The Eliminators | Volume 3 Read online

  THE ELIMINATORS

  VOLUME THREE

  Jacqueline Druga

  The Eliminators Volume Three - Jacqueline Druga

  The Eliminators Series - Copyright 2019, 2020 by Jacqueline Druga

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Thank you to Paula, Connie N, and Al for all your help! And also to Fred, for encouraging this series.

  Cover Designer – Tairelei

  https://www.facebook.com/Tairelei/

  ONE – PIT STOP

  April 19 – Day 365

  Minerva, OH

  The Elite Prototype Eliminator Vehicle, or EPEV was one of a kind. There wasn’t another Eliminator vehicle like it. Other than being beautiful and big, it was completely high tech, a computerized specialty vehicle designed by the newest member of the Flaming Saffrons team, Aldrich Yates.

  Unfortunately, despite how high tech everything was, no one really understood it the way Yates did. And that was the problem.

  It was parked in nearly the center of the town; a good position, they were there for a quick stop, that was it.

  Rigs made his way to the back of the vehicle, to the main intelligence hub or control room.

  Fred, another newcomer to the team looked like he was about to pull his hair out as he sat behind the monitors.

  “What’s going on?” Rigs asked. “Where are they?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean you don’t know?”

  “Again, I don’t know - how many ways do you want me to tell you?” Fred replied.

  Barry joined them in the back. “Sandy is ready on the medical aspect of it.”

  Rigs looked at him. “I don’t think it will come to that.”

  “They sounded desperate,” Barry said. “Really desperate.”

  “They’re not desperate, they’re ridiculous. Okay, Fred,” Rigs said. “Can you track them?”

  “Yes, yes, I can. I have tracking fired up.”

  Barry patted Fred on the shoulder. “Good. Now where are they?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Rigs nearly shrieked. “This is a fourteen million dollar vehicle. How can you not find them?”

  “Easy.” Fred lifted the tracking bracelets. “Neither one of them is wearing one.”

  “Why wouldn’t they wear them?” Barry asked. “Okay, I get Rachel, but Yates … he is never without his tracker.”

  “I’ll tell you why.” Rigs lifted his radio. “Because they weren’t supposed to leave the block.” He brought the radio to his mouth. “Rach, come in. Rach. Where are you?”

  “I’m a little busy right now, Rigs,” Rachel responded. “We’re running.”

  Rigs looked at Fred. “Do you see growlers anywhere?”

  “They are completely out of range from any of the scanners we put out … nope. Wait. Scratch that.” Fred’s fingers clicked on the keyboard. “I’m gonna guess this is them.” He pointed to the screen and some moving objects. One light was slightly ahead of another, and behind those eight more tracking lights were pursuing something at a steady pace. “They’re moving faster than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest.”

  “That makes no sense.”

  “Sure it does, if you think about it,” Fred replied. “Looks like they’re running from a butt kicking contest.

  “They’re being chased, they never run from anything,” Rigs said. “It’s something fast.”

  “Sure looks that way,” Fred replied.

  “Stiffs don’t typically move that fast,” Barry commented. “If they aren’t growlers, what are they?”

  Rigs peered over his shoulder at Barry. “Kids.”

  <><><><>

  For some strange reason, all that ran through Rachel’s mind as she ran was the song from Wizard of Oz, ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’, all because Yates had shouted out to “Follow the red brick road.”

  It was fitting seeing how they had eight, demonic acting munchkins following them.

  “Follow the red brick road,” Yates said again.

  “Quit saying that,” Rachel spoke.

  “Why?”

  “I keep hearing the munchkins.”

  “Well think of Elton John.”

  “What?” Rachel asked out of breath. “And why haven’t they found us? What the hell is the matter with your tracking?”

  “I’m not wearing mine!” Yates yelled.

  “What the hell is the matter with you?”

  “You challenged me to not use tech this week.”

