Sundown Series (Book 4): Torment Read online

  Torment

  Courtney Konstantin

  Copyright © 2019 by Courtney Konstantin

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Dedication

  To the mister in my life. For always being so happy for me as I follow my dreams. Even when my nose is pressed against a computer screen half the time.

  Prologue

  Two months since the end of the known world. It had been two months since commercial planes sounded in the sky as they crisscrossed the wide blue expanse. Two months since cellphones were connected to every person's ear. Two months since the news reports went dark, no longer reporting on the rupture in normal life. Two months since that first bite. And two months since the dead no longer stayed dead.

  Thick clouds obscured the sun above the Montana mountains. Below the gray, moving transportation was rare. Cars sat, crashed and abandoned along every major roadway. The black shells of some told the story of fire and destruction. Among the empty husks of the modern world the dead reigned. Truly dead bodies littered the pavement, birds and other animals finding their feasts in the rotting flesh.

  A crow perched on the head of a dead body leaning against a car. The bird bent and pecked until it was able to pull the intact eyeball from the skull. Another bird landed nearby, and its scream was one of annoyance and jealousy over the crow's find. The black bird didn't take notice of the insult and instead it flew off quickly to enjoy its meal in peace.

  Deep in the nearby forest a compound sat behind high walls. Here a family, bonded not only by blood but by the need of survival, resided. Alex, Rafe, and Max Duncan, with their family and friends, had created a working day-to-day life in the safety of their father's compound, their childhood home. Every day, they work at finding a semblance of normal in the new decaying world they are a part of.

  The laughter of children often rang through the house, having dinner together as a group in the evenings where everyone gathers to talk about their days and the tasks to come. It's easy to fall into a sense of normal when they stay behind their stone walls and barbed wire. The animals are fed, and the gardens are harvested. Food is plentiful for the group and no one has to suffer hunger.

  However, that is not the case everywhere. Each day the destruction of the human race intensifies. Those that are left behind, that are able to survive and avoid the plague, find themselves suffering and lost. There are those that war against each other, not knowing how else to make it on their own. The fall from humanity had taken less time than anyone would have imagined. With no answers from the government, or cure in sight, humans slowly fall into ruin and society deteriorates further and further.

  The Duncans work hard to keep those close to them safe. But for Alex Duncan, turning her back on those that are in need is something that goes against the grain in her heart. As a team the Duncan siblings make choices and run the compound together with no one getting the entire say. Alex being the oldest is the unspoken leader, but she chooses to not to take that role without her siblings’ insight. Leadership was never something Alex wanted. However, it was what her father trained her for.

  Mitch Duncan would have thrived in the turbulent plagued world. His preparations and paranoia built a place that comfortably kept his family safe, years after he passed. His lessons are in every fiber of his children, creating people that brought knowledge on how to live now. They were strong and experienced in the ways of life without the modern technologies most relied on before the plague started. As the power grid failed, their solar power gave them the opportunities to have lights and movie nights. As the water system became polluted, they relied on well water and rain filtrations systems to keep their household well watered.

  The walls continued to keep the sick out. Yet, it didn't stop the living. The Duncans didn't have enemies, minus one. The government faction responsible for the start of the plague, for creating something so vile it seemed incurable. They didn't know as much as they wished about them. The little they had surmised was a combination of firsthand experience during the time Max was tortured, from Rafe working at a government facility, and a third unlikely ally. From this knowledge the Duncans knew it was only a matter of time before the faction made a run at their home again.

  Alex didn't like the silence. She waited every night for another attack, but it seemed things were quiet. As she imagined the walking dead wandering the woods, she knew that quiet was a false sense of compliance she couldn't take a chance on. Billie and Henry, her young children, relied on her wit and intelligence to keep them safe. Believing the government had just decided to give up would be foolish and Alex reminded herself of it daily. Her nightly routine always included a round of checks with the weapons they had stashed in the case of emergency. She would unload, check, and load all the weapons before she could chance going to sleep.

  Montana was slowly allowing spring to enter its mountains. A chill still hung tightly to the air, as if to remind them that winter would eventually return. With spring, tasks around the compound changed. Pigs would be bred, and some would be slaughtered. Gardens would be tended to, ensuring the largest production possible. Canning and preserving of fruits and vegetables would go into high gear, replacing the stores they had tapped into the last two months.

  Alex could feel the change in the air. Something spoke to her over the crisp breeze, calling to her, warning her. Something more was coming, and they needed to be ready.

