Riders of the Apocalypse (Book 2): Burning Rubber Read online

  Henry laughed. “We don’t want your car, ma’am. We want a chance to get our country back.”

  Otis nodded. “Time to reunite the good old US of A.”

  “Then welcome aboard, Henry. Welcome to all of you.”

  As they walked back, Dallas’s arm throbbed and burned. She wished like hell Butcher was there so she could stitch up the jagged wound made by the cleaver.

  Butcher.

  Her face floated in Dallas’s mind’s eye as she wondered, Where are you guys now?

  When she finally saw the small boat escaping the listing ship, Butcher thought she might faint with relief. “I see him!” she cried, pointing into the orange darkness.

  “Where?” Einstein asked, taking the binoculars from her.

  “Through those trees to the right of the reflection of the moon.”

  “I see him! He’s booking out of there.” He handed the glasses back, and she held them up to her eyes again. “And I thought Roper was the daredevil.”

  Butcher kept a close eye out on the small boat. “She is, but at least when she does it, it’s a calculated risk. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what he could be thinking. Blowing up an enemy military vessel? Has he lost his marbles?”

  “At least we get to find out.”

  Butcher lowered the binoculars and tilted her head at Einstein. “I’ll try to remember that when I’m kicking the crap out of him.”

  “Go easy on him. He did it for you.”

  “Don’t get all sentimental because he went mental, kid.” Butcher handed the binoculars to Einstein. “Get a few hours of rest. We leave at daybreak.”

  “Roger that.”

  When Luke pulled up in small rubber boat, grinning that little boy smile of his and giving her two thumbs up, every ounce of anger in her dissipated. Her knees weakened as he climbed out of the boat, soot and grime covering his face and clothes.

  He was the one.

  In all the chaos, in all the deep sadness, in all the blood and violence and danger, they’d found each other. Yes, she loved him. Yes, he drove her crazy at times, but she had no doubt there was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect everyone.

  That sinking ship proved it.

  Holding his hands up in surrender, Luke stepped back. “I would have told you if I’d known that was what I was going to—”

  Butcher pulled him roughly to her and squeezed him so hard he could barely breathe.

  “You scared the shit out of me.”

  He buried his face in her neck. “That makes two of us.”

  Leaning her forehead against his, she whispered tightly, “Just came to you, did it?”

  He chuckled. “Like manna from the heavens. I knew you’d understand.”

  Butcher leaned back. “Understand? Understand? Are you fucking nuts?” She started to stride away from him when he reached out and grabbed her arm.

  “Now wait a minute, Butcher––”

  Whirling around, Butcher punched him with all her might in his stomach, and he doubled over as all the air exited his lungs, one knee slamming on the deck of the boat.

  She glared at him, her fists doubled up at her sides. “First off, don’t you ever grab me. Ever. Secondly, I tell you you’re going to be a dad, so you decide to run out there and risk your life? And for what? Are you crazy, Luke? Have you lost your mind? You sank an enemy vessel. You have no idea what they’ll do now. None. You poked a bear in the eye!”

  He struggled to breathe.

  “The first war we have to fight isn’t with them! It isn’t out there! Dallas is gonna kick your ass when she finds out. What the fuck were you thinking?”

  Slowly rising from the deck and putting his hands on his knees, Luke tried to breathe. That was when Butcher saw the blood on his shirt. Her anger went from boiling over to simmering.

  “Tell me that’s someone else’s blood.”

  Luke huffed a bit more, then shook his head. “Not mine…other guy’s.”

  “I see. Dallas is going to go ballistic. You know that, right? You better have a different answer for her than you were ad libbing.” She shook her head. “Jesus Christ.”

  When he finally caught his breath, he said, “Seemed like…a good idea…at the time.”

  Jamming her hands on her hips, she glared at him. “Did it? Really? At what time? When you were there, when you were going there, or when you and Einstein decided that it might be fun to kick a sleeping giant?”

  When he looked up at her, his smile floored her. “How are you grinning? You’ve clearly lost your mind!”

