Wretched Culling: (Book 2 of The Wretched Series) Read online

  “I’m not feeling-”

  “Yeah, you are,” a new voice interrupted. “Way I see it, you deserve a verbal kick in the ass.”

  Foster glanced at the newcomer. “That so?” he challenged.

  “Sure. If you’re going to get verbally whipped, then at least let a woman do it,” Lizzy answered. “Then we’d know it was done right the first time.”

  Foster flashed a big smile. “I’m not sure your husband would like you laying into another man. He might get jealous that you’re giving somebody else attention.”

  Lizzy laughed. “Are you kidding? He’d be thrilled I was picking on somebody else besides him,” she replied. “You’d think a big tough Army Ranger would have a thicker skin than Nick does.”

  “It’s different when it’s your significant other doing the verbal jabbing,” Foster pointed out. “If it’s another guy, then it’s real easy to just laugh it off. Speaking of Rangers, where’s our dynamic duo?”

  “In the house,” Lizzy said. “They asked me to come get both of you for some big pow-wow or something.”

  “Then let’s not keep them waiting,” Foster said as he gestured for Lizzy to lead the way.

  Chapter Two

  “Okay, you called the meeting,” Foster said. “So what’s on your mind?”

  “A lot,” Walker admitted. “Let’s start with this location.”

  “We got lucky finding this place,” Sams said. “It’s fairly remote and there were only a few Reapers to dispatch.”

  “That was definitely lucky,” Walker said. “This place is fairly secure, but it could be improved upon.”

  “I agree,” Foster said, “but that’s not why Nick would have called a meeting.”

  “We have one, maybe two days’ worth of food if we ration,” Walker said. “We’re more or less out of ammo.”

  “Is it more or less?” Amanda asked.

  “Put it this way,” Sams said. “If we get into another skirmish, then we’re quickly down to our bare hands.”

  “Yikes,” Amanda said. “That’s not good.”

  “Don’t forget his magic dagger,” Lizzy pointed out. “It’s a difference maker.”

  “It’s silver, not magic. Besides, it’s only one weapon,” Foster said. “That’s hardly enough to protect six people.”

  The room went silent as the weight of their situation started to press down. Foster broke the silence first. “Can you make more bullets?”

  “With what we have now?” Walker asked. “Not really. I could make a few more bullets for your Remington 700, but that’s it. We need a lot more silver if I’m making bullets. Besides, I need to make new molds for other caliber bullets.”

  “And you don’t have the materials to make them,” Sams finished. “Yeah, that’s not good.”

  “What happened when you stabbed a Reaper with that dagger?” Amanda asked. “I wasn’t there.”

  “It died,” Sams snarked. “Duh.”

  “I meant its physical reaction,” Amanda fired back. “I’m trying to come up with a medical explanation for why a mostly unkillable monster died from getting stabbed in the chest.”

  The room went quiet immediately.

  “I remember it screamed out in pain and started going into convulsions,” Foster said slowly. “I remember seeing its face turn blue.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I think so. I’ll try to pay better attention the next time I use the dagger. What are you thinking, Doc?”

  “It’s purely a guess,” Amanda stammered. “I have absolutely no medical research to support the idea.”

  “Don’t care,” Foster said. “Come on, tell us your best guess.”

  “I think it’s some type of severe allergic reaction.”

  “It’s allergic to silver?” Sams said. “Come on.”

  “Not just an allergy,” Amanda continued. “More like anaphylactic shock.”

  “You mean those people who can die if they get stung by a bee?” Foster asked.

  “Exactly. Except for these creatures, it’s not a bee sting that can overload their system and kill them,” Amanda said. “It’s silver. It’s the only explanation on how Nick’s special bullets and your dagger managed to kill a Reaper so suddenly. Both contained silver.”

  “Then we definitely need more silver,” Lizzy announced. “Silver-laced bullets or weapons could definitely give us a needed edge.”

  A round of yeses sounded out from the group.

