by Alice Sabo
“True,” Nick muttered. “Have you talked to them?”
“Not really. Just that time with Tilly.”
“Martin’s got some men to keep an eye on them.”
“Do you know when the storm will end?” Wisp asked, changing the topic.
Nick shook his head. “Nothing on the ether. But I haven’t heard any thunder in awhile. Might be tapering off. You getting ready to leave?”
Wisp nodded.
Nick folded his arms, chewing on his lower lip. “Not sure I feel comfortable leaving right now.”
“Your company is welcomed but not essential,” Wisp said. “Something happened last night that spooked Theta. I need to find him right away.”
“Let’s go talk to Martin. I’m sure he’ll let you take one of the vans.” Nick turned and headed down the hall.
Wisp followed. “If I can borrow a van, I can leave before the storm ends.”
Nick huffed an agreement. He would prefer to go with Wisp. That would guarantee his return. But he was hesitant to leave now that there were strangers in his home.
They exited the corridor onto the north stairs just as Young Joe came clattering down them. “There you are. Martin wants to talk to both of you.”
Nick shot a glance at Wisp. He knew Wisp wanted to be off as soon as possible and wondered what scenarios might make him stay. He had proved willing to help in a fight, but Nick didn’t want to wish for something like that.
Martin was alone in his ready room making Nick think that nothing was urgent. “What’s up?” Nick asked.
“One of the Travelers approached me about joining the Watch.”
Nick realized people had taken up the moniker and wondered how the Travelers felt about it. “Is that a problem?”
“A little suspicious. I thought they were a family.”
“No. Some family,” Wisp said. “But not all of them. The big man, green eyes, blond hair. He feels new to their group.”
Martin blinked in surprise. “That’s him. He’s the one who wants to join the Watch.”
“Maybe he was just with them until he could find a steady place.” Nick suggested. “Be safer in a group.”
“Possible,” Martin grumbled. “But I don’t like it. Feels like he’s casing the place.”
“So tell him the truth. He’s gotta be here awhile, then be voted on by the whole settlement to be invited in. After that, maybe he can join the Watch.”
“Good idea,” Martin said. “Maybe that’ll put him off. I’ll tell him he needs to work in the fields or something. Let him know he won’t get his hands on a gun right away. Wisp, are you getting anything on them?”
“Only a general unease. I don’t think they like being around armed men.”
“I don’t doubt they’ve got some arms of their own.”
“Not like what you’ve got,” Wisp said.
Nick noted that Wisp didn’t say we. He worried that, like the Travelers, Wisp didn’t want to be tied to just one place.
“Can you let Wisp have one of the old vans?” Nick asked.
“What for?”
“I need to find my brother.”
“Kyle?”
“No, Theta. He’s nearby. He might be in trouble. I need to find out if he needs me.”
“Nearby where?” Martin asked.
“I think he’s around Clarkeston,” Nick offered.
Martin shot a skeptical look at Nick. “How would you know? Can you feel him, too?”
Wisp looked amused. “Nick has been helping me figure it out.”
“He was going to walk,” Nick said. “But it’ll take forever, and a van’ll get him back here sooner.”
“Yeah, that’s not a problem.” Martin went over to a board holding keys. His hand hovered over a set of keys. “I can give you one of the new ones.”
“That might look too scary,” Wisp said.
“Right.” He grabbed a different set. “The gray one. Kind of nondescript. It should be charged, so check it first. If it keeps raining, you won’t be able to charge on the solar.”
Wisp took the keys. “Thank you. I will return it.”
Nick didn’t like the way he phrased it. He hadn’t said that he would come back. “Are you leaving right away?”
“As soon as I put my gear in the van.”
Nick felt decidedly unsettled about letting Wisp go off on his own. “Just go with me to check in on the Travelers first.”
Wisp studied him with those pale eyes before agreeing.
“Let me know if you find out anything important,” Martin said as they were leaving.
Wisp accompanied Nick down the hall to the south stairs. “What do you expect me to find?” he asked.
