Total Annihilation Read online

  “Yeah, I don’t think Roy was too fond of me then,” said Ben.

  “From what Josie tells me, you helped keep her alive,” Roy said. “For that, I’m indebted to you. But it doesn’t make us friends yet.”

  “Understood,” said Ben.

  He next looked over at Jon.

  “Jon,” Jon nodded. “This is my place.”

  “Do you need anything?” Josie asked.

  “Maybe just some water,” Ben said. “That would be good.”

  “Okay, one sec.” Josie left to go fetch it, leaving Ben with Roy, Jon, and Alex.

  Roy took advantage of the moment to step up to the side of couch, towering over the wounded Ben who lay there helplessly.

  “Listen, kid,” Roy spoke with authority in his voice. “I know who you are, and I know who you were with. You took direct part in the attack on our house. Affirm.”

  Ben nodded warily.

  “Then don’t get too comfortable,” Roy warned. “Because you’re not a part of the family, and you never will be. Right now, you’re our prisoner, and it’s only because you helped my wife stay alive that we didn’t leave you for dead or put you down. And one more thing, I don’t want you to say one small word to my daughter or touch a single weapon in the house, not even a butter knife. Because if you do, it’s life back on the streets for you. And considering your current state of health, that’s equivalent to a death sentence. Do you understand?”

  Ben nodded again.

  Josie returned with the water, and Ben gulped it down.

  Chapter 27

  Roy and Jon geared up outside behind the walls for the upcoming expedition into town. They had decided to venture out at night and were using what little remained of daylight to suit up and prepare.

  They both reloaded their pistol magazines to full capacity. As before, Jon had two Glock 19s, one in each thigh holster so he could access a gun with either hand, and with a total of four spare magazines secured to his belt. He kept his Glock 26 backup, which he continued to keep a secret from everyone else, wrapped above his ankle and concealed under his khaki cargo pants. Roy just stuck with his trusty Beretta 92FS on a hip holster on his right side, with two spare magazines on his left.

  They debated bringing their AR-15s with them for extra firepower, but both decided against it since they would also have to pick up and carry their crossbows and compound bows once they recovered them in town. Pistols would have to suffice for now.

  Jon had a small tactical daypack prepared for each of the three of them. Each pack contained a basic first aid kit, tourniquet, LED flashlight, a liter of water, protein bar, tactical knife, compass, paracord, a case of matches, cotton balls with Vaseline, notepad and pen, and a poncho.

  “You armed?” Jon approached Josie.

  “Yeah,” she replied, presenting her Smith & Wesson Shield that she had recently reloaded.

  “Take this instead,” Jon handed her a spare Glock 19 in a nylon belt holster with an extra magazine.

  “Thank you, but I’m fine with what I have,” assured Josie.

  “Look, it’s not because I’m a Glock fan boy or anything,” said Jon. “But it’s got double the capacity of that little thing you’ve got there. And I have several of these so giving one up is no loss to me, especially if it’s for a comrade. Just take it. You’d rather want it in a gunfight, trust me.”

  Josie relented after a moment and accepted the holstered Glock into her hands. After another moment, she strapped it to her belt.

  * * *

  “How you doing, tough guy?” Josie asked Ben in the living room while Roy and Jon continued gearing up outside.

  “Well, I suppose I’m doing as good as anyone else who’s been shot three times,” Ben managed a small smile.

  “Glad to hear it,” she said. “I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t think you were going to make it. But you’ve pulled through like a tiger.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t say I’m out of this yet,” Ben wiped some sweat from his forehead, wincing from the internal pain that came from moving his body around in the process.

  “Still, everything happens for a reason,” said Josie. “So that means you survived for a reason. Have you thought about that?”

  “Not really. I’ve never really been sold on the whole fate and ‘fulfill your destiny’ thing, you know?”

  “Well, all I can say is if I were as badly injured as you and pulled through I would be wondering why God spared me. One more thing, I want you to take this. Use it if you have to.”

