The Vanishing (The End of Time Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  “Very observant,” Lex commented dryly. He liked the kid’s spunk. “My name’s Lex. I happened to be passing by when I heard gun shots, so I thought I’d take a look. I guess lucky for you I did.” Lex withdrew his knife and started slicing through the ropes that bound the young man’s wrists.

  “No doubt, thanks bro,” he said, rubbing his wrists to get the blood flowing. “My name’s Cole Higgins and I totally owe you. Why’d you save me bro?”

  “Call it a lonely impulse of delight,” smiled Lex. “I’ve had a run in once before with some of those jerks. They prey on the weak and defenseless.”

  “Dude, where’s my bag?” asked Cole, as he began searching the area.

  “What bag?” Asked Lex. “I didn’t see a bag?”

  “Here it is dude,” answered Cole, reaching into a bush and withdrawing a small, green bag. “I threw it in the bushes before they tied me up. I didn’t want them to get my stash.” He sat down on a log and reached into the bag, pulling out a hand rolled cigarette. He placed it between his lips, lit it and inhaled.

  “Are you serious?” asked Lex.

  “Dude, did you not see what just happened to me? Ya want one?” he offered, extending the bag to Lex, who waived it off.

  “No thanks. That’s not good for you and there could be more of them around.”

  “Good for me,” laughed Cole, in between coughs. “What’s good for me? I’ll take my chances with the things the good Lord gave me, over some man made chemical, any day. If you can’t find it in nature dude, chances are, you shouldn’t put it in your body. And I hope there are more of those guys around,” coughed Cole, after taking another drag. “I owe them a little pay back.”

  “Was it just the two of them,” asked Lex, scanning the tree line for any sign of movement, “or were there more?”

  “Nah dude, there was like, maybe fifty of them. I’m part of a scouting party that my hometown sent out exploring. I was on point, when I accidentally walked right into their camp. It didn’t take them long to figure out that I was part of a larger group. So they left those two,” Cole nodded toward the two unconscious men tied to the tree, “to watch me, while the rest of them went after my friends.”

  Remembering the danger that his friends were in, Cole suddenly stood up. “Dude we gotta warn them! Do you have a car?”

  “I have a dune buggy hidden not far from here,” answered Lex. “Here,” he handed Cole the new guns he’d just acquired, “help me carry these.” The two men set off in the direction of the dune buggy, meeting up with Kassie, who trotted along in front of them.

  The buggy was still hidden right where he’d parked it. Lex immediately retrieved the briefcase from where he’d buried it, under the thick clump of bushes. Cole carried the guns to the dune buggy and dropped them in the backseat, not noticing what Lex was up to. He did however; notice the small arsenal of weapons that Lex had collected over the past few days.

  “Nasty bro,” whistled Cole. “How’d you come by all these guns?”

  “The same way I got the dune buggy,” answered Lex, as he brushed sand from the briefcase and then checked the vials within.

  “What’s that?” asked Cole, finally noticing the briefcase.

  “Nothing,” replied Lex.

  “Why’d you bury that briefcase dude?” asked Cole. “You were more worried that someone would steal that than the dune buggy?”

  “The dune buggy is really fast, which is good, because we need to hurry if we’re gonna warn your friends in time,” said Lex, trying to steer the conversation away from the briefcase.

  “Right on dude, that’s Awesome! I even like the color.”

  “Thanks kid,” smiled Lex, climbing into the driver’s seat. “We need to get moving.”

  Cole turned to climb into the passenger seat, but found Kassie already sitting there. It had been her seat throughout the trip so far and she had no intention of giving it up. As Cole tried to coax her out of the seat, she merely glanced at him and growled. Lex couldn’t help but smile.

  “Kassie,” he said, after a moment, “get in the backseat.”

  The dog snorted in disgust but did as instructed, reluctantly jumping into the backseat. Cole climbed into the buggy and their strange little group drove off, leaving a cloud of dust behind them.

