Page 26 of Nazab

His guards fell in behind him as he hurried from his office. They took the elevator to the first floor to find a squad of twenty preppers waiting for them. Piling into pickup trucks that were parked just outside, they zoomed through the streets that had been cleared. Only a few clear pathways led to the tunnels and bridges, but it was enough for the militants to get around quickly now.

Other vehicles were approaching the tunnel as more mercs were sent to assist with greeting and sorting the newbies. Creel checked the assault rifle he’d grabbed on his way out of his office. A pistol was tucked into a holster beneath his left armpit. His guards were fully armed and they all had spare ammo.

The truck sped through the Lincoln Tunnel that was now brightly lit again. Mr. Lawson climbed out of the truck and approached the militants. “What’s their ETA?” he asked as he scanned the computer screen. One of Xathan’s lackeys had hooked cameras up to the computer so they could keep watch for inbound survivors.

“They’re almost within view now, sir,” the guard said and gestured ahead.

Creel watched the band of survivors on the screen to get a closer view. His upper lip lifted when he saw how many of them had dark skin. “We’re going to have to do some serious culling this time, boys,” he joked.

“We’re locked and loaded and ready to blow some brains out, sir!” one of his sycophants exclaimed. Laughter broke out as they waited for the mob to arrive.

Anticipation buzzed inside the preppers as the crowd drew closer. Most were gaunt and some looked ill. Others appeared to be healthy, which was a surprise. They all carried backpacks or duffle bags. They were pulling carts full of supplies and were guarding their haul with rifles.

“I hope Rahab’s goons don’t show up this time,” Creel said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and cull their numbers before those idiots show up.”

His minions nodded in agreement, compulsively checking their weapons as they nervously waited for the survivors to reach them.

A man with skin almost as dark as Xathan’s was in the lead. He lifted his hand to make the others halt, then he and several men and women stepped forward. Their expressions were wary. “We’re here to join the militia,” their leader said. His voice was deep and his eyes were intelligent.

Creel turned his arm just enough for the guy to see his swastika. “I’m afraid we’re full up, son,” the prepper said with a big, fake smile. “But I’m sure we’ll be able to find suitable positions for you and your kind.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” a brown-skinned woman asked shrilly. “Are you some kind of racist bigot, you short little Raggedy Andy lookalike?”

The survivors snickered at her comparison to a doll some of them had probably played with as children.

Creel was about to order his men to open fire on the group when a pickup truck zoomed through the tunnel. His mouth twisted in annoyance when he saw Phul was behind the wheel. “It looks like we won’t get to wipe the vermin out now,” he muttered. Another truck was right behind Phul’s vehicle. Ten Soldiers of Chaos climbed out.

“I’ve got this,” Phul said in a cold, hard tone, glaring down at Creel when he strode over. His men watched his back as he turned to the mob. “Welcome to Manhattan!” he called out. “We’ll be sorting you all into various groups now. Anyone who is sick or injured will be taken to a hospital for treatment. We need able-bodied men and women to help us keep food production up and running, as well as militants to guard this fine city.”

Phul and his companions deftly took charge, depriving Creel of his fun. The preppers were outnumbered, since the survivors still had their weapons. Splitting them up was the first step. Once they’d been sorted and ferried to different locations, then they would learn their true fates.

With a group this large, they couldn’t just gun down the sick and worthless survivors. Instead, they were placed in large trucks. They would be driven to one of the areas where the culling was performed before being shot and tossed into the closest body of water.

“I love my job,” Mr. Lawson said, picking out the prettiest women who he would soon have the great pleasure of planting his seed inside.

Chapter Twenty

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MONICA WATCHED NAZAB pore over the map he’d spread out on the coffee table. “We’ll need a car if we’re going to search for your squad,” she said. “They could be anywhere and it’ll take forever for us to find them if we’re on foot.”

Nazab glanced at her and nodded. “I’ll look for another town close by where we can search for vehicles that still work.” Neither of them wanted to steal a ride from the town they’d already visited. Most of the survivors had gray souls and they didn’t want to get on their bad side.

They examined the map and the knight tapped it with his fingertip. “It looks like this town is a bit bigger than the other one,” he said. “With luck, they’ll have several operational cars or trucks for us to choose from.”

“You’ll take me with you,” Monica said. It wasn’t a question.

“If you wish, female,” he agreed. “It’s only about thirty miles away, so it won’t take us long to get there.”

She snickered at his casual tone. “Being an alien has its benefits,” she joked, then turned wistful. “I bet I could run almost as fast as you if I had both of my legs.”

“You’re still fast,” he said. “You just need a better prosthesis.”

“We should go now,” Monica decided. “I’m sure we’ll be back in time for lunch.” That was still a few hours away, since they’d gotten up so early. “I’ll just pack a couple of things to take with us,” she added. She grabbed a backpack and stuffed snacks, a bottle of water and binoculars he’d found while scavenging the other town inside it.

Nazab had memorized the route, so he led the way outside. He picked her up and took off, racing down the driveway and taking the roads rather than leaping over fences. She figured it was easier to stay on the asphalt than to cut across fields while he was encumbered with her.

They reached the town a few minutes later and Nazab stopped half a mile away beneath some trees. “May I have the binoculars?” he requested as he put her down.