Countdown: The Wasteland Chronicles Book One Read online

  “What?” Lenny asked.

  “The aliens,” Maddox snapped back. “They took them all, vanished into thin air like a giant vacuum.”

  “It wasn’t pretty,” Tim added.

  “So you guys believe him now?” Lenny asked.

  “I wouldn’t if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. I watched my friends get sucked into the sky and vanish into nothing. That’ll give any man clarity.”

  “Then isn’t that more reason to get the fuck out of here?” Lenny asked in shock.

  “And go where?” Mark stepped forward.

  “D.C. like we’ve been planning all along. You think those government fucks don’t have a backup plan. Hell, anything’s better than waiting around for the…the, those things to show up.”

  “Aliens Lenny, they’re damn aliens,” Maddox corrected him.

  “Yeah whatever.”

  “Okay enough.” Tim said, trying to restore order once again. “This is getting us nowhere. Look, it’ll be weeks before your leg’s completely healed and the kid, Gloria, Crimley…no way they make that hike. Finding some wheels is our only chance. So you keep your ass here, watch the fort and we’ll be back in two days. Any questions?”

  CHAPTER 8

  HOUSE GUESTS

  Lenny hobbled around the cave’s winding tunnels like a kid in an amusement park. He carried a scratch pad and a broken pencil with him, creating a map of the elaborate corridors. In awe, he gazed down the expansive halls as they winded and twisted underground in miles of unexplored earth.

  “We could just stay here,” Javier declared.

  He was following closely behind Lenny, shadowing his every move. He even had a small notepad in his hand and tried his best to recreate the spiraling path they walked. “We could make this like a…like a home.”

  “Yeah, yeah that might be nice. Let’s get you back to your mom,” Lenny said, somewhat dismissively.

  Javier sucked his teeth, but didn’t object. He followed Lenny towards the nucleus of the cave system, scribbling on his map as he went.

  “I thought you two had gotten lost,” Gloria joked as they emerged from the darkness.

  “Nah, this one tried to go down every dark corner he could find,” Lenny said with a grin.

  Javier ran to his mother and gave her a hug. She smiled at him and ruffled his hair. Gloria gave Lenny a thankful look and then walked off as Javier started to proclaim how much fun he had.

  “So you’re a father now?” Rebecca asked as she stood up and walked towards Lenny.

  “What the hell is your problem? What’s wrong if I want to spend a little time with the kid?”

  “Hey, I’m not knocking your outreach program. I just think your time could be used more effectively.” Rebecca said with a sinister grin and slid closer to Lenny.

  “Yeah and how could I do that Becca?”

  “Well, I know one tunnel that could use some exploring.”

  Rebecca slid her hand down his pants and Lenny smiled. He pulled her closer to him and ran his fingers through her long, black hair.

  “Lenny!” someone called in a panic from behind him.

  Lenny pulled away from Rebecca and reluctantly turned around. Crimley was standing a few feet away. His face was pale and he rubbed his hands together nervously.

  “What’s up Crimley?” Lenny said nonchalantly.

  “You…you need to come see this,” he stuttered. “Um, up at the front,” Crimley finished then quickly marched off.

  Lenny sighed and turned to follow him, but Rebecca grabbed his arm. “I thought you had some other things you were going to look at?”

  “He sounds scared. It should only be a minute,” Lenny said then rubbed her face and started to pull away.

  Rebecca tightened her grip. “That old bastard probably needs your help taking a piss or passing a gallstone. He can wait. I need you now!”

  Lenny looked at her with a baffled gaze. He expected her to smile or give some other hint that she was joking, but she stared back into him without a trace of humor.

  “What the fuck has gotten into you?” he finally asked.

  “Me? Are you serious? You wanna sit here and play house while the world goes to shit around us? These aren’t your friends Lenny, they’re just some losers you found that were doing just as bad as we were.”

  Lenny glared at Rebecca like he didn’t know who she was. He tilted his head to the side and ran his tongue across his teeth.

