The Mortis Desolation (Book 1): Mortis Read online

  I jumped and pulled my gun up. I looked at the truck as Sean went flying out the back of it, being dragged by the black, inky form of an atra.

  Sean screamed as loud as he could as the atra dragged him across the ground, the asphalt tearing him apart.

  “SEAN!” Mila screamed as she tried running toward him, but I wrapped my arms around her. She was about to step into the shadow of the cloud that had appeared, which allowed the atra to reach Sean in the first place.

  She tried fighting me, but I held tight. There was nothing we could do. It was back in the shadow of the courthouse. Sean screamed for help as the atra melted on top of him, its body turning to a thick substance that enveloped him until you couldn’t see his body. He continued screaming, but it was a gurgling scream as the atra began to bubble and disintegrate, just like it did when it came into contact with sunlight.

  After a few more seconds, the hissing and bubbling stopped. All that was left of both Sean and the atra was a thick, black pool of liquid.

  Mila fell to the ground, and I let her go. She began to weep, unable to bear the death of all the people she cared about most.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  I WALKED into the hotel room and sat down on the edge of the bed closest to the door. The group filed in, laying their packs and supplies around the room. Rachel helped Julia onto the other bed and the room, then went and opened the curtains, letting some of the mid-afternoon light into the fifth-floor hotel room.

  The hotel we were setting up camp in was nearby Brinn, and we made sure we picked the room on the top floor, far away from any wandering travelers, Roves, or anything else that we were in no mood to mess with.

  “We should begin planning our next move,” I said once Daniel entered the room and shut the door behind him. He deadbolted it and put the chain in place.

  “I think we should rest for a moment,” Daniel said, nodding to Mila, who was sitting with her back against the bed on my left, her wide eyes staring at the wall.

  “We can rest,” I said turning my attention back to Daniel who stood in the foyer. “But we can come up with a plan at the same time. We don’t need to waste time.”

  Daniel nodded, but gritted his teeth at the same time. “I understand, but I don’t think we need to rush ourselves. Let’s just take a sec, okay?”

  I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, but Daniel’s reaction irritated me.

  “We need to figure out what we’re going to do next, and do so right now. We’re up against god-knows what, and I don’t mean just the atras, I’m talking about the Roves, too. We need to figure out what we’re going to do before our enemies get the jump on us.”

  “Don’t you think you’re being a little insensitive?” Daniel asked.

  I looked at him, taken aback. “Insensitive? Really, Daniel? There are creatures out there that killed an entire settlement, and we have no idea where they came from. This isn’t the time to sit around and kick our feet up. We need to find out what’s going on, and how we can protect ourselves.”

  “Miles, I’m being seri—“

  “He’s right,” Mila said, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat and repeated herself. “He’s right.” She looked up at Daniel. “We need to find out what those things are, and where they’re coming from. We don’t have time to sit around. I need to know what killed everyone I cared about. Sitting around isn’t going to bring them back. Nothing will, really. But closure will help, and it’s what I need. Not rest and relaxation. I need answers.”

  Daniel looked away, his face tensing up. He sighed and turned his face toward the ground. “Fine. I guess we know our next move then,” he said defeated.

  “Not exactly. We still need to figure out how exactly we’re going to go about finding out information on the atras,” Rachel said as she leaned her back against the wall next to the window.

  “If I had my laboratory I could conduct some research on the black liquid samples from Brinn,” Pete said from his spot on the bed behind me. His voice was still groggy from the pain medication, but he was beginning to come to his senses.

  “If you got us a list of supplies, we could get you the stuff you needed for a new one,” Daniel said.

  Peter shrugged. “I doubt it. There’s not many supplies left out in the wild. Most of the stuff has been taken. And the best stuff is at Jefferson.”

  I sighed. “Which leads me to our next point. Jefferson. Taking it back from the Roves is my number one priority. Not only because it’s a place that almost all of us founded, but because of all the friends—family—that are left behind. We can’t just leave them for the Roves to do with as they please. I think we all know from Ashley’s experience—” my heart skipped a beat and the room took on a palpable sadness “—that being a slave to the Roves is nothing anyone should have to experience. It’s not something I’ll knowingly allow my family to go through. Besides, once we take it back, Peter can have his laboratory back and we’ll be able to learn more about the atras.”

  Everybody in the room mulled over my idea. I could tell they were all considering it, trying to figure out if it made the most sense. I hope it did, because it made sense to me.

  “I think it’s a good idea,” John said. “I can’t stand the thought of the Roves doing whatever they’re doing to our people. They need to be stopped, and a message needs to be sent.”

  Daniel slowly nodded his head. “I agree. But we’ll have to act quickly before more Roves come to Jefferson. We have to strike while the iron is hot, most importantly so we can hurry up and learn more about the atras.”

  “While I didn’t think helping Jefferson is something I would do easily, if it’ll help me learn more about the monsters that killed my people, I’m in,” Mila said.

  “Thank you,” I told her. “And don’t worry, we’ll avenge your people,” I said, trying my best to sound like a leader.

  “They’re not yours to avenge,” she said with a fire in her eyes. She turned her gaze back to the wall.