  It didn’t take them long to find the tracks of the raiding party and it was a good thing, because the sun was already beginning to set. The tracks that they found included a couple of large trucks and several dozen motorcycles.

  “That’s them,” shouted Cole, when he saw their tracks veer off the street and onto a dirt road. “Let’s go get them!”

  “Easy there cowboy,” cautioned Lex. “The last thing we wanna do is blindly charge into unknown trouble. How many men are in your group?”

  “Ten, well eleven counting me,” answered Cole.

  “So twelve of us, against their fifty or so strong,” said Lex, talking to himself. “We need to come up with a plan.”

  “What do you have in mind dude?”

  “Is your group traveling by foot or by vehicle?” asked Lex.

  “They’re on foot,” answered Cole. “Most of the vehicles in our town weren’t working after the vanishing, so we set off on horseback to explore. Our horses were stolen a few days ago and we’ve been headed home on foot ever since.”

  “Well, the only thing we have going for us is the element of surprise,” replied Lex, “so that’s what we’ll use.”

  “I like it,” agreed Cole. “Listen dude, I think I know where my group is headed and we can totally try and get there first.”

  “Show me the way,” said Lex.

  Cole guided Lex down an old dirt road that weaved its way through the mountains. About ten minutes later, they came to the top of a grassy knoll, where Lex stopped the dune buggy. From this height, they could see for miles in every direction. Lex pulled out his binoculars and started scanning the area. “In which direction should your group be?” he asked.

  “There,” said Cole, pointing off to the west, “in the valley beyond that pass.”

  In the distance, about a mile away, Lex could see a small mountain pass that fed into a larger valley. The valley was too far away for him to see much, but once, for just an instant, he thought he saw a small wisp of smoke.

  Lex then started scanning the area between the valley and the knoll, in search of the raiding party. It took a moment, but he found them. They’d been forced to abandon their vehicles and proceed by foot, due to the mountainous terrain. The fact that they were now on foot helped to even the playing field. Lex smiled, as the perfect plan began to formulate in his head.

  Cole was right about the count, there were about fifty men down there. And they had already covered about a third of the distance to the small mountain pass opening. There was no way that Lex and Cole would be able to reach the younger man’s group in time.

  After a moment, he found where they’d left their vehicles, being guarded by only one man. With the help of the binoculars, Lex was able to count three large army trucks, a couple of dozen motorcycles and some dirt bikes.

  “Alright here’s the plan,” said Lex, handing the binoculars to Cole. “See those men down there?” He pointed at the raiding party, slowly making their way toward the pass.

  “Yeah I see them.” Cole’s voice sounded cold and calculating, as he peered through the looking glass.

  “Good, now come down just a little and to the left. Can you see where they left their vehicles parked?”

  “Totally!” Cole said excitedly. “Dude, I only see one guard down there!”

  “Do you think you can take him?”

  “Yeah I think so,” said Cole, as he lowered the binoculars to look at Lex. “What did you have in mind?”

  Lex squatted down and picking up a stick from the ground, started drawing in the sand. “We’re here,” he made an X in the sand, “the raiders are here,” he made a circle in the sand, “and they’re headed here,” he poked the sand hard, l
eaving a small hole. “I need you to sneak up on the guard and take him out. Then, so that they can’t pursue us, I need you to sabotage all but one of their vehicles, a truck. When you’re finished, I need you to take the truck and meet me here,” Lex drew another mark in the sand. “I’ll lead your group to the rendezvous, but be ready to leave; the raiders might be right behind us. Do you have any questions?”

  “What about the raiders, dude? They have a head start on us. How are you gonna get to my friends first to warn them in time?”

  “The raiders are on foot and traveling slow. I saw a small dirt road that winds along the ridge of the mountain and then dips down into the valley. I’m hoping to get to that small mountain pass before the raiders and then I’ll try to hold them there. When your friends hear the gun shots, that will be their warning and hopefully they’ll start breaking down their camp.”

  “How are you going to stop fifty men all alone?”