  “You’re fucking crazy!” he finally said

  Snatching his hand away, Lenny stormed off and followed after Crimley. He found him crouched behind a rock near the cave opening. He stopped beside him and stared out into the forest.

  “What are we hiding from Crim?” Lenny asked jokingly.

  “It’s Crimley.”

  “Yeah…I know. What kind of name is that anyway, you English or something?”

  “Out there,” Crimley replied.

  “What?”

  “Out there down in the trees…someone’s out there.”

  Lenny slowly turned his head. He looked down the slope into the tree line, focusing his eyes like a hawk.

  “Crimley, I don’t see a thing.”

  “You wouldn’t would you? They’re not holding a sign. Look harder,” the old man declared.

  Lenny pulled his rifle up to his shoulder, moving the sling across his arm. He laid his face against the butt and leaned forward.

  “Jesus! Don’t shoot them,” Crimley said in a stunned voice.

  “Calm down, I’m not. Just wanna get a look with my sights.”

  He stared down the highly magnified scope, slowly sweeping back and forth. He investigated the trees and bushes for any signs of movement. The thick leaves were like a carpet, the perfect place for anyone to hide.

  Lenny was just about to tell Crimley how crazy he was when something caught his eye. He pulled away from the scope and shrunk behind the rock.

  “Ah, so you see them now?” Crimley mumbled.

  “How long have they been there?” Lenny asked, his mind already trying to formulate a plan.

  “Not sure, I just saw them before I came to get you,” Crimley replied and rubbed his chin. “How many did you see?”

  “Four of them, heading towards the trail.”

  “So, one of them has gone missing?” Crimley replied.

  “What?”

  “There were five.”

  “Stay here,” Lenny said.

  Crawling across the lumpy dirt Lenny headed towards the nearest tunnel. He stayed low to the ground until he was out of view, then stood up and hobbled into the darkness. His brain was spinning, scenarios playing out in his head like a movie.

  “I’m sorry about...about before,” Rebecca said as she saw him walking towards her.

  Lenny pressed his finger to his lips. Rebecca squinted at him, but stopped talking. She ran to his side and grabbed his shoulder.

  “What’s wrong?” she whispered.

  “We’ve got visitors. Down in the valley.” Lenny said methodically.

  There was a hint of excitement in his eyes when he spoke. Although he was injured and had been out of it for the last few days, something about the thrill of danger brought him back to life. “Where did they put the rest of the weapons?”

  “You’re looking at them,” Rebecca responded grimly.

  Lenny looked at his own gun, a beige M4 and the two additional magazines that were stuffed into his pocket. On his side he had a chrome Colt 1911 that had been passed down to him from a line of drunken sailors and soldiers. It was the only remnant that tied him to the Brewster family name.

  Rebecca had already taken out her 9mm Glock. She racked it and looked back at Lenny with that menacing scowl that he loved so much.

  “They didn’t leave us anything else?” Lenny asked in anger.

  “Well, Crimley’s got that Civil War era repeater and maybe a dozen rounds.”

  “Where’s your rifle?”

  “I gave it to Maddox. At the time I th
ought he needed it more than I did, said he’d bring me back something nice.”

  Lenny huffed. “Okay, okay. Go find Gloria and Javier. Get them somewhere safe then meet me at the mouth.”

