Savage (Apex Predator Book 2) Page 8

  Holding his breath, he let her lead him away from the helicopter. Their options, he knew, were limited. They couldn’t go back to the cabin and his axes and her bow weren’t much good against rifles. No, their best bet was to head for the forest. Find their friends. Flee the area.

  But that was easier said than done. Having heard the engines in the forest, he figured the area was crawling with soldiers. Could his friends slip through the noose? Morgan was probably okay. But what about Elliott and Toland? Well, maybe just Tricia, he thought with a dark, silent chuckle. They can have Brian.

  One by one, his senses vanished under the dirt onslaught. Soil filled his eyeballs and ears. Then his nostrils and mouth. He couldn’t see, hear, smell, or taste. He could only feel. And what he felt were millions of tiny pinpricks as dirt assailed his face, neck, and hands.

  He rubbed caked dirt out of his eyes and followed Mills to a moss-covered black ash tree. They headed deeper into the forest and he saw other trees. Eastern hemlocks, white spruces, paper birches, and more.

  The dirt cloud began to thin and he caught glimpses of the landscape. Silently, they moved past jagged rocks, dead bushes, small hills, and fallen trees.

  Mills darted to a patch of eroded soil and a large mass of exposed, tangled roots. Crouching down, she entered a little cubbyhole formed by the roots.

  He slid into the cubbyhole. “Any sign of the others?”

  “I think … yes, that’s Brian.” She pointed sideways. “Over there.”

  Looking through the roots, he saw Toland. The man’s back was plastered to a corky, black ash tree. He stared in their direction, breathing quietly.

  Swiveling his neck, Caplan searched the rest of the forest. But he didn’t see Morgan or Elliott.

  The sound of beating blades grew deafening. Turning toward the clearing, he watched dirt swirl around the helicopter. Shadowy figures hoisted themselves through the cabin door and disappeared.

  “They’re leaving.” Mills’ brow tightened as the helicopter lifted into the air. “Not that I’m complaining, but why?”

  The rotors continued to send dirt back and forth, up and down. But for a split-second, the debris parted and Caplan caught a tiny glimpse of the cabin. “Oh, no.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “He’s got her.” He could barely breathe. “James has Amanda.”

  He flew out of the cubbyhole and sprinted through the forest. But the helicopter was already well out of reach by the time he ran into the clearing. All he could do was watch. Watch as the rotorcraft rose high into the sky. Watch as it took Morgan away from him.

  “I’ll find you,” he whispered softly. “No matter what it takes, I’ll find you.”

  Chapter 18

  Date: November 25, 2017, 10:56 p.m.; Location: North Maine Woods, ME

  As dirt returned to the earth, Caplan became aware of a disturbing fact. Corbotch might’ve flown away. But the soldiers who’d arrived by vehicle had stayed behind, as evidenced by the two-dozen shadowy figures sweeping through the forest.

  Toland darted into the clearing. Mills scurried out from the darkness. Moments later, Elliott appeared as well.

  “The door.” Mills pointed into the sky. “It’s opening.”

  Caplan squinted into the night. The helicopter had halted above the clearing. A familiar figure, shrouded in darkness, leaned out of the cabin. “That’s Chenoa. She’s holding something. She’s—”

  Roberts released a small object and vanished back into the cabin. The door slid shut. The helicopter gained altitude.

  The object hurtled to the ground. Caplan couldn’t identify it, but it looked small. Roughly the size of a baseball. Shifting his gaze, he realized the object, whatever it was, was heading straight for the van.

  Oh, crap, he thought. “Down,” he shouted. “Get—”

  And then the clearing exploded.

  Chapter 19

  Date: November 25, 2017, 10:58 p.m.; Location: North Maine Woods, ME

  A powerful shockwave slammed into Caplan and he crashed to the ground. Rolling onto his side, he lay still. His head swam as a fiery wind washed over him. Without even looking, he knew the van was gone, blown to bits by some kind of incendiary device.

  Painfully, he propped himself up on his elbows and looked around. Toland and Elliott lay on their backs, their chests heaving up and down. Mills was sprawled out on her stomach. Trickles of blood ran down her cheeks.

