Bone And Cinder: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (Zapheads Book 1) (15 page)

“A professional informant.  And this was an opportunity you couldn’t pass up.”

“It’s kind of a shitty life, man. But you’re good enough at something, it’s hard to just stop doing it.”

True enough.  Mackie understood a little about the distinction between garden-variety snitches and professional informants.  Solid PI’s took pride in building their credibility and resumes with a skill set that allowed them to gather valuable, real-time intelligence and move easily within a criminal organization.  It was all about tradecraft and developing a reputation for results and trustworthiness.

But the best PI’s were rarely junkies.  Junkies were hardly credible, after all, and PI’s value to law enforcement was directly proportional to their credibility.

Hadn’t Artiss said something about McRae getting high with Todd and Emma?

“But you couldn’t do your job, could you?” Mackie asked, wondering if Artiss had fled back to campus to rat them out to Krider.  Not much they could do about in the dark, except hope that Artiss’s wounds were too severe for him to walk.  “Because you got in with Krider’s crew and developed a taste for the junk.”

“I was supposed to be able to handle it.”

Yes.  You always think you can.

“And pretty soon, Krider and Herrera and that life was all I had.  My handler found out I was on the junk, and the ATF knew they couldn’t trust me after that.  They cut me loose.”

“You’re lucky they didn’t kill you sooner,” Mackie said.  “Krider takes a dim view of junkies in his employ.  He wanted me dead for that same reason.”

“He didn’t want you dead because of the pills.  He wanted you dead because you were careless.  I may’ve had a taste for the junk, but I didn’t make the kind of mistakes you made.”

“There are a lot of good people here,” Mackie said.  “And they’re gonna get hurt or a lot worse if we don’t do something about Krider and Herrera.  We don’t even know how many people are left on this planet.  Maybe there are other groups like us, and if we can survive long enough to find them—”

“Yeah,” Kara said.  “We’ve got to get back to campus.”

McRae laughed again.  “You think I’d even consider going up against someone like Herrera?  He’s less human than these fucking Zapheads.  There’s no chance of that happening.”

“You’re holding an M16,” Meredith said.  “You’re a trained killer.”

“And that’s supposed to make me
less
afraid?”

“You want to be a coward, that’s fine,” Mackie said.  “But we can’t wait any longer.  Krider’s going to wonder what’s up.”

“Do you really think it’s a question of courage versus cowardice?  Do you really think not being afraid to go up against Herrera is gonna make you any less dead once you do?”

“Never said I wasn’t afraid.  Hell, for all we know, Zapheads could be surrounding this house right now.  Could be thousands out there.  Maybe millions.  And if they don’t kill us, we still have to figure out how to make it day by day for the rest of our lives.”

McRae fell silent as the horror of their new world settled upon them all.  Then he said, “I can’t let you do whatever it is you’re thinking of doing, Mackie.  If Herrera finds out I knew about this and didn’t stop you—”

“You think maybe the same thing would happen if he found out you’re a snitch?”

“He ain’t gonna know.  Because I’m not letting you walk out of here.”

“They know, too.”  Mackie gestured to Kara and Meredith.  “You gonna kill us all?  Women, too?  A kid?  That’s what you’re willing to do to save your ass, you cowardly piece of shit?”

McRae’s face hardened and his grip on the assault rifle tightened so hard the barrel shook.  “Dammit, Mackie.  If you can’t live with Krider and Herrera, then just freakin’ leave, man.  Go.  Take these people with you.”

“I’ve got a girl on campus,” Mackie said.  “And she’s sick, and I can’t travel with her.  This is the safest place for her right now.  And I love this place, McRae.  It was home to me once.  I can’t let men like Krider and Herrera taint it.  I can’t let that happen.  It deserves better.  If we have any chance at something better, it’s here.”

McRae’s face twisted with an agony that only someone with no good options could understand.  He lowered the rifle.  “All right.”

“What?”

“Go on.  I’ll stay here and protect the others.”

“No way,” Kara said.  “I’m in on this, too. After what Herrera did to me?”

“No, Kara.  You’re out of this now.  Meredith, too.”

Meredith, who had been keeping watch from the window, turned and said, “We’re in this together.”

“I know we are,” Mackie said.  “And we’ll need you. The
campus
needs you. Alive.”

