Survive The Fall | Book 2 | Madness Rising Read online

  Copyright

  Madness Rising

  Copyright © 2020 by Derek Shupert

  Cover design by Derek Shupert

  Cover art by Covers by Christian

  Cover Copyright © 2020 by Derek Shupert

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictionally and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to person, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  For information contact :

  Derek Shupert

  www.derekshupert.com

  First Edition

  Contents

  Also by Derek Shupert

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Enjoy the book? Make your voice heard…

  Also by Derek Shupert

  About the Author

  Also By Derek Shupert

  SURVIVE THE FALL SERIES :

  POWERLESS WORLD

  MADNESS RISING

  DARK ROADS

  THE COMPLETE DEAD STATE SERIES :

  DEAD STATE : CATALYST (PREQUEL)

  DEAD STATE : FALLOUT

  DEAD STATE : SURVIVAL ROAD

  DEAD STATE : EXECUTIONER

  DEAD STATE : IMMUNE

  DEAD STATE : EVOLVED

  THE COMPLETE DEAD STATE SERIES BOX SET

  THE COMPLETE AFFLICTED SERIES :

  GENESIS (PREQUEL)

  PATIENT ZERO

  RIPTIDE

  DEAD RECKONING

  THE HUNTRESS BANE SERIES :

  THE HUNTRESS BANE (SHORT STORY)

  TAINTED HUNTER

  CRIMSON THIRST

  THE COMPLETE BALLISTIC MECH SERIES :

  DIVISION

  INFERNO

  EXTINCTION

  PAYBACK

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  Note: (I loathe spam with a deep dark passion and promise to never spam you.)

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  CHAPTER ONE

  RUSSELL

  Russell kept the gas pedal pressed to the floorboard of the Explorer. He pushed the battered SUV along the winding roads that sliced through the Blue Ridge Mountains at near reckless speeds. Dense forests lined the sides of the two-lane roadway—a solid wall with no opening or gap within the rich vegetation.

  The large off-road tires squealed as they hugged the turns. Russell eased off the gas some, but not much.

  He was shaken and wanted nothing more than to get to the Luray sheriff’s station as fast as he could. Time wasn’t on their side.

  The encounter with Marcus Wright’s men had rattled him, and it showed. The band of thugs had swarmed the log home with guns blazing, trying to silence all that were inside.

  Russell took deep, hard breaths to try and stay his nerves. It did little good.

  His pulse spiked. Beads of sweat populated his brow and ran down the sides of his flushed, dingy face in streaks.

  He checked the rearview mirror, but couldn’t see past the large dogs milling about in the rear of the Explorer. Both Max and Butch watched the road, snarling and huffing. They glanced over the back seat, and barked a warning.

  Thomas Kinkade, Cathy’s dear friend, laid slumped in the seat behind him.

  Cathy Snider, the prepper and survivalist who saved him from the clutches of a ravenous mountain lion, checked the passenger side view mirror for any incoming threats. Her rifle sat between her legs. She wrapped her fingers around the barrel with a firm grasp as she breathed heavily from her nose.

  “I’m not seeing any other trucks or what not coming up on us. I think we’re ok for now, but keep your eyes peeled,” she said.

  “Do you think they gave up?” Russell dipped his chin and peered through the driver’s side view mirror.

  Cathy shrugged. “Doubtful, but I guess we’ll see. Doesn’t really matter if they have or not. We just need to get to the sheriff’s station pronto.”

  Smoke plumed into the sky behind the battered SUV. Trails of gray reached above the tree line from where the red Chevy Dually had skirted past the Explorer and crashed earlier.

  The steering wheel vibrated in Russell’s firm grip. There was plenty of feedback coming from the front end of the Explorer. Something had been jarred loose or damaged when the Dually had rammed the vehicle and tried to run them off the road.

  Russell pumped the brake, slowing the Explorer as they hit a winding curve that took them along the edge of a steep drop off.

  “Can’t be sure, but I think we have a problem here,” Russell said, as he fought to keep the SUV from drifting into the guardrail.

  Cathy cut away from the side view mirror and looked at Russell. “What’s the issue?”

  “There’s a ton of vibration in the steering wheel. Feels like the front end might be messed up. I don’t know.”

  Thomas groaned from the back seat as he leaned forward. His hand was pressed to the gunshot wound he sustained when they fled his house. A stray bullet had caught his arm.

  “How is it?” Cathy asked. “Move your hand so I can get a better look at it.”

  “Stings like a bitch, but it’s not too bad,” Thomas said, shifting his weight to the side.

  “I’ll be the judge of how bad it is.” Cathy twisted in her seat, then reached toward his injured arm. She moved the pieces of torn fabric out of the way, so she could get a better idea of the damage.

