Mercy smiled, “You’re such a sentimentalist.”
“Oooh, now there’s a big word,” Flynn said, teasing.
“What are you saying?” Mercy responded, her eyes narrowing in mock disapproval.
“Well—” Flynn replied, leaving his sentence unfinished.
Mercy fell into his eyes and his smile.
No, don’t let it take you there. It’ll take over, fight it. I’ll make mistakes… and when I make mistakes people die—
Mercy pushed Flynn’s shoulder, “Come on Romeo, let’s see what’s on Rose’s mind.”
They caught up with Rose and Tawny.
“So, we’re at the lake. What’s going through your head Rose?” Mercy asked, looking around.
Rose pointed at a road on the right, “There’s a turn off there for Lake Havasu State Park.”
“There’s a building in there, in a carpark. It’s still early. We could lie low, rest and scope out the city from the roof, find our bearings. When it’s getting dark we could move closer to the bridge, see if there’s a way onto the island,” Tawny added.
Mercy nodded, “Yeah, I’m liking it. Easy does it, softly, softly. There’s no need to rush this. Let’s do it.”
They entered the state park, the road and carparks were overgrown with weeds. Game trails cut through the long grass to the lake. The breeze rustled the reeds on the lakeshore. Insects buzzed in the day’s rising heat. Mercy checked the time; 10:07 am. They fanned out and approached the building. Mercy’s eyes darted left and right. She took out her pistol and let Rose and Tawny close in. The others kept back, watching the rear. Tawny paused at the building’s entrance. Mercy’s eyes narrowed.
Oh, OK. It’s a ranger station. Do your thing Tawny. We got any live tropes?
Tawny nodded at Rose who opened the door without the usual precautions.
OK, so no tap-and-see. Guess Tawny’s radar was all clear. Come on guys, let’s get in there, and get some shelter. This place seems deserted but we’re on their turf now—
Tawny appeared at the door twenty seconds later and beckoned to the others.
Good—
They entered the ranger station foyer. The floor was covered with broken glass and crude graffiti adorned the walls. A dark red stain marked one of the internal doors.
“Some dead dudes in there, long dead,” Tawny said, following Mercy’s gaze.
“OK, so we’ve got the place to ourselves,” Mercy said, lifting an upturned chair.
“Yeah, home sweet home,” Jade said.
Annalise appeared from the corridor, “Roof access is down here. Rose is checking it out.”
“Good, I’ll go up there. Can you guys secure the door and windows? See if there’s anything left that might be useful. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Mercy said. She stopped briefly to examine a giant wall map of Lake Havasu and the State Park.
Jade joined her, “It was worth breaking in here for this map alone. Looks as if it covers the whole lake, and a huge area east and west.”
Mercy traced her finger around the detailed raised-relief map. “Yeah, there’s London Bridge and the Island, where they’ve taken our vehicles. And see here? The state border line runs through the middle of the lake. That’s California on the west side and… over here; the Chemehuevi Reservation Lands,” Mercy tapped the map. “And… way down here, what does that say?”
Jade tilted her head and squinted at the southernmost part of the lake, “It’s a dam… Parker Dam. Looks pretty impressive—”
Mercy bent down and stared intently at the map. She placed her finger on the dam and traced it west following a blue line. “Look Jade, this is a waterway and it goes west. Through the mountains here and here, and here. It ends up over here in…”
“Lake Mathews, Riverside County, California,” Jade said, reading the map key. “That’s just outside LA—”
Wait—
Mercy looked at Jade, her eyes wide, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Jade pulled a face, “It looks like a pretty good route to LA. You couldn’t get lost that’s for sure, it’s a big waterway. There’ll be sections through the mountains where we couldn’t go, like tunnels and stuff, but there’ll be service roads we could use.”
“Yeah, and we could avoid all this warlord bullshit up on I-40,” Mercy said.
Jade leant in close to the map. “There’s an information panel here.” She squinted at the text and started reading, “It’s called the Colorado River Aqueduct. It’s 242 miles long. It begins at the Whitsett Pumping Plant at the edge of Lake Havasu. The water moves through 63 miles of canals, 92 miles of tunnels, 55 miles of conduit, and… 144 underground siphons. There are 5 pumping plants along the route which lift the water a total of 1,600 feet. This allows the water to be delivered to Southern California.” Jade leant back, “Wow—”
Mercy scrutinised the route.
