Survivalist Reality Show: The Complete Series

by Grace Hamilton

  Mac smiled. “We’ll think about what’s best for the boy. In the meantime, it’s probably best he stays inside the walls. Things can get pretty rough out there at night. I’d hate to send him out alone and he get hurt, nightfall coming like it is. I would never be able to live with myself.”

  Tabitha looked at Travis, then Mac. “He’s been on his own before. He knows these lands. He’s native to the reservation, and is probably far more capable than any of us are out there.”

  Mac grinned, apparently seeing through the game and willing to play it. “I noticed, but that doesn’t make him invincible. I can’t let him leave. My conscience wouldn’t survive, Tabitha,” he finished, sounding as if he might be baiting her—or clarifying that his was the last word, Travis thought.

  Tabitha looked as if she would argue, but quickly backed down. “First thing tomorrow then?” she pushed.

  Mac shrugged. “We’ll see. There’s really no rush. You are all our welcomed guests. Rest, eat, and let your friend heal.”

  The man turned to leave. Travis knew he had to think fast, trying to come up with a way to get that message out to Wolf and the others.

  “Sir, okay, but can I please go up on the wall? I’d like to thank the gods for leading us to you,” Travis blurted out, doing his best to sound humble.

  “Thank the gods?” Mac repeated, his eyebrows raised. “You really are one of those native kids aren’t you?” he asked in a somewhat snide tone.

  “He is,” Tabitha cut in before Travis could answer. “These things are important to him. It is something he needs to do. It’s harmless. He’s been praying, singing, and chanting for days,” Tabitha explained. “For Lily,” she added pointedly, with a glance to the girl lying comatose beside them.

  Seeing the look on Mac’s face, Travis remembered what they had been told about the town and their general intolerance for the Native Americans. He realized he could have just put a giant target on his back. His dark hair and light skin hid his true heritage, but he’d all but told them who and what he was, opening himself up to whatever prejudice they felt.

  Mac stared at him as if torn, clearly still bound by the rules of society that had allowed for religious freedom. He looked uncomfortable. “Alright, sure, I guess we can do that. We have guards on the wall. Don’t try to do anything stupid,” he warned.

  Travis nodded his head. “I won’t. Thank you, sir.”

  His mom and dad had drilled manners and respect into his head from the day he’d been born. Even in times like this, he couldn’t seem to shake all those years of training, which was a good thing right now, he reminded himself.

  “Take him up,” Mac ordered one of the men behind him.

  Travis was led out of the clinic and over to a ladder, which he was ordered to climb up. He found himself standing on a two-story home that was part of the wall, with sheet metal screwed to either side.

  “Go ahead—do your thing, kid,” the man said a little gruffly, adjusting the rifle strap on his shoulder.

  Travis stood on the house, staring in the direction where he knew the camp would be, hoping the others had figured out they were gone and would be close enough to hear the message he was about to deliver.

  With his hands raised to the sky, he began to chant one of the songs his mother used to sing to him. It was nothing more than a song of love and peace, but the lyrics spoke of the sunrise and the wind. He repeatedly used the word ‘west’, hoping Wolf, RC, or his mother would realize he’d adlibbed and was telling them to come into the town from the west side. There was no way to stop them from coming—he knew that. But he didn’t want them to walk into an ambush.

  He switched his song to one of healing and wellness, hoping they would understand that Lily was okay, getting the help she needed. Wolf would be worried sick about his daughter, and he had a feeling Wolf would want to tear him limb from limb when he got his hands on him. But he would deal with all of that later. For now, Lily was getting better. He’d gladly be held prisoner a few days while she got stronger.

  18

  They had returned from their quick scouting mission to the town and settled in, all of them shell-shocked. Wolf had found Lily’s backpack abandoned on the ground with a can of chocolate syrup in it. It had been then they’d realized she must have attempted to go alone. It stood to reason that Tabitha had tried to stop her, and perhaps Travis, as well, or maybe one of them had run after the two others and been too late. Whatever had happened, it was done now.