  Russell peered into the rearview mirror and craned his neck, watching Cathy remove the bloody pieces of clothing from the wound.

  Cathy studied the gunshot wound. “It doesn’t look too bad, a graze that caught the meat of your arm. Should be able to get it dressed once we reach the sheriff’s station. Just keep pressure on it until we get there.”

  Thomas cocked his head, then dipped his chin to inspect the flesh. He maneuvered his arm and placed his fingers around the tattered skin. “Been some time since I’ve been shot. Hasn’t been since Vietnam, I think. Caught a round in my lower thigh. Back then, though, I was able to take it better, being young and all.”

  Cathy smirked. “I bet you were just as stubborn back then as what you are now. Charging into bad situations without thinking things through. You’re lucky you were
just grazed. That bullet could’ve caught a vital organ or worse yet, killed you right then and there. Next time, think before you act, ok?”

  The SUV hit a straightaway. Russell turned in his seat and peered over his shoulder. “I agree with Cathy, but I understand why you charged the front door. A man has to defend his household against any threats.”

  “Don’t encourage him,” Cathy said, while rolling her eyes. “There’s a difference between defending oneself and being foolish. It’s a thin red line that can blur and be crossed before you know it. Case in point. If the shit hits the fan, you do the smart thing to survive.”

  “Regardless, I’m just glad you’re ok and that it’s not too bad.” Russell faced forward and spotted a street sign with Luray written in bold, white letters and an arrow pointing in the direction they were heading. He caught sight of the town just above the tree line in the distance. Safety was close at hand.

  Cathy flicked her wrist, motioning for Thomas to sit back. “Keep pressure on it. If you have something to tie it off with, that would be good too.”

  Thomas deflated against the seat without so much as a single word in protest.

  Butch, his large, black cane corso, leaned over the seat and licked the side of Thomas’s face. Max, Cathy’s black and brown German shepherd, flicked his tongue at his other cheek.

  Cathy snapped her fingers, then pointed at Max. “Leave him be. You’ll be able to love on him later.”

  Thomas pointed at the dash with a trembling finger. “They might have damaged an axle or something. For sure feels like the alignment is off.”

  Russell cut his gaze to the rearview mirror and asked, “How can you tell?”

  “I’ve had this SUV for a long time and have worked on various parts ad nauseam. To say that I have grown intimate with every inch of this brute is an understatement.”

  “Like I said, it doesn’t matter what it is as long as we make it to the station in one piece,” Cathy said. “That’s what we need to focus on. After we get there, then we can address the vehicle.”

  Russell pumped the brake, then jerked the steering wheel hard to the right. The SUV swerved around a minivan that was stopping at the sign. Cars from both directions blared their horns in protest as they slammed their brakes.

  “Whoa,” Russell muttered under his breath. He made a wide arch to the highway heading east into town.

  Cathy braced her hands against the dash and window as gravity forced her against the passenger door. “Let’s not kill us before we get there. All right, Cage?”

  The clanging noise from the Explorer grew louder as he straightened the SUV out.

  “I’m the least of your worries,” he shot back. “Besides, we all have places we need to be. I’m just trying to save us time, is all.”

  “Yeah, well, again, you’ll be no use to your wife if you’re dead or so banged up that you can’t travel. I’d like to see my daughter too.” Cathy removed her hands from the dash, then pointed at the town dead ahead. “Luray is coming up. Not much farther to the sheriff’s station.”

  Russell tilted his head, but didn’t comment. His main, if not only priority, was getting to his wife, Sarah, any way he could. At the moment, that was his mission, and the only purpose he had in his life.

  The grinding of metal filled the cab of the Explorer as the steering wheel rattled in Russell’s hands. He eased off the gas, but kept their speed running at a decent clip.

  The lights at the approaching intersection were dead. No bright colors shone from the signal’s plastic lens. It was a strange feeling running through the lights with no indication of what should be done. He checked both ways at the intersection to avoid another tongue lashing or accident.

  Russell thought the lights would at least flash red or even yellow, to indicate there was an issue somewhere along the line. Then again, if the grid had been taken out, would they even flash?

  The Explorer plowed through two more intersections. He checked each side of the road with a quick glance that found no cars approaching.

  Russell eyed the gauges on the dash while flitting his gaze to the road ahead of them for any traffic or other obstacles that could be in their way.

  No warnings flashed from the dash, but Russell figured with the issues plaguing the aging vehicle there wouldn’t be any indictor to warn what the exact ailment was.

  One issue at a time. Not everything can be resolved all at once.

  Russell’s stomach twisted in knots. Every grind of tortured metal from the Explorer made him feel as though he was that much further away from getting to Sarah, in Boston. Patience and faith were what he had to rely on, but that was easier said than done.

