Mega Cataclysm: The Last Survivors Chronicles Read online

  And clearly their intent was already known- to commandeer the island under a national security directive. The continuance of government. The continuation of the elitist pigs who had become so self absorbed into big money and political influence that they were sacrificing soldier's lives for money. I hated them with a rage that transcended everything else. And if this was the kingpin of that oligarchy, right there at my doorstep, I wanted to deal with that problem myself to insure his kind would never contaminate our new world- even as bleak a new world as it was. At least it wouldn't be corrupt, no matter how difficult.

  This was a special chance of my own I thought. Find that bastard. And make him pay. With his life. I was totally consumed in hatred. And the voices of a million dead, sacrificed souls raided my brain in agreement and fueled my rage. There were dead soldiers, dead civilians, and dead children, all speaking in unison. "Kill him."

  I could have cared less about politics until one day I realized just how bad it had gotten. And I had started doing research. Lots of research. Years and years after that I reasoned they were no more than legal robbers and murderers, protected by the facades of confusing laws written by their minions to protect themselves. Hell, they often even broke their own laws, and no one would touch them.

  They didn't care about the common people anymore. The people were mere pieces of sacrificial flesh, to be used without concern for whatever purpose was needed to accomplish their deluded, demonic objectives. The government had gotten so far out of step with the US Constitution that something needed drastic change.

  And boy did Mother Nature take care of THAT, seeing as the obedient military had become the most powerful, unopposed force in human history. Certainly the common people had no chance of fighting them to get the country back, even with a notable force of trained, retired veterans who were considering the idea. Even they wouldn't hold up to explosive rounds fired from planes miles away, killing them in droves like lambs at the slaughter.

  But I suppose Mother Nature threw me a bone after she did her part, and wanted me to finish the job- for good.

  Then another tremor suddenly shook the ground with a ferocity we hadn't experienced in a while, causing me to lose my footing, and tumble down the hill a ways. I slammed into a tree and it stopped me as the tremor eased up. I was shaken, but not too badly hurt. I got back up and picked back up my rifle.

  My ribs hurt. But pain had become a way of life. "Damn it, just when I was starting to feel better," I thought silently to myself. But I would not be deterred. I was on another mission. Seek and destroy. Destroy the intruders that wanted to enslave us all again. They just don't learn. Power concedes nothing without a gun to its head- but hey, guess what? I had a nasty gun, and all I needed was the head. And he was right up the hill somewhere- probably. After all, who else could make it this far? And we had information that he'd be here.

  Thoughts of Jan, Terry and Ben tried to enter my mind, but I turned them all away. Nuh uh. The remainder of humanity could really depend on my next actions. This was bigger than them.

  My blinders went down, and my body turned and went further past the boat a good ways, getting off the footprint trail up the hill. It worked before. Slowly and quietly I sneaked up and up, past the devastation, and keeping an eye on the footprint trail path, and where it was. My senses were on hyper alert, and my weapon ready and in auto mode.

  Suddenly I heard a grunt of pain in the distance through the trees, and I quickly got prone on the ground. I had almost made it to the top, but the noise stopped me dead in my tracks. Peeking around the tree, I tried to pinpoint it.

  "Ohhhh, ahhhh," I heard again, louder. It was a man, and in obvious agony. But I could see nothing. So I crawled closer very slowly, taking care to be nearly silent. Peeking around another tree, now I saw the outline of someone sitting on the ground with his back up against the tree. He was facing nearly exactly where the footprint path had led, and his back was towards me, with the tree he was leaning against obstructing my view.

  So I moved still closer and silently- keeping an eye out all around for his companion. I could make out a white dress shirt, black dress pants, black shoes, and a badly wounded left leg which he was holding. Then I saw a pistol in his other hand briefly as he waived it into view for a split second. I was probably a mere twenty feet behind him at that point, and he seemed too busy nursing his wound to notice.

  I was still prone on the ground, and I hid back behind a tree to contemplate what I should do carefully.

  I could just pop out from behind the tree and try to shoot him, but I didn't have a clear shot at his chest or head with the tree in the way. Plus, I still didn't know who this was- for sure. Yeah it was probably him, but I didn't know.

  And if I tried anything, much less fired a gun, his companion might be alerted by the commotion and take me out. I had no idea what kind of weapon that person had, and I wasn't about to risk it.

  So I decided to wait. And I was glad I did. Because mere minutes later, his companion came running back down the hill, and answered several unknowns in one fell swoop.

  "Mr. President! Mr. President!" A female voice yelled in earnest. "I found some cars in a parking lot up there! It looks like someone has been here recently!" She quickly appeared at his side, and I was a bit surprised his companion was a woman. Peeking around the tree, I saw her form, and what a marvelous physical shape that woman was in.

