by Lopez, Rob
“Uh huh.”
“I can take you and the governor down to see him, but the rest of your people will have to wait outside.”
“That’s not a problem.”
A portion of the wall was unlatched and dragged open. Inside the rustic surroundings, Connors saw two armed civilians and a lean-to with a couple of mattresses inside. A crude box toilet with a lid sat in the corner of the fort. Judging by the smell, it didn’t get emptied much. Corporal Parson gave Connors a casual salute.
“This could be done better,” said Connors as he looked around.
“It was only recently built,” said Parson. “Gives us something visible to be able to control access from the highway better. Come this way, sir.”
Parson lifted a crossbar and opened the rear gate, leading them down a road that curved along the base of Beaucatcher Mountain before entering Asheville.
“How often do you patrol beyond the fort?” asked Connors.
“We don’t, sir. Takes all our manpower just to defend what we’ve got. There’s raiders with vehicles that use the interstate to access the different entryways into the city, so we’ve got a lot of roadblocks that need to be manned. Then we’ve got people stationed at farms outside the city limit, and they get hit a lot. We’re fully stretched, and then some.”
As they rounded the bend, the city’s downtown came into view. Darkened by the shadows thrown by the setting sun, the streets were a far cry from the vibrant, vivacious metropolis that had attracted tourists from near and far to view its sidewalk entertainers and revel in the colorful tradition of music and dance. If ever there was a hippy center of North Carolina, this was it. But no more. Another roadblock awaited them as they neared the courthouse, and the drum chants were replaced with the thump of a generator that provided the only bright spot in a gloomy street as light shone in the windows of City Hall. Parson led the two right up to the main doors.
“I’ll leave you here, sir,” he said. “I’ve gotta get back.”
“Thank you, Corporal. Appreciate it.”
The lights in the foyer throbbed in time with the generator’s thumps. Only one other room was lit, and its door was open. As Connors entered, the solitary inhabitant, an unshaven gentleman sitting at the head of several joined desks, yawned as he wrote notes on a pad. Spread over the desks were blueprints of Asheville’s water and sewage pipes. By the notepad was a revolver.
The man looked up as he heard the footsteps entering his office. His face was drawn and tired, but his hand was quick to grasp his weapon.
“Who the hell are you?” he said.
Connors held his hands out to show he was unarmed. “I’m Major Connors, U.S. Army, and this is Acting-Governor Jeffries. Your corporal at the fort led us down here.”
“Army,” said the gentleman slowly. “You’re about six months too late.”
“Maybe so,” conceded Connors. “You’re Director Moresby, I assume. Is it okay if we sit down?”
Moresby sagged back in his chair. “Sure,” he said, placing the gun back on the table.
Connors took a seat. “We’re relocating the government of North Carolina here.”
“What’s wrong with Raleigh?”
“Untenable.”
“We don’t need more people here. We can’t feed the ones we already have.”
Connors nodded toward Jeffries. “It’s an executive order. The governor’s western residence is here in Asheville. It’s official government property.”
“That’s outside the city limits.”
“It’s within county limits, and that includes the city.”
“I thought you were here to bring us supplies.”
“We have a few supplies. I also have some soldiers who can help you with your manpower problem.”
“I get the sense you haven’t brought much, but you’re still expecting me to house you.”
“That’s correct.”
“Look,” cut in Jeffries, “I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but we’re here to actually help. We’ll set up the General Assembly, and we can incorporate your administration into mine.”
Moresby glanced lazily at Jeffries. “Real generous of you,” he drawled.
“There’s a lot we can achieve if we work together. I look forward especially to working with Mayor Sturgeon.”
“She’s dead.”
“Oh. What about council member Clair Worley?”
“Dead.”
“Paul Vincent?”
“Dead.”
“Bill Kerry?”
“Missing.”
“Missing?”
“Presumed dead.”
