The Horror Squad 2 (10 page)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
GIZMO DROVE the Tahoe, while Tina

rode shotgun. Donald had piled up in the back
seat with some of the things that they had
collected and was almost passed out before they
had hit the road.

“Look at us, like old times.” Tina stared at
her husband. “Back roadin’ in the Tahoe.”
“That was always so much fun.” He said
back sadly.
He grabbed her hand and interlocked his
fingers with hers.

“I am glad that we still have what we do
have. Our kids, friends, a place to kind of call
home and each other.” He told her.

Tina smiled at him and leaned over across
the console and kissed his neck.

Karen and Kris had taken up the front seat of
the truck and followed Gizmo. Kris was not
fond of driving in the snow, but was probably a
good one to drive, since she was likely to be
more careful in it. Lisa was having a blast in
her new corvette. She was revving the engine
and would pass Gizmo and speed up ahead
through the snow just to get the feel of the
speed the car had, then fall back to the back of
the line. She wasn’t about to leave everyone
behind in case they needed her.

“Well, at least she is having fun.” Karen
laughed at Lisa quick shifting as she passed
them.

“
I guess we are gonna have to take turns in
that thing, I love some speed in a good old
sports car.” Kris beamed as she watched her fly
by.

“The gas cans seem to be staying in place
fairly well.” Karen scanned the bed of the truck.

“I’m trying to be as careful as I can so they
don’t fall over or anything. We need to save all
we can.” Kris replied.

Kris stared in her rear view a few times and
then turned to look behind them while she
slowed her speed.

“What is it?” Karen asked.
“I thought I saw something moving around
back there on the road.” Kris said.
Karen looked back scanning from one side to
the other.
“I don’t see anything, was it a rotter?” She
asked.

“Nah, it moved way too quick to be a rotter.
Just me I guess.” Kris shook her head and
focused on the road in front of her.

“You think we need to pull over, the snow is
getting heavy?” Tina asked.

“No, we need to get home and get back to get
the rest of the stuff and the guys. It will be fine,
a little snow never hurt anybody.” He showed
no concern.

Tina turned and yanked on a blanket that
Donald was on top of. She pulled it to the front
of the truck and laughed.

“That guy is out!” She giggled as Donald
rolled over to his side.

“We are all beat, them military guys can
sleep anywhere.” Gizmo glanced back quickly
at him and laughed.

“Gizmo, watch out!” Tina screamed holding
onto the dash.

Gizmo hit his brakes and Donald rolled to
the floorboard and popped up to look around.
Gizmo spun his steering wheel left and then
right and back straight again.

“Damn babe, it was just a couple of rotters,
don’t do that shit!” Gizmo hollered.
“Sorry, I just caught a flash of something.”
Tina admitted.

Donald never said a word and sat up staring
straight ahead looking for danger and laid back
down.

Kris slowed when she saw Gizmo hit his
brakes and swerve. Once Gizmo passed the
rotters, Kris saw them and was slow enough to
be able to dodge one of them, but clipped the
second one with the front of the truck and spun
it around, he fell down and the truck ran over
its legs. The small bump was enough to worry
Kris that the gas cans may tumble over. Karen
kept an eye on the bed full of goods to make
sure that they were all still stable.

“It’s all good, everything is in place, just
keep moving.” Karen assured.

With its precise maneuvers, Lisa dodged the
walking and fallen rotter and sped around Kris.
She drove beside her for a moment in the other
lane and peered over at her. Kris gave her a
thumbs up.

Lisa sped up to Gizmo and Kris could see her
give him a thumbs up and Gizmo give her one
back. She sped up in front of Gizmo making her
way around an abandoned car that appeared on
her side of the road. She stayed ahead for a bit
swerving in and out of some of the abandoned
cars on both sides of the road and then fell back
behind Kris again.

The group finally made it to the gate after
their long drive and Gizmo honked. Shianne
gave a thumbs up to him and started her way
down the ladder. She pulled open the gate to
allow them to enter and closed it back after the
new corvette made its way around the trucks.

She ran to the truck after seeing her mom
driving.
Kris exits the truck and Shianne attacked her
mother and hugged her tight.
“So glad y’all are home. I didn’t see dad?”
She questioned.

