“It’s a wall,” Fred said with amusement, staring through an opening in the trees.
“A wall?” Tabitha asked, moving to get beside him.
They all stopped, Fred crouching low so the others behind him could see what he was talking about. Regan’s mouth dropped open as she stared at the ugly wall made from metal siding. It had to be a good ten feet high. What had to be the missing cars were pressed up against it, as if they were holding the metal up like bookends.
“I would say unfriendly was an understatement,” Wolf mumbled, staring at the crude wall of varying colors and height.
“They built a wall!” Tabitha gasped in total shock.
“Wow. That’s really smart,” Travis said, clearly impressed by what he was seeing.
“How?” Regan asked, still in disbelief.
“It looks like a bunch of pole buildings were dismantled. That and probably hay sheds, and whatever else they could get their hands on,” Wolf explained.
“It is impressive, but ugly,” Tabitha said, shaking her head.
“How big do you think it is?” Regan asked.
Wolf shook his head. “Not big at all. Maybe five acres? I can’t see the back side, but I would estimate, from what we’re seeing, that it’s about the size of the island.”
“How many people do you think live in there?” Tabitha asked.
Frozen, they all stared at the town with awe. It was unbelievable to see something so crude. It had to have been put together by hand, with no electric tools. Regan was thoroughly impressed with the ingenuity of whoever masterminded the project, but somewhat disturbed by the efforts to shut the area off.
“I have no way of knowing. There could be twenty or a hundred,” Wolf commented.
“Do you think it’s a few houses or a whole town with businesses and stuff?” Travis asked.
Once again, Wolf shrugged a shoulder. “I have no idea. I don’t think I’ve ever been here. It can’t be a big town. Maybe with a gas station or something along those lines; a small pharmacy, hopefully.”
“Now what do we do?” Regan asked.
“Getting inside isn’t going to be easy. If they have a wall up, I think we need to assume they have something worth protecting. We also have to assume they are armed and dangerous,” Wolf said, excitement leaking into his tone. He didn’t have to explain why—if they had something worth protecting, that could well mean they had medicine.
“Look!” Fred hissed, pointing to the top of the wall where it looked like a man was walking along it, a rifle in his hand, the barrel aimed at the ground.
“How in the world?” Regan mumbled, trying to understand what she was seeing.
“I’m guessing they have scaffolding on the inside of the wall. Those walls are only about ten to twelve feet high. Scaffolding or the roofs of houses and buildings within the walls. They’re patrolling the area. These guys aren’t playing around,” Wolf said, frustration sounding in his voice.
“We need to see if there’s a break in the wall. They couldn’t possibly have enclosed a whole town,” Travis volunteered.
“There is no way they could have screwed the walls together. That would take forever without a drill,” Fred added.
“Let’s try to get a better view to figure out what we’re dealing with. We need to know if there’s an easy way in. Stick to the trees, we can’t risk crossing that road. There’s no cover,” Wolf instructed.
They began to move to the right, running parallel to the ugly wall of metal. But they ran out of cover about halfway around and had to stop. Regan was tempted to dash out of the trees and into the thick reeds growing in a marsh running behind and along the wall.
“I think it’s safe to say the wall fully encloses the town,” Fred said, sounding impressed.
“I wonder how many people are in there?” Tabitha mused again.
Regan didn’t blame her for wondering. It was exciting to think they had discovered some secret population, living untouched by the EMP in the comfort of their own little cocoon.
“I can hear men talking,” Regan said, straining her ears to hear what was being said.
“I’ve spotted at least four men on that wall. I’m guessing they guard day and night. They’re not exactly inviting visitors in. That one is carrying an AR-15, semi-automatic. We can’t outrun that thing, and I don’t want to find out if he’s a good shot,” Wolf said.
“We need to get out of here before they notice we’re here,” Fred announced, pulling away from the group as if to head back the way they’d come.
