The Reaper: No Mercy (9 page)

"Please don't kill me," begged the remaining man. He was crying and holding pleading hands up to both the Reaper and Janet. She shuddered and backed away. The Reaper never even glanced at her as he spoke.

"Did you make your peace with God?"

"No, I don't know how! Show me how!"

"Unfortunate!" The words were said without emotion.

"Wait! It wasn’t my fault! She asked for it. Ask her!"

Janet shook her head vehemently, drawing the sudden motion briefly drawing the Reaper's eyes to her, and in that moment the last scum drew a hidden weapon from the small of his back. Janet's eyes widened as she automatically raised her automatic in suddenly firm hands, and without conscious thought squeezed the trigger, putting an identical third eye in the last would-be rapist.

The man who called himself the Reaper looked down at the body, then up at Janet, smiling.

"Nice shot. Let me get you back to where you were staying. It's not safe out here with the Godless roaming the streets. Those shots will bring them running, so we'd better hurry."

Janet still held her pistol, and was now pointing it at the Reaper.

"Thanks for the rescue, but I can find my own way. I'll try to return the favor someday," she replied as she edged sideways to pick up her pack, still wary of the stranger.

"I don't think so. I need to talk to your group. There is work here that needs doing." He paused as her finger tightened on the trigger. "I mean you no harm."

"I think you should just leave." Her courage was slowly coming back and she hissed her last words.

"I told you that I cannot. I must speak with your group. There is an evil presence in this city and we need to stop it. We must band together to take care of these marauders that are killing innocent people. Either you allow me to accompany you, or I will simply proceed to your group's last known location, which was shown to me by other survivors. But talk to your group I will."

Janet sighed and nodded.
Well, so much for trying to get rid of him
, she thought. She was dirty, sore, and covered in bruises from her near-escape, and only wanted the safety of their sanctuary.

*****

Jason grunted at Janet as she instructed him to follow and then led a circuitous route behind buildings and down narrow streets. A few of the undead tried to block their path, but he quickly dispatched them with his machete. Janet appeared shaken and her reactions were off, so the Reaper quickly took lead and travelled where she pointed. He needed to talk to this group, and he and Janet needed to get off the streets for a bit as racing engines, followed by gunshots, sounded in the distance. The bodies had been discovered and the two of them were being hunted.

"In here," Janet spoke softly as they neared what appeared to be a small professional office complex. A door stood before them and as he reached for the handle, Janet quickly moved in front of him. The Reaper paused as her small hand reached out to gently touch his chest, then withdrew. He could see she was working through something, but she looked up at him with piercing blue eyes and said, "Thank you again for saving me, but please don't hurt my friends. I'm trusting you, Reaper, and it goes against everything I've learned in the last month and more." She sighed as if considering whether to add to her statement, and then continued. "There is also a man inside, by the name of Bill. Don't be surprised if he's a little protective around me."

"You have my word," the Reaper solemnly replied, and they exchanged nods. With that, she grasped the handle and turned it, only to have the door fly open and the muzzle of a pistol held tightly in the fist of a wild-looking young man shoved straight at the Reaper’s face. Jason saw his finger tightening on the trigger as the man shouted, "Get down Janet!"

Instantly the Reaper was moving. The only solution here was direct action as the situation was spiraling rapidly out of control, and Jason did not hesitate. Twisting sideways while rotating his body to the right, he reached up with his left hand, grasping the extended hand and weapon while rotating his grip counter-clockwise and backwards in a sharp movement. This pointed the gun almost straight up as the figure before him yelled out in pain, going to his knees in an attempt to relieve the pressure on stressed joints. A little more pressure and Jason could easily have broken the wrist or dislocated the shoulder, but remembering Janet's words he refrained from such actions and contented himself with pulling the gun free with his right hand. Quickly he set the safety and held it out to Janet butt first. Idly he noticed it was a Ruger LCP .380 and briefly wondered why this man would be carrying a weapon normally reserved for women, then internally shrugged.
New world and all that
. Now he stilled his body and waited, watched, and listened, once again.

"Freaking stand down, Bill!" Janet's voice was low and angry as she grabbed the outstretched gun from the Reaper while imposing her body between them; the other man slowly got to his feet, cradling his hand. "He saved my life, jackass. Those savages caught me and he saved me. So just grow up a little and deal with it, and put this damn thing away!" Even more angrily, she shoved him, and the Reaper watched with amusement as he stumbled backwards, obviously dismayed at her anger, and then slowly reached out to take the proffered weapon.

"Hey baby, calm down. I didn't know. I'm cool," Bill said as he thrust the pistol behind his belt. He was young, younger than Janet, and still had his share of pimples. The Reaper at first wondered what this girl saw in a male, barely a man when she was so much older, then realized the feelings only went one way.

"Don't call me baby. I already told you that a hundred times." The Reaper saw that Janet was getting angrier by the second as her fist lashed out to punch Bill in the chest. Her shock had worn off, and it was obvious that her adrenaline had kicked into high gear. After what she had told him, the Reaper watched in amusement as Bill continued backing up into the interior. As Jason followed Janet inside, he turned, closing the door behind them, and the room descended into sudden gloom.

"Man, Janet. It's only an expression. Sorry. Everyone is here. We were just getting ready to go out looking for you." Behind Bill, five other men stood with weapons ready, but none were pointed directly at the Reaper. Behind those five stood an indeterminate number of women. All had weapons and looked determined. The Reaper liked what he saw, but seeing the hunched shoulders of the woman before him, and having an inkling of what she was going through, again reached out to lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. This time she did not shrug it off or shy away from the touch.