  When they’d gotten closer to the walls, it had been Heather who’d heard her son’s voice and stopped the group from talking or moving.

  The song he’d been singing was one she knew, as did Wolf and RC. The three of them had stood still, listening and shaking their heads.

  “It’s not right,” Heather had murmured.

  RC and Wolf had nodded their heads, both of them with slight smiles on their faces. And then Wolf had explained to those who didn’t know the songs that Travis was giving them a point of attack through the words of the smash-up of songs he had strung together. He was also communicating that Lily was healing, which meant that at least that part of the mission had been successful. The teen’s cleverness had impressed them all, and taken some of the stress out of their recon mission, but they were still left with a serious problem.

  For now, though, they were back at camp, things having gone tense once again.

  Regan looked around the angry, stressed faces of the group. Things were bad, and they could all feel it. Tabitha had no idea what she’d walked into. Regan understood it. Been there, done that, she thought to herself. She’d made the mistake of waltzing into an encampment like that once. People were valuable commodities, especially those with a skillset like Tabitha possessed. Irritated as she was with her friend for putting herself in jeopardy, Regan still understood her reasons for doing it.

  “We have to go get them,” Fred announced.

  “We know that,” Geno growled back at the other man.

  “I think we need to be smart about it, is what I mean. We can’t go running in there without having a plan,” he shot back.

  Wolf took a deep breath. “Travis told us she was healing. We have to assume they are giving her the medicine Tabitha was anxious to get.”

  Fred nodded. “Exactly. And that’s why I’m bringing up us forming a plan. We have time—that’s part of why Travis was up there, I bet. She’ll need to be on the medicine a couple of days to truly get better. I think we need to stay put, and give her time to get stronger before we stage any kind of rescue mission. Going in to get them now could be very bad for Lily. She won’t be strong enough.”

  Geno was shaking his head. “No. I don’t want to leave Tabitha in there. What if they’re hurting her?” he demanded.

  “Travis was allowed to sing,” Heather pointed out quietly. “I think we have to assume they’re giving them some freedoms. Tabitha chose to do this because she wanted to help Lily,” Heather reasoned. “We have to respect that, and trust her and Travis,” she added, almost despite herself from what Regan could see.

  Geno was shaking his head. “You heard Travis. We didn’t hear Tabitha.”

  “She was probably with Lily,” Regan suggested.

  “I hate to say it, but I think it’s best if we leave them for a couple of days,” Wolf allowed. “We’ll watch the town. Someone will be on watch around the clock. Maybe they’ll walk out on their own. If what Fred says is true and they want to help Lily, that wouldn’t be possible now even if the townspeople allowed it.”

  Regan smiled, hoping that were true. “It is a possibility,” she murmured.

  The sun had kept baking them as they’d stood on the hot road, and Heather finally gestured toward the tree line. “Let’s move to the shade and take a rest. I’ll make us some dinner,” Heather said.

  Without being asked, Regan offered to help. She knew Heather was worried about her only son, and staying busy was how she was coping, but that didn’t mean she had to do it on her own. Th
e men moved to the shade, each of them still glaring and growling at each other like a pack of rabid dogs.

  “He’s going to be okay,” Regan told the other woman quietly.

  Heather smiled. “He has to be. He’s all I have left in this world. I don’t know that I want to be here in this world without him. I’ve already lost one man I loved dearly. I can’t lose another.”

  Regan put her hand on Heather’s shoulder. “We’ll get him. He’s a smart kid. We have to assume they are okay if he was singing and telling us that Lily is getting better. That’s a good sign. We’ve been assuming the worst of people, but maybe they’re not so bad.”

  “Those other people said they were prejudiced,” Heather reminded her.

  Regan winced. “Maybe they’ve relaxed their ways a bit.”

  Heather nodded her head. “I hope so. We can’t let them sit in there for more than a couple days. I can’t do it.”

  “I know. And we won’t. We’ll watch and wait, and take our moment when the time is right,” Regan promised.