The spotting of the tactical rifle in the guard’s hands made everyone nervous. That changed the game. They couldn’t take on armed guards with the handguns they had. They needed a lot more firepower than that if they wanted to have a chance.
Wolf agreed with Fred with a quick nod of his head, retreating deeper into the trees. They stuck to the thick brush as they made their way back to the old highway they’d been traveling on a good mile down the road from the walls of the town.
Their spirits were in the toilet as they moved along, each of them lost in their own thoughts as they debated what to do next. It wasn’t long before they found the van with Heather inside, doting on Lily, the back doors and the front doors open to aid in airflow through the vehicle. The heat was stifling outside, and inside the back of the van, it was at least ten degrees hotter.
“What’d you find?” Geno asked, getting up from the shady spot next to the van to greet them.
About to answer, Regan paused when she felt something off and looked around. She froze. Travis wasn’t with them.
She didn’t want to alarm Heather, so she grabbed Tabitha’s arm and pulled her a few feet toward the front of the van.
“Where’s Travis?” she hissed.
Tabitha looked around. “I thought he was with us? He was right behind us.”
“I don’t see him,” Regan said in a low voice, her eyes drifting toward the tree line.
“Oh no. He was behind me, and then he wasn’t! I assumed he went around and ahead, anxious to get back to Lily. I wasn’t really paying attention. I was so focused on trying to think of what to do next.”
“We need to tell Wolf and go back to find him. We can’t leave him out there alone. What if he gets snatched?” Regan whispered.
“Why would he split off from us? Wouldn’t we have heard him get attacked?”
Regan shook her head with frustration. “I have no—”
Travis came through the trees at that moment, headed for the van like nothing was amiss.
“Where have you been?” Regan whisper-shouted, gesturing for him to join her and Tabitha at the front of the van.
“I wanted to get a better idea of what they were hiding behind the walls. I got a little closer and peeked through one of the gaps. You were right; those metal sheets aren’t connected by anything. One hurricane and those walls are going to blow down,” he muttered, shaking his head.
“Did you see anything else?” Tabitha asked before Regan could berate him for going off on his own.
Travis grinned. “Kind of. It’s what I heard. I think they have a clinic or something. I heard a woman saying she needed to visit the doctor for a cut on her hand. She was saying she thought it was infected. The man she was talking to said he would go with her to the clinic. They were outside a house where one of the pieces of metal was flimsily attached with nails to the back wall of the house,” Travis explained.
Tabitha rubbed her hands together, as if torn between excitement and nerves. “That’s excellent news, but you shouldn’t have snuck off like that. If they would have caught you spying, they might have shot you.”
“I only wanted to get a closer look. I’m fast and stealthy,” he grinned.
Regan narrowed her eyes at him. “No more sneaking off and ditching us.”
“You did what?” Heather shrieked from behind them.
All three of them jumped and spun around, looks of guilt and terror on their faces as the ferocious mama bear
stared them down.
“I didn’t know, Heather! I’m sorry!” Regan immediately apologized.
Wolf joined them. “Know what?”
“Travis went up to the wall!” Tabitha said with shock and excitement.
Wolf eyed the boy carefully. “And? Was it worth the risk?” he asked calmly.
Regan was a little surprised by his lack of real concern. She guessed he had a point. The kid was back in one piece and had gotten some pretty valuable information. Heather, on the other hand, looked too angry to find words.
Travis grinned. “They have a clinic and a doctor. At least, they mentioned a doctor. And they have medicine—that’s what it sounded like.”
Wolf looked excited. “You saw this?”
Travis shrugged and quickly told Wolf what he’d just reported to Regan and Tabitha.
“Wolf, you cannot praise him for doing something so stupid!” Heather scolded.
Wolf looked at her, then Travis. “He’s fine. He did what none of us could do.”
“It’s like you said, Wolf. They’ve got something valuable and they’re protecting it,” Travis said proudly.
