The Rat Collector: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 1) (16 page)

“Like I said, I do whatever I want.” He saw the terror in everyone’s face. It was exactly what he was hoping for. “And If I want to kill all of you…then that’s exactly what I’ll do.” He pointed the gun at Vince, ready to strike thunder into his chest.

But Fred reacted like lightning…and lightning is faster than thunder.

She sprung from Rupert’s shoulder and darted at Barnabus. She dug her talons into his fingers and shrieked into his face. The gun shot once, hitting the dirt next to Vince, before falling to the ground. Barnabus swung his arms, trying to swat Fred away, but she held her grip. Finally, he grabbed a hold of her wing and threw her aside. She slammed against the wall and fell to the ground.

“Fred!” Rupert ran forward. Ella and Alan followed.

Vince left Saul’s side and trotted over to pick up the gun. He cradled it in his hands, uncomfortable with the power it granted him. Barnabus approached with pure rage in his face. Vince pointed the gun. “Stop!” Barnabus ignored him. “I said stop!” His shouts were pointless. It was clear that he would not stop. Instead, he walked faster, eyes glaring at Vince. He marched right up to him and reached for the gun, when finally, Vince pulled the trigger.

Barnabus fell like a rock. Blood pooled around his chest, staining the ground with crimson darkness. His arms grasped at Vince’s legs. Vince stepped back. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. His breathing grew heavy. He pointed the gun down at Barnabus once more and unleashed a barrage of thunder. Blinding light flashed from the gun with each shot. Spurts of red sprayed from the body. He pulled the trigger until the deafening blasts were replaced by a soft click.

Bloody mangled meat and bones lay on the cave floor. Splatters of red covered Vince’s face and chest. The others watched as he glared down at the body. Ella approached him with caution, reaching out slowly, placing a gentle hand on the gun, and carefully pulling it away. His eyes darted up. With the sight of Ella, he snapped out of his trance.

Ella handed the weapon to Rupert, who threw it in his bag like a hot potato. He walked over to Vince and patted his back. “Are you okay there, son?” Vince gave a slight nod.

Saul was still on his knees, coughing and spitting up blood. Vince and Ella ran over to help. Rupert and Alan stayed with Fred, who was quivering in the corner. She stretched out her wing to reveal a large gash. Rupert picked her up and held her close to his chest. The beat of his heart calmed her. “You did good, girl. You saved us.”

Saul was not doing well. Blood gushed from his wound, his face was ghost white, and his body was drenched in sweat. Vince retrieved the sheet from his bag, placed it on the ground behind Saul, and cradled him onto his back.

Ella pressed on the wound as Saul cried in agony. She held her hands firmly in place. “Sorry hun,” she said in her most comforting voice. “I know it hurts, but it’s for your own good.” Saul ignored her and continued to scream. His body twitched and squirmed in a violent motion. Ella struggled to keep her hands still, but the man saved their lives. Now it was their turn to save his. His struggling weakened until he finally gave up and accepted the pain. “Rupert, I need a bandage?” Ella called. Rupert pulled out a roll from his bag and tossed it over.

As she wrapped the wound, Vince peered into his old friend’s tear filled eyes. “Hang in there, friend. Don’t quit on me now. You’ve always been strong.”

Saul stared back. “Vince, I’m scared.” His voice was barely a whisper. “I’m terrified. I don’t want to die…We were supposed to live forever…” His voice trailed off, and his eyes rolled back. Vince held him close to feel his heart beat. He was still alive.

“He passed out,” Ella said as she finished patching the wound. “He lost a lot of blood. It’s a miracle he’s still alive.”

Alan walked over to look at the man who came between him and the gun. The man who saved his life. And the man who was now on the ground, dying in his own pool of blood. “We have to help him!” he said. “We can’t just let him die!”

Rupert shook his head. “There isn’t much we can do. We don’t have the supplies to handle such a wound, and Snow Peak is five days off, at least.”

“There must be something we can do!” Alan turned to Vince. “He’s your friend! Let him drain you or something! He’ll heal faster, right?”

Vince carefully cradled Saul back down. “Unfortunately if Saul drains me, or any of us, he will kill us. It is impossible to drain without doing so.”

