All Is Silence - Deserted Lands #1

Chapter 27 - Part II

The older soldier eyed Mannie coldly, but the younger soldier behind him didn’t seem nearly as cool. His hands were shaking. Mannie didn’t think it was because of the winter weather. He had his gun pointed at Mannie, but the Captain was standing in the way.

“Don’t play it this way, son.”

“I’m not your son, sir. And despite your request, I am going to leave.” Mannie pulled the 9mm Sig out to where the Captain could see it. “How do you want to play it?” Mannie stared him in the eyes. “Sir?”

They were at an impasse. The Captain seemed like the kind of man who couldn’t stand to be weak. Mannie hoped he was not the kind to follow orders blindly or kill in cold blood.

The man’s eyes narrowed, but he eased backward a bit. “You head back to the highway. Let the people know. If they’re headed this way they’re gonna get fed and taken care of but they have to give up some freedoms. Got it?” He barked like he was giving Mannie a set of orders that he expected to be followed.

Mannie nodded. Let him save face.

The young soldier hustled toward the older man. “But, Captain-”

“Yes, sir.” Mannie switched hands with the pistol and backed away and drove sedately south, half expecting to hear shots ring out.

Jess let out her breath in a long sigh. “Jesus, almost pissed my pants.”

He smiled at her. She had stayed calm and cool through the whole encounter. She handled her nerves better than with the fire. “You did just fine.” He looked in the mirror. BeeGee was ghost-pale and sweating.

They drove the wrong way on the ramp, back to the highway. Then 4-wheeled it on the rugged shoulder around the orange pylons.

BeeGee broke her silence. “Randy was in the Army. He was a ranger. But not the Lone Ranger.” She gave a throaty laugh.

Mannie chuckled at BeeGee’s laugh. “I wasn’t a Ranger in the Army, but I ended up serving near the Rangers in the first Gulf War and Afghanistan.”

“Randy was in both of those. Plus two tours of Iraq.” BeeGee’s voice got quiet. “That’s when his drinking got bad.”

“Yeah.” Mannie knew that story too well.

BeeGee blurted, “He’s headed north, following us. Randy is. He texted to say he’s sorry. He can’t live without me.” BeeGee continued softly. “He says he’s dry. I should text him to avoid Provo.”

Mannie shook his head and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. Damn. One more thing to worry about. He had Rubi back up to speed. The adrenaline from the encounter in Provo gave him the high he needed to push on.

His phone rang as they passed through American Fork. Jess and BeeGee were sleeping. He pulled it to his ear and hit the answer button. “Lizzie?

“Mr. Guerrero? This is Zach. If you’re driving, you better pull over.”

Mannie slammed on the brakes, waking both his passengers. “I’m stopped.”

“Sir.” The voice on the other end cracked. “Lizzie’s dead. We ran into some trouble.

Mannie sat still. Zach was still talking, but Mannie didn’t respond or really hear anything else he had to say. Eventually Zach stopped talking.

Jess reached a hand out to him. “Mannie?”

He turned to her and saw by the tears in her eyes she had heard everything. Mannie reached back and grabbed the plastic bottle BeeGee had stowed. He upended it down his throat. It burned like hell and then he went numb.

                                                         *        *        *

Lizzie stared as Duke strode toward her, his rifle pointed down. She picked up the shotgun and rolled the window down. She cocked it where Duke could see it and pointed it in his direction.

She heard the motorcycle behind her. Then it came into her rear view and skidded to a stop. The rider aimed a rifle, and the back window of Lizzie’s ‘loaner’ car disappeared in a splash of glass. “Fuck! Get down, Rachael.” Lizzie slunk down in the seat.

Saj cried; Rachael screamed, covering him with her body.

Duke raised his rifle; he pointed it at their car.

“We are so fucked.” Lizzie saw the kickback as he fired, but nothing hit the car. In the rear view mirror she saw the man on the bike drop.

Duke ran toward them.

She sat up and gunned the car straight at him. Who knew how long before the motorcycle guy’s friends arrived.

Duke’s eyes got big. He tossed his gun down and raised his hands as he stepped out of her path. “Lizzie, I am not your enemy!”

“Damn it!” Lizzie slammed on the brakes. Don’t trust him. She opened the door. She leveled the shotgun at him. “What the hell do you want, Duke?”

His eyes widened when she said his name. “Look, I know what a shit my brother was.” He looked down. “I had to live with him. Whatever he did—I should have… I promised my father… We should have—.”

“Shut the Hell up.” Lizzie wanted to hate him, but she had no time. “There’re more people like that guy behind us; they’re going to kill us. Move your fucking truck.”

“Wait. I have an idea.”

Lizzie saw the wheels turning in his head. But he had tried to kill her. “I’m supposed to trust you?” Her habit of reacting against paranoia made her too trusting. Wasn’t that what got her in trouble with C.J.? But I don’t want to live in fear. “What’s your idea?”

“Get in my truck and drive.” Duke’s face had an intensity that she recognized. “I‘ll make sure they don’t follow you.”

Lizzie hesitated; she wanted to trust him, her hate was wavering. And that made her question herself. “What about you?”

“There’s a brown double-wide across the road and to the left. I’ll meet you there. Please. Trust me.”

I won’t trust you. Not much. “Duke. You fuck with me, I’ll kill you—dead like your brother.”