Apocalypse Cowboy

mouth, while something sharp and pointed pricked the skin at her back through her shirt.

“If you move or scream, you die.”

* * * * *

Brody awoke alone with a sense of something not being right. Hopping out of bed, he pulled on his jeans as he checked the bathroom for Hannah. Tucking the gun he’d put under the pillow into his pants, he left the room, his feeling of urgency increasing.

Where could she have gone?

The bike still sat in its spot, untouched. His eyes scanned the area around the motel, but nothing moved. A flicker of motion in the corner of his eye caught his attention from the office. He pretended not to see it and wandered around the backside of the building. He ran quickly once out of sight ‘til he reached the rear of the office then he inched quietly up the side. Scuffing sounds ahead had him holding his breath and peering around the corner. His hearth clenched at the sight of Hannah being marched with a knife at her back.

Aiming the gun, he called out, “Let the girl go, or I’ll blow your fucking head off.”

The ruffian whirled, one hand tangled in Hannah’s hair, the knife moved to a point below her chin.

“One move and she dies,” threatened the bastard who had dared touch Brody’s woman.

The absolute look of terror in Hannah’s eyes twisted like a knife in Brody’s gut. “I am not telling you again. Let her go, or I’ll cut you apart piece by fucking piece.” Brody cocked the gun, stilling his breath, waiting for his shot.

Hannah, as if sensing her captor’s distraction, slammed her foot down on his instep. With a yelp, his knife hand moved, and Brody fired.

* * * * *

Hannah heard the crack of the pistol, might have even felt the whizzing breeze as the bullet flew past her face and hit the vagrant who’d caught her. With a scream, the hand in her hair loosened, and she ran straight for Brody.

Thunderclouds brewed in his eyes, and his lips were taut with anger. He reached an arm out to curl around her and tuck her face-first into his chest. She heard another crack of the gun and the screaming stopped.

Shaking, she let him lead her to their room. Tenderly, he lifted her chin and, with antiseptic and bandages from a kit he kept in the saddlebags, he cleaned and covered the nick on her neck. Then he engulfed her in a huge hug, a bone-crushing one.

“Don’t you ever go out on your own like that again,” he said with a tight voice.

Hannah, still in shock, just nodded. She’d even do one better. Once they found Beth, she’d go back home and never leave again.

Brody packed their things in silence and signaled to her it was time to go. Hannah kept her eyes averted so not to see the body in the parking lot. Death in this case had been inevitable and justified. Scum like that couldn’t be allowed to live and prey on others. She only hoped Beth hadn’t run into him as well.

Had all the men left in the world gone crazy? Why did they all want to hurt and rape? She thanked god that Brody hadn’t turned feral. She also prayed with all her might that Beth hadn’t been waylaid.

After checking their route on a map he’d brought along, Brody drove, only stopping for gas. Hannah found herself getting more and more tense the farther they went without seeing any signs of Beth. Oh god, please let her be all right. She knew they had to be getting close to the old Amish village. Signs of people in the area were glaringly obvious from the road that had been cleared of vehicles allowing them to make good time, to the smoke spiraling in the sky which pulled at them like a beacon.

Trying to ignore her anxiety over Beth, she found herself thinking back on Brody’s confession of the previous night. He never stopped caring, and he wanted to come back. She didn’t have a hard time picturing his pride standing in the way of common sense. Brody had never been the type to tuck tail and admit defeat. But his stubbornness had cost them both a lot. Hannah wished she could trust in him completely. The pain of the last year and a half was still an ache in her heart, and her skeptical side couldn’t help wondering if he’d leave eventually looking for greener pastures again.

Brody cursed and downshifted on the bike, startling Hannah. Lifting her head from where it rested on his back, she peered around his wide shoulders to see two men dressed ruggedly in jeans and ball caps, standing in the middle of the road, rifles aimed menacingly.

“What do they want?” she asked, fear making her voice come out high.

“Just let me do the talking,” he said, slowing the bike down, then pulling the gun from the tank bag and putting it in his lap.

Brody stopped about fifteen feet from the two men, one of whom had his rifle pointed at them. The other had lowered his gun and held a hand up in a stopping motion. When Brody killed the engine, he spoke.

“Howdy, folks. You wouldn’t be Brody and Hannah, would you?”

Hannah knew her jaw dropped even as her heart sped up. If they knew their names and expected them, that could only mean…

“Beth!” she cried. “Is she here?”

The one pointing the gun lowered it and smiled, and Hannah noticed how young he was. “She sure is. When we heard she’d run away and that you’d probably come looking for her, we stationed some guys to keep any eye out for you.”

“Why the guns then?” asked Brody, his body still tense.

“It always pays to be safe. We’ve had run-ins with a few dickheads who seem to think that no cops means they can do what the hell they like.”

Brody relaxed. “Fair enough. A shame the virus didn’t target assholes.”

“No kidding. My name’s Joel by the way,” said the older one, holding out hand which Brody shook. “And this here is my son Mike.”

They shook hands all around, and Hannah bit her lip so as to not scream. She didn’t care about their names. She wanted to see Beth.

Impatient she blurted. “Where’s Beth? Can I see her?” And shake her for scaring the crap out of me! Hannah couldn’t believe they’d actually found her. A part of her had thought their search would be fruitless.

“She’s back at the village. Why don’t you follow us?”

Boarding some dirt bikes of their own, they followed Joel and Mike down the road, passing farms with tilled fields and livestock grazing. They eventually entered a bustling town-an extremely outdated one with clapboard and stone buildings.

Brody parked his bike in front of a house that Mike claimed was his, and they all got off their bikes, Hannah rubbing her sore posterior.

“Hannah!” Beth squealed as she came running out the front door. She promptly burst into tears.

Hannah squeezed her little sister tight and closed her eyes as tears leaked in relief. Then she shook her sister. “What did you think you were doing? Do you have any idea how dangerous your road trip was? Or how worried we all were?”

Beth ducked her head. “I know it was stupid. I ran into some nasty guys the next town over. I was lucky Mike was on a supply mission. He and Joel heard me screaming and managed to scare them off.” Beth darted a look over at Mike, who talked with Brody, the hero worship in her eyes evident.

“Oh Bethie,” said Hannah. “I’m so glad you didn’t get hurt. You were damned lucky.”

“I know that now. Mike lectured me pretty good. I’m sorry, Hannah. I shouldn’t have run off like that.”

Hannah couldn’t have been more stunned if she’d been slapped. Beth apologizing? “Yes, well, at least you’re safe.”

“Oh Hannah, this place is so amazing. I only got here last night, but Mike gave me a tour this morning before he went to wait for you guys. Can we stay please? There’s all kinds of things I could do here, and they’ve got extra houses and…”

Hannah held up her hands. “Whoa, Bethie. We just got here. I guess if you really want to stay, then I can’t stop