The Zero Trilogy (Book 3): End of Day (6 page)

Elle had heard stories of people who had been so high on powerful drugs that they didn’t feel gunshots. They wouldn’t stop unless you put a knife in their heart, until their body physically shut down.

She suddenly hurried out of the mobile home, feeling stifled. When she stepped outside, she saw Luli standing over the body of the dead man. She looked to be deep in thought. When she saw Elle, she turned away and headed toward the front of the property.

As she disappeared, a strange feeling came over Elle.

Something was coming.

She just didn’t know what.

Once again, Elle found herself in the training area near the wall. She was alone, as usual. Her only audience was Bravo, keeping a careful watch on the surroundings. It was mid-afternoon, and the weather was strangely warm.
Elle had tossed her jacket off, wearing only pants and a short-sleeve shirt. Her black hair was getting long again. It was nearly touching her shoulders.

She sat next to Bravo, resting from the long hours of physical exercise. Sitting at camp and waiting to get called out on an assignment could make you lazy. Elle didn’t want to get weak. She wanted to be ready for anything.

So she kept moving.

“It’s too long, isn’t it?” she said to Bravo, tugging on her hair.

Bravo looked bored.

Elle pursed her lips. There was a little box of tools by the wall. It was full of tape, nails, screws, a hammer, a screwdriver, and scissors. Cheng used it to keep the training area clean and in working order.

Elle walked to the box and pulled out the scissors. She could see her reflection in the shiny metal of the container. Her face – once pale white and cherubic – was all sharp angles and bruises. She looked so much older than she had in the city. So different. Still, she was pretty, with full,
pink lips and glittering blue eyes. Elle took a deep breath and held the scissors to her hair. She snipped through the locks quickly, cutting it down until it was only a couple of inches in length.

She dropped the scissors and ruffled her hair. It was a boyish hairstyle, but much easier to keep clean. In this apocalypse, shampooing your tresses wasn’t exactly a priority. Practicality was king.

Elle touched the scar on her cheek.

It’s ugly, she thought. It ruins my whole face.

“Nice hair, little ninja.”

Elle closed the lid on the toolbox and faced Cheng. He smiled, flashing his white, straight teeth.

“I needed something practical,” Elle stated, coloring.

“I like it.” Cheng leaned against the wall. “But to change the subject to a less attractive topic…that woman in the doublewide. In the mountains. What did you think of her?”

“Not much,” Elle replied. She folded her arms across her chest. “She would have died even if we hadn’t showed up. She was crazy.”

“I know all that,” Cheng said, waving a hand. “What do you think of what she said? About the blood and death?”

He sat cross-legged on the ground, curious.

“Like I said,” Elle answered. “She was crazy.”

“Was she?” He raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Come now, Elle. You can’t tell me that you didn’t feel something
wrong
when you left. I know you did…because so did I.”

Elle stood and looked at Cheng.

“Yeah,” she said at last. “It felt…like a shadow. Or a cloud. Like something was going to happen. Something bad.”

Cheng nodded.

“Yes, exactly.”

Cheng said nothing for a long time, and then suddenly exclaimed, “She was talking about Omega! They thirst for blood, like vampires. She
seemed quite hooked on the idea, even in her drug-hazed state of mind.”

Elle watched Cheng curiously. Sometimes he spoke like he was from another time, and another place. “I don’t see any reason to get upset over it,” Elle said. “It was just one woman.”

Cheng pointed to the ground.

“Take a seat, Elle,” he told her.

Elle didn’t hesitate. By now, she was always curious to see what Cheng would teach her. She sat cross-legged, about two feet in front of him. “I’ve talked to you about learning to focus, right?” he asked.

Elle nodded.

He held his hands out.

“Close your eyes and take my hands,” he said.

Elle made a face.

“I’m not into mystical, superstitious stuff,” she muttered.

“Trust me.” He leaned forward. “That’s not what this is.”

Elle slowly moved her hands forward, touching Cheng’s fingertips. He squeezed her
fingers lightly, closing his eyes. Elle watched him for a moment – his face was peaceful.