  Cold darkness grabbed hold of Caplan, dragging him by the feet and hands into its deepest depths. He could feel it everywhere, laughing at him, mocking him. It centered onto his chest, pressing hard. Smothering him, crushing him, ripping the breath right out of his lungs.

  Heat seared his back, burning up some of the darkness. He twisted around. A roaring blaze lit up much of the clearing, stretching and licking at the night sky. As he watched the flames dance, the tiniest ray of light flickered deep inside him. It didn’t extinguish the darkness. But it was something good, something that could help him struggle back to the light. She missed, he thought. The easiest target imaginable and she missed it.

  Incredibly, the van was still parked right where he’d left it, its unblemished sides shining brightly in the fiery light. The Rexto 419R3 helicopter was undamaged as well. Not that it helped much. Without Perkins at the helm, they’d never get it off the ground.

  He shook the pain out of his limbs and regained his footing. A crackling inferno engulfed the cabin, sending columns of gray smoke shooting into the sky.

  As he watched the fire eat through the old dwelling, he felt memories stir within him. Memories of his childhood, of his parents, of long vacations in these woods. He recalled running through and around the cabin as a kid, exploring everything and making up games on the fly. Ahh, those were the days. Carefree days when he’d felt safe and happy. When the world had seemed so full of life.

  “Good riddance.” Toland took a few steps, testing his legs. “That cabin of yours was the worst.”

  Slowly, relentlessly, the flames cut through the dwelling. Caplan had no real desire to stop them, not after all that had happened. But he sort of liked the idea of sticking around, of watching it burn. Of seeing so many of his tangible childhood memories turned into smoke and ash. Unfortunately, there was no time.

  “Come on.” He ran to the van’s front door and threw it open. The key was still in the ignition. He gave it a quick turn and the vehicle roared to life.

  Wincing, Toland climbed into the passenger seat. Meanwhile, Mills and Elliott clambered into the cargo area. Wrenching the wheel, Caplan stepped on the gas pedal and directed the van in a half-circle. Then he drove through the forest and out onto the main road.

  “Where are we going?” Mills asked.

  “Anywhere but here,” he replied.

  As the seconds ticked by, his adrenaline began to fade. He sagged slightly in his seat and became aware of other things. The taste of salt on his lips. The smell of dirt in the upholstery. The beads of sweat dripping down his cheeks, contrasted by the chilly air.

  Bright lights appeared, illuminating the van’s interior. Caplan squinted at the rearview mirror. Four armored vehicles raced after them, filling both lanes of the road.

  “What now, Mr. Survival?” Toland asked. “Because as far as I can tell, this is wide-open road. Forest on both sides and I don’t see any turns or cross streets.”

  Caplan’s mind reeled. Perkins and Zelton were dead. Danter residents had scattered. Morgan was gone. The cabin had been reduced to ash. Now, armored cars were chasing down their rickety van. Everything was spinning out of control and he saw no way to stop it.

  Should we stick to the road? he wondered. Or take our chances with the forest? The road, he knew, was in relatively good shape. While this ensured them a smooth drive, it also meant the same for their pursuers.

  The forest, in contrast, had plenty of obstacles. But one wrong turn would kill them all.

  Forget thriving, he sang to himself. Just keep on surviving. The mantra
had gotten him this far. Surely, it wouldn’t fail him now. Thriving—that is, getting away with the van intact—wasn’t going to happen. But they might survive if they lowered their expectations.

  “There’s only one way out of this,” Caplan said. “We need to abandon ship.”

  Toland eyed him with disdain. “That’s your plan?”

  “It’s too big, too bright. Those soldiers could spot it with their eyes closed. But if we leave it, if we split up and sneak off into the forest, we’ve got a chance.”

  “So, we go from one big target to four smaller ones.” Mills nodded thoughtfully. “I like it.”

  Caplan pressed on the gas. Picking up speed, he raced down the long road.

  “Tell me something,” Toland said. “What happens after we escape? Are we supposed to spend the rest of our lives wandering the forest like dolts?”

