The Last Outbreak (Book 2): Devastation (24 page)
His father lay face down in a growing pool of his own blood and there wasn’t anything he could do to change that fact.
Time slowed and Ethan was able to see everything taking place simultaneously. It was as if he were three separate entities, each experiencing the events independent of one another. His initial response was to fight the unusual sensation, to just give up. However, something else took control, something deep inside that told him he needed to let it in, to let it take control. Somehow he knew this was his only option.
Directly ahead, Maddox stared into his eyes as the muzzle flash that ignited every corner of the three car garage began to fade. A half second later, the thunderous explosion rattled the door on its rails. And as the weapon he gripped sent a thin trail of grey smoke into the cool night air, the giant man raised his weapon, turned it to Ethan, and fired one round.
Reacting on instinct alone, Ethan jerked right as the bullet grazed his left ear and then tore off into the night beyond. Back to center, he covered the door to the house with the weapon in his right hand as another silhouetted figure appeared from just inside the darkened threshold. As the man stepped out of the home, but before his foot touched down on the blood-saturated concrete, Ethan fired one shot.
He wasn't looking to injure the man coming through the door, nor was he hoping to graze or nick the individual. Ethan's intention was to stop the man dead in his tracks, to eliminate the potential threat. He wanted nothing less than to extinguish the man’s life before he was afforded one more breath. And with one pull of the trigger, he accomplished his objective.
The projectile left the barrel of Ethan's weapon and embedded itself less than a second later in the now stained drywall of the laundry room. In its path, the man’s head, which now sported an exit wound the size of a softball as it lay awkwardly atop the flowered
Welcome
mat just below the door.
Twisting back to the left, he sighted his next two targets and squeezed the trigger of each weapon once, watching for the imminent devastation. Dipping his chin to the right, Ethan squinted through the muzzle flash as the garage’s interior was once again immersed in a brilliant silver glow.
Maddox howled as he was thrown back and to the left, his right hand exploding in a bright pink mist. Spitting a string of obscenities, he watched as his weapon hit the ground and slid into the corner more than ten feet away. And slowly letting his eyes run down his torso and onto his left leg, he appeared confused as the lower half—from just below the knee, down to his foot—sat at an awkward angle, nearly detached at the knee.
Back to the door, Ethan took two steps forward, extended both weapons and waited for the next individual to darken the doorway. The stench of spent gunpowder and the raw acrid smell of copper hung in the air as he counted to five and then turned back to the large man down on one knee.
A thick trail of blood ran from the corner of Maddox’s mouth. “You think you’ve won?”
Ethan lowered his weapons and turned away.
The behemoth coughed heavily and pulled what was left of his right hand into his chest. “Do you really believe that you or any of your friends will live even one more day?”
Ethan didn’t respond and he didn’t look back.
“We own this city. It’s ours. You and your friends are already dead. No matter where you go, we will find you.”
He ignored Maddox and continued to the work bench that ran the length of the rear wall. He didn’t look back at his father. He couldn’t. His father was gone now and Ethan had absolutely no intention of remembering him this way. He also had no intention of letting the man who killed his father see him grieve. There would be time for that, but that time was later. For now, he had two things that he needed to do.
He needed to get back to his friends and more importantly, back to his mother. He had no idea of what to expect heading back to the university, and he didn’t care. He was going back to get them and to take them away from the city, but first there was something he had to finish.
Reaching above the top shelf, Ethan pulled free the thirty-ounce aluminum bat he last used in his final high school baseball game. He slowly brought it down and turned back to the large man now crawling out of the garage.
Maddox hadn’t moved more than a few feet before Ethan strode quickly away from the bench and stood over him. The large man was missing half of his right hand and the lower portion of his left leg—now only hanging by thin shards—was being dragged. He was also seconds away from losing consciousness, but continued to shout words that now had no meaning. Ethan wasn’t listening and was only focused on destroying the man who killed his father.
Ethan didn’t think. If he had, the viciousness of what he was about to do might have deterred him, may have put him off. So he simply raised the aluminum bat up over his head, tightened his grip, and swung it at the back of the larger man’s head.