Wolf was nodding his head. “It makes sense they would build a wall. They have built their own community and are protecting their resources. We know a doctor and medicine is an extremely valuable resource.”
“Let’s go back!” Tabitha said immediately.
Wolf shook his head. “It doesn’t mean they are going to be willing to share what they have. Look at what we already encountered. The wall alone says a lot about how much they’re willing to share.”
“It doesn’t hurt to ask!” Tabitha argued.
Wolf took a deep breath. “We need to think this through.”
Regan agreed with Wolf on this, but didn’t know how to explain that to Tabitha. There were too many variables. They had a little more information, but they knew nothing about the townspeople themselves. Were they violent tyrants or a peaceful group who would welcome an injured child with open arms? It wasn’t like there was a welcome sign hung on the wall.
“I’ll put together some lunch and we’ll talk it over. And you, young man, I swear that if you ever do anything so stupid and reckless again, I will ground you for the rest of your life!” Heather snapped.
Regan tried not to laugh at Heather’s instant need to serve food any time they had a problem. It was her therapy, her way of working through a problem. At a moment like this, though, it was almost comical. It didn’t bother Regan a bit to have her afflicted with such a need to cook when stressed, of course. It always amazed Regan how Heather could put together a quick meal with very limited ingredients.
They all watched as she scurried back to the van, leaving the others standing in the middle of the road. The tubs had been neatly piled against the van, keeping them out of the direct sun while making more room in the back of the van.
Wolf put a hand on Travis’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “That was incredibly brave and incredibly stupid. Thank you.”
Travis grinned. “I want to help. I’ll do anything to help Lily get better.”
“I appreciate that, but please don’t put your own life at risk. It will only make it that much harder for all of us,” Wolf said in a fatherly way, his arm resting on Travis’s shoulders. “As we’ve told you, this was an accident—it wasn’t your fault,” he said.
Regan reached out and caught Wolf’s hand, hearing the stress in his voice. Travis had been wavering between blaming himself and fighting to be involved in finding a way to help Lily—it was the only reason Heather had agreed to him heading off to the town with them to begin with. But they all knew it wasn’t his fault. One way or another, they would have faced a crisis like this eventually—Regan only wished it hadn’t been the youngest among them suffering.
They walked back to the van to find Heather fighting with a tiny manual can opener while struggling to open the commercial can of chili they had found in an old restaurant on their journey north. The highway restaurant had been in the middle of nowhere and had gone virtually ignored. They’d managed to score a lot of canned food there, which had been a huge boost to their mood.
“I’ll grab the dish tote,” Regan said, pulling out the plastic tub that was loaded with dishes they had taken from the restaurant.
Tabitha was in the van, checking on her patient and not looking pleased with the results.
While washing dishes wasn’t always easy with the limited water supply they had, they’d decided they were worth the space in the van. When they did get to the swamp and settled in, having dishes would be a luxury they’d appreciate. It was Heather who’d been thinking long-term, of course. She was planning on a home with as many creature comforts as she could muster.
Lily struggled to sit up. “I’d like to eat with everyone else.”
“Are you sure?” Tabitha asked.
Lily nodded. “I feel a little better. I’d like to get some fresh air,” she said in a weak voice.
“Let me make you a spot to sit,” Travis said, moving into action.
Tabitha helped Lily out of the van, carefully leading her to the small blanket folded in half that Travis had put down for her near the front passenger door of the van where there was a modicum of shade. Lily leaned against the van, her eyes closed. Regan could see how weak she was.
The few steps she’d taken had worn her out.
Geno took the can opener from Heather and managed to get the can open with a great deal of effort. Everyone was dished up a healthy serving of cold chili and a package of stale crackers that had also been found in the restaurant. Travis sat close to Lily. She refused the chili, but did her best to eat some crackers. After every few nibbles she took, Travis would take her cracker and hand her a glass filled with purified drinking water. Regan thought it was incredibly sweet how much Travis was doting on Lily, though she worried about him feeling so guilty. He was a good kid, and would one day make an excellent husband, she mused.
