The sergeant laughed. “You kids were sucking on your momma’s titties while I was out kicking ass. I fought in many wars before the apocalypse and have seen way too much death and destruction. I’ve witnessed monstrous and unspeakable acts humans have committed on other humans. Torture, genocide—the most inexplicable things you could ever imagine. I’ll never understand the reasoning.”
“What were the wars fought over?” Jones asked.
“Most were over political control or resources. And yet the worst were over religion. If anything is meaningless, it’s that.” The sergeant said, his face scrunching up. Taking a swig of moonshine, he swallowed and took a deep breath and sighed over memories only he could see.
“Why would anyone have a war over religion?” Jimenez questioned. He reminded me a lot of Juan. They both had tanned skin and dark features, but Jimenez was younger, shorter and not as muscular.
“I don’t know, son. There are bad people who take advantage of the good in this world, and some of them use religion as an excuse to declare war, or carry out senseless acts of violence.”
“That’s effed up.”
“That it is.” He sighed. “Within every man lies good and evil, and I believe his upbringing has a lot to do with it. But ultimately, each man is responsible for his own decisions and eventually held accountable for his actions.
Jimenez tossed a rock into the fire, sending sparks into the air. “In our situation, we’re forced to kill. Does that make us evil?”
“No,” Sergeant Hawkins answered. “The Arvies will not hesitate to kill any one of us, and they won’t stop until every last one of us is gone. We are only trying to survive, to keep our families safe. But we must remember these monsters were once our parents, siblings, friends, and neighbors. They’ve suffered a great deal.”
“In other words, respect the kill,” Jimenez added.
“Not as ignorant as I once thought.” The Sergeant laughed.
“Sarge, you should be president.”
“I’d never want that responsibility. I just want to live the rest of my life in peace with my family.”
“Do you think we’ll ever kill off all the mutants?”
The sergeant glanced over to me. “It’s possible.”
I sighed, not wanting to be the world’s only hope. As the minutes ticked away, a growing uneasiness blanketed me. I couldn’t help but think how vulnerable we were. All of us were piled into the only building left standing in town.
I was sure of one thing. More Arvies would come. I just didn’t know when. I knew others must have heard the cries of pain from their brothers as they were snuffed out.
“Not to put a damper on the moment, but we should leave. More Arvies will come, and we might not be able to fend them off again. I’m not strong enough.”
The sergeant nodded. “She’s right. Let’s wrap this up and get ready to move.”
“We’re all exhausted,” Stevens puffed.
“Speak for yourself. I’m ready to roll,” Keanu said, flexing his muscular bicep, making his tribal tattoos dance.
“You’ll get more than enough sleep when you’re dead,” Sergeant Hawkins said. “We have to make it to another next shelter before morning, or that sun will roast us alive.”
“How far is the next shelter?” Jones asked. “I didn’t bring my sunscreen.” I could hear him chuckle.
“Dude, my skin is already blistered.” Stevens touched his neck, sucking in a pained breath.
“You’re such a pussy,” Jones scoffed.
“Whatever, man. I wasn’t blessed with beautiful, chocolate-colored skin.”
“Man, you’re like a chameleon—changing colors and shit.” Jones smacked him on his back.
“Ahhh,” Stevens wailed. “You asshole.”
“Suck it up. At least you’re still breathing,” Jimenez laughed.
“Knock it off, ladies.” Sergeant Hawkins pulled out a map and set it on the ground near the fire. “We have two options, since heading back to the bunker is not one of them. Our first option is to head north toward another small town; about a five-hour trek. Our second option is to head east, toward a larger town.” His finger traced a line across the map. “It’s about thirty-five miles further than the northern town, but we stand a better chance of finding food and supplies. Hopefully, we’ll run into a chopper on the way.”
“Don’t you think there’s a bigger chance of mutants being in the town?” Jimenez asked.
“We’ve got Abi,” Stevens blurted. “We’ll just make sure she’s rested by then.”
