Empty Bodies (Book 5): Damnation (30 page)

“You want me to gain your trust?” Gabriel said. “I’m going to let you get that ax. I will make it look like I’m trying, but I’m going to let you beat me to it.”

“You wouldn’t have to
let
me,” 77 said.

Gabriel ignored the jab. “You get to that ax, and I’m going to distract the monsters so that you can take them down. I’m putting my trust in you, 77.”

“My name is Chase. I ain’t no fucking number.”

“All right, Chase. I’m Gabriel. Now, are we gonna do this or not?”

The roar of the crowd pinched the two men’s silence as the back of the box truck cracked open. A bead of sweat trickled down Gabriel’s cheek as he awaited for an answer from Chase. He knew this was his best chance of walking off this football field. Otherwise, he’d likely be buried here.

Gabriel looked Chase in the eyes. Though he noticed the quake in the man’s hand again, he didn’t allow his focus to shift from Chase’s eyes. Fear lay behind those eyes.

Chase nodded just enough for Gabriel to notice, but not so much as to tip the guards off to their joining forces.

“I’m in,” Chase said.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

When Will awoke, Holly wasn’t by his side. He sat up to see that only Charlie was still asleep; the kids were missing, too. The sun poured in through the windows, lighting the inside of the convenience store. He heard laughing coming from outside. When he stood up and looked out front, he saw Dylan and Mary Beth running around in the parking lot, playing and laughing together. He didn’t see Holly. He ran for the front door.

Will shot through the door. He was about to reprimand the children for playing outside alone before he saw Holly out of the corner of his eye. She sat against the glass with a smile spread across her face.

“Good morning,” Holly said.

Mary Beth started to tell Will hello, but he cut her off.

“What the hell are you doing?” Will asked Holly.

Her smile morphed into a face of confusion.

“How could you let the kids come out here and make this much noise? There’s no telling who or what they might attract.”

Dylan and Mary Beth stopped jumping around, and each of their faces turned sour, as well. They each looked guilty, as if they’d done something wrong.

Holly said to the kids, “Guys, can you go inside for a minute so Will and I can talk?”

Heads bowed, the two children headed back into the gas station. Holly moved down toward the corner of the store, further out of their earshot, and Will followed.

“What was that?” Holly asked.

“What was that? What the hell were you thinking, letting the kids come play out here?”

“I didn’t want to keep them cooped up inside that gas station. These kids have been through enough. They need to get outside and play, and do normal things.”

“This isn’t the campground,” Will said. “We don’t know if it’s safe. We’re right next to the interstate, for Christ’s sake.”

“The campground? Safe? Will, listen to yourself. Nowhere is safe, especially that damn campground. Look at Dylan.”

Will put his hands on his hips and turned away. He thought of Dylan and his injury all the time. Blamed himself for it. He felt a hand grab his shoulder.

“I’m sorry for bringing that up,” Holly said. “And I’m sorry for letting the kids play out here. I wasn’t thinking.”

“No, it’s okay,” Will said, sighing. He turned around to face her. “I shouldn’t have come out here and jumped your ass like that. You’ve been amazing with the kids. I’ve barely paid any attention to them. You’ve basically made them your life.”

Holly wrapped her arms around Will’s neck. “You’ve been doing great. I know you’re in a tough spot and
you’ve
done an amazing job taking care of us.”

“I’m ready to stop running.”

“I know,” Holly said, combing her hands through his hair. “Me, too. Let’s just focus on getting to Florida. We’ll find somewhere to settle down, and we’ll quit running.”

They kissed.

In the distance, thunder sounded in the sky. It came from the North. They’d be heading South.

Will took Holly’s hand and they headed back inside.

Just about an hour later, after a warm breakfast of hearty soup, they were back on the road.

***

They’d been on the road just under an hour. Holly sat in the back seat, entertaining the kids. Will drove.

Everything had been fine, until they heard gunshots.

“What’s that noise?” Mary Beth asked.

“It’s nothing, honey,” Holly said.

At the top of a steep hill, Will slammed on the brakes. Charlie lunged forward, catching himself on the dashboard. Holly and the kids slammed against the front seats and cried out.

“What the hell, man?” Charlie asked.

Will didn’t say anything. He simply looked ahead. The others joined him when the next gunshot rang out moments later. Followed by another. And another. Holly poked her head between the seats.

“What’s going on?” Mary Beth asked.

A quarter of a mile down the open road, a group of six or seven humans fought against a herd of Empties. There were several vehicles around them, including an overturned SUV. The battle took up the entire width of the road. From what Will could tell from a distance, the possessed outnumbered the living by about two to one.

“We’ve gotta turn around,” Holly said.

Will remained silent, observing the scene.

The kids became restless in the back, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Dylan went to open his door and Holly shot back into her seat to scold him. She ordered him to stay in his seat and keep his seatbelt on.

Will looked over to Charlie, who held a neutral expression on his face. Charlie shrugged, and Will nodded.

As Holly appeared between the seats again, Will grabbed his sidearm to assure it was loaded.

“Check that shotgun and rifle,” Will told Charlie, who had the guns by his feet.

“What are you doing?” Holly asked.

“We’re going to help them,” Will said.