Jeffries paused to take that in. “Surely there’s someone from the county office still alive. Besides yourself, that is.”
Moresby stifled a yawn and massaged his brow. “I’m not from the county office. Not in the way you mean, anyway. I ran the mail room. Kayla Morgan was a clerk in the Highways Department. She handles food rationing now. Jimmy Powers is our water engineer. I think he came down from the university. Sullivan handles Public Health. I can’t remember what he did before. And you’ve met Corporal Parson. He’s our security chief.” Moresby thought for a moment. “There’s a cop who does law enforcement, but I can’t remember his name. Charlie Thorpe? No, he got some kind of infection and died. It’s someone else then.”
“How many people have died?” asked Jeffries.
“Out of a population of ninety thousand? Well, most of them, I guess. Still got a few thousand, I think, but I haven’t counted them. Feel free to try.”
10
Rick watched as the raiders uncoupled the last wagon of the coal train. The train was about a mile long, stretching almost to Old Fort. Two of its four diesel locomotives were burnt hulks. Backing up an old sedan and a pickup, the raiders attached tow ropes from the two vehicles to the freight wagon and spent the next few minutes churning up gravel from the tires as they attempted to get the wagon moving.
The raiders were stationed in a large wooded valley, and the rail line entered the valley and looped around the knob before running on toward Black Mountain. The knob, with its steep sides and lavish lodge, did indeed look like a castle, though it was wood rather than stone. It dominated the valley floor. On the line near the knob sat four empty coal wagons that had been dragged into place some time earlier. With a revving of engines, the raiders succeeded in getting the uncoupled full wagon moving, and were coaxing it along, into the valley. The two laboring vehicles separated to drive on either side of the empty wagons, and the full wagon smacked into them with a mighty clang. Waiting raiders immediately leaped onto the wagon to apply its brakes.
Rick switched his binocular’s gaze to a wooden guard tower that had been built by the lodge on the knob. The guard was armed with a scoped rifle and appeared vigilant. Log barricades at the three approach roads were also manned. At the foot of the knob, sparks flew as a raider welded sheet metal armor to the chassis of a truck.
“Tough nut to crack,” murmured Scott. “I don’t see any women or children either. It’s like a military camp.”
Buckets of coal were carried to a hut. Smoke rose from the hut’s improvised chimney. Outside the hut, a buck hanging from a pole was being skinned and butchered, the fresh cuts of meat taken inside. Fishing nets hung out to dry by a small lake.
“It’s a good setup,” admitted Rick.
“We need to find a place like that.”
Rick lowered his binoculars. “We just did.”
“Another place like that. Far away. This whole thing stinks. A bunch of helpless villagers ask us for help with a gang of hombres who are making their life hell? Sorry, but I’ve already seen that movie, and I know damn well you have. In the movie, they had seven gunfighters to help them out. We’ve only got two.”
“Lauren, Harvey and Packy can handle themselves.”
“In defense, maybe. You know that an assault takes a hell of a lot more. They ain’t trained for that, and are you really willing to risk your own wife? I know I
wouldn’t.”
“I was just thinking out loud, that’s all.”
“Normally your thinking’s good, but right now I’ll say that you ain’t thinking enough.”
“I didn’t say I’d made a decision.”
“But you’re heading that way. I can see it.”
“You’re assuming too much. Let’s get back.”
*
“Hey there,” said April.
Dee sat on the stoop of the trailer home. Jacob played in the dirt at her feet, sampling a dry leaf. April squatted down by him.
“They’ll eat just about anything,” said April, watching Jacob remove the leaf from his mouth and look at it, like he wasn’t sure whether it was good or not. “Daniel was a terror for that. I had to watch him so closely. I never knew what he was going to find next. I had to keep the house so clean, and still he’d find stuff under the couch or in some other place. Never touched his own toys. Bought so many nice things for him, all colorful and sterilized like the magazine articles recommended – I was real picky in those days and I believed every childcare magazine I read – but he preferred garbage instead.”
