4.0 - The Last Command Read online

  Contents

  TITLE PAGE

  CREDITS

  PREFACE

  THE LAST SURVIVORS - BOOKS 1, 2, & 3 RECAP

  Chapter 1 - Oliver

  Chapter 2 - Melora

  Chapter 3 - Oliver

  Chapter 4 - Melora

  Chapter 5 - Fitzgerald

  Chapter 6 - Winthrop

  Chapter 7 - Oliver

  Chapter 8 - Beck

  Chapter 9 - Melora

  Chapter 10 - Beck

  Chapter 11 - William

  Chapter 12 - Tenbrook

  Chapter 13 - Oliver

  Chapter 14 - Beck

  Chapter 15 - Oliver

  Chapter 16 - Beck

  Chapter 17 - Melora

  Chapter 18 - Oliver

  Chapter 19 - Ivory

  Chapter 20 - Beck

  Chapter 21 - Ivory

  Chapter 22 - Melora

  Chapter 23 - Blackthorn

  Chapter 24 - Bray

  Chapter 25 - Blackthorn

  Chapter 26 - Tenbrook

  Chapter 27 - Franklin

  Chapter 28 - Oliver

  Chapter 29 - Ivory

  Chapter 30 - Evan

  Chapter 31 - Blackthorn

  Chapter 32 - Evan

  Chapter 33 - Jeremiah

  Chapter 34 - Tommy Dunlow

  Chapter 35 - Jeremiah

  Chapter 36 - Evan

  Chapter 37 - Tommy Dunlow

  Chapter 38 - Oliver

  Chapter 39 - Blackthorn

  Chapter 40 - Oliver

  Chapter 41 - Blackthorn

  Chapter 42 - Franklin

  Chapter 43 - Blackthorn

  Chapter 44 - Oliver

  Chapter 45 - Blackthorn

  Chapter 46 - Winthrop

  Chapter 47 - Oliver

  Chapter 48 - Blackthorn

  Chapter 49 - Winthrop

  Chapter 50 - Oliver

  Chapter 51 - Franklin

  Chapter 52 - Blackthorn

  Chapter 53 - Franklin

  Chapter 54 - Oliver

  Chapter 55 - Tenbrook

  Chapter 56 - Evan

  Chapter 57 - Beck

  Chapter 58 - Oliver

  Chapter 59 - Franklin

  Chapter 60 - Beck

  Chapter 61 - Tommy Dunlow

  Chapter 62 - Jeremiah

  Chapter 63 - Beck

  Chapter 64 - Oliver

  Chapter 65 - Melora

  Chapter 66 - Winthrop

  Chapter 67 - Jeremiah

  Chapter 68 - Blackthorn

  Chapter 69 - Melora

  Chapter 70 - Oliver

  Chapter 71 - Beck

  Chapter 72 - Oliver

  Chapter 73 - Beck

  Chapter 74 - Beck

  Chapter 75 - Beck

  Chapter 76 - Evan

  Chapter 77 - Winthrop

  Chapter 78 - Franklin

  Chapter 79 - Winthrop

  Chapter 80 - Oliver

  Chapter 81 - Tenbrook

  Chapter 82 - Beck

  Chapter 83 - Oliver

  Chapter 84 - Tenbrook

  Chapter 85 - Franklin

  Reviews

  Email & Facebook

  Other Things To Read

  Copyright Info

  The Last Command

  A Dystopian Society in a Post-Apocalyptic World

  Book 4 of The Last Survivors Series

  By

  Bobby Adair & T.W. Piperbrook

  Find us at

  T.W. Piperbrook

  www.twpiperbrook.com

  www.facebook.com/twpiperbrook

  Bobby Adair

  http://www.bobbyadair.com

  http://www.facebook.com/BobbyAdairAuthor

  ©2016 Ancient City Publishing

  Cover Design and Layout

  Alex Saskalidis, a.k.a. 187designz

  Editing & Proofreading

  Cathy Moeschet

  Technical Consultant

  John Cummings

  Preface

  Welcome to Book 4! We hope you've enjoyed the series so far, and we appreciate you sticking with us.