  She was what you might describe as a buxom, Amazon-type blonde, in supreme physical condition- from the bulging muscles I could see in her legs below her blue dress skirt and arms. Her sharply carved face was very pretty despite a discolored bruise on her forehead, and her long blonde hair swayed freely in the soft breeze as she stood there looking down at him. From the shape of her ample breasts fitting loosely in her tattered, wet dress shirt, I could tell that she had removed any bra. But the brief momentary view was contrasted by the shoulder holster she also had strapped on her chest. I saw the silver handle of a pistol protruding from it.

  And I didn't kid myself. I had no doubts that she was probably every bit as capable of killing me as any man, and that she was likely a close Secret Service agent on his team. I reminded myself I needed to forget her sex. She represented maximum danger.

  "Come on... Let's get you up there," she said. With a grunt he got up with her help, and she slung his arm around her shoulder. I only had one brief look at his profile when he got up, but that was enough. I recognized him clearly. It was indeed, the President of the United States. I was astounded at her amazing strength as she half dragged him and his limp leg up the hill effortlessly.

  "Owww! Easy!" he said in the distance as they made their way up the hill.

  Realizing that they had probably not had a chance to look for the sub yet, and that they must have just found the boat and climbed up the hill before I came on the scene- I stopped to think more about my options.

  But I never got the chance. I heard a twig crack behind me, and I rolled over to witness impending death had already snuck up on me. I was looking square in the face of another huge mountain lion, just feet away. And it was staring at me and snarling with evil intent in its eyes- and baring its large, sharp teeth menacingly.

  In the brief seconds of terror that followed, I shakily raised my rifle at it slowly. But I stopped myself from firing, knowing that would alert the new arrivals and give away my position and presence. I reached for my knife, but it snarled louder at me with my hand movement. I couldn't back up, because of the tree. It started to circle me slowly, and I could tell it was having second thoughts about pouncing on me.

  Then I remembered that there were others. Maybe it was waiting for another to arrive before attacking me, thereby increasing its chances at a kill and a meal. But I had no desire to be food for anything. I quickly grabbed my knife, and it snarled again at my movement. I waited for it to make its move, holding my knife up at it menacingly, and gripping it firmly in my fist in a stabbing position.

  But it just kept circling me
and waiting, baring its teeth. I wondered if I should get up, increasing my height. I knew vaguely that height intimidated animals, but I'd be taking an awful risk of agitating it further.

  With no other option, I finally stood up quickly, opening my arms, and ready for a battle to the death. It seemed to quiet down a bit and back off. But then it turned again, with a renewed determination, looking up at me and snarling. I replaced my extreme fear with anger, as this beast was depriving me of my own critical kill. I was over it. I swatted at it with the rifle, catching its nose with the butt, and readied my knife hand for the retaliation.

  The blow startled it, and I quickly lunged forward with the blade in a bluff attack. But it was too quick. Sensing the incoming, it tried to bite my knife hand, but missed. I hadn't fully committed. And it hadn't outright attacked me yet, either. It still seemed to be either thinking about it or waiting for a partner. So I stood there just staring at its eyes with an anger and rage of my own, and with my knife raised in the air menacingly.

  And apparently that was enough- because then it quickly turned away and bolted off into the trees. I breathed a panicked sigh of relief, and regained my composure. Boy I was lucky that another one had not joined in the fight, because then surely I would have had to fire. The thought that it might return with a partner crossed my mind, but at that point I didn't care. I was ready for war, and whatever life brought upon me. I had already survived hell. So "Bring it," I thought. "Just you fucking bring it."

  I forced myself back into a calm state so I could think, and looked around. I had bigger problems than mountain lions on my hands. And it was in the form of a deadly Amazon blonde with an awful big gun.

  Clearly to get to him I was going have to go through her. And to be honest, somewhere in the back of my mind I wanted to do it without the others knowing. The sudden realization of that hit me like a brick over the head.

  No, I would not tell the others if I managed to get him. Then I'd be in all kinds of trouble, and get involved in all kinds of political debates. I had my reasons, and they were good enough for me. The wretched, silent voices of long-dead and forgotten souls who were forced to play his tyrannical war games resurfaced in my brain with their own vengeance, too. It's time the emotionless tyrants were erased from existence. It was time to pay.

  And paybacks- are hell. Mother Nature just made that clear, and I was going to accentuate her point. Or I was going to die trying. It was time history had a break from politics, corruption, legal slavery, and murderous greed. It was a chance at a new beginning, and I was determined to start it without another one barking orders at us.

  The mission was clear. I just had to figure out how I was going to do it.

  Chapter 38: A Morbid View From The Top

  After much thought, I came to the conclusion that what I needed was a distraction- something that would lure the blonde away from him. I still had managed to maintain stealth, but I knew that wouldn't last long.

  Looking at my watch, I realized I had been away from Ben at least an hour, and I knew he'd come looking for me. But after how long, I didn't know. I could only hope he was taking his time in making observations and calculations. Maybe he was relishing his time alone for those thoughts, and he would just wait for me to get back to the shoreline. But I knew he wouldn't wait forever.

  I shifted my thoughts back to planning, and quickly. My first thought was I had to see what they were doing up there by the cars, their exact positions, and re-evaluate once I knew. So I worked my way eastward and circled around to the south side of the mountain, and then headed upwards slowly and vigilantly.

