Primal Shift: Volume 2 (A Post Apocalyptic Thriller) Read online

  The plan was simple enough. Without adequate food stores, tensions in Rainbowland – and anywhere else survivors had gathered – would mount, revealing divisions, which he could easily exploit. In the end, his job would become that much easier. They began storing the bulk of the food in the ballroom, but before long, even that gigantic space proved insufficient.

  Then there was that messy business with Bud, whose failure to return could only mean he’d failed at the job he was given. A pity since Alvarez had planned on killing him anyway. Whether Bud realized it or not, he was the enemy, to be used and manipulated, sure, but he could never be trusted. Not the way his brutes could be trusted.

  Alvarez’ mind returned to his new arena when a group of his men in a pickup arrived. A red triangle was painted on the side; an order Alvarez had given so his men could tell friend from foe.

  With men crammed into the bed and hanging off the sides, it was a sight more at home on the streets of Syria. They were mostly dressed in leather now, a move that made sense since it cut the wind and offered a certain amount of protection. There was a boy with them, too. Not an unheard of sight, fact some of his most cunning soldiers were young boys. What they lacked in raw power, they compensated for with wit. But this young man was different. Although he was dressed like the others, the features of his face obscured with grime just how young he really was. As they approached, Alvarez saw he was barely a teenager. But there was something about the kid’s eyes that struck Alvarez, and it wasn’t only the red rings that circled them, a clear sign he’d been crying or wanted to very badly. Deep beneath the surface, he detected knowledge. Lots of it. And the closer the boy drew, the more Alvarez began to realize there was something special about this young man. No, not special, more than that. There was some something downright incredible.

  Alvarez, Anita, and their bodyguards were still by the pits when he waved the group over. Each of these small raiding parties had a leader, and it was this person Alvarez normally gave the orders to. The head of this particular group was thin and wiry. The helmet he wore had two letters stencilled on each side: AA for American Airlines, which told him this particular group had likely formed from the pockets of survivors who had fought for supremacy over the airport.

  The leader began to approach when Alvarez stopped him.

  “Not you,” he said and pointed past the man to the boy behind him. “I meant him.”

  With great reluctance, the boy approached.

  “What’s your name?” Alvarez asked him. “Do you remember?”

  The boy hesitated when he saw Anita come forward, her hand outstretched to touch him. Al gave the leash she wore a little yank. Her head jerked back, and she cowered behind him. “Darling, not so fast, you’re going to scare our new friend.” He turned back to the boy, smiling now. “Oh, it’s quite all right. There’s no need to be afraid, young man. I don’t bite.”

  “Aiden. My name’s Aiden Cartright.”

  “That’s a good strong name, Aiden. You’re a very special young man, do you know that?”

  Alvarez waved the rest of the airport crew away, except the leader didn’t budge. The boy’s uncertain gaze ping-ponged between the two of them. Alvarez waved the man away again, as though he were little more than a pesky fly. The leader’s eyes dropped to the boy before returning to Alvarez. There was hatred there, and Al knew why. The loyalty in these tiny groups was unusually strong, a bond even Al was reluctant to break, but this time he would have to make an exception.

  Slowly, the man turned and walked away.

  Alvarez, Anita, and the boy began heading back to the hotel, his retinue of bodyguards close behind.

  “I’m special ‘cause I’m still alive, is that what you meant?”

  Alvarez laughed. “Well, in part, I suppose. Do you remember anything from that day when everything changed? Something unusual happening inside of you?”

  “Don’t think so.”

  “What about inside your mind? Thoughts that weren’t there before?”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Did you know, Aiden, that humans only use a tiny percentage of their brains at any given time? There’s enough space in there to fit the collective knowledge from every library in the world, many times over.”

  “I learned that in school.”

  “Smart boy.” Al wanted to ruffle his hair, but didn’t want to risk singeing it. “Are you thirsty? I’m thirsty. How about a Coke?” Al snapped his fingers, and two shirtless men approached, carrying a cooler. They opened the lid. It was filled with nothing but cans of Coke. He took one for himself and handed another to Aiden. “A bad habit of mine,” he said, pulling the tab to that almost iconic sound. Aiden did the same, and both of them took a drink.

  Aiden’s eyes were watering, but this time it wasn’t out of fear or sadness. It was from the bubbles tickling his throat. “Mom never let me have Coke, but Nikki drank it all the time. Was so unfair.”

  One of Alvarez’ eyebrows perked up. “You have a sister?”

  Aiden nodded and took another sip.

  “Do you two look very much alike?”

  “Uh, not really. She’s almost 16 and has long dark hair.”

  “Is she a little taller than you with pale skin?”

  The Coke fell from his lips. “Yeah, you know her? Is she here?”

  Alvarez could tell the boy was trying not to sound too hopeful.

  “I only met her once and very briefly, but she’s a very special girl, Aiden. More special than I realized ... before I met you, that is.”

  “She’s not that special.”

  Alvarez’ mouth split into a smile exposing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

  “Do you like boxing, Aiden?”

  “Hmm, it’s OK, but I prefer UFC.”

  Alvarez clapped his hands. “Perfect! Then you’ll love what I’ve got planned for tonight.”

