First Wave (The Travis Combs Post-Apocalypse Thrillers) (17 page)

The commotion was deafening: the boot heels grinding
on shards of broken glass; drunken laughter and brawling; a car horn blowing
for no apparent reason while a man swung off a lamp post, yelling at the other
men in the street. It was the most activity Flagstaff’s downtown area had seen
in the months, since the pandemic caused everyone to shudder themselves in, die,
or evacuate. Those who were smart enough to get out, before Enrique and his
gang rolled into town, were spared the executions.

The seven hundred or so brutes, who gathered below
in the town square, were waiting for El Jefe to step out on the balcony of the
Weatherford Hotel and fill them in on their next plan for inflicting pain on
others. Most of them had escaped the initial die off as they were left
incarcerated, their prison cells being a safe haven from the massive death toll
raging in the cities. About a third of the men were Enrique’s well-trained
inner circle, who had been with him for nearly a decade, as he butchered and
murdered his way to the top of the Sinaloa cartel.

Fleeing to the isolated confines of Flagstaff had
just provided them with a large playground, but it was becoming a prison, and
Enrique’s underlings were now finding themselves in the role of breaking up
hourly fights and preventing wanton destruction, caused by pent up ruffians
whose only outlet was killing or raping. The only people allowed to leave were
the biker patrols that had been scouring the deserts to the west, looking for
someone El Jefe had said would make them rich.

Enrique stepped out on the balcony to deliver his
message and rally the men. Nikki had informed him, the night before, of the
impending arrival of weapons and the stepped up timeline to crush the ranchers.
He was eager to kill again; to have the city under his complete control, and,
most importantly, to be rid of the nefarious woman, whose presence continually
tormented him.

His six-foot seven figure glowered over the railing,
as he ran two fingers across his finely trimmed goatee, then extended his hand
for the crowd to grow silent. The leather cap over his bald head was pulled
down just long enough to cover the tops of his ears. He turned and spit a
stream of tobacco on the wooden porch before turning to the crowd. “Amigos, the
mountain air here has spared us the fate of our brothers to the south. This
place has kept the virus from spreading, and with your help, we have made this
the dominant city in the region. However, there is a growing threat below us. A
town of people, who think they have the cajones to take what is ours,” he said,
clenching the brass railings with both hands.

“I ask this- haven’t you had enough taken from you
in your lives? Haven’t you all suffered enough at the hands of those who lived
by a justice system of their own creation, locking you up and looking the other
way? A system that they will want to impose upon you once more, if they get a
foothold up here?” he said as the crowd’s fervor and shouts increased.

“We freed you, so you could live once more as men,
and destroy those who would try to take that away. No longer will you have to
be victims of a society that caters only to those misguided fools in charge. Now
I will provide you with the tools to bring destruction to those who would
oppress you.”

The throngs of convicts bellowed and clutched their
knives, thrusting the blades up, while Enrique smiled. “Our fight is coming in
a few days. Then we will crush Sedona and Jerome and reign supreme over the
Southwest. My lieutenants will provide you with the information, shortly, of
what is expected of you. Until then, enjoy yourselves my friends. The world is
about to be yours.”

The crowd roared and clapping ensued, as the greedy
mob took to the streets swinging from light posts and jumping off toppled cars,
like a feverish mob infused with an invisible current.

Enrique walked back inside his loft and poured himself
a drink of rum, staring at his image in the wall-sized mirror, over the saloon
counter. “If only there was real Tequila to be had in this city. We brought
guns, bikes, and explosives but no fucking tequila! Now, I must drink this
mustard piss instead,” he said to one of his men standing beside the old
counter.

Enrique gazed at his own face in the broken mirror,
then poured another glass, spilling a sizeable portion on the glossy counter. He
wondered what Mexico looked like as he choked down the vile fluid and slammed
the glass into the wall. Then he motioned to his men in the hallway to grab their
weapons. They walked down the stairs, descending three floors, until they
arrived at the hidden passageway beneath the buildings.

Once they were inside the isolated confines of the
narrow walkway, he turned to the five loyal men behind him. “Next, we get the
weapons we need from
la diabla
. Then we crush the vaqueros to the
south.” His eyes widened. “Then, when it’s all done, we will hack that blue-eyed
bitch to pieces and feed her body to the undead.”

Travis was sitting on the porch steps of the
white-trimmed hotel, field stripping his AK, when a procession of horseback
riders made their way through the streets below. He jumped up, quickly assembled
the rifle, and sped down the cracked, blacktop street to meet the convoy.

He could see Pete’s blonde tangle of hair and his
smiling face as he approached. Pete nodded, “I hope you got those steaks on the
grill already, partner.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve grown tired of packrat?” he
said, smacking Pete on the leg, reaching out to shake his friend’s hand. Then
he leaned back and waved down the line to Evelyn, Becka, and LB who were at the
rear.

Pete looked up at the lofty building ahead that
Travis had come from. “Wow, I heard you and Katy were shacked up in a hotel
somewhere, but didn’t think you the type to splurge like this.”