"Well, you would have been too late. Yeah I made a mistake going out by myself, and should have waited, but if not for the Reaper here I would have been another sex slave for those assholes." This last part was hissed, and her hand instinctively reached upward and touched Jason's lightly, seeking reassurance. The Reaper mildly noted that Bill’s expression had immediately changed to one of anger as he witnessed her subconscious act, and squeezed her hand softly before pulling his own back.

As the others sized him up, Janet's story came out along with the Reaper’s role in saving her life. There was heavy skepticism amongst the others at first, but Janet's vehement attitude and no-nonsense demeanor showed the Reaper that she would not have any lasting effects from her encounter. Her execution of the last of the would-be rapists was a Godsend, and that he considered a good sign. Her fiery account soon had the others nodding and smiling in return as they gazed at the Reaper, who grunted, for this little spitfire girl reminded him of someone he had saved recently, but again he shrugged those thoughts off as one of the men finally stepped forward, hand outstretched. The Reaper shook the strong grip with one of his own and listened as the man spoke.

"Thank you for saving Janet, Reaper. My name is Scott, and you’re welcome here. Please come to the back, have a seat, and tell us about yourself." He led the way as Janet grabbed the Reaper’s arm and pulled him along.

*****

"So that's where we stand. We would love to help, but we're not trained professionals," Scott said as he finished recounting their group's adventures. For the last forty-five minutes, Scott had filled Jason in on their adventures. Some from Paris, and others that had drifted in needing sactuary, and in return the Reaper had told the small group of the outside world, and the happenings in Paris, Missouri, of which they were not aware. They were dismayed, but like both other groups considered themselves too small to make a difference, or even take a direct hand. Jason knew better and intended to prove it. First, though, he had to get in contact with the remaining two groups outside the influence of the marauders. He needed to know their numbers first before a plan could be put into motion.

"I understand, but these minions of the Devil will not go away and they'll find you sooner than later. You are on borrowed time."

"Well, we might have to relocate then. Jason, we are only six men and a dozen and a half women, along with more children than you would believe. Only two of the men and one of the women are ex-military. We don't have the resources you need to clean this group out."

"I understand. Let me talk to the last two groups who have been identified to me, and I will get back to you. Remember, Scott. The Lord brought us together for a reason. An evil presence here, in this city, needs to be put down. God would not have started us on this mission if we were not enough, or if we did not have the strength to succeed." The Reaper's last words were said with the strong passion of belief, and the others appeared taken aback at his vehemence.

The Reaper now stood at the back door of the office complex, one of the men having shown him the hidden way out. As he prepared to leave, Janet approached him.

"Reaper." The words were said softly and she held her hands out to him. Slowly he reached out to grasp them in his own rougher hands while holding them gently. Her blue eyes were large as she gazed up into his face, then stood on her tiptoes to kiss the side of his cheek beneath its beard. He smiled down at her as she spoke.

"Thank you again for saving my life. Maybe someday I can repay the favor." Her voice faltered as she looked down, and then continued in the same soft voice. "I always thought I was one tough bitch and more clever than most. Today was a rude awakening." She sighed heavily and started to speak again, but the Reaper hushed her. His mind traveled back in time to his family, and then forward to the girl Shannon he had saved in Ohio, who had voiced similar sentiments. It was a new world full of evil, and only the smartest and best organized would survive.

"Janet. I lost my entire family barely a month ago. It will be some time before I can, if ever, come to true grips with that. I know they are waiting for me in heaven, but the Lord has given me a mission to fulfill. Take your time and heal. Someday you'll be ready to take on the world, and if not Bill, then someone else will help fill your life. Now, I must leave. It's afternoon already and I have two other groups to visit, and a recon to do tonight." She nodded slowly as he released her, and after checking to make sure no one was within sight, the Reaper disappeared through the door.

Again in the distance he could hear engines, and he knew the marauders were still looking for whomever had killed some of their number again. His eyes traveled back and forth continuously as he approached each corner and, with the instincts of a predator, he took advantage of all available cover.

There! One of the Godless undead was sitting down next to a dumpster with slumped head and shoulders. The spawn of Satan was playing dead for anyone unwary enough to come close, but the Reaper was not fooled. The lack of incapacitating wounds to its head or neck told Jason the undead thing was playing possum. This creature was still very much able to devour the unwary, or anything that came within its reach, be it man or animal. Their cunning was deadly and unnatural. Anger once again burned brightly within the Reaper as he slowly unsheathed his machete after transferring the rifle to his left hand. A quick step, a boot scuff, and the spawn of Satan was lurching to its feet but far too late, as the machete descended to cleave through the desiccated muscle and bone of its neck. Eyeing his latest kill, the Reaper wiped the blade off on clothing torn and ragged before sheathing it and continuing down the narrow street on his quest.

Two intersections later, he pulled the map out to examine it. He had narrowly avoided being spotted by the marauders moments before. Only by leaping into the interior of a plundered store did he escape detection. While Jason was without fear, as his belief in God's divine will was strong, he also knew the Lord most helped those who helped themselves, and that included the basic stealth procedure of movement within enemy territory. It was surely luck that none of Satan's hellions were residing inside the store’s gloomy interior, and now the Reaper glanced at his watch, seeing that it was almost 4 p.m., and let his finger slide forward to the next circle.
Almost there
, he thought.

*****

Twenty minutes later, Jason was heading to the last location. He had found the third group. They had been easy to find. Unfortunately they were all dead, having been found first by the marauders and murdered. Jason had laid the two older adults and three small children side-by-side in the living room of their home before setting it afire, for the least he could do was send their ashes to heaven. He wiped away the tears that had sprung forth as he closed the little ones’ eyes. Oh, yes, the Lord was definitely telling him to complete this mission.