by Alice Sabo
A shadow on the opposite wall was his only warning. He ducked back in and shut the door. Heavy footsteps passed by. Nick counted to ten. He started to lift the handle when another set of footsteps approached down the hall. Nadine squeezed his arm. He gestured for her to stand behind the door. Moving in front of her, he waited for them to charge in. Weaponless, he’d have to take out whoever came through immediately. His hands itched as a bead of sweat slid down his neck.
The footsteps passed them headed toward the laundry. Nick didn’t want to meet that person coming back, but after a count of fifty all was still. He cracked the door again. The hall appeared empty although he could hear the same voices off to his left. He grabbed Nadine’s hand and pulled her into the hall after him. They sprinted past three steel doors to find a cracked and battered wooden one. Nick had to put his shoulder to it, forcing it in. Nadine squeezed past him into the darkness. He followed, then forced the door shut again, hoping they hadn’t made too much noise. The room smelled dank like a basement but with a lighter, loamy odor on top.
“Is it a trap?” Nadine whispered.
Nick trusted James. The numbers in his tattoo were similar to Wisp’s. He could be another brother, or some random biobot from the same lab, but there was something about him that made Nick believe him. He blinked a couple times willing his eyes to adjust to the complete darkness. A few seconds later he saw it, an outside door with a filthy window showing the half-light of twilight. An indrawn breath told him Nadine saw it, too. This part of the basement must come out on the hillside.
A board creaked under his foot. Nick took Nadine’s arm, pulling her close. “Follow me,” he whispered. Creeping around the edge of the room, gingerly testing each floor board, he brought them to the outside door. He rubbed clean a corner of the dirt-caked window to check outside. There was good news and bad. Woods came right up to the building giving them plenty of cover. However, the trees were so close that they blocked egress. Nadine tugged on his arm. She pointed to a large window with a long wooden worktable in front of it.
Nick leaned on the table, and it wobbled under his weight. He gestured to Nadine to grab the other end. Trying to make as little noise as possible, Nick shifted the table far enough to get to the window. He eyed the window sashes doubtfully. The whole room reeked of damp and rot. There was no chance it would open easily. He checked for a lock then hauled on it. The sash slid upward so fast Nick almost fell over. The channels had been greased. A voice in the back of Nick’s brain screamed that this was a trap, but another thought pushed that aside. This might be an escape route for James.
The woods outside the window were young saplings most not thicker than a broom handle. Nick sat on the sill and leaned backwards out the window to check the area above them before going out. The foliage crowded so thickly on the trees, he couldn’t see the sky, which meant any guards stationed above shouldn’t be able to see him either. Nick helped Nadine climb through the window. She had to force aside a couple of weedy trees to find footing. He reached out to yank a thin branch free to muddle their footprints across the room. After climbing out the window, he slid the sash closed and hoped he’d done enough to disguise their trespass.
Nadine grabbed his hand. “He said to go downhill to the river. There’s a boat that’ll take us to a farm.”
Nick let her lead, keeping his eyes open for any movement around them. Escape by boat would be faster than on foot, but he had some doubts about going to a farm. “When did he tell you all this?”
“They took me to the cells right after you went to see the general. James brought me some breakfast. He told me about this like it was a travelogue. Kind of weird.”
Nick checked back up the trail. The undergrowth and shadows seemed to hide their passage. Luck or trap? He still couldn’t say
Chapter 50
“Our fighting men were trained in a military that no longer exists. They think in terms of enemies and war when we need strategies to deal with raiders and thieves.”
History of a Changed World, Angus T. Moss
NICK FOLLOWED NADINE’S whispered instructions as they stumbled through the woods in the pale shadows of dusk. James had told her of a boat house. A gap in the trees showed the path that should lead down to the river. The smell of water, fish and loam was strong. Trees crowded down to the water where they were met by vines and rushes making an impenetrable mat on the bank. Along the verge, an old boardwalk led to a pier with three ramshackle buildings. The boardwalk was rotted through in a handful of places. Moss grew all along the edges. Nick hoped at least one of the boats was in better condition.
“Here,” Nadine said, pointing to a rope tied to a tilted bollard on the other side of the walkway. It appeared to be just an old line dangling in the reeds. “He said there’s a boat.”
Nick put a foot on the rotting boards, testing them. Three quick steps and he was across and down into ankle deep muck on the river bank. He tugged on the rope, relieved to feel some kind of weight on the other end. He braced a foot against the bollard and hauled the slimy, wet line in, hand over hand. He heard the sound of something moving through the rushes, then a slender canoe bumped against the bank.
A floodlight pierced the night exploring along the pier. Nick reached across the walkway for Nadine. She grabbed his hand as the rotten boards bowed under her weight, but luckily held. She stifled a gasp as she landed in the scummy water next to him. Nick nudged her toward the canoe. The light edged away from them, searching toward the shacks. “Hurry,” he whispered.
