Monster of the Apocalypse (4 page)

T
hey were arguing. Then they weren’t.

Right away Deo and Lecti crouched as low as they could while staying on their feet. The cover was nothing but weeds, and they might have to retreat in a hurry. Toshi started to follow their lead, but suddenly realized that one of the men was young, blonde, and well, just what she was looking for. She didn’t stop to think that almost anything was what she was looking for. If the young, blonde man hadn’t been there, the old troll next to him might have looked just as good.

Toshi Tra-la-la’d softly.

As she started to walk toward them, Deo made a grab for her ankle and missed. He started to scramble after her, but it was Lecti’s turn to grab Deo, and she didn’t miss.

“Stop it. Stop.” Lecti’s harsh whisper almost didn’t penetrate.

Deo did stop. He watched and noticed that Toshi’s hips were swinging in wide undulations as she lengthened her slow strides. It was a game she would play with Deo when she wanted something from him. It was a promise. But she wasn’t supposed to be making that promise to strangers.

Lecti looked at Deo’s face as soon as she saw Toshi start her performance. She knew what was going on. Suddenly it occurred to her that this was going to be rough on her brother, perhaps even ugly.

The hand gripping his arm was all that kept Deo from following like a lovesick calf. He was so stunned that the strength left him, and the slight pressure kept him rooted.

As Toshi approached the midway point, Cotton came to meet her. Hal stayed close to the road grader. Cotton and Toshi met and a conversation started which only they could hear. Toshi smelled the musk of a man, as well as the alcohol on Cotton’s breath, and she liked both. She tossed her hair, seemingly to keep the wind from whipping it into her eyes, and the man seemed to become taller, and his chest swelled noticeably. Soon her hand was touching him. He took her arm and started to lead her back with him. She glanced back, laughing, and with another toss of her hair, she allowed herself to be led.

With Deo’s lack of experience in matters of the heart, he still didn’t realize what was happening. His natural instincts told him that it was a good time to be jealous. He was not mature enough for his brain to warn him of the danger. He was a true innocent in a young man’s body.

Before Toshi there had been a first kiss from a frightened girl of his own age at a farmhouse. Deo and Lecti stopped on a cold night to sleep in a tumble down barn full of hay. Only a short time out of Roseburg, they were discovered by the farmer’s daughter. She wanted them to come into the house, and when they refused out of fear, she brought them cold, thin soup and spent some time with them. The next day she brought them fresh, warm muffins, and drew Deo to a dark corner of the old barn. The kiss was warm and soft and sweet. As she ran back to the house, she laughed and looked back with a big smile. Her father came out of the house soon after, carrying a double-barreled shotgun and strode meaningfully toward the barn. It was empty. There was no sign of anyone.

Toshi and the two men stepped around the road grader and disappeared. Just before they did, Hal hesitated and, looking back, beckoned Lecti and Deo to follow. Lecti knew that Deo wouldn’t leave now without going inside. Her caution sense was turned on full bore. She didn’t like the situation, not even a little. Whatever advantage there was in getting rid of Toshi disappeared. Now she would have to nurse her brother through this, and hope the blonde man would be tolerant and forgiving to a lovesick boy. It could be bad, Lecti knew, and she would be ready.

The nameless man in leathers inched toward the big windows and found an opening in the heavy equipment outside that he could watch through. The two in the weeds stood up by the time the brazen woman entered the doors.

Toshi immediately stepped ahead of Cotton and approached the dark, pretty one, Zip, still sitting down and fingering his glass, a thoughtful expression on his face. His eyes penetrated her in a way she enjoyed. Zip welcomed her cordially enough, without standing, and they all sat. It was apparent from the almost empty bottle that the two men were already on the way to a comfortable drunk. Toshi noticed the old man, but dismissed him immediately in favor of the younger men.

Cotton yelled for another bottle as Lecti and Deo started walking in.

The man with no name watched thoughtfully from the shadows. His impression of the approaching kids was that they were too young to be so cautious. Experience, or whoever had brought them up, had trained them well. Better than the older woman that was now sitting with Zip and Cotton. The kids walked apart from each other, one slightly behind, in order to widen the kill zone between them. The boy carried a rifle, and it was obvious that the safety was off, his finger on the trigger. The girl kept her hand on a holstered pistol at her waist. Both had efficient knives strapped to their legs. The older woman, sitting at the table, had brought her backpack with her. These two left theirs out in the weeds to be retrieved later.

