Mark came next. “Are you going to provide the soundtrack while they tear us apart?” She turned to Chang. “You may never see Star Trek again.” Paul. “You may never take a hot shower.”
Garbarino.
“And if you plan on keeping us alive by ringing the fucking dinner bell, then go right ahead and start the generator.” Did you notice how quiet it is out there? No cars. No electricity. Not even a fucking cricket! They’d hear the generator for miles away.”

Everyone stood in silence, staring at her.

She pointed to the three people in the kitchen. “Blockade the back door.”
Garbarino and Paul.
“Garage.”
Mark and Chang.
“Front door.”