She stumbled into the canoe banging a knee with a reverberating thunk that sent Nick’s heart pounding. He pushed the craft away from the bank, deeper into the reeds. The water rose up to his knees, then his hips. The spotlight hit them a second before a bullet pinged off the canoe. Nick shoved with all his might, feeling the craft pull free of the vegetation-choked shallows. Cold water washed over him as the current pulled them in deeper. He could hear multiple gun shots now. The canoe swerved rapidly into the current. Nick held on to the side as bullets dimpled the water around him. The spotlight caught them once more before the river pulled them away.
“Get in!” Nadine squeaked.
Nick could feel her warm hands on his cold ones. She reached into the water to grab his shirt. “I got it,” he said as he worked his way down the gunwale to the center of the canoe. “Lean that way,” he warned her. It took three tries and a lot of water in the canoe, but he managed to get in without tipping it over.
They were drifting in a fast current in complete darkness. Nick was chilled to the bone, shivering in his sopping wet clothes. He felt around in the water at the bottom of the canoe. “Ah!” He pulled out one paddle as he felt for the other. “Rats. I think there’s only one.”
“Better than none,” Nadine said. He could hear her teeth chattering.
He stabilized the craft, pointing the bow downstream. Looking up at the lighter gloom of the overcast sky, he could estimate the center of the river by locating the blackness of the trees on either side. “How far is this farm?”
“He said it was a couple miles by car.”
“And you believed him?”
“I asked him what the colors on the tags meant. I wanted to know where Abby went. He said the blue tags went to a couple places, but when I described the woman who came for her, he said it could be the orphanage.”
“Orphanage?” Nick barked. “How did he know?” He was caught between fury and relief. If someone did go back to gather the kids, he could forgive them for taking the adults. But the whole system stunk.
“I guess he helps out there too. Can’t be too many doctors left. And since he’s a biobot, he’s got to do whatever they say, right?”
Nick started to embark on a rant that had been brewing for days when he saw a light ahead on the riverside. He guided the canoe into the shadows at the far bank trying to avoid snagging on any underwater debris. The current was much more sluggish in the shallow water. They slowed perilously just as the canoe came
opposite the illuminated pier. The river was wide enough at this point that Nick thought they were well hidden under the trees. The paddle hit bottom in a couple places as Nick nudged them along.
This dock looked in good shape, but there weren’t any boats tied up. A utility pole held a single old fashioned street lamp that illuminated the bank, the pier and a portion of the river. A man sat in a lawn chair at the base of the pole with a long gun across his lap. They were too far away for Nick to get a good look at the person or the weapon. He dipped the paddle into the water as silently as possible. They were almost past when a big black van arrived. Nick guided the canoe further out into the current. As the water got deeper, their speed increased.
“What was that?” Nadine whispered.
“Guard post?”
“Think there will be more?”
“I don’t know.” Nick looked back, but a curve of the river blocked the light. Behind him he saw the varying shades of darkness that denoted the sky, river and trees. “If James knew about the orphanage because he visited there, then the General might have guards there.”
“So we shouldn’t go there?” Nadine asked.
“Why do you want to?”
“I’d like to find Abby and her kids. That’s why she was acting crazy. They took her and left her kids behind. James thinks the kids should be at this orphanage.”
“So there’s a crew that goes around after these pressgangs to scoop up the kids?”
“That’s what he said.”
They rounded another curve to come upon another lighted area. A large house, that might have been a hotel, was set back on a rise with a rolling lawn that flowed down to a stretch of beach on the river. A pair of docks flanked the beach creating a protected lagoon. Security lighting lit up the entire area. The building had a few lights on in the windows on the upper floors, but the entire first floor was aglow.
“I think that’s it,” Nadine said.
Nick directed the canoe over to the bank. “There’s no way we can get up there without being seen.” He found a shallow eddy to drift into and stopped under the curtain of a weeping willow so they could take a closer look.
“Nobody around,” Nadine said.
“Guards could be anywhere,” Nick warned. He examined the building. Shade trees had hidden what looked like two long wings on either side of the main structure. Too many windows in rows on the upper floors made it look like a hotel or hospital.
“So what should we do?”
“Wait,” Nick said. He knew that they needed food and dry clothes soon. He was still shivering, and hypothermia was right around the corner. His wet shirt stuck to his skin stealing warmth instead of giving it. Nadine wasn’t much dryer after his flailing attempts to get into the canoe.
She leaned forward as if that would help her to see better. “How long?”
“Until some of those lights go out.”
Chapter 51
“We have returned to a time when anyone must be expected to be able to defend themselves. We must either return to packs or travel armed.”
History of a Changed World, Angus T. Moss
NICK WANTED TO DO SOMETHING. Shivering in the canoe wouldn’t get him any more information about this place, but it seemed too dangerous to approach. He was struck by the thought that this would be a course of inaction that Angus would approve.
“Someone’s coming,” Nadine whispered.
A woman walked out the pier not more than ten feet from the canoe. She was already too close for Nick to move without attracting attention. Her clothes were worn, but fit her well, tan slacks and a white cotton shirt. Long brown hair pulled back in a pony tail, her forehead creased in a frown as she gazed into the darkness.