I shook my head. “I’m out of commission for the next day or two. My body needs to recharge.” I wasn’t sure if I should have let them know exactly how weak I was.
“Don’t worry about Abi. She’s just as deadly with her weapon,” Chase said. “I’ve seen her in action. It’s the truth.”
I glanced at him and rolled my eyes. “I’ve trained with it since I could hold it.”
“What’s your weapon of choice?” Jimenez asked.
I reached for Hellfire and realized she was gone. “What did you do with my gun?” I looked at Sergeant Hawkins, my insides started to heat.
“Your weapon’s in a safe place.” He held up a large dark duffle bag, avoiding eye contact.
If I weren't so weak, I’d use my mind to toss a hot coal on his crotch. But even that was too exhausting at the moment. My body wasn’t as strong as my mind. It needed time to recuperate.
“Your weapon is pretty personal to you?” Stevens asked, giving a lopsided grinned.
“It was the first gun ever put into my hands, and it will be the last I ever hold,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Abi and Hellfire are badass together. She’s got a killer shot.” Chase kept bragging about my shooting skills, but instead of helping, he was hurting my chances of getting her back.
The soldiers laughed as if they didn’t believe Chase. I shrugged, not giving a damn what they thought.
“Hellfire? Your gun has a name?” Stevens asked.
“It does,” I smirked. “And you better watch what you say about her. She’s pretty pissy and rarely misses.”
“I’d like to see that,” Jimenez said.
“I have a feeling you’ll get to experience it one day,” I said.
“Not under our watch,” the sergeant added.
I glared at him, but still, none of their eyes dared connect with mine. It made me laugh.
Chase leaned forward. “They’re scared of you, Abi.”
“They should be,” I said, giving him a side glance.
“You guys are pissing her off; maybe you should blindfold her…you know, in case she makes your head explode,” Keanu said.
“Blindfolding her is evil. She’s not our prisoner,” Stevens added.
I was surprised at his remark. “Thanks,” I breathed.
“Kiss ass,” Keanu said, shaking his head.
Stevens nodded, standing up from the floor. The rest of them did the same, gathering their things.
As the others talked amongst themselves, Dr. Simon discreetly contacted me. “How is Milton? We were missing a set of serum, and because he was missing, I assumed it was him. Have you continued your injections?”
I leaned forward, resting my head on my knees, looking into the fire, watching the stray embers float and fade into the darkness. “I’m not a quitter. Milton was shot in the shoulder, but it was clean, in and out. Our doctor patched him up pretty good. He’s recovering, but doing well.”
“That’s good,” he sighed. “When was your last injection?”
“Yesterday, which is why I left.”
“They’ve been administering the lower doses to us since Chloe’s incident.”
“That’s good. I was worried about you guys.”
“We were more worried about you.” I could see his head turn toward me.
“I’ve been fine. I get weak after the gift’s been used, but I’m learning to control it more—the headaches and voices in my head
. They’re more manageable now.”
“You are a masterpiece. Stronger than any of us could have ever imagined. I’m so sorry everything had to happen like this. If I’d have known what their plans were, I would have never agreed to their methods.”
“It’s not your fault. You’re as screwed as I am.” I gestured toward his ankle restraints, then quickly made eye contact before focusing back on the fire.
Inside, my mind was already trying to figure out how we could get those horrid things off. There was no way Dr. Simon would be able to outrun these soldiers. It was ridiculous and incredibly infuriating how they treated the very ones who might be able to save their lives.
I would have to find a way to break away, but I’d need their help to get me as close as I could to Nana.
As we stepped out of the building, I noticed the temperature change. The cool wind blew against my burned skin, making goosebumps rise.
“How the hell are we supposed to walk over one hundred miles with restraints?” I snapped. “Our ankles will fall off halfway there, and we’ll slow you down. These things are already hurting. After all, where are we going to go? There’s nothing but desert around us, and we have no weapons or water.”
