From the Ash Read online

  I gritted my teeth, maneuvering my arms as best I could for what I was about to do. If I failed, it might very well mean my death...or worse.

  I would say: don't fail, then.

  Now or never. I flicked my wrists, sending my Sais sailing upward. Chaz never registered the movement, he was too busy reveling in the fact that he thought he'd won. I snapped my head forward, slamming it into his nose. The sweet sound of cartilage breaking and the sight of blood erupting from it let me know I'd hit my mark. Tears welled in his eyes as his grip loosened, freeing my arms. He wailed in pain, but miraculously, held onto me. I reached up and grasped my weapons as they descended from above. I reversed the grip, putting a blade on either side of Chaz's neck.

  That made him freeze.

  Do it, Phoenix…

  I slowly dug the blades into his neck, drawing blood, letting him know I wasn't fucking around.

  "Let me go. Now." I commanded.

  Chaz gritted his teeth, his eyes darting back and forth as if looking for a way to turn the tables.

  "You've got three seconds. Don't make me kill you."

  The crazy bastard actually smirked.

  One…

  "Sure, I'll let you go–” he began, a distasteful sneer on his lips.

  Two…

  "Right after you suck my–”

  Three!

  I plunged both blades into his neck. His eyes bulged out of his skull, realizing his fate had been sealed. He thrashed and bucked like a bull trying to throw an unwanted rider, but I held firm.

  You and the bull references with this guy…

  Blood shot from his mouth as he sank to his knees, his strength finally beginning to wane. When I felt my feet firmly on the ground, I retracted my weapons. Chaz collapsed to his knees; his breath was coming in short gasps, his hateful stare once again finding my eyes. It looked as if he was trying to mouth something, no doubt some tirade of obscenities. Crouching down so that I was eye level with him, I finally answered his question,

  "My name is Phoenix Renny, and I told you to just walk away. Your friends have you to thank for their fate. Enjoy burning in Hell."

  Damn, Phoenix...that was cold. Awesome...but cold.

  I turned and walked away. The sound of Chaz's body hitting the ground met my ears as I made my way over towards his only remaining friend who lived…

  For now.

  Chapter 4

  Storm Brewing

  * * *

  BEFORE I MADE my way over to Gary, I stopped and checked to see if their other friend was indeed, dead. I crouched down next to his body; lifeless eyes stared blankly into the sky above, confirming what I already suspected. I emptied out his pockets, rummaging through them to see if there was anything worth salvaging.

  I believe, and I'm just speculating, that the cause of death was a gunshot wound ma'am.

  "Real funny, Kip," I mumbled, not amused.

  I stood, not finding anything of importance within his pockets.

  Don't tell me you are upset over this bastard's death? They would have raped you and left you for dead, Phoenix. You're lucky I'm not there, I would castrate that fucker!

  "But you're not. Who knows if you and dad are even–“

  Don't even think it...

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, picturing their faces, calming myself. "I don't remember you being so ugly," I said with a smirk.

  Pfft, please. I'm one sexy bastard and you know it!

  "Confident much?"

  Absolutely. When you are sculpted by the Gods themselves, it’s hard to deny your awesomeness.

  I chuckled. "Gods? As in plural?"

  Zeus, Aphrodite, Thor, take your pick!

  "You are such an idiot."

  Why thank you.

  The sound of soft whimpering brought me back to reality.

  I let out a heavy sigh. “Now…what to do with him?"

  Make him tell you where their stash is. These three have way too much meat on their bones; they're eating good and we're running low on supplies.

  I nodded. "I'll see if he can tell us where we are too. I have a pretty good idea, but I want to make sure."

  Sounds like a plan.

  I walked over. Gary finally uncoiled from the fetal position, his eyes widening at my approach. "Please, I wasn't going to hurt you. I–“

  I scoffed. "Uh huh. You were just going to take my stuff and let me walk away, right?"

  "I was just doing what Chaz said. He has a fucking gun! What was I supposed to do?" He shrugged, wincing from the motion.

  I reached into my pack, pulling the revolver out. "You mean this gun?"

