Amazon Apocalypse: Chapter 13 (Patreon)

I didn’t have time to bring my musket up to eye level to to take aim and fire. Fortunately, at these distances, I didn’t need to aim.

The hipshot sent a lead ball flying towards the entrance of the luxury camper, where the goblins were slowly spilling out one after another.

It tore a hole in the belly of one goblin, carrying straight through it and into the one behind it. Then, with practice motions, I had both my pistols in either hand. They exploded with a crack of thunder and opened huge gaping holes in the chests of two other goblins.

There were six of them, though, and my shots had only disabled four. I flipped my gunstock around, thinking I'd have to finish off the last two the hard way. I had a tactical dagger that was big enough to be a short sword practically, but I didn’t fancy the thought of getting into a knife fight with a goblin.

Fortunately for me, Regina was more than happy to jump into the fray. She swung her baseball bat overhead and brought it crashing down on another goblin. That goblin had a club of his own, but these little green creatures that were petite and skinny things.

He wouldn’t have been able to match Regina and strength before she became an oni. Now, after her transformation, the club split in two under Regina’s swing. The goblin’s head splattered on her bat, crushed into a spray of blood and brains.

The goblins had appeared a mere instant ago. Though only the blink of an eye had passed, five of their number were dead or dying. Only one was still on his feet. Greg’s expression had turned pale as a sheet of paper during the scuffle, and he was looking around with a frantic expression, unsure of what to do now that his allies had fallen so fast.

Regina punched the last goblin, sending him flying back against the luxury camper. They left a goblin-shaped dent in its side and then slumped to the ground with glassy and doll eyes.

Enemies slain! Level up!

You have reached a level 6.

I slipped the proper way and grabbed Craig by the scruff of his neck before he could do something stupid. I already saw his head turning to one of the other campers, probably, where he was keeping some sort of improvised weapon.

“So you sold out humanity for a couple of goblins?” I asked with a look of disgust on my face. “What did they promise you?”

“We have a treaty!” Craig stuttered. “The goblins won't attack us thanks to my work!”

“That’s it?” I barked out a sharp laugh that made Craig wince. “That isn’t a treaty, Craig. That’s called surrender.”

Craig scowled back at me, face flushing red as he looked at my hand. He tried to push me away, but my grip was strong. I hadn’t put as many points in strength as Regina, but I must’ve had more than him.

Eventually, Craig tore his shirt off and slipped out of my grasp. He backed away towards the camper he’d been eyeing earlier.

“Regina!” I yelled to warn my companion.

Regina stepped between him and the entrance. Craig tried to shove her aside, but Regina wouldn’t budge. Instead, she slammed her knee up between his legs. Craig’s eyes bugged out, and he collapsed to the ground, unable to muster the energy even to moan as his entire face flushed red.

Furious, humiliated, and beaten, Craig scrambled backward on his elbows and heels. Regina planted a boot on his chest to hold him in place, then waved her baseball bat in front of his face menacingly.

I turned to Sarah, who was standing there gawking. A few of Craig’s friends were gathering around, but at the sight of so many dead goblins, none of them looked eager to fight Regina and me. From the looks of the dents in the campers we'd seen coming in here, these people were probably used to fights with goblins going the other way. Every man with enough of a spine to fight them was probably already dead or gone from this place, leaving only those following Craig behind.

“Rush them! You can take them together!” Craig shouted at his lackeys. Regina slammed her bat into the ground next to his head.

“Keep quiet until Carter says you can speak,” Regina spat.

“Craig’s orders haven’t exactly been works of genius until now,” I said to the gathering crowd. “I would suggest that all of you remain where you’re standing while I talk to Sarah."

Sarah was still blinking at the cluster of dead goblins, doubtlessly remembering her own rider who we’d killed earlier that same day.

“Well, Sarah? He’s your brother.” I jerked my thumb back at Craig, who lay sprawled on the ground. “What do you want to do with him?”

Sarah blinked the distant look away and kneeled near Regina’s feet so she could look Craig in the eyes.

“Where are my friends now?” Sarah said as she looked at her brother. “Where are any of the girls?”

“Told you. The goblins took them, just like they took you. The goblins gave us food and stopped attacking us for them.”

“You sold them? Like slaves?” Color filled Sarah’s face now, and her anger was building. “What about your girlfriend? Did you keep her?”

Craig shrugged. “The goblins said that when the season changes and they’ve finished setting things up, I can visit their camp and breed her all I like.”

Sarah would have slapped Craig across the face if she could.

“And all of you! You made the same decision?” Sarah demanded of the group of Craig’s lackeys. I couldn’t help but notice there were far fewer people here than I would have thought based on the number of cars in the lot.

Sarah hung her head, and a few tears trailed down her cheek. After a few minutes, she lifted her head. “I don’t know what happened to you, Craig. But you’re not my brother. You’re the lowliest worm crawling in the mud, begging for scraps. My brother died the moment the apocalypse began, consumed from within by whatever you are.”

“I’m not seeing anyone hidden in the campers,” I muttered to Sarah. “Looks like they really gave up all their women to the goblins. What do you want to do with this place?”

“Let’s go. We’ll leave them to the goblins they love so much. I only spent a day among their kind, but I doubt Craig and his friends would last even that long. We’ll see how far their treaty gets them.” Sarah stood up and stalked towards a nearby camper. She nodded towards a tiny pink suitcase lying on the ground.

I zipped it up and hoisted it over my shoulder, taking it to be Sarah’s.

I pulled the young woman herself close to me. “Come on. If you’re willing to help, you can stay with Regina and me.”

“T-thank you, Carter. I promise I’ll pull my weight.”

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders as we left the campsite, and Regina joined in to wrap her arms around both of us.

As we left, I cast one last glance at Craig and his crew of lackeys. Should I do more for them? Maybe a musket ball through Craig's heart would help the rest of these fools survive.

But no. I wasn't ready to become a murderer. Not with a fellow human, at least. These people didn't want my help, and Sarah didn't want me to help them. Under Craig's leadership, this lot of sorry souls would be dead within a few days.

Somehow, I didn't care as much as I thought I would. Had my heart become colder after the apocalypse? I wasn't ready to kill a man, but I was perfectly willing to abandon a half-dozen of them to their fate. Out of everyone there, the only one I could bring myself to care about was Sarah, and if she didn't care about her brother and his friends, neither did I.

I dropped Sarah’s luggage off in one of the cars, and she hopped in off to my right. Much of the road was paved from here so we wouldn't need her pathfinder title. Besides, from the look of her it seemed like she needed some time to herself.  Sarah curled up, pulling her legs in on herself as I buckled her in. She looked lost in thought, so I didn’t disturb her and we drove home in silence.

Regina took the other car, and we started driving back towards the bunker. While there, I looked in the rear-view mirror, wondering if I’d see Craig again.

I shot a glance at Sarah, curious if she was wondering the same.

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