The impact pushed in the back of the larger man’s head, sending him forward. Attempting to right himself and turn his awkwardly misshapen skull toward Ethan, small fragments of skin, bone, and hair fell from just above his neckline.
Coughing out a mouthful of blood mixed with some sort of clear fluid, Maddox lifted his chin toward Ethan. He tried to laugh, or maybe he was trying to cry—the sound wasn’t nearly human—but Ethan didn’t care which it was. In the next few seconds, the giant would be silenced either way.
Stepping around in front, Ethan looked down as Maddox continued to track him. One eye followed as the other hung loosely in its socket, no longer being controlled by the body. They stared intently at one another, both foregoing any form of communication and knowing what was next.
Ethan breathed deep. The world went quiet as he again brought the bat up over his right shoulder and stared expressionlessly at the man who was nearing his end. Before tonight, he knew exactly who he was, what he stood for, and why. Now he wasn’t so sure.
He didn’t like the idea of having to end the life of another human being, even having to consider it felt foreign. But in less than ten seconds, he would have done it twice. He knew that within this new world, he would have to change, he would have to adapt. He didn’t have to like it, but he knew he would have to accept it all the same.
Under his breath, Ethan whispered, “Goodbye.” He wasn’t speaking to his father; that would have to come later. He also wasn’t speaking to the man bleeding out. He was acknowledging that he had to leave behind the man he was. He’d have to become someone else in order to do what was necessary to survive in this new world, to protect his family, and to get back to Emma. He had no choice.
The second strike drove the behemoth to the ground. His head split in two, and the right eye of the large man extended out, still attached by the optic nerve. Ethan pulled the bat away and swung again, spraying himself with a healthy swatch of his victim’s blood. His fourth, fifth, and sixth swings struck more pavement than flesh, sending short vibrating pulses back up into his hands.
Tossing the bat aside, he dropped to his knees and began to sob. His shoulders rounded and his chest heaved as he knelt in a river of the dead man’s blood. Closing his eyes, he tried to leave this place, to move beyond what he’d done, at least for the moment.
His mind drifted slowly back to Summer Mill, to a time when he and his family were under one roof. When they shared late night dinners and stories of their day. When he and his sister fought over the last piece of pizza, when he knew the world was a good place.
He wanted to stay there, to find a way back, to just stay in the silence and remember. But as the memories moved away and the new world began to push in around him, a quiet voice came from beyond.
“Ethan…”
He knew who it was before he turned. But as he did, his voice caught in his throat. Only one word made it through.
“Ben!”
He found himself running, and then there was Ben, flat on his back in the center of the street. Ethan moved quickly. He slid in beside his young friend and looked him up and down. The full moon—now high in its arch—reflected off the wide pool of blood slowly widening around the two men.
Ethan pushed his hand under the kid’s head and looked into his eyes. “I told you to say put, damn it. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I wanted to help.”
Studying Ben’s injury, it appeared that the projectile that had grazed his own ear must have continued on and ripped into the underside of Ben’s right arm, tearing free a large chunk and possibly obliterating a small portion of the kid’s brachial artery. Nothing else could explain the massive blood loss.
Ben began to blink and his mouth moved, but only short incoherent syllables were produced. “Hep… Carp… Sen…” He then stared up at Ethan and slowly began to close his eyes.
Ethan quickly leaned over, pulled Ben into him, and shouted, “BEN, STAY WITH ME!”
The kid’s eyes snapped open as he forced a crooked smile.
“Hey,” Ethan said, “do you remember when I told you not to be a hero?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’ve changed my mind. I
am
going to need you to be a hero… right now.”
DESPERATION
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Also by Jeff Olah
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Six Months before the Outbreak...
This was no doubt going to be the worst day he had ever lived. Ethan Runner was hungover yet again, couldn’t find half of the items he was supposed to bring, and worst of all, Emma was still here. She’d probably be at the door or even out in the street by now, tapping her foot, looking at her watch, and most definitely cursing his name. But as far as he was concerned, this was her fault. She knew who he was and still pushed him to take the job.