  THE LAST COMMAND is the culmination of several plot lines in The Last Survivors. Answers are revealed. Battles are fought and won, or lost. Motivations change. Several of our characters undergo radical transformations in this book—things we have been leading up to, but that are shocking to us just the same (and will hopefully shock you.) As General Blackthorn leads his army into the wild, intent on delivering his last command, no one is safe.

  I wish I could say all our characters will survive.

  I don't want to lie to you.

  We hope you enjoy THE LAST COMMAND. Bobby and I agree that it has been one of the most intense of the series to write so far. But don't get comfortable. The remaining few books will be even crazier.

  See you in Book 5.

  Tyler Piperbrook & Bobby Adair

  January 2016

  The Last Survivors – Book 1 Recap

  Three hundred years after the fall of society, the last fragments of civilization are clinging to life, living in the ruins of the ancient cities in nearly-medieval conditions. Technology has been reduced to legend, monsters roam the forests, and fear reigns supreme. But that is just the beginning.

  The wind-borne spores are spreading, disfiguring men and twisting their minds, turning them into creatures that threaten to destroy the townships. Among the townsfolk—the political and the religious—dissension is spreading.

  Ella Barrow has discovered that her son is infected with the spore and has spirited him out of Brighton before he can be burned on the pyre. General Blackthorn's soldiers are in pursuit. She has fallen into the company of an unscrupulous Warden named Bray, who for the moment is helping her and her son on the journey.

  Minister Beck and his scholars have discovered that through poor management of town resources a famine is inevitable, but Beck is frustrated by his inability to convince the other ministers to do something about it.

  Father Winthrop comes to the realization that a council of three ministers led by a brutal General Blackthorn is a form of government that has outlived its ability to rule. His desire to lead a rebellion is growing. He doesn't understand that his pompous, selfish ways have lost the loyalty of his novices Franklin and Oliver, who are unlikely to follow his lead.

  Ivory—the son of a man named Muldoon who was taken to the pyre at the last Cleansing—has traveled to the Ancient City where he has met his teacher, an enigmatic man infected by the spore.

  The Last Escape – Book 2 Recap

  After the massacre in Davenport, Ella, Bray, and William flee into the forest to escape pursuing soldiers while at the same time trying to find Melora, Ella's daughter who might still be alive. William starts to exhibit aberrant behavior due to the spore growing in his body. After a violent encounter with soldiers, Ella, Bray, and William find a disheveled, frightened Melora, clinging to the body of her dead friend.

  Ivory learns that his father Muldoon was burned on the pyre on Cleansing Day. Beck, having discovered books on Ivory's person, offers to take Ivory into the Academy as a Scholar if Ivory provides him with more books. Beck believes Ivory has found them in the Ancient City. Confused and disturbed by his father's death, Ivory flees back to the Ancient City to talk to Jingo. He is pursued by the Warden Jeremiah, who Beck has sent after him.

  Franklin struggles under Father Winthrop's growing cruelty while he develops a relationship with a girl from The House of Barren Women named Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald later gets caught stealing a priceless relic from Father Winthrop's personal collection, and Franklin steps in to save her from the pyre.

  Blackthorn grooms Tenbrook to take his place as the leader of B
righton. Meanwhile, Blackthorn prepares the army to march to the Ancient City for a battle that seems destined to be the death of them all.

  Beck and Evan begin to plot to overthrow the government, or to escape west and start anew with a group of educated settlers. They recruit Oliver as a messenger boy, sending him on several errands. All goes well until Oliver is stopped by a few guards who eventually report back to Father Winthrop. Fed up with Oliver's antics, Winthrop threatens Oliver's life.

  The Last Humanity - Book 3 Recap

  Father Winthrop forces Franklin to beat Oliver. Franklin reluctantly complies. Initially angry with Franklin, Fitzgerald comes to the realization that Winthrop is evil, and she and Franklin devise a plan to ensure Winthrop goes out with Blackthorn's army.

  The plan succeeds, but not without its unexpected outcomes. Franklin becomes the new appointed Bishop, but only after burning Father Nelson in a decision forced on him by Blackthorn. Fitzgerald is brutally attacked by Tenbrook, who agrees to trade political favors in exchange for sexual favors.

