Not Alone: The Beginning (The Fighter Series Book 1) Read online

  Jack grinned, but it quickly faded when Sherry reappeared pulling on scrubs. She handed them some surgical gloves. “Get him on the other table.” She said.

  They lifted Matt.

  “I’m not a surgeon.” She said glancing over at Jack.

  “No but you’re a nurse.”

  “Shay.” Sherry said, moving in next to Matt. She took Shay’s hand and pressed it into Matt’s wound. “Press hard.” She said. “I’m going to need more light than this.”

  “I need the key to the medicine cabinet?” Sherry said. He reached up into a cabinet retrieving a key and handed it to Sherry.

  “You all okay here?” Jack said.

  “Why?” Blake asked.

  “I’m going to see if I can’t get the power up.”

  “Is the doctor here?” Sherry asked.

  “Her trucks here.” Jack answered.

  “Maybe she’s out taking care of an animal.” Blake said.

  “What kind of animals does she take care of?” Shay asked.

  “Large ones.” Jack replied. “Don’t leave this room.”

  “Horses?” Shay asked.

  “She take’s care of horses too.” Jack said trying to avoid any more questions. He rummaged through his pack. Unlocking a larger cabinet, he withdrew a tranquilizer gun and some vials.

  A loud cry echoed down the hall causing them to turn. The sound was shrill and it had come from something other than a horse. The sound vibrated off the walls, through the doors, and into the darkness. Several mixed cries chimed in desperate and agony apparent in their tone. Jack’s team turned to him.

  “Holy shit!” Blake whispered. “What was that?”

  “That my friend is Bermuda.” Jack said, tossing him a tranquilizer gun. “You know how to use one of those?”

  “Point and shoot.”

  Blake inspected the gun clicking open the chamber. “Awe,” he said.

  “I’ll try to hurry back.” Jack stepped past Blake. “Lock this door behind me.” Then, he disappeared into the darkness.

  Jack knew his way around the hospital even in the dark. He knew where he needed to go and did it without any light to guide him. The backup system was a good one and when powered up could run most of the hospital. Jack knew this because he and his friend Scott had installed it. Drake had electricity though many times undependable. Last year, he and Pam had gathered the right individuals to restore the town’s utilities. In return, she took care of them and their animals. A small price to pay for something she loved so much. Pam was a good friend with no strings attached. It wasn’t like her to leave the hospital or the animals without heat or light. Worried that his friend had encountered trouble, Jack hurried towards the room that housed the generator.

  The center of the hospital was the reception area and from there all corridors led somewhere within the building with the exception of the front which led out to the main parking lot. He slipped through a long hallway and down a steep stairwell through another locked door. Turning on a flashlight, he aimed it at Godzilla named rightfully so. Immediately Jack had a sinking feeling. The power levers were in the off position. Something was wrong. He flipped them on wondering if the trespassers were still here.

  As the engine hummed a soft glow of red light appeared on the panel as the system powered up. Soon the sound of the furnace clicked on and the safety lights buzzed as they warmed. It was going to take time to heat the building. Time they couldn’t afford. Not even the animals.

  A shrill cry trickled down the stairwell. Goosebumps layered his skin. The sound reached a high pitch and then dissipated into silence. Jack glanced back at the power levers. There’d be both electricity and heat flowing to the surgery room now. He holstered his pistol and withdrew the tranquilizer gun. He’d rather face a man than a lion, but he needed to find Pam.

  Out in the guts of the compound, the emergency lights glowed through the corridor. Jack stepped back in the direction of the reception area. He pressed into the wall when he heard movement off to the side. The low guttural sound drifted towards him and then a soft tapping on the linoleum flooring. If the sound was that of claws tapping on the flooring, then the cat’s senses out did his a hundred to one. Waiting, Jack blended into the dark corner out from under the emergency lights. She’d smell him long before she saw him. He watched the cat as she made her way toward him.

  The shiny tan coat took on an orange glow under the emergency lights. She cut the corner at the opposite end of the hospital moving slow and confident. The cat stopped, raised her large head upward, smelling him. Then she let out a long irritated hiss displaying emotion by laying her ears flat against her head. The hiss turned to a deep growl that rolled from her throat. Then she stepped in Jack’s direction. Her long tail and body swayed back and forth in a graceful, but deadly walk.

