As the World Ends Read online

  Roan’s favorite part of the cave were the natural shelves nature built into the walls. Spotting a nook running behind a six-foot long stalactite, he slipped one of his knives in for storage. He also placed some of the dry goods on the shelves he wanted to keep safe from the smaller animals. Roan walked further into the cave and set up his sleeping bag in one of the dryer alcoves. It was only nine o’clock, but the weariness in his bones drained his energy. His eyelids pressed down on his eyes like concrete in water. Still, he forced himself to walk back out to run a recon on the area. Can’t be too safe, he thought, especially when alone. Satisfied the truck was safely tucked away from prying eyes.

  He rolled his shoulders to release the tension. Happy to find he had no company. At the same time, disappointed to find he had a solitary evening in front of him with only the cave and mountain’s sounds to accompany him. A long night lay ahead of him.

  Sleep eluded him. Wired, it had been a tough day. Roan couldn’t settle down. Always prepared for the worst life could throw at him, today tested his limits. Though he had survived, it hadn’t been easy.

  He’d taken a life today. Granted he was defending his possessions, but was this, what he had to look forward to? A world where your life was worth a truck, or worse, a bottle of water?

  “Did it get easier to kill?” he asked the air. The question echoed through the cave. No surprise, it offered no answer.

  “What if this isn’t the end? Shit, I’m a fugitive.” Frustrated, he sat up, opened the cooler, and grabbed a beer.

  “This isn’t the time to act like a pussy.” Lonely, he continued to speak out loud, missing the sound of another human voice.

  “This is only day one, Roan. Get your act together. Maybe I should have gone after Cathy.”

  Normally, he took solace in the quiet when he visited the different caves, but tonight the silence loudly echoed off the cave walls. Reaching for his radio he turned to the emergency broadcast channel, hoping for an update on today’s events. Praying his license plate number or his name weren’t being broadcasted all over the radio. He fidgeted with the dials only to hear static. Every station he tried only had white noise on it. It finally dawned on him that the radio towers and/or satellites could be off-line. Hopefully in the morning the problem would be fixed. If not he would try the radio outside the cave. Maybe the iron ore was what was interfering with the reception.

  Fear settled in him as fog settled on the night air, uneasy, thick and foreboding. Since childhood, dread filled him every time he was left alone for long periods of time. A punishment his mother dished out often. He would never admit that he was a coward. However, most considered him a bully.

  Rocks skittered, pinging off of the cavern walls, waking Roan with a start several hours later. Fear—his fear permeated the air. Damn, if I can smell it so can the predator. Swiping his hand along the ground until he found his gun, Roan concentrated on the sounds around him. Checking the magazine, knowing it was loaded, lowered his anxiety level. Ready. Killing the lights next to his head, he crawled close to the walls, hugging them, so he made a smaller target. The noise got louder and closer, seeming more ominous in the dark. He held the small flashlight over his gun with his arms extended, ready to take the shot. Christ, it sounded like footsteps. Relax. It could just be a small animal. Sweat poured down his forehead into his eyes, blurring his vision. Balancing the flashlight away from his face, he wiped the sweat away with his sleeve.

  Gravel crunched, rocks collided, and the steps grew closer and louder until…

  They reached the cave around midnight. “Shush,” Rob hissed.

  “What?”

  “Shut up. I think someone’s in there. Stay behind me,” he ordered.

  Rob had his gun out and the flashlight lit, lighting the entrance to the cave as they waited out the noise.

  “How do you know?”

  “These footprints are fresh, and I thought I heard a noise a minute ago. Maybe we should sleep in the car tonight and explore the caves tomorrow.”

  “You’re scaring me, Rob.”

  “I hate to admit it, but I’m scared too.”

  “Okay, let’s go back to the truck…” Lauren stopped talking when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and then dead silence.

  “Oh, my God, Rob,” she whispered.

  “Keep quiet. Let’s move to the tree line and wait out whoever it is. It’ll give us the advantage. Don’t speak,” he whispered. Turning off his flashlight, they walked to the tree line in unison.

  Shaking uncontrollably, she gripped his arm and squeezed hard. Unable to stop it, she was happy when Rob took her in his arms and held tight, putting his mouth right up against her left ear.

  “I’m right here with you, Lauren, you have to try to relax. Stay behind me, okay? I promise I’ll protect you.”

  Nodding her head, she pulled him back to her as he started to release her.

  “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered into her hair. Releasing her, he pushed her gently down to the ground. “Get comfortable, it’s going to be a long night.”

  He was so tuned into her and though she barely spoke, he heard her, “Rob…”

  “What?” he asked, impatiently.

  “No matter what, I love you.”

  “I know,” he said, quietly.

  Silence. Roan strained to hear. Disappointed in the quiet, he wondered. Did I imagine the noise?

  “No, I didn’t.” He didn’t realize he had spoken out loud until he heard his own voice echo back. Shit, I’m gonna get myself killed if I don’t keep quiet.

