The Last of Us

by D B Bray

  As he began to read, the wall behind them gave way, and Edward covered them as the timbers crashed down. Jack peeked up and saw men on horses dragging what was left of the wall with them. Red stood up in his stirrups and waved his men forward as a loud resounding cheer broke out.

  “Run!” Edward shouted, throwing Toby over his shoulder.

  Jack sprinted into the next room and then to the staircase in the back. Everyone followed him as he ran up flight after flight. They climbed the stairs to the bell tower, the bell long since pilfered.

  “What now?” Lucy asked, trying to catch her breath when they reached the top.

  Jack checked the back window. The bars over the window were rusted in place. He peered through the bars and noticed a rusty fire escape leading down to the ground.

  More than twenty feet, he thought.

  Edward set Toby down and ripped the bars off the window. He saw nothing below them.

  “Over the side!” Edward shouted.

  Lucy was the first through and expertly scaled the ladder. Jack nudged Toby over next as Edward slammed the door behind them and threw his weight against it. Red’s men on the other side shouted and banged on it, trying to break it down. Holding it back the best he could, Edward threw Jack the bible and the keys to his shop.

  “Get going now, son.”

  “Come with me!”

  Edward strained against the door, the dust falling into his jet-black hair.

  “My time is up, Jack me, boy. Sneak back to my shop and take what you can. Under my bed, you’ll find some things that you can trade with.” The door splintered at one edge, showering Edward with wood. Edward sighed. “Make sure you tell Toby I said goodbye, and I hope he finds the rest of the treasure without me.”

  Jack stared at him for a couple of moments until the door began to cave. Edward smiled and nodded to the window. “Go.”

  Jack slipped over the rail and shimmied down the ladder. As they ran into the underbrush, Toby shouted, “Where’s Edward?”

  “He’s not coming,” Jack said, pushing him forward.

  Cresting the hill, Jack turned back and looked at the steeple. He was glad Toby’s back was turned as he watched Edward thrown out of the window. He heard screaming, and then he realized it was his own voice.

  Several hours later, Toby balled uncontrollably as Lucy tried to console him. Edward hadn’t been with them long, but long enough to make an impression. They waited for nightfall, finding cover in a large hollowed-out oak tree. The rains had set in as night fell, filling their hiding spot with an inch of rain. Wet and miserable, they stayed there until the moon was high in the pitch-black sky above them.

  Several patrols passed by them after they fled, some so close Jack could see the steam rising from the horses in the torchlight. After not hearing anything for several hours, they moved on. Jack used his compass, and they soon found themselves near the east wall of the city.

  “Why didn’t you help him?” Toby asked again for the tenth time.

  Jack glared at him. “I told you, I tried. He gave his life so you could live yours. Now, if you don’t have anything useful to add to the conversation, shut up,” he hissed.

  Lucy stepped between them. “Be nice, Jack.”

  Jack threw his hands up in frustration. “Grow up, Tob. This isn’t a dream world. It’s real. People die in the real world,” he said.

  Lucy pushed Jack off balance, knocking him into the dirt. “I said enough.”

  Jack stalked off and paid neither of them attention until they reached Edward’s shop. Jack slid the skeleton key in the lock and nudged the door open, the moonlight illuminating the doorway. Jack handed Lucy the rifle and crept inside. They followed him in and hunched over, trying to stay in the shadows.

  “Find what you can. If it’s edible, take it. Any bullets, pans, cookware, or anything else we may need for the trip need to be packed in other backpacks.” He found some knapsacks hanging on a hook near a wood stove and tossed them over to Lucy. “Fill them up.”

  He walked over to the stairs leading upstairs. As he navigated them, they groaned under his weight. Every step sounded like a bolt of lightning, hitting a tree. Reaching the top, he crept into Edward’s room and looked around.

  The room was quiet, not even a breeze blowing through the open windows. Jack saw a desk against one of the walls. He searched it and found clips of ammunition, and inside a closet nearby, he found another rifle.