  “Bermuda.” He whispered.

  Bermuda, a ninety-pound resident cougar, was stalking her prey, Jack. Jack glanced down the line of examination rooms. Several of the doors were open. If she went into one of them, he could trap her. If he raised the tranquilizer gun now, she’d be able to reach him before the drug took effect. Bermuda paused sniffing at the air again. Her wild instinct to hunt was exciting her senses, but at the same time so was her curiosity. She passed the first opened door and then paused at the second.

  Jack waited until she was three quarters of the way in before he silently slid forward. She spun around but not before Jack had, the door half way shut. Now the edges of her cheeks lifted exposing long stained razor sharp teeth. She hissed as if she meant it sending a series of angry growls with ears flat back.

  The great cat backed up to pounce and as she did, Jack slammed the door. Pausing at the window, he could see blood stained the cat’s muzzle and face.

  “Gotcha.”

  He had no qualms with the cat. He watched her grateful for the closed second door across the room. Her tail flicked back and forth, as she hissed at his reflection through the window.

  “Jesus you’re a big girl.” The cat reared up on her haunches and sniffed the window. Jack had a bird’s eye view of her bloodied muzzle now. “Who’s blood are you wearing Bermuda?”

  The cat pinned her ears against her head, swatting her paw into the air. Bermuda was only one of the many residents living on the property. Most of the animals were outside in their natural habitat, but a few of the sick or wounded lived inside. Never were the animals free to roam the hospital. He didn’t know why Bermuda was.

  Jack moved toward the south wing of the hospital. Eerily, a shadow danced under obscure lights or was it just his imagination. There were several forks in the corridors, a maze of hallways and rooms. Keeping extremely aware, he searched for any sign of Pam. Scattered boxes and contents lay scattered on the floor. The closer he got to the mess Jack could smell death. Trepidation washed over him as he drew his pistol and the tranquilizer gun closer.

  Pam lay lifeless behind overturned supplies. Her body contorted, twisted at an awkward angle on the floor. Her once white coat was soaked in blood and dirt as if she’d been drug from the outside in. Her sandy brown hair was matted with blood and brain matter. Curled strands of hair and strips of flesh hung down to the floor. He couldn’t see her face.

  Jack stared at her lifeless body for a minute. With his back to the wall, he knelt beside her. He laid a hand on her arm feeling the coldness of her death. Unafraid of the blood and body matter that covered her, he rolled her over. If it were expression in her mutilated face, it was one of terror. Claw marks were visible having ripped cheek and nose taking also part of her lips. The bite mark on her neck exposed her trachea. Her body was broken, bone and muscle exposed and some missing. Most of her clothing was shredded. Jack looked past the bite marks to the bullet hole in her chest. He shifted her shirt to the side just enough to examine the wound. He silently prayed the bullet had ended her life instead of the cat.

  “Shit.” He said quietly. In his mind, he heard her voice. I told you Jack. Don’t worry about the animals
. Be careful Jack.

  Jack reached in and took her keys, the keys that controlled the entire building. He stood over her, watching the hall and listening to the sounds coming from the animals. At the other end of the corridor, a choir of angry voices cried.

  THIRTY-THREE

  Having kept to himself for so long, Kid trusted no one, but he knew there were a few good people trying to bring back a degree of livability. He’d witnessed the post-Shift greed, merciless killing, and destructive behavior that still hadn’t ceased. If there was any worthy cause now it was Jack Colton’s mission to restore order. It wasn’t going to happen with one person and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be one small group but it was a good beginning. Kid, quietly sliding into Colton’s meeting last week, had gone unnoticed. He’d kept to the back of the crowd watching and listening. He already knew Jack Colton though Jack didn’t know it, yet. They hadn’t met face to face, yet.

  He’d heard, through the grape vine, Colton was on another mission. This time women hostages needed a hero and Jack had stepped up to the plate. Kid knew Jack Colton was beyond meticulous about the people who joined his plight but Kid was as good of a candidate as any were and he had a special interest in this particular mission.