  With that said, they quickly went about opening several cans of chicken noodle soup. The heat from the day had warmed the cans enough to make it palatable without a fire. Regan was so hungry she could have eaten it cold, in any case. In fact, she would have preferred it cold. Hot soup on a hot day wasn’t her idea of a good meal, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

  “I’ll head over and take first watch,” Wolf announced, picking up the handgun.

  “I’ll go with you,” Regan volunteered, wanting some time alone with him.

  “Take the rifle,” RC suggested.

  Wolf shook his head. “No, I need to be fast on my feet and I don’t want to pack that around. You keep it here in case anyone tries to come into camp.”

  The older man nodded. “Be careful, son.”

  “I can go with you,” Geno offered.

  Wolf shook his head. “One of you can come later, or don’t. I’m happy to stand watch all night,” he announced. “Stay alert. They might be out scouting, assuming those three weren’t alone.”

  Regan knew he wanted to be close to his daughter. It was a protective instinct that she felt, as well. Even if he couldn’t actually see her or touch her, being nearby was something. Heather handed Regan a blanket and a bottle of water. Regan thanked her quietly and headed back to the town walls with Wolf.

  “She’s getting better,” Regan said as they walked through the trees.

  “I know. It’s the only reason I’m not storming in there,” he stated.

  “She probably tried to go on her own, Wolf. Tabitha and Travis may have tried to stop her,” Regan offered.

  He shrugged, but didn’t disagree. “It’s because of how we were all talking at lunch. I knew she felt bad. I should have told everyone to stop, to wait until she was asleep before we hashed out what to do.”

  Regan sighed, agreeing with him mentally. “Nothing to do about it now.”

  “I know.”

  They spread their blanket under the trees, giving them a good view of the wall without exposing their position. Then, they sat and waited, watching nothing in particular as the sun faded away and the moon came out for a brief period before clouds rolled in and it began to rain. Regan giggled softly as the rain filtered through the heavy tree canopy they were hiding under.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked, irritation in his voice.

  “We seem to find trouble at every turn.”

  He groaned. “I’m not sure that’s funny.”

  “But it keeps life interesting.”

  “I wouldn’t mind being a little bored.”

  She leaned against his broad chest, enjoying the time together even if it wasn’t for the best of reasons.

  At some point in the middle of the night, Geno and RC appeared, ready to take their turn on watch. Regan and Wolf walked back to the van hand in hand as they navigated the now familiar terrain. The rain had stopped, leaving everything feeling muggy, but slightly cooler.

  They settled in on the bed Heather had made up in a soft area under the trees. Regan fell asleep within minutes, hoping tomorrow brought good news.

  When she did wake up, it was to find Geno and RC softly snoring away nearby. Heather and Fred were on watch duty, it seemed. She could already feel the heat and the cloying humidity. Everything felt different.

  “Storm,” Wolf said as he sat up.

  “What?” she asked.

  “The weather. I think we need to be ready for a storm in the next day or two.”

  She groaned. “Like a hurricane?”

  “We’re pretty far inland, so it won’t be bad, but we can expect high winds and a lot of rain from the feel of this air. We need to have all those pots and pans ready to catch the water. Once we get Lily back, I don’t want to stop moving again.”

  She nodded her head. “I understand.”

  They began tidying up the area, and were in the process of hanging the damp bedding from a tree limb when they heard footsteps in the gravel.

  Wolf spun around, automatically shielding Regan with his body. “Dad,” he hissed in a voice so low that Regan barely heard him—and she was standing inches away from him.

  RC jumped up from where he had been soundly sleeping, the rifle already up and at the ready, shocking Regan with his swiftness. She looked over Wolf’s shoulder to see two women and a man walking down the road, heading straight for them. The van had been moved into the trees, but the tires had left tracks in the muddy ground. Regan only hoped they didn’t realize the tracks were fresh.

  “Good morning,” one of the women called out.

  “Good morning,” Wolf answered, his hand behind his back, resting on the Glock that was rarely more than a few inches from his grip.

