Yesterday's Gone: Season One

no, no,” Testosterone shook his head and wagged his finger back and forth. “I’m the only thing that can keep you alive right now, believe you me. You all are dead the minute you step out this door. But you shoot this fucker here,” he gestured toward Boricio, “then you and everyone in this room gets to see the only future there is left.”
    “Why’d you bring us here to start with?” Charlie asked.
    “No, I’m not answering your questions until you put a bullet in this greaseball,” Testosterone said, “This is your one chance to join us. Or join the dead. Your choice, kid.”
    Boricio turned to Charlie. “Now I know you’re too smart to believe a single word this fucktard is saying. He brought us here to kill us, all of us, and that’s what he’s gonna do. He’s the cunt hair who ordered you tied up; I’m the one who set you free.”
    Charlie closed his left eye and steadied his aim toward Testosterone.
    “Stop,” Manny said, “Think about what you’re doing, man. This guy is a monster.” He looked at Boricio. “Think about what you’ve seen and heard since you’ve been in here. I mean, the guy just used me as a human shield. It’s only a matter of time before he turns on any or all of us. We’re only here to help him get from point A to B. He won’t care what happens to us at all once we’re out of this place.”
    Boricio laughed. “Awesome job, Captain Obvious.” He turned to the rest of the Team Boricio. “Every word he says is true. I am one gen-u-ine fucker of a Frankenstein. And yeah, I do need all of you to help me escape, and I really don’t see us all playing house once we get outta here. But true as that all is, it’s even truer that none of you is leaving here without a fair hand of help. And yours truly is a whole Hands Across America right now. I won’t kill you, because you’re all on my team. I killed that fucker earlier because he was a turncoat. Anyone else want to be a free agent; I’ll kill them, too. Because that’s what it takes to protect the team.”
    He turned to Manny. “And no disrespect intended. I assessed as best I could. You were the only thing gonna keep the five of us alive in the seconds I had. Just good math is all.”  
    Manny glared at Boricio.  
    I’ll have to end him anyway. He don’t wanna be on Team Boricio, and I don’t need no cancer creeping through the group.  
    Two shots rang through the room and Testosterone dropped to the floor. Charlie stood there, shaking.
    “I had to shoot him,” Charlie said. “He was reaching for his gun.”  
    “Good boy!” Boricio hollered. He walked over to the Colt on the ground, picked it up, handed it to Adam, then turned to the group. “We ready to roll?”
    Manny grabbed the gun from Testosterone’s holster. Boricio went to the door, looked into the narrow hallway outside, then said, “We’re clear,” motioning the gang through the threshold. Manny was last to pass. Soon as he did, he felt the barrel of Boricio’s bat pressed against his skull.
    “Gonna need your gun,” Boricio said.
    Boricio held his hand out and Manny filled it without argument. Boricio handed the gun to Jack, then turned to Manny.  
    “Despite that little bullshit back there, I’ve every intention of letting you live. However, I sure as hell don’t want my biggest critic holding a gun and walking behind me. We get more weapons, maybe you get to earn yours back. Besides,” Boricio patted his bat. “If I can go without one, you can , too. Now, chop chop.” Boricio waved his hand toward the hallway.  
    They stepped into a short hallway without any doors or windows. On the far side was a set of six steps leading to an angled wooden door.  
    They’d been held in a basement.
    Whatever ugly the end of the world hadn’t managed to kill was waiting right on the other side of the cellar door.  
    * * * *

TEAGAN MCLACHLAN

    Oct 17
    morning
    Winding, Georgia

    “What do you mean your father murdered someone?” Teagan asked. Jade was sitting on the bed next to her, cross-legged. “You mean he’s not a cop or government agent or something?”
    Jade shook her head. “He was a mid-level manager at an investment firm. He was a workaholic, burned out, barely present at home most of the time. Then one day out of nowhere, he started talking about people following him. He said he was worried about us, and that we needed to be careful. Said there were ‘agents’ watching him and if anyone came around asking