In the Aftermath: Burning of the Dawn Read online

  “If you know what’s there then you know I’m not one of them,” Raymond spoke as he caught up to Mary. “Yet you’d have killed us all the same?”

  “Better safe than sorry,” Mary answered. “Nothing personal.”

  “It is personal to me, Miss Mary. Just ‘cause the world went to hell doesn’t mean you have to go with it.”

  “Don’t be preaching to me, big guy. I know how this world works. It’s everyone else who seems a little slow to adapt.”

  “I have a pretty good idea, I think:” Raymond somewhat asserted. “There are bad people; there are worse people; occasionally there is a good person. The good are becoming rare out here, and what little humanity remains fight for whatever insignificant scraps still linger – that which the Sayona allow us to have. But where I am from it is different. We hold them back and we make a life of our own… one worth living.”

  “A castle made of pyrite, fella.” Mary laughed.

  “What does that mean?”

  “All right,” Mary stopped and groaned vexingly. “The world works in a very simple way: the monsters are going to win; we are going to lose. Realize that fact and life becomes much more… acceptable.”

  “Acceptable? Sounds depressing to me.”

  “Not at all! You can go down in a blaze of inglorious death fighting an enemy that can’t be killed if you want to, but me? Nope, I’m gonna party like it’s 1999… quietly of course.”

  “There may be another way…”

  “Don’t wanna hear it; neither do my friends, so don’t be spewing all this bullshit to them either. If you do, I’ll kill you and your little buddies in your sleep tonight, got it?”

  “I will say nothing to them,” Raymond respectfully replied. “But I will say two more things to you, and then I will hold my peace. Los Angeles is safe, I promise you that. And, the Sayona can be killed. We have the body, back home, to prove it.”

  The Sayona can be killed. Mary couldn’t deny that those words incited her interest. If she had heard them a few days prior she would have cared little. However, after seeing that horrible video that Anthony had discovered, Mary had a newly found distaste for the shadowy Sayona. Knowing how to kill them could be useful. Nevertheless, Raymond could very well be lying about everything, so Mary questioned him no further.

  Hernando growled and grimaced in pain as Serena treated the gunshot wound on his leg. She, Anthony, Ian, and Hernando had made it back to the house in Emerald Bay with no incident. Both Ian and Hernando were very glad to be somewhat out of the ubiquitous woods and back into something that resembled a home. Both were also glad to be away from Mary.

  “I’m sorry,” Serena spoke as she dug small metal shards out of Hernando’s knee. Raymond had already removed the bulk of the bullet, but some fragments still remained. “I’m being as careful as I can.”

  “No, ma’am…” Hernando painfully replied. “Thank you… God bless you… it’s appreciated… really… shit!”

  Anthony stood nearby with both his revolver and his mother’s 9mm in his hands. He watched reluctantly, though curiously, as Serena did all that she could to help Hernando. This was not the first bullet wound she had ever treated. Even though it had been a while since she had last treated a gunshot, her skills in the field were still proficient.

  “Damn, you’re good.” Ian proclaimed as Serena finished up doctoring Hernando’s injury. “You’re like a doctor, or a nurse, or something?”

  “EMT.” Serena answered as she carefully sewed up Hernando’s leg. Hernando himself had nearly passed out after a small application of iodine. He now rested in relative quietness.

  “Oh, okay, military trained?” Ian asked.

  “A little,” Serena answered. “Mostly school.”

  “That’s awesome,” Ian smiled from Serena to Anthony. “We’re really fortunate to have met you guys. Don’t think we don’t know that. We’ll pay it back anyway we can.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Serena replied. She was still unsure what to do with these men. She had spoken to them briefly in Echo Lake and on the car ride to Emerald Bay. They were both happily forthcoming with any information Serena asked of them. Even when bound and under gunpoint they still showed kindness, honesty, and courtesy. These two men were not trained soldiers by any means; neither were they battle-hardened murderers like Mary. Serena knew it was probably wrong, but she could not help but feel sympathy for the two men. “Would you… would you like something to eat?” She asked hesitantly.

