Wanted: Wanted, #1

By Jason Halstead

Wanted is the first book in the post-apocalyptic series, Wanted.

Wanted Sergeant First Class Carl Waters left the army behind before the bomb went off in L.A. He lived off the grid, avoiding the fallout from the bombs and the Burnout Fever that ravaged the world. With the occasional trespasser to keep his skills sharp, life was smooth and settled and exactly how he wanted it. All that changed when three stragglers showed up that he didn't have the heart to turn away. Two children led by a shepherd who had lost her own way, Carl felt the sins of his past had finally come calling. Especially when it turned out the children had their own demons in pursuit. On the run once again, they must survive the North American badlands, an enemy with unlimited resources, and each other. Ultimately it will come down to Carl to decide just how much he is willing to sacrifice for the safety of his charges.

Look for these other Wanted books:

Wanted,

Ice Princess,

Bounty,

Marshall

• Language: English
• Publisher: Novel Concept Publishing LLC
• Release date: Jul 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536511512

Jason Halstead

Jason Halstead has always had colorful stories to tell. At an early age that creativity usually resulted in some kind of punishment. At long last he's come into his own and has turned his imagination into an asset that is keeping thousands of people entertained. When he's not writing Jason spends his time with his wife and two children, trying to relive his glory days as a powerlifter, or developing new IT systems for his dayjob. He enjoys reading and responding to fan mail as well, so if you liked any of his books, don't be shy! Sign up for his newsletter, find him on the web at http://www.booksbyjason.com, email him at: [e-mail], or follow him on Twitter: @booksbyjason.

Book preview

Chapter 1

I told you not to fucking move!

Jessie barely heard the words shouted at her. She felt something stop her fall and saw that it was blue. A wall? It had to be a wall, she reasoned, since she was sliding down and away from it. There was a ringing in her ear and a dull echoing noise that made no sense. She tried to roll over and stand up, knowing somehow that she had to rise. She wondered if he was in the beginning stages of the fever.

For some of the people that came down with Burnout Fever their sanity was the first thing to go. A day or so later and they lost energy, became lethargic, and their body started to shut down. There was blood everywhere it could leak out of a person. A day or two of that and they died. There was no cure. Once you had it, two out of three people died. The others were immune. She figured this guy wasn’t one of the lucky ones.

He was shouting at her. Spittle sprayed from his cracked lips. She had no idea what he was saying, it just washed over her and hurt her already ringing ears. A concussion, that’s what she must have. It made sense, and explained why the left side of her head was warm and throbbing. He’d hit her with his gun. He didn’t like the answer she gave him, so he clubbed her.

He bent down and grabbed her halter top with his free hand. He pulled in an effort to rip it off, but it stretched and dug into her skin. Jessie hissed in pain, trying to grab his hand and work it free. Her fingernails bit into his wrist and broke the skin, drawing blood. He screamed and swung his gun again, the barrel glancing off her forehead and stunning her for a few moments.

She stared at him, suddenly nauseous and wishing the world would stop spinning. Stop, she whispered, pleading with him. Please stop!

He grinned at her, aiming his pistol at her head. A crack rang out and Jessie jerked. She had squeezed her eyes shut, wondering why there was no pain. Was she dead? She was warm and comfortable. All that ended a heartbeat later when something fell on her legs.

Jessie stared, mouth open, when she looked and saw the man’s body. He was half on her legs, his limbs twitching a few moments before he finally lay still. The warmth was his blood. His head had exploded, bits of brain and blood showering her body. She could not help but stare at the carnage and felt herself suddenly taken back to another time and place.

* * * *

Jessie held up the microphone to the lieutenant so he could answer the question she had asked. He opened his mouth, a smile on his face, but never had the chance to speak. Someone was shouting about infidels and then someone else was shooting. A man’s body was flying through the air, punched through a dozen times by the 5.56 millimeter rounds. He landed nearby, a peaceful grin on his face. The lieutenant, a man who’s last name was Thelen, threw himself at Jessie and tried to take her to the ground even as the suicide bomber released the trigger he held in his hand.

* * * *

Jessie snapped out of it, pulling herself forcibly out of her memories. That had been years ago, a different life for a different girl. She kicked her legs, making the corpse move and causing some of the gore to spill onto her bare knee. She gagged and then turned to retch. It turned to dry heaves quickly, and she was huddled up and shivering a few moments later when the man who had saved her walked up.

