Phoenix Ashes Master Read online

Not too many of the people at camp were able to deal with human remains. It was left to a select few. They didn’t have time to perform burials, especially as the dead numbered in the millions, but they gave each victim of the war a proper disposal — burning the bones in designated areas and offering words of thanks for their lives.

  Jayden glanced over at Steve and Todd, who were brothers and a vital asset to their team. Steve was a mechanic who was responsible for keeping transportation in working order. Finding a large fuel truck had resupplied them for a long while. With a bit more luck, they’d soon be ready to go on longer missions, find more refugees, and start winning the battle.

  They were luckier than most; they had a safe place to sleep, food, weapons, and educated people who knew how to keep them alive. Even with the lack of help from Josiah, they’d come a long way.

  Jayden pulled himself from the negative thoughts as he looked around and decided everything was clear. Knowing John would keep a watch on the outside of the building, he decided to check on Marcy. Sitting inside the door, he could see she was still fuming. It wasn’t easy for any of them to sit something out when they knew they could be of better use somewhere else.

  “It’s just me, Marcy,” he quietly called, not wanting to get shot. It might not do any damage to his immortal body, but he still didn’t want to risk the noise of one of their weapons firing.

  “How are you doing?”

  “I’m fine, though still not happy with you,” Marcy replied curtly, refusing to lift her head and make eye contact.

  “I know. I thought you could use some company — even if it’s with someone you don’t like too well at the moment.”

  “Well, you thought wrong,” she answered stubbornly.

  “Marcy—” he began to protest when his head snapped up and a cold shudder ran down his spine.

  Without taking time to say what he was doing, he was on his feet and flying out the front door. He felt Marcy jump up behind him, preparing for battle.

  The team had learned never to question him when he moved — they followed and did whatever was necessary.

  The moment Jayden stepped outside, the sky lit up as fire arced toward them. The side of the building instantly went up in flames as whatever hit it shattered against the wall.

  Instant gunshots rang out, causing both John and Jayden to move. Their team was skilled — they’d get Jacob and Martin from the building and set up a defense. John and Jayden needed to find out where the threat was coming from.

  Chapter Three

  *** Phoenix ***

  “Phoenix, you and Sadie are with me,” Cassidy said as she entered Phoenix’s room. The two girls gazed at her with shock for a stunned moment.

  Not being allowed outside the fences even once since entering the base, even though they’d begged to be a part of at least one of the missions, they were understandably suspicious. They’d really wanted to be a part of a team, but with such overprotective parents and siblings, they didn’t stand a chance.

  “Really?” Sadie was the first to speak.

  “Really. It took some serious arguing, and emphatic promises that nothing would happen to you, but I finally got Larry to agree. We won’t get to go far and we have to be in before nightfall, but I’m going on a scouting mission if you want to come.”

  The two girls didn’t need to be asked twice. They quickly jumped up and started putting on their good boots. Finally, they got to leave the base.

  “How far is not far?” Phoenix asked.

  “There are several neighborhoods in Oak Harbor that haven’t been searched for resources,” Cassidy answered.

  The girls groaned. They’d hoped to get off the island, but they wouldn’t complain too much. At least they were leaving the base.

  “We’d better leave before your father finds us and changes his mind,” Cassidy warned.

  Phoenix finished tying her shoes and then quickly followed after Cassidy, with Sadie right on her heels. The girls weren’t risking the chance of being left behind.

  “They’ve cleared the remains, right?” Sadie asked with a slight tremble in her voice. She wanted to be brave, but both girls had seen more than their share of dead bodies, and it wasn’t something either of them wanted to see again.

  “Yes, the island is cleared as far as we know. However, I need to warn you that we don’t know what’s in these houses. There very well could be bones. They should be fully decomposed if anything’s in there, though,” Cassidy reassured them.

  The three of them climbed into one of the military trucks and sat in the front seat together. Phoenix didn’t let out the breath she was holding until they passed through the gate and started picking up speed.

  Freedom.

  Phoenix and Sadie had their eyes glued to the roadside as they sped along. The fear of sneak attacks made them more vigilant than most nineteen-year-olds. They knew to look for the glint of the sun shining off a weapon, the telltale movement of tree branches rustling unnaturally, and anything looking out of place.

  The girls easily forgot that Cassidy could observe far more than either of them without even looking. There were no more secrets as far as knowing that Jayden, Cassidy, and John were no longer mortals; yet, nobody quite realized the extent of their powers. Phoenix knew the only reason her father had let her outside of the somewhat safe walls of their base was because Cassidy was one of the safest people she could be with.

  “Have any of the new arrivals brought more information?” Sadie asked Cassidy.

  “Yes, but not much. We’ve learned there are several more groups out there like ours, but none as big. We’ve also learned these groups are fighting against the soldiers, who are dropping by the thousands. We don’t know yet what this means to us and to the other survivors,” Cassidy answered solemnly.

  “Isn’t it good that the enemy is getting eliminated? We can go back to living somewhat normal lives again if they’re gone, right?” Phoenix asked.