“Okay, let’s talk options for approaching the town and asking for help. You all heard what Travis learned, as well as the potential danger the people present,” Wolf commented.
“We could leave the van here and carry Lily to the town and ask for help. Then we won’t appear to have anything. We’ll tell them we walked from somewhere,” Fred volunteered.
“What about the van? What if someone steals it while it’s sitting on the side of the road? I can’t hide it in the trees. Up ahead looked a little drier, but that means more distance between the safety of the van and the town,” Geno protested.
“We’ll leave a couple people behind to guard it,” Fred replied as if it were obvious.
Wolf shook his head. “There’s no reason for all of us to go. Regan and I can take Lily. They’ll be less threatened by the three of us than they would be by an entire group. The rest of you can go ahead to the reservation and we’ll catch up.”
“That’s not an option,” Geno stated firmly. “I don’t like the idea of leaving anyone behind. What if you get into trouble? We need to be close in case you need help. I’m not prepared to leave you to the mercy of those people.”
Fred nodded his head. “I agree. No way are we letting the three of you go alone.”
“I’ll take Lily. I can talk to their doctor and tell them what’s happening,” Tabitha volunteered.
“No,” Geno said.
Regan looked over at Lily, who was nibbling on a cracker, listening to everyone talk about her. She knew the girl was stubborn, and also knew how much she hated being told what to do. The conversation had to be making her feel horrible. It was a sign of how ill she was that she wasn’t fighting back or arguing about what should and shouldn’t be done.
“We could keep moving,” Heather offered. “RC and I can go with Geno and Lily to the reservation. I think someone there will have something to help, whether it’s a natural healing or western medicine. We could be there by tonight,” Heather offered.
“And what if something happens?
What if you’re ambushed and don’t make it to the reservation?” Fred protested.
“Something can happen anywhere,” Heather reasoned.
“I can go alone and ask for help. There’s no way they’ll be threatened by me,” Tabitha offered.
Geno was shaking his head again, his lips set in a firm line. “No way. We’ve already tried that, and you almost got killed. I’m not letting you go anywhere alone.”
Tabitha rolled her eyes. “I’m a big girl, Geno. I can tell them I’m an EMT.”
He shook his head. “Are you crazy? No way! Look what happened when that other place found out you were an EMT. They wanted to keep you.”
“But this town already has a doctor. They don’t need me,” she insisted.
Geno was still shaking his head, but now reached out and put his hand protectively on Tabitha’s knee, as if to ground her there beside him. It was clear he wasn’t going to change his mind, and Regan didn’t blame him. She didn’t like the idea of Tabitha going in alone, either. Following his protest, the air went silent—they had no good options, and they all knew it. No one else spoke up. Instead, everyone sat glaring at one another, the tension as thick and heavy as the humidity.
Regan realized they were at yet another impasse. Every choice had a downside, but they had to make a decision and recognize there was no perfect option. No matter what they did, there’d be risk involved. Her eyes drifted back to Lily. The girl was getting weaker by the hour. They didn’t have time for all the fighting.
“I’ll take something to trade,” Tabitha persisted.
“I’m ready to lay down,” Lily spoke up, her thready voice stopping all conversation.
Wolf jumped up, walking toward his daughter and easily lifting her, carrying her back to the van. Her good arm wrapped around his neck as her head rested against her father’s shoulder. It terrified Regan to see her so ill. She missed the combative Lily, and the fire she’d always exhibited. Even bickering back and forth with her would have been a welcome relief right now. She’d take that over this illness any day of the week from now on, she promised herself, and be grateful for it in the bargain.
“I think there’s a small stream on the other side of those trees. I’m going to get these dishes done and wash some of those towels,” Heather announced, obviously seeking a good excuse to leave the tense situation. She always found something to do that allowed her to stay busy and useful.
Survivalist Reality Show: The Complete Series Page 68