Get up, he said, his voice dead and emotionless.

Jessie jerked. She rolled over, retching again from the vertigo. She stared up, an arm held above her head as if to block a kick or a punch.

I’m not going to hurt you, he told her.

She stared up at him. He was older. Not grandpa old, just older than her. Solid too, she saw. A rifle hung from a strap in front of him, easy to grab and use if he needed it. Black hair that was starting to lighten with gray spoke of either age or stress, probably both. His eyes were brown and sharp, missing nothing.

He reached down, offering her a hand. His eyes glanced around, checking the surroundings efficiently then darting back to her. Jessie hesitantly reached up, realizing he could have easily killed her if he wanted. If he didn’t want to kill her, then that meant he wanted something else. She felt the strength in the gloved hand that grabbed hers and knew she had no chance except running if she had to. She saw his eyes glance to their joined hands, surprised when he realized he held a hand that was missing her little finger.

What’re you doing out here? he asked, ignoring her disfigurement.

She stared up at him and wondered who he was. She looked around, searching for his vehicle. There was nothing, just the car she had come in and the makeshift roadblock. She looked away from the corpses, refusing to be drawn back in.

I... we, she corrected, jerking her head towards the man that hung half out of the open driver’s side door of the dark blue Buick. We were headed up to the mountains.

Why? Ain’t safe out here, he demanded without acting like he really cared.

Unable to figure him out, Jessie looked up at the distant mountain range and felt her head swim again. She moaned and stumbled, but his hand caught her shoulder and steadied her.

We were going to shoot a scene, she said softly. For a movie.

A movie? Who the fuck watches movies? He growled. You from the city?

Jessie nodded, thankful he didn’t recognize her and annoyed at the same time. She had made quite a name for herself. You live out here?

He nodded, her question answering his. Go back, he told her. Nothing but death out here for you.

She nodded, but then had to fight down the bile in her throat the motion caused her. He stared at her a minute, nodded, and made to leave. He turned back, a smirk on his face, Thanks for the show.

Jessie looked down, following his gaze. Her halter top had been twisted up and let her breasts hang out, thanks to the asshole that had beaten her with his pistol. She gasped and grabbed her shirt, covering herself.

Wait! she cried out, stopping him. Who are you?

He looked back at her and said, Your fairy godfather.

She stared at him as he went back to checking out the remains of the men he had shot. She had only noticed the one, but she realized there had been two others as well. She stared at him, wondering what kind of a man could so efficiently kill three others, then rescue her with no apparent interest in her. She saw that he was ignoring her even as he gathered up the firearms the bandits had dropped and took their ammunition and anything else of use they had.

At a loss, Jessie turned to the car and walked around. Steeling herself and fighting back tears, she pulled her boyfriend’s body out of the car. It wasn’t like she had loved him or anything, he had just been her agent and he cut her a great deal when she started sleeping with him. This latest movie had been his idea, a surviving the badlands kind of theme. They heard the stories of how lawless it was outside the city, but they also heard how there were other cities out there too. Places that had sprung up or survived.

They hadn’t expected to be stopped and robbed. When Andres had protested, they’d shot him. Jessie had been scared shitless throughout, and that nearly broke her. She shook her head, trying not to remember it, even though it was so fresh and unavoidable. She was good at forgetting the past, she just needed a little help. Forcing herself not to look at Andres, she opened up the glove box and shoved some junk around until she found what she was looking for— a vial filled with syn, a new drug some genius had made that was a synthetic twist on cocaine.

She straightened up, feeling relieved at finding it. The pressure change made her dizzy and nauseous again. She clutched the syn tightly and doubled over to vomit out whatever may have remained in her belly. She hit her head again on the door, stunning her and dropping her to the ground senseless. She blinked, trying to force the world to make sense, and passed out.

Chapter 2

It was her job to interview the soldiers on the street. They were making real life videos of men and women in the field, something to help recruit more naïve young kids. Corporal Jessie Banks smiled, tired of the heat and the sand, but determined to do her part to help. The army had given her a way out of a fucked up life, plus money for school when she was done. The least she could do was give Uncle Sam a good last six months of her six-year tour.