  I finally emerged up near the summit, right at the exact spot where we had dragged the bear and Ben had shot the first lion. But all there was left was a blood stain. I looked up towards the crumpled observation deck, and noted that the deathly smell of Sandra had all but vanished. I saw no one, and surmised they were probably down in the parking lot by the cars. After all, that's where she said they were going. But I needed cover.

  So I headed down Summit Trail for a ways, then went off the trail down the hill again into the woods towards the parking lot. I found a perfect overlook spot behind some mangled trees, and crept up slowly.

  Peering over the ridge, I spotted them at the cars. She was just pacing around and pointing, obviously commenting on the recent signs of life we had left. He was sitting down in the back of Ben's SUV, right where Gary had been- holding his limp leg in pain.

  I remembered that not far from there, just north of the parking lot, we had left a considerable bloody mess and three dead sailors. I wondered if somehow I could use that for my needed distraction. I just had to figure out how to get her to go look- cause once she saw that, I figured it would startle her enough to go running back and tell him. Maybe I could use her moment of shock against her.

  I withdrew silently, and circled around through the woods out of sight beyond the north side of the parking lot. I wanted to scope out the scene further, and see if I could make it work. Ten minutes later I spotted the gruesome scene up the hill- for now I was back at the same spot I had ambushed Jan's rapist from. I hid behind the same tree, and the horrible visions of her rape permeated my brain again.

  But I quickly cleared them. Looking at the bloody scene again, I wondered how I could get her attention. Then the thought occurred to me that I could play a dead man, as part of the scene. It would probably be only a matter of time before she headed that way anyway, getting bored and wanting to explore their surroundings more. Hell, I could even smear their blood all over me, to make it look real. And then when she was right over me, kneeling there shocked- bam, I could pounce.

  It just might work. But what if it didn't? And what if she wasn't so shocked? And worse, the last thing I wanted was a physical confrontation- cause she was trained, and I wasn't. I would most definitely lose that battle without the advantage of stealth and surprise.

  But if I was quick enough, I just might get the butt of my rifle to connect with her head. Hmm. Extremely daring and risky. Seriously, I couldn't really...

  Glancing up briefly towards them, I was startled to see her heading my way, just casually looking around at the trees and surroundings. She was headed right for me.

  I panicked. Lacking any other plan or the time to think about it, I quickly laid down next to the corpses, stuck my hand in Joey's bloody brains, and smeared them all over my face and body. I gripped the rifle and put the butt in my dominant right hand, with it laying over my chest. I could hear her footsteps getting closer, and then stop. I lay motionless, closed my eyes, went limp- and held my breath.

  "Huh?" I heard her gasp, and then footsteps come running. "Oh my God!" she said, standing over the scene. She inspected the others rapidly for any signs of life, and then quickly knelt over me. When I felt her over me breathing heavily, I barely opened one eye just enough to get a vague, squinting assessment of her head position. When her hand came down to touch my throat, checking for a pulse, I made my move.

  Suddenly, and with everything I had, I belted her head with the butt of the rifle, and caught her on the left side of her face before she could react. The blow jolted her head sideways, and knocked her out cold. She fell on top of me. All I heard was a release of breath.

  I pushed her off of me, and she lay there twitching, sprawled out on the ground. But she was still breathing spasmodically. I got out my knife. As I was about to plunge it into her heart, something stopped me. Maybe she could be useful. Maybe, just maybe, she could go with the program. Maybe, just maybe, I should keep her alive.

  I glanced down at her tremendous body. Her legs were spread limp and her skirt had come up, revealing her panties. And they were nearly see-through, making me see things better described elsewhere.

  Hmm. That was a serious sight. And kind of hard to come by these days. Her massive, near perfect breasts were protruding from her wet shirt, begging to be released. What a damn shame I was going to have plunge a knife through them and kill her, I thought. But she
was a supporter and close protector of the most extreme evil. A befitting death, I mused.

  I struggled with what to do and backed off a minute, just thinking about it. I removed her gun from its holster and stuck it in my pants. I knew it wouldn't be long before the President would be wondering where she was. So I had to do SOMETHING. Fast.

  Somehow I just couldn't bring myself to do it, so instead I cut several long strips of cloth from the dead sailor's legs, and twisted them together- making makeshift, but strong ties. I cut another big section from one of their chests to cover her mouth in a gag.

  I dragged her down the hill away from the scene about fifty feet, and tied her sitting up with her hands bound behind a smaller diameter tree. I put the gag in place over her mouth, and tied it in place around the tree too. I tested the tree for strength, and it seemed unyielding.

  I'd decide about her later, I thought, after checking the knots again. If a mountain lion or bear didn't find her first- that is. I thought that might be cruel. Yeah, well she should have thought about that before she chose that wonderful spotlight job of protecting evil. Paybacks are indeed hell. And if she awoke to be torn apart by a massive bear- tough luck.