Tainted Future (The Rememdium Series Book 3) (28 page)

The ride was bumpy and rough, but Jane managed to keep the Humvee steady, mashing bodies as she drove. By the time they reached the main road, they were clear.

Jesse patted Jane’s shoulder. “See there? I knew you could do it! Uncle Reed’s gonna be so proud of you!”

“Yes, fine job, Jane. Fine job,” Everett added. “That was some ride! At least this time, I didn’t throw up.”

Jane started shaking. “Crap, my adrenaline’s crashin’ fast. We need to switch places.”

Pulling over onto the shoulder, Jane and Jesse swapped seats. Jesse put the Humvee in drive and eased back onto the highway.

“Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or are those headlights?” Everett asked.

“Jesus, let’s hope they ain’t soldiers!” Jesse said, gripping the wheel harder.

“Look! They’re flashin’ their lights at us! I bet its Reed and Walter! I knew they’d come lookin’ for us!” Jane squealed.

“Don’t be so sure, Jane. Could be a ploy to get us to stop. I see two sets of headlights, and that makes no sense. They wouldn’t risk takin’ two. Gotta be soldiers,” Jesse answered. A knot of fear rumbled in her stomach. They’d gone through too much—come way too far—to let the quest end at the hands of more government men. “Everett? Be ready with that rifle. I mean it.”

The two Humvees barreled down the highway. Jesse slowed and stopped in the middle of the road, rolling down the window. “Give me a rifle, Jane, and take the wheel if I have to floor it. I’ll be busy shootin’.”

The first Humvee pulled within ten feet. Jesse thought her heart would explode with happiness when she heard Kyle yell, “Jesse? It’s Kyle!”

“Thank God!” Jesse yelled back. “Yeah, it’s us!”

Jesse handed the rifle back to Jane and pulled up alongside Kyle’s Humvee. She’d never been so glad to see a friendly face.

“We’re headin’ to the hangar, so follow us! We’ve got everyone, and they’ve agreed to let us go with them. You got the map?”

“Best news I’ve heard since all this happened! Yes, we got it. Let’s get outta here!”

The two Humvees pulled forward, waiting for Jesse to turn hers around and follow. Once the convoy was moving, Jesse smiled. She looked over at Everett, who seemed shocked by the turn of events. “Well, how about that, Dr. Berning? Guess the power of persuasion just made us travelin’ buddies. Between my uncle and Turner’s dad, they convinced them to take us! What a Christmas present!”

Everett looked down at his watch, then out the window. In a low voice, he whispered, “It’s after midnight. Christmas is officially over.”

Jesse ignored the weird comment, busying herself with driving and talking to Jane. Knowing their world was about to change—this time for the better—was the best high she’d ever experienced.

Ever.

CRUSHING BLOWS - Friday, December 26
^th
– 1:15 a.m. – Central Standard Time

Dirk pulled into the parking lot of the small airport near Clinton, doing a full circle of the area, letting the headlights illuminate any potential threats. Seeing nothing, he drove over to the first hangar where the Gulfstream was housed.

“Please, don’t say anythin’ to them. Let me tell Jane, and Turner tell Jesse,” Martha said from the back seat.

“Of course. Let us get inside first, do a sweep to make sure we’re alone, then while we prep the plane, you can have some private time.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kincannon,” Martha whispered. “For everythin’.”

“Welcome, ma’am. Okay, Warton, ready?”

“On it,” Kevin replied. “Be back in two shakes.”

Dirk stopped directly in front of the door. Kevin jumped out, rifle up and ready, and ran inside. Not a sound was made by any of the occupants of the Humvee while they waited for him to return.

“All clear! Let’s go!” Dirk said after Kevin appeared back at the door, thumbs up. In seconds, all three Humvees were inside the large area, and Kevin shut the door.

“Mrs. Addison, let’s get you and Turner inside the plane first. Then, we’ll bring in Jane and Jesse.”

“Martha. After all this, please, call me Martha.”

Dirk nodded. “Drake? Need some help with Turner.”

The men climbed out and opened the back door. They eased Turner from the backseat, Martha right behind them. Kevin moved ahead, readying the stairs.

“Turner!” Jesse yelled from behind them.

“Jesse? Get Jane over here, please. We’ll need some help situatin’ Turner in a seat,” Martha said.

The strength in the woman’s voice, the sheer determination to not give any indication something was wrong, made Dirk shake his head. His initial perception of Martha as an overwrought, unstable woman he’d met in the woods, vanished.

“God, this is just gonna destroy her.”

“No, she’s got you and your son to lean on. Did you see all the gore over the Humvee? Their drive down here wasn’t an easy one. She’s tough.”

Not another word was said as Dirk and Drake took the stairs. Kevin had already turned the cabin lights on, so they walked to the back row of seats and set Turner down in the aisle.

“Okay, let’s load her up with the supplies. Where’s Dee?”

“Already in the cockpit, doing his preflight check.”

“Find the doc and get the map.”

“Baby! We did it! We got the map. Oh, you should’ve seen Jane! She ran right over those corpses like a champ!”

Dirk stepped out of the way as Jesse ran past him. Martha and Jane weren’t far behind. “He’s all set, ladies. Excuse us while we get things loaded up. Should take about a half-hour.”

“Thank you for takin’ us. Means the world,” Jane said.

Dirk didn’t say a word as he and Drake exited the plane. They only made it halfway down the steps when they heard Jesse wail, “No! Oh, my God! Uncle Reed! No!”