Lieutenant Thelen was the man she was trying to interview now. Some of the men in his squad had pointed him out to her, and she had cornered him finally. His eyes took her in, an easy smile coming to his face. He was a good looking man, even though she had gotten over the attraction to men in uniform a few years prior. She smiled back and asked him if he believed they were making a difference. They all did. She knew the answer he’d give before he’d given it. Hell, she even believed it. She saw the people and how they looked at them. They were thankful and filled with hope. Well, mostly.

There were some who felt differently. She had a non-combat job. She didn’t get to meet the hordes of screaming Iranians brandishing weapons and telling the Americans to go home. She’d heard they were so fanatical about it they’d even armed children.

Jessie’s eyes met those of a man coming out of a shop. He moved forward with purpose even as she finished her question. He threw his robes back to reveal the dead man switch in his hand and shouted in Arabic, Death to the Western devils!

They were in a safe zone. The part of Abadan near the Iraqi border that was secure. There was no way this could be happening. Somebody opened fire, Jessie never knew who, then somebody else.

She felt Lieutenant Thelen’s arms around her, forcing her to the ground. She heard the detonation of the explosive wrapped around the suicide-bomber’s waist. She felt the impact of the ground from the shockwave of the explosion.

* * * *

Jessie woke up gasping for breath. She stared, seeing only unfamiliar shapes in the darkness. Things began to make sense to her as her heart gradually slowed down to something less life threatening. She recognized the pattern of some containers, a table, even a door, but she had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. She groaned softly when she tried to sit up. Her vision, already dark and blurry, swam with the effort. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she was hungry. She welcomed the distraction, anything to keep her from remembering her dream.

She was lying on a cot and covered with a blanket. She looked around the small room again and saw no one. Gritting her teeth, she pulled the blanket away from her and immediately realized that she was naked. She forgot about the pain in her head for a moment as she tried to figure out what had happened. Had there been a party? An over the top scene in one of her movies? Had she and Andres tried something?

Andres. A vision of him half in and half out of the car came to her. She gasped again and felt a sudden pain in her belly. She remembered the gunman. Had the man raped her? Had she been hurt? She ran her hands over her body, feeling no bruises or injuries she was not already aware of. Her cheek even had a bandage on it where the bandit had first struck her with the butt of his pistol.

She stood up slowly, steadying herself with her hand on the cot in case her nausea came back. Once upright, she looked around again but saw nothing. Frowning, she crossed to the door, put her ear to it and listened. The metal was cool against her cheek, promising a cold, desert night outside. She could hear nothing through it, so she gently turned the knob and pushed it open.

The cool night air hit her, making her skin prickle with goose bumps. She looked around, seeing some faint lights from electronic devices and even an old computer monitor that allowed her to see the room. It was like the last room she had been in, only larger. It had metal walls without any insulation or windows. There were two doors.

She saw a large table strewn with various items she could not identify in the dark. She thought she made out at least one gun on it. A small mattress was tossed in a corner, complete with some sheets and a pillow. Elsewhere, she saw a small kitchenette with what looked like a running refrigerator and an electric stove.

Your clothes are on the ground.

Jessie jumped, startled by the voice. The man who had rescued her earlier was sitting deathly still in a chair, staring at her. She could barely make out the shape of his face in the semi-darkness. He made no movement, and she almost wondered if he was alive. She looked down and saw her worn-in boots, denim shorts, and halter top a few inches from her feet. She knelt down and picked them up, straightened, and looked at him again. He had not moved.

You going to watch me? she asked, more because she needed proof that he was alive than because she was modest or shy.

Somebody needs to keep an eye on you, he said. In the darkness she wondered if he was smiling.

She shrugged. Either you got a tiny dick or you didn’t touch me, she said casually.

He chuckled at that, which made her heart beat faster. Just checked to make sure you weren’t hurt, he said.

Thanks, I guess, she said, not knowing how to take his answer. You gay or something?

Why?

Ain’t nothing free, she said, walking towards him. Everybody wants something. You saved my life twice now. What’s it gonna cost me?

He looked up at her as she stood in front of him. She tossed her clothes off to the side and stood there nude in front of him, offering herself.

Put your clothes on, he growled, then stood up and walked away from her towards the kitchenette.

Jessie stared at him, shocked. You know how many guys want a piece of my ass?

Probably a couple more than the guys that already had it, he quipped. You hungry?

The mention of food made her stomach lurch. She was getting pissed off though, so she ignored it. I’m not some ghetto whore!

We’re all whores, darlin, he said. I ain’t judging you, I just don’t care.