  She set her Shield down on the floor and then scooted it underneath the couch.

  “I reloaded it, so you have seven shots plus one in the chamber,” she continued. “I’m counting on you to protect my daughter if anyone besides us comes through that door, okay?”

  “I can’t take that,” said Ben. “I’m sorry.”

  “Please, do,” Josie insisted.

  “I mean your husband won’t allow me having that,” said Ben. “He made that clear before when you weren’t there.”

  “Well, he doesn’t have to know,” said Josie. “When we return I’ll take it back. I just need someone who can defend Alex if worst comes to worst.”

  “In this state?” Ben asked weakly. “I can barely stay awake or move a muscle without feeling like I’m being tortured in hell itself. You best give it to her instead.”

  “Alex doesn’t have much shooting experience so the best she can do to stay alive is hide,” said Josie. “At least I’d rather have her do that than try and fight back. Anyone breaks though and Jon has a hideaway safe room in the walls upstairs she can retreat to. So I’m counting on you to do the fighting, okay?”

  “Okay,” Ben relented reluctantly. “I’ll try.”

  “ I thought there was no try,” Josie grinned. “Do or do not, right?”

  Ben couldn’t help but grin back.

  “Well, in that case, I’ll do my best,” he assured her.

  * * *

  Night had fallen over Carleton, and the moon and stars shined brightly to illuminate the buildings and streets of the little south Idaho town.

  The moonlight revealed a dark humanoid figure darting across a trash littered street from one building to another.

  It was followed by another humanoid figure, and then another.

  Jon peeked half his head around the corner of the building to view a dark alleyway. He nodded to Roy and Josie behind him.

  Covered by Jon’s Glock, Roy circled around the corner and dashed down the alley towards a side door, before taking up position behind a rusty green garbage dumpster.

  “Cover me,” Jon whispered to Josie, and he dashed over to meet Jon at the dumpster.

  “This the same apartment building?” Roy asked.

  “Sure is,” Jon responded. “Keep your voice low buddy. I’ll clear it.”

  With Roy peeking head and Beretta around the dumpster to check for hostiles, Jon circled around to the side door that entered into the apartment.

  He slowly creaked it open and then disappeared inside.

  Roy and Josie held their positions at the dumpster and corner respectively, until Jon’s face reappeared in the blackness that was the opened side door.

  “We’re clear,” he whispered. “Come on inside.”

  Roy gestured to Josie, who upon being signaled quickly but quietly dashed down the alley past Roy and into the side door.

  After completing a final scan to check for any hostiles, Roy entered the side door last and carefully shut it behind them.

  The interior of the lowest level of the apartment was nearly pitch black, with what little light there was coming from the dim blue moonlight breaking through the shattered windows.

  “Flashlights,” Jon said, and a moment later the three of them had withdrawn their flashlights from their pockets. “Keep them to minimum brightness. Josie, stay here and keep an eye out. You best keep your light turned off.”

  Josie did as she was told, taking up cover behind the wall next to t
he blown out window.

  Meanwhile, Roy and Jon disappeared into the restroom where they had hidden their weapons, and less than thirty seconds later they re-emerged each with a crossbow and compound bow in hand, in addition to bolts and arrows.

  “You know how to use one of these?” Jon asked Josie as he held up his crossbow.

  Josie shook her head.

  “Real simple,” said Jon, loading a bolt. “Aim and pull the trigger. It’s not as quiet as you see in the movies, so use it wisely.”

  Before Josie could protest or say anything, Jon had already placed the heavy crossbow into her arms. It felt awkward and heavy and she struggled with holding it properly.

  “Careful!” Roy exclaimed, pushing the muzzle end of the crossbow away from him.

  He slung his own crossbow across his back and fixed an arrow to the string of his compound.

  “You know where the insulin is, right?” Jon asked.