“Not exactly shacked up.”

“No, not yet anyway. You ain’t an officer and you
ain’t a gentleman, so what’re you waiting for son?”

Travis gave out a loud chuckle. He felt a long
crease travel up to his forehead and realized he hadn’t laughed in weeks. “Pete,
you’re a damn fine site to see, even if you’re not a woman,” he said, walking
alongside the horse as they strode up the hill. “How’s everyone been holding
up?”

“Becka and LB have become quite the trappers and
have been doing well. Becka could have stayed out there indefinitely, I think.
Evelyn not so much. Her hip is killin’ her most nights, and she’s had a hard
time of it. It’s good we’re here. I’m not sure she could have taken much more.”

“Where are Nora and Rachel?”

“They stopped down at the river to rest with the
other cowboys. They’ll be along soon. Where’s Katy?”

Travis smirked, “She must be down below in town
somewhere. We haven’t spoken much in the last few days.”

“OK, uhm…I’m sure that will make a good fireside
chat tonight.”

“Yeah, we got some things to talk about. Head to the
hotel- someone there will get you situated. After you’ve cleaned up and have dragged
a brush across that pelt on your head, we can talk my friend,” Travis said,
slowing up while the horses continued on.

“Righto brother. See you then.”

Travis turned and waved to the other riders, before
making a sharp turn on one of the side streets that led to Main Street. He kept
his eyes focused on the numerous people along the sidewalks, hoping to avoid an
encounter with Katy. Things had grown tense since their conversation, and he had
been sleeping most nights out on the balcony, venturing into their room only to
get some gear or a change of clothes.

A block ahead, he saw Crawford emerge from a red
brick building, and sped up to intercept him. “They’re back,” Travis said, as
he caught the older man on the shoulder.

Crawford paused and ruffled his eyebrows, then looked
Travis in the eyes. “Good. Then we leave tomorrow morning. Have everything you
need and be ready to lift off an hour before sunrise.”

He nodded as Crawford turned and continued walking
down the street. Travis ran his thumb under the leather strap on his AK and
retraced his steps, moving with less vigor in his walk, as he ascended the road
back up to the hotel.

***

A few hours later, the sun was fading over the
scrubby mountains to the west, lighting up the Verde Valley below Jerome, as
Pete entered a side room off the main hotel lobby. Travis was inside, sitting
at a small oak table, enjoying a rare meal of grilled, beef flank and canned
beans.

“Sit down and get some grub, man,” said Travis.

“As long as I don’t have to do dishes afterwards.” Pete
sat down across the table and dug into a hunk of meat, with his eyes ablaze.
“Glad we are all back under the same roof.”

“Yeah, but not for long. I have to talk with you
about something, and it’s gonna be an earful,” he paused, putting down his
fork. “There are things I never discussed with you about Jim and some coming
events that will impact us all.”

As the last rays of sunlight pierced the stained,
glass window beside them, Travis discussed everything he had learned about the
virus from Jim, the site in Durango, the undead menace, and his plans to accompany
Crawford to Winslow. Over the next hour, Pete alternated between delighting in
his meal and letting out long gasps of concern.

As darkness fell upon the room, Travis got up to
light a kerosene lantern and stood by the window, peering into the night. “You
know I had hoped to be on my way back to Denver but, regrettably, this scourge
in Flagstaff has to be dealt with first. I had this crazy notion that I would
just hitch a ride to Winslow and walk off into the wilds like I’ve always done,
making my way back home, however I could,” he said, turning and resuming his
seat at the table. “Someone in Flagstaff is as interested in getting their
hands on the vaccine, and the intel, as I am in getting rid of it all. As much
as I want to get the hell out of here, it seems like all roads lead there for
now. Once that threat is quelled, I will be on my way.”

Pete finished eating and leaned back. “Crawford know
all this? From what you’ve described, he seems like a decent leader.”

“Yep, he’s agreed that we need eyes on the ground in
Flagstaff, and that offensive action has to be done ASAP. His scouts on the
periphery have indicated that there’s a buildup of forces happening along with the
recent arrival of more bikers from the west. Plus, whoever is holding the reins
on this outfit knows about me, which means they have a long reach beyond the local
rabble up there,” he said, twirling a fork around. “Seems like this trip ain’t
done with me yet.”

“And here I thought I’d catch up on my sleep this
week,” Pete said, finishing the last of the food on his plate. “You are always
in the thick of it, my friend. Lately, it seems, if it wasn’t for bad luck, you
wouldn’t have any luck at all.”

“This all needs to stay between us, especially what
I’m going to say next,” said Travis. “Crawford is going to insert me outside of
Flagstaff tomorrow morning. The vaccine will remain hidden here in a safe
location. No one else but Katy, you, and I even know about its existence. I
could use someone who knows that town’s innards to draw me up a map of where
the storm drains below the university are located,” he said, taking a sip of
water. “My plan is to get in and relay some pertinent intel back to Crawford,
and see who’s at the top of the food chain there. I was hoping you could hammer
out a detailed map of the city for me tonight? You know it far better than I
do.”