  Carole

  It was hours later when they were back underground in the boiler room that Carole finally told Russell she had seen Aiden.

  “Are you sure?”

  “A mother knows her own children. Yes, I’m sure.” In the corner was a pile of leather clothing scavenged from dead Wipers as well as other pieces Russell had collected over the weeks. It was supposed to be part of their bug-out gear for when they left this place for good. The clothes would protect them from the elements and act as camo should they be intercepted by Wipers. Simple math showed there wasn’t enough for everyone. Not yet. But Carole wasn’t thinking of escape so much as infiltration. She shrugged one of the leather jackets on. There was dried blood on the collar.

  “What are you doing?” Russell asked her.

  “I’m going to get Aiden and Nikki.”

  “Are you insane?”

  Now, Holly and the others were being drawn by Russell’s bellowing voice.

  “I’ll sneak in and out through the ventilation system and grab them before anyone knows I was there. I’m not asking anyone else to go with me. If there’s a chance I can find either of my children, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

  “You won’t just be killed,” Rus said, driving home the point with a sharp, penetrating stare. “Killing’s the thing they do when they’ve grown bored of making you suffer.”

  “I’ve lived through worse,” Carole said. Josh moved next to her. In his hands was a can of tuna. He held it up. “This represents the last of our protein. After that, we’re down to sucking on ketchup packets. Won’t be another week after that before we’re too weak to find any food at all.”

  Holly stuck a finger in the air, pointing to the hotel and the Wipers above them. “You know sure as hell those animals up there are sitting on a mountain of food. We see those trucks everyday, coming and going.”

  The room descended into deathly silence after that. Finally, Russell spoke.

  “Quickly in and quickly out. Don’t get greedy.”

  He turned to Carole. “If you wanna search for your kids, that’s fine with me, but as soon as our ba
gs are filled, we’re gonna hightail it back and close those air ducts behind us, with or without you.”

  Carole tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone bone dry.

  •••

  A picnic bench in an alcove just past the giant boiler had become a war room. A set of building plans for the Grand America were laid out and kept weighted down on each corner with copper plumbing brackets. Russell pointed to a pair of blue parallel lines. Carole, Josh and myself will enter through here and make our way up this gradient toward the first floor.”

  “How do you know the food isn’t being kept on another floor?” Josh asked.

  “Without the use of working elevators, that would be foolish.”

  Russell then pointed to Holly, Tamara, and a teenage girl named Jessica.

  “The three of you will climb in after us and wait inside. You’ll be spread out, say, here, here, and here. Your jobs will be to get the food back underground as quickly as possible.”

  Holly, Tamara, and Jessica all nodded, although each of them looked scared out of their wits.

  “One last thing,” Josh said. “If this goes pear-shaped, and it doesn’t look like we’ll make it back, then you girls need to seal that vent.”

  •••

  Less than an hour later, the raiding party members were inside the air duct’s narrow confines. They entered through a maintenance flap accessed by a folding ladder positioned on the floor beneath it. Ahead of Carole were Josh and Russell. Behind her were Holly, Jessica, and Tamara. The heat inside was making the air thick and heavy. Carole’s breaths were becoming deeper. Panic swelling up within her. Up ahead, Russell could hear her frantic gulps for air and tried to calm her down.

  Just remember why you’re doing this. Keep your mind on your kids, Carole!

  She did exactly that, and an image of Aiden dressed in black leather settled before her eyes. He might not be killed if she walked away, not right away at least, but what sort of monster would they force him to become?

  As they went along, they made sure to spread out to reduce the load on any particular section of the air duct. It was making a ton of squeaking noises, no doubt about it, but they were moving up from below instead of hanging from the ceiling, which meant they were less likely to be heard sneaking about. A divide up ahead split right and left. The left rose up toward the second floor. The right went along the lobby before snaking up to the ceiling.

  It wasn’t long before they reached a floor-level vent. Russell spent several minutes peering through the grate before he popped it out. Carole was struck at once by how easily he had done so, until she realized this wasn’t the first time he’d snuck inside the hotel. ‘Course, he’d mentioned using the ventilation shafts in the past to spy on the Wipers, but not that he’d actually made it into the hotel proper.

  Josh and Russell squeezed out, and the thought of what they were about to do sent an electric current pulsing through her body. When it was Carole’s turn to exit, she was struck immediately the by a stench that reminded her of the streets of New York City at the height of summer. Body odor and sewage was what it smelled like. They’d stepped out into a hobo convention, except if these hobos discovered who they really were, the outcome would be worse than a case of liquor halitosis. They were in the hotel’s main entrance, a hallway that stretched in either direction. Large candles had been set up at intervals, casting an orange haze along the walls. But the deep shadows would help them from drawing unwanted attention.

  The three of them were standing now. The hallway was empty of Wipers, and the sound of cheering Carole heard rumbling in the distance probably explained why. Russell was listening, trying to make sense of what he was hearing.

  “What do you think’s going on?” Josh asked.

  Russell shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, as long as it keeps them busy.”

