Dead Center, page 11
part #2 of Nemesis Series
“I’m thinking that’s our girl, but…”
“Want me to send the men in?” Nellis asked.
“No, hold up. We need to make sure. We don’t want a repeat of last night,” Scott said. Movement from the house suddenly caught his attention. He pivoted on his elbows and focused the binoculars on a front window. There he saw an older woman. She bent down and came up back up with a swaddled infant. “I see a baby. I see a fucking baby.”
“Want me to call up the men?” Nellis asked, his excitement rising.
“Yeah, get ’em ready to roll,” Scott said.
◆◆◆
Lexi looked into bed of the wagon and had flashbacks of her waking up there. It wasn’t long ago, yet so much had occurred, giving her a sense more time had transpired.
A large plastic bag sat in the corner. She opened it up to find a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. A smile broke out on her face. “He remembered,” she said to herself. Nothing is like an unexpected gift that comes from someone recalling a small detail you mention in a conversation. She picked up the unopen bag and held it for a second longer. Her mouth watered at the thought of eating a handful. She couldn’t think of the first time she had a Dorito, but it had to be one of her favorite indulgences in pre-collapse world, hell, even in post-collapse. Happily, she closed the doors of the shed and made her way back to the house.
Back inside, she heard Sasha crying and immediately went to find Anna sitting in the rocker holding her, tears streaming down her face. The instinct rose in her to tell Anna to put her down; then she looked at the bag in her hand. She couldn’t explain why Anna was the way she was, but she was a woman who had been broken long ago. She wasn’t a bad person, just someone who never fully recovered from the loss of a child.
Anna snapped her head up and cringed. “I’m sorry, she was crying and I, um, I…”
“It’s fine. You’ve earned the right to hold her,” Lexi said.
“I’m sorry this didn’t work out, I really am,” Anna said crying.
“I’m sorry too, but I promise I’ll visit. I won’t forget you two. I won’t forget you,” Lexi said sincerely.
“I’m sure you won’t forget me. I’m such a strongheaded ass,” Anna said between sobs.
“You’re not an ass…well, maybe a little, but I only know because I’m one too.” Lexi laughed.
“Please come and visit, please,” Anna said.
“Well, did you find it?” Joe asked, coming up behind Lexi.
A large smile stretched across her face, Lexi spun around and said, “You know the way to my heart, Joe. If you weren’t married, I’d take you off the market.”
“You said you loved those things, and lo and behold, I found an old postal carrier truck. It was lying in the back. I guess the postman liked Doritos too.”
“I’ll savor these,” Lexi said. She looked at the bed and saw she needed to finish packing. “I’d better get back to this. Oh, care if I take one of those quads?”
“Sure, I don’t need two,” Joe replied.
The rumble of truck engines shattered their pleasant conversation.
Lexi looked out her window and saw two full-sized trucks coming down the driveway. “Men, armed men.”
“Oh dear, they’re back,” Anna cried out.
“Take the baby and head out the back,” Joe ordered.
“No, we can fight them off. I’ve got this now,” Lexi said picking up the rifle, slamming a fully loaded thirty-round magazine into the mag port and, closing the bolt.
“Don’t be foolish. There’s got to be a dozen or more men, with possibly more coming. You must think of Sasha!” Joe barked.
“It’s the Clancy boys. I’m sure they’re here looking for you,” Anna said, handing Sasha to Lexi and going to work stuffing the backpack.
“I’ll help. Let me help,” Lexi said.
“Good heavens, no, your job now is to take care of that darling babe. Head out the back.”
“But I can help,” Lexi argued.
Joe exited the room and headed for the entryway. “Little lady, listen to my Anna. This time she’s right.”
“But I can help. We can fight them off,” Lexi said.
“Don’t be a damn fool. They’ll kill you and her quite possibly,” Anna said, motioning to Sasha whose tiny body was swaddled tightly.
Knowing Anna was right to remind her of the responsibility she had as a mother, she relented and said, “I’ll just go hide. The second they leave, I’ll come back.”