  “Yeah, well, maybe I did, but it sure as shit felt better than running away like a little girl. You want me to be a daddy? Then let me protect my family in the way I see fit. You want me to let you do your thing? Well, give me the same courtesy.”

  Butcher opened her mouth to reply, then closed it. Instead, she pulled him back to her and pressed her head against him. “Damn you. I hate when you’re right.” She pulled back and kissed him softy. “The truth is, as pissed off as I am––and I still am––I’m just glad you got back in one piece.”

  “So am I. It was dicey there a minute, but I managed to get out in time.”

  “You know, even I won’t be able to save you from Dallas. She’s gonna kill you.”

  Luke leaned away and laid his palm on her cheek. “I’ll worry about her later. Einstein get back okay?”

  Pressing her cheek into his palm, she nodded. “Just sent him to bed. I think he’s aged ten years waiting for you, but he’s fine.”

  Luke looked down at the bags on the deck. “Time to see what all we grabbed. You know, I went to the ship––”

  “Oh, I knew exactly why you went to that boat. You went after drugs and other medical supplies I might need a few months from now.” She looked in Luke’s boat at the weapons. “Nice haul.” Weapons and ammo belts were scattered along the bottom of the boat. “I understand going for the supplies, babe, I really do, but what prompted your destructive streak?”

  A slight blush crept across his face. “Lack of personnel. I swear to God, there was nobody on it. It was barely even a skeleton crew. The more I crept around, the more I realized how easy it would be to sabotage it. It was easier than any mission I’ve ever been on. Many were asleep. A bunch were watching a video, another group was in the gym, but getting to the engine room was a piece of cake. Killed a few guys on my way to blowing the engines sky high.” He grinned. “It was fun.”

  Butcher could only shake her head. “Fun. And you did this because?”

  Luke scooped water from a bucket into his palm and drank three handfuls. “Honestly? Because it’s time they know we’re not just alive, but alive and kicking. If we don’t do something to prove that American gumption still exists, they’ll walk right in here and capture us all on their way to taking over our country.”

  “And you thought now was a good time for that?”

  Shrugging, Luke reached into the skiff and started hauling belts out. “In the end, I’m a soldier, baby. An A.W.O.L. soldier, yes, but that doesn’t mean the service doesn’t run in my veins or that this country’s safety isn’t still my first…well…one of my top priorities. My job is still what it always has been: to protect my country.”

  Butcher kissed his wet mouth and clamped her eyes shut to prevent any tears from escaping. “Your loyalty is one of the things I love most about you, so believe it or not, I get it. I really do. I’m just not so sure the timing was the best.”

  “If not now, when?”

  They stood in complete silence, both thinking about the life Butcher carried within her.

  “I love you, demolition man.”

  Luke kissed her long and deep. “I love you right back, Mama.”

  “We need to sew this up,” Roper said, examining Dallas’s sliced forearm. The cut ran lengthwise across her forearm for nearly seven inches. It was a deep gash which continued to bleed, so Roper kept direct pressure on it while Churchill handed her the last of the gauze.

 
“Just use the gauze. Butcher can sew it up when we reach Angola.”

  Roper studied Dallas’s face. She was pale, and her hand was shaking slightly. “Fine, but I’ll drive. You lie down and keep still. Churchill, co-pilot. Ferdie, apply direct pressure. Jamie, you are my eyes back there. Yell out if you see anything.”

  Dallas smiled weakly. “You’re so bossy. I think I’m turned on.”

  Roper shook her head. “And you’re so pale. Go on. I got this.” She scanned the other faces in the Beast looking back at her expectantly. “We got this.”

  And they did.

  The rest of the way to Angola was smooth sailing. Dallas slept and Roper sent Churchill to the turret with the directions, “One zombie, one bullet. No excuses.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” After he climbed up the ladder, Churchill took one shot and Roper watched a lone zombie crumple to the ground as she drove over it. He was improving.