“When your soul can find peace,” Cheng said, “your body will, too. You will be a better person, a better warrior, a better woman.” He slid his fingers up, touching Elle’s wrist. “This apocalypse has taken everything from us – sitting still and relaxing is a luxury few can afford. If you can find a way to be happy, even in the middle of all of this…you can survive.”

“And if I can’t?” Elle said.

Cheng didn’t answer.

She met his steady gaze. He was closer than he was before, and he looked pleased. Elle didn’t move. She was afraid to break the spell. For one, terrifying second, Elle thought he would lean forward and kiss her.

Bravo barked.

Elle blinked and drew backward. Luli was standing twenty feet away, staring. Elle withdrew her hands from Cheng’s, but she did not move.

“Having a nice chat?” Luli asked, monotone.

Her paper-white cheeks were flushed with color.

“Yes,” Cheng replied, rising. “Luli, we’re all friends here. You need to accept that Elle is here to stay, and that she’s one of us now.”

“She’ll never be one of us,” Luli spit. “She’s
not
one of us.”

She whirled on her heel, storming off.

Elle stood up, sighing. “She’ll always hate me.”

“She doesn’t hate you, Elle,” Cheng replied. “She hates herself.” He shook his head. “Remember what I said. Learn to relax. It’s powerful.” He touched Elle’s shoulder. “Luli hasn’t found that, and it’s why the apocalypse is eating her alive. Don’t let that happen to you.”

Elle got the feeling that this was profoundly important information, but all she could manage was a nod. Cheng shoved his hands in his pocket, whistling softly, and walked away.

“Well, that was weird,” she whispered.

Bravo looked up at her.

Very
.

Chapter Four

Night. The air was cold. Elle crouched with Bravo at the top of Bear Mountain, a carefree smile on her face. It was a bright, moonlit night. They were on the other side of the hill, maybe a mile away from the encampment. Luli had a thin sword in her hand – something similar to a katana. A sword that Elle had never seen before. She was grappling with Cheng. It was an intense fight, pitting one skilled swordsman against the other.

But at the end of it, when Cheng pinned Luli to the ground, Elle laughed. And then Cheng laughed, and Luli laughed, and Cheng helped her to her feet. Luli stood up and dusted herself off, her white hair flashing in the darkness.

“You’re getting better,” Cheng said. “So much better.”

“I have the best teacher,” Luli replied.

They smiled. Something secret passed between them, and Elle looked away. She didn’t
know why – maybe she was slightly jealous. To have a deep bond with someone…how would that feel?

Bravo nudged her knee with his nose.

She smiled.

Well. She guessed she already knew.

“What do you think, newbie?” Luli said.

She placed her hand on her hip. Despite their confrontation the night before, Luli seemed to have calmed down a bit. There was no love in her eyes – but the pure hatred wasn’t there. Or at least she was hiding it well.

“I think you’re both very good,” Elle said carefully.

“Almost as good as you, little ninja?” Cheng joked.

“Almost,” Elle said. “But not quite.”

Cheng grinned. Luli rolled her eyes and sheathed her sword. Cheng sat on the grass. A breeze ruffled his hair. Elle stayed near Bravo. Luli took a seat next to Cheng. In that moment, Elle almost felt like she was a part of something communal. Something social.

It had been a long time.

With Jay, Georgia, Pix and Flash, she had felt like their bodyguard – never their equal. With Cheng and Luli – despite the fact that Luli was unstable – she believed herself to be on the same playing field.

Yes. An equal. That was the word.

“If you could live anywhere in the world, where you would you live?” Cheng asked lightly, leaning his head back. “Because I would live in Costa Rica.”

“Costa Rica?” Luli echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“But why?”

“It’s warm. It’s beautiful. I think I would like it.”

“I’d rather go to Hawaii.”

“You’re too fair. You’d get the sunburn of a lifetime.”

“I’d wear
sunscreen
.”

“And long sleeves, and a hat, and socks with your shoes, and pants…”

Elle leaned against Bravo and closed her eyes, listening to their banter. They sounded like
siblings, bickering amongst themselves, tacking about nonsensical topics that had nothing to do with their current situation.

“And you, Elle?” Cheng asked.

Elle opened her eyes.

“Hmm?” she said.

“Where would you go?”