  “That didn’t mean your bracelet!” Rachel then shrieked. “Red road is ending. Go left.”

  Yates turned right.

  “I said left!” Rachel yelled. “We have to find somewhere to climb.”

  “I see !” Yates shouted and pointed.

  As soon as Rachel saw where he pointed, she knew it was the place, suddenly all the adrenaline that fueled her, that kept her running like a superhero, all that left.

  Almost as soon as she saw it, everything drained away.

  They were half a block from it.

  A giant black and white cow monument.

  It was perched on a three-foot pedestal that looked like a little yard, complete with a white picket fence.

  It looked tall enough, but Rachel didn’t realize how tall it was until she watched Yates struggle to get on the cow.

  Yates was tall.

  That’s when she realized the cow statue was almost twenty feet tall.

  Rachel hadn’t a clue how she would make it up the slick animal.

  She arrived and tried to jump, on her second leap, Yates grabbed her wrists and yanked.

  Feet sliding along with Yates’ pull Rachel made it on the cow, just as the zombie kids grabbed for her feet.

  The top of the cow was three feet wide, plenty of enough room to sit and be safe.

  “Catch your breath,” Yates told her.

  “I don’t … I don’t … think I can.”

  Yates looked down. “Who would have thought we’d be saved by a cow?”

  “This is insane.” Rachel peered down just as her radio went off.

  “Rach,” Rigs said. “We think we have you.”

  “Oh, good,” Rachel replied. “You can’t miss us; we’re sitting on the giant cow.”

  “I’m not even gonna ask.”

  “And Rigs, don’t shoot them.”

  “Why not?”

  “They’re still kids,” Rachel replied.

  “Tell him to use the net. Fred knows where it is,” Yates said.

  “Rigs. Use the net. Please.”

  “Oh my God. I’m ready to kill you guys. One stop. One night before returning to Central City and you guys put yourself in danger.”

  “I’m not gonna listen to you bitch. Putting the radio down now.”

  “Rach … don’t you—”

  Rachel shut it off. “I hope he uses the net.”

  “Barry won’t let him shoot the kids.”

  “Barry isn’t our leader,” Rachel said. Once again, she peered down to the children. Eight of them, one looked as young as three. “They’re so hungry. I wonder what we could feed them.”

  “Really?” Yates asked with sarcasm. “You want to feed the dead children?"

  “I can’t help it, it’s the mother in me.”

  “That’s really twisted.”

  It really wasn’t. When Rachel looked at their faces, even though they were dead, and some decomposing, they were still children. She could see the bite marks on all but two of them. Her heart ach
ed a little thinking about how frightened they had to of been, how scared and in pain. Was it someone they knew, trusted and loved that did that to them? Did they suffer?

  “What’s really twisted is,” Rachel said. “If they wouldn’t bite my neck or my hand I’d want to give them a hug.”

  “Oh my God.”

  Rachel laughed.

  “You realize you know, you challenged me to a tech free week, yet here we are waiting for the EPEV.”

  “I challenged you. Not me. Where are they?”

  “Probably getting the net ready or learning how to use it. They don’t want to blow it when they get close. We should have told them …” Yates paused. “Follow the red brick road.”

  Rachel groaned. “You did that on purpose.”

  “Think of Yellow Brick Road,” Yates said. “First thing that came to my mind was the song Red Dirt Road.”

  “Oh, that’s a good one. What other songs have red, brick or road in them?”

  “Brick house?” Yates guessed.

  “Little Red Corvette.”

  “Ninety-nine Red balloons.”

  “Hit the … Road Jack.” Rachel snapped her finger.

  “Take Me Home Country Roads.”

  “So fitting since we’re going to West Virginia. Oh, oh, …” Rachel said. “Boyz to Men. End of the Road.”

  Yates sighed out. “I love that song. Speaking of which …” He pointed.

  The EPEV had turned the corner.