  “I think so,” said Josie. “We left it with the bikes when we were fired upon.”

  “And you know where the bikes are?”

  “Just up the street I think. Next to the house we were in. We could probably see them from here if it was daylight.”

  “Let’s make this quick,” Roy said. “We gotta get back to the house and Alex. If we were watched leaving, they would know the place is vulnerable.”

  “It’s okay, if anyone breaks through the front door Ben has a gun I gave him,” Josie assured.

  “You gave him a gun?!” Roy exclaimed furiously.

  “Sssshhh!” Jon hushed.

  “Yes, I did,” Josie held her ground. “I know you’re not overly happy about the whole Ben situation, but I trust him, and I trust his ability to use a gun if he has to defend Alex.”

  Roy’s mouth was gaping open. He could hardly believe what his wife was telling him.

  “I can’t believe you did that,” he tried to keep his voice down, but he was pissed beyond all recognition. “Him alone in the house with our daughter, and with a loaded gun for God’s sake! Listen hon, I don’t care how much you say you know or trust him— ”

  “In his state, I wouldn’t trust his ability to do anything,” Jon cut Roy off. “Now enough of all this. You’re sure the insulin is up the street?”

  “With the bicycles, yes,” said Josie. “It will be in a small blue cooler. There’s also some books, maps, and little first aid packs.”

  “Okay, but if it’s not there like you say it is, we’re heading back to the house right away,” Jon said. “And don’t waste time with all the other junk. The insulin is what we came for and that’s all we’re taking for now. Understand?”

  Josie nodded affirmatively.

  “Say it,” said Jon. “Because I’m not risking my life for medicine that isn’t there and neither are the two of you. So if it’s not all there and you still refuse to leave— ”

  “I understand,” Josie interrupted, glaring at him.

  “I say we send one person up the street,” Roy suggested, but the tone of his voice clearly indicated that he still hadn’t gotten over the fact that he knew Ben had a gun back at the house. “The other two can stay back here to provide cover.”

  “I’ll do it,” Josie volunteered. “I’m the smallest and the fastest.”

  “You’re also the least experienced,” Jon countered. “It’s either me or Roy.”

  Roy looked at Josie and then back at Jon.

  “If she says she can do it, she can,” he said. “And she’s right, she’ll be harder to hit if we’re being watched.”

  Jon relented.

  “Fine, but you run up and you run back,” he said. “Do not hesitate. Forty five seconds max. Got it?”

  Josie nodded and set her crossbow down.

  Jon and Roy set their own bows down and then drew their side arms to provide cover.

  “Wait until I say to go,” said Jon.

  He and Roy crouched and waddled over to where the front windows were to cover Josie down the street.

  “Now!”

  Josie leapt between Jon and Roy out the front window and her feet hit the pavement of the street. She took off running, splashing through puddles in potholes and past abandoned vehicles.

  She disappeared into the darkness up the road.

  “Dammit, I’ve lost her!” Roy struggled to peer through the darkness.

  “Hold tight, buddy, she’ll be back soon enough,” Jon assured.

  Josie ran past the house she and Ben had taken cover in and just up ahead she could see their abandoned bicycles coming into view in the middle of the road.

  She reached the fallen bikes and fell to her knees. Hurriedly, she began rummaging around the rucksacks that they had left behind, and to her relief, the small blue container was still there.

  “Yes!” she told herself excitedly.

  But the big smile of relief on her face quickly turned upside down into a frown of dread and panic when she opened the cooler to see it was completely empty.

  There was no insulin. There was nothing. Nothing but colorless air.

  WHERE HAD IT GONE?!

  “No, no, no…” she shut the cooler and then opened it up again, hoping the insulin would magically reappear, but the inside of the cooler remained barren.

  Suddenly, Josie was blinded a massive spotlight that enveloped her world!

  “STOP!” a voice shouted.

