Induction

Seth stroked his scruffy chin in contemplation. “I bet that’s the other platoon we lost contact with. The houseboat has a full fuel tank. Do you guys think we should try for the island?”

We all agreed, getting back to dry land and some type of civilization was something we all longed for.

“Let’s move everything useful from the cigarette boat, then secure the boat to the back. In case something goes wrong, we won’t end up stranded and dead in the water,” Seth said.

“Wh-what about me? They won’t let me back on the island.” Did this pile of dirt rapist think he was coming with us? Spilling a little information at gunpoint did not make up for what he tried to do to us.

Jake took his gun back and stepped closer to Mel. “No one said you were coming with us.”

“But I told you everything. I answered all your questions.”

“Yeah,” Jake said as his face turned to malice, “but you also tried to rape my wife and sister. There is no democracy anymore, asshole. You don’t get a trial. You get an execution. I lied when I said you could choose how to die.” Mel threw his hands in front of his face, but it did little to ward off the bullet with his name on it. He fell on top of Dave and as their blood mixed, the puddle around their bodies grew larger until it reached the edge of the deck and dribbled off.

Daphne stepped in cautiously and sniffed at the air. Letting out a huff of vindication, she jogged away from the bodies and went to lie in the sun. As she moved away, her tiny paws left prints of blood on the deck. Something had to be said for the fact that I thought the little paw prints were adorable. I had become one sick and twisted woman. I guess the apocalypse will do that to you.

“Too bad. So sad,” was my eulogy to the newly dead.

It was getting dark as Dale and Will heaved their bodies off the deck and into the water. Nancy, using buckets of sea-water, rinsed the deck clean of the blood. The only trace of them remaining was the little prints made from Daphne. Not one of us felt remorse for ending their pitiful existence. They had brought it on themselves when they attacked us.

We went below deck after transferring the food from the other boat. Nancy was organizing and inventorying our new cache of supplies as the men brought it in, and Seth was trying to micromanage her progress between trips. Gabby was chipper as usual; she was one resilient little girl. I broke down though; I was emotionally spent from the last twenty-four hours, having lost so much… but I had gotten my husband back.

I caught a glimpse of Adam looking at me and could tell he wanted to be the one to comfort me. This was going to get weird; there was no way around it. He was a good man, and under different circumstances I could see us together.

Meg and Nancy filled me in on what happened after I got cracked in the face. Daphne had attacked Dave and bit him in the leg. I remembered watching her go over the side. Apparently she had fallen into the cigarette boat instead of landing in the water. I’d never been so happy to have such a cliché play out in real life. Dave barked orders at Mel as they grabbed the two girls and dragged them kicking and screaming into the two guest rooms. I was proud of them for putting up so much fight. They kicked, bit, slapped, and Meg even spit on Mel. They still ended up hogtied the same as I was. After they were bound and gagged, our assailants carried me down and tied me up.

Gabby had been hiding in the galley when they brought us down. She went nuts on Mel when he dragged Nancy into view. This resulted in her being dragged by her hair into the bathroom and locked inside. I felt bile rise in my throat thinking of them putting their hands on her. After Meg kicked Dave in the balls, they’d gone in her room to enact their revenge. Dave held Meg down on the bed and pressed a pillow over her face while Mel groped her and told her all the obscene things they were going to do to her. My skin crawled. Memories of the events repulsed me, and I noticed the rips in Meg’s shirt. I could see angry, red welts where the torn fabric revealed her skin.

The duo had been too engrossed in their assault to notice they were no longer alone. Jake, Adam, and Seth had entered the room behind them. The sounds of struggle I’d heard were our men beating the piss out of the sick bastards. They dragged them from the room and up on deck, where they held them at gunpoint while Jake and Adam tended to Meg, Nancy, and myself.

“Wow,” was all I could say to them after they retold events. Daphne had been cowering in the invader’s boat when Jake and the men returned. They left her there until they had taken care of the situation for fear of alerting Mel and Dave to their presence. Can’t say I blame them. Her big mouth had kicked me in the ass on numerous occasions this past month.