  Lowering to the floor, gun on his lap, he sat cross-legged for three hours without moving a muscle. Not one sound out of the ordinary. Either the other person was just as disciplined or it was an animal he had startled. He needed to go out there and take a piss soon, or it was going to be an uncomfortable night.

  As he started to unwind his legs he knocked over his flashlight. “Shit.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Outside, Rob had the same idea. Hungry, his neck and back stiff, he watched Lauren sleep. Regretting that he’d have to wake her up soon and keep her quiet at the same time. Rob calculated his odds. The noise he’d heard wasn’t from any animal. Though no one, man or animal had left the cave in the last three hours. With his hands on Lauren, ready to shake her awake, he heard the noise again followed by a curse.

  Definitely man not beast, he raised his gun aiming directly at the cave’s entrance.

  Eerily quiet. Roan listened intently. Sure another human being was out there though it was his instincts that told him so. A patient man, he’d wait him out. Somehow, he’d misplaced his flashlight—he fumbled around on the ground until he located it. Slowly, he wrapped his shirt over the end of it and turned it on to reestablish his bearings. Taking a deep breath, he pointed it at the ground as he worked his way to the entrance. Just inside the opening, he stood to the right and listened. I’m living in the Twilight Zone. He snickered at the absurdity of his thoughts.

  Shit! Why couldn’t the cave have a back entrance? This cave had always been a sanctuary for him, but right at this moment, it was a prison. Trapping him, making him a target for whoever was out there.

  Aggravated for not safe-guarding the area, or putting traps around to sound a warning if someone or something got too close, he realized the enormity of his error. No matter how much he had tried or thought he was ready for this event. Now with a clarity that frightened him. Roan understood his naiveness. I’m a damn weekend warrior, nothing more.

  He removed the bottom of his shirt from over the flashlight, giving him full light as he left the cave to head into the woods. A rustling in the branches brought him up short.

  Lauren stirred and Rob quickly dropped down beside her, roughly putting his hand over her mouth. In a panic, she fought back. As she trashed around, he jumped on top of her, pinning her to the ground. He whispered into her ear.

  “Keep quiet for God’s sake, Lauren.”

  She went still
at the sound of Rob’s voice. He hadn’t removed his hand yet.

  “There’s someone out there. He just left the cave, so don’t talk,” he emphasized. “Do you understand?”

  She went to speak, but only nodded her head. Rob released his hand even as he stayed on top of her. Lauren pushed at him. Realizing his weight crushed her, he moved to the side to let her breathe.

  Slowly removing his hand from Lauren’s mouth, he listened. With his eyes on the spot where he had last seen the guy, Rob raised his gun. The flashlight in the man’s hand at least gave Rob the position of the target, but now he was gone. Sweat pooled on Rob’s back as he tried to quiet his mind along with the fear that filled it. Had the man moved? How could he protect Lauren if he didn’t know where the man skittered off to?

  Lauren really had to pee. If Rob doesn’t let me move soon, I’ll wet myself. The fear she heard in his voice scared her enough not to move. On her neck his warm breath hissed at a rapid pace while his heart pounded against her chest. In the last twenty-four hours their lives had changed so drastically. One minute, they were getting ready to make love…and now, now she lay on the wet grass, as they hid from a stranger. Not knowing if their lives depended on it.

  Roan stood perfectly still, listening intently to the sounds of the night. It must have been a small animal who’d rustled the bushes. Patience, he thought, giving it another minute before he proceeded. The aches in his back and legs from sitting crossed-legged for the last couple of hours needed to be stretched. Reaching his right arm over his head, he pulled at his wrist, trying to work the stiffness out of his gun hand. The joint cracked like a cannon in his ear, vibrating down his arm. Holding his breath, he dare not move. Did the sound echo in the night air or did it just seem that way? He held his position for another ten minutes. Exposed, he decided to walk to the edge of the woods for partial cover. Scouting around the bushes with his flashlight, he saw the footprints, not one set, but two. The moon was only a quarter tonight, making it hard to see. In the morning, at first light, he’d explore the area. In the dark, he couldn’t distinguish the size of or shape of the prints. Man or woman? A delicious thought struck him. What if they belonged to his video girl?

  Rob heard the guy’s joint crack only because he was listening intently for any kind of noise. Seeing the light when the man flicked on his flashlight, Rob followed its path.

  He turned his head back to Lauren’s and whispered, “He’s heading this way. Get up as quietly as you can, and we’ll move to our left.”

  “Okay,” she whispered back.

  They stood together, almost by design, anticipating each other. Moving off to their left Rob sensed more than heard the man moving around. A quick look over his shoulder told him they had moved just in time. The man stood in the exact spot they had vacated. A decision needed to be made. Stay and fight in the dark, or run and fight another day.

  He chose to run and fight another day. Taking Lauren in his arms he spoke softly into her ear. “He’s getting closer. We’ll head to the truck. Do you have your watch set for the direction?”

  What a stupid gift, she had thought when he gave it to her. A GPS watch and compass, but right now, she said a silent “thank you” to him.

  “Is it set for a silent read-out?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, did you put your night vision goggles into your purse, like I asked you to?”