“We left him at the mall, I figured as much
as he doesn’t like malls, I would leave him
there.” Kris joked.

“Oh Lord, you le
ft him at the mall, I bet he is
loving that.” She laughed about the thought of
when she would beg him to take her to the mall
and shop with her one time and him refusing to
go with her. “Hey Karen, how was the trip?”

“Interesting.” She responded making he
r way
out of the truck. “Let’s stretch for a minute and
then get all of this to inventory and get us out of
this cold.”

“Hey guys, we leave out first thing in the
morning to go on back in the Deuce.” Kris
yelled to the group.

They all waved with acknowledgement and
loaded back up and headed to the storage
warehouse.

“Get up asshole and help unload all this.”
Gizmo smacked Donald.

He raised his head and put it back down on
the pile of jackets he laid on. “Go hand out
some of that shit since you have kept it warm
the whole ride.” Gizmo told him.

Tina and Gizmo began unloading the mass
amounts of things they had brought back and
taking it into the warehouse. Donald made his
way out of the back seat and covered himself in
the biggest jacket he could find and grabbed an
armful of clothes and walked towards the
school still looking half asleep.

Karen and Kris began unloading all of the
gas cans and placing them to the side of the
storage door, Lisa parked her new ride and
came to help.

Everything unloaded, Gizmo and Kris parked
the vehicles and went back to help with
organizing a bit.

“Why doesn’t everyone grab some clothes
and start helping Donald hand them out. I will
stay here and get it all inventoried and
organized.” Karen suggested.

Everyone knew that the inventory was
Karen’s thing and began gathering all the
clothes that they could hold.

Lisa headed to the plant with her armful and
Gizmo and Tina headed to the chow hall to see
who they could get some warm clothes to. Kris
followed Donald to the school.

Kris walked into the school and shivered
shaking off the cold from her bones. She
knocked on the first door where a few of the
worker’s from the plant stayed and handed out
a few things that may have fit them. She moved
on down the hall and came to Steven’s door.

“Hey bud I got some pretty awesome shit out
here.” She hollered in to him.
The door opened slowly and Steven stood
looking at Kris.
“I’m fine.” He stated as he watched Kris’s
eyes move to his arm.
“What the fuck did you do?” She asked with
worry.

Kris walked in and dropped the clothes to the
floor and reached for the nub that was left.
Without touching it, tears began to fill her eyes.

“Steven, what the hell is going on?” She
asked.
“I couldn’t take it anymore. It was killing
me, it had to go.” He admitted.
“So you cut the damn thing off? Are you
kidding me?” She questioned.
“What else was I supposed to do?” He asked
her.

“Well, hell I don’t know, but you cut off
your arm?” She questioned again. “I’m going to
get Karen.

“Wait, where is TJ?” He asked.

“Him, Bo and Howard stayed at the mall, we
are going back with a Deuce to get them and
the rest of the stuff we gathered. He will be
coming back with us.” She explained.

“I was hoping he would be home with y’all.”
He dropped his head. “I have been having crazy
nightmares and waking up feeling really
weird.” He stated.

“Have you been out of here since we left?
Have you eaten? You look sick Steven.” Kris
queried.

“No, I haven’t left my room. I had one of the
MRE’s I had stashed in my bag yesterday.” He
stated.

“Oh my gosh. Let me go get Karen to look at
your arm and I will bring you some food.” Kris
told him.

Steven nodded as Kris patted him on the
back. She ran down the hall and across the
field. She hollered for Karen before she even
had the door open.

Karen popped her head around a shelf with
her clip board in hand.
“I need you to come help me with Steven!”
Kris told her.
Karen looked at her confused.
“He cut off his fucking arm!” She exclaimed.

Karen put her clip board onto the shelf and
grabbed the jacket she had chosen out of the
mass that they had gathered and followed Kris
out.

“I have to run by and get him some food, he
hasn’t eaten anything but and MRE since we
left.” She explained.

Karen followed Kris into the chow hall and
helped carry back some food and something to
drink.

Kris burst through Steven’s door without
knocking.
“Here, eat, now!” Kris ordered him.