  I don't think he realizes you killed his buddy.

  "Holy shit...did you kill Chaz?"

  I looked over to where Chaz lay, a pool of blood staining the dirt beneath his lifeless body.

  Gary's followed my gaze, his jaw falling slack. "Oh my god, you did." Tears seemed to be forming in his eyes. He blew out a slow breath as if to calm himself.

  Hmm, something seems off...

  "Maybe he's just upset about his friend?" I mumbled, watching Gary's reaction.

  I bet there's more to it than that. You know I'm usually right about these things.

  Gary swallowed, finally looking back towards me.

  "Your leader brought this on himself. You want to be pissed at someone, be pissed at him. Chaz and your other friend would still be alive if you'd just let me pass. You three are to blame, not me." I kept my tone firm, letting him know this was their own doing.

  Gary blinked, his head tilting to the side. "Leo's dead too?" he asked, his voice cracking.

  I nodded, indicating with my head where he lay. "Chaz shot him...twice."

  He gasped. "No, not Leo..."

  I'm telling you, these fuckers must have been family. Stay alert, Phoenix.

  I crouched down, coming to eye level with Gary. "How'd you know them?" I asked, trying to sound compassionate. I needed to know where their supplies were and I didn't want Gary to completely shut me out. Plus, if they were family, who knows how he'd react.

  He took a moment before responding. "They are...they were my best friends," he said slowly, "I've known them all my life." Tears fell from his eyes, his lip quivering as he looked to me. "Jesus Christ, they're really dead." He brought his good arm up, burying his face in his hand.

  I stood and walked a few feet away, letting him grieve. I knew I wouldn't get anything information out of him in his current state, so I'd give him a few minutes alone.

  I don't think we have time to be coddling our new friend, Phoenix. Look...

  "Shit," I hissed, my eyes focusing on what Kip was referring to.

  Off in the horizon, a massive wall of dust and debris was quickly approaching. Cyclones rose up from the ground, spinning into the air above, vanishing from sight into the dirt colored sky. Lightning pulsed throughout the storm, sending streaks of death to the ground below.

  Man, Mother Nature was one crazy bitch before…now it's like the bombs supercharged her ass!

  I ran back over to Gary, crouching down once again. "Gary, where did you guys come from?"

  Well, when a mommy and daddy–

  "Shut up, Kip!" I growled.

  Gary was still sobbing into his hand, not registering what I had said.

  Time for being nice was over.

  I reached out and grabbed his good arm, twisting it slightly. His sobbing ceased simultaneously, brown eyes focusing on me with a look of uncertainty and spitefulness.

  "We don't have time for this–" I began.

  We?

  I gritted my teeth, "Look," I pointed towards the storm, "if we don't find shelter, we'll be joining your friends. So, I'll ask again, where is your shelter?"

  His eyes narrowed. "How'd you know we have shelter nearby?"

  I applied more pressure to his arm. "No time for stupid questions."

  He winced. “OK–OK! Just let my arm go and I'll tell you."

  I held his stare for a moment before f
inally releasing my hold.

  "Christ that hurts."

  "Gary–" I snarled, reaching out again.

  "Wait! It's in the rubble of that building. There's a door leading to an underground warehouse," he said, pointing. "Chaz has the key; we locked up every time we left to…." His mouth snapped shut; he averted his eyes from my judgmental gaze.

  Can I talk yet?

  "No."

  "No?" Gary replied.

  I shook my head, waving him off. "Nothing. Can you walk?"

  Are you fucking kidding me? You can't possibly think this is a good idea!

  "Yeah, you broke my arm, my legs are fine," Gary shot back.

  "I can leave you out here to die, smart-ass. Maybe kick the shit out of you first, breaking every bone–"

  "Alright, I'm sorry! I get it."

  I pointed to where he indicated the shelter was. “Go. I'll get the key."

  He opened his mouth as if to argue, but thought better of it and walked away.

  As I made my way towards Chaz's body, I watched Gary enter the ruins of a nearby building. He began moving piles of debris with his good arm, revealing a glint of a metallic door lying flat.