Alan pointed to what was left of Barnabus’ body. “Well then drain that son of a bitch!”

“He’s already dead,” Vince said with regret. “We can only drain the living.” He looked at the body, riddled with countless holes. How could he be so stupid? How could he let emotions erase the only way of saving his friend? He could have shot once. Kept Barnabus alive.

Ella stood up, wiping the blood from her hands. “What about the City,” she said. The other looked at her curiously. “He said the City has the best in medicine. And it’s not far either, just across the water at the end of the cave. That’s what he said, right?”

“I believe so,” Rupert said.

“Then let’s go! What are we waiting for? We can save him, I know it. We owe it to him. We owe it to Vince!”

“Yeah, let’s go!” Alan yelled. “We have to try!”

Rupert was less enthused. “We must not let our emotions get in the way of reason. I’m not saying we can’t try to save him, but we must think carefully before we make any decisions.” He stroked Fred’s beak, who was quivering in his arms. “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

They looked to Vince, who was staring at his friend on the ground. “I would not ask you to follow me into the City. We don’t know what’s there. It could be dangerous. There could be others like Barnabus. You may return to Snow Peak if you wish. You have all become close friends. It will be sad to see you go, but I must try to save Saul.”

Alan leaped in front of Rupert. “Come on, Rupert. He stepped in front of the gun. That could be me on the ground right now. If that was the case, we would already be halfway through the cave by now. He risked his life to save ours.” He placed a hand on Vince’s shoulder. “Vince needs our help.”

“And Patrick,” Ella said. “We’ll do it for Patrick.”

Alan looked at Ella and launched back with even more passion. “For Patrick! We need to stop whatever those bastards in the City are doing.” He pointed to the cage, full of bloody limbs and torsos and heads. “We can’t let this savagery go on!” He locked eyes with Rupert. “So what do you say? Are you in?”

Rupert returned a deep stare and then looked down into his arms. “Fred here is hurt pretty badly. It sounds like the City can treat her wound as well. To the City we go.”

Alan sprung up and hugged him. Vince and Rupert exchanged smiles as Alan ran over to help.

THIRTY-SEVEN

WITH VINCE’S SHEET and some branches, they fashioned together a makeshift stretcher. Vince held the front near Saul’s head and Alan took the back. They followed down the cave path as it led them to sunlight, opening up to a vast beach. Waves washed onto the rough sands of the shore. The calm breeze carried a salty smell that was oddly pleasant. Seagulls circled above, occasionally nosediving into the ocean.

Alan stared at the water. “How are we supposed to get across that?”

Vince shrugged. “When he said across the water, I wasn’t expecting this.” He looked to Ella and Rupert for suggestions.

“Look,” Ella said, pointing down the shore. “There’s a boat.”

They all turned and saw a large unoccupied boat. Its metal sides were smudged with dirt. On the back, the words
CITY PROPERTY
sat above the same golden symbol they had found on the camera, crusted with dried salt.

“It must be how he got here,” Vince said, “and how he planned on getting back.”

They walked across the beach, towards the boat. The sand made it tiring to walk. Their shoes filled with small grains and pebbles. When they reached it, Rupert climbed the ladder leading up over the side rail. “Wait out here,” he said. “I’ll make sure it’s safe.” The others placed Saul gently on the ground and looked around.

Ella peered across the water. “I’ve read about the ocean before, but I’ve never seen it in person. It’s beautiful.”

Alan picked up a rock and skipped it across the surface. “I don’t know. It’s looks kind of scary to me. What about you, Vince?”

“I find it peaceful. It can get rough out there, dangerous even, but nothing beats a sunny day on the calm waters. It will be nice to get away from the snow.”

Alan snickered. “Getting sick of the cold weather, huh?”

“I haven’t seen such temperatures in my travels. I’m not used to it.”

“You definitely grow a tolerance when you grow up in Snow Peak,” Alan said. He nudged Ella. “Isn’t that right Ella?”

She nodded. “You sure do, but you get a little stir crazy, as well. I’m excited to see what’s out there. Something other than home.”

Rupert emerged from the boat. “It’s safe. The boat’s empty.”

They climbed aboard, extra careful with Saul in their hands. They placed him down, and Vince began to wander off. “Can you watch him? I’m going to look around.”