  Beck and Evan continue their plot to overthrow the Brighton government. Beck is to abscond after the army leaves. Evan is to manage the recruit of insurgents, led by Tommy and Timmy Dunlow. Just before the army leaves, Tommy Dunlow reveals the plan to Tenbrook and gives up Scholar Evan's name. As the newly appointed General of Brighton, Tenbrook swears to uncover the plot and punish all involved.

  Ivory escapes the warden Jeremiah and reunites with Jingo in the Ancient City. Ivory tells Jingo about Muldoon's (Ivory's father's) death, and also that Beck has offered to make him a Scholar. Afterward, Jingo gifts Ivory a compound bow and takes him into the Ancient City to reveal a secret. They evade Jeremiah, who finds them, but they escape in Jingo's secret—a sailboat.

  Melora bonds with her new family—Ella and William—and Bray, as they travel away from Davenport. William is acting more strangely as he succumbs to the spore. They decide to head to the Ancient City to seek refuge. Bray splits off and heads to Coventry to get supplies. While in Coventry, he realizes he's developed feelings for Ella. He rejoins the group and they reach the Ancient City.

  Tired of being abused in Brighton, Oliver decides to flee into the wild. He secures knives, coin, and chainmail to assist in his journey. At the last moment, he decides to go out with the army, with the goal of murdering Father Winthrop.

  Chapter 1: Oliver

  Mist and drizzle soaked Oliver's clothes. The air hung heavy and warm, turning to sweat under Oliver's arms and on his face, leaving him chafing under the weight of his shirt, coat, and mail. Manure dropped by hundreds of horses at the head of the marching column, mixed with road mud, stuck to Oliver's boots and pants, adding to the stink of nineteen thousand sweating men and women marching three and four abreast in a line four miles long, soldiers and camp followers, the largest army ever assembled, all on their way to the Ancient City to bring a resolute end to the centuries-old demon scourge.

  Oliver didn't care about that. He even had his doubts whether it was true. Too many schemes were at play for him to have faith in the lies on men's lips.

  Oliver had his reasons for sweating under the load of his wet garments and mud-caked boots as he strove to keep pace with full-grown men and women on the march. He was going out as a night thief, intent on finding Winthrop's tent in a moment when his lazy guards were inattentive. Oliver was determined to sneak into that tent and ram his dagger deep into Father Winthrop's skull.

  Afterward, Oliver would make his escape and find a place far from Brighton where he could grow up without the constant threat of the belt and pyre, without being forced to tend to the needs of a pompous, cruel buffoon, who wore a fluttery woman's dress that he called a robe.

  The march out of Brighton took most of the morning. The cavalry went first, wearing their prissy uniforms atop their fine horses with glimmering swords and colorful flags. The ministers, Blackthorn, Beck, and Winthrop rode among them. And why wouldn't they? It was the safest place. Everybody in the three townships respected the cavalry's skill at slaughtering demons.

  Blackthorn's blue shirts filed out next, three abreast, all in step, a thousand toy soldiers, not good enough for the cavalry, but more than willing to make up for their lack of skill with excessive brutality. They were the city guards, the men Blackthorn called on to enforce his law and keep the townships in line. They rarely had demons' blood on their hands. They were better at making unarmed men bleed.

  The militia filed out next, organized in cohorts of five hundred. They were sloppy compared to the blue shirts—either unwilling or unable to walk in step—not uniformed but wearing whatever clothing kept them warm when they were going about their daily chores. Most carried spears and axes, some wore swords in scabbards on their belts.

  Between each of the militia cohorts were several hundred camp followers mandated by General Blackthorn to come in support of the army. They were charged with herding the livestock, hauling the food and supplies, cooking meals, repairing shoes, weapons, and clothes—or, in the case of the Barren Women—seeing to men's pressing intimate needs. With most able-bodied men having been pressed into service in one of the militia cohorts, the camp followers were made up of aged men, children apprenticed in a trade, and older women.