  “Well, something big has happened. That’s for damn sure,” Cathy said, while staring out of the windshield. “There’s normally more traffic heading into downtown than this. Folks might be hesitant about getting out and are just staying home. Might be waiting things out. I know a number of folks up here use HAM radios. They might be working right now. Can’t be sure, though. Either way, I’m glad they’re not on the roads.”

  Russell followed the curve of the road into Luray. The aged reddish-brown brick buildings concealed the street beyond the structures. Russell craned his neck while working the brake and gas in tandem.

  Cathy pointed out the windshield, then glanced over to him. “The sheriff’s station isn’t much farther. When you come to Plainview, hook a right. We’ve still got a few blocks to go before we get there, though.”

  A handful of cars were parked along the sidewalks next to the windowless buildings. More traffic signals and crosswalk indicators were void of any power.

  Shops that lined the streets were dark and vacant. A handful of young people milled about the fronts of the shops, peering through the windows to the dark interiors.

  The teenage kids looked suspect at best which made Russell wonder if they were scoping out places to break into.

  “Maybe the sheriff will know what has happened, or at least, give us some insight as to what might be going on,” Russell said.

  “That’s a big if, but I wouldn’t hold my breath,” Cathy replied with a snide tone. “He’s a joke. Laughable at best. I wish we had another option, but he’s all we’ve got at the moment.” The hate she felt for the man clung to each word that she breathed into existence.

  Russell turned toward her. Her face twisted in horror, and she pointed out the driver’s side window. “Watch out!”

  He looked back to the driver’s side window.

  A black, extended cab truck plowed through the intersection at full speed.

  Russell caught a brief glimpse of the masked occupants in the truck before they struck the Explorer, wondering how they could have found them.

  The crunching of metal plagued the interior of the cab. The driver’s side window cracked as the side of Russell’s head slammed into the glass.

  Airbags deployed, exploding from the steering column and dash like shotgun blasts. The puffy white bags punched them in the face. The seat belts cinched down around their waists and across their chests.

  The SUV lumbered across the intersection and crashed into a yellow hatchback.

  The bellowing of the horn screeched. Smoke venting from the engine filled the cab as they stirred.

  Grumbles of discomfort and confusion fled the lips of the occupants. Both Max and Butch groaned from the rear of the SUV, then barked as the seconds ticked by.

  Russell squinted his eyes, trying to squash the festering pain that stabbed his body. Nothing felt broken, just battered from the collision.

  A dull, throbbing pain pounded through his head.

  Disorientation clung to him like a leech.

  He licked his dry, coarse lips, then asked, “Is everyone... all right?”

  CHAPTER TWO

  RUSSELL

  Cathy grimaced, then winced. She leaned away from the deflated airbag. Wiry strands of her golden locks stuck out from the sides of her scalp. A groan emitted from her mouth. She reached f
or the seat belt latch, slow and unsure.

  “Yeah. I think I’m all right,” she answered in a weak tone.

  Russell tilted his head clockwise toward the back of the SUV. The motion hurt. The strained muscles in his neck ached. The pain dialed up the farther he turned his head.

  Thomas was sprawled out in the backseat and slumped over on his side. His skeletal fingers clutched his wounded arm. The wiry strands of gray hair poked out from his eyebrows. A thin string of blood trickled down from the side of his mouth, discoloring the gray stubble on his chin. A thick, wide gash snaked along his forehead, and his eyes were clamped shut.

  “Thomas, can you hear me?” Russell asked.

  A groan fled the elderly man’s thin lips. His face contorted as he squeezed his eyes shut.

  “Good man,” Russell said.

  Both dogs barked and growled from the rear of the Explorer. They seemed to be all right from what Russell could see in the rearview mirror and what he heard from the agitated canines.

  “Come on, we need to—” Russell tugged on his seat belt but stopped when the back driver’s side door creaked open.

  An arm stretched out over Thomas’s body as the dogs growled and snapped at the limb.

  “Christ,” a muffled voice yelled. The mysterious man withdrew from the cab in a blink.

  Thomas stirred in the seat.

  Russell glanced through the spider webbed driver’s side window to the side view mirror. A figure loomed just beyond the Explorer with a weapon shouldered and the barrel trained at the SUV. His vision was foggy and coated with a haze that made it difficult to see who it was and what they were doing. Although, he had his suspicions.

  The passenger side door wrenched open next to Cathy. A masked man stood with a pistol drawn and trained at the cab. The crackling of static and chatter loomed from the two-way radio on the masked man’s hip. The voice on the other end was choppy and hard to make out.

  The masked man pulled the radio from his belt, then said, “I got them coming into Luray, over.”