“I’m going, too,” Jason said from the doorway, holding a bulging backpack.

Exhaustion weighed on Mackie like a stack of wet furs. “I want you
all
to stay here.  Until I come back for you.”

“So, what are you going to do?” McRae asked.  The fire in the sink had burned low, and the people in the room were little more than silhouettes now.  Mackie couldn’t make out their faces.

“The old plan...that’s out now.  Artiss, if he’s still on his feet and breathing, he’s on his way to find Herrera.  I’d worry that he was going after Allie, but he doesn’t know where she is.  There are too many places she could be, and he’s too hurt to look.  Once he finds Herrera, who knows what’ll happen?  Maybe Herrera will decide to kill him then and there.  But using a diversion to lure them out and then pick them off...I don’t think that’ll work now.  Either way, Herrera will be looking for us.”

“Unless you can find Artiss first,” Kara said.

“That’s possible.  And he may be bleeding out on the ground anyway.  Either way, the best option now is to find Herrera and Krider and open fire as soon as I lay eyes on them.  No tricks, no bullshit.  I’ve got a better weapon now.  I think this is the way to go.”

“And maybe they see you first,” Kara said.  “Maybe they shoot first.”

“Sure.  Maybe.  But I need this to be over.  If they get me, I want you two to find Dr. Lehman, Rebecca, Desiree...gather everyone and leave as soon as you can.  Put as much distance between yourself and Krider and Herrera as possible.”

“And Allie?” Kara said.  “If we leave, you know we can’t take her with us.”

“Then tell her I love her.  Tell her I’m sorry.  She won’t hear you, but tell her anyway.  I want her to hear it, at least once.  And make it quick for her.”

A pungent scent wafted in through the broken window.

Mackie’s heart rate punched up a few notches.  “That jar of—”

“The gas,” Meredith said. “I dropped it outside when Artiss—”

What Jason tripped on earlier, just outside the cottage.  The sound his foot made when it connected with the object.  Mackie hadn’t placed it at first, but he understood now what he had heard.

The sound of glass.

Oh, God.

Meredith patted her pockets frantically.  “The lighter.  He took that, too.”

And just as Mackie knew it would, smoke trailed the gasoline vapors through the shattered windowpane.

21.

“You can come out or burn up in there!”

Artiss’ feverish voice rang out from the woods.  “Don’t give a shit which.”

Thick trails of dark smoke poured in through the window, punctuated by the first crackling of heat.

“We go outside, he’ll pick us off with the rifle,” Mackie said.

“We can go out the back door, or climb out of a window in another room,” Kara said.  “He can’t guard every door and window.”

“We’ll be easy targets against the flames, and he’s in the dark where we can’t see him,” McRae said.  “He’s got the advantage, big time.”

“We can’t just sit here and burn,” Meredith said with a cough.

Mackie leaned against the wall beside the window and lowered himself until his head was level with the sill.  He jabbed the Glock’s barrel through the broken glass and squeezed off two rounds.  He had only a vague idea of Artiss’ location, but the burst might buy them a little time and force Artiss under cover.

“Go,” Mackie hissed at Meredith, Kara, and Jason.

“I’ve got the front,” McRae said, dashing into the living room.

Flames crackled as they ate through wood.  Mackie fired through the window again, wondering how many rounds remained in the clip.

Some pro you are.  Can’t even count anymore.

“He wants you and Kara,” Mackie said to Meredith, keeping his voice low.  “He won’t shoot either of you.  Go out there, try to talk to him.  Stall him.”

“No! Mackie, he’s—”

“He won’t have a chance to hurt you.  I’ll circle around and put a bullet in him.  But you need to keep his attention focused on you.  Don’t let him walk around back.”

“Artiss, we’re coming out,” Kara called through the window.

“You send the guys out first, bitch,” Artiss responded.

The smoke poured in thicker now, and bands of heat spread across Mackie’s face.  The fire crept up the walls and would soon penetrate the framing.

“Artiss, we’ll come out and we won’t fight you, okay?” Meredith said. “We’ll do whatever you want.”

“I don’t give a
shit
!  The guys come out first.”

“Artiss, please.  I promise...we’ll do anything you say.  Whatever you want from us, we’ll give it to you.”