Nadine reached over to grab Nick’s hand. Her movement sloshed the water in the canoe just as the woman reached the end of the pier. She glanced over, but didn’t react. Calmly, she sat at the edge of the pier as if watching the river.
“He’s not with you.”
Nick heard the bite of bitterness in her statement. “Who?”
“James.”
A few things came together for Nick. “Are you a captive here?”
“I’m responsible for the children. If I leave...”
Nick didn’t need her to finish that sentence. If she left there would be more children on the road looking for safety and food. “But you expected him?”
“I hope,” she murmured, head bowed over folded hands. “We both hope for some solution that will not endanger the children.”
“Is Abby here?” Nadine asked.
“I think one of the new arrivals is named Abby.”
Nadine looked at Nick. “I’m staying.”
“We can always use a few more hands.”
“How often does Washburn’s men come through here?” Nick asked.
“Twice a month. They don’t care about the kids, but James does. That’s why we set this place up. We provide a home until someone comes for them.” She shrugged, breathing out a long, sad sigh. “No one ever does.” She snuck a glance at them. “Washburn heard about James and sent a messenger to ask him to take care of a wounded man. They took him captive. They let him come back here to check on the children, but he’s always guarded. We talked about a river escape...”
Nick scowled at Nadine. “If Washburn’s men see you...”
“So I’ll hide when they come by.”
“Is that possible?” Nick asked the woman.
“They never search when they’re here. What would they be looking for? You’re welcome to stay. I could say you wandered in. We do get people that way.”
Nick looked at the brightly lit lawn. “You don’t have any guards?”
“We don’t need any. This is the General’s territory, we don’t have raiders.”
This didn’t feel right, but Nick didn’t think he could dissuade Nadine. “You can stay if you want, but I’m moving on,” he told her.
“I do.” She nearly tipped over the canoe as she climbed out, splashing through shallow water to the bank.
“I’m Helen, by the way.”
“Nick.”
“Did he say anything about me?”
“Not to me, but he had more time with Nadine.”
Helen hung her head, defeat in her posture. “Be careful on the river. You need to get off before the bridge. There’s a gang of brutes that hold the territory on the other side. Washburn keeps troops on the border. It’s a very dangerous place.”
“Thanks,” Nick said. “I know James’s brothers. I’ll let them know about the situation. Maybe something can be done.”
“His brothers?” Helen frowned at him. “You must have the wrong person. He’s a biobot.”
“Sorry.” Nick raised a hand in farewell before paddling the canoe into deeper water. He didn’t like leaving Nadine behind in a situation he hadn’t assessed, but ultimately it wasn’t his decision. He looked back, but the river’s bends had hidden the beach already. Helen’s comment confused him. Why wouldn’t James tell her about his brothers? Maybe she didn’t know him that well.
Nick had just gotten out into deeper water when he saw the bridge. He didn’t want to deal with soldiers or raiders. He guided the canoe back to the bank searching for a good place to land. When he startled a couple of deer drinking at the water’s edge, he knew that meant there should be some game trails. He pulled the canoe up out of the water, just in case he needed to make a getaway on the river.
With the heavy overcast, he didn’t even have the moon to give him a sense of direction. Listening for movement, he crept into the woods.
Chapter 52
“The children that we raise now will be more like our ancestors, learning skills of survival in a hostile world.”
History of a Changed World, Angus T. Moss
TILLY STOMPED INTO Martin’s office to find it empty. She spun on her heel and headed back out. At the armory, Jack looked up from a half-hearted inventory of some new weapons. “Where is he?” Tilly demanded.
Jack sputtered something about rounds and perimeters.
Tilly marched down to Angus’s office where he was meeting with a disparate group of people that she couldn’t put a name to. Luckily, the meeting was breaking up, so she didn’t have to wait. “Angus, we need to talk.”
Her husband winced at her tone. “About what my dear?”
She plunked herself down on the chair opposite him. “We need to expand the Watch.”
He tipped his head. “Well, yes, but...”
“No buts. We need to start patrolling the entire area and the roads between here and Creamery. In fact, we need a way station halfway there with more guards.”
Angus’s eyes widened. “That’s a tall order.”
“We need a force of men to keep the roads safe. Like...Rangers.”
“Um.” Angus tapped his pen. “It isn’t easy to start up a personal army. I don’t think we’ve got the wherewithal.”
Tilly folded her arms. “I’ve been thinking and realized we are approaching this completely wrong. We’re still in the stop-gap stage. The world has changed, Angus, and it isn’t going back to what we had. Ever. I thought I had accepted that. But we keep doing things based on expectations that are unrealistic.”
Angus leaned back in his chair, smiling at her. “I don’t think I’ve seen this side of you before. What has made you so martial?”
“This is my castle. I will not have it violated. Society has gone backwards down to city-states, and we need to think in those terms. If we want to survive, we need to police our territory. We need to decide how much is ours and make it clear how we expect people to act.”
“Interesting thought. It would make sense to create an alliance of sorts with anyone local.”
“No,” she countered. “Things are too fragile for democracy. You can be the king or the earl or the sheriff, but people don’t get a say in how we keep them safe and fed.”