As the pair approached the machinery, the girl motioned the boy to wait. She came on by herself. She noted the dogs, gauging the length of their chains and passed them without any sign of wanting to engage them. Her eyes traveled the interior through the dirty glass. Opening the door with her left hand, her right hand still on her weapon, she stepped inside and stopped. A small light shone brightly on a video headset. She saw him before he stepped out of the shadows, and then watched as he sat at his table and began sipping the last of his warm soda. Giving the room a penetrating look over one more time, she appeared satisfied. Facing the room, she opened the door with her rear and invited her companion inside.

Introductions were made with some stiffness. Hey
You was watching from the balcony again and didn’t participate. Neither did the man sitting close to the shadows.

Lecti steered Deo away from Toshi’s table with some difficulty.

Toshi, learning that the two she was sitting with had names, laughed out loud. When Cotton introduced Zip, he had flinched and had not seemed pleased. Toshi wondered if it was a nickname he didn’t like. She would find out and maybe have some fun.

“Who’s he?” asked Toshi, motioning at the man sitting by himself.

Zip didn’t respond. Toshi looked at Cotton.

“Don’t know really.” As Cotton downed a shot he continued. “He was sitting on I-80 at the
base of the foothills by Sacramento, and we stopped. He asked if we’d mind if he rode with us, and here he is. I don’t think he’s said two words since, and that was two days ago.”

“What’s his name?”

“Never said.”

Watching and waiting was not what Hal was good at, but he knew that he was not welcome at the old man’s table. He could tell that he wouldn’t be welcome at the other biker table, either. That left the two youngsters, Lecti and Deo.

They were really what he would normally be interested in anyway, although Deo was past the age that would attract him. Hal could see that the kid was mooning over the woman with the bikers. Lecti and Deo, even though they had different coloring, looked similar enough that it was likely they were brother and sister. When Deo made his move, Hal hoped it would leave Lecti alone to be comforted. He might get lucky, and if not he would still get her in one of his traps. Hal just didn’t like all these witnesses.

Hal brought out some food while he pondered the situation. Not a lot, just enough to satisfy. He was stingy with the hoard of goods he had amassed. He had learned that people were satisfied with less if he served them before they asked.

The way Deo looked, Lecti was worried. He would brew for a while, but eventually Lecti knew he would make a scene. He ate nothing even though Lecti offered him the best of what was provided. The men with Toshi didn’t look like they would have a problem damaging a young kid, and maybe worse. She tried to distract him with plans to move on, conversation about where they wanted to go, what they wanted to do. She was unsuccessful for the most part.

Lecti became aware of someone on the balcony. As she watched the room, she knew that the old man sitting by himself was aware as well. Occasionally, he would glance up as though he was studying something. Since he didn’t seem overly concerned, it did a lot to make her more comfortable. The creepy guy, Hal, worried her, though. He hovered around the room, nervous and fidgety, looking like he wanted to pounce on something. Lecti would not want to be alone with him.

Finally Deo stood up. The room tensed. Everyone except Toshi seemed to be conscious of what was going on.

Lecti gripped Deo’s arm firmly. He turned and looked at her.

“Hey, little brother, while you’re up, why don’t you grab the packs. It’s gonna be dark soon.”

Deo hesitated, sadness on his face.

“Sure. Okay. I’ll be right back,” he said quietly.

Lecti looked meaningfully at him.

“Take your time, Deo. Take your time.”

His face got hard.

She was afraid and gripped his arm harder.

“Please, Deo, go outside and get the packs. It’s a nice evening, and some cool air will be a good thing.”

His face softened.

“Okay.”

As soon as Deo hit the door, Lecti approached Toshi. Cotton and Zip watched her approach with appreciation.

She leaned close to Toshi’s ear and spoke softly, “We need to talk.”

Toshi lowered her eyelids and replied, “I doubt if you have anything I want to hear, bitch.”

“You know what you’re doing.” Lecti had no option. She had to try. “When Deo gets back he’ll probably go off, and you know it. If you ever felt anything for him, please make yourself scarce. Go have a private party somewhere else. C’mon, Toshi. Please.”

Toshi’s expression of satisfaction said it all, “Boy, you’ve sure gotten nice to me all of a sudden. Now that you want something from me, you get really polite. Problem is, I don’t care. You and your brother can kiss my ass. I don’t need you anymore.”

Zip had noticed that Deo was acting butt hurt, and now his eyes narrowed as he saw that Deo’s rifle was left behind, propped on a chair by their table. He caught Cotton’s attention and nodded his head in the direction of the rifle. Reaching behind, into his coat, he produced a black automatic as he got to his feet. Cotton drew his revolver, also rising. He swayed as he stood, but his aim didn’t waver.

“Kid, you need to listen carefully or I’m going to have to kill your brother after I kill you.” Zip said in a low, threatening voice. “Right now, drop your pistol on the table. Turn around and walk out. Do it slow with your left hand. This is the only chance I’ll give you.”