Dee sat unresponsive, staring into the middle distance.
April plucked the leaf from Jacob’s chubby fingers. “You don’t want to eat that,” she said to him.
Jacob looked at her like maybe he would.
“Leave him alone,” said Dee abruptly.
Respectfully, April leaned back out of his personal space. “Sorry,” she said. “Did it out of habit. Might not be a good idea to let him put too much in his mouth, though. You don’t want him to get sick. I mean, Sally’s good, but, with no medicines and all …”
Dee didn’t even look at her. April tailed off with a frown.
“Look,” she said, “we’re not the bad guys. I know you had it rough, but nobody here’s going to hurt you. Or your baby.”
Dee scooped Jacob up and carried him into the trailer. April followed her inside.
“We want to help you, Dee. You’re, like, part of the team now. All for one and all that jazz. We’re your friends. You’re safe here.”
Dee gathered some things and threw them into a bag. Supporting Jacob on her hip, she shouldered the bag and grabbed a couple of cans of food from the kitchen. Pushing past April, she left the trailer.
“Dee, where are you going?”
Dee strode across the clearing toward the trees. April hurried to catch up.
“Hey! You don’t have to go. I’m sorry for what I said … whatever it was I said. Dee, come on. If you want me to leave you alone, just say so, okay?”
The wooded slope dropped steeply down to the base of the hill. Dee made her way down with sure-footed, determined steps.
April wanted to shout after her, but there was a policy in the camp of keeping all noise to a minimum. “Dee,” she hissed hoarsely.
Without looking back, Dee continued on her way.
*
Lauren was standing guard at the OP when April came running over, clutching her belly.
“Dee’s run off,” said April breathlessly.
“What?”
“I was talking to her and she didn’t like what I said so she took off down the hill.”
“Wait here,” said Lauren. Dashing across the clearing she saw Chuck. “Where’s Packy?” she said.
Chuck shrugged. “Haven’t seen him. What’s up?”
“Dee’s run away again. Find Harvey and tell him I need backup.”
Running into the trees, Lauren looked around. She caught a glimpse of a white shirt at the foot of the hill and slithered down in pursuit. By the time she got to the bottom, Dee was striding purposefully across the rail line that ran into town. Lauren sprinted after her but didn’t catch up until Dee was approaching the train station. In spite of being burdened with a baby, Dee was still capable of maintaining a fast pace. Lauren slid to a halt next to her.
“What the hell are you doing?” she panted.
Dee strode on, ignoring her. Lauren moved to block her way.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Out of my way,” mumbled Dee, trying to step around her.
“Dee, stop! There’s nowhere to go out there.”
“Leave me alone.”
“You’ll compromise our position if someone sees you.”
“I said leave me alone.”
Lauren watched her go. It wasn’t right to let her and her baby go off into wild territory, but she was tired of the woman’s petulance and her basic ingratitude. If she thought she could make it on her own, then to hell with her.
Lauren seethed for a fraction of a second, then, hating herself for it, she set off to try and persuade Dee to return one more time.
That was when she heard the sound of engines.
Multiple vehicles were approaching the center of Old Fort from the direction of the interstate, and they didn’t appear to be coming slowly.
Ahead of Lauren was the little train station building. On the other side of the road were a handful of rental lodges and a parking lot. Lauren didn’t think she’d make it to cover before the vehicles reached the T-intersection by the station. Grabbing Dee’s arm, she pulled her over the roadside barrier and down the steep embankment to the rail line. She’d just got her head down when the vehicles hit the intersection and turned their way, coming into view. Lauren pressed Dee into the weeds and released the safety on the M16.
From where she lay, she could see the wooded hill where her camp was. Anxiously she tried to see if Harvey was coming so she could wave him off, but she couldn’t see him. Thankfully, she couldn’t see any other sign of life from the hill, which meant there was nothing to attract the occupants of the vehicles. If the convoy chose to investigate the hill for any reason, Lauren wasn’t in a good position to do much about it. She hoped the others were ready.
