The Reaper: No Mercy by Sean Liebling

forward to the girl Shannon he had saved in Ohio, who had voiced similar sentiments. It was a new world full of evil, and only the smartest and best organized would survive.
    "Janet. I lost my entire family barely a month ago. It will be some time before I can, if ever, come to true grips with that. I know they are waiting for me in heaven, but the Lord has given me a mission to fulfill. Take your time and heal. Someday you'll be ready to take on the world, and if not Bill, then someone else will help fill your life. Now, I must leave. It's afternoon already and I have two other groups to visit, and a recon to do tonight." She nodded slowly as he released her, and after checking to make sure no one was within sight, the Reaper disappeared through the door.
    Again in the distance he could hear engines, and he knew the marauders were still looking for whomever had killed some of their number again. His eyes traveled back and forth continuously as he approached each corner and, with the instincts of a predator, he took advantage of all available cover.
    There! One of the Godless undead was sitting down next to a dumpster with slumped head and shoulders. The spawn of Satan was playing dead for anyone unwary enough to come close, but the Reaper was not fooled. The lack of incapacitating wounds to its head or neck told Jason the undead thing was playing possum. This creature was still very much able to devour the unwary, or anything that came within its reach, be it man or animal. Their cunning was deadly and unnatural. Anger once again burned brightly within the Reaper as he slowly unsheathed his machete after transferring the rifle to his left hand. A quick step, a boot scuff, and the spawn of Satan was lurching to its feet but far too late, as the machete descended to cleave through the desiccated muscle and bone of its neck. Eyeing his latest kill, the Reaper wiped the blade off on clothing torn and ragged before sheathing it and continuing down the narrow street on his quest.
    Two intersections later, he pulled the map out to examine it. He had narrowly avoided being spotted by the marauders moments before. Only by leaping into the interior of a plundered store did he escape detection. While Jason was without fear, as his belief in God's divine will was strong, he also knew the Lord most helped those who helped themselves, and that included the basic stealth procedure of movement within enemy territory. It was surely luck that none of Satan's hellions were residing inside the store’s gloomy interior, and now the Reaper glanced at his watch, seeing that it was almost 4 p.m., and let his finger slide forward to the next circle. Almost there , he thought.
     
    *****
     
    Twenty minutes later, Jason was heading to the last location. He had found the third group. They had been easy to find. Unfortunately they were all dead, having been found first by the marauders and murdered. Jason had laid the two older adults and three small children side-by-side in the living room of their home before setting it afire, for the least he could do was send their ashes to heaven. He wiped away the tears that had sprung forth as he closed the little ones’ eyes. Oh, yes, the Lord was definitely telling him to complete this mission.
     
    *****
     
    Scott turned to Ralph and asked, "So what do you think?"
    "About what, exactly?" Ralph responded, his gaze never wavering from the window he was monitoring.
    "About what the Reaper said."
    "Up to you, man. You're our leader."
    "I want your damn opinion, Ralph!"
    Ralph sighed as he shifted sideways to get a better look out the front window across from the empty room before them. The group was in the back of the office complex, hidden, and those rooms facing the streets were only occupied by guards.
    "He has a point."
    "We aren't enough, man."
    "Maybe if we all stick together we'll make a difference."
    "How can you say that? We have women and children to protect."
    "All these women are tough or they