  “Ma’am, we couldn’t ask it of you.” Ian replied.

  “Then don’t ask it,” Serena smiled as she remembered the words Mary had spoken to her not so long ago. “Just eat it.”

  Ian had chosen a can of refried beans and Hernando had settled on a can of sirloin burger soup. Even with bound hands, both men made the best of it and gave only praise and gratitude as they feasted with plastic spoons and their fingertips. After serving the two men their meager meal, Serena went to Anthony and retrieved the revolver from him.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind picking up Mary?” Serena asked.

  “No, I’ll go right now.” Anthony replied. “You don’t want your gun?”

  “I’ll feel safer if you have mine. No bullet’s in the chamber, but still, be careful.”

  “I will.”

  “I know you will. Don’t go past the campgrounds; just wait for Mary there if you don’t find her on the road. And don’t wait for more than an hour. If Mary’s not there by then… hell, she’ll be there, we know that.”

  “Yes she will,” sneered Anthony. “I’ll be back soon, mom.” Anthony had his own key for the car. Serena made sure they both had one, just in case; another one was also hidden within the car itself. Anthony was soon out the door and off to retrieve Mary and Raymond. Serena hated letting her son go off by himself, but she was not about to let him stay here alone with these two men while she went to retrieve Mary, even if they both seemed completely harmless. Anthony was a good driver, a better shot than she was, and he was perceptive and responsible; there was no reason for Serena to hold him back. Not only was he her son, but he was also a beneficial member of their group.

  “This Mary woman,” Ian spoke reluctantly. “She isn’t gonna kill us, is she?”

  “No,” Serena hoped. “You’ll be fine.”

  “I won’t lie,” Ian continued. “She’s a little… intimidating.”

  “She is a unique individual;” Serena spoke as she took a seat against the far living room wall. “No denying that.”

  “No kidding…” Hernando replied. “She would’ve killed us earlier, if it hadn’t been for your son.”

  “She’s very protective of him,” declared Serena.

  “He’s protective of her, too,” Hernando added. “It’s almost like they’re hermanos – except for the whole race thing.”

  “Consider them siblings.” Serena stated. “Let’s just say Mary’s sort of adopted us into her odd, little world.”

  “Fair enough,” Hernando could see that Serena was just as fond as her son was of the strange, violent girl. “No hard feelings on my end then.”

  “Where’d you find that girl anyway, if you don’t mind my asking?” Ian asked. “I mean, goddamn, Dinah would love her.” Ian laughed; Hernando nodded his head in agreement.

  “Dinah’s the voice on the radio broadcast,” Serena remembered – Dinah Ortega. “So who is she?”

  “She’s our friend,” Hernando replied. “She’s the one who sent us on this quest. She’s strong and compassionate, but a hell of a fighter, too. You’d like her.”

  “She’s our version of your Mary – only taller, friendlier, and less tattoos.” Ian answered. And also not a psychotic murderer, he silently added.

  Serena did not hear his silent comment, but she perceived it all the same. “You wanna know where I found Mary?” Serena asked Ian. “We met in Nevada. Your broadcast mentioned something about Nevada: how there are all these evil men there killing people all over the countrysi
de. You claim you wanna help people in need? So tell me, what are you and your army of thousands doing about these evil men?”

  “Well…” Ian answered dejectedly “Nothing.”

  “You know what Mary’s been doing?” Serena asked and then answered, “She’s been killing those men. While you and Dinah and all your friends were hiding in Hollywood, Mary was saving our lives – mine and my son’s.” Neither man had any comments, so Serena went on, “Yeah, Mary’s violent and moody and little insane from time to time, but what can I say? The little fucker’s grown on me.”

  “We mean no disrespect, ma’am,” Hernando spoke. “But we’re not hiding from any fights. Dinah, and many others, would love nothing more than to march into Las Vegas and wipe out every last one of those pieces of shit… but we can’t do that. Los Angeles is safe for a reason: we fight to keep it that way every day and every night. We have a guerilla war going of our own, only it isn’t against humans.”