Pete threw his shaggy mop of blond hair back. “Sure,
I can go over the details with you, but I’ll do it from over your shoulder while
we’re moving through Flagstaff.”

“I can sure use your help, but this is a one-man
operation. No need to get back on the trail again.”

“One night indoors is enough for me. Besides, I
never did like Jerome, and you’ll need someone to listen to your relationship woes.”

Travis was silent. He didn’t want to put his friend
at further risk but knew that Pete’s presence could make for a speedy
infiltration, compared with floundering on his own. “Alright, we’ll meet
Crawford at the helos at 0530 tomorrow. Have your usual survival gear, along
with seven mags for the AK. I’ll get you a pistol and spare mags to go with it.”

Both men stood up and moved towards the door. Travis
glanced at his friend. “And after this is over, you seriously have to get a
haircut Pete. You’re lookin’ more like a surfer each day.”

“A haircut, seriously! Then I’ll look like you- no
thanks,” he said as they chuckled, both trying to dispel the nervous tension of
the evening and the coming day.

The sound of rotor wash woke Katy from a deep sleep.
She sat up, rubbing her eyes, as a faint sliver of moonlight trickled in
through the window beside Travis’s empty cot. She hadn’t heard him get up and,
looking over, saw that his backpack and rifle were gone. Katy quickly dressed
and hurried down the hallway to the lobby porch, just in time to see the helo
taking off. As it flew past, she saw the subtle outline of Travis, seated next
to the open door on the right side. She sped down the steps in his direction, but
the helo was already pivoting, flying off to the northeast. She stood still, one
hand holding her fluttering hair back, as the image grew smaller in the pre-dawn
sky.

Evelyn had been sitting inside, under the glow of
kerosene light, as Katy walked back up. There was no hiding the look of anguish
on Katy’s face, as she pulled up a chair beside the grey-haired woman.

“You’ll see him again, my dear.”

“Not sure I want to see that one again.”

“Of course you say that now, but if he came walking
up these steps, your eyes would say different. Besides, Pete’s with him. He’s
in good hands.”

“What! Pete left with him?” she said, rolling her
lip. “That bastard. He gave me this speech the other day about how he was going
to walk off into the wilds and didn’t need anyone’s help. Now, Pete’s along for
the trip.”

“Travis is the kinda fella who needs to keep people
at a distance until he can be sure he, and they, won’t get hurt. He cares for
you Katy- that much was obvious to everyone who knew you two. That neither of
you can admit that to yourselves, is another story.”

Katy tied her hair back in a ponytail, giving Evelyn
a sideways glance.

“Don’t give me that look. You know darn well what
I’m talkin’ about. It seems like the world has fallen apart, but the challenge
of men and women communicating their feelings, hasn’t changed one bit,” Evelyn said,
smiling and shaking her head.

LB walked through the front door and stepped on to
the porch, “Mornin’ ladies.”

“Nothing good about it so far,” Katy said, getting
up and walking down the street.

“Something I said?” asked LB.

“Nope, she just needs to be alone right now.”

“I heard a lot of movement in the hotel. Seems like
everyone is gearing up for something big. Did I miss out on the invite to the
fiesta?”

“Not sure. All I’ve heard since we got back is endless
talk about Flagstaff. Something is brewing up north.”

****

“We’re fifteen minutes out from the LZ,” shouted
Crawford above the hum of the rotors. “We’ll drop you about twelve miles
southeast of Flagstaff near Lake Mary. From there, you can infil up the mesa into
town. My scouts near Sedona said the city is still crawling with RAMs, but if
you stick to the small canyons that skirt past the old Sherriff’s department,
you should be able to avoid any entanglements. From there, it’s your show
Pete.”

Travis tucked radio buds into his ear, while Pete
did the same. He did a radio check with Crawford and then turned off the device
to conserve the batteries. Travis leaned forward. “Give us until tonight to get
into place. Then we’ll radio in at 1900 and give you a sit-rep.”

He turned on the red light of his headlamp and
pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Mind giving this to Katy when you get
back. I’d appreciate it,” he said, handing it to Crawford.

“You boys watch your top-knots, and I’ll see you on
the extract,” said Crawford, stowing the paper.

They did a final check of their weapons and glanced
over each other’s pack straps, along with the AKs and tactical vests laden with
magazines. Crawford had provided them with radios and suppressors for the Glocks,
along with a few smoke grenades. The pilot leaned his right arm back,
indicating the approach to the landing zone, as both men readied to set down.

Travis turned his headlamp off and leaned towards
Crawford. “You never did buy me a beer.”

“Next time around then Seargent,” Crawford said, as both
men jumped on the soft ground, disappearing quickly into the darkness of the ponderosa
pine forest, while the dust from the ascending helo swirled around the tiny
meadow.