  They were right about the hordes moving to the northeast, following the groups of migrating humans. This would make the zombies easier to exterminate.

  It was a solid plan, especially with an army impervious to the epidemic. Still, what they needed was a way to communicate with others about their findings and where they were. The flag idea at the tower was a good one. At this point, the lack of communication would hinder the rebellion…would keep the survivors apart.

  She’d have to change that.

  They needed a way to bring survivors together not only to grow their army, but to also grow their population. They needed so much to create a stable living environment, and Roper hoped like hell Angola Prison would supply some of it.

  “Take a right up here,” Ferdie said. He’d sat on the edge of his seat the entire time, as if co-pilot was a super serious and important job. She liked him. With his shaggy corkscrew hair and soul patch, he looked more like a surfer than an electrical engineer. In a post-apocalyptic world, looks were incredibly deceiving.

  “You seem nervous, Ferd. Whatcha thinking?”

  He cracked his knuckles as he always did. “I am. What we’re proposing has the potential to be a disaster. After eight months of escapability in the bayou, we’re moving to a location that is secure as long as we keep it that way. It will take just one mistake, just one slip, and we’re all fucked. So, yeah, I’m nervous. Personally, I like the idea of always having a way out.”

  “Fair enough. The key, as Dallas said, lies in quarantining one hundred percent of the newbies, one hundred percent of the time. Every time anyone has contact with the undead, they will be stripped down and examined. With the right protocols in place, we can do this.”

  “I hope you’re right, because if you’re not, this will be just one giant death march.” He pointed as they neared the entrance. “There’s the front gate.”

  Roper slowed to a stop about half a mile from the first gate. “Ugh. Do you smell that?”

  Ferdie pulled his t-shirt over his mouth and nose. “Nasty ass smell of rotting corpses.”

  “All clear down there,” Churchill said. His footsteps rang on the metal ladder. “Lotta skeletons though, and a buncha eaters milling about the yard.”

  “How many?

  “Fifty? More or less.”

  Roper put the Fuchs in park before checking on Dallas in the back. Blood had seeped through the gauze. “Wake up, love. We’re here.” She looked up at Churchill, who shrugged. They might not be able to wait for Butcher.

  Dallas woke up quickly, her face still pale. “Angola?”

  Roper nodded. “Almost to the front gate. I figured you might want a meeting before we go in. There are man eaters cruising around the yard.”

  Dallas struggled to her feet.

  “How does it feel?”

  Perspiration dotted her forehead. “It’s throbbing, burning, and aching. Other than that, it’s all good.” Inhaling deeply, she hit the ramp button and faced the front of the bus where Fletcher and Hunter stood at the ready.

  “Want us to stay up here?” Fletcher yelled down from the top of the bus.

  Dallas shook her head. “Churchill will be in the turret. I need everyone present.”

  After Roper explained to Henry’s van boys what was going on, everyone got out of their vehicles and stretched before gathering in a circle and waiting for Dallas’s directives.

  “You up for this?” Roper whispered, looking at the blood that had spread across the gauze.

  Dallas nodded. “Don’t much have a choice.” She cleared her throat and addressed the crowd. “As you can see, Angola Prison is quite large. As you can smell, there’s been a lot of death here. For everyone’s safety, the CGIs are going in to the main building first. We will clean it out of any undead in there and recon the area. No doubt there are going to be a lot of dead bodies in there, which is that lovely aroma of death you are smelling. Our main concern is making sure the rest of you are safe, so you’re going to need to be patient.”

  “Is there anything we can do to help?” Otis asked.

  “Yes. I need you to pick off the man eaters in the courtyard and that fenced off area. Not until we have secured the main area for tonight will you be going in. Once we’ve secured an area, we’ll go over to the river to see if the rest of our party has made it.”

  “You mean there’s more of you?” Otis asked.

  “Oh yes. Coming with our supplies by way of boat up the river. There’s a crow’s nest up there, as you can see. I’d like one volun—”

  “I’ll do it,” Otis offered, raising his hand. His bald head perspired as he pushed his black-rimmed glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “I got good eyesight.”