  “Is there anything we can salvage from our previous location?” Charles asked. The elderly man and his wife Helen had crossed paths with their group at Roxborough Memorial Hospital. Helen hadn’t survived unfortunately, and Charles had thrown himself into any task Foster had asked of him as a way to deal with his grief.

  “My uncle had a pick-up truck,” Foster said. “There might be some additional supplies we can grab from the house too. His bunker will be a bit harder to get into.”

  “I know for a fact there’s still food in your uncle’s pantry,” Sams said. “Do we know if his truck works?”

  “Pretty sure it does,” Foster said. He raised his hand to stop Sams from interrupting. “My uncle drove it everyday. But I haven’t actually gotten into it and started it up myself. Amanda and I managed to get the Tucson running, so we can use it to head back and pick up some things.”

  “If nobody objects, Nick and I will make use of it after this meeting to go get the pick-up truck and do a quick salvage mission.”

  The room was quiet for an uncomfortable minute and then Foster broke the silence.

  “Okay, sounds like your mission is a go. In the meantime, I think we’re dealing with two other big issues,” Foster said. “Top priority is fortifying this place. All of the food and ammo in the world is meaningless if the Reapers can overrun this place with ease. Second big priority is finding additional stuff we’re going to need. Food, clothing, medical supplies. Most of this we could find by doing some scavenging runs.”

  “Are we really at the point of picking through other people’s houses?” Lizzy asked. “I thought I saw a few businesses that were still open.”

  “Buying what we need might be the best option for now,” Sams said. “Especially when we don’t have the firepower to take it away from anyone.”

  “I don’t like the idea of robbing other survivors,” Charles added. “I’d like to think we’re better than that.”

  “I agree,” Foster said. “That’s why I think we should look to buy or barter first. At some point in the future that won’t be an option any longer. Then we’ll focus on collecting supplies from abandoned buildings.”

  “I think we really need to get into your uncle’s bunker,” Walker said. “We don’t know what type of weapons and supplies he had stored inside it.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” Foster said. “I’m going to try and pick up some things on our supply run that I need to get through the bunker door.”

  “Like C4?” Sams snarked. “Good luck finding any place that will sell it to you.”

  “There’s other explosives we can use,” Foster said. “I just need to find the right stuff and I know I can get that door open.”

  “What about using the hitch on the front of the pick-up truck?” Lizzy asked. “We could just pull the door off.”

  “The door probably wouldn’t budge,” Foster said. “I think you’d probably drop the transmission in the truck if you tried it.”

  “So let’s find a bigger truck,” Sams countered. “I think yanking the door off makes more sense than trying to blow a hole through it. Especially if you’re not going to use C4.”

  “Boys, let’s not argue,” Amanda said. “I say we give Malcolm a chance to come up with a solution for getting into the bunker before we say it won’t work. Deal?”

  “Yeah, okay,” Sams said. “We’re splitting up into two teams?”

  “I think that makes the most sense,” Foster said. He quickly added, “I’m open to suggestions on who is on each team.”
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  “I think Nick and I should go collect the pick-up truck from your uncle’s farm,” Sams pointed out. “Right now, the Tucson is the only vehicle we have that the Reapers won’t recognize on sight. All of us taking turns with one vehicle is going to become a headache real fast.”

  “Good points,” Foster said. “Especially about the Reapers likely looking for the Suburban. I think we’ll split into teams once you get back.”

  “We could spend an hour debating what the two teams should look like,” Walker said. “Let’s start with what you think, Malcolm, and discuss it from there.”

  “Okay, no problem,” Foster said. “Sams, Nick, Lizzy, and Amanda could handle locking this place down. I’ll take Charles with me to go on a supply run in town.”

  “I’m not sure leaving our two best shooters here is a good idea,” Lizzy said. “No offense, Malcolm.”