Swallowing hard, Dirk kept going. Everett was up head, limping toward the stairs. The woman named Teresa had her arm around his waist.

“Where’s the map?”

“Right here,” Everett answered, holding it up. “Haven’t had a chance to look at it in the light, yet, to figure out the best—”

“Pardon me for interrupting, but I think I can help with the decision as to where to go.”

Dirk studied the woman’s dirty face. She was trying her best to seem helpful, but Dirk sensed a dark edginess behind the façade of frightened woman. “Teresa, correct?”

“Yes. We need to go to a place that doesn’t have a nuclear plant, and where I’m from, there isn’t one.”

“El Salvador, right?”

The look of shock was fleeting, but it was there for a brief second in Teresa’s dark eyes.

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Recognize the accent. Been there before.”

“I’ve only been in the states for a few years. My family has an estate outside of San Salvador. Like I told the others earlier, it’s a big place. Lots of room for us all, and plenty of land to grow food on. A big wall surrounding it. We’d be safe there.”

The rumble in Dirk’s gut was a warning: the woman was definitely hiding something. “Have you had any contact with your family, Miss?”

“Sanchez. Teresa Sanchez. Sadly, no. But I guarantee you, we’ll be safe there. No fear of radiation.”

“I’ll help Dr. Berning to his seat. Why don’t you help the others unload the supplies? I’ll make sure to talk to the pilot, tell him of your plan. Okay?”

“Of course. Anything I can do to help.”

Dirk waited until Teresa was out of earshot as he helped Dr. Berning up the steps and into the cabin. “What do you think, Doc?”

“Well, I believe she’s correct about El Salvador, though I’ll need to consult the map to be positive. If she’s right, that’s one hurdle jumped. A safe location for us to live at, together, is another positive, if she’s telling the truth. The downside is we won’t be anywhere near a lab.”

“True on all accounts.”

The sound of Jane and Jesse’s sobs reached their ears. Dirk felt Everett stiffen.

“What’s going on?”

Dirk looked toward the back of the cabin. Jesse was on the ground, sobbing into Turner’s chest, and Jane’s face was buried in Martha’s shoulder. “Reed and Walter didn’t make it back. They died while out searching for supplies.”

“Oh, no. Poor things. Help me back there, please? I want to pay my respects.”

“Of course. Listen, do you get the sense Teresa’s playing us? Or is it just me?”

“A little, yes. She’s a bit too eager. Then again, if she’s from there, it’s not a surprise. She’s probably worried about her family. I’m exhausted, and honestly, I don’t care where we go. The only caveat is no nuclear reactors. I’ll let you and the rest of the group figure out where we’re going.”

Dirk left Everett in the seat and headed back outside. A flurry of activity greeted him.

Kevin crossed the floor, sweat dripping off his forehead. “Got all the supplies loaded. Denaryl said the tanks were full, thank God. Hope the gas ain’t been sitting too long.”

“Good. Get everyone inside, and let’s figure out exactly where to go. Teresa suggested El Salvador, but I’ve got my doubts.”

“Why? It’s what, maybe fifteen hundred miles from here? Denaryl can fly that standing on his head. I assume that’s where the little hot tamale is from?”

“Yep, and she made sure to mention the fact there aren’t any reactors near, and that her family’s got a big mansion for us to live in. All safe and snug.”

Kevin laughed. “And you aren’t buying it?”

Dirk grimaced. “Not even with someone else’s money. The only thing that woman’s got to offer us is an extra set of hands. Did she seem strong when helping you unload?”

“Not a clue. Haven’t seen her. And I disagree. There’s at least one other thing I can think of she’d be useful for.”

Dirk spun around, searching for Teresa. The rumble in his gut ignited into a flame. “Shit!”

Running at full speed, Dirk raced across the tarmac. Sensing something was wrong, Drake and the others followed. By the time Dirk reached the last few steps, his fears became a reality.

“Open that fucking door, Teresa. Right now!”

“Dirk? She’s got the drop on me. Back away from the door, and for God sakes, don’t try to storm inside here, or I’ll be missing a body part I don’t want to lose.”

“Fuck!” Dirk screamed.

“What’s goin’ on?” Kyle asked from the bottom of the stairs.

Dirk was so angry he was shaking. He wanted to kick the door down and blow the bitch’s head off. It was the second time in less than twelve hours he’d been duped by females. He turned and faced the terrified stares of the other passengers. “Looks like we’re heading to El Salvador, people. Buckle up.”

No one said a word. They all seemed to realize their choices were nil.

Kevin came up behind him and whispered, “Do we just stand here holding our nuts while she hijacks the plane?”

“As much as I hate to say it, yes. We can’t risk a takedown. If she kills Dee, we’re screwed. None of us can fly this thing.”

“When we land, she’s toast.”

“I’m right there with you, Kevin. But, if she’s telling the truth about a safe place for us all, then we’re at her mercy. Only she knows the way.”

“Bitch,” Kevin muttered.

“Oh, she’s way beyond that. The minute we step foot in a safe zone, I’m going to slit her throat. She’s more than a liability—she’s a death sentence to us all—if we let her live.”

COMING SOON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters lurking within us are her favorite reads.

Her muse for penning the 
Eviscerating the Snake
 series was 
The Count of Monte Cristo
 by Alexandre Dumas. Ashley's love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, 
Accountable to None
, the first book in the trilogy. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a person is willing to go to when they seeking personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, 
Zero Balance.
 focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? 
Adjusting Journal Entries
 answered that question: far and wide.