She stared at him, at a loss for words. He turned and looked at her, shook his head and sighed. We all done shit to get by we wished we hadn’t done. That’s the way of it. We all got our price and we all been paid it a few times. You ain’t special. Now, do you want something to eat or not?

She swore and walked toward the small table. Yeah, sure, I’ll eat. You got any pot or syn? Even a beer....

He rounded on her, turning away from the stove, and scowled. Get your clothes on. Once you’ve eaten, you’re on your own.

What? Just like that?

He said nothing, so she grabbed up her clothes and dressed. Look, it’s not a big deal. I just wondered. My boyfriend got killed yesterday, I’m allowed to get fucked up to deal with it, ya know?

He took something out of the fridge that looked like meat and tossed it on a pan that was on the stove. It began to sizzle immediately. Seeing no response forthcoming, she looked down at the stuff on the table and recognized parts from various guns. There was even a broken down AK 47 that looked like it had all the pieces needed to reassemble it.

A few minutes later a dented metal plate with some strips of cooked meat slid in front of her. She looked at it, wondering where the dark meat had come from, then shrugged and dug into it. She was hungrier than she had thought and devoured it quickly. Only when she was licking the juice off her fingers did she realize he had not finished his yet.

What’s your name? she asked.

Carl, he said.

I’m Jessie. Thank you, Carl, she said, smiling. For everything... I mean it. And yeah, if you wanted, I’d like to show my appreciation.

He swallowed the last of his own meal and shook his head. No telling what you got and I sure don’t want it, he growled.

I’ll take you back to the road, you can hike back to the city from there, he added.

Hey! she protested. I’m clean! I get tested every month. I just figured you get lonely out here. Maybe you’d like a little something to get you by. I’m good, I-

I ain’t one of those pussy city-boys you’re used to, he interrupted her. I saved your ass. Period. You don’t owe me shit except to not tell nobody about me, got it?

She nodded, cowed by his venom.

Anybody comes looking for me, I’ll know who told ‘em. You get me?

She nodded again, eyes wide. Man, you got some real issues.

Good thing I’m the only one, he said, turning his back on her and tossing the metal plates back on the home built counter.

He grabbed a jacket that Jessie recognized as genuine U.S. Army issue. Who were you? You know, before? she asked.

Nobody special, he answered, grabbing up his assault rifle and slinging it over his shoulder. She saw it was an M4 carbine.

That got full auto on it? Jessie asked, pointing at his gun.

He looked at her then at the rifle. His eyes narrowed suspiciously but he nodded. You know what this is?

Sure, M4A1, replaced the M16 because the M16 was a piece of shit. Couldn’t keep it clean or keep it from jamming. Couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn from the inside with the doors shut neither, but the carbine’s not much better since it’s got a shorter barrel, she said.

He grunted. Shoots straight enough, he said. Otherwise, you’d be dead.

She nodded, conceding his point. So what were you, quartermaster or something? You got a lot of shit up here.

Sergeant First Class, he said, and offered nothing more.

What about your setup? Lots of loot. You raid a national guard depot or something?

You ever shut up? he asked.

Yeah, she said, then proceeded to prove herself wrong. Look, you’ve got a nice hideout here. You’ve got power, I don’t know how. At least some clean water or you wouldn’t bother using plates and doing dishes. Space and guns. I’m just saying that maybe this place could use a woman’s touch. You know, I could help out. Take care of things. You took care of me, now I can.

Shut up! he snapped at her. I’m not going to fuck you, okay? You don’t owe me a fucking thing! You keep talking and you’re going to make me wish I hadn’t shot that asshole until after he’d done you.

Eyes wide, Jessie fell silent. I just thought-

No, you didn’t think. You ain’t thinking at all! Listen. We’re going now, and you don’t know me and don’t know where this place is.

She nodded, and wisely for once, stayed quiet.

Know how to use this? He asked, handing her an M9 that he pulled out from behind some clutter on a shelf near the door.

She took it and pulled the slide back on the nine millimeter pistol. It seated a bullet into the chamber. She ejected the clip to insure it was full then slid it back home. It had been years since she had held a weapon, but her hands remembered thanks to countless exhausting drills.

You weren’t always a whore, he observed.

Jessie’s eyes narrowed. I’m not a whore! she spat out. I’m an actress.

Carl snorted, and opened the door revealing the dark landscape of the rocky badlands. Let’s go, Hollywood.