She sat the food onto a small table next to his
cot where he sat and backed up so Karen was
able to see his arm.

“Steven, does it hurt? Is it throbbing?” Karen
asked, running her hand over the end that was
exposed.

Steven shook his head yes since his mouth
was full.

“We need to get this cleaned up and
bandaged. Kris run back out and get bandages,
medical tape, gauze pads, peroxide and there is
an arm sling on the third shelf, three shelves
from the top.” Karen instructed. “I am going to
take his tourniquet off and check out the
damage.”

Steven let her start to remove the pillow case
from his arm. She unwrapped it and let the
remainder of his arm fall.

“That doesn’t look like a clean break of the
bone. But, I guess it is what I have to work
with.” Karen stated.

Kris ran back in with her lips turning blue
and shivering with all of the things that Karen
had asked for. Karen got to work cleaning the
wound and began pouring the peroxide across
his now nub of an arm. She placed the gauze on
the end and began to bandage it up.

Are you okay Steven?” Karen asked him.
Steven just shook his head no as he took
another bite of his food.

Gizmo and Tina came through the open door.
“What’s up old man?” Gizmo belted out.
“Steven cut off his arm.” Kris told them.

“What in the hell would make you do that
shit?” Gizmo asked.

“It hurt, I had to
do something for some
relief.” Steven stated. “I figured you would
have stayed with TJ.”

“He sent us all back with everything.” He
told Steven.

With his arm bandaged and food in his
stomach. Steven laid down on his cot and
covered with the small blanket he had. Kris
grabbed a thicker blanket she had brought in
and laid it across him.

“You need to get out of this room Steven.”
Kris suggested.

Steven just shook his head and turned his
back to everyone. The group looked at each
other, Karen gathered the medical stuff that had
been brought and Kris picked up the mess of
things she had dropped to the floor when she
came in and they all left out of his room and
closed the door.

“Man, is he okay?” Tina asked.

“I don’t think so, he has not left the room or
ate anything but an MRE since we left and
apparently cut off his arm while we were gone.
He asked for TJ right off the bat.” Kris
explained. “He said he has been having
nightmares and looks bad.”

“His arm isn’t all that great either.” Karen
stated. “Looks infected. I will stay behind and
keep an eye on him.”

“We
are leaving out at first light in the
morning. Tina and Gizmo, if y’all don’t mind
will y’all stay behind with Steven as well and
that way y’all can spend some time with the
kids as well?” She questioned.

They both nodded in agreement as Lisa
walked through the school doors.

“Hey Lisa, I know it is not your little red
corvette, but want to go with me back to the
mall tomorrow?” Kris asked.

“Of course
, but if we are leaving in the
morning, I am headed off to bed now.” She
informed everyone.

Kris waved to the group and followed suit
with Lisa on the going to bed part. She went to
her room and quietly crept through the door. A
small light glowed in the corner. Bobbi sat in a
chair in the corner reading a book and jumped
when she looked up and Kris was standing
there.

“You been stuck with my boy huh?” Kris
smiled at her sleeping son.

“He is such a fun kid Kris. I kind of ran him
out today. We went everywhere and did
everything including helping make lunch. The
child can eat like no other.” She laughed. “He
has been great.”

“Thank you for watching over him while
Shianne works the tower.” She stated.

“Not a problem, I am headed to bed or to
finish this book I can’t put down whichever one
strikes me more when I get to my room.” Bobbi
stated.

Kris hugged her and thanked her again. She
pulled her cot next to Daltin’s and laid next to
her son. She laid there thinking about Steven
and wondering if he was going to make it
through. She decided that she was going to go
check on him before leaving out and let him
know that TJ would be back as soon as possible
and she would have him come see him first.
She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The next morning Kris was woke with a kiss
on her cheek. She opened her eyes to big brown
eyes staring back at her.

“Hi Momma.” Daltin whispered.
“Hi son, I heard you have had a lot of fun
since we have been gone.” She told him.

“Yep, I went everywhere. We went and
visited Shianne, and I helped in the kitchen and
we found flowers; look I saved them for you.”
He ran to the table to get the small cup. “Where
is Dad?” He questioned.