  “This road runs for miles. When the coast is clear, walk back to it.” He rubbed his jaw, picturing the route in his mind. “There’s an abandoned gas station ten miles north of here. We’ll meet there.”

  “Unless those goons get us first.”

  Caplan ignored him. “As soon as I stop, split up. Run fast and hard. Don’t stop for anything. Got it?”

  Toland fell silent. Mills and Elliott nodded in agreement.

  He drove through a slight turn and then hit the brakes. At the same time, he yanked the steering wheel to the left. Gasping and squealing, the van’s rear tires slid across the pavement. Swiftly, he hit the gas again and the vehicle shot into the forest.

  The pursuing headlights vanished. Dirt and branches kicked up off the ground and began to pelt the windows and siding. Driving as fast as he dared, he directed the van between trees and bushes. “Get ready,” he called out. “Three. Two—”

  Dazzling light filled his eyes. Gunshots roiled the still air. Glancing in the rearview mirror, Caplan saw two armored cars shoot over a small hill.

  Muscles straining, he wrenched the wheel to the left. The vehicle shifted in that direction, but not by much.

  Windswept debris struck the van. Then new light pierced the van. Heart pounding, he shot a glance to both side windows.

  “They’re surrounding us,” Mills said.

  “Speed up.” Toland’s voice cracked around the edges. “Before it’s too late.”

  More gunshots rang out. Metal exploded. The van jolted, then jerked to the left. Clenching the wheel, Caplan tried to force it back into position. But the steering refused to respond. “Brace yourselves,” he shouted.

  The van crashed into a thick tree. Caplan slammed into his seatbelt and air vacated his lungs. He gasped for oxygen, but came up empty. Dimly, he was aware of the armored cars screeching to a halt.

  Desperately, he unbuckled his seat belt, cracked his door, and threw himself out into the night. Rolling onto his back, he struggled to breathe.

  “Hello, Zach.”

  This new voice, masculine and clipped, rattled in Caplan’s eardrums. He gulped in some oxygen and turned his head. A cold, blustery wind struck his face. The air smelled of dirt and death.

  A couple of feet away, he saw Roberts’ companion from Danter. The guy’s face was bright red and his overly-muscular arms bulged beneath his shirt and bulletproof vest.

  As he caught his breath, Caplan saw more soldiers. They stood silent and stone-still. Their rifles, although held tightly, were aimed at the ground.

  The man eyed Caplan up and down. “You’re pretty scrawny for a survival expert.”

  “Hey, we can’t all be steroid abusers.”

  The man’s cheeks brightened a few shades. “Get the prisoners into my vehicle,” he called out. “And—”

  A loud blast rang out. A bullet hole appeared in the man’s forehead. Stammering quietly, he fell to the soil.

  More gunshots filled the darkness. A couple of soldiers froze up, then pitched to the ground. Other soldiers turned to fight. But they quickly disappeared under a wave of screaming attackers.

  Bones snapped. Blades plunged into bodies. Shrieks erupted into the night.

  When the last soldier had fallen, a man stood up. Sporting a thin grin, he approached Caplan. “Fancy seeing you again.”

  Caplan blinked. “Noel?”

  Chapter 20

  Date: November 26, 2017, 2:06 a.m.; Location: North Maine Woods, ME

  “Sydney is just about done with your van.” Plopping down on a tree trunk, Ross offered Caplan a plastic water bottle. “How’re you feeling?”

  Caplan took the bottle in his grubby hands. It felt warm to the touch. Gently, he rubbed it against his cold forehead. “As good as I look.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  He chuckled. A fierce ache erupted in his side, transforming the chuckle into a grimace.

  “Bailey told me about Amanda.” Ross produced a second water bottle. Uncapping it, he took a small sip. “Tough break.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “I’m sorry we got you into this mess.”

  Caplan uncapped his bottle and choked down some warm water. “So, what happened? I thought they gave you until the first of the month.”

  “They did. Unfortunately, they changed their minds.” His eyes took on a glazed look. “All of a sudden, these bright lights appeared. I ran outside and saw the helicopters. Then soldiers flooded the streets. Next thing I knew, I was face-to-face with this woman in a red cloak. She called herself Chenoa Roberts. She said she’d used drones to spy on us. She said we needed to be punished for trying to build an army. She—”

  A shudder passed through Ross and he paused. His face scrunched up. “She … she shot Mike. Right in the forehead. Then she shot the others. It was …” He choked up.