Nick clomped down the stairs feeling frustrated and foolish. “I don’t know. There’s just something off about them, and it makes me nervous.”
“Martin has guards in the tunnels. They can’t come up into the building without passing them.”
“I know, I know, but there’s something,” Nick grumbled. He couldn’t put into words the gut-sense that something was off about these people. But he assumed that Wisp could sense his unease.
They passed several guards who looked a little too comfortable for Nick’s peace of mind. He’d have a word with Martin when they got back. The maze in the staging area was still open so they crossed the area quickly. Nick rattled the door to the tunnel, giving them some warning of company.
The Travelers camp had some self-standing tents, a cooking area with an electric stove and a few handcarts. A musty funk pervaded the tunnel. “I told them they could use the showers,” Nick muttered.
“That isn’t a human smell,” Wisp replied in a low voice.
The hair on Nick’s neck stood up. “What does that mean?”
Wisp chuckled, reaching out to pat Nick’s arm. “I think they’re hiding some goats in that last tent.”
“Goats.” Nick had to laugh at himself. He’d become a little too used to Wisp’s talents. It was making him accept the possibility of the unreal too easily. “They’ve got goats in a tent?”
Rosa came down the tunnel, a smile plastered on her face. “Hello, good morning.”
Nick’s concern turned to embarrassment. He had nothing to offer, no real reason for being here. “You folks need anything?” he said a bit lamely.
Rosa shook her head, her plastic smile wilting a little. “I was hoping to speak to the Finder.”
“Wisp,” Nick interjected. “His name is Wisp.”
“Are you his...keeper?”
“No.” Nick stepped back. “Not at all.”
“We work together,” Wisp said.
Nick had a surprised moment of pride that Wisp included him.
“And your fee?” Rosa asked, her grin becoming brittle.
“I barter.”
“Lily said you found her brother. What did she give you?”
“Nothing. She was a child alone.”
Rosa relaxed a bit. “We have limited means.”
“What do you wish found? A person or a thing?”
Rosa bit her lip. “A person.”
“It’s easiest if I have an item of theirs.”
She seemed to accept that. “I have some clothes, or...”
“Something they touched on a regular basis is best.”
Rosa beckoned them back to the tent area. She offered them camp stools while she dug through a trunk. Nick assessed the efficient set up. Everything was in good shape. He heard an odd snicker and looked at Wisp, who indicated the end tent. A long nose poked through the tent flap. The noise came again, and this time it had a distinct bray to it.
Rosa returned with a pair of worn boots. “These were her favorite.”
Wisp took the boots, holding them in his lap, eyes closed. Goosebumps ran up Nick’s back, but he kept his eyes on Rosa. She had a look of such longing on her face, that Nick felt sorry he’d ever doubted them.
“She’s alive,” Wisp said.
“You’re sure?” Rosa�
��s voice was harsh.
“She is a teenager. Strong. She knows how to travel safely. She’s worried, but not about herself. She’s hiding in a safe place.” Wisp pointed back along the tunnel. “I can feel where she is.”
Rosa’s expression hardened. “No reward until I see her.”
“I’m headed that way to find my brother. I can find her, too.”
Rosa stared at him, her mouth twitched, warring between anger and delight. She flashed a hot look at Nick. “Can he really do this?”
Nick grumbled his endorsement, but he really wanted to ask Wisp what he was feeling. Could the missing girl be with his brother? Were they prisoners or companions? There could be a whole slew of combinations there. “What if she doesn’t want to come back?” Nick asked. There always was that possibility.
“She’s my flesh and blood,” Rosa snarled. “She will come back to us. She didn’t run away if that’s what you’re thinking. She was taken.”
Nick gave her a deep nod of understanding. “My condolences. We’ve got a lot of kids here now whose parents were taken, but we hadn’t heard about anyone taking kids.”
Rosa wiped her bloodshot eyes. “Raiders. We lost family fighting them. They took our Felicia, our food, horses, left us beaten and bloody on the road.”
“Where did it happen?” Nick asked.