  Kid had been doing his own cleanup, taking on a sort of undercover paramilitary role by himself. He single handedly started delivering supplies to those in need several months after the beginning of the Shift. He traveled up and down the long stretches of highway covering miles of broken land. He’d reached out to a few isolated people and made some valuable connections. Never saying too much or staying too long. All the while, he was doing what the Colton’s were doing, only by himself and on a much smaller scale. He’d killed when he needed to, and helped where he could.

  His co-pilot, a Rhodesian ridgeback named Shift who now stared out the window of the truck while letting out a soft whine. Well-bred and obedient, she was Kid’s partner and friend. Shift turned her soft honey brown eyes on Kid seeking redemption.

  “What’s wrong girl?” He rubbed the dog around the neck, no collar needed anymore. She lowered her head, but didn’t take her eyes off the road. “You know we’re going to Doc’s, don’t you?”

  Kid felt the storm coming but like most dangerous things, he ignored it’s possible outcome. There was a storm inside of him far stronger than the one in the sky having dealt with his own demons by searching for fights. The extreme weather did little to detour him and by the looks of the sky and the drop in temperature, the coming storm would likely kill some. With the back of the truck loaded down with supplies, he drove toward Ash Fork. He made a drop of medical supplies in Chino Valley ignoring the dark sky and white billowing sails entombing the Arizona heavens. A cryptic dark shadow took daylight and shut it down. Kid felt a twinge of excitement.

  Ash Fork, a desolate town comprised of mostly barren grass, wide meadows outlined by rolling hillsides and endless miles of railroad tracks appeared abandoned. The first of the snowflakes fell like soft specks of loose cotton, twirling and spinning, but before long, the dancing flakes turned into a steady shower of snow. As the storm reared its ugly head, the ground quickly became a thick white layer. Mother Nature had a way of playing devil’s advocate on people that were already suffering.

  Kid locked in his four-wheel drive heading in the direction of the first of five stops. Four hundred and fifty some souls populate Ash Fork before the shift; thirty-four were left after. The back of the truck was loaded with medical supplies and three drums of gas, which was weighting down the rear of the truck. The supplies were keeping them from sliding on the snow-covered road. He did a quick check and delivery to the elderly before stopping at Pam’s place. Visibility had diminished, but Kid managed to maneuver the now light truck down the drainage road leading to the back of the hospital.

  Trading with the beautiful Doc Kenny was always a pleasure for Kid. They had an agreement between them that worked to each other’s advantage. Pam got medical supplies and he had a doctor as well as a vet when he needed one. They were friends and that’s as far as it went.

  The building sat further back from the highway, isolated from the center of town. It looked more like an industrial park because of its size and location. A ten-foot chain link fence ran the length of the property. Directly above that was four strands of twisted razor wire, security lights every sixty feet, and heavy locks on all the gates. The entire setting was nothing short of intimidating. The security on the perimeter was not to keep the people out, but rather to keep the animals in. The sign at the entrance read, “Warning, enter at your own risk.”

  He’d met Pam shortly after the shift when his Great Dane Duke grew sick and died an hour after he got to the hospital. After Duke, he had nothing left. Kid had walked out the door devastated, but Pam had caught up to him in her parking lot holding a bundle in her arms.

  “Listen,” she said fighting back the tears, “I know what Duke meant to you, but this little girl needs a good home and she needs one now. She lost all her siblings and her mama. I don’t have time to cuddle her. Take her and if you don’t want her after she’s a little more grown up than I’ll take her back.”

  “I can’t.” Kid had said trying to hand her back.

  “I’m asking a favor of you.” She said turning her back to him. Somehow, Pam had known Shift would become his dog.

  Kid strained to see the buildings through the falling snow. The flurry of flakes sped at him so fast he felt like he wasn’t moving. As he passed through the gates, Kid felt the wind shift and the strength of the storm increase. Shift rose to her feet excited. Seeing the amount of cars in the parking lot, Kid grew weary. He placed his weapon of choice a 45 Kimber 1911 R1 on the seat next to him. He pulled on his ski jacket, gloves, and a stocking cap facemask and then gathered up extra ammo and magazines. He paused when swirling wind hit the truck, shaking it violently. Shift shivered. Kid grabbed the 308 semi-auto. Next to his Kimber it was a weapon of necessity. Hoisting the rifle across his back, he and Shift headed out into the storm.