His sister had been back in town for nearly a month and although he dreaded what came with her leaving, he didn’t know if he could stand one more day with her this close. He’d chosen to keep his distance for most of the last thirty days and that seemed to be okay with her. She was busy with the building department, the planning commission, the bank manager, but mostly attached to that cell phone and whoever was on the other end.
Late again, he wasn’t much ready to face the world beyond his own front door. He’d found his utility belt and weapon right where he’d dropped them two days before—alongside the “Welcome to BXF Technologies” handbook—resting inconspicuously in the armchair ten feet from the television.
Into the living room, Ethan stopped at the door to his bedroom and leaned in. His new friend from the evening before was still in the midst of waking. “I’ll be back later. There’s food in the fridge, so make yourself at home.”
He didn’t know if that was true and couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone to the market. Although as he grabbed his keys, moved through the door, and out into the hall, he figured it wouldn’t matter. She’d probably be long gone by the time he returned home. Her name was Tara or Sara or Susan… maybe Susie. She wasn’t from Summer Mill and more than likely wouldn’t be returning; those from the neighboring towns never did.
Out of the stairwell, Ethan moved quickly through the building and out into the street, buttoning his shirt and adjusting his belt as he made progress toward the office at the corner of Bridge and Second.
Stop for coffee now or wait and hope Emma came through
?
He decided to wait and spare himself the lecture. The difference between being twenty minutes late and twenty-five minutes late wasn’t all that much, but arriving with a cup in hand may just send Emma over the edge. He’d let her know he was only thinking of her when he made the decision. And crossing over through the intersection at Third, he was about to get his chance.
She shouted from a block away. “Ethan, upstairs. I’ll be in the office.”
Turn and run, give up all my possessions, and maybe start a new life somewhere far away? Maybe in another city, another state? Or do I go sit in front of my sister and listen to her detail why I’ve never lived up to my potential
?
It was a toss-up for Ethan, but he’d actually agreed to do this. To take the job he was already regretting, to sell out for something he had no passion for, but mostly to help his sister. And for all his shortcomings over the last few years, he still held on to the one thing he figured kept him from falling into the category of being a total loss… he always kept his word, at least to her.
Up the stairs and across the minimally furnished second floor, Ethan nodded to receptionist Shannon and kept moving. He stopped at the door, his sister again on her cell. Staring intently into her eyes, she finally looked up and pointed to the chair directly across from her in a manner that told him he also needed to close the door behind him.
“Yes,” she said into the phone, “everything is completed. I’ll be arriving late Tuesday and be back in the office Wednesday morning.”
She paused and shook her head. Ethan hoped her displeasure had more to do with her present conversation than his tardiness. And because she stared out the window and not back at him, he figured he was—at least for the moment—safe.
“Yes Mr. Goodwin, they’ve both been through every course and are finishing with the firearms testing this morning. I’ll send over their results as soon as they are available.”
Again pausing, Emma dropped her head, slid the chair back away from the desk, and appeared to be taking a deep breath. And as quickly as it began, it ended. “Thank you, Mr. Goodwin… goodbye.”
She quietly placed her phone down on the desk, and without looking back at Ethan, stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Second Street. She stared off into the distance and continued to take in long deep breaths.
Ethan spoke first. “Hey, I know I was—”
She held her hand up, but didn’t turn around. And twenty seconds of silence passed before she decided to respond.
“You need to get your life together. I can’t it do anymore. You need to figure out what it is that you value in life and go do that.”
“So little sister, you think forcing me into a job that I don’t want, doing something I have no interest in, is the way to make that happen?”
“That’s just it, Ethan—no one knows what it is you want, probably not even you, but you do need to figure it out.”
Turning away from the window and now facing him, she continued, “Listen, I get that you’re struggling. With Mom and Dad moving to the city and then me heading out to California, I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but I’m trying here. I think you should at least give it a chance. You owe me that as your sister.”