  “None taken,” Foster replied. “I suggested having our Rangers here because the two of them are the most knowledgeable about what needs to be done to lock this place down. With four people working together, fortifying this place will go a lot quicker.”

  “What if you run into trouble out there?” Lizzy objected. “Shouldn’t you take a third person with you? Maybe Sams or me?”

  “I think Sams is needed more here right now,” Foster said. “Until we have a better idea of what we’re dealing with in the surrounding area, I’d prefer not to take either one of the ladies with me.”

  “Wow, what a chauvinist thing to say,” Lizzy said. “I thought you weren’t a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal. Guess I was wrong.”

  “It’s more about your appearance,” Foster said. He held up his hand to stop the coming protest. “Both of you are attractive women. I don’t want to draw any attention from people who decide they want to take one of you away from us and turn you into their personal harem.”

  “Oh, like that’s going to happen,” Lizzy said. “I’d rip their balls off if they even tried.”

  “Hon, he has a point,” Walker said softly. He put his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “We’re completely in the dark on what it’s like around here. We don’t know if there’s any gangs or other threats to worry about. What if it’s ten guys with guns who decide they want to take you? Do you think the odds are in our favor?”

  “You’d try.”

  “Sure. But in the real world, two against ten rarely works out for the underdog,” Walker continued. “I’d rather avoid that type of confrontation until we’re better prepared.”

  “Like more ammo and guns?”

  “For starters. And better protection for all of us,” Walker said. “Besides, we could really use the help here. I can’t board up windows and make bullets at the same time. The more hands on deck here, the better.”

  “A couple of Ranger platoons and a bunch of Army engineers would be a good start,” Sams said. He saw several dirty looks flash his way and quickly added, “What? I’m just saying what would be a good start. Shoot for the stars and land on the moon, you know?”

  “Are you sure sending two people out is enough?” Lizzy asked. “What if they run into trouble?”

  “If there’s trouble, then Charles and I will deal with it as best as we can,” Foster said. “Maybe it’s as easy as walking away. Maybe it’s talking our way out of it. I’m thinking my badge might help us avoid some confrontations too.”

  “Speaking of other people,” Sams said. “Sooner or later, we’re going to cross paths with other survivors.”

  “There’s no guarantee they’ll be friendly,” Walker said. “I say it’s best to prepare that everyone is hostile until proven otherwise.”

  “That’s probably the best philosophy to follow for now,” Foster said. “Eventually it will be in everybody’s best interest to join forces.”

  “You think the Reapers are going to take over?” Lizzy asked.

  “I sure hope I’m wrong, but I haven’t seen anything that suggests otherwise,” Foster said. “In the meantime, the day’s not getting any earlier. We have a lot to do before sunset. Anything in particular you want us to try and get on our first supply run?”

  “Ammo. Food. Batteries for the comms,” Walker said. “Anything made out of silver we can melt down to make bullets.”

  “We could use some medical supplies too,” Amanda added. “We don’t have any bandages or medicines. Antibiotics would be a huge help in case anybody gets sick or injured.”

  “I’ll keep an eye out for them,” Foster said. “Since we’re going to try and buy supplies first, I need everybody to pool their money.”

  “Debit and credit cards too,” Sams added. “You might get lucky and find someplace that can still take them.”

  “Yeah maybe,” Foster said. “But I have a feeling that cash is probably still going to be king.”

  “Sounds like we have a working plan for now,” Walker said. “Anybody have anything else they want to add?”

  “I’d like to go with Sams and Nick to the old place,” Charles said. “An extra set of hands could make loading both vehicles go a little quicker.”

  “Works for me,” Sams said. “The sooner we get back here, the better.”

  “I agree,” Foster said. “I’m hoping Charles and I can get our first supply run done today. We don’t know how long we have until people panic and clear out the stores.”

  “It depends on how long it takes for Reaper activity to pick up in this area,” Walker said. “Probably a few days at most.”