Rosa waved away the question. “Not here. Far from here. We don’t go there anymore.” She went back to the trunk, rummaged around until she found a sack. She took the boots from Wisp, carefully putting them in the sack before handing it to him. “You will bring her back?”
“If she wants to come,” Wisp said.
“She will want to,” Rosa said fiercely. “Tell her we have never stopped looking.”
That comment made Nick wonder. “How long has she been gone?”
“Too long.” Rosa turned away. “I have work to do, you will excuse me.”
Wisp tucked the sack under one arm before heading back to the staging area. Nick followed a few steps behind, listening to a whispered conversation in one of the tents. He couldn’t understand a word of it then realized that it wasn’t in English. He waited till the door clunked shut behind them. “Can you really feel her?”
Wisp gave him a preoccupied nod.
“There’s a problem,” Nick guessed.
“I don’t want to say until I have a better understanding of what I’m feeling.”
“You think she ran away?”
Wisp shook his head. “Too many fragments to sort right now.”
They went up the stairs to the second lower level where Wisp could cut over to the stairs that went down to the tunnel to the field house. “You’re going to get your gear and leave now?” Nick asked.
“Yes.”
“Give me five minutes to tell Angus and get my stuff. I’ll meet you at the van.”
Chapter 19
“As the government had conscripted the science community, it now took over food processing and distribution. Food became the new currency. Packaged meals were delivered to communities by the National Guard in an attempt to ease the fears of a hungry winter.”
History of a Changed World, Angus T. Moss
A HOT SHOWER AND A hot breakfast made all the difference in the world. Ted felt like a new man. Renewed, refreshed, revived...words tumbled through his brain as he helped Nixie wash out the children’s clothing. They ran some rope across the room to hang up all the wet clothes. He checked through all their supplies making mental lists for foraging. A quiet day off the road was just what they needed−a respite, reprieve, hiatus. This new space suited their needs perfectly.
He poked around through the closets and lockers collecting anything that might be useful: a small toolkit, a precious sewing kit, a few plastic water jugs that they could reuse. He stacked things on a table as he found them. Nixie examined them, sorting and packing them. The third time he came back, Toad was adding two penknives and a fat Leatherman to the pile. His spirits were up. They had Stew-goo again for lunch, but this time Nixie added some spices they’d foraged. It made it different enough from breakfast that he could face another round of the monotonous mess.
After lunch he took a nap. He hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before. They felt safe here in this room tucked away in the back of the cavernous space. By late afternoon, he had a full stomach and was well rested which made the future seem like it might not be as dark as it appeared yesterday. He told Nixie he was going to check for some more supply closets and took one of the foraging bags with him. In the hall, he replaced the tarp to hide the light from under the door. Then he waited a minute for his eyes to adjust.
The big space was so dimly lit, it was difficult to forage there. He worked his way around the edge trying to sort out the machines and work bays. He picked up a crowbar at one station. It could be a tool or a weapon. Thinking about it as a weapon made his knees weak. He just wasn’t wired for fighting, but he put it in the bag anyway. It might work for barter.
Moving on, he found a whole box of cotton gloves. They were way too big for the children, but maybe Nixie could alter them into socks or something. She was quite clever at that. Considering her skills gave him a twinge of guilt. Nixie was so much better at being on the road than he was. She kept the kids in line. She kept them fed. Most of the time, she was the one scouting ahead for safe places to camp for the night. As new kids came, Nixie found them clothing and a bedroll. She was indispensible. And what was he to them? A mule to pull the wagon. An extra pair of arms and legs to fetch and carry. Perhaps that was why she was always out of sight, breaking a trail.
He leaned against a workbench as a wave of melancholy hit him. He had been trained for languages. How long had it been since he’d had the time to simply think about words, their convoluted meanings and derivations? Or tracing an origin across continents, watching as letters were replaced, removed or added. In his daily life, he barely spoke but to gather the children or pass warning to Nixie. He wondered if his brain would devolve down as he became more savage than scholar. Did he even have a choice, if that was to be his fate, because he saw no other options on the horizon.