  “They don’t know that I’m all alone. I’ll out think them,” winked Lex. “Now come on, I’ll teach ya how to hotwire a car.”

  Lex and Cole walked back to the dune buggy, where Kassie sat waiting. Pointing at the collection of guns in the backseat, Lex said, “Choose one.”

  “Just one?” asked Cole, examining his choices.

  “You’re only going up against one man. How many guns do you think you need?”

  “Alright dude, I guess you gotta point.” Cole reached down and selected a 9mm Glock that Lex had taken from one of the raiders at the diner. He ejected the clip and after ensuring that it was fully loaded, slipped it back into the gun and chambered a round.

  “Here,” Lex handed Cole his knife, “use this to slice all of their tires and I do mean all of their tires, not just one from each vehicle.”

  “Right on,” said Cole, as he pocketed the knife.

  Then, Lex quickly showed the young man how to hotwire the dune buggy. Cole lit another one of his hand rolled cigarettes and began practicing on the buggy. Lex was amazed at how fast Cole learned, especially considering the nonstop smoking.

  “Alright kid,” said Lex, “I think you’ve got it. But remember, not all vehicles are the same and that army truck down there will most definitely be different than this buggy. Just relax and concentrate, you’ll be fine.”

  “Thanks,” said Cole, climbing out of the dune buggy. “Well good luck man! I totally hope to see ya at the rendezvous.”

  “I’ll be there,” replied Lex, with confidence, “and with your friends too. Don’t worry; everything is going to be fine. Just stay focused on what you have to do down there. Have you ever killed a man before?”

  “No dude, have you?”

  “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you do what you have to do when the time comes, never hesitate. Trust me! If that man down there gets the chance, he will kill you! Take Kassie with you, she’ll warn you when danger is near. Watch her ears and her nose, she can hear and smell trouble before you’ll even know that it’s close by.”

  “I don’t think she likes me dude, not since I got shotgun and bumped her to the backseat.”

  “Forget about it, she’s already gotten over it. Besides, she’s saved my life a couple of times and now she may do the same for you.”

  Lex watched for a moment, as Cole and Kassie walked off in the direction of the parked vehicles below. Then he climbed into the dune buggy and started the engine. He sped off along the ridge of the mountain, headed toward the dirt road that he’d seen.

  The Bluff

  The Vanishing – Day 7

  Salina, Utah

  Cole and Kassie reached the bottom of the knoll and started making their way toward the lightly guarded vehicles. The sun had completely set when they reached their destination and Cole squatted down next to Kassie.

  “Ok girl,” he whispered, into the dog’s ear. “You stay here and keep watch. I’ll be right back.”

  Cole crept off, leaving the dog sitting there alone. He gripped the 9mm Glock tight in his hand, as he weaved his way through the thicket of bushes toward the flickering light of a campfire. The lone gunman was sitting in front of the fire, sipping on a cup of coffee and staring into the flames. Cole quietly worked his way around until he could approach the guard from behind. When he was finally in position, Cole swiftly leapt from behind the bushes and rushed toward the man.

  When he was within arm’s reach, Cole swung the Glock down as hard as he could; clubbing the man on the skull. The guard fell forward onto the flaming fire and cursed, as heat scorched his skin. Dazed, the man rolled away from the fire and onto his knees, right next to his gun.

  Cole thought he was going to die, as he watched the man raise his rifle. Then, out of nowhere, Kassie came running from the trees and attacked the man from the side. She bit down on his arm as he fired and the shot went wide. The raider dropped his gun, as he struggled with the German shepherd and reached for the knife in his belt.

  Cole just stood there in a trance for a moment and then he remembered what Lex had said, ‘never hesitate.’ He pointed his gun at the man and then squeezed the trigger. The guard was about to bring his knife down on Kassie, when the bullet from Cole’s gun entered his chest. Kassie yelped and immediately jumped back from the man and out of the line of fire.

  Cole came around the fire and looked down on the man’s lifeless body, as Kassie trotted up next to him. “Good girl,” praised Cole, as the dog sat down at his side. “We have to move fast. Those gun shots must have been heard by the raiders and they might send someone back to check.”

