Liberation (Human Extinction Level Loss Book 3) Read online

  “Sheriff, please help us,” she said.

  At her words, Jacob stopped chewing and turned his head slightly in their direction. Losing his appetite, he tossed the half eaten can of stew to the ground and stood. He closed the footlocker and locked it. Beverly was about to say something else, when Jacob turned and grabbed a pillow, then slammed the tailgate shut and closed the window. From the back seat, she watched him go around and climb into the front seat. Without ceremony, Jacob tossed the pillow to the passenger side of the bench style seat and lay down.

  Beverly let out an incredulous sigh. Clinging to her side, Tommy whimpered.

  “I’m hungry.”

  Beverly turned and held her son.

  “I know, baby,” she said.

  She looked to the back of the Jeep but there was nothing to be had. Climbing over the seat, she opened the tailgate and window. The rear interior light cast its glow and barely illuminated the ground around the vehicle. Scanning the ground, Beverly found the half eaten can of stew. She considered grabbing her son and making a run for it. Thoughts of stumbling around in the pitch black of the forest and of what she might run into, alive or undead, sealed the deal for her. She climbed back into the Jeep and pulled the tailgate and window closed. The dome light blinked out, a pale moon the only light. Beverly plopped down in the seat next to Tommy and handed him the can of stew. A chunky residue was all that remained.

  “Here, baby. I know it’s nasty, but eat a little of this until we can get something better, okay?” she said.

  Next to her in the dark, she could hear Tommy scoop out what was left of the cold stew with his fingers and begin to eat.

  “You’re a real trooper, Tommy, a good boy,” Beverly said, rubbing his back.

  Looking forward to the front seat, Beverly could again feel the anger rising in her.

  “Asshole,” she said.

  In the front seat, Jacob’s eyes opened at the epithet. His brow furrowed in mild confusion. He knew the others were only a delusion. He knew that when they turned and pleaded with him it was not really happening, but this was different, his delusion had never called him an asshole before. He pondered this as he drifted off to sleep. In the backseat, Beverly and Tommy gave in to their fatigue and tried to make themselves comfortable for the night.

  Nine

  Sheer exhaustion outweighed their uncomfortable surroundings and empty stomachs. Beverly and Tommy slept soundly against each other on the back seat. Around them the forest was quiet, save for the chirping of the early birds. Morning sun cut through the trees, the motes of light creating a picture of serenity. As the light played across Beverly’s face, she felt its warmth and it radiated throughout her body. She stretched and let out a contented moan, feeling her son next to her. She opened her eyes and watched a bird flit on a branch above her outside the window.

  A second passed and then realization hit her. Beverly bolted upright in the seat and looked around. No longer appreciating the serenity, she looked through the bars to the front seat. There was nobody there. She looked out the windows on all sides, but only dappled sunlight and trees met her gaze. She noticed the back window was open. She was debating her next move, when she heard a rifle’s report in the distance. Like a runner hearing the starter pistol, Beverly climbed over the back seat and threw herself out the rear window. She ran around to the front driverside and pulled open the door.

  “Where would a crazy son of a bitch hide a spare set of keys?” she asked herself as she checked the visors and under the seats.

  Behind her, in the back seat, Tommy came awake. He rubbed his eyes and saw his mother in the front seat. Leaning forward, he pressed his face against the bars.

  “What are you doing, mom?” Tommy asked, still half asleep.

  Beverly looked back at her son, then continued to search for the keys.

  “We’re getting the hell out of here, that’s what,” she said.

  Tommy rubbed his eyes and sat back in the seat.

  “I have to pee,” Tommy said.

  Beverly didn’t answer as she leaped for the glove compartment. She flung open the door and rifled through stacks of wrinkled papers. Not finding the keys, Beverly slumped defeated in the driver’s seat.

  “Did you hear me, mom? I said I have to pee,” Tommy said.

  Still not paying attention, Beverly looked at Tommy in the rear view mirror.

  “Hey Tommy, your dad was always showing you stuff about his job. Did he ever show you how to hot-wire a car?” Beverly asked.

  Tommy stared sleepily out his window.