“She’s telling the truth, Artiss,” Kara shouted, crouching behind a dresser.  “We’d rather be with you guys back on campus where it’s safe.  We don’t want to die.”

Artiss went quiet.  Mackie wasn’t sure if he was thinking it over or had just chosen not to respond.  It was too much to hope that he’d passed out from blood loss.

Finally, Artiss said, “Okay.  But I want the guns tossed outside first.  Then they come out the front where I can keep an eye on them.

Kara looked desperately at Mackie, her eyes practically screaming
What-the-hell-do-we-do-now? 
Waves of red and yellow and black coruscated over her face from the firelight.

Mackie gave her a nod.  “Okay,” he called out to Artiss.  “I’m gonna toss the guns out the front door.”

“The rifle
and
the Glock.  Keep your fingers far away from the triggers.”

“Huh-he’ll kill us,” Jason said.

“Maybe, but we’ll burn up if we don’t do it.”

“We can make a run for it,” McRae whispered from the front door, barely audible over the crackling flames.  “He can’t get us all.”

“The women and Jason are unarmed.  They wouldn’t have a chance.”

Mackie motioned the group to the front door, where the flames had not yet spread.  The roof popped and cracked above them, the asphalt shingles likely spewing sparks like a volcano.  If they didn’t move soon, the house might collapse.  Mackie wiped the sweat from his face and swallowed hard, dragging his backpack to his shoulder.

“It’s okay, kitty,” he said to Sabbath in the backpack, but the animal squirmed and kicked in distress.

“You sure about this?” McRae said.  “You know that little shit is going to kill us both, no matter what.  Maybe all of us.”

“You were an agent.  Whatever happened to ‘Serve and protect’?”

“This isn’t a fucking TV show, Mackie. And this fire is probably attracting Zap freaks from all over.  Even if Artiss doesn’t kill them, they’ll never make it back to campus.”

“Hurry,” Meredith wailed.  “I can’t breath.”

Mackie parted the front door about a foot and tossed out the Glock.  The cool air from the open door was welcome and almost worth losing his weapons.  The heat inside was stifling and everyone coughed from the thick layers of smoke hovering in the room.

“Your move,” Mackie said to McRae.  “I can’t make you play along if you don’t want to.”

McRae glanced at the two women huddled and panting in the heat, then at Jason’s scared young face.  “Shit.”

He parted the door wider and hurled his rifle into the yard.

“We’re coming out now,” Mackie called out the open door.  “Don’t shoot.”

Artiss didn’t respond.

Mackie led the way, bracing for a swarm of hot lead to rake across his chest.  McRae was just behind him, then Jason, Meredith, and Kara.

Artiss stood at the edge of the house fire’s glow, pointing his assault rifle, face and arms scraped raw and bloody from his dive out the window.  The wounds were glistening wet in the light.  A shard of glass protruded from beneath his right breast.  His smile looked diseased and almost comically large for his face, teeth stained pink with blood.

“You’re not looking so good,” Mackie said.  “You might want to grab some gauze from the nurse’s office, maybe lie down for a bit.”

“Sure, Doc.  Anything you say.”

The southern side of the cottage was almost entirely consumed by flames now.  The wood crackled and snapped, threatening to ignite the nearby trees.  And there was no fire department to keep the blaze from spreading across the campus.  Nothing, really, to stop it from eating the August-dry mountains around them.

“Get over here, away from the guns,” Artiss said.

“You don’t even need Herrera,” Meredith said, trying to flatter him.  “Look who’s brave.  You could’ve run far the hell away from here.  Somebody like you should run this show.”

“Yeah?”  Artiss ran his slobbering tongue over his top row of teeth.  “You wanted me, baby, and now you got me.  True love doesn’t run.”

“Never mind her,” Kara said, evidently wanting to carry out her charade of being attracted to Artiss.  “I need a real man to take care of me when we get back to campus.  And it looks like there’s only one man who can handle that job.”

Artiss actually snickered, torn between wanting to buy the bullshit and acknowledging that he was being fucked with, and then his eyes widened at something he spotted behind Mackie.

“What the hell is this?  You assholes trying to burn down what’s left of the world?”  Herrera emerged from the dark forest, Sayles skulking behind him.