He sat for a long moment and then smiled. It wasn’t a peace offering and it sure as hell wasn’t him conceding. He just felt like she needed it, and although he sometimes wanted to deny it, she was family. He should be better for her. And without any other explanation he said, “Okay, I will.”
She appeared confused. “Good?” She spoke the word as if it was a question. “Uh… And you’re going to need to get over to the range and finish up before lunch.”
“I’ll wait for David. We’ll take the black truck and fuel it up while we’re out. Tomorrow’s the big day. Should be fun; too bad you won’t be here to witness it.”
She sensed the sarcasm in his tone, but moved past it. “David’s already at the range. He was here on time and I sent him out.”
“What, why? I was only like five or ten minutes—”
“Twenty, you were twenty minutes late. But that’s not the only reason I sent him out ahead.”
“Okay?”
Emma moved back to her seat across the desk and sat down. “Ethan, I know the last few years haven’t been great. I realize you’ve been through a lot and I’m just trying to help, but this job is about more than that and I hope that you’ll take it seriously.”
“I am.”
“You’re not, but I’m telling you that in a few months or maybe a few years, you’ll will wish that you did. The man running this business is going to change the world. He’s doing things right now that are maybe fifty or a hundred years off. He’s a genius.”
“Oh… the guy you were just talking to? Didn’t sound like you were too pleased with him.”
Emma cut Ethan a look. “He’s got his own way of dealing with things and I don’t always see his vision, but that doesn’t really matter. I just want you to understand that if you do a good job here, the possibilities are endless. Trust me.”
“I do trust you, but I still don’t know why you can’t explain what you’re working on. I’m not the smartest guy around, but I think if you dumb it down a bit, I might be able to catch on.”
“That’s not it and you know it. I just can’t speak about anything going on out there in California. I signed a non-disclosure for a reason.”
“Okay,” Ethan said, “then what about the blonde out there? Don’t tell me you signed a non-disclosure about her as well?”
Emma smiled and quickly brought her hand up over her mouth, attempting to stop herself from laughing. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And?”
“And, she’s a very private person. Shannon likes to be left alone and is extremely professional. She’s also a beautiful woman who has no need for someone like you in her life. So my advice—for whatever it’s worth—is for you to stay away. I mean it, stay away. You’ve got work to do. Be nice to her, but that’s all.”
“I’ve been trying.”
“Is that what you call what happened last night, trying to be nice? You really need to get yourself under control. It’s no longer funny, and is bordering on pathetic.” Emma regretted her choice of words even as they were leaving her mouth.
Ethan looked away.
“I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right. It’s just that I know you, the real you. The brother who saved me from the Boogie Man and then from the schoolyard bullies. The boy who grew into a man and then protected me from all the bad things life sent my way. I may be all grown up and this might sound selfish, but I just want him back.”
Ethan turned back to her and nodded, his eyes beginning to cloud. “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I absolutely don’t deserve it, but I am appreciative and I promise to start showing it. I know that you stuck your neck out to get me a job here and like it or not, I realize that it’s the best thing for me. I will make you proud and promise not to get under Shannon’s skin too much, but don’t you think you could have at least hired someone a bit less… you know, my type?”
Emma sat back in her chair and again smiled. She was exhausted and barely able to control her delight. The urge to get out of her chair and hug him was almost too much, but she reminded herself of the situation, where they were and what they still had left to accomplish. However, she felt the need to mark the event in some small way, show her brother that his ability to open up meant something to her.
Looking past him and out over the open second floor, she took a deep breath. “Ethan, what we’re doing is going to change the world.”
“Yeah, you said that.”
“But I don’t think you understand how big this is… BXF is going to do something that will be talked about until the end of time. It’s going to touch every corner of the planet and most likely affect every human life.”
“Wow.”
He wasn’t seeing it. There wasn’t any way he could. Not yet. She’d just have to hold on to the belief that one day she’d be able to share everything with him and that he’d be proud.
“A year from now, you’ll be glad that you took this job—I promise.”