She unloaded every round in a revolver, peppering the office walls until Colby heard the gun click. He dashed into the rear of the office, scrambling to get out the back window. His body hit the ground, and Colby rolled down a grassy embankment. Staying low, he worked his way around until he was at the corner.
He saw them. Staring. Waiting.
They must have thought he was still in there as Delores stood there bellowing, “I’ll kill you and feed you to my dogs.” She charged over to where the dogs were and unleashed them. “Get him, boys.”
Without hesitation, she walked up to the office door and opened it, and the dogs burst inside. She slammed the door and waited, a look of glee.
It didn’t last.
Colby darted at a crouch toward their truck. The driver’s door was still open, and the vehicle was idling. He got in, jammed the gearstick into drive, and crushed the pedal. The vehicle tore forward. Delores looked his way for but a second before he plowed into her, knocking her several feet back.
Colby wrenched the steering wheel around into an aisle of steel to see the last guy making a run for it. He fired a few rounds that cracked the windshield, but it was useless. Fear overtook him. Colby gunned the engine and took off after him. He had nowhere to go. He made it about twenty yards before he was rear-ended. His body soared through the air, landing hard.
Unlike Delores, he was still alive.
Colby got out and walked over to him, gun at the ready as he crawled on his belly, trying to go for his rifle. He managed to get his grubby hands on it before Colby placed his boot on his fingers, crushing them.
He winced in pain as he looked up.
“Where did Alicia go?”
“She headed for the town. Gustine. We think she made it to the gun store.”
“The gun store?”
“It’s called the Outpost. We’ve been trying to get in there for a while but haven’t managed so far. Please, man. I don’t even like working for this guy.”
“Then why are you?”
“Because…”
He could tell he was reaching. Lying. Trying to come up with any reason to excuse his behavior and survive, but it couldn’t be excused. It wouldn’t be.
“Wrong answer.” Colby shot him square between the eyes.
He looked into the sky and took a deep breath before turning back to the truck and getting in. There wasn’t much gas left, a quarter of a tank. He’d seen a 5-gallon canister in the office but that’s where the dogs were. He reversed back and glanced at Delores lying motionless. Every person would pick a different route in the apocalypse. He’d met all kinds so far. The wicked. The good. And now the ugly. It was insane. Some had nothing but would give everything, and those who would side with evil for but a few scraps from the table. Colby parked the truck close to the door. He got out and opened the office door. He let out a whistle. “Fire. Brimstone!”
He heard nails tapping the floor as they came barreling out. He was already in the vehicle. He waited until they were over by Delores, sniffing her body, before climbing out and collecting the can. Within seconds he was back in the truck. He did a U-turn and headed for the exit. He glanced in the rear mirror for but a second to see the dogs feasting on their owner. It was a savage new world and even the animals knew it.
Colby returned to where he’d left the horse, untied it, and slapped it on the ass. “Go. Go on. You’re free to go!” The horse took off galloping across the field, feeling freedom probably for the first time. He opened the canister and poured the gas into the tank. Once done, he screwed the top back on and tossed it in the back of the truck. He glanced across the field to the wreckers’ yard before getting in and reversing out, his mind turning to Alicia.
He was glad she’d escaped.
He only hoped she was still alive and he could reach her before she left town.
NINETEEN Jessie
Humboldt County
Jessie dabbed Miriam’s face with a warm cloth. She still hadn’t woken up. His mother had given them all strict orders not to go anywhere near the Stricklands until she returned. Zeke leaned against the doorway as Jessie twisted the wet rag and gazed at Miriam’s wounds. Seeing her beaten up so badly enraged him. Even though he’d told his brothers that the killing needed to end, he could see that it was a fantasy to think that way. “They’re worse than animals. Look at her. I say we go down there and deal with the matter,” Jessie said.
“You heard what mother said,” Zeke replied.
“Yeah, and I also heard she was the one responsible for Ryland’s death. C’mon, can’t you see the way she’s manipulated this family?”
Zeke shrugged. “She thinks we can handle this with diplomacy.”
Jessie laughed. “Diplomacy. She does, does she?” He shook his head. “The only thing they understand is the gun, Zeke. I know that now more than ever.”
“Father didn’t think so.”
“What did he know? He was from the old school. You know, I thought Luke was an asshole, but at least he got it. He understood. Words only get you so far. Sometimes you have to show people the way.”
“Damn right,” Lincoln added, walking into the room and sitting on the other side of the bed. He picked up Miriam’s limp hand. “What I would have given to be there when they started. I would have killed them all.”
Dylan appeared next to Zeke. “Listen to you. She hasn’t even woken up and told us who did it, and