  “Yes, I’m all set, let’s just get away from him,” she whispered, fear engulfing her, making it difficult to breathe. She put her goggles on like he asked. Shaking, she put her arms around him for comfort.

  “It’ll be all right, Lauren. I promise.” He rubbed his hand up and down her back.

  “I know.”

  “Oh, shit,” bounced off the night air. They both froze. The guy must have walked into something.

  “Oh, shit,” Roan swore, bending to grab his shin.

  He never saw the tree trunk and walked straight into it. The pain vibrated down his leg. Turning around he sat on the stump, rubbing his leg continuously. The plan to sneak up on the couple had backfired. Searching for them in the dark was unrealistic. His leg throbbed, and he was sure they’d heard him, so much for the element of surprise. Daylight would be soon enough to track them.

  The night goggles gave them a clear view of the man’s every move. Rob and Lauren held their breaths. Twenty feet in front of them, the man stopped. What would he do next? Rob wondered. Lucky for them, he didn’t have goggles.

  “We have the advantage right now. You’re going to have to wait to pee.”

  “Maybe,” Lauren answered.

  He glanced over at her, and she had a small smile on her face. He nodded at her. Movement out of his peripheral vision had him turning back to the man from the cave. The guy now stood by a tree with his dick in hand, relieving himself. Rob watched as the guy wagged it, put it back into his pants then zipped his fly. The details the goggles let him see amazed Rob as he watched the guy turn and head back to the cave.

  They waited five minutes before continuing deeper into the woods. The minute they hit a clearing, Lauren dropped her pants and relieved herself. She never thought peeing could bring such joy.

  As they approached their SUV, Lauren raised her eyes upward and said a silent prayer of thanks. Once inside, snuggling into each other they crashed for the remainder of the night. Rob set his watch for six o’clock. He wanted to be up before the sun.

  In the pre-dawn light with Lauren’s head in his lap, he stroked her hair as she slept. His mind focused on what he needed to accomplish today. Lauren needed to stay in the car after she woke up, so he could seek out the cave dweller. Sure, she’d give him a fight, but he rehearsed his agrument. First though, he wanted to explore the other caves in the area to see if they offered protection and a good strategic position, in case they need to defended life and limb.

  Thoughts rolled around in Rob’s head. What was the deal with this guy, did he have a wife with him? A family? Was he crazy? How did he know about these caves? Would they have to share their food with him? Was Lauren safe around him? He tried the radio again, frustrated that even the emergency broadcast systems were down. Shutting it off, he leaned his head back against the seat.

  “You’re going to burn yourself out in a matter of days, Rob, if you don’t rest.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. Don’t worry about me. I need to stay focused.”

  “The guy in the cave worries you.”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s an unknown factor.”

  “What kind of answer is that?”

  “The truth. What do we know about him? Nothing. Is he a nut? Why’s he here? Did he just happen to stumble into our cave, or did he know about it all along? Questions I don’t have answers to, Lauren.”

  “Why don’t we find another cave away from him?”

  “I don’t know if they’re as good as the one we originally picked out. We’ll search today until we find one.”

  “Oh,” she sighed.

  Her stomach had become uneasy after spotting the man last night. She couldn’t explain it, but in her whole life before something bad happened, her stomach would go queasy. It was an instinct she relied on to keep out of trouble. Right now, it rolled like marbles on a hill. She snuggled into Rob and prayed. Something she hadn’t done since her childhood.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  By the time the sun came up, they had walked four miles. Rob seemed pleased when they found another cave, Lauren not so much. It was smaller, about the size of a master bedroom. At least he could stand up straight in it. The entrance was small, only allowing one person to pass at a time. It widened the further in you went. Even though this could be used to their benefit, he knew it would make Lauren antsy. She’d need to keep her claustrophobia at bay.

  As they settled in, Lauren unpacked a can of SPAM and handed it to Rob to open.

  “Who would have thought that my mouth would water for a slice of SPAM,” Lauren
remarked.

  “Anything at this moment would taste great. I’m starved.”

  It wasn’t their usual fare, but at least it took their hunger pains away. Lauren searched her bag and brought out a pre-packaged iced coffee and twisted the cap off. After taking a sip she handed it to Rob.

  “I have to say, this is the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time.” Rob smiled at her.

  “Funny, isn’t it? Two days ago, I would never have eaten SPAM, no less enjoyed it. Yet, here we are, eating a romantic candle-lit breakfast.” Lauren rested her chin on her knees and stared at Rob.

  They had lit the candle because even in daylight the cave was dark. Deciding it was best to deal with the man in their territory, they’d wait him out. Let him make the first move. All Rob wanted was a quiet day. His nerves on edge from the events of yesterday and last night. Hopefully, the cave dweller, as he had come to refer to him, stayed in his area today and didn’t cause them any trouble. He stared at Lauren unable to read her thoughts, her facial expression a blank. Was he making the right decision?

  “It did hit the spot. What are you thinking?”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. You seem to be somewhere else.”

  “I’m disconnected.”