The sergeant stopped and assessed the situation, then turned to his men. “Remove them, but bind their hands in front of them.”
“Thank you,” I said, grateful. At least he wasn’t a complete ass.
He gave a single nod and turned abruptly, leading the group out of the town.
I WAS WORRIED ABOUT DR. Simon and how he would fare walking such a long distance, but he seemed to be keeping up with the group with no problem. He was in better shape than I thought, and it was Chase who was lagging.
The eggplant-colored sky was cloudless and speckled with extra bright stars.
“I’d almost forgotten how majestic the night sky was,” Dr. Simon exhaled. His head tilted back, and it was then I realized it was probably his first trip topside in over thirteen years.
“It almost makes me want to stay up here,” Jones said, his eyes also lifted toward the heavens. “I can’t wait until those damn mutants are gone. This is our land!”
“Hooah!” the others cheered in unison.
My body was still exhausted. I should have been resting, but we were in dangerous territory, so I tried to keep up my pace.
The world seemed barren and peaceful as the eight of us made our way through the cooling desert sand. No one said much but kept their eyes peeled in every direction.
“If Arvies are nearby we will let you know,” I noted. “Another advantage to having Readers in your midst.”
“How would you know?” Jimenez asked. He was standing behind me.
“They use telepathy to communicate, and us freaks can hear them if they’re close by,” I replied.
“Every team sent out should have one of you. Right now, we’ve got the advantage.”
“We’ll take a short break when we reach that point.” Sergeant Hawkins pointed to three dead trees silhouetted in the distance. Their stiff, corpse-like limbs were stretching upward, as if in their last moments, they were grasping onto life.
When we arrived, he took out his map again and laid it in front of him. “We’re nearly halfway there. If we keep our pace, we should arrive a few hours before daylight. When we reach the town, be on the lookout for a place we can secure.”
Chase dropped to the ground and slumped forward. “My hands are going numb,” he whined.
Jones walked over and knelt beside him. “These bonds are way too tight.” From his back pocket, he took a large, sharp blade. “Hold still.”
Chase closed his eyes while Jones cut the restraint free. His wrists were red and bleeding in some areas.
“Keanu, tend to his wrists,” the sergeant ordered.
“Yes, sir.” Keanu took off his pack, pulled out a medical kit, and inspected his wrists. Keanu looked like Goliath next to Chase.
“Are you a doctor?” Chase asked.
“I’m in training,” he replied. “Why? Don’t I look like a doctor?”
“Sure.” Chase swallowed hard. “Is Keanu your last name?”
“It’s my first name,” he answered, rubbing an alcohol swab over Chase’s broken skin. Chase hissed in air and gritted his teeth.
“Man, no one can pronounce his long-ass Hawaiian last name.” Jimenez chuckled.
Keanu turned and glared at him, then laughed. “He’s right. It is a long-ass Hawaiian name, but I’m damn proud of it. I don’t even know if there were any survivors on my islands. The last we heard, the volcanoes had erupted. My parents and I could very well be the last of our kind.”
“How did you get to the government bunker?” I asked, curious.
“We were on vacation when it came down. My father is a leader in the military, so we were flown directly to the bunker.” Keanu finished wrapping Chase’s wrists. “I have no idea if any other family members on the island survived.”
“I’m sorry,” Chase responded. “And thanks.” He held up his bandaged wrists.
“No problem,” Keanu said. “We’ll deal with the restraints later.”
“Seriously, you don’t have to worry about me,” Chase added with his hands in the air. “I’ve only got telepathy. I’m not strong, can’t use a weapon, and definitely can’t move anything with my mind.”
“Cool,” Keanu said, leaning in. “‘Cause I’d hate to be the reason you’d need additional medical assistance.”
Chase’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open as he nodded.
“Bully.” Jimenez chuckled, giving Keanu a little shove as he walked past.