  “They’re sitting on a cow,” Rigs said with some surprise as he peered out the windshield. “They’re really sitting on a cow.”

  “That’s what they said,” Barry replied.

  “That’s the Minerva Dairy Cow,” Sandy said. “Minerva Dairy made the best butter. Used to be in Minnesota I think.”

  Rigs looked at her queerly. “How do you know that?”

  Sandy shrugged. “I don’t know. I just do. Is there any way to get a picture of those two?” She inched back and aimed her voice. “Fred! Can you get a picture of those two on that cow?”

  “Oh my God.” Rigs closed his eyes.

  “Yeah!” Fred replied. “I can do that.”

  Huffing out, Rigs lifted the radio. “Fred, we’re stopping. Are you ready with that net?”

  “Get me a little closer. I’m on it,” Fred said. “Say … twenty feet.”

  “You heard him,” Rigs said to Barry.

  Barry crept the EPEV closer.

  Yates cupped his hand around his lighter to block the wind from hitting the flame as he lit a cigarette. Both he and Rachel sat on the large cow, legs dangling over the side as they watched the EPEV painfully roll closer.

  He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a flask and handed it to Rachel.

  “Thanks,” she said, then took a swig, giving it back to him.

  “I wonder how we look to them, sitting up here?”

  Rachel shrugged. “I don’t think they’re even thinking about it at all. But this cow is pretty cool.”

  “It is.”

  “I wish we could put it on top of the EPEV.”

  Yates, as if Rachel said the most offensive thing, looked at her with his mouth opened. “Why does that not surprise me that you’d want to trailer up my EPEV?”

  She laughed and looked down. “Why are they still going for us? The EPEV is right there.”

  “Hey,” Yates yelled to the small predators. “Look. Look.” He pointed to the EPEV.

  “Just like kids, they don’t listen.” She glanced back up when Rigs walked from the EPEV, rifle in hand and stood in front of the bumper.

  On the roof of the EPEV there was a silver tube. It looked like a bottle launcher.

  “Here we go,” Yates said and lifted the radio. “Fred, you have anchored right. Not for release.”

  “Roger that, chic filet.”

  Yates moved his mouth in the word, ‘What’?

  “It’s a cow thing,” Rachel replied. “You know, eat more meat.”

  “No. No I don’t.”

  Rigs’ voice carried over the radio. “On my call.” He then whistled.

  When he did, the undead children all turned to face him.

  Rigs waved.

  He called out, “Now!” As they all raced his way.

  Right in the middle between the cow and Rigs, from the roof top a silver tube shot a silver object tied to a line.

  It was a net made of metal and it dropped on the eight children.

  It was so heavy, it knocked them all to the ground. They tried diligently to get up, but only managed to squirm.

  Yates clapped, then carefully climbed down from the cow. He then helped Rachel.

  Rigs did not look pleased.

  Barry didn’t look like he was bothered at all when he stepped out. Neither did Fred. Fred looked more amused at the netting over the small undead.

  “Oh my golly,” Fred said. “They’re in there tighter than feminine protection in a virgin.”

  “Really?” Yates asked with offended sarcasm. “Did we need that?”

  Fred just laughed.

  Rachel tried to put out nothing out of the ordinary just happened. “Hey, Rigs. Thanks. We appreciate this. I know I do. I just couldn’t … you know, bring myself to put them down.”

  Rigs nodded with a ‘mm-hmm.’

  “What?” Rachel asked.

  “Can I … can I ask what you two were doing over this way?” Rigs questioned.

  “Running,” Rachel answered.

  “Technically,” Yates said. “We weren’t this far. We ran that long. The cow saved us.”

  Rigs nodded again. “You ran from where?”

  “Just you know …” Rachel pointed. “Over that way a few blocks.”

  “Rach, obviously, you guys left the designated area. Can I ask what the hell you were thinking?”

  “Jeremiah, language.” Barry warned.

  Rigs grumbled. “Rach?”