  Rebecca nodded her head then tore of further into the cave. Lenny took a deep breath. He stared after her for a moment then started to hobble back towards Crimley.

  ~~~**~~~

  Meanwhile Tim, Maddox and Mark were on their way to a vehicle storage unit. They’d covered more than twenty miles since the night and according to Maddox had only twenty more to go. It was now midafternoon and after marching in the muggy heat they found themselves trudging through a dense forest.

  “I didn’t sign up for this shit Tim,” Mark complained as he dropped his rucksack into the grass and took a knee.

  “Well, I guess Lenny was right,” Tim responded.

  “Right about what?”

  “That you are a bitch.”

  Maddox snickered and Mark shot him an angry look. Ignoring him, Maddox pulled a map from his bag and laid it out across the ground. He looked it over; paying special attention to the numerous red circles he had drawn earlier.

  “Looks like we’re a lot closer than I thought, maybe another mile away.”

  “I thought we were halfway there?” Tim asked.

  “To the cars yeah, but the gun depot isn’t far from here.”

  “Well fuck it, let’s get there,” Mark said as he pushed himself to his feet.

  Maddox tucked the map back into his bag and took the lead. Together they trekked through the closely packed trees as quietly as possible. The Tennessee forest was mangled collection of white oak and Virginia pine. Poison ivy and thorn bushes were speckled throughout, creating a nightmare to navigate.

  The sun barely penetrated the thick leaves, keeping most of the light out. The air was cool and moist and combined with a light mist, the journey was bearable. With each step, the damp forest ground sank underneath their heavy boots.

  “That’s it over there,” Maddox said and pointed down a slope at a brown building.

  Mark pushed forward and peered through the leaves at the long, rectangular structure. It was in the middle of an empty field with only one road leading to it. They were looking at the back of the building and had a clear view all the way down.

  It didn’t look quite as abandoned as Maddox had promised. It looked more like it was closed for the day.

  Every place they’d seen so far had been looted and destroyed, but this building was untouched. The lawn had been cut recently and the hedges were trimmed. The world was ending, but this place seemed like someone had been reporting to work regularly.

  “How do we get in?” Tim asked.

  “The delivery access door is in the back,” Maddox said, not taking his eyes off of the building.

  “And we’re just supposed to trust you? How do you know that?” Mark questioned him.

  “I used to work there. I know the access code.” Maddox snapped back. “Besides…you can see it.” Maddox pointed down the hill. There was a long ramp attached to the back of the building that ended at a single metal door. “We go in right there.”

  Mark sneered, but didn’t say anything else. Maddox turned to Tim and at the same time pulled his rifle around into his hands.

  “So how do you want to do this?” Maddox asked.

  “Well, I can’t say I have a good feeling about it. Doesn’t look too abandoned to me,” Tim said grimly.

  “I know, but I don’t think we have much of a choice. We can either go in there and get those guns or just keep heading to the storage unit and pray we don’t run into anyone or anything.”

  Tim sighed and considered Maddox’s words. True as they were he didn’t like the idea of going into that building. There was no way to get to in without being detected. If someone was watching they’d be discovered long before they made it inside.

  On the other hand, trying to make it to D.C. with the few weapons they had was suicide. They didn’t even have enough guns to arm everyone, much less hold off an attack. Tim had his back against the wall and it left him feeling uneasy and vulnerable.

  “We can…” Tim started to say, but was cut off.

  “You two clowns head down there, I’ll cover you from here,” Mark interjected. “I’m sick of standing here talking about it.”

  Tim looked back at him for a second. He sat his pack on the ground and pulled out his handgun. Then he took out a smaller bag and strapped it to his back.

  Maddox removed his bag as well. He grabbed the last magazine from the side and slid it into his back pocket.

  “Keep your eyes open beast, this may get bad real quick,” Tim said. “Maddox let’s move.”

  The weapons depot was down a gentle slope sitting in the middle of a football-sized field. There was a paved lot on the North side and to the South a long, winding road that disappeared up a hill. There were no windows and only one glass door in the front and the delivery access door in the back.

  Maddox and Tim carefully navigated their way down the ridge and stopped just inside of the tree line. Tim peered out at the building then back up at Mark. He was barely visible even though Tim knew his location.

  “You ready? Once we clear the trees we gotta run like hell to that access door,” Tim turned to Maddox and said.

  “Yeah…yeah I’m ready,” Maddox responded. “I just hope they haven’t changed the code.”

  “What?” Tim snapped and turned back to him. “Changed the damn code? What the hell are you talking about?”

  “It’s been more than six months since I worked there. I’m just saying I hope they didn’t change it.”

  Tim huffed and shook his head. “Let’s go.”

  Together they sprinted out of the brush like a slingshot. Exploding through the leaves, they tore across the field as fast as their legs would carry them. Tim slipped further and further away as his long legs stretched out across the grass. Maddox, still nursing his injured leg, skipped more than anything else trying hard just to keep up.

  The building was a quarter of a mile away, but they managed to get there in little time. They darted up the ramp, their feet clanging on the grated metal. Huffing, Maddox leaned against the door and started banging his fingers onto the keypad.

  A light next to the door flashed red and an alarm buzzed softly. Maddox grunted and tried the access code again. Tim eyed him, losing confidence with every passing second.

  “You said you knew this shit!” Tim said anxiously.

  Maddox ignored him and beat his hand against the wall as the light flashed one more time. He stepped away from the door and rubbed his eyes and pulled at his hair.

  “Come on, come on,” he mumbled.

  He pressed the numbers into the keypad again. There was a humming noise and then the light turned green and the door clicked.

  Maddox yanked at the handle and the door swung open. Tim raised his pistol and stepped inside with Maddox right behind him.