“There won’t be a second time,” Joe said, looking outside.
The trucks pulled up and out poured the men.
“There’s a lot of them, Anna; go with Lexi; go hide,” Joe barked, his tone unusual for him but clearly a result of the tense situation that was unfolding.
Lexi opened her mouth to protest the plan when Anna held her hand against it. “You keep quiet and do what I’m saying, go!”
“Okay,” Lexi said. She set Sasha down on the bed, slipped on a child carrier, then put Sasha into it. With Anna’s help she put on the backpack and grabbed the rifle. “I’ll just go hide; then come back.”
Joe pulled away from the window. “Go to my hunting cabin. You’ve got the map. Go!”
Howls and catcalls from the men outside made Anna jump in fear.
“Go, now,” Joe ordered, his tone gruff and annoyed.
Lexi gave Anna and Joe a hug. “Thank you for everything.”
With tears in her eyes, Anna kissed Sasha on the forehead and said, “I’ll miss you, little dove.”
“I’ll be back,” Lexi said.
“Go!” Joe snapped. His impatience with Lexi’s prolonged exit ate away at his nerves.
Not waiting another second, Lexi tore through the house, exited out the back door, and raced across the backyard to the trail that led up the rocky slope.
“Joe, come on out!” Scott hollered, a pistol in his grip.
“Maybe we should run too?” Anna asked.
“I’m tired of running. This is my home. I’ll go talk to them,” Joe said. He gave Anna a sweet look and headed for the front door, unarmed.
Anna ran up and blocked his exit. “No, we can make it too.”
“My sweet Anna, these men have come for blood. They know. I knew they’d be back; I’m just a tired old fool. But I may be able to convince them they’ve come to the wrong house. Let me try. If anything, let me distract them so she can get away.”
“But we can make it, we can,” Anna said.
“You go with her. I’ll distract them, give you enough time to catch up to Lexi,” Joe said.
“I won’t leave you,” Anna said. She wrapped her arms over Joe’s big shoulders, got on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss. “I love you.”
Tears filled Joe’s eyes, as he knew this kiss was probably his last. “I love you more, my German liebling.”
“You’ve been my hero since the day I met you in Brandenburg,” Anna said.
“Now go, catch up to Lexi. I’ll keep these assholes distracted long enough,” Joe said. He gently moved Anna aside, unlocked the door and stepped out.
Anna watched as he walked away.
“Ahh, there you are,” Scott said. “Where is she?”
“You’re one of the Clancy boys, aren’t you?” Joe asked, keeping his distance.
“I’m here for the woman. All you have to do is give her and the baby up, and I promise no harm will come to you.”
Nellis was shocked by Scott’s restraint. If this were August, he would have just started shooting.
“There ain’t no women here but my Anna,” Joe said, his body stiff and tense.
Scott shoved his pistol into a shoulder holster, took a bat from one of his men, and approached Joe.
Filled with fear, but unmoving, Joe stood his ground, not flinging an inch. “I’m telling you, there ain’t no woman here. It’s just me and Anna.”
Scott walked up to within a few feet of Joe and said, “Joe, I don’t want to hurt you, do you understand? I couldn’t quite remember who you were until just now. It’s funny how seeing someone jogs a memory.”
“Mr. Clancy, we keep to ourselves out here.”
“You’ve done a good job just keeping to yourself all these years, and you know what, we appreciate it. You don’t get in our way, and well, we sorta forgot you even lived out here. But I’m asking you to do us a favor and turn over the woman.”
“I don’t know how many times—”
Scott didn’t let Joe finish his sentence, he swung the bat and struck Joe in the left knee.
Joe buckled and dropped to the ground.
Scott recoiled the bat but held back from swinging. “Damn it, Joe, I’m serious when I say I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You can do what you will, but there ain’t no woman here,” Joe said. His tone sounded convincing.