The light from the big entryway faded as the sun set behind banks of slate gray clouds. He needed to get back to foraging before he lost all of the light. He could barely see his way in the gloaming. He worked his way about halfway around the massive room when he heard the cry.
“Unka! Unka where are you? Unka Ted!”
“Here, I’m here, Sootie. Hush.” He worked his way through the labyrinth of machinery as fast as he could. Her high voice echoed across the expanse, sending chills up Ted’s back. He hoped no one was within earshot.
Sootie sobbed, her voice squeaking. “Unka Ted, Nixie’s sick. She says come fast.”
A hot flush ran up Ted’s neck. This was what he feared most of all. He scooped up Sootie in his arms. Her small body trembled with her sobs. The foraging bag banged against his shins as he trotted back to the hallway.
The safe room was silent. Nixie sat at the table, wilted over, head in her hands. Ted went to her, and put his hand on her shoulder. He could feel the heat of her fever through her clothes.
“We need to cool this fever,” he said, as calmly as he could.
“I’m dizzy,” Nixie said, her voice breathy with pain.
Ted got an arm around her and half-pulled her to the showers. He knew better than to try to undress her. Nixie had made it clear from the day he found her that no one would ever see her unclothed. He settled her on the floor of a shower stall, then turned on the water. The pipes bumped and hissed before a trickle came out. He turned it up until a gentle flow rained down on Nixie. She leaned her forehead against the tiled wall, back to the spray. “Cold.”
“I know. I’m sorry. It’ll help the fever.”
“Who will make dinner?” Nixie mumbled.
“I will,” Ted said, knowing he would make a mess of it. “The children will help. You need to rest.” He sat on the floor holding Nixie’s hand
feeling useless, futile, ineffective, pointless. His mind escaped into searching for words for a moment. When her teeth started to chatter, he took her out of the shower and wrapped her in his blanket. Then he tucked her into her bedroll in the corner of the break room.
He turned to find all eyes on him. The children were frightened. To be honest, so was he. But he was smart enough not to let the little ones know. “Come,” he said gently shooing them away from Nixie. “She needs to sleep. We will make dinner for her. Who can help me?”
They all did. Even the littlest ones were on their best behavior. They showed him where the pot was, and how to turn on the hot plate. They carried packets of Stew-goo, one by one in small hands from the stack in the corner. Sootie brought him the box of spices and helped pick out the flavor. Willboy and Toad moved a few tables, turning one on its side to give Nixie a little privacy.
Toad had turned up while Ted had Nixie in the shower. He took one look at Nixie in her nest of blankets and paced away, hands deep in his pockets. After a few minutes of pacing, he’d gotten Willboy to help him move the tables. Now he hovered at the edges of the room, restless and silent.
Ted made extra food for everyone. He overfilled the children’s bowls. “We only get one scoop,” Sootie scolded him.
“Today is special,” Ted said.
Sootie’s eyes wandered back to Nixie’s corner. “Special?”
“We are resting up and getting our strength back. That means everybody needs to eat a hearty dinner.”
Sootie stared at her full bowl, then peered up at him. “Okay. I’ll try.”
Ted swallowed hard, tears burned his eyes. He couldn’t say that Nixie might die, or that they might need to leave her. No. He bit down on that thought. If it came to it, he could put her in the cart with the littlest ones. A vision of him dragging that cart filled to overflowing along the sand-covered river road in the pouring rain, with a trail of children behind him filled him with dread. But he had no weapons. If the soldiers came, should he just go with them? And if he did, what would happen to the children?
They ate in a lumbering silence. It always surprised him how quiet they could be, these wounded feral babies. Ted helped the littlest ones wash and dry their bowls and spoons. He watched small hands tuck them away in backpacks. Blankets were spread, and the children settled. Ted checked on Nixie. She seemed to be sleeping soundly, but her hand still felt too warm. He turned off the overhead lights in the main room but left a few on in the hallway. The room was stuffy with the smell of damp laundry, Stew-goo and unwashed children.