The convoy drew level with her position and then turned into the parking lot by the rental lodges, engines idling. Lauren held her breath.
Car doors creaked open, and old springs groaned as people got out of the vehicles.
They were just yards away, and Lauren didn’t dare lift her head to see what they were doing. If they’d spotted her already, she wasn’t sure what she could do. She could maybe dash across the rail lines to the flat-roofed storage buildings on the other side of the track, but she’d be gunned down in seconds.
The only option was to stay and fight.
Heart hammering, Lauren gripped her rifle, ready to blast the first head that dared peer over the edge of the embankment. Jacob, meanwhile, squirmed in his mother’s grip, agitated by tension and the undue haste with which they’d descended. For a moment Lauren feared that the baby would cry out and that the next few seconds would explode in a hail of bullets, but Dee calmly uncovered her breast and directed Jacob’s mouth to it. Lauren had to admit it was an effective way of keeping him quiet.
Nobody approached their position, and Lauren listened intently, trying to figure out why the vehicles had stopped here. She flinched as she heard audible cracks and the sound of metal cans being dumped on the ground. A voice called for some tubing. Then she realized.
They were siphoning fuel from the abandoned cars in the lot.
Lauren relaxed a little. All they had to do was stay quiet and wait. She glanced around to make sure other scavengers weren’t wandering different parts of the town, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw a face looking at her from the flat roof across the tracks. She brought her rifle to bear immediately before she recognized it was Packy.
The idiot was visible against the skyline, and it looked certain that his curiosity would alert the scavengers.
And what the hell was he doing there anyway?
She waved to him to get his head down. He responded with his rodent grin and a finger to his lips before sinking out of sight.
In spite of her annoyance, she was relieved to not be totally alone, though what Packy could do to help in the event of her being discovered was questio
nable. Even from across the tracks, the Mac-10 he favored would be incredibly inaccurate. Shooting it would be the same as throwing a bucket of bullets. In a real firefight, he’d be more likely to hit her than anyone else.
Lauren waited out the scavengers as they dripped the last of the gas into the cans. Jacob finished his feeding and lay contented on his mother’s chest, looking sleepy. Car doors were slammed and transmissions whined as vehicles reversed back onto the road. The convoy set off and Lauren raised her head to watch them go.
She counted four vehicles, all old and riding low with full loads. The rear vehicle was a pickup and it carried a different load from the others. Three women were tied up in the back, watched by a gunman who stood over them, holding onto the roll bar as the vehicle rocked. Dee’s head rose up beside Lauren.
“They’re going to use them,” she intoned.
Lauren had no doubt what the women would be used for, but she was surprised by Dee’s tone. She thought she caught a trace of fear mixed with pity, which was more emotion than Dee had displayed since she’d joined the group.
“That’s why you need to stick with us,” said Lauren.
Dee didn’t reply. Retreating back into her reticence, she picked herself up, adjusted Jacob’s sleeping form and walked back along the track, toward the camp. Harvey appeared from behind cover on the hill and waved the all-clear. Josh rose beside him, his rifle ready. Lauren was glad that they’d been there to back her up. Everybody had learned to function well as a team. As she watched Dee walk away, she wondered when the woman would consent to join it herself, rather than merely tolerate it. Dee seemed to switch between impenetrable and prickly, and Lauren wondered if she was too damaged to ever become sociable again.
It wasn’t just Dee who wasn’t a team player, however. Packy also insisted on walking to the beat of his own, slightly bizarre, drum. Lauren crossed the tracks and found the ladder Packy had propped up against the storage unit to get to the roof. Climbing up, she found Packy moving around on his hands and knees on the flat roof.
“What are you doing here, and what did I tell you about leaving the camp without telling anyone?” she said.