Artiss’ demeanor shifted to wide-eyed reverence, flames reflecting crazily in his pupils.  “Herrera...I need you to listen to me.”

Herrera leveled his assault rifle at Artiss.  “You better put that rifle down quick.”

“No, just listen—”

“Drop that shit
now
,
pendejo
. And Mackie, if you even so much as blink, you’re going to be Swiss cheese with taco sauce.”

Artiss pointed his rifle’s barrel away from Mackie and Jason, aimed the barrel skyward, held it out to the side.  “Okay, okay, man.”

“On the
ground
.”

Artiss let the rifle fall.  “
Okay
, listen, I’m one of you.”

Herrera cackled.  “Seem a little pale for that.”

Mackie considered making a run for it. The dark woods were maybe fifty feet away, and if the gods were smiling, he’d get there with only a couple of minor wounds.  But the others would be left at the mercy of a pissed-off psycho.

Damn it, when did you sign up for superhero duties?

“Herrera, there’s something I want to tell you,” Artiss said.  “You’re gonna like this.”

“Yeah?  And what’s that?”

“Herrera, don’t trust him,” Mackie said.

“A
gringo
of words instead of action now? If Krider wasn’t hot for you, you’d be dead already,” Herrera said with a smirk.  He eyed Artiss’ wounds.  “Hell happened to you, man?”

“Kicking ass,” Artiss said, talking too fast again.  “You and me, we can run this place together. You can call all the shots.  I’ll do whatever you say.  Let’s kill the guys, keep the girls.”

“I already
have
the girls.” Herrera gave a lewd waggle of his tongue in Kara’s direction.

“I’m talking a power play, Herrera.”

Sayles chuckled while Herrera gave a comical gape with his mouth open, as if trying to figure out the punch line of a bad joke.  He took his first close look at Jason, realized the kid was a new face, and gave a little shake of his head.

“Some party,” Herrera said.  “You steal a weapon and run off, try to burn down what’s left of the fucking world, wake up every Zaphead in hillbilly country, and now you got a deal for me?”

“No, Herrera—”

“What kind of shit are you talkin’?  Mackie, what kind of shit is he talkin’?”

“He’s screwing with you, Herrera, he—”

“You shut the hell up!” Artiss screamed, his hands balled into fists.  “Herrera, you’re the man. 
You
need to be in charge.  Let me help you.”

The savage cunning, the wolf-like intensity and hunger that Mackie had seen so many times in Herrera’s features...it was gone now, replaced with a mask of mirth that seemed so foreign on Herrera’s face. The house was fully engulfed now, crackling and hissing like a napalm waterfall. Herrera looked perfectly at home in the flickering light of the twenty-foot-high torch, as if he were Satan himself and had just walked out of hell’s gate for a little R and R.

“I don’t understand what the hell you’re trying to tell me,
pendejo
. But if you can entertain me for a second, you get to draw another breath or two. Ever since we lost television, I’m in stupidity withdrawals.”

“Look...you were with a cartel, am I right?  Am I right?”

Mackie dared to edge two steps closer to Artiss. He put his hands on his hips, as if waiting for an outcome, and the movement put his right hand inches from the kitchen knife in his back pocket. Sayles noticed but seemed more interested in Meredith, who hung just at the edge of the firelight.

“Cartels, they deal in human trafficking...so this is gonna make sense to you,” Artiss blubbered.  “We have all these women here on campus.  When we find other survivors, we can pimp the women out for food, medicine, services, hell, pretty soon we live like kings.”

“You don’t know shit about cartels,” Herrera said. “This isn’t a fucking episode of
Breaking Bad
.”

“And what about Krider?” Sayles asked. If a coup was afoot, Sayles seemed to be out of the loop.

“Oh God,” Kara screamed, pointing into the forest. “Something’s coming.”

Sayles and Herrera turned. Whether Kara had created the distraction on purpose or not, Mackie saw an opening.  He pulled the kitchen knife from his jeans pocket and went to work.

Artiss must have heard a whisper of wind.  He turned just in time to see the dancing blade lit with fire.  Mackie plunged the knife just below Artiss’ sternum.

Artiss’ eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, a bubble of blood popping on his lower lip.

“I told you this was coming,” Mackie whispered in his ear.