From the kitchen window, Anna watched in horror. She plotted several scenarios, one was coming out and shooting Scott and the others, while another considered running away like Joe had told her to do.
◆◆◆
Up on the steep slope, Lexi scaled until she crested a false summit. She needed to know what was happening below, so she found a covered vantage point behind a large boulder. Looking down, she had a clear view of the front of the cabin, the trucks, the Clancy men and Joe, now on his knees. She readied the rifle by placing the butt in her shoulder. From her position she felt she could begin picking off the Clancy men one at a time without being in danger. She stared through the optics and placed the reticle on Scott’s chest, placed her finger on the trigger, and began to apply pressure.
Sasha cooed.
Lexi lost her train of thought for a second and went back to targeting Scott.
Again, Sasha cooed, this time louder.
“Not now, please,” Lexi begged.
Not liking the baby carrier, Sasha began to squirm.
“No, not now,” Lexi said.
Sasha continued to squirm; then she followed up with loud coos, which soon morphed into grunts and cries.
“No, no, no, not now, please, not now,” Lexi said. She lowered the rifle and looked down at Sasha. “Please don’t cry, please.”
◆◆◆
Sasha’s cries echoed down the slope and hit Scott’s ear. He paused, looked around and asked, “Is that a baby? Huh? Did you all hear that?” He looked back at Nellis and his men. Some nodded, acknowledging they too heard it.
“I’m telling you, there ain’t no woman,” Joe growled in anger.
Scott spun back, faced Joe and said, “You’re lying, and let it be known, I warned you.” He recoiled the bat and swung as hard as he could. This time the bat struck Joe in the side of the head.
Joe took the hit, shook it off and gave Scott a glare. “Damn you, boy, you’re lucky I don’t—”
Before Joe could utter his threat, Scott swung again, again hitting Joe in the head.
This time Joe toppled over. He crawled on the ground for a second and managed to get back up on his knees.
“Joe, you’re not a smart person, nope, and to think I gave you a chance, a real opportunity,” Scott said.
Unable to watch anymore, Anna ran back to her bedroom, opened the closet door, and rummaged through it until she found what she was looking for: Joe’s Remington 870 Wingmaster pump shotgun. She wasn’t completely familiar with it but assumed he kept it loaded. She raced back to the front, threw open the door and came out.
The Clancy men all turned to face Anna with weapons raised.
Anna pointed the shotgun at the first man she saw and pulled the trigger. The number seven bird shot that Joe kept loaded in it exploded from the barrel and slammed into a man behind Scott. The man buckled over and fell to the ground. Anna knew enough to know she had to pump the action to reload it and did so effectively. She swiveled to face another man and pulled the trigger. But just as the blast of her shotgun released the shot, a volley of bullets from the men rained down on her. By the time she fell to the ground dead, she had over thirty bullets in her small body.
Joe watched in horror as the only woman he’d ever loved hit the ground dead, her eyes wide open and staring towards him. “No!” he howled in anguish. He struggled but managed to get up, only to be met with another blow from Scott’s bat, this time against the top of his head.
In awe by the beating Joe was taking, Scott watched as Joe slowly crawled to Anna. He reached her, took her hand in his and said, “My beautiful angel.”
Scott looked back at the men and ordered, “Search the house. Find her!”
The men took off in a sprint to the house.
Not done with Joe, Scott, walked over, but instead of using the bat, he tore his pistol from his holster, placed it against Joe’s head, and pulled the trigger.
The single shot was sufficient. Joe took his last gasp of air next to his beloved wife, their hands clasped together.
“Tear the fucking house apart. Find the woman!” Scott screamed in anger.
◆◆◆
From her perch, tears flowed down Lexi’s face. She had witnessed the brutal murder of two people she had come to rely upon and had given her and Sasha a chance. She wanted nothing more than to begin shooting, but each time the thought crossed her mind, Sasha cried or moved, reminding her that she was more important.