Keanu kept his eyes on Chase, but after a few seconds his intimidating stare dissolved and a Cheshire cat grin widened on his face. “Here,” he said, handing him a canteen of water.
Chase’s eyes glanced sideways at me. “I don’t know if he likes me or wants to kill me?”
I shrugged. “He’s testing your grit. Right now, you don’t look like you have any, which is actually working to your advantage.”
“If it keeps the cuffs off, I will remain gritless. Maybe you should do the same.”
I shook my head. “It’s not in my nature.”
“What are you smiling at?” Stevens asked me.
I hadn’t realized I was smiling, but when I looked at him, his eyes immediately dropped to the ground.
“Nothing,” I answered. “And, you can look at me. I promise not to use my mind control on you…unless you deserve it.”
“Sounds fair,” he replied, cautiously bringing his gaze upward.
“He totally deserves it,” Jones whispered, making me laugh.
I looked over to Dr. Simon, who was sitting next to Chase. “How are you holding up?”
“Oh, I’m fine. Just a little winded,” he replied, his brow furrowed. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I could sleep an entire day.”
“I think we all feel the same,” Jimenez added. “My feet ache. These new shoes I was issued are a bit too small. My feet are about to go all Hulk on these seams.”
“Those boots ain’t meant for walkin’?” Jones laughed.
“Nope. But I’m sure they could still kick some ass if needed.”
“Hey, Abi, where are you from?” Stevens said, trying to make small talk.
I sighed, tempted to use the mind control to have him leave me alone.
“California,” I answered. I seriously didn’t want to have a lengthy conversation, or make friends with these people. Maybe another time, another place…when they weren’t holding me prisoner.
The sergeant stood and dusted his pants off. “Let’s move. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”
I was more than happy to obey.
They didn’t tie Chase’s wrists back together, and I was glad. It was taxing to walk with our hands tied in front of us.
As the night dragged on, much like my feet across the thick, desert sand, I became weaker. My legs felt hollow, my feet were r
aw and burning, and my back and neck were throbbing from having my arms tied in front of me, and from the looks of the others, they felt the same.
No matter how far or long we walked, as far as my little eye could spy, there were no signs of the town.
Just as I was about to drop, a dark object could be spotted to the south of us, maybe about a half a mile away. It looked like a structure. Maybe a house? I knew I could make it there at least. We could clear a single home a lot easier than we could clear a town and secure a place to rest for a day.
“Hey, I see something over there,” I said, pointing in the direction of the building.
All weapons were directed to the right. Stevens and Jimenez dropped to the ground.
“No. It’s a building. Not mutants.” I’d forgotten they were relying on me to give them a heads-up.
Stevens stood and dusted himself off. “Oh, yeah. I see it,” he said squinting.
“Sergeant, I need to rest,” I said, hoping he’d listen. “I can’t make the town tonight, and I don’t think any of you can carry me.”
“Me too, Sarge,” Jimenez said. “My feet are killing me.”
The sergeant took out some binoculars and focused on the structure. “It looks like a house,” he mumbled. “I guess we can head for it, and make the rest of the trek tomorrow evening.” He turned back toward the group. “Is everyone in agreement?”
“Hooah!” they all cheered.
“It’s unanimous then.” He tucked his binoculars back into his pack.
Keeping my eyes focused on the dark building, the house grew bigger and bigger with each step. Soon I could rest, and I knew sleep would have no problem finding me. The Sandman was nipping at my heels.
“Thanks, Abi,” Dr. Simon whispered. His back was hunched a bit forward, and his steps had become labored.
“No problem. I wouldn’t have been able to make it any farther than the house. I’ll be lucky if I make it that far.” I looked at Sergeant Hawkins. “Is there any way you could release the doctor’s restraints? He’s harmless and doesn’t have a weapon. I’ll keep mine on if it’ll make you feel safer.”
The sergeant looked at Dr. Simon and made a head gesture to Jones, who pulled the knife from his pocket. He cut the restraints off Dr. Simon and turned to me next.