Jessie followed him out and looked around, trying to see anything recognizable. Home, for her, was a small town near what had once been the United States’ and Mexico’s borders. Nobody knew where the border was anymore, mostly because nobody really cared. She figured if they could walk back to the road, they were only a couple of hours north, near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Jessie followed the former sergeant for several miles. He moved at a brutal pace, and her body was still bruised and sore from the altercation the day before. What was worse was his familiarity with the terrain and the fact that he was in better shape than she was. That burned Jessie’s pride. She worked out several times a week, keeping herself in shape and in demand. Now this hillbilly was showing her up when she was the professional.

She walked without complaint. His pace also demanded she walk without talking. She had tried to concentrate on looking out for threats, dredging up long suppressed memories of moving tactically. That stopped quickly when she realized she had to focus on just keeping up with him and not tripping or falling on the uneven ground. Besides, she noted that Carl was alert enough for both of them.

Nearly an hour later they arrived at Andres’ car. Jessie, breathing hard, stared at it in surprise. Where’s the road? How’d it get here?

Keys were still in it, he pointed out.

Oh, you drove...

Carl spared her his witty retort.

You carried me all the way from here? She asked, beginning to catch her wind.

Carl just shrugged. Jessie studied him again, impressed but not wanting him to see it. She still felt slighted that he had not accepted her offers. She wanted to prove herself to him.

How far from here?

Half an hour or so to the road, he told her. Then you’re on your own.

She nodded, then started towards the car.

Wait! Carl snapped, stepping in front of her and holding up his hand. Jessie stumbled as she tried to stop and ran into his hand, her right breast pressing against it.

He gave her a gentle push back and turned to the car. He stepped up to it slowly and bent down to disarm some landmines he had placed around it.

You mined his car? She asked, surprised.

Out here, a vehicle’s worth its weight in purified water, he said. Especially one that runs on biodiesel.

She shook her head. Don’t they all? Not many electric cars left, no spare parts to fix them.

Carl shrugged. I got no need of it, but that don’t mean somebody else wouldn’t want it.

Well... thanks. Again, she said, then sighed.

You make me feel like a real shit, you know that? she said, crossing her arms angrily. I don’t like owing people and I got nothing but favors from you and you won’t take a damn thing.

He nodded but she thought she saw a ghost of a smile in the pre-dawn light. The smug bastard knew he had her.

Get in, he said, gesturing to the car. He opened the driver’s side door and sat down in the seat.

Last chance, she told him as she sat down and pulled her door shut. I never been turned down before. I don’t like it.

No.

Plenty of room in here, she said, ignoring him. Back seat works great, but I could always just stretch over the console here and give you some road head. It’s not much, but hey, that’s the least I owe ya.

Carl leaned his head back and let out a deep breath. Jessie took that as finally an acceptance and leaned forward with a grin on her face. In spite of that, some small spark of curiosity and hope died within her. Her hands reached for his pants but then he intercepted them with his own and pushed her gently back.

I don’t know shit about you, he said, but if you got nothing better to offer the world than a suck and fuck, I’m a scabber.

Jessie stared at him, realizing she had been rebuffed again. She turned away and stared out the side window, fuming silently. She wished he was a scabber, just because an asshole like him deserved to be covered in radiation burns.

You almost had me, he admitted after he had started the car and was moving it through the sparse scrub along the desert floor.

Jessie did not turn to look at him. Instead, she was biting her lip and blinking back the tears of frustration. He had rebuffed her again and again, and now the son of a bitch had even accused her of being worth nothing other than as a sex object. Twenty years ago she might have loved to have known him or been his daughter even. Now... now she knew better than to get her hopes up like that. It just led to pain and thoughts of suicide.

Mostly I figured it would give your mouth something to do to keep you quiet though, he finished.

As his words sank in Jessie closed her eyes and let twin tracks of tears fall down her face. Inside, she felt crushed. She needed something, a snort of syn, a joint, a shot— anything to help take her mind away from things. But there was nothing to distract her, nothing to numb her pain. She sat there shaking and trying to pull away into herself.

Fuck you! she snapped after several silent minutes had passed. She spun about, the pistol he had given her in hand. She cocked the hammer and pointed it at his head.

Stop the fucking car!

Carl glanced at her and held his fingers up on the steering wheel, a universal symbol of peace. Settle down, I was just kidding about the blow job.

The car came to a stop and he turned to