  “I don’t want to get your hopes up, because I’m not getting answers. Josiah is with the High Council, and I don’t know when he’ll return. Until then, we’re on our own — both fighting the enemy soldiers and the demonic plague Vyco has released.”

  Phoenix felt the hair rise on the back of her neck. If Cassidy was scared, it wasn’t a good omen for the rest of them. They’d never survive the apocalypse if they were being hit from every direction with nothing to help them fight back.

  “What do we do?” Sadie asked.

  “We keep surviving. Instead of looking at this as a lifelong mission, we take it day by day. We hunt, gather, and live life to the fullest because our existence in itself is a blessing. In the end, good will win — evil never flourishes in the light of the pure. Vyco can’t win,” Cassidy told them with conviction.

  Phoenix’s neck relaxed and the knot in her chest loosened. Cassidy might be frightened, but she was nowhere near defeated. She was strong, and with the help of Jayden and John, they would all survive. There was no other alternative to the horror of their lives.

  They arrived at what looked as if it had once been a nice community. A rusty, ornate gate swung loosely by one hinge, swaying slightly with a low, creaking sound from the light breeze blowing off the ocean. The once immaculate lawns were several feet high and choked out by weeds. Bones lay scattered in various places, as if animals had just given up and laid down to die. The homes were covered in cobwebs, grime, and in some instances, rusted looking blood.

  At least the buildings were still standing, unlike so many other places in the United States. Phoenix grabbed Sadie’s hand, gripping it tightly, and she squeezed back reassuringly as they rolled through the gate and pulled up to a huge two-story home. Phoenix’s eye caught on the rusted handlebars of what had once been a child’s bike. The faded pink horn was still attached to the metal, though the rubber ball was long gone. The sight made her throat close as she fought tears.

  At one time, years ago, a small child had ridden that
bike up and down the sidewalks, most likely with her father trailing behind, protecting her from falling. Her laughter had echoed through the streets, only to be lifted higher by the orchestra of other children’s glee joining in. The chorus of happy children enjoying a warm spring day in an untouched world had been an everyday occurrence before the war.

  Before their entire world had shifted to survival mode, to the very basics of living, playing with friends had been the only concern on a child’s mind — how many hours could they be outside? Could their best friend stay the night? Could they have just one more hour of game time before bed?

  Neighbors had hosted block parties and barbecues. Friends and family had gathered to watch the Super Bowl and baseball. Gathering together had not only been a daily routine, but had been a need for survival. Most people couldn’t stand being alone for long stretches of time. Most people needed the comfort of being in a group.

  The world hadn’t changed with the current events. They were stronger together. The difference now — it wasn’t so easy to join a group. Now there was mistrust and wondering who was a friend and who was a foe. It was a dark world Phoenix was living in. They had to make a difference for their future.

  Phoenix couldn’t remember the last time she’d played a board game. They’d had them in the caves — several had been saved, and the scavenger groups had brought back even more. Phoenix hadn’t felt like playing them in a long time. She vowed to make time for fun, starting that very night.

  “Sadie, let’s play a game of Pictionary tonight.”

  “Okay,” Sadie answered with puzzlement, furrowing her brow and looking at her from the corner of her eye.

  “I just . . . well, I just . . . I don’t know. I’m tired of feeling so depressed. I don’t want to be defeated. I want to laugh. What I really want is to forget for a single night that monsters are not only real, but they’re after us,” Phoenix explained.

  “All of that sounds perfect. I’m in,” Sadie quickly replied as they trailed Cassidy up the overgrown path to the front of the house.

  They heard a rustling in the grass next to them, making both Phoenix and Sadie pick up their pace. They had no idea what lay in wait among the weeds, but oversized rats, snakes, and other rodents could easily stay hidden until lunging after them, deciding that the girls looked like a mighty tasty breakfast.

  Cassidy easily broke into the home, and the smell hit Phoenix like a brick wall to the face, causing her to wrinkle her nose. It didn’t smell like death — that was a smell Phoenix would never forget. It smelled like a tainted house, like an old garage or unheated storage unit — that musty smell that overtakes everything when it isn’t being used. The dwelling probably hadn’t been entered since the war began. Thick layers of dust coated everything — furniture, floors, counters, every inch of space.

  It suddenly felt like an invasion to be entering people’s private dwellings. What if they returned? Maybe they were some of the lucky few who’d been in hiding. It felt wrong to take their items, to use their possessions. They’d been doing it for years, so she wasn’t sure why it felt different now. Maybe because she finally had hope that life would return to normal. Maybe she hoped this family, and all the other families, would come home and go on like normal, as if nothing had happened in the last several years. She wanted that more than anything else she’d ever wanted.

  Approaching a picture that hung crooked on the wall, Phoenix reached up her gloved hand and wiped away the dust and grime. Six smiling people looked back at her, most likely a mother and father with their four children.

  They seemed so happy in this captured moment — not a care in the world. Phoenix wondered how long before the war had broken out had that the picture been taken. Was it a week, a month, a year? She’d never know, but she had to believe they were okay, happy even, finding their way in the new world.