  Dallas looked at Henry, who nodded. “Don’t be fooled by them glasses. The boy could

  spot a fly on a zebra a mile away.”

  Roper tossed him her pair of binoculars. “Don’t lose them.”

  “I won’t, ma’am.”

  “Call out eater if you see a zombie and pig if you see a hostile human.”

  “Pig, ma’am?”

  “Easy to say and they might not shoot at you.”

  Otis grinned and spat a wad of tobacco on the ground. “Gotchas.”

  Dallas smiled over at Roper. “So, until we get everything clear, the best place for the rest of you is out in the open. Fletcher, you’re in charge of stationing shooters to protect the group. I want everyone to always assume there are hostiles tracking our movement.”

  Fletcher saluted. “Aye.”

  “I want everything off the bus. You keep all the ammo and food in the center of the group so it is readily available. If, and only if, a horde is spotted that you can’t handle, are you to follow us inside in the bus. Henry, you are in charge of that decision and in leading the group inside.”

  Henry wasn’t the only one who looked surprised by that assignment, and Dallas noticed this.

  “Look, people, Henry and his boys could have just as easily left us to those hostiles. They didn’t. That earned him stock in my book. If you have any issues, you can talk to me about it later. You with me, Henry?”

  He stood up straighter and repeated, “If and only if we are faced with a horde are we to join you inside.”

  Dallas nodded. “Perfect.”

  “Ma’am?” Gar asked. “Seein’ as I am the only one who’s ever spent time in here, it might save us some time if I went with you. I know this place, and there’s some smaller areas we can clean out faster than the main building first. You ain’t gone clear that baby out in a coupla hours, but there are some spots where we can rest easy for the night.”

  Dallas looked to Roper. “What do you think, babe? A ZB will bring any undead to us.”

  “I say go with a guy who’s the expert. We can protect him, and it will cut down on the amount of time the others have to stay out here.”

  “Good. Then Gary, you come with us but stay in the middle.”

  “Got no problem with that, ma’am.”

  Before Dallas could issue any more assignments, Roper spoke up. “I know you’re all


  tired and wary of this new location, but if you just have faith in Dallas and the rest of the CGIs, we can create a safe base from which to take back our lives, so please, don’t lose faith.”

  There was a murmuring in the group until a young girl named Kim raised her hand and said, “You got us this far, Dallas. We’re with you.”

  “Thank you, Kim. Okay then, we all proceed through the entrance and lock up behind us. That means we’ll be locked in with any of the undead, but will be safe from any outside.”

  Otis raised his hand. “Ma’am, we’re only as safe as the fence around this place.”

  “We’ll take care of that first thing tomorrow, Otis. For now, we need for the ZBs to be safe and the CGIs to clean the area. Are there any other questions?”

  After fielding three more minor questions, two about food, the CGIs returned to the Fuchs with Dallas at the wheel, Gary in the back, and Otis on top waiting to be dropped off at the highest tower in the prison.

  Reaching for Roper’s hand, Dallas nodded once. “To the rebellion.”

  Roper raised their hands in the air. “To the rebellion.”

  The Survivor made great time on the Mississippi River. As Luke sailed, Butcher kept her eyes on the shoreline for any sign of life. So far, one pier had a husband and wife who waved like maniacs. When they pulled up to the dock, Butcher held her rifle up and ordered them to strip down. Once naked, Cassidy checked them both out, looking for any bites or scratches. She explained the situation about the body check, as well as where the ship was headed.

  Once the two were okay to come aboard, they were escorted to a small room Luke had fashioned into a holding cell of sorts. They would remain there, locked in, until it was certain they posed no threat, zombie or otherwise.

  Other than them, Butcher had only seen man eaters, all moving in the same direction. Occasionally, one or two would spot them and walk into the water after them, but otherwise, the only people they saw were truly dead ones.

  “She’s gonna be worried,” Einstein said, coming up behind Butcher. “We are way behind schedule.”