Parker Dam, Iron Mountain, Eagle Mountain, Coachella Tunnels. There’s Palm Springs, more tunnels, and then Lake Mathews—
“Look, there’s the Colorado River Reservation, and Joshua Tree National Park… and the San Bernardino National Forest,” Jade said, her voice excited. “I’ve read about all those places, we’ll get to see some great stuff.”
That’s one hell of a long haul over some rough country. Maybe it’s not such a good idea—
Mercy held a hand up, “Let’s think about it Jade. See if you can find any more information on the Colorado River Aqueduct in here, after all it’s a State Park Office. There’ll be more information somewhere.”
I’ll talk it over with Rose—
Jade nodded, “Yeah, good idea. We’ll be passing through the real Wild West. How cool is that?”
Come on Jade, it’ll be no walk in the park. No, don’t say anything, it’s good to see some enthusiasm, some positivity. Let her have this—
“It sure sounds as if it could be amazing Jade, and we’re at the right time of year for crossing the mountains, and it’s a waterway so we wouldn’t run out of water,” Mercy said, her voice becoming more animated.
I’m talking myself around to the idea again. Get some perspective, speak to Rose—
Mercy straightened up and touched Jade’s arm, “Run it by the others, show them this map, see what they think. I’m going up top to see Rose.”
Jade nodded, “Sure thing.”
Mercy turned and walked down the corridor to find the roof stair access.
Nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Still, Colorado River Aqueduct, I like the sound of you. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get acquainted—
Chapter 20
Lakeshore
“No way,” Rose said. “There has to be an easier route. Two hundred and forty miles across desert and mountains. Get out of here—”
Mercy stared out across Lake Havasu State Park. The lake shimmered under an azure sky.
That water looks inviting. It’d be great to have a swim—
“Have you got a better idea Rose? If so I’m all ears. Come on, let’s hear it—” Mercy countered.
Rose pulled a face and looked away, “I still think I-40 is the way to go.”
“Oh yeah, really? Look, we got out of that shitstorm by the skin of our teeth. There’s a bunch of idiots up there slugging it out with each other. We got caught in the middle, we were lucky to get out. Didn’t you notice? The Vegas crowd have mechs. Mechs. They hold the land north and west of I-40. We’d be walking into Barnes’s valley of the shadow of death up there—” Mercy said, her anger rising.
Calm down, this isn’t like you. Give Rose a chance to come around—
Rose’s shoulders sagged. She looked at Mercy. “It’s a prayer, Psalm 23. It’s from the Bible, Barnes told me. He’s had to say it before for soldiers he’s lost,” Rose’s voice trailed off. “Look, maybe, if we got down to the Parker Dam by boat. Then maybe, if we had horses or mules or bikes or… I don’t know, 4x4s. Like that Paris to Dakar rally you mentioned before, but that shit ain’t going to happen. This is
the real world with tropes, mechs, warlords, and their followers—”
Mercy nodded, “I get it. I get what you’re saying Rose. You’re right, it was probably wishful thinking on my part. OK then, we’ll try and retrieve our vehicles, then we’ll head back up Route 95 to the interstate.”
Yeah, horses. Barnes would love that. It’d be possible to do twenty miles a day on a horse. Two hundred and forty two miles divided by twenty is… what? Twelve days, give or take. Jesus. Yeah right, stupid idea, we’d need a guide, it’s big country out there. We’d be in the mountains, all kinds of shit could happen. Rose is right, stick to the interstate—
Rose’s tone softened, “Sorry Mercy, I just don’t see it, and I guess I’m a bit shook up about Dimitri too. The piece of shrapnel that got him in the neck, it was about the size of a dime. I was sitting right beside him. Jade was on the other side. It could’ve been me… or Jade, instead of Dimitri. I could be under that pile of stones now. Just someone else’s memory, like Dimitri—” Rose stopped and looked south along the lakeshore.
Let it out Rose. None of us knows how to grieve. We don’t know the rules. Hell, there are no rules. We all need to grieve in our own way—
Rose was silent.