  “I don’t know much about the Sayona,” Serena admitted. “And I’m okay with that. I know to fear them, I’ve seen what they’re capable of and I don’t care to ever see that again. Besides, it wasn’t the Sayona who slaughtered my family and my friends – it was men.”

  “Señora, it wasn’t any Sayona who gave me this,” Hernando motioned towards his gunshot wound. “I know where you’re coming from and I understand your distrust. We’re not trying to force anything on you. Los Angeles is there only if you want it.”

  “There are no obligations at all,” Ian added. “Anyone may come and go as they please; no one is forced to stay. All that is asked is that you live in peace with your fellow human beings. You may keep your belongings; you may keep your guns…” Ian could see that Serena showed little interest in what he was offering. Dinah had warned him that some people would be difficult to persuade, especially survivors of human on human violence. Do not be forceful; offer them sanctuary with us, and then let them be, Dinah had told him and his companions this before they set off on their journey. But before Ian could ‘let her be’ he had one other route he wanted to test on Serena, even though it was fairly dangerous. “You and your son are welcome… I don’t know about Mary.”

  “Everyone is welcome,” Hernando glowered indignantly towards Ian. “Including Mary.”

  “I won’t lie, the woman scares the shit outta me,” Ian stated, honestly. “Who’s to say she won’t still kill us? You, Miss Serena? I don’t know about that. I know you must really trust her to let your son go off with her alone, but what do you think she’s teaching him out there in the wilderness?”

  “She’s teaching him how to kill.” Serena had no misconceptions about that.

  “And that doesn’t bother you?” Ian asked.

  “It did at first,” Serena answered truthfully. The many quiet moments she had seized these last few days in Tahoe had given her time to better understand her fears and accept some difficult to digest truths regarding the world in which she was forced to live. “Protecting my son is what matters to me above all else. And, to do that successfully, I must let him learn to defend himself. It took me a while to see that, and I had to witness some very horrible things to finally understand, but I’ve come to realize that I can’t protect him on my own. I am his mother; it is my job to raise him to be a decent man – a good man. And I have succeeded in that. Mary is his teacher, his guide, his mentor… his sister. She will teach him what I cannot: how to survive in this God forsaken world.”

  “We need more Marys,” Hernando acknowledged. “Dinah, Raymond, and a handful of others know how to fight, but for the most part, we’re an army of thousands with hardly a single soldier among us. Many of us have never left Los Angeles since the war started. Our firsthand knowledge of the rest of the world is…”

  “Lacking, severely,” Ian completed the sentiment. “We learned that the hard way.”

  Driving was not a difficult task. Anthony was young, but Serena had taught him how to drive early and often; she had every confidence in her son. Anthony, too, had confidence in his abilities. Nevertheless, this was his first time driving alone. The tall, thick trees and the looming, large lakes were intimidating at times, but Anthony managed easily enough. He was not alone for very long. Just as his mother had foretold, Mary met him upon the road about mile before he reached the campgrounds. Raymond walked beside her. He had managed to eat his chunk of meat, so his hands were now free to carry the deer meat bag and the empty AK-12 with a little more comfort. Anthony brought the car to a stop just ahead of them. Mary herded Raymond carefully into the backseat, at gun point, and then joined Anthony up front. With a small bit of maneuvering, Anthony managed to get the vehicle turned around and then proceeded on his way back home.

  “Everything okay?” Anthony asked Mary.

  “Okay in every way, little bro,” replied Mary. “How’s your mama hangin’ with the other assholes?”

  “They’re all good; they seem friendly.”

  “I’m sure they do.” Mary feared not that the other men might pose a danger to Serena. She knew that Serena could handle herself, even if she struggled handling a handgun. Still, the two men could be troublesome in other ways. “No one rides for free,” Mary stated to Raymond. “I am expecting some kind of compensation.”

  “We haven’t much,” Raymond answered. “What’s left of our clothing and some radio gear – that’s all. You’re welcome to it.”