  Jack got on his knees and looked under the bed. A heavy suitcase was wedged under the frame between the box spring’s support beams. He yanked it and then clicked open the latches. The lid popped up, and a smile crossed his features.

  The suitcase was loaded down with gold bullion. In a holder used for a passport, he found a stack of city tour guides for New York, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles. He shoved the gold coins and guidebooks into his knapsack.

  He slid the suitcase back under the bed and then rose to his feet. After another thorough search of the room, he found nothing of interest and walked back downstairs.

  I’m sorry, Edward. I’ll make it up to you.

  Toby and Lucy were huddled by the door, eating some hardtack and dried beef.

  “Everybody ready?” Jack asked.

  They nodded and followed him out into the still night air.

  “Stay with me. We’ll keep to the shadows and sneak out the gate,” he told them, handing Lucy the spare rifle. Their hands touched briefly, and Jack jerked his clammy hands away.

  They hugged the wall as they navigated their way to the gate. Jack saw the guard dozing and pointed for Toby and Lucy to stay where they were. He crept within a few feet of the guard, counted the seconds between his snores, and then clubbed him over the head with the butt of his rifle. He waved for Toby and Lucy to follow, and then they sprinted into the forest.

  With no horses, they walked several miles to the next town and traded for tent accommodations. Once they were settled in, Jack made a fire, warmed some dried meat, and boiled some gravy. They ate in silence, too tired to even carry on a conversation

  “So, what did you find, Jack?” Lucy finally asked.

  He opened the knapsack and then shut it as quickly as he opened it. “The answer to all our problems.”

  Lucy could barely contain her excitement, looking at their newfound wealth. “We’re rich!” she hissed.

  Toby stared at the coin Edward gave him and rolled it around between his thumb and forefinger. “Edward told me money is the root of all evil,” he said, joining the conversation.

  “Remember, those with money make the rules,” Jack said, swallowing a spoonful of gravy.

  Toby glared at him.

  Jack glanced over to Lucy. “By the way, you never told me why you were in that cage,” he said.

  She blinked and stared at her food. “It’s a long story.”

  “We have plenty of time.”

  Lucy sighed and hung her head. “My uncle is the man chasing us.”

  Jack stopped eating; his face ridged. “Are you joking?”

  “No, my father rebelled against him a few years ago with other people in the War Council. A group of men and women who kept the natural order of things in the city. He stuck me in that cage for not following an order,” Lucy said.

  Toby jumped in. “What did you do?”

  “I refused to help him execute the slaves.”

  Jack’s eyes widened. “Execute the slaves?”

  She nodded her head. “The old, the sick, and the disruptive. Toby was due for execution in the morning when you rescued us,” she whispered.

  “What?” Toby asked, dropping his fork.

  “You didn’t have any further use,” Lucy went on to explain. “Uncle Red will keep tracking us until he gets me back—-.”

  “That’s not going to happen. We have a place to hide called Fort Camden. Jasmine will take care of us, but we have to find this Constitution thing and then bring it back to her,” Jack said.

  The spark of determination came
back into Lucy’s eyes. “Did you find any clues?” she asked.

  Jack dug in his pocket and pulled out the ripped piece of paper from the bottom of the box where they found the first paragraph of the Constitution. He pieced it together by the fire and read it;

  The slavers have come for me. I thought I was safe. I only have a few moments, so I have hidden my piece of the document in the safest place I could think of. The article of the Constitution in this box is called The Preamble; some of the most important words in our Republic. There are three other pieces, each with another Savior. I myself am a descendant of James Madison, and as one of the chief architects of the Constitution, the first part stayed where it was signed. If you didn’t already know, the Constitution was written in front of the wall you hopefully found this box in. This building is of monumental importance to the welfare of this country, the United States. I don’t know what year this will be found if it’s even found at all, but I pray that someday it will help reunite the people.