Mercy closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. “Rose, how are those nightmares you’ve been getting. Are they still bothering you—?”
Rose was quiet, an intent look on her face.
“What is it?” Mercy asked.
“Have you got your binoculars?” Rose said, without turning.
Mercy handed her binoculars to Rose and waited. Rose stood up and pressed them to her eyes.
“I see smoke. Coming from that island, the island where the casino is,” Rose said. She returned the binoculars to Mercy. “That confirms our earlier lead, there are people there. That’s where they’ve taken our vehicles. We need to recon that island from the shore as soon as—”
Mercy used the binoculars, “I see it. It’s faint but someone’s got a fire going there. They must feel pretty secure. It’s the same with any island I guess. You can clear the tropes out, put fences up, make yourself a fortress.”
“Yeah, well, we know tropes can walk under water. So they’d need to patrol that fence. The casino would make a good fortress, judging from the photo on the matches you found,” Rose said. She held out a hand, “Ready to go recon?”
Mercy looked up at her friend. The earlier tension was gone. Mercy took Rose’s hand and stood up. “Yeah, let’s go do it.”
They told the others what they had seen and explained the need for further intelligence gathering. Mercy agreed to Flynn joining her and Rose on the recon mission.
Jade pressed a map into Mercy’s hand, “Here’s what I found. It’s a map of the Parker Dam area and west of it. State Route 95 continues south from there but it connects at the town of Parker with Route 62 which heads west to Palm Springs—”
Roads mean bandits and ambushes—
“Good job Jade, information is power. I’ll have a look later. Keep this place safe, set a rooftop watch while we’re away. We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
Mercy, Rose, and Flynn set out across the weed infested car park. They made it down to the lake without incident. Water lapped against the sandy shore and a cool breeze ruffled Mercy’s hair.
That feels good, and the water looks so inviting—
Rose led the way, her AR-15 held at low port. Flynn took up the rear, his rifle at the ready. A family of ring-necked ducks swam on the water twenty feet away. Reeds rustled along the shore behind them, and a wood stork flew low over the lake a short distance away.
It all seems so peaceful—
Rose stopped and crouched down, she raised her hand. Mercy and Flynn dropped to their knees and waited. Rose pulled back and leant in to Mercy.
“There’s a slipway ahead and a fenced compound with canoes and kayaks. It’s some kind of water sports venue. There’s tropes behind the fence, they look pretty wasted, but we should skirt around the place. We don’t want to get them excited—” Rose said, her voice calm.
Canoes, kayaks—
“Yeah, let’s pull inland a bit, we must be getting close to the island now. There’ll be a vantage point somewhere,” Mercy said. She checked the time; 11:18 am.
They ducked inland through dense weeds and emerged into an overgrown RV park. The roofs of holiday chalets were just visible nearby. Rose pressed on and bypassed the water sports centre. They returned to the lakeshore and continued for another kilometre. The breeze changed and a male voice drifted out through a patch of dense reeds ahead.
“Yeah, Mojito, lookin’ good. That’s twelve ducks for the pot, reckon I’ll head home now. How’re the girls doing?”
Rose looked back at Mercy. Mercy shook her head and lifted her hand.
Wait Rose, wait—
Rose frowned and pointed left, around the reeds. Mercy shook her head again.
No, wait Rose, we don’t know how many there are—
Rose turned her back on Mercy and started moving left.
Goddammit, no Rose, stay put—
The man’s voice broke the silence, “Yeah, see you soon Mojito. We gonna eat good tonight.”
The sound of static replaced the man’s voice.
He’s on a radio—
Mercy glanced at Flynn, he nodded after Rose. Mercy jerked her head and they followed Rose. They glimpsed her shirt through the reeds.
She’s moving pretty quick—
Rose’s voice broke the silence, “Hands up mister. Don’t move. No hero shit, I’ve got a real itchy trigger finger here. Whatcha got there?”
Mercy moved through the waterlogged ground and spotted a Stryker rigid hull inflatable boat with an outboard motor. A weather beaten, bearded man stood with his hands in the air. His eyes were deep set and his face lined. He looked at Mercy and Flynn as they emerged from the reeds behind Rose.