  “Hot wiring a car isn’t part of Dad’s job. Why would he ever show me that?” Tommy said.

  Beverly chewed her lip.

  “Besides, why do you need to hot-wire the car? The keys are in the ignition,” Tommy said nonchalantly.

  Beverly looked down in surprise at the steering column. Sitting in the ignition were the keys.

  “Of course. Why would he take them. He doesn’t think we are real,” she said with a sneer. “Hold on, Tommy. We’re getting out of here.”

  “But I have to pee!” Tommy said as the engine sprang to life. He was thrown forward into the front seat as Beverly put the Jeep in reverse and hit the gas.

  “We’ll find a rest stop later, Tommy! Now, Buckle up!” she yelled. Pointing the Jeep the way they came in, Beverly began the rough, meandering journey back to where she thought the highway was.

  On a rocky overlook, Jacob drew a line through a name in his ledger. He was about to look back through his scope when he heard a familiar noise. Casting his head back to the woods, he heard the sound begin to dissipate. It was a sound he recognized. Somebody was stealing his Jeep. Jacob jumped up and ran into the woods.

  Beverly bounced over fallen branches and half hidden rocks as she steered through the trees. She emerged onto a relatively clear stretch and her confidence soared. It ebbed away as she heard the engine cut off. She gripped the wheel and looked down at the RPM indicator on the dash. It confirmed what she already knew. The needle was buried below the zero. She reached down and tried to start the Jeep, to no avail.

  “Um, Mom,” Tommy said,

  Beverly looked back at Tommy then forward at what he was pointing at. Standing in the forest in front of them was the Sheriff. In his hand he held the cutoff switch. For the second time that morning, Beverly slumped defeated in her seat. She began to panic when she saw him approach the driverside and fling it open.

  Beverly tried to back away and fight him off at the same time, but he was too strong and too quick. He reached in and grabbed her left wrist and dragged her from the vehicle. Pulling her along after him, he opened the back driverside passenger door and flung her in. Inside, Tommy tried to get out of the way as his mother fell over him. Once inside, Jacob slammed the door behind her. He went around to the back and reached for a couple of cable tie restraints. Beverly saw what he was going for and tried to fight him over the back seat. Jacob jumped in and held her right wrist tight. He flinched at the barrage of slaps and punches Beverly threw at him as she struggled. Next to her, Tommy screamed and threw punches of his own.

  “Don’t hurt my mom, you asshole!” he shouted.

  Seconds later, Jacob backed away from her as she let out a tortured angry scream. She lunged at him, but did not make it far, her right hand held securely to the bars by the tightly pulled cable tie.

  Seeing his mom’s arm secured, Tommy lunged at the bars and tried to free her. His efforts were interrupted by Jacob’s harsh interjection.

  “Hey!” he said.

  Tommy turned, startled, and looked at Jacob. Jacob gestured for Tommy’s right hand. Dejected, Tommy slumped back in the seat and held up his arm.

  “No, you fucking bastard!” Beverly screamed as she watched Jacob cable tie Tommy’s wrist to the handhold above his head.

  Satisfied that they were secure, Jacob climbed back out of the Jeep.

  Beverly and Tommy watched as Jacob turned and walked back through the forest, disappearin
g into the trees.

  Ten

  “It stinks,” Tommy said for perhaps the fifth time.

  Beverly rubbed her nose and kept vigil through the windows.

  “I know it does, Tommy, but I am trying to teach someone a lesson, okay. Hopefully it won’t be for much longer,” she said.

  Tommy looked in the back of the Jeep to where the empty can of stew sat on the Sheriff’s footlocker.

  “What’s the lesson you are trying to teach him?” he asked.

  “That we are real and so are the consequences for kidnapping us,” Beverly replied.

  Tommy looked from the can to his mom, then back to the can.

  “What about if you have to go? I think that was our only can,” he said.

  Beverly leaned her head against the glass and closed her eyes.

  “Then you turn your head while I drop trou and pee all over his front seat,” she said.

  Tommy looked at his mom and scrunched up his face.

  “Eww, mom,” he said.