Luli chewed on her lower lip, watching Elle with hooded eyes.

Elle thought about it for a while.

“I’d go home,” she said softly. “And I’d never leave again.”

Cheng gave her a thoughtful look, then reached over and squeezed her hand. Elle met his gaze, then pulled her hand back. She caught a sideways glance from Luli, then turned away.

Leave it to me to make the conversation depressing
, she thought.

BOOM
.

The earth shook. Elle fell sideways and Bravo barked. A pillar of orange flames shot high into the sky, a curtain of fire against a velvet night. The heat singed the skin of Elle’s face. Luli
screamed. Cheng crouched. Bravo barked wildly, agitated.

Elle grabbed his collar and pulled him close to her.

Her ears rang, her vision swam. The shockwave from the detonation had felt like a punch in the chest. She took deep, even breaths, and watched as the pillar of flames subsided. Great, massive clouds of black smoke billowed into the air, blotting out the moon. In the distance, orange light flickered against the foothills.

“The base,” Luli said, staring. “Bear Mountain.”

It was difficult to think, difficult to move. Elle’s mind spun.

What had just happened? Had Bear Mountain been bombed?

She stood up, suddenly sprinting into action. She ran, climbing higher, pushing herself faster and faster. It took nearly ten minutes to round the curve of the hill. She saw Bear Mountain Military Base below. It was dark, and all she could see were flames and the outlines of
buildings. Bravo stood by her side. Cheng and Luli were close behind her.

In the sky, the tiny, dark outline of aircraft was etched against the stars. It became smaller and smaller, until it disappeared altogether.

“We have to get down there,” Elle breathed.

“Did we just get
bombed
!?” Luli demanded.

“Looks like it.”

“But…how? Omega doesn’t know where we are.”

Silence.

They could hear the flames crackling from their vantage point on the hill. It was eerily silent. No voices. No screaming. As Elle’s eyes adjusted to the firelight, she saw a black crater in the center of camp.

“I think it was a cruise missile,” Elle whispered.

“No. Omega doesn’t have that kind of technology,” Luli replied. She looked at Cheng. “Do they?”

His expression was grim.

Elle’s breathing came rapidly, making her feel sick.

All of those people…all of those
children
.

“Come on,” she said.

She moved down the mountain, running faster and faster, stickers and brambles and rocks gouging her legs. Bravo ran ahead of her, protectively checking the path before them. By the time they reached the camp, she was out of breath, sweating, her lips and mouth dry.

“Oh, my god,” she said.

The fence around the camp looked like it had been pulled apart, leaving it flat and splayed across the ground, melted and worthless. Cracked open. Many of the buildings were simply gone. Others were still standing, ablaze with violent flames. The crater in the middle of the encampment was deep. The grass was festering with small flames. The trees were burnt black. Vehicles were on fire. Several dead bodies were face down in the mud.

Yet it was the silence that was the worst.

A bleak, heavy quiet. The absence of human voices.

There was nothing but great, cloying waves of dark smoke blowing through the camp. Headquarters was gone. The Chow Hall had been leveled to the ground. Elle tried to stand but fell to her knees. Bravo hunkered down, whining. She steadied herself and finally managed to stand up, overlooking the devastation.

Destruction, everywhere. Smoke. She covered her hands as the black wave swept over them, making the rest of the camp invisible to her. She heard Luli crying.

But mostly, it was just a harsh nothingness.

Elle wanted to scream. She was drowning in smoke and grit and heat.

Bravo shoved his head against her pant leg. Elle grabbed his heavy collar and he charged through the smoke, following a powerful instinct. They headed toward the barracks. It was difficult to discern where things were in this stifling darkness. The only defining element was the crackling flames dancing over the barracks.

Were they dead?

Was
everyone
dead?

They rounded the back of the sleeping quarters and came to the back wall. The training area was the only thing that had survived. It was somewhat protected from the smoke and the fires here, blocked in between walls of concrete on every side.

Elle knew what
she
needed to do: she needed to leave this camp. Now.

But what about the people in the Civilian Ward?

What if they needed help?

What if someone had survived?

“The survivors in the Civilian Ward!” Elle yelled. “They might need our help!”