No one was watching the nameless man, and he did not call attention to himself as he drew the sawed off shotgun from the scabbard on the side of his right calf. It was a pump with a pistol grip and loaded with shells that would tear a man in two at this range. He kept it under the table and pointed at the side of the table away from the girl.

Lecti didn’t even hesitate. She held her hands out to the side of her body, slowly moved her left hand to her pistol, and drawing it, slowly placed it on the table. They got the drop on her. If they would let her leave as easily as they said, she and Deo would be out of the situation in a way that she could deal with.

“Now, get out,” said Zip, curling his lip.

It happened so fast that it took Toshi by surprise. But she was good with it.

She had drunk enough that she slurred slightly, “Yeah, ya little bitch. Get the hell out.”

Lecti backed to the door, pushed it open, and disappeared into the rapidly gathering night.

The shotgun returned to its scabbard, and soon the party table had forgotten everything but themselves as they passed into a drunken stupor.

Hal was pissed. Out of the people that had left unscathed, Lecti was the only one that he wanted, and she had managed to escape.

L
ecti ran.

Looking through the dimming light she saw her brother’s head and shoulders above the weeds where the packs had been dumped. He appeared to be focusing on the last vestiges of the remaining sunset. He rolled to his feet and stood as she arrived. A clouded face full of angst met her gaze. She felt so bad for him, but now was not the time.

“Grab your pack. We need to split now.”

His face took a second to register what Lecti had said.

“What are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere.” Deo’s face clouded even more. “Toshi’s in there. I’m not leaving without her. Are you crazy?”

“Look, brother,” Lecti looked hard into Deo’s eyes, “They just took my gun. Yours is in there, too.”

She was wearing a man’s plaid shirt, loose over a lighter shirt. Pulling it back she revealed an empty holster.

“What the hell?” cried
Deo. “What the hell! This is bullshit! I’m not leaving Toshi!”

Taking his arm in a firm grip, Lecti willed herself to be as intimidating as she could be.

“Deo, it’s too late. She’s made her choice. We have to go. These guys are not screwing around. They want us to leave, and they’ll kill you if you go back.”

Deo reared back, breaking Lecti’s grip, his face flushed.

“I’m not leaving Toshi! I’m not!”

He spun to leave, to go back into a sure and sudden death.

Desperation gave Lecti strength. Stepping in front of Deo with her right leg and reaching up to take the back of his neck, she tripped him and threw him down in one swift and sudden motion. There was no thinking. There was only time to act. Driving a knee into a kidney with her entire weight, she manhandled his arm behind his back and applied pressure enough to make him scream. He bucked beneath her.

“Get off, God dammit! Get off,” Deo cried, his face red in anger, his eyes wet. “I’ve gotta go back. Toshi’s in there.”

Leaning down close to whisper in his ear softly, Lecti put as much menace and as much sincerity in her voice as she could.

“Little brother, hear me. Toshi has made her choice. She is staying with them. They have our weapons, and they will kill you if you go in there. If you go in, I will go too. I don’t want you to die. I don’t want to die. If you go in I will go with you. We will both be dead. There are three men in there with guns, and we don’t have any. Toshi doesn’t care. She never did. She never will.” Lecti hesitated and then softly and clearly put all of herself behind this last, “No matter what, she
will never care for you the way you care for her.”

His body was no longer bucking. Deo sagged, and his shoulders shook as he buried his face in the earth.

Lecti released him, and he didn’t move. She sat next to him, laying her arm across Deo’s back as he sobbed.

It was dangerous to stay, but Lecti let him have this moment.

“We’ll go,” he said softly, his voice strained. “You’re right. But I’m not going far.”

A small house nearby offered shelter for the night.
Nothing was said as they slept on the floor of the living room. The bedrooms were avoided for two reasons. They would feel more comfortable on the floor than on mattresses they weren’t used to, and the bedrooms often contained the bodies of the original occupants. They found remains everywhere they went, but they didn’t go looking for them.

They would have preferred to sleep outside, but the evening had cooled, and a drizzle of rain had begun. The damp weather and the musty house seemed to blanket them in sympathy.

After opening windows to let some fresh air in, and settling on the floor with some blankets found in a hall closet, Lecti handed Deo the camcorder from her head. She said nothing. She didn’t have to. Deo reviewed the video in the dark. He tried not to cry, but did silently except for small muffled noises. Once again, Lecti wished that she could help him somehow.

Sleep was a slim possibility. Lecti knew she had to stay up in order to be sure that Deo did not try to sneak out. After a while Deo’s breathing became deep and slow, and Lecti relaxed. Her last conscious thought was that she had to stay awake.