  Tommy pulled the top of his shirt up over his nose and slumped back down in the seat. After several seconds, he pulled his shirt away and a sly grin crossed his face. Beverly noticed.

  “What. I know that look,” she said.

  “If that can were a nut, what kind would it be?” Tommy asked.

  Beverly stared at him with a blank expression. Tommy’s grin brew broader.

  “A Pecan. Get it? A pee-can,” he said.

  Beverly’s face fell in mild disgust at the corny joke which only made Tommy laugh all the more. The sound of his laughter washed away her irritation and she began to laugh too.

  Several hours later, the sun began its descent. Inside the Jeep, Beverly squirmed in her seat, legs crossed in visible discomfort. Tommy eyed her nervously.

  “Don’t do it, Mom,” he said.

  Beverly squeezed her legs a little tighter.

  “I make no guarantees, Tommy. But let’s not talk about it, okay?” she said.

  Tommy nodded.

  Just when she thought she was going to have to make good on her threat, she saw Jacob approaching through the trees. He went around and opened up the back of the Jeep, placing his rifle inside. He was about to unlock the footlocker when the scent hit him. He wrinkled his nose and stared at the nearly full can of Tommy’s urine sitting on top of the locker. Glancing up, he saw two sets of eyes staring at him over the back seat. Tommy’s were full of questioning, Beverly’s full of defiance.

  “You like to imagine things, like we’re not real? Imagine that can of piss is your stew, asshole,” Beverly said.

  Jacob gave a disgusted sneer at Beverly then stood up and went around to the driver’s side. Beverly rocked back and forth in her seat as Tommy watched her.

  “If he doesn’t let us out of here in about three seconds, the smell is fixin’ to get a lot worse,” she said.

  Tommy looked afraid. He mouthed the words, ‘No”.

  “Sorry, son. It’s about to be out of my hands,” Beverly said.

  No sooner had she spoken, then her door was pulled open and Jacob reached in with a large knife. Tommy screamed as Beverly tried to fend the Sheriff off. Jacob struggled with her before finally reaching up and cutting her loose. He went around to the other side and did the same for Tommy. Beverly called to her son and he crawled out of the Jeep on her side.

  Jacob watched but did not give chase as Beverly took Tommy’s hand and ran into the woods.

  The running didn’t help at all and with every step of the way, Beverly felt like her bladder was going to burst. When she thought she had gotten far enough away, she stopped and looked around. Everything was quiet in the gathering dusk.

  “Keep an eye out, Tommy,” she said.

  Tommy turned around and looked for any sign of pursuit. All was quiet. Seconds later, the preternatural silence was interrupted by the subtle sound of a steady stream of liquid hitting the ground. Tommy turned quizzically and saw only his mother’s knees poking out from behind a tree.

  “Mom, are you peeing?” he asked.

  Beverly grunted. “Don’t worry about what I’m doing, Tommy. Are you keeping an eye out?” she said.

  Tommy turned back around. As he did so, another sound overrode the noise of Beverly’s bodily functions. The sound of the Jeep’s engine grew louder as it approached. Tommy crouched down and stared into the trees. Behind him, Beverly called out in a hissing whisper.

  “Tommy!

  Tommy didn’t answer as he kept low and continued to look for any sign of the Jeep. Beverly was about to call out again, when her breath caught in her throat. Behind her, but still some distance away, the Jeep lumbered past them over the uneven terrain. Beverly, still squatting, froze, not daring to move or look back. The Jeep did not slow as it moved past. After several seconds, the sound of the engine began to fade away, and the natural silence of the woods returned.

  Beverly hiked up her pants and rushed from around the tree.

  “Tommy!” she whispered as loud as she dared. She was about to call again when Tommy appeared from behind a tree. He looked behind his mother at the ground.

  “You did pee! I knew it!”

  Beverly looked chagrined. Yeah, well, I had to go,” she said.

  Tommy started giggling at his mother.

  “Hey, I didn’t laugh at you when you peed in a can,” she scolded.

  “Well, what did you do for toilet paper?” Tommy asked.