  Chapter One

  The smell. That smell was something burned into Alex Duncan's senses and imprinted on her brain. The smell of decomposing flesh, similar to roadkill that had sat too long in the sun. The scent lingered on the air around those infected with the deadly plague. After two months Alex thought she would build a tolerance to the nauseating smell, but it was the same every time. She found herself fighting the desire to vomit on the spot.

  "I hate this part," a grumble sounded behind her.

  Alex turned to look at Easton Reynolds, the teenage boy she had saved at the beginning of the plague after his mother had fallen to an infected. He and his sister, Candace, had joined with Alex, Billie, and Henry on their trek to Montana and safety. She looked upon the boy with fondness.

  His eyes shown with water above the bandana he had tied around his nose and mouth. They had started carrying them and Vicks in their packs, just in case. That just in case came around more often than Alex wished.

  During a routine check of the woods around the perimeter wall, Alex and Easton stumbled on a small horde of infected. Easton had trained and had become a skilled fighter when it came to the dead. Alex didn't question the idea of going into battle with the boy at
her back. She watched his, as he watched hers. They were a well-oiled machine. The small horde was a small surprise, but not one they were unprepared for.

  Easton was armed with the wooden bat he always fought with. Alex had taught him to never leave it behind, as threats could be anywhere at any time. She carried the machete that once belonged to a man that threatened her family’s survival. She’d allowed the man and his companions to leave alive, but she kept the machete, finding it to be an adequate weapon in the quiet battle against the infected. As a backup precaution, she always had her 9mm strapped to one hip and a bowie knife sheathed on the other.

  Alex stepped forward first to engage the nearest infected. With a wide arc, she brought the machete down on the head of the short female infected; the soft flesh and bone no longer held the structure of a living being. Her blade sliced into the brain, ending the life of the walking dead immediately. As Alex moved forward, she chopped at legs and arms as infected attempted to rush to grab her. This practice was a typical dance for her and Easton. She would chop down the infected, creating easy targets for Easton's bat. The rhythmic sound of the wood crushing skulls met Alex's ears and without looking she knew Easton was following close behind.

  The pair fought through the horde, allowing bodies to fall where they finally died. Until, breathing heavily, they were the last things to stand among the trees. Alex looked to Easton, who nodded to her. He knew without a word that she was asking if he was whole. Each time they fought together; Alex was forced to fight down the terror she felt putting the boy at risk. Over time, she had begun to feel like a mother to Easton and Candace. She couldn't fathom losing either of them, just as she couldn't imagine losing her younger children, Billie and Henry.

  As they were right outside of the walls, the infected bodies had to be cleaned up. This task was not a favorite of any at the compound. However, as they were often faced with infected in the trees, they couldn't leave the bodies to just rot. Together Easton and Alex pulled the bodies into a rough pile in a nearby clearing. Using the rags of clothing still on the bodies, they started a small fire and waited while the bodies smoldered to ash and bone.

  Alex stared into the flames, her mind wandering over the tasks of her day, week, month. The list never seemed to diminish, only growing in size as the days went by. The pressure felt like a lead weight on her shoulders. The occupants of the compound, including her siblings, looked to her for guidance. Alex was even-tempered and thoughtful in her actions. Where her sister, Max, was wild and erratic at times, Alex was the complete opposite with her planning and clear view on how the future should look. Rafe was more like Alex, but he avoided the responsibility of leadership like the plague itself.

  That left Alex to lead the group. Everyone was extremely willing to help in any way Alex found fit. Over the first few weeks, Alex had sketched out a rough list of all the duties needed to keep the compound viable and running smoothly. Each duty was then grouped by similar skills necessary. Once she had that organized, she decided on who would rotate through each group weekly. Everyone was given the chance to do different things, as well as learn new skills they were interested in learning.

  Rafe was teaching people about the animals. As he had been alone on the compound since their father had died, he was the one most acquainted with the workings. Rafe was also talented with the technical tasks. He alone had created and set up the surveillance system they had around the compound. That system had helped them during the attacks of the military, as well as notifying them when the sick were too close to the gates.

  Even with all the security, Alex felt routine walks around the wall were necessary. She didn't believe the government was gone. The government who was responsible for the outbreak of the plague and were also on the hunt for Alex's siblings. Rafe, because he and his girlfriend, Charlie, knew more about the origins of the plague than anyone else. And Max, because her escape was nothing but a humiliation to the Major after he’d tortured her for information. The images of her sister being tortured still haunted Alex. Even now, thinking of it, her stomach began to feel queasy again.

  "Alex?" Easton asked, his voice muffled by his bandana.

  "Hmmm?" She replied absently.

  "Where did you go?"

  "Nowhere, I'm right here," she said, laughing a little to lighten the mood.