  ~~~**~~~

  Lenny joined Crimley behind the rock. He was watching the group of strangers move closer and closer to their position. Rebecca crawled next to him and poked him in the arm.

  “So are we gonna shoot them?” she asked quietly.

  Lenny gave her an angry stare then focused his attention back outside. He still hadn’t seen the fifth man, but the other four had made it through the forest and were starting to head up the ridge.

  “What are we gonna do?” Crimley asked.

  “We’re gonna have to go out there. We can’t let them find the cave.” Lenny said with certainty.

  The mouth of the cave was well hidden. It was recessed from the plateau and disguised beneath layers of twisted vines. Years of plant growth had made it almost invisible to any passerby. It was sheer luck that Tim stumbled upon it.

  Lenny edged out past the vegetation and knelt behind a dying thorn bush. The plateau ran out another thirty feet and then angled down into a thick forest at the bottom. From his vantage point Lenny could
see the intruders clearly.

  Three men and one woman were slowly ascending the rocky incline. They were dressed casually as if they were out for a picnic. They wore blue jeans or shorts and some type of t-shirt with subjective writing on it. They seemed perfectly normal except for the fact that they all carried AK-47’s.

  The woman was husky, built like she knew how to handle herself. Her hair was cut short and pulled back. Her kind looking face was smeared with dirt and while she wore the expression of a soccer mom, she had the physique of a power lifter.

  She walked up ahead of everyone else, scanning the area like a hawk. Her steps were mindful and deliberate and Lenny could tell she’d obviously done this before.

  Trailing behind her were three men who couldn’t be any more different. One was short and fat, one thin and one tall and muscular. Their fatigued faces indicated they’d been walking for a while and guessing from the size of their packs they’d just about run out of food.

  Out of the four of them only one looked like he could be a threat physically. He had a calm and reserved demeanor that Lenny recognized. This man was a trained killer. His large hands gobbled up the weapon they clenched and his giraffe-like stride was making quick work of the hill. He was bald headed and dark skinned and seemed to have an uncanny resemblance to Tim.

  The other two men were small and uncoordinated, clumsily tripping over themselves as they tried to navigate the rocky ground. One was an older man who probably weighed as much as Rebecca. Lenny guessed he was in his early sixties and from the looks of it he had never held a weapon before.

  The other was much younger, maybe nineteen and that was pushing it. His soft, pudgy look gave off the impression that he’d spent his pre-apocalypse days playing Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto. The way he held his gun only reinforced that notion.

  Lenny sighed and signaled back to Rebecca who would have to translate their complex language to Crimley. He held up one finger then pointed at both of his eyes then held up four fingers.

  “He sees four of them,” Rebecca whispered.

  “No shit,” Crimley said sarcastically.

  Rebecca sneered at him then watched as Lenny made a number of other hand gestures. He wiggled both of his thumbs together then banged his fists and pointed at the ground.