  Now you know exactly where it's at. Why not just let him fend for himself?

  I didn't reply. I couldn't let Kip know my true intentions.

  I picked up my mask from where Chaz had thrown it and thrust it into my pack. I bent down and patted his pockets, searching for the key.

  "Got it," I whispered. Reaching into the pocket on his chest, I pulled forth a small silver key. When I retracted my hand, Chaz's chest heaved, startling me; I stumbled back a step and collapsed in a squat.

  Jesus Christ…he’s alive? Zombie!

  My heart raced as I scrambled to my feet. Instinctively I dug into my pack, reaching for my Sais, but I realized there was no need.

  I stole a glance towards Gary. He was still in the process of moving debris from the door, not taking notice of my recent scare. Chaz was barely clinging to life, blood poured from his mouth and his breathing was severally labored, but his eyes burned with hatred. The wind had picked up, stifling Chaz's strained cries. I stole another glance at Gary, making sure he wasn't looking. Bending down again, I brought out my Sai. Chaz's breathing began to quicken, as if he could see what I was about to do.

  "What was it that you said to me? Oh, that's right–"

  I held his gaze as I rammed the blade into his chest.

  "Shh, it will all be over soon..."

  As I watched the life drain from his eyes, I shivered at my own brutality. “I wonder if I am completely losing my grip on my humanity,” I whispered.

  Me too.

  Chapter 5

  Resupply

  * * *

  AS I SHUT the double metallic doors, I turned, expecting to be drowned in darkness. I was surprised when I saw stairs leading down, a dim outline of a wide passage appearing below.

  "There's a thick metal bar to your left. Slide that through the handles, it will keep the doors from opening. I'd help but..." Gary winced, grabbing his elbow.

  He began taking a few steps down.

  "Stay where I can see you."

  He sighed. "It's not like–"

  I slid the heavy bar through the handles with a bang, cutting off his words. The doors protested as the wind began picking up outside, lifting them, ever so slightly. I spun on Gary. "I'm not letting you out of my sight. You think I trust you? Try anything, and you'll end up like your friends out there. Got it?"

  Oh shit, claws are out!

  "Yeah, I get it," he replied, his words dripping with venom.

  He'd just lost two friends, I was sure he'd like nothing more than to avenge their deaths. I hadn't survived this long by letting my guard down so easily. I'd have to keep a close eye on him.

  I'm telling you, should have left his ass for the storm, Phoenix.

  I ignored Kip's criticism and prodded Gary to move down the stairs.

  "How is this place lit?" I asked as we descended.

  "Generator," he answered plainly, as if that fact should have been obvious.

  I stepped from the last stair, my mouth falling open as my vision adjusted to the dimly lit area. Lights hung on either side, running along the walls to the end of the room. A wide center aisle ran the length of the enormous area, racks filled with various supplies sitting on either side, all neatly stacked.

  Sweet baby Jesus, look at all this stuff. Jackpot!

  "This had to be a warehouse or bunker?" I asked, gazing at the numerous pipes running along the ceiling above.

  "Chaz's dad owned this place. It is...was a local supply store. He always overstocked," Gary replied, stopping at one of the racks a few feet away. He met my eyes. "Just grabbing this for my arm."

  He held up what looked like a sling. I nodded, watching him throw it over his shoulder. "You should keep it straight–"

  You want to kiss it and make it better? The fuck are you doing?

  "What?" Gary eyed me suspiciously.

  I shook my head. "Nothing," I answered.

  He shrugged. "There's a room at the end with cots if you're tired," he said nonchalantly, wincing as he set his arm into the sling. "I'm going to get some pain medicine; if that's okay?" he said it as if I was his mom and I'd just taken away his phone privileges.

  I wrinkled my nose at his suggestion to lay down and rest. "Uhh, I'm okay. I've got a few questions when you're done. I'm going to take a look around."

  He didn't reply. He went to another rack a few rows down; the sound of pills bouncing around in a bottle met my ears. I began making my way down the center aisle, searching through the racks as I went.