  The first woman separated herself from the others and came forward. “My name is Maggie. I think we have met some of your people.”

  Wolf didn’t say a word. Regan stepped around him. “I don’t think so. It’s just us,” she lied.

  Maggie smiled. “I understand you’re being cautious. That’s necessary these days.”

  “Why do you think you’ve met our people?” Wolf asked in a low growl.

  Maggie smiled. “Because there is no way those kids were with that woman out here all alone. It’s alright. Mac doesn’t know we’re out here talking to you. We’re on a foraging mission.”

  “Mac?” Wolf questioned.

  The woman nodded her head. “He’s our leader of sorts. He has some different ideas about how things should run. Me and my friends, that’s Ann and Daniel, we don’t necessarily agree with the direction things are moving in, and were hoping we could chat with you about an idea we’ve had.”

  Regan went on even higher alert. She wasn’t sure what the woman was saying, but something told her Maggie wasn’t quite as sweet and friendly as she was presenting herself to be.

  “How are the kids?” Wolf asked.

  “And the woman?” Geno asked, stepping forward. “Are they okay? Are they being treated well?”

  Maggie nodded her head, a slight smile on her lips. “The injured girl is receiving antibiotics. The boy has been with her most of the night from what I saw. The doctor lady, she’s been in and out.”

  “You’ve been watching them?” Wolf asked.

  Daniel stepped forward. “We have.”

  “Why?” Regan asked.

  “We were hoping to talk with them, learn more about where they were from. We assumed it had to be somewhere close. As much as the boy insisted he was alone, Mac didn’t believe him,” Daniel explained.

  Heather jogged across the road to where the group had gathered in the shade. “The boy? Travis! Is he okay?”

  Maggie turned to Heather and smiled. “You must be his mother. The resemblance is remarkable.”

  Heather looked to Wolf, asking him how to answer. Wolf nodded his head.

  “I am. I want to know if he’s safe,” Heather replied in a soft voice.

  Maggie smiled. “He is. He’s a brave boy,
keeping a close watch over his friend.”

  Heather’s shoulders sagged in relief. Regan looked up and noticed Fred remaining in the trees. It was a smart move in case their visitors turned out to be dangerous, and she felt proud of him for thinking of it. Having a secret weapon gave them an advantage.

  “You said you don’t agree with Mac. What exactly are you trying to tell us?” Wolf asked, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand.

  Daniel stepped forward, grabbing Ann’s hand in his. “Mac isn’t letting anyone in. He refuses to do any trading. Supplies are quickly dwindling. We had to beg to be let out to do some foraging. He doesn’t seem to understand that we can’t grow enough food inside those walls to support our numbers.”

  “And?” Wolf prodded.

  “And we want your help,” Maggie blurted out.

  Wolf looked at his dad. “Our help? We don’t have supplies to offer.”

  “No, no, we aren’t asking that. We didn’t expect you to. We’re not alone in our thinking. We have a large group of townspeople who want Mac out. We need a little more help, and then we can unseat him from his throne.”

  Regan began shaking her head. “I don’t understand. You want us to essentially go to war with you, so you can take over the town from the guy who is currently the leader?”

  Maggie traded a glance with her companions, chuckling. “In a nutshell, yes.”

  Regan looked at Wolf, hoping he realized how dangerous the idea was. There was no way they could involve themselves in a civil war like this. It wasn’t their fight. They had enough of their own problems to contend with.

  “Why? Why would we do that?” Wolf asked.

  “Because we do have medicine. We have a clinic, stocked with supplies and a doctor. Our doctor is on board with our plan,” Daniel explained. “And while we’re low on food, we could spare some medical supplies in repayment.”

  “You’re offering to keep helping the girl if we help you unseat this Mac guy?” Geno asked.

  The three people nodded their heads. “Not only that, but we can offer you some of the medical supplies. Not much, but some. Once one of us in charge, you’re also welcome to stay. We have housing, we have water, and we are growing food—it will take some time to build up the food supply.”