  “Phoenix, don’t let this get to you,” Cassidy gently said while placing her arm around Phoenix’s shoulders and squeezing softly. “I know it’s difficult to lock away your emotions, but you have to try. This is another reason your dad didn’t want you on collection duty. It’s incredibly challenging to walk into an empty home and take items. The best way to approach it is to think of it as your own possessions. If you had a blanket in your room that you knew was going to keep a child warm, wouldn’t you want her to have it?”

  “Of course.”

  “That’s how this family would feel too. I’m sure of it. Look at their smiling faces, look at the obvious love between them. The father has one arm wrapped around his wife, and not in a stiff way. Can you see how his pinkie finger is drifting toward her hip as if he’s gently moving it as the photographer is taking shot after shot? His other arm is snugly secured around his daughter, who’s sitting on his knee. She’s not even looking at the camera because she’s too busy gazing at her father with an adoring expression. The other three children are facing forward with genuine smiles, and there’s no space between them. All of them are linked together, showing that this is a loving family, and whether they’re alive or have moved on to the next world, they’d want their possessions to be used to comfort and protect another family.”

  Phoenix thought about Cassidy’s words and realized she was right. She’d make sure to respect their home, not take anything that the family might want to come back to, but still do her job and load up on supplies. She’d also leave a note. She didn’t need to sign it or give any information away; it would just be a simple thank you. Her guilt disappeared as she gave Cassidy a slight smile.

  “Thanks. I appreciate your patience with me.”

  “I can feel how hard this is for you. Remember, if this is too much, we can head back to base. There are three search parties out right now, and supplies are coming in. I can take you back and come here later,” Cassidy said.

  “No, I want to help,” Phoenix said, standing firm.

  “Okay, then, let’s get to work. Why don’t you girls go through the kitchen and look in all the cupboards and drawers. Make sure you watch for hiding rodents. If they get startled, they might lunge, and we don’t need you bitten, not with all of the diseases they carry,” Cassidy warned.

  “We’ll be careful,” Sadie said as her eyes widened, a new fear in her mind. How unimaginable to live through the war only to die a slow and painful death from an infection.

  They cleared out the home in a couple hours, finding a large supply of soap and toiletries. That was a real bonus as most of the items the elders had stored for them were boring, unscented soaps that did the job, but didn’t make you feel pampered as you stepped from the shower.

  Phoenix and Sadie each stashed a bottle for themselves, feeling slightly guilty over their vanity, but put the rest of the supplies in the truck. Neither of them whined or asked for anything extra because their parents were the founders of their base, but they felt a small entitlement to keep the soap.

  Over the next few hours, they searched six more homes before the truck was full, leaving them no choice but to begin their journey home. Surprisingly, the trip had worn both girls out. They’d been too immobile since relocating to the base. Their trip to town was a good reminder to exercise more if they didn’t want to be dead weight to their team when they were finally assigned to one.

  With tired sighs, they climbed into the truck and watched as the sun broke through the clouds, shining on the road before them. It had been a really good day — that was, until a loud shot rang through the air, followed by their truck spinning in a circle as it went out of control.

  Phoenix didn’t have time to scream before they hit the gravel edge of the road and started sliding toward the steep embankment. After all they’d been through, she realized she could die this way.

  Chapter Four

  *** Drake ***

  Drake Stephenson stormed inside the building, throwing his pack onto the bed and cursing as he followed the green bag with a slight bounce from his body weight hitting his mattress. He was furious wi
th his maggot of a CO. They’d been lied to — all of them. This wasn’t what he’d signed up for when he’d joined the military at the age of seventeen and counted down the days until his eighteenth birthday.

  Like a fool, he’d been gung-ho, fired up, and not prepared in the least. He wasn’t putting down the U.S. military, but that wasn’t what he was a part of. Yes, there were high officers on the side of the bad guys, and yes, a lot of U.S. soldiers were aiding the criminals, some out of fear, and some because they truly believed the bastards when they said they wanted to make a better place for all Americans — their world had become too corrupt.

  Drake didn’t see it getting any better, just more corrupt — raping women, while in another room, fathers were being brutally murdered and children were being tied up and led to vans where they could be trained properly.

  It was messed up. All of it — disgustingly so. He seemed to be one of the few soldiers unhappy with what was happening in their country. He’d been able to wear a better mask than most, because if there was any sign of dissension in the ranks, one of the leaders would personally drop everything to show up at one of their bases and shoot the wavering member of his army.

  There were no second chances in this assignment. You were either loyal to the cause — the cause to wipe out the world and have one ruler of all lands — or you were dead. There was no in-between. These soldiers killed for fun. They’d been training their entire lives for this day, and they’d been living in total euphoria for four years, since the first bombs were dropped — the fighting hadn’t stopped since.

  Sure, it had slowed as most people were either dead or in extremely good hiding. Still, every day, new victims were found; new people to play with, as if they weren’t human beings, nothing more than animals, and what the men did to the women was unforgivable. Drake had been able to help so many — but the ones he couldn’t . . . His entire body tensed as he tried to push the sound of their screaming from his memory.