“Seems like you got me good. You after my birds?” The man nodded at the dead ducks in the boat. “They’ll make a good meal. You look hungry. Listen, I’ll make a deal. You let me go and you get to keep the birds… and I won’t tell my people about this. You’re probably just passing through. I get it, just take the birds and go. End of—”
Mercy stepped forwards, her eyes glancing at the reeds on the left and right. “That’s not what we’re after mister. Are you from that island over there?”
The man eyed Mercy and nodded, understanding crossing his face. “You’re the leader here. Yes, young lady, I’m from the island over there, but I’m also from everywhere around here.”
Mercy reached into her pocket and pulled out the book of matches she had found earlier. She showed it to the man, “Paradise Casino, are you from Paradise Casino? You got a crew there?”
The man shrugged, “Maybe. Why? Who’s asking? And what business is it of yours?”
Mercy stared into the old man’s eyes, “Someone from the Paradise Casino dropped those matches when they stole our truck and off roader earlier this morning, back on Route 95. What do you have to say about that mister?”
The man lowered his arms slightly.
“Keep your hands up where I can see them,” Rose snarled.
Flynn waded through the knee high water to the boat and removed the man’s Winchester 1200 shotgun. “He’s got traps and snares in there, he’s right about the duck. It’s a good catch, he’s got some jackrabbits too.”
The man raised his eyebrows and took a step back, “Those vehicles had the Judge’s markings on them. You people belong to the Judge?”
Mercy shook her head sensing the man’s reticence, “No, we don’t belong to the Judge. We’re… just passing through, like you said. But we need our truck and off roader back, we’ve got some miles to cover. So… you obviously know about our vehicles. You’re going to help us get them back. Who’s running the show over there, on that island?”
The man smiled, “Well, that’ll be me. The name’s Baja Joe. Me and some of the families from the lan
d around here took over the island after the Fall. We’ve fortified it. The lake provides us with water and food. Works out pretty well for us. Those gangs up in Vegas and Flagstaff don’t bother us none, reckon they’ve got fancier tastes to what’s available down here. We live off the land, they’re still fighting over leftovers from the old world. It’s difficult for those kind of people to understand the natural world—”
“Nice speech old man,” Mercy said. “We’ve got you and your boat,” she eyed the game, “and your ducks. You’ve got our truck and off roader. We need to make a deal, talk to me.”
Baja Joe raised his eyes at his arms, “OK, sure we do but first can I lower my hands? I can’t keep them up much longer.”
Mercy nodded and Baja Joe lowered his arms with obvious relief, “Can I sit down?” He indicated the side of the boat.
Mercy relented, “Sure, just don’t make yourself too comfortable. Hand me your radio while you’re at it.”
Baja Joe gave Mercy the radio and sat down with a groan, “My hips, I’m not as young as I used to be.” He looked up, “Look, I’m sorry about your truck and off roader, but around here if you leave something unprotected it just walks.”
Mercy’s face hardened, “Yeah, well, we want our vehicles back. Can we reach a solution here?”
“Yes, I think we can young lady,” Baja Joe said, a glimmer in his eye.
Mercy blinked, surprise on her face, “Really?”
“Well, why not? I’ve just had some good news. My friend Mojito just told me on the radio that they found medicine on that truck of yours. Antibiotics and painkillers amongst other things. You see, some of the people I look after are ill, and we have no medicine to give them. Now we’ll be able to treat three of our young people, one of them is my grandson; Little Fox. He got bit by a wild dog and his wound went septic. Your antibiotics reached us just in time,” Baja Joe smiled.
“That’s good to hear,” Mercy said, her eyes narrowing. “So, what are you saying?”
“Well, you’ve brought us good luck. We’ll be able to treat our people with this medicine. We are obliged to you, we’ll help you in return. You can stay with us and enjoy the sanctuary of our home. We’ve cleared the island of infected and have fortified it. It’s secure,” Baja Joe said. He shrugged, “If you want your vehicles back that’s fine too, but you should know there’s bandits on Route 95 south of here. There’s a group of warlords in Phoenix, they’ve got a long reach.” He spat into the water, “They’re sure mean sonsofbitches, mighty twisted if you ask me.”
The Survival Chronicles | Book 8 | Final Mercy Page 12