  Beverly playfully slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t you worry about it, now come on, we’ve got to get out of here,” she said.

  Tommy started another round of laughing as he moved ahead of his mother through the trees. Beverly smiled in spite of herself.

  “Talk about being almost caught with your pants down! I am so telling Dad what you did,” Tommy said.

  Tommy’s words cut through to her heart and her smile fled away. She stopped and stared after her son as he ran and jumped through the trees. The happy moment evaporated. They had laughed, and in that laughter she had forgotten the way the world had become, forgot that their best hope of a life was far away at the other end of a stranger’s broadcast, and forgot that the love of her life and father to her son was gone. She was now reminded anew that she had neither the luxury of a grave site nor the confidence that death was truly the end for Mark. She knew she would have to tell Tommy, but had convinced herself now was not the time. As she again started through the trees, she thought that it was getting easier and easier to tell herself that. Following her son, she knew in her broken heart it would only be that much harder on both of them when that time did come.

  The burden in her heart was too heavy to carry and Beverly lagged behind a jubilant Tommy as he skipped and ran through the woods. It was too late to call to him when she saw the Jeep through the trees. It was parked by the side of the road, but she could not see the Sheriff. A new worry and concern welled up inside her and exploded from her chest.

  “Tommy, get away from there!” she screamed, even as she broke into a run towards the road.

  She could see Tommy motionless by the Jeep. Seconds later she burst from the tree line, expecting the worst, but the worst didn’t happen. There was no menacing figure who had caught them in a trap of false security. There was only the Jeep, its tailgate down. On the tailgate were two opened cans of stew, a spoon in each one. Beverly stared at the food and her stomach rumbled. Tommy looked up at his mother.

  “Can we, mom? I am pretty hungry,” he said.

  Beverly pulled her son to her side and looked inside the Jeep. Jacob sat motionless in the front seat, his hands on the steering wheel. He made no move to get out and did not turn to look at them.

  “Go wait over there, Tommy,” Beverly said, pointing some distance down the highway away from the Jeep.

  Tommy began to protest.

  “Tommy!” Beverly shouted, her voice sounding more harsh than she intended.

  “Please, don’t argue with me now, okay?” she said, softening her tone, but
keeping it firm.

  Tommy slumped and walked off a little ways from the Jeep. Beverly looked around on the ground and found a stout branch. She picked it up and tested the weight of it in her hands. Satisfied, she moved out onto the highway and began to approach the driverside window. She saw the Sheriff’s hands still resting on the steering wheel. As she approached, Beverly debated what she would do if she saw those hands move.

  As she drew closer, she could see the Sheriff’s profile. He sat in the seat, the rest of his body as motionless as his hands. He stared straight ahead, not acknowledging her approach. Beverly kept a tight grip on the branch and tried to appear menacing.

  “Hey! Asshole! What are you doing here?” she said.

  After several seconds, Jacob spoke, his voice was level and low.

  “You haven’t eaten since I picked you up. I thought you might be hungry.”

  Beverly huffed. “Yeah, if by ‘picked up’ you mean kidnapped. You tied us in the back of your Jeep for a whole day!” Beverly said.

  Jacob was nonplussed. “You did try to steal my Jeep,” he said.

  Beverly screwed up her face. “You were acting like some kind of serial killer creepo! Wouldn’t talk to us— What did you mean when you asked, ‘Are we real?’ Only somebody with a loose hold on reality would ask something that, you know? I’ve got a son to think about!” Beverly shouted.

  Jacob sighed, but still did not turn to face her. The two engaged in a standoff for several long seconds, Jacob staring straight ahead, Beverly staring at the side of his face and brandishing the tree branch. Finally, Jacob spoke.

  “So, are you going to eat the food?”

  Beverly blinked and she tried to counter the seemingly innocuous question. She took a step closer and pointed the branch at Jacob.

  “Did you poison it?” she asked.

  This time, Jacob did turn and looked at her with an expression of agitated incredulity. Beverly was chagrined as his expression brought the full weight of the paranoia of her question down on her. She stood staring at him a few seconds more, her body language betraying her inner struggle between hunger and safety.