“What?” Holly grabbed onto his shoulder. “Will, the children. We can’t just run down there recklessly.”

“Those loaded?” Will said to Charlie, ignoring Holly.

Holly grabbed his face and turned it toward her.

“Don’t do this.”

“What if that was us down there, Holly?”

“Please,” Holly said. “Turn around. We’ll find another way.”

Will shook his head. “We’ll pull to within a hundred feet or so of them. Charlie, you and I will run out and help. Holly, you jump up into the front seat. If things go south, or any of the creatures come close, you turn around and head back to the top of the hill. If things get
really
bad, then don’t stop there. Keep going.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Holly said.

Will said, “The children.”

Holly wiped her eyes and nodded.

“I wanna help,” Dylan said.

“You keep Mar—”

“No, I want to help.” Gunshots continued, and people screamed. “Will, pl—”

“No,” Will said sharply. “You’re not helping. Now, hang on.”

Will hit the gas. The tires squealed, the smell of burning rubber hitting his nostrils for just a moment. The SUV sped down the hill, toward the battle.

The humans saw them coming and waved. With a better view of what was going on, Will saw that his estimates were about right. There were three men and one woman fighting against ten Empties. Several bodies lay sprawled on the ground, indistinguishable as having been human or demon. Will stopped the SUV, not slamming on the brakes this time. He reached over and took the rifle from Charlie, who grabbed the shotgun.

“Go!” Will shouted.

Leaving the vehicle running, Will exited. He and Charlie jogged toward the fight, slowing to a walk twenty feet away from the herd. The creatures had driven the humans back around their vehicles. Most of the Empties turned their attention to Will and Charlie. When that happened, one of the men fired a rifle. The first shot missed while the second connected, garnering the attention of part of the herd again.

“We’re about out of ammo!” one of the men shouted.

Will pressed the butt of the rifle against his shoulder and crept forward while aiming. He fired his first shot into the horde. It took him three shots to take down the first Empty, hitting it in the cheek. Charlie disabled one of the creatures with his second round of buckshot, blowing the thing’s leg off below the knee. It howled as it fell to the ground.

The survivors smiled. The only one who appeared to still have a loaded weapon re-joined the fight. He approached one of the beasts and took it down from close range while its attention was focused on Will and Charlie. One of the other survivors drew a large knife, ran up to one of the Empties, and slammed the blade through the thing’s skull. They continued the fight until only the humans remained standing. When it was all said and done, smoke lifted from each barrel. The six humans found themselves among a spread of corpses that was covering the road.

The man who hadn’t run out of ammo approached Will and Charlie, stepping over the fallen bodies.

“Thank y’all,” he said, mumbling with a backwoods accent. “We for sure thought we was done for.”

“It’s no problem,” Will said.

He looked back to Holly and waved her to pull forward. Glancing back to the carnage, he observed the bodies sprawled across the road.

“We lost three people,” the man said.

“I’m sorry,” Charlie said.

The man looked past Will and Charlie to the SUV. “How many’ve you are there?”

The question made Will nervous. These people were armed, and he had yet to figure out how they’d gotten into this mess in the first place. He’d opened his mouth to respond when he heard the pump of a shotgun. He looked over to see Charlie with the shotgun aimed at the man who’d been speaking to them.

“Charlie, what are you doing?” Will asked.

“Lay down your weapon,” Charlie said to the man.

“Charlie,” Will said again.

“Shut up, Will.”

Will was taken aback by the sudden change in Charlie’s demeanor. He gripped his own weapon tight with sweaty palms, wondering if he should aim it at Charlie and threaten him into standing down.

“Where are the people who own that SUV?” Charlie asked, nodding his head toward the flipped-over vehicle.

Eyes squinted in confusion, Will looked over to the SUV. It lay on its side. The side facing the sky was wrecked, as if it had rolled. There were bullet holes in the back. Will noticed the South Carolina plates that read: CLA BEAR.

“Claire’s?” Will mumbled.

“You’re damn right,” Charlie said. He took a step toward the man, who took two steps back and raised his hands in the air, still holding his rifle.

“Whoa, now. I don’t know what you’re talking about, son.”

“Where are they? I’m not asking again.”

“Charlie, let’s just calm down and talk to them,” Will said.

The man started to laugh. His yellow teeth showed from between his chapped lips and under his salt and pepper mustache.

“I’m not sure why you’re laughing, but you better give me some answers now,” Charlie said.

The others in their group laughed. The man, smiling, took two steps toward Charlie, gaining confidence.

“You ain’t gonna shoot me,” the man said. “If you shoot me, you’ll never find them. Hell, you’ll never know if they’re alive or dead. Now, why don’t we put down that gun? Huh? Come on, how about it, nigger?”

Will could see Charlie grip the shotgun tighter and his finger itched the trigger.

“Charlie, don—”

One of the men darted behind a vehicle, gathering Charlie’s attention. Everything that followed happened in seconds.

Charlie shifted his aim and fired, hitting one of the other men in the stomach. As soon as he removed the gun’s aim from the leader, the man lowered his hands and raised his rifle into a firing position, aiming it at Charlie.

Will, having dropped his rifle, drew his sidearm and fired. Not even a second after the bullet left the chamber of Will’s gun, the man fired.