  The two men set off with the bags, and Carole felt an almost overwhelming urge to follow them. Or she could hop back in the vent. She glanced behind her. Holly was pulling the grate back in place.

  Even though she was dressed like a Wiper, Carol’s heart was still pounding. All she had to do was act like one of them and maybe everything would be OK. Her face was caked with dirt and surely she didn’t smell like roses, both things she hoped would help her blend in. Earlier in the day, seeing Aiden with that group of Wipers left her with the impression they considered him one of their own. It stood to reason then, that if there were a celebration going on outside he would likely be a part of it. Likewise, Nikki was probably being kept as a prisoner in one of the hotel’s many rooms, but with hundreds to search through on multiple floors, the task seemed, at least, daunting, and at the very worst, impossible. ‘Course, this was all conjecture, but there wasn’t much else she had to go on.

  Find Aiden, a little voice told her. If anyone knows where his sister is being kept, it’ll be him.

  The first few steps toward what was once the reception desk and the front entrance were agonizing. As she approached, the sound of grunting by the doorway made her pause. A man and woman in leather were entwined, kissing like two wild animals. The woman’s hair was spiked into a Mohawk, and her eyes locked on Carole as she approached. Slowly, a growl began emanating from the back of her throat.

  She thinks I’m trying to steal her man. That was the first thought that fired through her head. The clothes Carole wore were a little baggy, and maybe that gave it away she was a female and possible competition. With every step, the growling increased, but Carole didn’t have a choice, the two of them were beside the exit, and that was exactly where she was headed.

  Do something quick Carole, or this crazy bitch is gonna come after you.

  She squished her face into a snarl and growled back. The man’s face turned to see what was going on when the woman with the Mohawk grabbed his chin, kissing him long and hard.

  That’s it, Honey, you can have him. He’s not my type anyway.

  Heart hammering, Carole made it outside with a sigh of relief. To the left was a roaring bonfire and some type of fenced dome with a swarm of Wipers on top, cheering for whatever was going on inside. If it made these guys excited enough to cheer and whoop, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. But not all the Wipers were together. Pockets of others milled about, chanting and generally behaving wildly. It was like being at a frat party. Walk with authority, she told herself, or they’ll smell you coming a mile away. That snarl was back on her face, and somehow it was working ‘cause a Wiper moved out of her way in a hurry as she strode by. She was scanning left to right, looking for any sign of Aiden in the crowd, but with most of them focused on the action going on under the dome, it was hard to make out any faces. Then she saw Jeffereys, the bastard who had led the attack against the colony. Next to him was a man sitting on a throne made from what appeared to be human bones. He was Hispanic, and beside him was a woman wearing a collar. They were ringed by an entourage of bodyguards, one of them large and muscular, half of his left arm missing. On the edge of that group was a boy who looked positively minute compared to the hulking men around him. He was watching along with all the rest, but even from here she could see his eyes were glazed over as though he were either incredibly tired, or had been drugged.

  Getting near him wasn’t as easy as it looked. The crowd was surging to get ever closer to the action below, and once she was nearly knocked clean off her feet. Then she saw what everyone was looking at, and the sight nearly sickened her. It was some kind of fight to the death. One man armed with a machete, a gaping wound in his belly, was attacking another wielding two axes. A half dozen bodies, many hacked to bits, lay at their feet. If the world had become hell on Earth, surely this was its epicentre. The only saving grace in the entire situation was the crowd’s bloodlust, which kept their eyes focused squarely on the battle raging below and not on her.

  After shoving her way through the crowd, she finally reached Aiden. Her plan was simple enough. She would draw his attention, stop him from hugging her or crying out, and then the two of
them would make their way back inside, where she would ask him where Nikki was being kept.

  Carole tugged at the sleeve of the leather jacket Aiden was wearing. When he didn’t respond, she did it again, harder this time, and he finally glanced over at her before turning back as though she wasn’t there.

  “Aiden, it’s me,” she said, over the whoops and cheering.

  Another look, this one confused.

  “Honey, it’s your mother, I’m here to take you home.” She was pulling at his sleeve, coaxing him to move away from the others so they could make their way back to the hotel, but in one quick motion he wrenched his arm free.

  This wasn’t making any sense.

  After The Shift, his memories had been largely intact. It was Nikki who had suffered nearly complete amnesia. Or could his strange behavior be influenced by whatever drug was surging through his system, making his eyes glaze over like some pothead at a Grateful Dead concert?

  “Don’t you remember me, Aiden?” She was trying to keep her voice down.

  There seemed to be some inner struggle raging within him. “I’m not going with you,” he finally said, turning back to the fight, and Carole fought with everything she had not to yank him off the stage.

  Had he lost his young mind, or was he pulling the ultimate temper tantrum? “For God’s sake why not?” she asked.

  “You left me at the airport for dead. You abandoned Alice and me.”

  “No, Honey, that’s not true, we looked for you, we searched, but it was chaotic.”

  “You always said you’d do anything to protect us, and you ran away the first chance you got. I saw them kill Alice, and I was sure I’d be next, but they didn’t kill me. They made me one of their own, and now here you are showing up like all that’s forgotten.”

  “These are bad people, Aiden. They’re gonna hurt you.”