  Josie froze. Images of the gang members and the military helicopters at the homestead flooded her mind. Her heart stopped and adrenaline of fear began to paralyze her body. She shook vigorously from head to toe.

  “Hands in the air, hands in the air!” the voice continued.

  Josie held up her quavering hands, not in surrender, but to try and block the light that was blinding her vision.

  After a few seconds she thought she could see the spotlight was coming from the open window of one of the houses on the street. There were at least two men she could see with long guns aimed at her on either side of the spotlight.

  “On your knees!” the voice above her was booming relentlessly.

  The spotlight moved away from her face down towards the ground, and subsequently Josie was able to get a slightly clearer picture of what was threatening her: in addition to the two armed men on either side of the spotlight above her, there were no less than three more figures in the other windows aiming guns at her and another two on the street approaching cautiously.

  “On your knees!” the voice screamed again.

  Josie backed up a few spaces, still holding her hands high. There were open doors and windows in the building behind her that she could make a run for. She wasn’t surrounded. But if she were to drop on her knees, she would officially be surrendering, and that would be the end of it.

  “ON! YOUR! KNEES!” the voice from above yelled more slowly and deliberately this time. “This is your final chance to surrender!”

  “Not good,” Jon said from his and Roy’s position back at the building. “They’ve got her.”

  “No they don’t,” Roy responded. “We can open fire from here.”

  “With pistols?” Jon asked in disbelief. “We’d be lucky to hit the broadside of a barn from here.”

  “We just need to distract them,” Roy said hurriedly.

  “And giveaway our position — ” Jon started to say.

  BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Before Jon had completed his sentence Roy began popping off rounds at the spotlight with his Beretta.

  “Looks like we should have brought the AR’s after all,” Jon resigned, and then a second later he joined Roy by opening fire with his Glock.

  The bullets smacked into the walls of the house around the armed men. They turned their weapons in the direction where Roy and Jon were shooting from and opened up.

  Josie wasted no time. The moment she heard Roy and Jon open fire, she made a decision and turned and bolted for the open front door of the house directly behind her.

  More bullets from the armed men danced around her feet or struck th
e wall, but in less than two seconds she had disappeared into the darkness of the door.

  Meanwhile, taking incoming fire from their position both Roy and Jon immediately dove for cover.

  “Let’s get outta here!” Jon tried to make his voice heard over the gunfire as he reloaded. “They got rifles!”

  “What about Josie?!”

  “We’ll find her!”

  Jon scooped up one of the crossbows and made a beeline for the exit side door they had entered. Roy picked up one of the compound bows and a handful of arrows to follow him, leaving the other two bows behind.

  “Ceasefire!” Josie could hear the men outside yelling, and the gunfire slowed down before stopping completely.

  It was only then that she remembered she had the gun Jon had given her, and she yanked it free from its holster and assembled a firm two handed combat group.

  “She went into the house in front of us!” she could hear one of the men saying once the gunfire had stopped.

  “Send two men in, carefully!” she heard another. “The bitch is armed! Take her alive if possible!”

  Josie gripped her pistol even tighter. She could hear a series of footsteps running across the street towards the house.

  She whipped around the wall she was taking cover behind to face the front door, her weapon held high. There were two men in single file line at the doorway.

  BANG! BANG! BANG!

  Three shots later and the first man was dead on the ground and the second had hurriedly sidestepped out of the way.

  The moment after she had fired the third shot Josie turned and ran through the house towards the back door.

  The walls and furniture around her were torn apart as the second man blind fired his automatic rifle throughout the house.

  With windows shattering to pieces around her, she leapt out the backdoor and crashed into the gravel of the backyard.

  Picking herself up to her feet, she carried herself on down the street. Up ahead, she could make out the figures of Roy and Jon moving tactically towards her position from up the street.

  “Roy, Jon!” she waved and called out.

  “Josie! Are you hit?!” Roy ran up to her in relief and embraced her, checking her over for any signs of gunshot wounds or injury.