  “Well, we wanted to go to the library. It was out of the area,” Rachel replied. “We wanted to get some movies, get Sandy some books, some music … I wanted to do something tonight to take our mind off of the fact that one year ago today, me, Barry and a whole lot of other people lost everyone they loved.”

  “I get it, Rach, I do. You couldn’t tell me?” Rigs asked.

  “I wanted it to be a surprise so I asked Yates to go,” Rachel answered. “Plus, Rigs, this area was deemed safe. Sweep team markings are everywhere, E’s are painted on doors, this place was supposed to be locked and clean.”

  “The Eliminator Team that came through,” Yates said, “… was The Sly Stallone’s.”

  “Really?” Rachel asked. “How do you know?”

  “I know their markings,” Yates said. “Bunch of lug heads if that’s even a term.”

  “No.” Rigs shook his head. “I don’t think it is.”

  “Well, the Sly Stallone’s,” Rachel added. “Must have locked all the Keadlers ...”

  “Keadlers?” Rigs asked.

  Yates raised his hand. “That’s me. That’s the name I gave them. Sort of like the super couple name for kids, dead and toddlers.”

  “Keadlers,” Rigs repeated.

  Barry nodded. “I like it.”

  “I thought it was cool,” Rachel said. “All the Keadlers were in the library. All of them. And the library was marked with an E. I think which ever Eliminator team came through, The Sly Stallone’s, like us, they couldn’t kill …”

  “Not us,” Yates interrupted. “You. You didn’t want to kill them; I had no problem.”

  “That’s really disturbing,” Rachel told him. “Anyhow, Rigs, they were there and I don’t think the team in here could put them down so they locked them in the library, hoping maybe they’d starve off.”

  “Speaking of which.” Barry nodded down to the Keadlers. “What are we going to do about them?”

  Rigs thought for a moment. “I know we wanted to stay here. Why don’t we just … why don’t we just hit the road and try to get to Center City to
night?”

  “Yes.” Rachel clenched her fist with excitement. “I can’t wait to see Kasper. But … what about them?” she pointed down.

  “Let’s just get in the EPEV and go,” Rigs said.

  “And do like everyone else?” Barry asked. “Leave them for the next guy?”

  “Yes. Everyone in,” Rigs instructed.

  “You know …” Yates stepped forward. “If you want, I can take care of them.”

  “No.” Rigs shook his head. “Get in the EPEV. Let’s get to home base.”

  “I’ve not been there yet,” Yates said.

  “Oh,” Rachel walked by him to the EPEV. “They have a Starbucks.”

  “Best news I’ve heard all day.”

  Rigs just shook his head.

  “What?” Barry asked with a laugh.

  “Just thinking.” Rigs pointed back with his thumb. “And now we’re putting Kasper back into the mix.”

  “Yeah. Dead or dead-ish, having Kasper back …” Barry genuinely smiled. “Is going to be great.”

  FLAMING SAFFRONS LOG

  April 19

  Day 365

  Entry: Barry Bicks

  It was a bittersweet day.

  The one year anniversary. Not quite sure it is the exact day the world began to fall apart, but it was the day my world collapsed.

  I lost my wife and my son and on that same day, Rachel lost her entire family.

  I never thought we’d heal. Not sure we have just yet, but there is one thing for certain.

  The Eliminators were my saving grace, Rachel’s, too.

  Although there is not a day that goes by where I don’t thank God Jeremiah is still in my life. And like me, Rachel had her godsend as well. It came in the form of a skinny young man who always made us smile.

  Kasper.

  Them two were peas in a pod, the Roast beef and cheddar on a Bicks Lick delight.

  Big Bicks Beef, was the name of my franchise, in case who ever reads this thing was wondering what the heck that was about.

  We as Eliminators are a motley crew and for the longest time there were the core five of us. Me, Sandy, Jeremiah, Rachel and Kasper.