  “I don’t want it, do you want it?” Mary asked Anthony. The boy shook his head no. “Uh oh, we don’t like what you’re selling, big guy. You’re gonna have to do better than that!”

  “I’m sorry,” Raymond smiled pessimistically. “I have nothing else but the gun.”

  “Keep your gun,” Mary smiled not-so-pessimistically. “I’ll think of something.”

  Mary’s worrisome words, confounding gaze, and startling smile disturbed Anthony as much it did Raymond. Anthony was well aware of Mary’s fondness for head games and weird riddles, and most likely she was simply playing the poor fool in the back seat. Then again, she might not be. The only predictable thing about Mary Murder was her unpredictability.

  Sweet relief came over Serena as she heard the sound of her car returning home. Anthony parked the vehicle inside the garage and closed it in for the day and night as Mary led Raymond back to the house to join his comrades. Both Ian and Hernando succumbed to sweet relief as well when they saw that Mary had not yet murdered their friend. Raymond dropped the deer meat and the AK-12 next to the door as he entered and then took a seat on the floor near his companions. Mary and Anthony entered behind him.

  The return of Mary was an uncomfortable moment for Ian and Hernando. Both men avoided her gaze as she stared them down while advancing towards them. Mary said nothing; she only smiled mockingly as she gave them a condescending wave with her free hand (the other hand currently held the rifle perched over her left shoulder). Both men acknowledge the artificial greeting with a simple head bow.

  The scent of the deer meat was delightful as Serena picked up the bag from the floor and examined the contents within. She was no expert in the culinary arts, but the meat looked and smelled extremely good to her. The canned goods they had consumed earlier now felt like a petty appetizer as Ian and Hernando caught sent of the deer feast. Anthony had to contend with the pleasing, meaty aroma all the way home; he, too, was eager to get a bite. Serena retrieved plates from the kitchen and proceeded to hand one out to everybody. Mary refused hers; she had other business to attend to first.

  “I’ll be right back,” Mary spoke as she headed towards the door with her rifle. “I’m goin’ into the woods to pick a fight with a bear!” She was then swiftly out of sight.

  “You guys still have bears around these parts?” Ian asked, feeling safer now that Mary was gone again. To his knowledge the Sayona had wiped out every carnivorous, terrestrial mammal across the global with the exception of humans, for now.

  “No,” Serena answered. “She went to… bathroom break.”

  �
�Oh…” Ian replied. “Creative way to put it.”

  “How was your walk?” Hernando asked Raymond.

  “Scenic,” Raymond answered as he looked over Hernando’s gunshot. “Your wound has been mended.” He then looked to Serena. “You are very skilled, ma’am; thank you for what you’ve done.”

  “It’s no problem.” Serena gathered up the deer meat and handed it out to everyone, starting with her son. A gallon jug of water was left for the three men to share along with some rags and towels if they desired to use them.

  The three men might have enjoyed the meal better had their hands not been bound, but they were content with their situation. This was the first actual meal they had tasted in days and it was very good. Also, none of the men, particularly Ian and Hernando, wanted to give Mary any reasons to suspect them of plotting anything deceitful, so they did not question their bondage. It wasn’t long before Mary returned from her excursion into the woods. She picked up her portion of the deer feast and savored her work. She had cooked the deer’s heart and liver as well; Mary savored them first.

  “I have a proposition for you.” Raymond spoke after he had finished eating his meal.

  “Do you?” replied Mary. “Well let’s hear what ya got!”

  “An exchange of information,” said Raymond as he wiped the grease from his hands. “You tell us about the men to the east, and we’ll tell you what we know of the Sayona.”

  “Better than your last offer, but I’m still not impressed.” Mary was intrigued, however. “We know enough about the Sayona, why would we need to know any more?”

  “Because the Sayona are far more dangerous than any man,” stated Raymond.

  “The Sayona are far more dangerous than any man… at night.” Mary amended. “During the day, not so much.”

  “Why do you wanna know about the men to the east?” Serena asked. “Are you still planning on going through with this mission of yours?”