  I told you these guys had a stash. We can stay here a few days, take a little R&R.

  I grinned. "You know I've got to keep moving. We'll wait out this storm, get some good shut-eye, take what we need and be on our way."

  I knew you wouldn't want to; desperate to see me that bad?

  "I'm perfectly fine with my new soulmate," I replied, nodding towards Gary.

  How is that even remotely funny?

  I raised an eyebrow. "Do I sense a hint of jealousy?" I asked, turning down one of the aisles, an assortment of clothes catching my eye.

  Jealous? Of that guy? I poo-poo your ridiculous accusations.

  I chuckled as my hand brushed over a familiar fabric I'd not felt in a long time. My eyes lit up as I pulled a beautiful black leather jacket from the rack.

  "It's gorgeous!" I exclaimed, running a finger over the thin red stripe that ran from the shoulders, down the front to the bottom of the jacket.

  Try it on.

  I took a quick moment to look over towards Gary. He still was still sifting through various pill bottles furiously. I pulled my hoodie off and slid the jacket on. It fell over my slender frame, feeling like a second skin.

  I grinned. "Perfect."

  Check yourself out.

  I looked up. A full-length mirror stood at the end of the aisle between the two racks, resting against the wall. My dreadful appearance made my smile vanish. My hair looked as if a bomb exploded within it, scattering it in various places. My face was caked with dirt, as if it had become an extra layer of skin, hiding my freckles.

  Still look good to me, baby!

  I took the jacket off, returning it to its hanger, wanting to keep it clean for as long as I could. I began searching for other clothing that was in my size. After a few moments, I found two pairs of cargo pants, a pair of Nike running shoes and a few Under-Armor shirts that would do nicely. I was about to strip off my pants when I felt eyes upon me. Gary was at the end of the racks, a few bottles of pills resting in his hand. He swallowed, looking me up and down as if I was a piece of meat, ready to be devoured for the main course.

  You realize you don't have a shirt on?

  I looked down and sure enough, I was only in my sports bra.

  I got to say, this rough dieting has done your body good. Could grate cheese off those abs!

 
I narrowed my eyes, clenching my jaw. "Little privacy."

  I wasn't asking.

  "Oh, right. I'll just...be over here."

  His eyes lingered over my bare stomach. My eyes went to the pill bottles, trying to see what he had, but he turned and walked away before I could catch a glimpse of the labels.

  Geesh, I bet he's going to rub one out.

  "Kip!"

  What? A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Ha!

  I shook my head, pulling off my old pants.

  Phoenix?

  "Hmm?" I replied, pulling my newly acquired pants up.

  I love the commando look!

  I TOOK ANOTHER half hour, searching every rack for anything I could stuff in my pack that would be useful. I grabbed canned goods, energy bars, water bottles, a compass, and various other little things that had my pack bulging at the seams. The last thing I grabbed was a sleeping bag that I could tie to the bottom of the backpack.

  "I see you've helped yourself," Gary stated as I made my way to where he sat.

  He had a glazed-over look; his pupils were dilated, sweat was pouring from his body as if he were in a sauna. Numerous pill bottles lay next to him on the floor, most sat empty.

  "Is that a problem?" I asked, crossing my arms.

  He raised both of his hands, not wincing as he did, and scoffed, "Not like I could do anything about it. You'd just snap my other arm, right?"

  I do believe he's not feeling any pain, if you catch my drift.

  "What did you take?" I asked, nodding towards the pills.

  He looked down at the bottles, shrugging, "A little of this, a little of that. Not too much though, just enough to feel–" He grinned, "–nothing."

  Phoenix doesn’t bother to ask me, “Kip, do you think it’s a good idea to keep this nutjob alive?” No, Phoenix, I do not. Thanks for asking.

  I closed my eyes. "Kip, I don't need your–"

  "Who the fuck is Kip? You keep saying that name."

  I opened my eyes, not realizing I'd spoken out loud. Gary had his eyebrows raised, waiting for an answer.

  I sighed. "Someone I miss...very much."