  “Guys, I think I’ve found a way for us to get a little practice in,” Rachel said as she looked out the window.

  “What is it?” I asked as I stood and walked over to her side.

  “Look,” she said as she pushed the curtain aside so I could look out.

  Walking down the road outside were some Roves leading a group of slaves tied at the wrists.

  “Everybody get your weapons ready,” I said. “We have to act fast.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  I PEEKED my head over the burnt-up chassis of a car and caught a glimpse of the Roves and their slaves growing near. We had run a couple of blocks up the road and waited for the Roves to come our way.

  Mila squatted on the ground to my right, while John did the same to my left. I got back down, and looked across the road to my left. Rachel and Daniel were sitting behind their own car-chassis cover, their guns at the ready.

  They’re close, I mouthed to them. Daniel nodded his head, and tightened the grip on his gun.

  I tapped Mila on the shoulder, and she turned to look at me. Good? I mouthed with a questioning look on my face.

  She nodded her head, her eyes empty.

  I could hear the scraping sound of feet against the ground grow closer and closer, bringing me back to attention. The Roves were close, and I had to be ready.

  The first two Roves walked past me, and I held my breath. They looked to be in their thirties, and were very dirty. They didn’t speak; all their attention on the road ahead. The slaves began walking past next. They were all tied to each other around the waist, an even mix of teen boys and girls. Their hands were bound together. They shuffled along like they were zombies already. Their tattered and worn clothes flapped in the wind. Their heads were all shaved, which I found strange. I’d never seen slaves with shaved heads, and it didn’t sit well with me.

  I made myself as flat as I could against the side of the car, but my gun was ready; just in case I was seen, I’d be ready to strike.

  One of t
he slaves met her dark brown eyes with mine, and they grew wide. Her mouth opened: a gut reaction. I brought a finger up to my lips, telling her to keep quiet. She closed her mouth and swallowed. She turned her attention to the road ahead, but I could see her looking out the corner of her eye back at me.

  A few more slaves passed by, twelve in total. Two more Roves took up the rear, their eyes peeled on the road. None of them noticed us, which made our job much less messy.

  I rose from my position behind the car, and the rest of the squad followed. Daniel took his side next to mine, and we got behind the two rear guards. I brought my gun up over my shoulder, and slammed it into the back of the guard in front of me. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Daniel did the same to his, but he didn’t go out instantly like mine. Daniel hit him again, and that did the trick.

  The Roves whipped around with their guns up, trying to figure out what was going on. The slaves let out a shout of fear, confused.

  “Drop them,” I said. There were five of us and only two of them. I was still nervous, though. I remembered this was the exact same position we were in when Pike was killed. My eyes drifted to the buildings around us, but I forced myself to stay focused on the situation.

  “You know who we are?” the Rove on the left asked, not bringing his gun down. He had curly red hair and, in a different life, was probably someone who turned heads in the mall. However, in this life, his good looks did nothing to mask the evil in his eyes.

  “Yeah, you’re Roves,” I said as if I didn’t care. As if they were nothing. As if they weren’t the source of almost everything bad in my life.

  “Well then, you should know not to mess with us. You and your merry band of superheroes best leave us be,” he said with a patronizing tone.

  I scoffed. “Really now? What makes you think we’d just let you go?”

  “Because we’re Roves, and we don’t just roll over and let people take our property. You kill us, you’ll have a hundred Roves turning over every rock in Texas looking for you and our slaves. You don’t want that kind of trouble, do you?”

  “Oh, if only you knew,” I said. “Because you took something that belonged to me. And I don’t just roll over and let that happen.”

  The Rove chuckled. “Oh yeah? And what was that? Maybe I’ll know who you a—”

  A bullet went off to my left and his head exploded before he could finish his sentence. I shot the Rove to my right before he could have the chance to retaliate. He fell to the ground in a bloody heap.

  I looked to my left and saw that it was Mila who’d shot him. I looked at her, my eyebrows raised, questioning.

  “I had enough of his bullshit,” she said as she brought her gun down.

  Before I could say anything else, the slaves all broke down in tears and whoops of joy. To my right, John let out a whoop of his own.

  “Guys, guys!” I said, shouting. “Everybody! Calm down!” They turned to me with thankful eyes, listening with eager ears for what I had to say next. “Please, keep quiet. We don’t want to draw any attention to ourselves.”

  They quieted down, but the joy and excitement lingered in the air. I couldn’t fight the feeling of pride that welled up in my chest. I saved these people from a horrible life of enslavement, doing whatever the Roves wanted, no matter how awful or dangerous or demeaning. It felt good, seeing people with so much childish joy, when I had been surrounded by death for the past few days. Knowing that I’d made a difference in someone’s life for good…well…I just wanted to cherish the moment for just a few seconds. I closed my eyes and smiled. Ashley would be so proud.

  “Thank you,” a voice said. I opened my eyes and saw the girl who’d spotted me earlier was the one speaking. She smiled, and I noticed that she was missing a tooth on her left side, between her canines and molars. Her shaved head had brown stubble that was barely visible. She reeked of body odor, but then again so did they all. Still, there was a regal aura about her. Her olive skin was covered in bruises and scars, and I felt my stomach turn in disgust at the thought of someone doing something to harm her.

