Ex-Isle by Peter Clines (electronic reader TXT) 📕

a big bruise there,” said the smart guard. He gestured with his chin at my forearm. His hands stayed on his rifle.

“Ex tried to bite me through my jacket,” I said.

“It break the skin?” asked the bearded man.

I shook my head. “Didn’t even scrape the sleeve.”

He nodded, glanced over at the duster, and then studied the bruise from a few angles. “Hold your arm out,” he said after a minute, flicking his fingers at it.

I did. He peered at it some more, then nodded. “Looks okay,” he said. He twirled his fingers and I turned around. He started high, and I heard his boots creak as he crouched to look at my thighs and calves. A lot of people get bitten on their calves. Anklebiters.

“Step your feet out a bit.”

I moved each foot out eight or nine inches. Another minute passed.

He tapped my shoulder and I faced front again. “All looks good to me,” he said. He glanced back at the guards. “Y’all see anything?”

The smart guard shook his head. The idiot seethed for a few seconds and then shook his head, too. “Nothing,” he muttered.

“Good to go,” the bearded guy told me.

I got dressed. Everything but my gloves. I knew the drill, and so did the bearded guy. Last thing was my duster. I swung it around and let it settle on my shoulders. I looked at the idiot and thought about opening the goggles for a few seconds. Instead I just walked outside.

Cerberus was waiting for me. Could’ve been a statue. Didn’t look like she’d moved an inch. “All good?”

I didn’t answer. She tried to talk to me a lot. It struck me I had no idea what the woman inside the armor looked like. I’d never met her face-to-face. I didn’t want to meet anyone. Especially not any women.

We walked back toward the main gate. There was a cafeteria on the other side of the lot where they had some basics. Canned soup. Oatmeal. They were trying to go through all the stuff in the freezer before it went bad. There might even be some meat. I could get some dinner, grab a few hours of sleep somewhere, and be back outside at sunrise.

Cerberus was talking about defenses. Walls, gates. I didn’t pay much attention. None of this stuff involved me. I just wanted to be alone.

I think there’s a good chance that one day I’ll head out and not come back. I don’t know where I’d go. Maybe I’d try to find Kathy. Whatever was left of her. Maybe I’d just go back to my apartment and curl up. One or two people had told me it’d pass. I’d get over it.

They were idiots.

I didn’t have any reason to stay here. The Dragon and Stealth and robot-lady could handle all this without me. I wasn’t needed here. I just wanted to—

“Stop pushing me, asshole,” someone shouted.

A new group was heading down the cobblestone street toward us. Maybe a dozen people. Not sure who brought them in. I didn’t see the Dragon or Stealth anywhere.

There was a big guy in a gym-gray T-shirt and jeans off to one side of the group. He had a shaved head and a face full of stubbly whiskers. His body was thick. Not muscular or fat, but that solid midpoint.

One of the guards was saying something and pointing toward us. Toward quarantine. The guy shook his head. The people around him looked nervous, and he wasn’t helping.

“No,” shouted the guy. “I’m not going to no death panels! Let me out of here.”

The guard tried to calm him, but out of nowhere the guy threw a wild punch. The guard stumbled back. People screamed. The guy ran.

After being on edge and alone for a few months, some people couldn’t deal with the idea of being safe or being told what to do. Sometimes they freaked out. A few of the freak-outs were small, but most were like this guy—loud and convinced they could do something about it.

I had a bit of extra strength left from Grandma. Enough I could take a few leaping strides and get ahead of the guy. He looked at me, raised his fists, and I opened the goggles wide.

He stood there for a moment. Then his legs wobbled and he sagged. He dropped to his knees in front of me, still trapped by my eyes. I held him in my stare. Strength was just pouring out of him into me. His eyes were watering, and he started to shake.

I heard something heavy walk up behind me. “I think you got him,” said Cerberus.

The goggles snapped shut. Death-panels guy toppled over. From the way my skin was tingling, he’d be waking up in an hour or so with a serious headache.

The guards came and dragged him toward quarantine. Being unconscious didn’t get you out of an exam, and this guy had just gotten bumped to the front of the line.

“Stupid,” I said. “They should’ve been expecting something like that.”

“Probably,” said Cerberus. “What do you want? Most of these guys aren’t trained military or police.” The big helmet head moved side to side. “Hell, we’re lucky when we can find a mall security guard.”

“Well, they better find someone to put in charge. Things are going to get ugly in here fast if it keeps going like this.”

I watched them haul him into the same tent I’d been in a few minutes ago. When he woke up he was either going to be naked or his underwear’d be sitting funny. Either way, he’d probably keep his head down for a while.

I decided to be in the area when he woke up. Just in case.

For now, I turned and headed for the cafeteria.

“ERRRRRR…Nobody nuked Los Angeles,” St. George said.

“Yeah, they did,” said Steve.

“No, they didn’t. And I’m not dead.”

“The Dragon is,” the tall man with the shotgun said.

“He’s not,” said Madelyn. “I’d know, believe me.”

So would I, said Zzzap.

“Are you stupid or something,” asked