  The next piece will be harder to procure than this one. My friend and fellow Savior, Jacob Hamilton, a descendant of Alexander Hamilton, took his bit and said he was going to The New York Society Library in New York City. He used to say it’s a place Alexander Hamilton would frequent often. With the way these bombs have been falling, I’m not even sure if New York still exists, but if it does, I would start there. Good luck.

  Jack glanced over at Lucy when he finished. “You with us?”

  She paused. “I don’t really have any other options, do I?”

  Jack smiled. “Nope.”

  “So, we go,” Lucy said.

  Chapter 7

  Jack woke up and clutched at the air in front of him. As he sucked in deep breathes, beads of sweat dripped from his brow and chin.

  “Don’t worry, nothing there,” Lucy said, poking at the fire. “If you’re reaching for Edward, don’t. He’s gone.”

  Jack glanced up and tried to play it off. “I must have been hunting,” he said.

  She smiled. “You’re a terrible liar, Jack. I meant to ask you, why does this Constitution thing mean so much to you?”

  Jack stood and walked over to the fire and sat down. “It doesn’t, we kind of fell into it. One day we were hunting for food, the next…” He snapped his fingers and sighed. “We’re here. I wish I could just wake up, and this was all some terrible dream.”

  “Let me see the piece we have,” she said, trying to change the subject.

  Jack pulled the Preamble out of his pocket, looked in her direction, and then handed it over. She opened it and reread the paragraph. Folding it up, she gave it back to him and poked the fire again, stirring the embers. “I don’t understand what it all means. Wish Edw—-.”

  Jack cut her off. “Like you said, he ain’t, so let’s not speak of it again. It’s you, Toby and me. We need to find the next pieces,” he said.

  Lucy shrugged. “Okay, but where is this New York City.”

  Jack rummaged through his bag and pulled out a worn tour map from Edward’s shop. He opened it and stuck his finger on a piece of land smaller than Rhode Island.

  “It’s here,” Jack said.

  She glanced around his finger and said, “Not far from here, huh?”

  Jack sighed. “Nope, but I’ve heard rumors about this place. It’s dangerous, really dangerous,” he said.

  Lucy chuckled. “Dangerous? Look around you, Jack, everything is dangerous.”

  “Suppose you’re right.”

  He glanced at Toby, watching his chest rise and fall. He opened the map again and traced their route he had already memorized. Lucy slid closer and looked over his shoulder. Their eyes met, and Jack brushed the stray strands of her hair behind her ear. She smiled and returned his gaze.

  What do I do now? I’ve never been close to a girl.

  Lucy sensed his trepidation and smiled. “Never had a girl sit this close to you, have you?” she teased.

  Jack blushed. “Well, well, there weren’t any girls my age in Fort Monroe. So, —-.”

  Lucy leaned in and kissed him, holding her soft hand against his cheek. Jack’s body surged with excitement as they kissed for several minutes. Their lips broke apart, and Lucy gave him a sly smile. Jack’s heart and mind raced as he thought of what to say.

  Now what, oh no, was I okay, or….

  “Relax, Jack, you’re a good kisser,” she said, reading his thoughts. “Never kissed a girl before, have you?”

  “No, I mean, well kinda once, but…”

  “It’s a yes, or no question,” she said.

  Hands shaking, heart racing, and dripping with sweat, he said, “Then no, I haven’t.” He touched his cleft lip and dropped his head.

  Oh God, she must think I’m an idiot.

  “Don’t worry about your lip. I think it’s cute.”

  She slid over some more and nuzzled against his shoulder in front of the fire. They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the peace and quiet away from the road. His hands were still clammy, his neck sweating profusely. Lucy slid her hand over his and squeezed it.

  “Thanks for helping me escape, Jack. I know you just wanted to help your brother, but I appreciate it all the same,” she said.

  He cleared his throat. “You’re welcome.”

  “Goodnight, Jack,” she said, pecking him on the cheek.

  “Goodnight,” he said, watching her walk back over to her bed.