By engaging the men, she risked Sasha, and that was something she wasn’t willing to do. This was an odd feeling for her. She’d spent the last two years risking her life to avenge or bring justice, but now she was incapable of any sort of action. Frustrated and resolved to this fact, she got to her feet and raced up the remaining slope until she reached the actual top. She glanced once more back at the cabin and promised that one day she’d avenge their deaths, but until then she had to find Sasha a safe place, and that was as far away from Clancy Clan’s men as she could get.
TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA
The search for Lexi was beginning to wear on August’s nerves. It had already taken longer than he planned, and it was now effecting his entire operation. The longer he kept his men from doing their jobs, the longer his black-market operation suffered. Scott had just returned from an attempt to get Lexi, but like the others, it had failed. He was near a breaking point, he wanted desperately to find her so she could receive his justice, yet he wasn’t truly willing to allow all he’d created to fall apart. With her narrowly escaping, he pondered if he should continue or not. This was his choice now: keep pushing or just let it go.
Scott fiddled with the drawstring of his hoodie as he waited for August to reply to the update that Lexi had gotten away once more. He alone sat before August, awaiting his judgment, not knowing how far August would go.
“You had her?” August asked, his elbows propped on a table.
“I saw her, yes,” Scott answered honestly. “You can’t say I had her. She was never in my possession.”
“But when you searched the house, she was not there?”
“Correct. We did search, but she must have slipped out undetected.”
“How is that possible? Did you not surround the house?” August asked.
“Brother, the terrain wasn’t suitable to do that, and we weren’t sure she was there until I saw her. It wasn’t as if I went there knowing for sure she was there. We were merely doing recon and suddenly she appeared, or at least I think it was her. I saw a woman with dark hair, and inside the cabin I saw a baby being held by the elderly woman we killed.”
“This is very tiresome. I’ve given everything to find her, yet she eludes me. Maybe this is wrong. Should I just move on?”
“You know I love you, right?” Scott asked.
“We’re blood. Of course I know you love me,” August answered sincerely.
“I want nothing more than to get justice for Gavin, Michael and the others, but we are putting everything out to make this happen, and it’s not. We’re risking everything we’ve built together. I’m not saying we abandon the search, I say we put a team, a kill team, together to keep looking. The others, we let them go back to work. We need to get our convoys up and running again from the coast. People are depending on us; we’re needed. The longer we stay away from delivering our goods, the greater chance we could lose everything.”
“I’m aware of the risk. But shouldn’t this be more about principle than power or revenge?”
Scott leaned in and said, “Think back to when we were just security guards at the El Dorado Casino. We were noting but pissants; we were nothing. All we wanted was to have the power and influence we have now. So to think we’ve been about principle versus power doesn’t make sense. We’ve done what we’ve done because we want power, wealth, and influence. Let’s not kid ourselves.”
“Just let her go?” August asked.
“No, I don’t think we should give up the search. I said let’s put together a team that’s dedicated, but let’s get everyone else back to work.”
August slid his chair back, crossed his arms and slouched. “Just let it go?”
“Again, I’m not saying let it go. I’m saying we assemble a team to continue the search while we get everyone else back to work.”
The front door to the conference room opened unexpectedly. Ava rushed in and ran up to August. “Uncle Auggie, is it time yet?”
“Ava, I told you I was in a very important meeting,” August said.
“But you said we’d go,” Ava whined.
“I’m having an important meeting. Now please leave,” August said, ensuring to keep his tone soft even though he was frustrated.
“But you promised.”
“We’re going to go, just maybe not today,” August said, softening his tone.
Watching the interaction between Ava and August gave Scott an idea.
Filled with disappointment, Ava exited the room.
“You know me, I’m the optimistic one in the family, but I think what’s happened has been a gift for you,” Scott said.
“What’s the gift?” August asked, shrugging his shoulders. “Wait, are you talking about Ava?”
“I can sit back and wallow in the fact we lost our brothers, but I don’t. They played the game and came up short, you know this. Do I want to find this woman? Of course, but I don’t want to lose all we’ve so hard for.”