  "You get that same look when you're worried or stressed," Easton replied.

  "I think that's just the way things are now. Worrying and being stressed," Alex replied.

  She stepped forward and started kicking dirt over the outermost flames. The last thing she needed on her hands was a forest fire. Easton followed her cue and moved to the other side of the bonfire to repeat the dirt kicking. They were silent as they moved around, checking their work. The crackle of the walkie talkie on Alex's belt caused her to jump.

  "Alex, come in," Max's voice came from the small speaker. Alex quickly pulled the radio and replied to her sister.

  "Saw the smoke outside the wall. Everything ok?" Max asked.

  "Ran across a small horde. Only about ten. Easton and I handled things," Alex answered.

  "No problems?"

  "Nope. It was quick. We'll continue our check around the walls before coming back in," Alex replied.

  "Need any backup?" Max asked, her voice hopeful. Alex had to smile at the walkie talkie.

  "No, Max, you need to finish your chores."

  "Alex...I'm not meant to garden," Max said with a groan.

  "You know how to garden. It's your turn. You're meant to garden this week," Alex said, laughter in her voice.

  "I hope you run into a bear. Over and out," Max said, causing Alex and Easton to laugh.

  Mitch Duncan would have felt he failed if one of his children didn't know how to grow their own food. Countless chores and lessons throughout their childhood were about gardening and the wild plants that were edible. Much to Max's annoyance, Alex was well aware of her abilities with plants, so she was required to do a gardening rotation just as Alex and Rafe were. Max groaned about it, but she was very talented in the garden, it just wasn't enough action for her. She wanted to constantly be moving and fighting, this new world being perfect for her.

  Alex had enough of the fighting by day one. That was also the day she became a widow, after she had to put down her infected husband, Blake. Her heart had finally come to terms with what she had been forced to do. She knew that Blake would want nothing more than for their children to be safe. So, Alex made the impossible choice to end him and run with their kids. When they arrived at the Montana compound, the weight of the loss still clung tightly to Alex. Though she knew that she did the right thing, she still missed her husband.

  The companionship she had found with the people at the compound had helped some. She had her children, healthy and happy. Easton and Candace fit like puzzle pieces into their family and Alex had come to adore them as her own. She even found a friendship with Marcus, the man they found on their way to Montana. While his antics still seemed to grate on her nerves, he was useful and was able to make the kids or Alex laugh at any time. She had appreciated the way he paid attention to the kids, letting them help with his projects while helping to keep them safe and provided for.

  However, at night, Alex still found herself thinking of Blake. She often wondered if he watched her from above and if he approved of the decisions she’d made. When she found herself in those musings, she would laugh to herself. Without asking the question, Alex knew Blake would trust her instincts when it came to the new life they were having to build. Alex had the ability to create a haven for their family, something not everyone had the knowledge to do.

  As Alex and Easton moved around the perimeter of the walls, Alex stopped to check on the snares Rafe had set. They had been lucky to have plenty of pigs on the farm to feed the population of the compound. Rafe had been smart about the breeding and if they continued his practices, they would have pork year around. But, pork could get old, so they continued to hunt outside their wall
s when necessary. Alex could make a delicious stew out of a rabbit where no one actually knew they were eating rabbit at the moment. She smiled widely when she found a rabbit in the first snare. She unwound the tight cord from its neck and set the snare again.

  "Rabbit stew again?" Easton asked.

  "You like my rabbit stew," Alex replied with a smile.

  "I did. Until I saw it was rabbit you put into it."

  "This isn't the time to be picky about our food," Alex admonished.

  Easton didn't reply. Alex knew he understood her point. Over the two months since they’d arrived at the compound, she had worked hard to instill survival instincts into Easton. He was a smart, strong boy, he’d more than proved it when he and Candace were separated from the family for a week. Alex had been wrecked when she thought she had caused the deaths of the teens. When they arrived on the compound after being missing, Alex swore to herself that she would make sure they could always survive without her. Easton was an attentive student, wanting to absorb all the information she had to give him. Candace was slightly more wary of the dirty aspects of survival. She didn't care for the blood and gore that came with the infected.

  With the check done, Alex and Easton arrived back to the large metal rolling gate that allowed access into the compound. Alex had three rabbits hooked to her belt. Checking the snares took a bit longer on their check, but it was worth it when they had foods to add to their stores. Thinking about cleaning rabbits, Alex entered the code for the gate. Easton slid through first, waiting by the keypad to enter the code again on the inside. As soon as Alex stepped through, he pushed the numbers and the gate immediately began to roll closed.