  Cole quickly ran around the encampment, slicing every tire that he could find, including the spares. He then gathered all of the food and supplies he could locate; loading them into the truck he’d spared. “Come on Kassie,” he called, and she immediately jumped up into the passenger seat next to him.

  Cole started to hotwire the truck and knew that it wouldn’t be exactly like he’d practiced. He tried connecting several different wires without success and was on his fourth attempt, when he noticed Kassie’s ear’s prick up and her head swing to the right. She could hear something coming.

  Cole strained his ears trying to hear what the dog heard and after a moment he did. It was the sound of several voices, approaching from the direction that the raiders had gone. He quickly turned his attention back to hotwiring the truck and finally, on his seventh try, the engine roared to life. Cole quickly put the truck in gear and stepped on the gas. As he drove away he could hear shouting, as men from the raiding party came running from the tree line.

  *******

  Up on the ridge, Lex could hear the sound of shots being fired down below. The high mountain walls carried sound like an echo and all he could do was hope that both Cole and Kassie were okay. It was completely dark out now, but Lex didn’t turn on the headlights. He didn’t want to give away his position. So instead, he used the moonlight to navigate.

  Lex could see the glowing campfire from Cole’s group in the distance. On the valley floor below, he could see the raider’s flashlights, as they made their way toward the pass. A small group of raiders had split from the main group and were headed back toward their vehicles, and Cole Higgins.

  A few minutes later, Lex brought the dune buggy to a stop at the entrance of the pass. He’d arrived before the raiders, but didn’t have much time. He could already see their flashlights through the tree branches and he would soon be able to hear their voices. Lex knew that he had five minutes at the most, before dozens of armed men would be right on top of him.

  He quickly drove through the mountain pass. Leaving the dune buggy parked on the far side, he jumped out and gathered every single gun in the backseat. There were so many, that he had to use a blanket to carry them all. Once they were collected in a pile, he closed the blanket and tied it shut. Lifting it to his shoulder, Lex started running back through the mountain pass, toward the entrance and the raiding party.

  When he reached the opening, Lex could hear voices, as the men navigated their
way through the bushes and trees. He ran around leaving the guns in different locations, making sure that each was ready to fire, before moving on to the next spot.

  When Lex was done getting ready he watched, as the men slowly emerged from the tree line. In his hand, Lex held a lever-action Winchester rifle. In his belt, was tucked the 9mm Berretta, the same gun that he’d stolen with the briefcase. That night seemed like such a long time ago, so much having happened since.

  He waited patiently until all of the men were out in the field and exposed. They were a little more than halfway across, when Lex finally made his move. He cocked the rifle in his hand, making a loud menacing click in the dark, cool night air. All of the men crossing the field immediately froze where they were, guns lifted and ready.

  “That’s far enough,” called Lex from the bushes, his voice sounding ominous in the darkness. “You fella’s sure have come a long way, only to turn around and go back.”

  “Who’s there?” asked one of the men in front, no doubt the leader of the group.

  “I’m the man who’s gonna kill you if there’s any trouble,” answered Lex. “Pick your targets boy’s, but leave this one to me,” he shouted into the night.

  “I don’t believe you,” called out the same man. “I think you’re bluffing, I think you’re all alone.”

  “Well then,” said Lex, “why don’t you try taking a step forward so that we have an excuse to gun you down.”

  “I don’t know boss,” said another man’s voice. “It’s really dark out here and I can’t see a thing. Maybe we should back off?”

  “Yeah Tyler,” whispered another man, “I don’t like this. Let’s just pull back and wait till daylight.”

  “Shut up,” spat Tyler. “I make the decisions and I think he’s bluffing.”

  Lex swiftly and silently began moving from one hidden gun location to another, cocking each weapon as he did so. The effect on the men in the open valley was exactly what he’d hoped for, they became tense with fear. They frantically started searching for a target, trying to guess how many men were out there.