  Oliver walked among this last group, out through the gate leaving the circle wall behind and past the meadows that grew wider with each passing year as men cut more and more timber for Brighton's needs. They marched into the forest growing thick along the edges of the road, putting the army in the shadow of overhanging boughs. The women around Oliver all carried loads in packs big enough for Oliver to hide inside. None of them paid attention to the forest. Their minds were set on shouldering their burdens and watching the feet of the woman in front or talking about anything to keep their minds off the journey in front of them.

  When the first demon cried out, everyone tensed. All chatter ceased. Women stared at shadows in the trees. A few screamed. The woman next to Oliver turned and clutched his arm.

  "Did you hear the rumor?"

  Oliver shook his head. He'd been so preoccupied with thoughts of Winthrop that he hadn't paid attention to the whispers.

  "They say the soldiers ahead killed a thousand demons."

  "A thousand?" Oliver stared at the woman, whose face was ashen with fright. She had long, gray hair and dark eyes. She nodded as if she knew what the number meant, even though he was sure she didn't.

  Oliver started looking for dead demons beside the road, but saw nothing but thick trees and endless, wilting brush. A commotion in the ranks ahead changed his mind. Several of the old tradesman and women broke formation, weaving a frightened circle around a demon's wart-covered, bloody body in the road. Eyes went wide. Anxiety rose in voices. Oliver shuddered and kept a wide berth, as if the demon might spring to life and grab him.

  More dead demons appeared, lying alone or in gangs of a few or a dozen. The monsters were no match for such a massive army, but they weren't intelligent enough to understand their numeric disadvantage. After the army had marched for another hour, the bodies lying in or near the road felt more like a distraction than a threat. Enough of anything novel turns boring after people see too much of it. The women stopped screaming, and confidence set in among the camp followers. The howls of demons no longer frightened anyone. They were no longer harbingers of running death, but simply annoying stink-beasts that had caused them all to have to leave their homes and friends for a trip into the wilderness. Hopefully a short trip.

  Maybe even shorter for Oliver.

  He reached into his shirt, ensuring his dagger was still there. As nervous as he was about using it, he was still resolved in his plan.

  A band of demons burst from the trees.

  A group of women several rows ahead of him screamed. Before Oliver could react, more demons poured out of hiding.

  Twenty or thirty. Maybe forty.

  Oh, no.

  Oliver's heart hammered as the demons tackled several women. He wanted to run
as he drew his dagger, but there was nowhere to go. Everyone was pushing away from the demons, a barrage of frantic bodies knocking against each other. Women called for help, but the soldiers were up the road and behind. None were close. Oliver, too small to fight against the push of adults twice his size, was swept in a wave of motion. He cried out as he almost lost his balance.

  "Watch out!" the woman next to him shrieked.

  In a blur of dirty skin moving too fast to allow a reaction, a demon pounced, knocking them both into the mud. All Oliver saw were skirts, boots, and skin as he struggled to get free.

  Oliver's dagger got away from him in the mud. He scrambled to get a hand back on it.

  A woman kicked him in the gut by accident, trying to kick the demon that had mounted the woman next to him.

  Blood gushed and splattered Oliver.

  Another demon grabbed Oliver's foot, pulling him toward the trees. With the dagger still out of reach, Oliver wrapped his arms around someone's leg and took a few smacks as a woman tried to shake him off. Oliver kicked at the demon.

  It unclenched its fingers.

  Oliver broke free, tucking his feet beneath him and rolling toward the center of the road, getting a hand on the hilt of his dagger just as he got up on his knees. When he looked up, he found himself within arms' reach of the demon that had jumped the woman.

  With a mouthful of bloody teeth, it looked at Oliver, started to get off the woman, and leaned forward.

  Oliver slashed the dagger across the beast's face and it screamed, covering its bloody wound with a hand.

  A booted foot caught the beast in the chin, sending it over on its back. Walking sticks and an old spear poked at the beast until it scrambled into the trees and ran away.

  Oliver got to his feet, his dagger in front of him, ready to take a swipe at another demon.

  But they were gone.

  The howling monsters retreated, taking several screaming women along with them.