Scarlett forced a smile and resisted the urge to question his audacious plan. Zac knew what he was doing. Still, everything was happening too fast. Were they making the right decision? The sharp metallic taste of blood cut into her lips, reminding her that Hu-manity was heartbeats away from extinction based on their future decisions.
From her view out the opposite window, the dried grasses flattened at the edge of the clearing where the helicopter touched down. There was no place to run. No attic. No basement. No outbuildings.
“Justin, get Ella and the baby into the last shower stall,” Dean ordered. “Scarlett, Twila, that goes for the two of you as well.”
Luther eyed the helicopter through the scope of his M4. “Got a clear shot. I can get two of them before they know what hit them. Just say the word, bro.”
“Better not,” Zac advised. “My handler’s simply making a courtesy call. Hoping to recoup his investment. That helo’s armed with shoot-to-kill mercenaries. I’m an asset, remember. And a lil’ bit AWOL. Once I explain my botched mission, things will cool down. They can’t possibly know about the women and children.”
“We don’t know what happened to Krasinski and Lopez,” Justin ranted on. “What if they sold us out for the reward?”
So much to consider. So many ways this could go wrong. Scarlett wanted to run straight into Zac’s arms and beg him not to leave her. To never leave her again. But she couldn’t move. She merely stood there like a fly glued to the flippin’ wall.
Zac remained steadfast. “Get to Quinton’s. Pronto.” He set a leather bag on the dresser. “Luther, you’re in charge of the Elite Gold. Each tab is one gram of ninety-nine percent gold. It will get you out of any S-H-T-F scenario.”
“Damn!” Luther goggled. “Where’d you get that?”
“Got connections,” Zac said with a swagger.
Justin scurried a groggy Ella and the baby to the bathroom. Twila followed without any debate. Dean ushered her in. From the bathroom door, Scarlett turned back to Zac. With beseeching eyes, she cried out, “Don’t go!”
He answered back, “Babe, if I don’t walk out of here like I don’t give a shit, they’ll know something’s up.” And he grabbed his M4 and strutted out the door.
“It’s about time you showed up,” Zac ragged. The door slammed shut behind him.
Bring him back safely, Scarlett pleaded to the cosmos. His charming smile appeared in her inner vision. A heaviness descended upon her when a rush of negativity flooded over her. She couldn’t lose him so soon. She’d only been with him a few precious hours. The best hours of her life since she had been with him last.
The room spun.
***
Scarlett awoke to find Ella and Twila on each side of her.
Dean loomed over her. “Did you get one of those—messages?” he asked, concern seeping into his voice.
“No, I’m afraid I just fainted.” She didn’t admit she had fainted because she couldn’t bear losing Zac.
“You probably need some carbs,” Luther said. “I’ll grab the case of MREs from the truck.”
“I don’t get it. Why’d Zac go back?” Justin criticized.
Dean patted Justin’s shoulder. “Think ’bout it. Ella just gave birth. She can barely walk. If he thinks a helicopter’s the best way out of here, we ought to trust his instincts.”
One last mission, Scarlett mused. The infamous last words of many an overconfident man.
“The man with the weird-looking mustache wants Zac— Dead . . .” Twila’s words trailed off.
Scarlett struggled up from the lower bunk. “Warn him.”
“I’ll try. If he listens to me. Why didn’t you ever listen to me?” Twila turned to Justin.
Justin pointed to his chest. “Moi?” He had the most incredulous look of disbelief on his face as he rolled his eyes in retaliation.
“Okay, I told him,” Twila proudly informed the inquisitive faces in the room.
Luther muttered from the window. “Enough of the Voodoo already.”
“So, now what?” Justin moped around the room.
“We wait it out for the time being and keep the place guarded,” Dean said matter-of-factly. “When the HAZMAT crew’s done mopping up, I’ll go chat up Mr. Stanwyck for petrol like Zac mentioned. Justin, I don’t want you going near the house. Don’t forget, you’re on the Most Wanted list.”
“He’s right,” Ella said firmly.
Scarlett’s depression reached a new low. How were they getting out of this dilemma? Based on the furrowed brows in the room, everyone except Mateo seemed to understand that once again time ticked backward. Erasing mankind from the Akashic Records.
Chapter 2
Dean Wormer kept himself busy by tidying the bunkhouse after they had polished off a round of MREs. Dad-blast-it! No amount of Rolaids could relieve the sour aftertaste hinting something other than his chronic heartburn was amiss.
A discombobulated Scarlett moped about, recovering from her recent imprisonment. It must have been a traumatic experience. She hadn’t mentioned a single word about it. Who would have thought dead-heads had the smarts to organize a kidnapping? The real miracle—the dead-heads hadn’t turned her into one of them. Something beyond his comprehension was occurring, albeit mystical or just downright evil.
Ella remained surprisingly calm given their precarious situation. She was most likely worn out from giving birth. Justin, on the other hand, paced around like a bull in a pasture full of heifers in heat. Dean understood all too well. Justin was a daddy now; it had a way of changing everything. The responsibility of protecting Ella and the baby must be daunting at the very least.
Twila’s deadpan demeanor had him on edge. This callous new world had stolen her childhood. Why, she should be baking mud pies or playing video games, or whatever kids did nowadays. How had Scarlett protected her this entire time? It was a wonder they hadn’t succumbed to post-apocalyptic despair.
Luther seemed to be the only one firing