  She slid under the covers and waved at him, then turned her back to the fire and fell asleep. Jack sat for a moment, staring into the fire. It was as if there was something magical about the way it worked. He knew how to start one, but not why it worked.

  One day I’m going to have a library full of books on everything I can ever read about, even fire.

  There was only one route, and he didn’t like their chances. Even if they could find the library, they still had to navigate the streets, avoid the nasties, and dodge the irradiated animals. And the most important things to avoid were the scavenger and slaver tribes.

  He knew his quest would be dangerous, but he didn't expect it to drag him through every zone. No one in Zone Ten had ever traveled further than he had in a short week.

  He glanced over at Toby while he slept and felt a twinge of guilt for letting Edward die for them. He stood up and walked outside to clear his head. The tent city was alive with men and women drinking, something he had never done, nor wished to.

  He stared at the moon, highlighting the stars around him. An old woman walked past him with a child pulling a cart behind her. The older woman wore a heavy, ragged blanket for a coat. She coughed and stood still in front of him for a moment, catching her breath.

  “Excuse me, madam. May I help you?” Jack asked.

  Startled, she took a step back. Jack dug into his pocket and pulled out a few coins. He reached his hand out and waited for her to do the same. She hesitated for a moment and then extended it, her eyes wide.

  “My name is Jack Madison. I come from Zone Ten, and I wanted to give you this to help you and the child,” he said, dropping the coins in her dirt-stained hand.

  A tear fell from the woman’s eye, and she bowed her head. Jack gently lifted her chin and smiled. The rector always told him to help the helpless, no matter how bleak their lot in life was, he was obligated to help. She made eye contact with him and closed her palm.

  He touched her shoulder. “Wait one moment. I’ll be right back,” he said.

  Coming out of the tent, he knelt by the little girl and wrapped her in some of the wolf furs they collected at Independence Hall.

  “What’s your name?” he asked, kneeling in front of her.

  The girl looked at her mother, who nodded. “My name is Vivian.”

  “Remember Vivian, sometimes all we have is hope,” he said with a wink.

  He stood and faced Vivian’s mother again. “This should be enough for you to buy a donkey and ride out of town. I want you to buy a map and go to a place called Fort Camden. Find a woman named Ja
smine and tell her I sent you,” he said, handing her another handful of coins.

  She blinked and then sobbed. Jack held her close until her crying subsided. She looked into his eyes, the crow's feet around them deeply ingrained on her face. She looked at her daughter and nodded.

  “My mother can’t speak,” Vivian said.

  Jack smiled and held up his finger, motioning for them to wait. He returned with a few more pelts and draped them over the older woman’s shoulders. “Go to Fort Camden with your daughter, and we will meet again,” he said.

  The woman hugged him so tight that he couldn’t catch his breath. She mouthed thank you and grabbed Vivian’s hand. He watched them walk into the mist and then went back inside.

  He looked to the heavens. Thanks for the lesson, Edward. We’ll meet again.

  Chapter 8

  Jack woke up to the smell of gristle and offal frying in a cast iron pan. The distinct popping of the fat was unlike any other pan people used. He rolled out from under his covers and wiped his hands across his eyes.

  Lucy and Toby sat cross-legged on the dirt floor, playing rock, paper, scissors. He walked over to the fire and sniffed his shirt.

  “I need a bath and a change of clothes,” he said, sitting by them.

  Toby laughed. “You do smell like a wildebeest,” he said.

  Jack rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Tob,” he said, picking up a piece of gristle. With relish, he threw it into his mouth. “Oh hot, wow, that’s hot,” he said, much to the enjoyment of the others.

  “I need to buy more horses for our trip,” Jack said after his tongue cooled down.

  “I’ll go with you,” Toby said.

  “Nah, I need you to pack up. I’ll be right back,” he said, pulling a handful of gold coins from his pack.

  He walked out of the tent and followed a worn path to the center of the tent city. He stepped over the excrement and loose trash lining the road. He walked a bit further until he found a horse dealer who was busy scribbling something down on a piece of paper.