  Caplan turned his gaze to the ground. Zelton had been one of those larger-than-life characters. The kind of guy who did things other people only dreamt of doing. The kind of guy who would live on in the memories of all who’d known him.

  He liked Zelton, but he hadn’t been particularly close to the man. Still, he knew how it felt to lose a close friend. So, he fully understood Ross’ grief.

  Ross cleared his throat. “Afterward, Chenoa said she had big plans for us. That she was taking us to a place called Savage Station. I gathered it wasn’t to honor us, if you know what I mean. Anyway that’s when you showed up.” He gave Caplan a sideways glance. “I don’t know why you changed your mind about joining us. But I’m sure glad you did.”

  “Actually, I didn’t. I was just dropping off Amanda and Tricia.”

  “Regardless, I’m grateful.”

  “I’m the one who should be grateful. How’d you know where to find us?”

  “We took some radios off of those soldiers before we escaped. We’ve been listening in on their traffic.”

  “Have you heard anything about Savage Station? Like where I might be able to find it?”

  Ross shook his head.

  Disappointment crept over Caplan. He suspected Corbotch had taken Morgan to Savage Station. Furthermore, he knew Savage was located somewhere within the Vallerio Forest. But the Vallerio was gigantic. And although Caplan had worked within its borders for several years, he’d never heard of Savage Station.

  “Something bad is about to happen,” Caplan said. “It’s called Stage Three. I don’t know the exact details. But when it’s over, Savage Station will be the last place standing. Everything else—cities, towns, outposts—will be gone.”

  He chuckled in disbelief. “I guess it’s a good thing we’re nomads now.”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure it matters. They found you before all of this. I imagine they’ll find you again.”

  “So much for optimism.” He sighed. “When’s this Stage Three supposed to happen?”

  “One week from now.”

  “Cripes, that’s not a lot of time.”

  “I know.”

  The tools ceased clanking. Moments later, a short woman of Asian descent strode into view. Grease stained her high cheekbones and her eyes were hooded with exha
ustion. Her name was Sydney Teo and she ran an auto body shop out of her house. She and Caplan were roughly the same age and they’d played together as kids. Even then, she’d been a wizard with a wrench.

  “Hey, Zach,” she said. “Your van’s ready to go.”

  “Thanks, Sydney.” He looked into her tired eyes. “By the way, did you get a chance to check out the audio equipment in the back?”

  “Sure did. It’s operating just fine. You know, I would’ve killed for a system like that back in the day.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief. If Morgan was right, the behemoths mostly likely communicated via infrasound signals. The audio equipment, developed for the practice of ornithology, could identify these signals. In other words, it was a behemoth detector.

  “Can you teach my friends how to use it?” he asked.

  “No problem.” She hesitated. “By the way, what’s with that Tricia girl?”

  “What about her?”

  “She’s just … quiet. Don’t get me wrong. She seems nice. But she’s really, really quiet.”

  “She’s been through a lot.”

  Teo’s brow furrowed. She gave Caplan and Ross a nod. Then she walked back to the van.

  Ross twisted the bottle in his hands, causing the plastic to crinkle. “So, you’re going after Amanda, huh?”

  Caplan nodded.

  “Need help?”

  “No, thanks.”

  “We’ve got a stake in this too, you know. If Stage Three comes to pass, it could mean the end of us.”

  “Not if you break up into smaller groups and keep your heads down.” Caplan shrugged. “Anyway I’m not interested in stopping Stage Three. I just want to find Amanda and get out of there.”

  “Zach?”

  Caplan glanced at Elliott. She stood ten feet away, her posture a mixture of discomfort and determination. “What’s up?” he asked.

  “I’m … well, I’m not leaving with you. I’ve decided to stay with the Danter folks.”

  Caplan shot Ross an angry look. Ross, in turn, raised both hands in a defensive gesture. “This is the first I’m hearing about it.”