  I smiled and nodded my head. “It’s no problem. We just saw you all and figured we’d help.”

  “Well, again, thank you.”

  “Where were you headed?” Daniel asked.

  “Jefferson Memorial.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  “TELL ME EVERYTHING,” I said as soon as the words came out of her mouth.

  She looked me up and down, giving me a shady look. “Well, I’d love to, but you’re gonna have to get me out of these first if you want a word.” She raised her hands up, drawing attention to the ropes that bound her hands.

  My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Right, sorry,” I said. We spent the next few minutes cutting their bonds. They rubbed their hands, and kept thanking us over and over again.

  “Let’s go somewhere a little less open and talk,” the girl said.

  I nodded my head. “We’re camped in a hotel down the road. We can speak in the lobby.”

  “That sounds good to me.” She turned to the slaves. “Anyone who wants to come is welcome with me.”

  The group murmured, and it seemed as if most of them would stay.

  I did my best to hide how eager I was. If I could get them on my side and convince them to join us in taking back Jefferson Memorial, our number would have increased by over three times. It still wasn’t a lot, considering how many Roves there were, but every little bit helped.

  I extended a hand to the girl. “My name is Miles,” I said.

  She shook my hand. “Nina.”

  “Well, Nina, it’s nice to meet you. Let’s go.”

  * * *

  I sat down in a chair in the hotel lobby. My body sunk into the cushion, and a cloud of dust shot into the air. The sunlight filtered through the window and illuminated the monochrome room. Not even the paintings on the walls held color.

  People sat down in the chairs around the room, talking amongst themselves in a hushed tone. Daniel, John, Mila, and myself all sat together, while Nina and a pale, lanky boy sat next to her. He kept rubbing his hand on his shaved head.

  “What’s your name?” I asked him.

  “Trevor,” he said with a weak voice.

  “What’s with your shaved heads?” John asked from a chair to my right. He leaned forward, eager to hear their answer.

  “We’re not entirely sure. One day we woke to them dragging us from our beds by our hair. They lined us up and shaved our heads. They wouldn’t say why, but it was probably just another way to assert their dominance. At least that’s what I believe.”

  My body flushed with heat. The Roves sickened me, and I wanted nothing more but for them to be out of my life. I couldn’t bear the thought of what they were doing to the people of Jefferson Memorial. I definitely wasn’t able to think about them doing things like that to Ashley when she was one of their slaves.

  “Can you tell us what you know about Jefferson Memorial?” Daniel asked.

  I nodded my head. “Yeah, we really need to know.” I leaned forward slightly in my chair.

  Nina looked at our faces, hers growing quizzical. “What makes you so interested in Jefferson Memorial?”

  “Well, this is the farthest the Roves have settled from their territory. Their reach is expanding, and it doesn’t bode well for the settlements out here,” Daniel said in his best diplomatic voice.

  While he was right, that wasn’t the main reason, and he knew that. I wasn’t sure what angle he was playing, but I didn’t have time for it. “We’re from Jefferson Memorial,” I explained. Daniel shot me a look, but did nothing further. I continued. “We’d like to drive the Roves from our home, and any information would be helpful.”

  Nina sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, I don’t know much, but I did overhear some things that I didn’t like the sound of. I think they have more reasons for settling this far out then just because they’re bored and want the power.”

  I sat back in my ch
air, trying to process what she was talking about. “What exactly did you overhear?” I asked, sitting back up.

  “I don’t know what exactly, but it sounded as if they were searching for something. Like they didn’t take Jefferson because they were bored and wanted your supplies, or wanted to expand their territory. It sounded as if they were using Jefferson Memorial as a base of operations. Jefferson had it all, but its location being the main reason they took it. What exactly they’re searching for or using the location for, I’m not sure. But like you said,” she said, looking at Daniel, “it doesn’t bode well for everyone else living out here.”

  I turned and looked at John and Daniel. From the looks on their faces, I could tell their minds were racing as fast as mine. What could be the Roves’ reason for taking Jefferson Memorial if it wasn’t just because they wanted to expand their reach?

  “What if this is all connected?” I thought out loud.

  “What do you mean?” John asked.

  I thought about it for a few moments more before speaking. “The sudden increase in zombies, the atras, and then the Roves taking Jefferson for unknown reasons. What if what they’re searching for, or using Jefferson for—or whatever they’re doing—what if it has something to do with everything else?”

  Daniel’s eyes darted around the floor as he processed what I’d just said. John stared into space, his mouth slightly opened. I could tell my theory frightened him as much as it did me. Because if this was all connected, my friends and I got the short straw every time.

  “It’s a possibility, that’s for sure. And us and Jefferson Memorial are the common denominators,” Daniel said as he rubbed the back of his right hand. He stood up and walked to the back of his chair. He leaned against the back of it, letting out a sigh.

  “I’m sorry to hear about your home,” Nina said after a few moments of silence. “But that’s all I know. If it’s alright with you, it’s been a while since I’ve been home, and I have a father whom I haven’t seen in almost a year. I’d like to return to him as soon as I can.”