Ella gave a thumbs up. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”

The boat was bigger than he expected. There were two stories, each with multiple rooms. He could tell the boat was old. The metal floors were dirty and rusted, and several windows were broken. On the first floor, he passed by what looked like a pantry. The cupboards were filled with boxes of food and water, enough to last a month at least.

Near the front of the boat, still on the first level, the floor had a large indent. In the corners were deep slots, perfect for holding large wheels. It was mostly likely how Barnabus transported the cage.

Vince turned right and found a spiral staircase. His boots clanged on the metal as he climbed up. The second floor was just as run down as the first, but with hints of luxury. In a lounge-like area, there were splintered hardwood floors, covered with a beat up red carpet. Large paintings hung from the walls. Portraits of unknown people. Four bright yellow chairs sat at the center of the room, all facing each other. He walked over and sat down. Dust puffed up from the cushion, filling his eyes and lungs. It was not clean, but it was comfortable. After a moment of rest, he stood up and moved to the next room.

The bedroom was small but cozy. There was a single bed tugged in the corner, with a wooden nightstand beside it. A circular window on the back wall lit the room with sunlight. He sat on the bed and more dust filled the air. After a short coughing fit, he got up and moved on.

At the front of the boat was the control room. The wide window showed a stunning view of the ocean. There was a large panel against the wall. Buttons of various shapes and colors were spread across the board, and levers were scattered about. He was overwhelmed by the cluttered mess. Instead of experimenting with them himself, he returned downstairs to tell the others.

As he came back down the spiral staircase, Alan and Rupert were exploring the pantry, and Ella was sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Saul. “What did you find?” she asked. “Anything good?”

There’s a good amount of food in there, but it looks like Rupert and Alan already found that. There’s also a bed upstairs. It’s a good place for Saul to rest.” He walked over and bent down to lift the stretcher. “Help me get him up the stairs.”

They lifted Saul and brought him up the winding staircase. Alan and Rupert followed behind, fascinated by the second-level decor. They had never seen a place like it. The place was dirty and rundown, but to them it was beautiful. The carpet. The colors. The paintings. It was all beautiful.

They carried Saul through the lounge and into the bedroom. He moaned incoherent blabber as they transferred him over to the bed. His face had lost color and faded to a pale shade of peach. A slick layer of oil coated his skin, and his entire body was shivering. The red splotch on his bandage had grown.

“He’s not doing well,” Ella said as she patted his forehead with a cloth. “We need to get him to the City fast.”

Vince nodded and turned around. “Rupert. Alan. Follow me.” He led them to the control room. “We need to figure out how this works.”

Alan stared at the controls. “How in the world are we supposed to do that? There are like a hundred buttons here. For all we know, one of them could set the boat on fire!”

“It’s possible,” Vince said, examining one of the levers. “They have pretty impressive technology.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m not going to press anything if it has the function to kill us!”

“He’s joking,” Rupert said.

“Really? You’re always so serious, Vince. It’s hard to tell. Good one, I guess? You could work on your sense of humor, though.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Vince said as his hand hovered over the controls.

“Just push one already,” Rupert said. “We don’t have all day.”

He pushed the orange button in the very top left corner. They all waited and listened, but nothing happened.

Alan chuckled. “Of course it’s not the first one we try. I think we all knew that.”

Vince pushed the blue one next to it. Nothing. When he pushed the third button, they heard a loud click coming from the front of the boat below them. They looked out the window to the deck, where the cage was supposed to go. He pushed it again and the same sound emitted from the corners. There were small latches the locked in and out of place whenever he pushed it.

“That must secure the cage in place,” Rupert said. “To make sure it doesn’t roll around or go overboard.”

Alan laughed. “That would make for an interesting ride. Just imagine that gigantic cage rolling around. That creepy guy would have had his hands full.”

On button number twenty-four, they heard a hum coming from the back of the boat. They listened closely until the boat nudged forward. They were off the beach and headed into the ocean.

“It’s about time,” Alan sighed. “I thought I was going to lose my mind.”

Through trial and error, they learned how to steer. There was a horizontal lever that turned left and right, and a vertical one that controlled the speed. They still had no clue what most of the buttons did, but all they needed was full speed, straight ahead.