  Foster clapped his hands once loudly for emphasis. “All right people, I know we’re all tired. But we got a lot to get done and not nearly enough time to do it in. Let’s try to conserve our comms’ batteries and stay off them unless it’s an emergency.”

  Chapter Three

  The tension in the air was almost unbearable, but by now President Andrew Marshall should be used to it. After six years in the Oval Office, there had been far more crisis and tense situations than he could possibly recall from his memory alone. Even so, Marshall wasn’t the type of person to back down from a challenge, and these new monsters were definitely that. The media had quickly adopted the name Reapers, and based on the devastation the monsters were leaving in their wake, the name was suitably fitting.

  At 53 years old, Marshall kept himself in respectably good physical condition. According to some survey his Chief of Staff once mentioned to him, he was fittingly proportioned at 6’2” and 200 pounds to lead the country. But as far as Marshall was concerned, that was a bunch of bullshit. When the chips were down and the country needed someone to step up and take charge, his height or physical condition were meaningless. There wasn’t a survey ever created that could measure someone’s heart or bull-headed determination, and Marshall had both traits in spades.

  “Okay, thank you everyone for coming,” Marshall said. “I assume everyone here already knows each other. If not, you can take the time to introduce yourself after this meeting ends.” He saw several sets of eyebrows raise in response. “Great. Wayne, why don’t you get us up to speed on your part?”

  His Chief of Staff Wayne Schiff stood up, nervously adjusted his suit, and looked at the piece of paper in his hands. The balding middle-aged man began speaking. “As all of you already know, we’re seeing a frightening increase in numbers and activity of these affected civilians.”

  “Cut the PC shit, Wayne,” Marshall interrupted. “Call them Reapers. That’s what the media has been calling them. Hell, I bet everybody in this room has been calling them that too.”

  “Right,” Schiff said. “We’re seeing huge increases in Reaper-”

  “Numbers and activity,” Marshall interrupted again. “Ladies and gentlemen, in case anyone forgot, there are no dummies in this room. There’s no need to repeat yourself.”

  A low chuckle spread through the room.

  Schiff shifted in his seat nervously. “Current estimates are five hundred thousand Reapers through the Mid-Atlantic states,” he said. “Preliminary reports are that most law enforcemen
t agencies are either ineffective or have been overrun. There are some precincts in Philadelphia which appear to still be operational.”

  “Well, that’s something good to hear,” Marshall. “Tell us there’s more good news in your report.”

  Schiff grimaced. “I’m afraid not. Based on Reaper growth projections, our analysts are giving those precincts a twelve percent chance of still being operational a month from now.”

  “Fuck me,” Marshall muttered. “Can we send some military support their way?”

  “Yeah,” Schiff said. “I’m going to defer to General Weindahl on that matter.”

  “Well, let’s hear what he’s got to say about that,” Marshall said. “Rasheed, do we have any units that can help those cops in Philly?”

  Weindahl stood with military precision. Everything about his appearance subtly said this was a man who had been a military man for the majority of his adult life. Even his salt and pepper hair was kept short and tight. He cleared his throat and began to speak. “We’re trying to move some assets to support Philadelphia but right now, it’s looking like it could be awhile until we have units to deploy there.”

  “What’s awhile?” Marshall demanded. “Hours? Days?”

  “A month,” Weindahl said uncomfortably.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? We have the largest military force in the world and you’re telling me we need a month to launch a support campaign?”

  “With all due respect, Mr. President,” Weindahl said. “Our forces are already stretched thin. If Philadelphia was the only city in need of help, it would be a lot easier to mobilize help. But we’re getting similar calls for help up and down the entire Mid-Atlantic area. We’re seeing Reaper outbreaks in Ohio and Illinois too. These things have produced an incredible amount of havoc and damage in less than forty-eight hours.”

  “And just to build on what the General said,” Schiff interrupted. “Our analysts are projecting an even worse situation.”

  “I’m not sure how much worse this could get,” Marshall grumbled. “Well, don’t hold back now, Wayne.”