  There was a truck hugging the door to the building leading to Pam’s office. Concerned, he swept a handful of snow off the hood exposing a blue fender. Pam’s truck wasn’t a blue Dodge, but he knew of a few that were.

  “Blake Harris.” He said aloud.

  They slipped through the door finding little comfort from the cold. The backup lights were on and the heat system was humming, but still the building felt like a giant freezer. He moved quietly through the office scrutinizing the trail of blood on the linoleum. Shift was already on it. The tips of the dog’s claws tapped on the floor drowning out the storm. Kid followed the dog as she led him through the exit and into the corridor. Pam’s words played in his memory. “You’re hiding something Kid.” Pam once told him. “If you ever need to talk, I’m a good listener.”

  “I’ll stop by.” He whispered aloud.

  Shift stopped and lifted her nose into the air. The smell of the cats aroused her and the ridge on her back rose. Shift was a lion dog and the dog wanted the lion. She was weary and the ridge standing on end showed it. She pressed slightly against Kid’s leg. He reached down and patted her on the back, gesturing her to move forward. She moved methodically as a well-trained soldier would by clearing the rooms one by one.

  Kid noted the smell of chemicals as they passed examining rooms, closets, and empty stacked animal containers along the corridor. He watched for trespassers while the dog hunted for lions. The hospital held creatures of the night and day, prey and predators that could rip a man or animal apart with one fatal swoop, or strike of a claw, or tooth.

  His imagination began to play tricks on him as the lighting produced shadows that seem to appear and disappear. The cry of an animal broke the silence sending a slight chill down his spine. He sifted through the sounds hearing desperation and sadness. In the animal kingdom that meant hunger. Man and dog approached the reception area with caution. The glowing light spilled from the split doors at the other end of the hall o
f the north wing. He and Shift moved in the direction of the light.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  Riley kept her voice at a mere whisper. Experience dictated that every space had its monsters. The storm outside was fierce making it hard to decipher one sound from the next. Eeriness pierced the walls and from somewhere deep within the darkness, Riley had heard an animal cry. The hair on her skin prickled. Feeling trapped, she knew there was no way they could go back out into that storm and inside was just as chilling.

  The wind howled outside as if searching for openings. Riley shivered from the currents of cold air passing through the halls as it sliced into the dimness with a cold bite. Then she contemplated whether to turn on a handheld light or not. Become a target or remain in the dark blending in with everything else. She chose the latter of the two. The sounds inside and out played tricks on her, teased her into a false insecurity. Trying to appear steadfast for the girl’s was more difficult than she thought.

  “It’s really dark Riley.” Megan whispered.

  “I know sweetie, hold on.”

  Another cry broke the cold, this time sheer agony. “What is that?” Utah whispered.

  “We need to keep moving into the building away from the doors and windows. Maybe find a source of heat.”

  Then as if the man upstairs had heard our cry, the soft hum of the industrial heater began to blow cool air through the vents overhead. There was so much space the heat seemed to pass over them. Another cry, one she recognized as the call of a wolf. The overhead lights flickered red escalating the ambiance of creepiness.

  “You heard that, right?” Riley said aloud.

  “Yes.” Utah answered, her teeth chattering.

  Utah let Max out of the bag, but instead of running, he stood up and hissed. A wave of fear washed over Riley when Max’s tail fluffed out.

  “You’re not helping Max.” She said.

  Megan clutched her shirt. Riley teetered on her legs between her and their bags, which were awkward and heavy. Riley heaved the heaviest one on her back, hung another around her shoulder, and then took her hand. With heart was drumming, she balanced gun, bags and child. The emergency lights showered just enough light so they could see to the next. The reception area ahead held slightly less light. The temperature rose a few degrees, but the cold draft of air remained constant. Her nose frozen, she could barely smell the strong aroma of hospital. The whistle of the wind entered through the building loud enough to warrant anxiety. We are in a hospital. Now she was scared.